Kenya/NEGST 2008

We Finally Arrived, Safe and Sound

2009-01-21T05:46:00.000-08:00

After a year of waiting, we finally made it safely with our team to Kenya to teach computer classes at NEGST. You can read new information on our new blogsite which is http://negst2009.blogspot.com. This site will contain all new updates associated with this trip.

Please check it out and she and hear stories about our "Adventures in Africa".

ed fischer

Chet and Dolores Return to Kenya in 2009

2008-12-15T19:12:00.001-08:00

NAIROBI EVANGELICAL GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY

"A School in the Heart of Africa with Africa on Its Heart"

9441 Haddington Drive West, Indianapolis, IN 46256
Tel.: 317-595-9850 Email: Chester.wood@att.net, Dolores.wood@att.net

Dear Friend,
December, 2008

ON OUR WAY TO NEGST NEW YEAR’S EVE

We are packing! We have been away from NEGST for over a year and a half and are a bit anxious about returning to a number of unknowns. We no longer have a house, furniture or car of our own. But more important than physical changes are the social changes at NEGST. Old friends have retired and left. Several new faculty members have come. There will be an almost completely new set of students except for the PhD students. We leave on New Year’s Eve and arrive in Nairobi late on New Year’s Day. Pray for grace to again make this long journey with a number of heavy bags full of books on the Gospel of Matthew.

OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY AND MATTHEW 14-28

Chester will have two sets of students for the second term which runs from January till the end of March. There will be a new cohort of students who begin with OT Survey. We are not sure just how many students there will be in this special cohort. OT Survey will be their first course. For more advanced students Chester will be doing an intensive study of Matthew 14-28 with 6-9 students, which is an ideal number for a seminar approach. The students will learn to dig into the Word of God and share their findings in class. If you have read Matthew 14-28 recently you will recall that it has some interpretive challenges such as
· Jesus’ “reluctant” healing of the daughter of the Canaanite woman,
· the keys of the kingdom being given to Peter the “rock” so he can “bind and loose”,
· the transfiguration,
· the long discussion about greatness and care for “little ones”,
· the matter of divorce with the difficult phrase “except for marital unfaithfulness”,
· the statement to the rich young ruler to “sell your possessions and give to the poor” and
· Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and his temple “activity” which led to his death and resurrection and the “Great Commission”.
Pray for all of us as we seek to hear God speak to us from Matthew’s story of Jesus.

LEAVING FAMILY BEHIND

Leaving family behind has always been painful, but this time is even more difficult. Chester’s Mom, who will be ninety-two on December 20th, continues to suffer with dementia. She has been at The Forum for more than four years. Everyday, usually at lunch time, Chester’s Dad who is 95 and in good health, visits Mom to feed and care for her. We are scheduled to arrive home July 21st, 2009. Pray that Chester’s Dad will continue to have good health and be able to care for himself and Mom. We are thankful that two of our four daughters, Ruth Abbey and Elisabeth and their families, live in Indianapolis and see Dad on a weekly basis.

CHALLENGING DAYS FOR NEGST

NEGST celebrates its twenty-fifth anniversary this school year, i.e. 2008-2009. NEGST began with four students in 1983-84. Now with more than three hundred students and at times almost four hundred, NEGST faces a range of challenges. Over the years the most pressing challenge has been recruiting and retaining high quality faculty and especially administrators.
1. As we write this the Dean of the Faculty, an African, who has been at NEGST for only a few years, has decided to leave for a position elsewhere. Good Deans, and the one leaving was a good Dean, are hard to find! Much of the burden of recruiting a new Dean this time will fall upon Douglas Carew, the Vice-chancellor (what we would call the President).
2. We always pray that the LORD would send us high quality students who will spend their lives in ministry in Africa, especially in the difficult places among unreached peoples. A significant number of students have gone into ministry among Muslims and that number is increasing. Many NEGST grads are also involved in Bible translation among tribal groups.
3. Recruiting, training and retaining African faculty has been the special burden of Light of the World Ministries. We rejoice that a year from now the first cohort of PhD students should be very close to the finish line. Hopefully NEGST will be able to take four or five as faculty members.
4. Pioneer institutions like NEGST are always struggling to make ends meet. The last three years, which have been times of expansion of both the student body and faculty, have been difficult financially. Pray for wisdom for those in leadership.

