Calvary McAllen

HATS OFF

A big "hats off" (pun intended) to W.I.T., Calvary's Women's Ministries, for their Mission Kenya project of knitting hats for the children and shawls for the workers of the Lemoru Children's Home. It was a huge success. We gave the kids their hats on our second day at the home. The children were overwhelmed with excitement as they approached us to pick their hats. I was swarmed with children anxious to recieve their special blessing from the ladies of Calvary. For me, distributing those hats, and watching the joy on the faces of those children in receiving them, was one of the highlights of the trip.

Before we broke the news to them of their special gift, Pastor Susan let them know that the hats had been hand-knitted by the women of our church. Each hat had pinned to it a special note from the people who made them. After handing out the hats I spent some time reading the notes to several children. They listened to the words with great attention. They hugged us and sang a special song of thanksgiving for the hats. They wore their hats with pride and refused to take them off.

Most of them slept with the hats on that night. The next day they were still wearing the hats. I thought it interesting that many of the kids did not take the safety-pinned notes off the hats. They were walking around with the notes still attached. I asked about that. Didn't they know that the notes were not meant to stay on the hats? I was told that the notes were thought to be very special and it would be rude to dispose of them. Some of the children had taken the notes off the hats and had pinned them to their shirts. They wore them that way to school the next day, like a special badge of honor that seemed to say, "I am loved." I have rarely seen so much appreciation for so little.

They wanted us to express their thanks to all the ladies who spent so many hours knitting the hats and shawls. By the way, the women of Lemoru loved the shawls as well and are equally appreciative. Ladies, you have impacted those children from thousands of miles away. Because of your love and care they have been touched ... Be blessed.

Blessings,

pastor ellis

KIMBERLY AND SHANNON

David Chan forwarded an email from Kimberly, the director of the Lemoru Children's Home in Kenya. She spent a lot of time summarizing what we accomplished in Kenya so I thought it would be good reading. This was part of her newsletter to her family and friends. Although I have not changed anything she wrote, I have edited out the material before and after this section because it did not apply to our church. I've also inserted some pictures that Kimberly provided. It's a long email, but worth the read.

Chamge Tugul,

(Greetings to all)

