Blessings with Family and Friends

January 2017.  We've had a good time this month  of December  working on things outside of school.  Our family has had a chance to individually, as well as collectively, visit many of our friends in the community.   While Nate has been here, we went to see our good friend Margaret and her family.   Nate was a big surprise to Margaret,  so much so we thought she might pass out.  We spent all afternoon at her house reminiscing about old times when Margaret took care of the children when they were babies.  Margaret's mom was there too and enjoyed seeing everyone.  

Amanda and I had the bitter sweet pleasure of supporting our friend Steven Mwaura at his Father's funeral.  The death was a big surprise to the family as Steven's dad had been in rather good health.  However, the fact that Steven's Dad loved Jesus was a comfort to everyone.  The funeral was an all day event, I learned a few more Kikuyu words as we listened to many people preach in the local tribal language.   We saw choir after choir share songs of hope and assurance.  To our amazement we witnessed 2 Shoshos' ( granma's) from the village who were nearly 100 years old sing and dance for the Steven's mom and family. 

A week after the funeral Nate had arrived and we went to join Steven and his family again.   It was a great day to celebrate what God was doing in his family, their ministry and to encourage his Mom.   We joined them for an amazing meal and as traditional with our families, we brought a cake.   However, this time was different.  After the cake was finished, Steven's daughter Faith, carefully licked out the left over crumbs and icing.  She said, "When your pastor from America came, I learned I should do this."  Way to go Pastor Denny,  after all, icing is always best after the cake is finished.     We spent the afternoon playing with the children and talking.  It was a great day together and we closed with a sweet time of prayer for one another.   

Evan and I worked on the house for Joel. Joel works for RVA and runs the instrument repair shop.  He is a wonderful blessing to our school and Kenya as our shop is able to repair instruments for several schools in Nairobi.   After almost 2 days, we got all the chainsaw cut timbers made into the joists for the metal roof that was put on the next day.   Joel still needs to compete the inside but he's come a long way on his "dream house".

After this month, we'll be back in full swing with driving buses to get students, teaching classes, teaching Sunday school and various medical tasks to minister to MK's.    We'll be sponsors for the senior class and on our various committees for the school.  We do all this as our " official roles and ministry at our school.  However, we are so grateful to live life along side and with our Kenyan brothers and sisters and we are grateful for the ways get to encourage and love each other. Please pray for our ability to balance ministry to our students and to our neighbors.  

What they said in Church last week.

Dec. 2016  I get excited when I see UPG on the screen each week in our church.   Every week we spotlight the ministry and church planting work of one of the families that sends their children to our school.   Many of our families work with unreached people groups, or UPGs.    Afrirca Inland Mission defines  an unreached people group as a group of people who have less than 2% as Evangelical Christians.  There are at least 600 unreached people groups on the continent of Africa.  Each week we get to hear from students, parents or representatives about the work that is happening in UPGs all over Africa. God is doing a great  work in Africa.  Please also realize that God uses his people and his church to reach the unreached. When you and your church partner with missionaries like us in Africa, you are a significant part of reaching unreached people.  

A few weeks ago, some of my students stood on the stage and shared how their parents have finally been able to baptize new believers in a UPG after years of work.   Another pair of my students shared 2 weeks before that of the dire need of mission work in a remote place in Uganda with a UPG   Until now, there has been no one working with the tribe that their parents are moving to work with.   This tribe is not only unreached but it is referred to as an "unengaged people group".  This means that there is no church planting work begun yet.   Since my students shared with our church/school congregation, 2 doctors and and another couple have come forward to commit to working with this people group.  Wow, an immediate answer to prayers.

Hopefully you read here just a bit of the significance of the body of Christ and your role.   We need to pray for workers to to go to a harvest that is ripe.  We need senders to equip those who are called to go.  We need others like Amanda and I to meet the educational, spiritual, physical and social  needs of the children of the workers.   We see that many of our students are graduating and still involved with a kingdom mind set and are working to reach unreached.      So keep praying for more workers, keep sending workers, keep your church involved, and keep us in your prayers.  PLEASE See the PRAYER  REQUEST SECTION of the Blog for specific request. 

It’s been a great 2nd term to say the least.  We last wrote in January summarizing last year.   It’s hard to believe that we have already finished 2nd term of this school year.   This term was crazy busy but also very exciting.   Amanda and I helped with the Junior class put on the Banquet for the Seniors.  The theme was Arabian nights.  Evan is in the photo playing the keyboard for part of the entertainment.  He also helped to write the play that was performed that evening. The Senior class really enjoyed the food, the entertainment and the fact that they could just relax and didn’t have to work to produce anything.    

The most handsome couples of the evening of coarse.

The class even made the lanterns hanging in the center of this photo.  They were made with our amazing  pottery teacher who is also a class sponsor.  Evan made 4 of them during the December break. 

Amanda and I also got to lead an interim trip to Lake Natron Tanzania.   This trip was intended to give our students the chance to experience new places in Africa.  The students were exposed to Maasai culture, the growth of Christianity within this tribe and they saw the amazing beauty of Lake Natron.    We drove in some of the roughest conditions I’ve ever driven in.  But it was so worth it. 

 Our students led a game day at one of the local schools in Tanzania with the amazing help and translation of a missionary couple.   We played soccer, games with a parachute,musical chairs (without chairs) and attempted to teach them to throw Frisbees. Our sides hurt from laughing so much while we played with these sweet children. We donated soccer balls and pencils to the school. Its is amazing how small things mean so much to the kids.

Musical chairs.... without chairs but extra fun.

Studying Maasai culture gave new insights into the ways that the Gospel message can challenge culture, change lives and give new life to a rich culture.

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This mountain is called Oldoinyo Lengai which is a sacred mountian for the Maasai.  It is also the only active Volcano in Tanzania.

The best part of Banquet and the interim trip was spending lots of time with students.  It’s great to see them learning about themselves, their God and being equipped for real life issues.     It was also fun getting to know these students and having many opportunities to encourage them.  Both groups of students were so satisfied with how their hard work paid off.  Some Students on the trip to Lake Natron were surprised that they could camp for 3 nights and still really enjoy it.   
It was truly rewarding to see both sets of students develop a sense of teamwork and to develop leadership skills.  

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