CHALLENGING DAYS FOR LIGHT OF THE WORLD MINISTRIES

Light of the World Ministries, by the grace of God, continues to operate. At the close of the first fiscal year in 1986 we did finished with a bank balance of $10! God is faithful. Over the past two years we have been running a monthly deficit of $1,000 in our general fund. This fund is kept separate from grants and projects. Due to the monthly deficit and a number of major expenses such as airline tickets for travel to Kenya, and housing and transportation in Nairobi, we find ourselves about $20,000 behind. Thanks for your faithful prayers and concern! That is a great blessing and encouragement to us.

With deep gratitude we are your fellow servants in Christ,

Chester & Dolores

Gifts toward this ministry are tax-deductible. Please make your check payable to

“Light of the World Ministries.”
Mail to

Light of the World Ministries
825 S. Meridian,
Indianapolis, IN 46225.

LIGHT OF THE WORLD MINISTRIES, INC

Chet Wood Thanksgiving Letter

2008-11-20T09:07:00.000-08:00

Dear Praying Friend Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Thanksgiving is just about here. We have a huge item of praise. Back in 1993 we sold our home in Minnesota and all our belongings. We thought that we would never again have such a cozy place. Five years ago we purchased a small, retirement house. The back overlooks a pond. This week we made the last payment on our house! Please join us in thanking the LORD for his amazing goodness to us. We want to thank you for your financial support which has made this possible. This is great encouragement to us.

We have starting packing in preparation for our New Year’s Eve departure on British Airways for Kenya and NEGST.
Sunday, Chester preached on “how can the church pass on its vision and passion for missions to the next generation” especially the post-modern generation. That sermon (audio version, mp3), the outline from the “bulletin” and a set of “notes” are all available online at http://www.faithchurchindy.org/sermons.
Yours with thanksgiving
to you and the LORD,

Chester & Dolores

Photo: Ruth, Alexander,
Rob, Deborah, Dolores

Nairobi Students Spend Time at Tyndale House

2008-10-08T08:38:00.000-07:00

Dear Praying Friend, Below is a report taken from the recent Tyndale House email bulletin (http://193.60.91.18/Tyndale/Newsletters/TH_Newsletter_Autumn2008W.pdf). Your prayers, concern and financial support have made this visit to Tyndale House library a reality for the PhD students who are now back at NEGST and reunited with their families.

We still need $4,000 by the end of October to help Phoebe, a PhD student, with her rent.

Chester & Dolores

A visit from Nairobi

It has been a real delight to welcome a group of 10 third-year doctoral students from the Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology (NEGST) from 19 August to 30 September. All the students are working in Biblical Studies and four are majoring in Bible translation. Countries represented are: Sudan, Kenya, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Ethiopia. While at Tyndale House, the students have been using the library (obviously!) and also attending seminars put on by staff on subjects such as Greek and Hebrew reading, paleography, and IT for biblical studies. They have also been leading chapel, and teaching us to sing in Swahili!

Ramadan at Tyndale
Ramadan Chan is one of the NEGST students and tells us a little about himself: “I come from a mainly Muslim area in Southern Sudan, where I have been involved in Bible translation
and church planting. Since 2001 I have been General Secretary of the Sudan Interior Church (over 40,000 members). My main role is to equip local churches for outreach. My PhD
focus is on Biblical Studies and Translation in order to help me teach in churches and seminaries and to be a consultant for Bible translation projects. Our current translation projects are in Dinka Padang, Mabaan, Uduk, and Shilluk. These languages together are spoken by more than 2 million people. I have greatly appreciated the hospitality I’ve received at Tyndale
House and the comprehensiveness of the library collection. It’s hard to imagine how we could do our PhDs without coming to a library like this. The visit should make a huge difference to the quality of our theses.”