This past team was primarily from Calvary Baptist Church in McAllen.  They had their first annual aids conference in Nairobi.  It was led by an aids doctor who deals with thousands of patients in the Rio Grande valley and surrounding areas.  Shannon, I, and two of our local pastors (Joshua and Peter) loaded up in our vehicle and went to Nairobi for the weekend to attend the conference.  It was a great success and a beginning to many in the future to impact the country of Kenya and surrounding countries.  I know personally that it impacted our pastors, Shannon and I tremendously.  It was very informative.  There were breakout sessions titled anywhere from Grassroots on Fire: HIV ministry through the local church to Raising the HIV+ child to No longer a victim: Coping with the impact of sexual abuse and rape to Tradition or Mission Leading a church through transition to Love to Lead: Servant leadership in the local church to When one day is too long:  HIV and subatance abuse to I.M.A.G.I.N.E: a network for the missional Church of the 21^st century (www.theimaginenetwork.org) to true love waits and many more.  There were many key government officials involved as well as college professors, teachers and medical personal from all over the U.S and various countries.  (Calvary Baptist, valley aids council, family of faith tabernacle, interactive life forms, pinnacle relief centre, united nations, mission psychological center, Kenya, Australia, Nigeria, Mexico, Uganda, Puerto Rico, ect.)  Their theme of the conference was “a disease without borders demands a partnership in spite of borders”.  It was a blessing to be a part of and even a greater blessing to have most of the team that helped, to come and spend 5 days in our home.  They came a couple days after the conference and did vbs, school assemblies, training our teachers and staff, medical team, agricultural team, construction team, and pastors to train those in our community.  There was a children’s pastor on the team and many children workers that put on a vbs for three days in the afternoons for grade 3 and under.  We had a child’s psychologist that was able to assist us with some children in the home as well as a few in the school.  There was an agricultural specialist that was able to get the funds from his company to put in a drip irrigation system which will help us yield more crops in the dry season such as potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, and various vegetables.  The construction team did a few repairs around the home such as fixing the generator (for pumping water and giving us light… praise God!) and most importantly made a condo for the chickens.  Ok maybe not a condo but its definitely the size of my room!  Now we’re able to maintain our garden better and not have chicken poop on our firewood that stays in the kitchen.  (Don’t ask, we’re just not in Kansas anymore)  They started the makings of a cow pen and left the design with the Kenyans to finish (so maybe in a year or two it’ll be finished J).  Also left a donation for when our cow coup is put up to buy a really nice milkin cow to put in it.  The construction team spent their first full day here in town getting the real Kenyan experience of time and politics (you remember that eh cliff?) There were teachers on the team that was able to go in and focus primarily on the school here.  Most teams go around traveling to many but this team’s vision was to focus primarily on our home and school to impact them most effectively.  The teachers went in this school and were shocked by the highly implemented discipline by using a cane to hit the children for any misbehavior, the lack of training, most of them having only a high school degree and teaching only because this was their last resort for a source of income, and the lack of materials used for teaching.  After going in and giving motivation to them and showing them there is such a thing as having a calling and passion for children and teaching, the results are tremendous.  One teacher expressed a change of heart towards the children, one said they would no longer use a cane and many other positive impacts.  Every night a few of the team members would sneak off and go to be with the children for night devotion.  This was also a great impact on the children.  Some of the teachers who specialize in child development were able to pull the staff aside and train them on children, relating to them, loving them, and training them up in a good way.  There was a doctor on the team and a few nurses who were able to open up a mobile clinic in our nearby church for a few days.  They saw over 400 patients!  They were able to provide a lot of free medical treatment with medication and also with the help of a nurse and lab technician from the hospital in Ziwa they were able to direct those that needed further treatment and attention.  The medical people also were able to assist me in getting official medical books started for each child and gave them a full general medical exam.  We also just started giving each child multi-vitamins daily.  There was a jack of all trades of the team that came for a short time on the leadership team back in January.  His name is Mike and I can’t even begin to tell you all the impacts God used him to make in this community.  Literally he’s had over 90 professions in his lifetime and is using some of them here in the village and home.  One huge one was that he is a karate instructor (has a black belt) and has started in the home and school a karate class.  There happens to be a teacher in the school that took karate in college and is now able to be the teacher while mike is away.  They plan to start it here and every time they come back they’ll possibly start it up in a nearby school so that eventually they will have competition and maybe even train some of them up to be in the Olympics (supposedly they have perfect bodies and quickness just right for it).  This is a wonderful thing for them because not only do they have a fun sport to be involved in, they also get the training of growing up to be a respectable and responsible young men.  They learn not to use anger and violence as a means to get what they want but rather are taught self respect and control which will enable them to become responsible young men.  I’ve continued to see a change in them.  What more could I say about this team except that I give a huge thanks again for sacrificing your time to impact these children, school and community in ways you’ll never know.  God truly had a purpose for EVERY single one of you on this trip and the ripples from your impact will go on into eternity.  (And just to keep you humble you’ll probably never see it all till you get to heaven)  Even there were four families that brought some if not all their children.  This was a first to have American (white) children in the village.  The children went CRAZY when they first saw them.  They always wanted to touch them to see if they’re real.  The only things they’d ever saw of white children were in books or in movies.  There was a 2 yr old boy, two 4 yr old girls, 6 yr old girl, 6 yr old triplet boys, 12 yr old girl, and three teenage boys.  (the children of the home say thank you, and they miss all of the children! (..especially the children of the school miss Meagan!)  Did I mention the team consisted of 33 people?!  So next time you’re contemplating on bringing your children and worried about safety or sickness or whatever the excuse may be, bring ‘em on, its safe as can be and an experience I think every American child should have.

Now that I’ve written your ear off, Ill close with some prayer request.  There are many more things to update and God-willing ill put more of them in another email here in another week or so. 

Pray for:

-children finishing their medicine and God using it to bring them all back to great health

-positive encouragement and strength for our 9 staff members

-understanding for the children that are taking mid-term exams

-continued discipleship for our children and for them to take it and impact the other children in the village and even beyond (you do know we’re raising the next president right?)

