Make Disciples of All Nations

Matthew 28:19-20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

___________________________

Tuesday, April 7

Neil and Francis have completed their teaching and interviews at the churches in the Kisii District. On Tuesday morning, Hellen's church members gathered at their church and had their quiet memorial service for their friend who had died, sharing meaningful stories of the ways she had impacted their lives. Neil told of Horatio Spafford, head of a large law firm in Chicago and friend of D. L. Moody. Horatio sent his wife and daughters ahead on a family vacation to Europe where D. L Moody was scheduled to speak. Horatio stayed behind to finish business before he could join them. However, his family's ship was struck by an iron sailing vessel, and it sank losing 226 people, including all 4 of their daughters. As Horatio sailed to Europe to join his grieving wife, the captain came to notify him when they were passing the location where his daughters had drowned. Horatio went to his cabin and filled with the comfort and inspiration from the Holy Spirit, Horatio wrote the words for the well-loved hymn, "It Is Well With My Soul." It was that hymn that the Holy Spirit sang to Ruth in the Willmar hospital in 1980, when a nurse came to her room during the night to let her know their first son, born prematurely had died at the University of Minnesota hospital in Minneapolis. Ruth didn't know the words, but the Holy Spirit sang all the verses to Ruth in her heart that night as He wrapped His comfort around her.

After the memorial service, Francis brought Neil to visit his favorite barber shop run by a friend of Atkinson. In Morris, Neil is his own barber, so Neil felt especially pampered. After haircuts, Neil and Francis had lunch consisting of cooked bananas, ugali, kale, and boiled potatoes. Neil passed on the bananas, ugali, and kale, opting for boiled potatoes with fresh diced green onions and tomatoes to top off the spuds. 

The pastors traveling with Neil to the Hama Island conference are looking forward to meeting their friend, Jim Hallaway from Menagha, in Kisumu tomorrow. Atkinson will be their driver and three pastors, Hellen, Rosemary, and George, will be fellow travelers. Another pastor, James from Naivasha, is accompanying Jim Hallaway on a bus from Nairobi. 

To prepare Neil for what to expect on Hama Island, Francis said, "Think the Kabara slum," which is the worst slum in Nairobi. But my curiosity began to take over. Hama is just over the border into Uganda, and their tourism industry advertises the island as a sought-after destination for honeymoons and anniversaries. The pictures on the tourism web site show lovely sand beeches with palm trees and resort accommodations. Neil was quite certain that nothing like that would be in the part of the island where they would be staying. We both thought if Holly Witt was in charge of logistics for the conference, she would find a way to upgrade the facilities. 

Wednesday, April 8

Hellen, Rosemary, George, and Atkinson were at Hellen's house a little before 5:00 a.m. Wednesday morning (9:00 p.m. Minnesota time), so they got off to an early start. Just after they were on the road, Neil called Ruth and put her on speaker so she could greet each passenger. Then Neil settled into the van seat for a nap.

He had no sooner fallen asleep when he heard the loud whirring sound of the tire stuck in mud. The van had slid into the ditch. Most Kenyan drivers spin the tires when that happens. Neil hopped out of the van and took over. Easing the van back and forth while Francis, George, and Atkinson added their strength pushing and pulling, the van was soon back on solid ground. Then Neil noticed they were low on fuel. However, there seemed to be a general gas strike of some kind. They finally found gas available at the 5th station they tried. Neil and the others had not heard that Iran had closed the Straight of Hormuz, and there is a serious fuel shortage in many parts of the world. 

When they arrived at Usenge, on the shore of Lake Victoria a few miles beyond Kisumu, Jim and James were there to greet them. Francis suggested that Neil needed to switch out of his muddy jeans, because he looked like a farmer. Coming from rural Minnesota, Neil takes that comment as a compliment, but Francis soon was trying to help Neil look more presentable. As they stood together working on Neil, Ken kept their attention by telling his testimony, all the while doing his part by washing Neil's shoes. The plan was to board a boat in Usenge. Usenge is the village where a pastor named Ken lives. Actually, Jim Hallaway got a short sleep at Ken's house before Neil and Francis arrived. For those of you who know Rich Kao, a very gifted prophet, pastor, apostle and Bible teacher, Neil calls Ken "the Rich Kao of Kenya." Their visit at Ken's house was extended, because the boat did not show up. 

By then it was mealtime. As fish were being prepared to feed the group, Neil walked down the street and bought some French Fries from a street vendor. Francis was upset that the boat was taking so long to arrive, so Neil reminded Francis that Neil is the most patient man in the world. Francis said that if that is true, that would make Francis the "Super Patient Man!" They were visiting with Ruth on the phone, so she asked Neil to tell Francis that she might be considered to be a super patient woman by others, but our impatience comes out in due time, which is usually longer than expected. That got Francis laughing.

Then they got word that the boat "is coming". Apparently there were engine issues. Neil asked a riddle, "What is worse than a van broken down along a Kenyan highway?" Ruth asked, "a boat broken down on Lake Victoria?" 

