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SERIOUS UPGRADE!

Written by admin on . Posted in Kenya Journal.

Throw-back Tuesday

The upgrade I’m talking about is the new road to the Training Center on Mount Elgon. It is the upgrade to my faith that came yesterday.

The road to Mount Elgon has been my “thorn in the flesh” for over 20 years now. I dare not calculate the hours I have spent winching out of the mud or being pulled up the mountain by a local farmer’s tractor.

I have prayed, and prayed, and prayed, and planned, and connived, and tried to figure out how in the world we could get the road built. I even went so far as to climb into the seat of an idle bulldozer that had been left by the government road crew. Caterpillar keys are universal, and I know a guy who has one. But,
at the last moment, my brain kicked in. “Borrowing” a bulldozer to build a ministry road might not have brought the type of testimony and publicity we, or God, wanted on Mount Elgon.

After all I have done, you still
doubt?

The beauty of the road story is the cost. -$0-. Road provided compliments of the regional government of TransNzoia County (Kenya).

The Elgon community has prospered as a result of living in the shadow of the training center. Small businesses have popped up to service the guests. Jobs provided to build, care for, and mailing the facilities. Electricity has come to the community because of the training center. There is a new feeding program for the local children that is a by-product of the training center. And now that the center is complete, we will be expanding staff. Our neighbors see opportunity for small business enterprise as a result of the growth of the groups attending training on Mount Elgon. In a recent “town hall” meeting with the local government the residents were asked what their greatest need was. Their answer? “We need a road built to the training center so Pastor Richard and his teams will continue to be able to reach this community. This center has brought new life to our area. And, if you want our votes in the next election, you will do this small thing that we ask.”

Small thing? I had a number of around 1/2 million dollars to do the project. One American contractor told me I couldn’t touch it for that amount.

But now, that 1/2 million I have been praying for can go into another project…when it arrives. We will never be stuck on that road again. In the past, when I was preaching and the rains came, I wrapped my teachings up and we hurried down the mountain. If we didn’t, we were there until it dried out. About 2 this afternoon I saw the rain coming across the Elgon Valley…so I just preached a little longer.