-violet, caroline jepkorir, and georgina away at high school (especially caroline)

-preparation and all needs met for our last team coming this year (through katalyst ministries in san angelo, tx-katalystministries.org)

-bud and jim, who are coming next month, jim will be here for a few weeks and bud for 6 months or more

-continued unity amongst board, staff, children, Shannon, and I

-healing emotionally for Julianna, Lillian, Gladys, Ronald, Brian, and probably many others that we don’t know of. (and for God to show us those we don’t know of)

-for Shannon and I to learn the language, stay healthy, and keep our eyes on the task at hand

created for this,

kimberly mckinney

manage/mom

Lemoru Children's Home

P.O. Box 6362

Eldoret, Kenya, Africa 30100

kimberly (on left) and shannon -- they need our prayers!

blessings,

pastor ellis

WOW!

I got a note from David Chan reflecting on all we accomplished in Kenya over the last 3 weeks. I want to post his note here, unedited.

Hey Ellis,

I have been thinking about and summarizing what the people of Calvary and our colleagues accomplished in Kenya in June and wanted to share it with you:

Our teams of 30 adult professionals plus children...

* ... put together the 1st Annual African HIV/AIDS update and Leadership Development Conference with 160 participants, representing 13 countries, from various Kenyan towns and districts and at least 20 different organizations. We met our goals of (1) reaching organizations from rural areas and (2) reaching multi-sectoral organizations, i.e., orphanages, churches, women's groups, and clinicians.

* ... participated in field work that accomplished the following:

-- Checked successful progress on the construction of a Primary School for an Unreached People Group, the Munyoyayas of Malkhamanza, Kenya. Assisted in furthering their funds.

-- Scouted and prayer walked sites in Garissa, Kenya for Development and Relief Center, a strategy for reaching the Muslim groups of the area through development and youth centers. Potentially linked Valley Fellowship of Mission, TX with this project.

-- Performed informal consultations in Child Development with the Abandoned Baby Center in the Dagoretti, Kenya site of Feed the Children. We learned more about the ministry, participated in the infant nursery, and sent a team to serve with their staff for a day.

-- Community and Spiritual Development within Lemoru Children's Home and village of Lemoru, Kenya.

We completed a Poultry pen, started a Dairy pen, set-up a Drip irrigation system, conferenced with and inspired educators, trained the orphanage staff in Early Child Development, built a basketball court, held Karate lessons, conducted a medical clinic for +400 people plus 45 children of the Home, and led several hundred children through Bible lessons, crafts, songs and games.

-- Launched IMAGINE, a network to link churches and other service-organizations with individuals and resources for synergistic partnerships that can change the world. Initially focusing on Africa and our Kenya field sites, IMAGINE has stirred the hearts of Kenyans and North Americans to find ways to serve together and contribute to one another for cultural transformation for the Kingdom.

-- Worshipped in a Masai-led church and learned of their needs and strategies to reach more Masai with the Gospel.

A lot of great things were done -- For the fame of Jesus!

Multiple lives were blessed and touched - for the fame of Jesus.

Hopefully, our folks returned with expanded worldviews and deeper devotions to the work of God in the world -- for the fame of Jesus.

dc

Wow! All I can add is ... AMEN! God will use ordinary people in extraordinary ways when they lay their lives down for HIM.

blessings,

pastor ellis

KENYA THE BEAUTIFUL

Kenya is a beautiful country. She has many problems … many obstacles to overcome … but still beautiful. I’m not being naïve or unrealistic (at least I don’t think I am). I know that Kenya has crime and corruption and people with sinful lifestyles (just like any other country), but there’s something else about her – it’s hard to describe – something young – something innocent – something pure and raw – something beautiful.

I guess, a little like all of us – problems … sinful … corrupted … obstacles to overcome … but still beautiful. That’s how God sees us. When he sees us, he sees something worth saving. I don’t always see it. I rarely understand it. But God sees it. God understands it. And thank goodness for that.