Can Kenya Christians teach us how to vote?

2008-09-04T06:57:00.000-07:00

CAN KENYAN CHRISTIANS TEACH US HOW TO VOTE?
By Paul Heidebrecht

This may seem like an odd question. After all, wasn't it Kenya that had a disastrous election less than a year ago?

Sometimes the best lessons are learned the hard way.

When I was in Kenya in May, I had many lively conversations with Kenyan Christians about their election—NEGST students, professors, local pastors, ordinary folks—they all spoke passionately about what had happened in their nation.

I felt their strong emotions of . . .

Shock . . . that a predominantly Christian nation like Kenya could come so close to total collapse.
Shame . . . that Christians had failed to prevent the violence and in a few places had even contributed to the violence.
Concern . . . that the national and international media had not reported the whole story and actually distorted what really happened.
Resolve to not let this happen again and to do better as Christians in Kenyan society.

I heard their explanations. They believed Kenyan Christians had swung from one extreme to the other. For many years Christians had avoided politics because it was seen as corrupt and compromising. The only thing that mattered was "getting saved" and "getting ready for heaven." But eventually Christians realized that government can't be left to people without integrity. They had to be engaged. The past few elections saw many more Christians running for office and voting. But church leaders identified themselves too closely with particular parties and their political tactics. This left them without a credible voice when the crisis struck. In some areas of the country, the church was part of the problem, not the solution.

So what lessons did they learn?

Christians need to be careful with politics. They need to find the right balance. They need to hold firm to higher principles of justice and righteousness. They must ask, What is good for the nation? and not, What is good for me? Nor can they pin their hopes on one party but rather they need to be independent enough to speak respectfully and credibly to all parties.

Pastors especially have to be careful. In most cases, they should avoid endorsing candidates and parties, especially if their congregation has divided loyalties. They should challenge their members to vote and participate in public affairs. They should preach and teach what the Bible says about citizenship in heaven and on earth.

I met several pastors who did remarkable jobs preparing their people to vote. In hindsight, some of them wished they had spoken more directly about tribal identity and the need for Christians to put their identity in Christ first above all else. Clearly, devout Christians can be quite immature and even ethnocentric in their attitudes toward other groups of people in their nation. From time to time, pastors need to confront these attitudes within their own congregations, not just from the pulpit but also in private.

One Sunday morning the church I attended invited a well-known Kenyan politician to appear on their platform, talk about the election and the future of Kenya, but also to listen to the church challenge him and then pray for him. It was a striking example of how the church can engage politics in a proper and positive way without compromising the Gospel.

Don't expect too much from government was another lesson learned. Don't be naïve about politicians. Many are corrupt or susceptible to corruption. The pressure to take care of their supporters and family members is tremendous. Those who have absolute integrity are easily marginalized. Christians must keep calling upon their government leaders to act justly and for the good of all even when it seems hopeless.

But at the same time, churches must tackle the social problems that government leaders won't face. This means empowering those who live in slums, assisting refugees from other nations, resolving conflicts between antagonistic groups of people, establishing schools, clinics and small business enterprises.

The real story the news media missed in Kenya this past year was how local congregations responded to the humanitarian crisis that followed the election violence. Despite their sense of failure for the crisis that should not have happened, churches and pastors stepped up to lead and in many ways they restored the reputation of the church in Kenya.

The NEGST community as well as its graduates who live in Kenya were a large part of this unheralded but effective response in a national crisis. The campus took in refugees, collected food and clothing and visited refugee camps, spent hours in prayer and reconciliation efforts, and spoke in churches about issues of ethnic and Christian identity. All of us can be very grateful to be associated with such a community. We are supporting a powerful witness.

I came home impressed with the wisdom of these Kenyan believers and their journey to a better form of political engagement. North American evangelicals are on a similar journey. Check the outstanding document produced by the National Association of Evangelicals in 2004.
We are all learning from our mistakes and from each other.