Ruth didn't want to say goodbye to Neil, because she thought he would have no phone reception after leaving shore. However, a few minutes later while making their way across the water, Neil called from the boat. The reception was as clear as if Neil was sitting next to Ruth in their Morris home. So Neil reported that the boat had 11 passengers. They were experiencing some pretty strong waves crashing around the front of the boat: nothing dangerous, but exhilarating. Just to be sure they were safe as the front of the boat kept rising up and then crashing down in the waves, Neil glanced back at the pilot of the boat. Neil didn't worry when he saw the pilot had a big smile on his face, but Neil said Ruth would not have enjoyed the ride. 

Neil called again a couple of hours later after arriving on the island. There was a crowd of children around the group of pastors with Neil. The children were all laughing and chattering excitedly. One little girl took Neil's hand and was happy to walk beside him. Neil thought they should bring her back to her mother, but others said not to worry. All the people in the village knew who the child belonged to. Yet, Neil sent the little girl back just to be sure. Ruth asked Neil what his accommodation was like. He said, "Think one-star hotel." There is a fishing village on the island, but the rest of the island is mostly farmland. The church is in the middle of a field of corn. From the church he was looking out over Lake Victoria. There were sandy beaches and there were some palm trees. The island was about 2 miles across. 

Francis had been at the church just a couple of weeks before Neil arrived to set up a new sound system purchased by Neil's friends who had donated funds to Outfitters for Adventure. Francis noticed that the floor of the church was dirt, so from his own funds, Francis helped the church members buy bags of concrete so they could lay a cement floor. The church members were very excited to be hosting a pastor's training conference. They had never had such a wonderful event on their island! James of Naivasha was the first pastor of their church before moving to the mainland. 

Neil has never seen himself as a builder of church buildings, but rather as a helper when Jesus is establishing believers. But looking back over his 22 years, when he began visiting Kenya in 2004, the churches met in the open. They didn't have shade or shelter. Neil began by buying tarps that they set up on frameworks of poles. They made wooden benches to sit on. Neil bought Bibles by the case to make sure each pastor had one, and then distributed one per household. Then Neil gave out mosquito nets for them to use at night to guard against malaria. Friends of Outfitters for Adventure kept asking how they could help. Their financial gifts provided transportation so those with HIV or full blown AIDS could get to clinics where the Kenyan government was furnishing medicine to ease the symptoms of that dreaded disease. As Neil was brought around to visit the places where the destitute children lived, he noticed the holes in the thatched roofs that let the rain pour through on top of the families trying to sleep inside. Funds were given to purchase steel roofing sheets to replace the thatch. In time, more funds were donated to purchase roofing sheets for churches. If the church members were provided with the roofs, they put up the walls and built the rafters. So, although Neil doesn't think of himself as a builder, God sees the needs of people and provides. The work can be overwhelming when thinking about the part we play. But when we think of it in terms of what God can do, it is just so exciting to see God go to work as He opens up heaven's storehouse.

Prayer Needs:

• Much thanks to the generous friends who offered to sponsor Esther's grandchild. That need has been supplied. There, of course, are other similarly needy urchens who Neil is meeting.
• Pray for peace in the Middle East and that the Straight of Hormuz will be reopened and the mines removed so that the shipping lanes for the oil tankers can safely supply fuel again. 
• Thank God for the conference on Hama Island, and pray that the villagers' hearts will be drawn to Jesus as they hear Him being joyfully praised and worshipped in the little church.

Love,

Ruth

 

My Father's House

John 14:1-4 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” [NIV]

In the picture, the woman's house has only one room. Her roof is leaking. Outfitters for Adventure will help her replace it using funds given by friends before Neil headed to Kenya. One of Jesus's final instructions to his disciples before he went to the cross, was an invitation to come live with Jesus in his Father's house. 

On Easter Sunday, Neil's sermon was about the many precursors in the Bible of Jesus becoming the perfect sacrifice. When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, God sacrificed an animal and clothed them with its skin. Similarly, those who put their trust in Jesus as the perfect sacrifice for their sin, are clothed in Jesus' righteousness.

God told Abraham to sacrifice his son of God's promise, his only son through whom his desendents would become as numerous as the sand of the sea and as  the stars in the sky. How Abraham must have wondered if he heard God correctly, but Abraham had learned to trust and God. As Abraham was lifting his knife to end Isaac's life, an angel stopped Abraham. Then Abraham noticed a ram caught by its horns in the bushes, which became a substitute sacrifice. Jesus later became the substitute sacrifice for us, paying the full price for the sins of all humans for all time.

Then consider Pharaoh who kept refusing to let the Israelite slaves return to their promised land no matter how many miracles Moses performed, until finally the firstborn sons in Egypt were all slain supernaturally during the night. The blood of the lambs God instructed the children of Israel to sacrifice and smear on the doorposts of their houses marked them as belonging to God, so the death angel passed over them that night. Jesus' blood on the doorposts of the hearts of believers marks us as belonging to Jesus, so death will have no hold on us. We will spend eternity with the Lord.