I’m not sure what the future holds for us in Kenya. I just know that those of us who are called there must keep going back. We have no choice. I’m not sure how we’ll do it. I just know that when God calls he provides the way. Pray that we will be faithful to Him. Pray that we will not allow the impossible to stop us. Pray that we will see the obstacles, that are too great for us, from God’s perspective. Our mountains are His ant hills.

blessings,

pastor ellis

BRAGGING RIGHTS

I want to take a little space to brag on our Kenya Mission Leadership Team. I'm their pastor ... so I have bragging rights. The trip was pretty much flawless. Think about it -- Forty Americans that had to get from about 3 different cities in Texas to Houston to London to Nairobi and back. While in Kenya we had groups going to Garissa (by airplane), inner city Nairobi, Massai Mara for a Safari (about 200 miles from Nairobi), Lemoru (about 300 miles from Nairobi), and back. All going at different times and with different people. This had to be done with excellent and safe conditions. In the middle of all of this we had to host a conference for more than 150 people.

As a first hand witness to the trip (and one who has been on a number of mission trips) I want you to know that the leadership team pulled it off with superb professionalism. Were there any problems that came up? Of course. Is there room for improvement? There always is. But I was extremely impressed with how smoothly everything went. Herding 40 people around (28 adults, 5 teenagers, and 7 children) can be a little like herding cats (O.K., it can be A LOT like herding cats). Yet, I never heard the leadership team complain. They addressed every situation with patience and were persistent and consistent in solving any conflicts or problems. It was impressive.

I want to thank David Chan for his overall leadership. David is our Pastor for Mobilization and Global Impact. David is a class act and one of the sharpest young men I know. He was a consumate professional throughout the trip. Everyone felt confident that there was not a problem he could not resolve. David made all of us feel safe throughout the trip and went out of his way to serve us. His hard work, both for months before the trip and for the 2 weeks during the trip, was nothing short of amazing.

I also want to thank Susan Sosebee. Susan is our Pastor for Families with Children. Susan's work at the conference and the Lemorus Children's home provided a rich experience for everyone. Her ability to work on multiple fronts and with people from varied backgrounds is amazing. Her love for the Lord and for the children is contagious. Susan made everyone on the team feel valuable. She also put a lot of work into this trip both before and during the trip.

Finally, I want to thank Bob Smith. Bob is a deacon at our church. Bob was the coordinator for the HIV/AIDS and Church Leadership conference. Bob's experience and expertise in this area was invaluable to us. We could not have done it without him. God has prepared Bob for "such a time as this," and Bob is responding to that call. His coordination of the conference is a big part of what made it such a huge success. Every participant felt cared for and appreciated. Bob was able to work with both the pastors and medical professionals in a way that made them feel comfortable and valued.

One of the things I heard over and over again from the pastors at the conference and others (not Calvary members) who went on the trip with us was, "with leaders like this you must have a great church." My response? "We have a lot more just like them back home!" It's true ... we are blessed. To God be the glory!

Blessings,

pastor ellis

CALLED

I've been thinking a lot about Africa. Specifically, about Kenya. More specifically ... should we go back? I was able to see quite a bit of Kenya. In Nairobi I saw an industrialized, international city. I saw the second largest slum in Africa. I saw mansions and I saw abject poverty. I met pastors and medical professionals who prayed with equal passion. I heard the heart of those who are in the trenches fighting a national tragedy. In Massai Mara (on the border with Tanzania) I saw the beauty of Kenya's wildlife -- lions, elephants, zebras, hippos, leopards and the rest. And the beauty of her landscape -- lush green hillsides, volcanos, mountain majesty, and virgin valleys. In El Doret I saw a provincial town where white people rarely trod. In Lemoru I saw village life like something out of the early 1900's. And I saw the devastating effects of HIV/AIDS on the innocent victims ... the children. It was, of course, the children that affected me the most.

Jesus has called us to the "uttermost parts of the earth" (Matt. 28). Kenya sure qualifies. We could go anywhere. There are certainly places just as needy. The only place I want to go is the place where Jesus is calling me. I didn't choose the Valley. God did. And because HE chose it I'm prepared to be buried here. The same must be true of Kenya. IF we go back it must be because God is calling us there. No other reason will justify it. No other reason is necessary.