For an amazing story of Kenyan pastors leading a prayer march for spiritual cleansing, visit http://www.listeningtoafricanchurchleaders.blogspot.com/

In Christ,

Paul Heidebrecht

Christian Leaders for Africa

P.O. Box 1642

Indianapolis, IN 46206

clafrica@sbcglobal.net

P.S. Contributions to the NEGST scholarship fund can be sent to the address above.

NEGST PhD Students travel to Cambridge

2008-08-20T10:02:00.000-07:00

Dear Praying Friend, Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Years ago when the PhD program at NEGST was just a dream, a key part of that dream was that the students might be able to work in a world-class library for an extended period. Today, the PhD students arrive in Cambridge, England, to begin six weeks of intensive research, data gathering, writing and consultations at Tyndale House Library which is located in the heart of Cambridge. It is without doubt one of the very best biblical libraries in the world and has an excellent staff.

Of course the students took the cheapest flight to London which goes via Dubai. This means an extended stop overnight. So here they are sleeping on the floor in the airport!

But sleeping on the floor in an airport is something that many students know about! They are a hardy bunch.

Pray for them as the first few days entail adjustments to a new culture (English, not Kenyan!), new foods, new attitudes, new perspectives and a marvelous library. Tyndale House staff have gone out of their way to welcome the students. The Lord has opened doors for the students.

More later,

Chester & Dolores

Christian Leaders for Africa Newsletter

2008-07-30T06:51:00.000-07:00

July, 2008

visit the NEGST blogvisit us online at www.clafrica.com

Look at the Missionaries Coming Out of Africa
By Paul Heidebrecht

We’re starting to get used to the idea that Africa is no longer our mission field but instead is becoming a continent sending missionaries around the world. So what can we expect of these African missionaries? What unreached people groups will they evangelize and how will they do it? One way to glimpse this rising missionary force is to meet the students of Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology who are in the Missions department. These are men and women preparing to be career missionaries.

This past May I had a chance to sit and talk with some who are currently enrolled and several who have graduated and are on their mission fields. I was immediately impressed with their strong sense of call to obey the Great Commission and their willingness to go to very difficult places for the sake of the Gospel. They seemed particularly attracted to unreached tribes and communities in Africa which often are also primarily Muslim and therefore potentially hostile to Christian missionaries. I was pleased to discover indigenous African mission agencies ready to send out these men and women. Local churches are starting to challenge their people to consider the missionary call and to support these missionaries financially. Patrick and Violet have lived in several African countries among unreached people groups and trained believers to take over the missions they began. Some of their methods are familiar. Radio may be the most effective way to reach the populations of Africa. Only a small minority have access to television but everyone listens to the radio.

Refugee camps and slums are great places to meet people who have fled Muslim-dominated countries. A ministry of compassion paves the way for the Gospel. Likewise, prisons provide opportunities to speak with men and women who might otherwise be unapproachable.
The great challenge for African missionaries is to deal with both an increasingly aggressive Islam and the deeply entrenched animist religions of African cultures. The Missions faculty at NEGST specialize in Islamic Studies and try to help their students become wise and discerning missionaries among Muslim people groups.

As I listened to these men and women speak, I wondered if they are not exactly the kind of missionaries we need for the century ahead. They are moving into villages and neighborhoods of unbelievers with considerable cultural awareness. They don’t have any of the baggage Westerners carry when they enter Muslim contexts in most parts of the world. Harun and Judy have settled in a remote village of northern Kenya where theybear witness to Muslim neighbors and nurture a fledgling church. Furthermore, they enter their mission fields with strong relational commitments and skill. Hospitality and appreciation of local customs and a desire to serve the community characterize their mission strategy.

Perhaps most striking to me was the ways they are funding themselves as missionaries. The usual support-raising approach of Western missions doesn’t work well in African societies where most people live near or below the poverty line. Tentmaking is not only necessary but also very helpful because it allows these missionaries to enter a community without arousing suspicion and resistance. Far better to be a teacher or government worker than an outsider representing a different religion. Spouses are often the main breadwinners for a missionary family.