God provided so many markers throughout the Old Testament pointing the way to Jesus as the promised Messiah, the perfect Lamb who would pay for our sins. Isaiah 53 is such a clear description of Jesus' death in our place, that when it is read to Jewish people today, many think that passage is in the New Testament. They are amazed when the are told it is in their Holy record of God's word! So you might wonder, how did the Jewish people of Jesus' day miss it? How did they praise him as a conquering king when he entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, and demand his crucifixion when Jesus was brought before Pilot at the end of the week? God hardened their hearts so that the gentiles could also become believers. The first believers were Jewish, but when the Holy Spirit was poured out on Penticost, it was as if the Tower of Babel was being played in reverse. A crowd from many regions were in Jerusalem that day, and heard the disciples speaking in tongues as they understood the gospel message in their own languages. 3,000 new believers were added to the disciples from that crowd of onlookers.

Neil has been busy the last two days. After church at Rosemary's church on Easter Sunday, they had a lovely meal and then completed the last interviews of the 4 remaining ROCK children and their caregivers. It isn't only the children who Neil visits while in Kenya. Neil and Francis took a long hike to the top of the mountain behind Rosemary's house to visit a woman who had been given a heifer by Outfitters for Adventure. Neil was happy he was able, at his 72 years of age, to make it up the long trail. The villagers who accompanied him seemed to just take the uphill journey in stride. Most of them have very long legs. They have distant relatives who were Masai herdsmen in the neighboring Masai Mara district. Outfitters had discontinued purchasing heifers a few years ago when one cow died for lack of proper care, and another was taken back by the previous owner after he pocketed the purchase money. Neil was happy to see this cow seemed to be just fine. The hope was that a cow would produce milk and milk products for the family, and that the calves would be shared with other needy families.

Today was the funeral for our friend who had died in Kenya. Neil and Francis were planning to attend with our friends at another Sengera church where our friend's relative is the pastor. The casket was to be in a procession from the funeral parlor in another city. However, a dispute arose yesterday, and things were all in an uproar. We are thankful Neil was there to help calm things down. Our friends decided they could not attend the funeral. Instead, a quiet service of rememberance was held in our friend's church this morning. Neil spoke of the importance of forgiveness in healing broken relationships. Jesus' primary purpose in coming to earth was to purchase our forgiveness from sin in his death on the cross, giving it freely to us. Jesus asked that we would just as freely forgive to others. We all know from experience, that although Jesus' forgiveness is free, it is not easy to forgive those who are out to destroy us. But when we remember that the purchase of forgiveness wasn't easy for Jesus, either, we can allow forgiveness to do its work in our hearts toward others. As many have pointed out, our unforgiveness often hurts us far more than it punishes those who hurt us. It isn't easy, but it is oh, so worthwhile!

Neil also tried to comfort our friends by reminding them that when our spirit leaves our body in death, it is home with Jesus. Our body is just our earthly coat that is left behind. At funerals we comfort those who mourn, but the One we worship is Jesus who has prepared our new home in heaven. There was a popular worship song a few years ago that compared God's 6 days of Creation, with the 2,000 years Jesus has spent preparing a place for us! 

It must have been over 30 years ago that I had a vivid dream of ministering to a sea of people who all wanted prayer, and I was the only one on hand to pray for them. It seemed as though I had been making my way through the multitude for a very long time as I prayed for each one. There were so many people all standing shoulder-to-shoulder covering the hillsides patiently waiting for me to get to them. Then I saw someone coming toward me also praying his way through the crowd. When he reached me, I studied his face. He looked vaguely familiar, as though I had met him many years ago. Then it all came back to me. I was quite upset as I realized we had been married. But immediately after the wedding, he left me alone while he went off to do his ministry elsewhere. He didn't say a word, but quietly took my hand and led me away from the crowd, up and over a hill. There, stretched out in a valley was the New Jerusalem, the golden city that he had been preparing all those years. It was so beautiful it took my breath away!

That must have been how the disciples felt when they saw Jesus lifted off the earth as they stood gazing into heaven:

Acts 1:9-11 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” [NIV]

So, today, back at the ranch, Neil and Francis visited a barber for hair cuts. They will try to get some rest before a very long road trip that begins at 5:00 a.m. tomorrow, Kenya time (10:00 p.m. tonight, Minnesota time). In Kisumu, our friend Jim Hallaway from Menagha, MN will join them along with James, who is a pastor from Naivasha, Kenya. For those of you who enjoy geography and like finding locations on maps, Kisumu is the 5th largest city in Kenya with a population of 438,588, according to 2026 estimates, and is a seaport on Lake Victoria, which area-wise, is the 2nd largest fresh-water lake in the world. When Neil called Ruth this morning, he seemed unclear about exact travel plans from shore to Hama Island, Uganda, where the second church leadership conference is taking place. Hama Island is home to many fishermen. Francis had difficulty arranging lodging. There may not be WIFI available, and phone connections may be sketchy. 