Do you remember Kimberly? She is the 21 year old young lady who is the director of the orphanage in Lemoru. I asked her about her call. She shared it with me. I asked her where she would go from here. She said, "this is it." She wants to build a home for 1000 children (she has 200 on her waiting list right now). She wants to die in Lemoru ... with her children. I nodded in silence. I recognized the sound in her voice. I don't know whether or not she will die in Lemoru with her children. No one knows what tomorrow brings. But I recognized the sound in her voice. She believes she will die in Lemoru.

On the last day we set up the medical clinic in Kimberly's office. On a bulletin board over her desk were pinned pictures and cards sent to her. I snooped. On one of the pieces of paper pinned to her wall was written this prayer:

"Dear Lord -- I do not ask that Thou shouldst give me some high work of Thine, some noble calling or some wonderous task; Give me a little hand to hold in mine; Give me a little child to point the way. Over the strange, sweet pain that leads to Thee; Give me a little voice to teach to pray; Give me two shining eyes Thy face to see. The only crown I ask, dear Lord, to wear is this: That I may lead a little child. I do not ask that I may ever stand among the wise, the worthy or the great; I only ask that softly, hand in hand, a child and I may enter the gate."

And I whispered ... Amen.

blessings,

pastor ellis

WHY AFRICA?

I'm sitting in the hotel lobby waiting to depart for the airport and I wanted to post a quick blog. Ahh, the joy of technology. I'm in a reflective mood right now. I'm trying to understand all that God has done in my life over the last 12 days ... too much to think about.

It strikes me that there is always a price. Most of the time it's not financial. Priscilla went through surgery 10 days before I left for Africa. We thought everything was fine. Just before I left for Lemoru I found out that there were complications and she would have to go back for more surgery. I couldn't be there for her and that was devastating to me. I wanted to jump on a plane and rush back. She begged me not to. She told me that I was exactly where God wanted me to be and that she would be fine. I knew that she was right. Still, it hurts. There's always a price.

When I returned from Lemoru I found out that there have been two deaths in the church family -- Two people that I loved and cared about deeply. My heart aches again for the loss, and because I can't be there. We have so many capable pastors and ministers in the church and I know that they will take care of everything with excellence. Still, it hurts that I can't be there when you are in need. There's always a price.

Missionaries pay that price all the time. In paying the price they discover that God is good. God always provides. And God always sees you through. He's doing it for me. The price I've paid is nothing compared to others I know. I'm reminded of David pouring the water on the ground and saying far be it for me to offer something to God that cost me nothing. There's always a price.

I'm wondering why God wants us to go to Africa ... why Kenya?  I'm thinking there's plenty to do in our own backyard. Mexico is a 15 minute drive and the needs there are overwhelming ... almost as ovewhelming as they are here. So why go to Africa? I don't know. That's something we need to pray about. There are a few things I feel God revealing to us ... they are not completely clear yet ... just like the horizon on a foggy morning when the fog is starting to clear.

1. God has given us some strong relationships in Kenya. Mark and Debra Richardson are missionaries that we know, love and trust. They are here, in Kenya, to a certain degree because of their experiences at Calvary. It seems only fitting that we are, in turn, in Kenya because of our experiences with them. Our strategy is to work with "in country" missionaries who we know, love and trust -- in Kenya we have that.

2. The center of Christianity is shifting. For the last 1000 years it has been Europe, and then America. Most Christian historians are agreeing that the strength and power of Christendom is shifting from the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern Hemisphere -- And particularly South America and Africa. Check out my book suggestions and read The Next Christendom. It's not easy reading (I read it for my doctoral work) but it's worth the effort. In short, the future of Christianity for the next 1000 years will be in the hands of Africa (as well as South America). If we invest ourselves in Africa we have a chance to make a difference for Christianity for the next 1000 years.

3. Kenya as a country is only 43 years old. They won their independence in 1963. In many ways they are where we were (in America) in the early to mid 1800's. They will be a powerful force for Christianity (or for Islam, if we don't help), but they need a lot of help. In the 1800's our country benefited from European missionaries, who helped us evangelize America. It's time to return the favor. If they don't receive the needed help from U.S. missionaries and European missionaries, then Islam could win the day in Africa. It is a critical time in Christian history.