Esayas spends his time among immigrant and refugee groupsin Nairobi while he continues his studies. And, like many African pastors, African missionaries accept upfront that the missionary call is also a call to simple living, if not poverty itself. This means a missionary can expect protests from his or her own family. They will truly live by faith and with daily perseverance.
And for those entering Muslim communities, there is also the expectation that they will actually encounter some persecution. Muslim leaders will not tolerate their presence in many communities. Converts to Christ from Islam will be ostracized and even attacked by family members.

There are 247 Muslim people groups in the world (with populations over 100,000) that have no significant Christian presence in them. I suspect we will need these African missionaries to enter these communities and plant churches. I’m optimistic that some of these African missionaries will be supported by North American churches and that someday we will view them as our missionaries. That’s why I keep urging you and others to invest in the students at NEGST because it’s all about the next generation of African missionaries.

In Christ,

Paul Heidebrecht

Christian Leaders for Africa
P.O. Box 1642
Indianapolis, IN 46206

clafrica@sbcglobal.net

P.S. Contributions to the NEGST scholarship fund can be sent to the address above.

Joe and Kim Cluff Prayer Letter

2008-07-24T16:04:00.000-07:00

JoeFrom: Kim Cluff [mailto:kim.cluff@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, July 23, 2008 2:23 AM
To: Kim Cluff
Subject: Prayer Reminder

Greetings, family and friends!

We wanted to send out a quick email this morning to remind you to pray

for the team building retreat we will be having July 24-28. As you

pray, please lift up the following:

1. Safe travel to/from the retreat. We will have people traveling

from throughout Maasailand to Limuru (a town just outside of

Nairobi). It is raining here today. If it is doing so in Maasailand,

the trip will be slow going and adventurous.

2. Good fellowship - a chance to get to know one another better,

encourage one another, and pray with one another.

3. Unity of vision - again, this is an opportunity for all those

involved with the Maasai-wide ministries of Community Christian Church

(the registered church CMF has planted in Maasailand and Turkana) to

hear what God is doing amongst them. As we do so, pray that God's

vision for the church would come fully into view for us all.

4. Joy and rest - it is so easy to get caught up in the busyness of

ministry and the cares of this world that we forget to follow our

Lord's desire to find rest and joy in him. Pray that he blesses us

with both.

Thank you once again for standing with us in this ministry.

Grace and peace,

Joe & Kim Cluff

Dr. Chet and Dolores Wood's Prayer Letter

2008-07-12T14:54:00.000-07:00

NAIROBI EVANGELICAL GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY

"A School in the Heart of Africa with Africa on Its Heart"

9441 Haddington Drive West, Indianapolis, IN 46256
Tel.: 317-595-9850 Email: Chester.wood@att.net, Dolores.wood@att.net

Dear Friend,
July, 2008

A WONDERFUL TRIP TO ITALY

We have been back now several weeks from our wonderful six week trip to Italy. You may recall that this trip was a gift to us from a friend to help us celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary, which was three years ago. In Rome we focused on the ancient Roman ruins i.e. the Forum, the Coliseum, the Palatine Hill and the Appian Way. We tried to figure out which parts would have been in existence when Paul came to Rome as a prisoner in the late 50’s AD. We saw Titus’s arch which commemorated the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD including the taking of Jewish slaves to Rome.

(Picture is Greek Theater at Syracuse, Sciliy.)

We spent a week at Ravello on the Amalfi Coast. From there we visited Contursi, a small mountain village southeast of Naples, where Dolores’ father grew up. We found the family house and family living there with the name of Garippa (Dolores’ maiden name). Although they could speak only a little English and we could speak only a little Italian, we had a wonderful visit with them over a noon-time meal. After Ravello, we spent nine days in Sicily including a visit to Castelbouno, a mountain village where Dolores’ mother grew up. Sicily is full of ancient Greek ruins. At Syracuse where Paul landed (Acts 28:12) we saw a huge Greek outdoor theater. We ended our trip with two weeks of walking in sunny Tuscany.