This much is planned. Neil's return flight leaves Nairobi, Monday night, April 13th, at 11:30 p.m. Kenya time (3:30 p.m. Minnesota time).

Prayer Items:

• Pray for comfort for our friend's pastor, Hellen, and her church in Sengera. 
• Pray for safe travel for Neil and Francis, Jim and James, and the pastors from the Kisii District accompanying them to the church leaders' conference.
• Invite the Holy Spirit to bring clear understanding, knowledge, wisdom, power, peace to Hama Island.

Thank you for your prayers. Neil and I both feel them. 

Love,

Ruth

Helping Outfitters for Adventure's Kenyan Missions

Outfitters for Adventure Web Site

Before the World Began

John 17:1-5 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:

“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. [NIV]

The picture above was painted by a man we met in a church we visited in The Republic of Georgia in about 2003. He gave us the painting. I love the way he painted the world visible in the heavenlies as Jesus was carrying the cross. Jesus was with his Father before the world began. They knew Adam would sin, but loved Adam enough to give Adam the freedom to choose who he would listen to. Knowing Adam would allow Satan to deceive him, Jesus already agreed to become the perfect sacrifice to pay for all the sins of mankind. If you have seen the pictures of earth the astronauts are sending us of what the earth looks like in space, it looks sort of like the earth in the painting.

The Gospel of John begins with, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

Then in John 1:2, that concept was emphasized, "He was with God in the beginning."

In the third verse, John really drives the point home that Jesus is God, and that Jesus was the Word of God spoken that created the world. "Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made."

The whole first chapter of The Gospel of John is wonderful, and you might want to read it to see if you agree. Shortly after Neil and I were married, we were meeting in our home with friends and felt certain the Holy Spirit was telling us to get connected with a good church. One of the churches we visited was the Assembly of God church in Morris. That Sunday, the pastor was preaching from this first chapter of the Gospel of John. I didn't know the Bible very well at that time, and the idea that Jesus was with the Father before the world was created was a whole new concept to me! But John makes it really plain. That got me so excited about the Bible, I wanted to dig in and learn all about it. But I'm heading down a rabbit trail, and I have a story to tell. The Holy Spirit intervened and put us in touch with another group of wonderful Christians, but that is a wholely different story. You can read that story in our book, Navigating Life: A Mentoring Toolkit, available on Kindle.

But it is Jesus' willingness to become the perfect sacrifice in our place that we are celebrating tomorrow, on Easter Sunday. So much is being said about Jesus' death and resurrection this week, and I hope you are taking it all in.

My goal today is to help you join Neil in Kenya, so we are going to draw the curtain and see what is taking place on the Lord's stage in that part of the world. 

Neil is continuing the interviews with ROCK children and their caregivers who attend Christopher's church. Christopher lives in a small village where the internet travels only now and then. Neil has been very busy, but in his free time he tried calling me and wrote several descriptive texts, only a few of which made it to Morris, Minnesota. These were the texts that made it:

Good Friday: We had a service at 10:00 a.m. in Sengera. I spoke of the precursors pointing to the crucifixion: Adam and Eve, Abraham and Isaac, the death of the firstborn when the Pharaoh gave the children of Israel permission to return to their homeland, all leading up to Jesus paying the full price as the perfect sacrifice for sin.

Neil washed his clothes in the morning and completed the ROCK interviews in Sengera. He also counseled Hellen and Mary that trust and forgiveness are not the same. Just as we have been freely forgiven through Jesus' death, we must freely forgive others. However, trust is earned through our faithfulness in loving relationships. Taking that a step further, love is much deeper than receiving USA $. It is through our obedience that we show our love for God, and Jesus learned obedience through the things he suffered. When we receive everything we ask God for, we are treating God as our servant, like a geni in a bottle. It is the other way around. When we give our lives to Jesus, we become His servant, but praise God, He is a kind and loving Master.

During the interviews, Neil also counseled some of the children. He found himself dispensing logic like, "You are a smart lad. Why are you in the bottom third of the class." Or, "Oh, you don't understand your teacher? Why do 2/3rds of the class have no problem understanding her? Let's pray and ask Jesus to help you learn to become a responsible student giving God glory in everything you do."

Each year, Neil tries to visit his friend Joshua's family even though Joshua died a few years ago. His sister, Joyce, always invites Neil to join them for a meal. Hellen and Atkinson came along with Neil and Francis. There was lots of lively discussion around the table. Joyce's brothers are quite opinionated, and in their house they are always respected as correct, but they all leave satisfied that their ideas were heard, even when not agreed upon.

On his way out of Joyce's house, Neil visited with the 103-year-old grandmother who delighted him with her wisdom. Neil plans to write a Facebook post on that conversation when he gets home.