4. The HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa demands that God's church do something. We will be judge harshly if we just sit by and do nothing. I believe that Jesus Christ is the answer to the problem of HIV/AIDS. I pray for a cure. But, the church has the utlimate cure. We have the message of life. The more the nation is discipled ... the more people live the Christ-life ... the more HIV/AIDS as a disease will diminish. We have the answer. We must speak.

The vans to the airport are here ... gotta go. I'll blog more on this subject from the airport.

blessings,

pastor ellis

LEMORU

We're back in Nairobi. We spent the last 4 days at the Children's home in Lemoru, Kenya -- Six hours north of Nairobi. The countryside is a lush green with rolling hills and majestic mountains. This is the rainy season and although we saw very little rain we saw the beautiful fruits of it. Agriculture is pretty much the only thing that keeps the people alive. Most are living on next to nothing. This is an area of Africa where very few white people visit. We feel priviledged to be here.

I want you to meet Kimberly. Kimberly (Mama Kim, as the children call her) runs the children's home. She has been here for 1 year. She is 21 years old. She felt called to missions in the 10th grade. Everyone in her family thought it was just a phase, but the call never left her. After graduating from High School in San Angelo, Texas she immediately began to work in missions. She now works for a group called Catalyst Ministries that does a lot of work in Africa. After a brief time with Catalyst she took on the director position of this children's home. Her work over the last year at Lemoru has been nothing short of amazing. David and Susan were here this past January and they say that they hardly recognize the place. Under Kimberly's leadership they have built two new bungalows and a dining gazebo. They have started an agriculture program to teach the children how to grow crops and take care of livestock. The improvements in the children's home are too numerous to list. But more than that, when Kimberly is with the children her heart lights up. She is truly an inspiration. It's amazing what God can do when you give him every part of your life. Please pray for Kimberly. She is doing an amazing work. It cannot be easy to be alone and in a totally foreign culture at age 21.

After my four days in Lemoru I asked God, "Lord, IF you want us to work here what is it you would have us to do?" I see four areas of much needed work: 1. Agriculture -- they need to learn more about irrigation and caring for livestock. It's basic stuff, but they want to learn. 2. Construction -- there's always something to be fixed or built. 3. Medical -- the needs are overwhelming. You name it; they need it. General checkups, dental, vision, nutrition, etc. -- it's all needed. We set up a clinic to do general checkups and had 500 people show up. That's with no advertising ... the word spreads because the need is so great.  4. Education -- There are two elementary schools in the village, each with 600 students. One of them is a stone's throw from the children's home. The teachers are in desperate need of training. There are 80 students per classroom. The teachers have little education themselves and zero continuing education.

Well there it is. Are we the ones to provide for the overwhelming needs? I don't know. That requires tremendous prayer and even more tremendous commitment.

I was working the clinic the last day and looked over the medical charts we were creating for each child. Most of them had no medical records. On the family history page I kept reading, over and over again, these words: "Parents died of AIDS." I would say 90% of the children are orphans because of this terrible disease. When you look into their eyes and see the sadness, the pain ... you just want to bring them all home with you.

The amazing this is that every night they end their day singing. We do a devotional for them. They dance and they sing for us. They would sing for hours if we let them. And when they sing their eyes sparkle and their smiles glow. When they dance their feet are happy and their arms swaying to the beat spell J-O-Y. They sing about Jesus. They sing about his love. And to watch them you would never know ... you would never know the tragedy their young eyes have witnessed. You would never know the pain their young hearts have endured. When they sing about Jesus ... it all goes away ... even if just for a moment ... it all goes away ... and there's healing ... and you are healed too ... just because you were there in the room to watch the miracle ... somehow ... in some small way ... you are healed too.

blessings,

pastor ellis

MISSIONARIES

The children at the Lemoru orphanage are beautiful. They rarely see white people so they are fascinated with us. They love to sing. When they sing they do so with their whole body and their souls light up ... you can see it. They don't know that they are orphans ... I guess no one has told them that they are living in sub-standard conditions and that most of what they have to live with would cause the average American kid to say, "Ew, disgusting." OR "I'm not going to wear THAT." But someone forgot to tell these kids ... they think they are rich.