We returned home invigorated, ready for work but also with heavy hearts because in most of the churches we visited Mary, not Jesus, was at the center of the church. Yes, we have a million digital photos and would be glad to show all of them to you! We thank the Lord for this very special gift.

JESUS AND JUSTICE: A SIX WEEK SEMINAR

July 9th Chester finished a six week seminar on “Jesus and Justice” for a group of twelve or so very earnest people at Grace Community Church in Noblesville, Indiana. The participants had digital copies of the extensive notes on justice and read sections of these each week along with texts from Matthew in preparation for the class. All in the class are in some kind of outreach ministry to marginal peoples.

Chester has again begun to write on “Israel and Justice”. This summer the focus is on the Law and the Tabernacle. The writing is interesting, stretching (recently Chester tried to figure out the precise relation of justice to holiness in terms of the Law), overwhelming at times and moving along slowly but surely. Pray that Chester will stay healthy, focused and be enabled by God as he writes.

Later in the early autumn Chester will probably restart his Saturday morning sessions on “Teaching Dad’s how to teach their children the Bible as a whole.”

LEAVING FOR KENYA ON NEW YEAR’S DAY

We hope to leave for Kenya New Year’s Day 2009 so as to help out in teaching Bible at NEGST. Chester will probably be teaching OT and NT Introduction (survey) for a group of students working for a degree in theology. If the MTh, i.e. advanced level degree, gets off the ground, Chester will offer a course in that program as well. Our trip back will be a bit different this time because we no longer have an apartment of our own to which we can return and we no longer have a car in Kenya. We plan to stay through graduation, July 4th, and then return home for another period of writing. School year 2008-2009 is the 25th anniversary of NEGST. Since 1983-1984 God has blessed and kept NEGST through many ups and downs. Chester began to teach at NEGST in May 1984. It is thrilling to think about the hundreds of graduates of NEGST who are now in ministry throughout the whole of Africa and beyond. We hope to say more about what God has done at NEGST at the 25th anniversary celebration in the autumn of 2009 in Indianapolis.

PhD STUDENTS STUDYING ABROAD

When we return to NEGST in January, 2009, we look forward to seeing just how each of the PhD students is doing. They are now well into the dissertation writing stage which should reach its culmination by the end of 2009. All of the students are expected to spend two or three months abroad doing research at a major library. Hopefully they will also be able to meet with their external supervisor and maybe even attend an international conference in their field of research. Students in translation studies have mostly studied at Amsterdam where the university has a translation center and most of the biblical students are going to Cambridge to work at the Tyndale House library. Pray that
· Their health will be good,
· Their family will not suffer from this period of separation,
· Their time will be profitable in terms of discovering helpful materials and
· Their scope of contacts with scholars who might assist them will broaden.
The entire student cohort except two students has sufficient funds for this trip. We are asking the Lord to send us, LOWM, $5,000 so that we can help that last student to leave for Cambridge by the end of July. If you would like to help with this project, add a note saying your gift is for the PhD at NEGST. Thanks!

AN INVITATION TO VISIT US AT NEGST IN KENYA IN 2009

We would like to invite you to come visit us at NEGST and see for yourselves what God is doing in Kenya and to enjoy the beauty of Kenya. In 2009 NEGST will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary. Trips guided by Paul Heidebrecht of Christian Leaders for Africa are in the works for late January and early July 2009. Paul can be reached at his phone is 630 562-1640.

With deep gratitude we are your fellow servants in Christ,

Chester & Dolores

Gifts toward this ministry are tax-deductible. Please make your check payable to “Light of the World Ministries.” Mail to Light of the World Ministries, 825 S. Meridian, Indianapolis, IN 46225.
LIGHT OF THE WORLD MINISTRIES, INC

Dr. Mpinga's Obituary

2008-06-06T10:09:00.000-07:00

Dr. Derek Amos Mpinga, International Educator, Dies at 64

Dr. Mpinga was the first academic dean in the early 1980"s at NEGST.