Thursday night Neil was told that the Good Friday morning service would be their last in Sengera, but behold, when they returned, they were summoned for a final service. Neil did not have a message in mind, but he brought several he had prepared ahead of the trip. On one of their first visits to Kenya 20 years ago, when people asked for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, several of the pastors' wives fell over under the Spirit's power and they began to speak in tongues. Neil had said at that time that it was like he was witnessing Penticost. During the night through the thatched roofs, you could hear a woman in this hut -- and then in another -- speaking out in their tongues with joy and delight -- but to the consternation of their husbands. After that, each year people come forward asking if they, too, can have hands laid on them and be prayed for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. This year it was Neil's friend Atkinson who at last received and began speaking in tongues. Neil was describing Atkinson's experience in one of the texts that did not arrive, but this much made it to me in his next text:

"I put her hands on Atkinson, and he jerked from the jolt of the Holy Spirit's power touching him. There was another gal who was shaking under the Spirit's presence, so I brought her to Atkinson and had her place her hands on him. Then Atkinson at last broke forth in speaking in tongues! There were 12 at the meeting today who were baptized in the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues.

Over the years we have been asked how we know whether or not the tongues are genuine, and how do we know it is not the devil speaking through people? We have always had an interpreter who can tell if they are using a known language in their part of the world. Also, when the Holy Spirit is present, the fruit of the Holy Spirit can be noticed. There is peace and joy, not agitation, anger, or fear. In the 1960's my brother-in-law Larry was helping a missionary in the mountains in the Philippines. Larry was singing a solo in English, but the indigenous mountain people were hearing it in their own tribal language. We also had missionary friends who were traveling in the 1990's. When in an airport, the wife asked another couple directions. The wife thought she was speaking English, because she didn't know any other language, but the couple in the airport not only heard her in their language -- our missionary friend's family heard her speaking the other language. When she returned to her family, they asked when she had studied that language. She was astonished, because she thought she was speaking English, but those around her heard her speaking the other language and well enough for the couple to understand. God scattered people at the Tower of Babel by confusing their speech with a variety of languages. He is also able to baptize us in His Holy Spirit with the ability to speak in other tongues. 

As Jesus was saying goodbye to his disciples just before he was lifted off the earth, he said they were to wait for the gift the Father promised so they would have power to be his witnesses. Neil and I do not have the ability to speak and understand other languages, but we are able to pray in tongues. It is a language of the spirit, which is helpful in prayer. After we have prayed everything we can think to pray in English, if we still feel like more prayer is needed, we begin to pray in the spirit. Then as we pray, we listen for the Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts. We often are reminded of Bible passages or hymns, or people come to our minds to pray for, or there are images that come into our thoughts of how to proceed with whatever it is that we were praying for. We talk those impressions over and are in that way guided by the Holy Spirit. It is comforting to know that we are never alone. The Holy Spirit is with us and in us 24/7 and he always hears us when we pray.

Have a wonderful Easter!

Prayer items:

• Pray for those who were filled with the Holy Spirit today that they will receive teaching and encouragement to allow God to take them deeper in relationship with Jesus.
• Pray for Neil and Francis to have the strength and energy to complete all of the ROCK interviews at Rosemary's church and school tomorrow. 
• Continue to pray for Esther's family who will have her funeral in Sengera on Tuesday.

Thank you again for your prayers. 

Love,

Ruth

Helping Outfitters for Adventure's Kenyan Missions

Outfitters for Adventure Web Site

Of One Accord

 

Philippians 2:1-3 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. [NKJV]

Neil and Francis began the intensive interviews of Outfitters for Adventure's ROCK children and their caregivers, whose financial support for food, clothing, shelter, and education is provided by USA sponsors. ROCK began in 2004 after Neil's first visit to the Kisii District when one of the pastors asked, "Is there anything that you can do to help our street children?" So many adults had died of AIDS in Africa, that the children were wandering the streets hoping to get handouts, but the remote villagers were very poor with little room to take in and feed additional children. Neil shared pictures and stories with the church Neil pastored in Morris when he returned. Jan Nieland, one of our members, felt God calling her to take on the task of overseeing that need. 

Jan named the outreach, ROCK (Reach Out to the Children of Kenya), and soon had brochures to hand out. She asked to be interviewed on radio stations and some of the area newspapers even ran full front-page articles. Jan spoke in every area church and civic organization who would give her a mic and a spot on their program. It was Jan who built ROCK from zero to 84 destitute Kenyan children being sponsored. What made ROCK even more attractive for sponsors, was that 100% of the money contributed was devoted to the children's needs. Jan would not accept a salary, and the publication and other expenses were covered through the Outfitters for Adventure's general fund from other donors. Ruth and Neil asked Jan each year if the work was getting to be too much. Jan never complained, but in 2011 she mentioned that it would be nice to have more time with their grandchildren, and agreed to turn the work over to Ruth. We can never thank Jan enough for getting ROCK off the ground on such a solid footing. She even made a trip to Kenya with Neil and a support team, meeting those sponsored by ROCK. Our Kenyan friends there still call her "Mama Jan." 

