TURKANA – Ambushed under the tree. Thursday, September 1, 2022—Turkana Desert/Lodwar, Kenya Disclaimer: Neither the writer of this journal, nor any participants or accompanying goats or camels were injured in any way in said “ambush.” We barely got past the greetings in evangelist Florence’s village before the ambush began. When we arrive Lodwar this morning Florence handed me a written schedule for the day’s events. I was feeling so good about my discipleship skills! And then...

MOUNT ELGON – The joy is in the journey. Tuesday, August 30, 2022—Kitale, KenyaI always look forward to climbing into the LandCruiser. It is a beast! I come from the r”edneck tribe.” I have seldom seen a muddy road or hillside that did not beckon me to come give a try. Monday we made our way to Mt. Elgon. It is definitely 4-wheel drive territory. I couldn’t wait to leave the tarmac road so we could lock in the hubs. But, that was not to be. We were still in Kitale gathering supplies...

KITALE – There’s a mzungu in the pool! Sunday, August 28, 2022—Kitale, KenyaDays like today are books, not journal entries. There are multiple “Godevents” that deserve their own chapters. Sundays are long in Kenya. As the sunsets on this day of worship, my body and mind feel that Biblical tiredness promised to laborers. I am believing that the promised sleep tonight will be sweet. I emptied myself today. I preached myself dry. Joined in a joint baptisms service where we saw over thirtybelievers...

FIELD OF DREAMS – God has a farm in Africa… Saturday, August 27, 2022—Kitale, KenyaYou will have to forgive my not-so-subtle theft of titles from two of myfavorite movies. Honestly, as Pastor Richard and I walked the 100 acres of farm land that God has provided, I couldn’t help myself. “Is this heaven?”No, it’s Kitale. Only a wealthy man owns 100 or more acres in Kenya. The market price for one acre of prime farmland is $20,000 +. But then, God has plenty! I smiled as Richard...

PREACHING TO PREACHERS – Wrapping up the Kisii ministry tour. I could preach to preachers all day long. In fact, I just did. For the secondday in a row! Yesterday at Christiano’s church in Kenyenna, I had the joy of preaching to a group of pastors who minister mainly in the “bush.” Rural ministry is vital in Kenya. And, it is very different than ministry in the urban areas. Kisii brings special challenges with the prolific witchcraft the region is notorious for. Addto that the fact...

STORIES FROM TANZANIA A day in the book of Acts. I could have taught our ministry trainees about the power of the preached Word of God today. But, I felt it might be more impactful if I brought them a real-life demonstration. So, I invited three of our Tanzanian staff to join us in the Kisii region for our training conference. I specifically asked Evangelist Patroba to bring Joseph, one of his latest converts. I wrote about Jospeh in a recent prayer letter. He is the former Roman Catholic...

CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY Dressing “smart” in Kenya. Well, it was all smiles at the training center this morning. One of our friends/supporters sent me with three suitcases full of fine men’s clothing. The value of the table full of men’s wear was worth more than all of these men’s income in a year. Isn’t that just like God? Send his best to the ends of the earth just to make his servants smile? I think the Father smiled this morning. Laughter is a good medicine. We had several doses today. Clothes...

THE HEART OF MINISTRY Training them up, sending them out. As Pastor Christiano and I walked up the hill to our vehicle he said to me: “the ministry represented in that room we just left will outlive us both.” I couldn’t agree more! We just finished our first day of training with the young pastor/evangelist trainees at the Kenyenya Ministry Training Center. I can give first hand testimony that the future of field ministry work in East Africa is bright indeed! I have never been as impressed...

What a great day to go to church(es). Finally! It’s Sunday in Kenya and we get to worship and pray with our Kenyan brothers and sisters. I have been waiting for this morning for months now. Finally, we get to visit the churches in the Kisii/Kenyenya area with our teams. Four teams headed out early this morning. By the end of the day the teams preached in five churches, visited two more churches, and preached an open air evangelism rally in the public market in Kisii town. Days like today...

THE MIRACLE IN MATHARE – Only God can make slum dwellers smile. God has used Pastor Kennedy and his amazing staff to raise an amazing 4 story school complex in the Mathare (Nairobi) slum. But more than raising a building, they have raised the hope of a forgotten people. 800,000 people. No running water. No indoor toilets. No police patrols or security. And for most…no hope. Humans are amazing creations. We can last for days without a drink of water. We can go for wellover one month without...