Derek Amos Mpinga, a premier administrator, academic and educator at various institutions both here and in various African countries, died on Friday, May 23rd. He was 64 and a resident of Phoenix, Arizona.

Widely trained, Dr. Mpinga received all his higher education degrees from institutions in the United States of America: an Associate of Science diploma in Mathematics and Science from North Greenville College, Tigerville, South Carolina; a B.S. in Mathematics and Physics from Carson-Newman College, Jefferson City, Tennessee; two masters degrees, one in Mathematics from Texas Christian University, Forth Worth, Texas, the other in Religious Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS). Finally, Dr. Mpinga’s terminal degree, a Doctor of Education in Education Administration, also came from SWBTS.

At the time of his death, Dr. Mpinga was Vice President of Academic Affairs at Phoenix College, Phoenix, Arizona. His ascension to the upper echelons of higher education administration began with service in his native Zimbabwe, as Dean of Academic and Student Affairs at the Baptist Theological Seminary of Zimbabwe (1979-1983). He then served in Kenya as Vice-Principal for Academic and Student Affairs at the Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology.

Returning to the country of his academic preparation, Dr. Mpinga had a brief stint as a high school teacher in 1985. Unlike his teaching in Zimbabwe and Kenya, which had included courses in education administration, philosophy, ethics, and religious studies, Dr. Mpinga’s responsibilities at Americus High School in Georgia consisted of teaching mathematics and physics. He then went on to distinguish himself as a mathematics teacher at two colleges: the Tarrant County Junior College, Texas (1985-1987) and North Lake College, Irving, Texas (1992-1998). After first establishing himself in the class room, Dr. Mpinga turned to administration at several two-year colleges. He became Dean/Chair of the Mathematics Division at Lane Community College, Eugene, Oregon (1998-2000). That deanship launched him into executive educational leadership as Vice President and Dean for Academic and Student Affairs at Waycross College, Georgia (2000-2005) and as Vice President of Instruction, Brookhaven College, Farmers Branch, Texas (2005-2007).

Dr. Mpinga was a distinguished leader in the professions, the Baptist church, and various civic organizations. He was a member of many professional bodies, including the National Community College Chair Academy and the American Mathematical Association of Two Year Colleges. During his time in Zimbabwe, Dr. Mpinga served as the Executive Secretary for the Baptist Convention of Zimbabwe. He sourced $1.5 million from the Baptist World Alliance to help with rebuilding, drought relief, and the resettlement of war refugees. He served as a deacon at the First Baptist Church-Arlington, Texas. In his involvement with Waycross-Ware Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Mpinga served on the Education Committee, which came into existence through his advocacy. He served on numerous boards, including the All Africa Baptist Fellowship, Living Bible International-Africa, Leadership Development Associates-Hope for Africa, and the Accrediting Council for Theological Education.

In addition to being a pillar of his church and a preeminent educator and administrator, Dr. Mpinga was also a devoted husband to his late wife, Miriam and a doting father to his children, Denise and Daniel. From his early days on the faculty of the Baptist Theological Seminary of Zimbabwe to his recent service as the chief academic officer of several institutions of higher learning, he touched many lives. When Dr. Mpinga was hired at Phoenix College, referring to that school’s slogan “Go Far, Close to Home,” he observed “We are on this journey together guided by five hallmarks: integrity, innovation, sustainability, accountability, and a positive attitude.” Dr. Mpinga’s smile and his optimism will be missed. God be praised for his life. Many will cherish his memory.

Survivors: Daughter, Denise Mpinga; Son, Daniel Mpinga; Mother, Margaret Mpinga of Zimbabwe; Sister, Edith Muringai of Zimbabwe; Cousins: Marjorie Simbanegavi, Mercy Ziyenge, Margaret Nyoni, and Charity Bruce. Nephews and Nieces: Collin Muringai , Darlington Mwanza, Samantha Nhema and Pippa Mpunzwana and many more.