Sometimes people ask after we tell how ROCK began, "But where did Outfitters for Adventure come from? Is it a large missions organization?" Well, Neil and his friends at our church in Morris, along with several of the young college students Neil was mentoring read a Bible passage and they took it literally. These are the last recorded words that Jesus spoke right before he was lifted off the earth as his astonished disciples watch him ascend: 

Acts 1:8 "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." [NIV]

People were invited to attend monthly or quarterly meetings in our little Morris church with special missions speakers. God sent us amazing speakers including one of the International Directors for Youth With a Mission, a co-director of Nehemiah International in Germany who sent teams to teach new Christians to become church planters into the former Soviet Union when Communism fell in 1990, a missionary with Salaam International working among Muslims in the Middle East, and many other amazing missions leaders. How God put us in touch with missions leaders of that calibre is in itself miraculous! Our young people, and some not-so-young, joined Outfitters for Adventure's missions teams, as well as other missions organizations. It was as if Jesus' words in Acts 1:8 were burned in their hearts, and they picked them up and ran with them! 

Many of the current and former college students who had been mentored and attended our Summer Institute of Ministry Training came together to be inspired by those speakers. Neil's missions group came up with the name, Outfitters for Adventure. As they were able, those being trained in missions joined Neil on missions trips to Mexico, Siberia, Ukraine, the Republic of Georgia, Mongolia, Ireland, Spain, and Japan. They also deepened relationships by making annual canoe trips to the Quetico wilderness area just north of Minnesota, and some even planted churches in Minnesota and North Dakota. Although none of the churches are still in operation, the people attending those churches grew in understanding of the Bible, of Jesus, and of what it takes to build lasting relationships to the glory of God. Much was learned through successes, and even more was learned through failures, but we all experienced spiritual growth through the things we suffered.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch --- Today in Sengera, Neil and Francis interviewed all of the ROCK children in that immediate vicinity with only 1 ROCK child left to interview in Henry's church, and 2 ROCK children left at Alice's Hilltop church. Alice, who is pictured above, in addition to being a pastor, is one of our ROCK caregivers. People here in the USA have wondered if God calls women to be pastors. In Kenya, where so many men have died of AIDS and so many other men are alcoholics, or are infected by the "Big Man" virus, women often far surpass them in truly caring for the sheep in their churches. The "Big Man" virus is what Neil calls the tendency for pastors to gain wealth, build large houses, and drive cars to gain influence and prestige. Alice is a humble woman with a delightful personality whose objective is teaching others about Jesus and helping them find ways to meet the needs of their families.

In addition to all the interviews today, Neil gathered the pastors in the Kisii District for their annual meeting. This is the 22nd year of meeting with area pastors on Neil's annual visits. They have gone through many relational, financial, and health challenges, but through it all they have been learning to distrust outward appearances and look for ways to come together "in one accord" as they focus on the things that really matter to Jesus.

Tomorrow morning, Neil and Francis will have one more church service in Sengera before moving on to Christopher's and Rosemary's churches to continue the ROCK interviews. Each child has a worksheet with their story and picture, along with items of concern highlighted, and interview questions Ruth prepared in a looseleaf ring binder for Neil. The child gives Neil a copy of their school record and then Neil takes a picture of the child with the caregiver. After Neil returns home to Morris, Ruth updates their stories from Neil's notes and send off reports with updated pictures to the child's ROCK sponsor. It takes awhile, and many of their stories bring Ruth to tears as she prays through their responses.

Neil finds practical ways to help the Kenyans. This year some of the women in The Church in the Pines brought Neil some bags filled with tooth brushes to give the Kenyan children. Some years Neil fills large suitcases with lightly used clothing. Another way of helping Kenyans is to purchase coffee beans. Coffee is raised and the beans dried in the region. Neil's friend Atkinson located coffee beans for Neil's personal home use. If the beans are good quality, Neil will help their local coffee business benefit by paying a better price than they normally receive. The beans must be partially roasted to bring them through customs, and Neil cannot bring them into the USA for resale. We made friends with the Go Set Ready Coffee business in Benson, who complete the roasting for us. Neil began bringing home coffee beans to help local growers when he visited the indigenous mountain villages in Southern Mexico in the 1980's. By finding ways to purchase products, the dignity of the local people is preserved. 

Over the many years of our involvement in short-term missions trips, we have sometimes been criticized for hurting the poor by making them dependent on our gifts. Someone gave us an excellent book addressing that concern, teaching how to help without hurting others. If we step in and try to satisfy all of another person's needs, we make them dependent upon us. What happens if we are unable to continue to help or even die? What happens if our nations break off international relations and we are no longer allowed to travel there or send money or goods to people in that nation? They would be suddenly cut off without means to fill the void. Therefore, we have been careful to help the needy without supplying all they need to exist. They learn to trust God for their daily needs, He is with them 24/7, and God never runs short of anything in his storehouse.