I'm sitting at a little internet cafe in El Doret, Kenya. El Doret is the small town about an hour away from the orphanage. When I walked in a little girl (3 or 4 yeas old) walked up to me, held my hand, and couldn't stop giggling. She giggled with her whole heart. You would think she had just seen Santa Claus. I felt a little like Santa Claus when her mother apologized and explained that her little girl had never seen a white person before. I didn't even know I was white!

I don't know when I'll get to write again. Just know that we are busy, busy, busy doing as much as we can in the little time we have here. James, one of the Kenyan board of directors for the home tells me that white people rarely come to this part of Kenya. They stay around the big cities. So the people are extremely open and fascinated with anything we have to say. I asked him, "What are your biggest needs at the home and in the community." He said, "Construcion, agriculture, medical, and educational." They have two elementary schoools (one right next to the orphanage) with 600 children in each school, and their teachers are not trained. They would love for educators to come and do training with their teachers. We have set up an impromptu training with some of the educators who came on this trip. They really are not prepared but they are doing it anyway. I'm so proud of our missionaries.

A big part of our understanding of what it means to BECOME is that EVERY MEMBER of our church IS A MISSIONARY. We have an incrdible group of missionaries on this trip. They have taught, carried, run, walked, talked, hugged, held, radiated God's love, packed, hauled, fed, and worked like champions. Your prayers are giving them the strength to do it.

God is using every little gift they have. You would be amazed at how God will use the things you never dreamed of. What is it that you do? What are you good at? I now believe that whatever it is (and I really mean WHATEVER it is) God can use it in Kenya to make a difference. I've seen him do it this week. He is using every one of us ... from little Andrew (2 yrs. old) to each adult ... God is taking our weaknesses and our frail gifts and turning them into something absolutely beautiful. It is a pleasure to watch. These missionaries have given everything the last few days. I am so proud to be their pastor ... and yours ...

blessings,

pastor ellis

HUNGRY

One of the things that has impressed my about my brothers and sisters in Kenya is how hungry they are for the things of the Lord. They sat in the conferences and feverishly took notes. Afterward, they expressed how helpful all of the information was for them. They begged us to come back. They said things like, "We don't have these kinds of Christian conferences available to us very often." "We need more theological training." "Our people need to hear more about the Christian life."

In the U.S. we are conferenced (I know it's not a word) to death. Many begin to feel that if you've been to one conference you've been to all of them. While most of us learn a few new things at every conference we go to, mention the word conference to me and you get a big yawn. Not here. Not in this part of Africa. One man walked ten miles to come to this conference. Others gave up a week's salary to be here. The people are hungry to learn the most basic things about God.

We are not presenting rocket science. We are presenting gospel and Word of God. It's not hard stuff. It's very basic. And they soak it all up with great satisfaction. I was worried that I didn't have much to teach them. They tell me that some of the things I said they have never, ever heard before. And they want to hear even more. They tell me of villages less than one hour away from Nairobi where the people have never heard about Jesus ... never. I can understand why missionaries don't want to leave this field. The field is white unto harvest and the good seed is starving for fresh rain.

There are two things that the Kenyas seem to think about us (Americans): 1. We are all very wealthy (which compared to their standard of living is probably true), and 2. We are very smart and have all the answers (which, of course, is absolutely not true). We are not always very smart. We have our problems. We do not have all the answers. When I survey the mountainous battle that this country is facing against HIV/AIDS and HUNGER and POVERTY and GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION, I realize that I have NO ANSWERS for them ... zero ... zip ... I'm clueless.

Except for one ... you know what it is ... and so do they. It's Jesus. Jesus is the answer to every problem on the face of the earth. I believe that. It is the church in this country that will win the battle against HIV/AIDS. The medical industry will do its part. The government will help (sometimes), and the good will of many around the world will make a difference. But in the end, it will be the Body of Christ rising up to provide the only eternal solution. The people I met last week know this. Their friends and family members are dying every day (some without Jesus). Jesus is the answer is real life to them. As Peter stated, Jesus has the words of life. And they are asking us to help them get the word out.

Blessings,

pastor ellis