Local communities and churches also are resources, and their Kenyan relatives and neighbors do begin to follow our example. God loves cheerful givers, so we try to avoid making anyone feel obligated to give. But there can be joy from the Lord when we share with others. It has also been our personal experience that when the Lord prompts us to give, He increases our ability to share when we obey Him. Please understand that I am not making an appeal for you to give. Look at Alice's picture at the top of this post. She gives from a joyful heart, even though she has little means to provide her own needs. An attitude of generosity is a wonderful thing. We have Jesus as our highest example. He gave His very life so that all who trust Him as their Savior can come to his house and enjoy what He has prepared for all eternity!

Prayer Requests:

• Pray for Cynthia, the young girl who carried Neil's bag during the rain in the hillcountry at George's church. She asked if you could all pray for her family who are undergoing financial hardship and other challenges.
• Pray for Esther's children who met with Neil today. Esther is the one whose funeral is on Tuesday. Thank God that Esther's oldest daughter in her early 20's will become her little brother Paul's caregiver now that Esther is gone.
• Pray for Esther's second daughter who had a child out of wedlock and has no support. We are now looking for a ROCK sponsor for her child.
• Neil and Francis appreciate your prayers for strength, energy, and insight as they continue the ROCK interviews.
• Please also pray for God's grace for those who attend Esther's funeral on Tuesday. Esther's relatives are not of one accord. 

Love,
Ruth

Helping Outfitters for Adventure's Kenyan Missions

Outfitters for Adventure Web Site

Precious in His Sight

 

Picture from 2016

Psalm 116:15

Precious in the sight of the Lord

    is the death of his faithful servants. [NIV]

Just before Neil's flight to Kenya we learned that one of his dear friends in Sengera had died. It is amazing that the T-shirt she is wearing in our picture of her from 2016 has the word, "LIFE," on the front, when she spent a large portion of her life struggling with the dreaded AIDS disease her husband had given her before he died. Several years ago, when Neil's sister Beth joined Neil on one of his annual trips to Kenya, this friend was very near death. Beth, a healthcare professional, quickly recognized the seriousness of her condition, and brought her to a clinic for emergency care where her life was restored. This year, Neil will attend her funeral. Her family is busy making preparations for the funeral which will be held on Tuesday. It would be an even sadder event, except for the commitment of her life to serving Jesus. Yes, how precious in God's sight is her death, knowing she will be in His presence for eternity!

Thank you to all who prayed for Neil's and Francis' safety yesterday when the rain began pouring down in the hill country. I must confess that I was rather concerned when there were no further messages. But this morning around 8:30, Neil called. He and Francis spent the night in the hill country at George's house. This morning they conducted the interviews of the ROCK children and their caregivers from George's church. The rain had been heavy and the wind had blown down a tree right next to George's church, but as people here at home prayed the rain stopped as suddenly as it had begun. They were able to travel to Sengera today with no delays. Praise the Lord!

Neil has been sending several messages that are floating around in cyber space unable to reach me. He wants you to know he is not a man of few words on this trip. In the Kisii District, WIFI is more reliable, so he hopes that even their pictures might begin reaching us. 

When they arrived in Sengera, Neil and Francis settled into Hellen Aberi's house. Then they drove to Sengera to have a coke with Atkinson who has helped on occasion with transportation. Back at Hellen's, they enjoyed tea and chapati, a Kenyan version of pocket bread. Hellen's friend Rosemary joined them for dinner at Hellen's house. Hellen is pictured below with Benjamin, the ROCK child she cares for in her home.

Hellen is trained as a healthcare worker for HIV/AIDS patients to help them get medication and make trips to clinics and hospitals. She leads a group of several adults who gather weekly for Bible teaching, and she has served as pastor of a church in Sengera. Her secular job is working for the chief. 

Neil and Francis were looking forward to bucket baths before heading off to bed. We take electricity, running water, and flush toilets for granted, but many of our Kenyan friends would think they had entered heaven just stepping into our most humble homes.

Prayer items:

• Praise God for hearing our prayers to stop the rain yesterday, giving our guys safe travel today.
• Pray for the funeral to bring joy in the midst of sorrow as friends and family realize their loved one is free at last from AIDS, and that whoever has given their heart to Jesus will have eternity to share their lives.
• Pray that the ROCK children and caregivers will be able to come for their interviews.
• Thank God for supplying their ROCK sponsors here in the USA. 

Love,

Ruth

Helping Outfitters for Adventure's Kenyan Missions

Outfitters for Adventure Web Site

To the Ends of the Earth

 

Acts 13:47 For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” [NIV]

Francis and Neil were off to an early start Tuesday morning, leaving Martin's church north of Kitale on the Ugandan border, to head southwest toward the Kisii District. Using a shortcut to Kitale, the road was so bad that they encountered 2 overturned trucks. They were able to drive around the first truck, and then discovered why there was no other traffic. It was a mud road. They were able to make it to pavement. The rest of their trip to Geoge's church, although beautiful, was uneventful.

George's second church, about half an hour from his house is in the Nyamira District in the hill country 50 kilometers north of Nyamira. Last year our friends contributed funds to provide the steel roofing for this new church. On a previous visit, Neil had carved a heart into a log with the words, "Neil plus Ruth." When George's new church was built, they fashioned a window frame from the log saving Neil's carving. 

A new favorite passtime of the youth in George's church is worshipping Jesus! The sound system provided by other friends, and installed in January, has already been put to good use with a youth worship team. Young people hang out at the church to learn to play the keyboard and sing.

While they were at George's church, the rain began falling in sheets during a torrential downpour. A tree was blown over next to the church. They made their way a long way down a treacherously slippery muddy path for a sumptuous meal. A young girl, more sure of her footing, carried Neil's pack. Neil and Francis were not looking forward to climbing 1/4 mile back to the higher ground where their vehicle was parked. 

When Ruth read that text message, she immediately sent out an urgent prayer request email for their safety. Torrential rain in the hill country can cause flash floods, and makes travel on backroads very dangerous. Then, just in case he didn't have his card with him, Ruth sent Neil their Emergency Assistance Plus policy number and international phone number to call for arranging emergency medical services, lodging, and evacuation for you and your traveling companion when injured in accidents anywhere in the world. But the very best emergency assistance is what God can provide when we call Him in prayer! Thank you to all who saw Ruth's message this morning and prayed for Neil and Francis.

Neil and Francis will spend most of this week interviewing the destitute children supported by Outfitters for Adventure's ROCK sponsors. As of this post, Ruth does not have an update on how travel progressed from George's church. She will notify you when she hears from Neil. Hopefully, Neil was safely sleeping by 2:00 or 3:00 p.m. Minnesota time.

Prayer Requests:

• Continue to pray for rain to stop and good roads for travel.
• Please pray that all of the ROCK children and their caregivers can make it to their interviews.
• You might want to pray for good weather here at home as well, with snow forecast for our region of up to 15 inches.

Love,

Ruth

Helping Outfitters for Adventure's Kenyan Missions

Outfitters for Adventure Web Site

For This Reason

John 12:26-28 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!”

Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” [NIV]

________________________________

Neil finds his purpose in serving Jesus, and he is enjoying God's blessing on this trip. This morning, Neil spoke to a leader's group, this afternoon to Martin's pastoral training class. They also visited an elementary school where about 500 students prayed to dedicate their lives to Jesus. In Kenya, Christian Religious Education is taught in the public schools. Their schools are fertile ground for sharing the Gospel. However, learning about Jesus does not guarantee a personal commitment to serve Him or to know Him. Even praying a prayer is not a guarantee. So we pray that the Holy Spirit will enter each life who prayed to receive Jesus today, and that their hearts will be forever available and willing to serve Jesus.

Tim is one of the students from Martin's pastoral training class, and is now serving as a leader in their church. He is pictured holding his copy of our Book. He sent special thanks to Ruth, for her words in the book, adding that the book has equipped them as a church. The students highly appreciate it, and the book has already made a difference. The church gave Ruth a gift, which Neil displayed for a photo to send her.

Through gifts from our friends Neil was able to give a widow with 6 children who attends Martin's church the funds she needed to replace her roof that had become broken down. 

As Ruth looked at the pictures, her heart was overwhelmed with love for the Kenyan people. How she would love to travel with Neil to meet them, but her allergies to smoke from their indoor cook fires, diesel fuel, and burning rubber from outdoor fires, have prevented her from going there. Those odors send Ruth to emergency rooms, which are not readily available in the remote villages Neil viists. Meeting the Kenyan villagers and being able to speak the same language is one of those special treats Ruth looks forward to in heaven. God has many riches stored up for us there. Death, where is your sting, and grave where is your victory? In heaven we will never need to say, "Goodbye."

This evening Neil and Francis were at at a crusade. Martin's church seems to be especially gifted in evangelism. There is such joy in witnessing Christ coming to live in the hearts of others!

Prayer Requests:

• Pray for the 500 students who gave their lives to Jesus at the school Neil and Francis spoke to today.
• Pray for the widow's roof to be completed soon.
• Thank God for the leaders Martin is training, and pray that they will remain faithful to serving Jesus.
• Pray for safety for Neil and Francis as they travel to George's church at 6:00 a.m. Tuesday morning Kenya time (10:00 p.m. Monday evening Minnesota time).

God hears each and every prayer, and He is so faithful in answering them.

Love,

Ruth

Helping Outfitters for Adventure's Kenyan Missions

Outfitters for Adventure Web Site