Christian Leaders for Africa Newsletter

2008-06-03T12:33:00.000-07:00

Christian Leaders for Africa Update
June, 2008

visit the NEGST blogvisit us online at www.clafrica.com

Getting Beyond the Shame of Being Rich
By Paul Heidebrecht

A common reaction of North American Christians who visit Africa is to feel embarrassed by their wealth when they compare it to the poverty they see everywhere. Their shame is even more intense when they are shown generous hospitality by African believers who obviously have very little to share. I have concluded that our feelings of shame are of no value to anyone—unless they get us to think quite differently.

First, we need to think differently about ourselves. We are rich people. Very rich people. Most of us prefer to be known as middle class, and in North America we are, but not in Africa. There we are among the wealthy elite. We have to accept that fact and believe that God allowed us to be rich. We are responsible to him for what we do with our wealth.

Second, we need to think differently about the poor. They cannot be the objects of our pity. Rather they are people to admire and honor. The poor are often spiritually rich, and we are the ones who need them—though it is not always obvious to us. In his second letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul holds up the poor Macedonian church as a model to the rich one in Corinth. Despite their extreme poverty, Paul says, the Macedonians gave beyond their ability. They even begged Paul to let them give. And they didn’t just give money. Paul says they gave themselves. This is what poor Christians can teach rich Christians: how to give yourself as a gift.
But what about our wealth? How should we go to Africa and be rich? Or any other part of the world for that matter.

John Stott offers a useful embarrassment test. Invite a poor person to your home for a meal. If you feel embarrassed by your possessions and lifestyle, take that as a sign that you need to scale back. The same is true if you are invited into the home of a poor family. If you are comfortable and honored to be there, be encouraged. An African proverb says we do not have a relationship until we have shared a meal in our homes. Hospitality is actually a way to break through the barrier. Don’t turn down the chance to be a guest.

Jonathan Bonk, who edits the International Bulletin of Missionary Research, suggests the concept of "righteous rich" as a guide. Every society has rich people, Bonk argues, and in every society there are perceptions of "good rich people" and "bad rich people." When we enter another society, like one in Africa, we should figure out what "good rich people" do. This will help us know how we should act. Quite likely, it will involve some kind of generosity. Bonk acknowledges that our wealth is often a hindrance to our mission efforts because it affects the credibility of our witness. But if we can be at least "righteously rich," we reduce the problems of our wealth.

A few months ago, one of my board members passed away after a long battle with cancer. During a time of eulogies at his funeral, one of his friends made the comment, "Chris lived below his means." His income could have afforded him a much grander lifestyle but he chose not to live that way. I know why. He shared his wealth with many missionaries and schools like NEGST. In the end, we all have choices to make about the use of our wealth. We can spend it all on ourselves and our families or we can share it with those in need and invest it in the Lord’s work around the world.

None of these suggestions are intended to be formulas to resolve your feelings of guilt. You have to wrestle with the economic disparities that affect even the church. You have to find your way to becoming a "cheerful giver" as Paul puts it. But pay attention to the Macedonians. Paul indicates they were actually driven to give by the grace of God. They weren’t seeking to be known for their generosity. They were simply responding as people touched deeply by grace. If and when you visit Africa, concentrate on God’s grace to you and see where that takes you.

An Update on NEGST

By the time you read this, I’ll be returning from Nairobi on the campus of Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology. The political unrest earlier this year caused me to postpone a visit but I am eager to be on campus meeting with students and professors and staff to see how they got through the crisis. I’m especially anxious to hear stories about churches and pastors trying to be agents of peace and reconciliation.

I’m sure the consequences of the crisis in January and February have rippled through the entire economy and profoundly affected every institution, including the church. I’m sure that the community of NEGST will feel its effects for years to come. But Kenyans are resilient people. They have endured political crises before. They have endured droughts and famines. They were making economic progress before the crisis and there are many signs already that the country is getting back on its feet. The tourist industry is recovering well and many people are once again traveling to Kenya. The game parks are once again becoming busy.

I often hesitate to report on events on Kenya when my primary source of information is U.S. newspapers and television broadcasts. I fear that our media mislead us by focusing on the dramatic and sensational. Riots and mob scenes are especially prone to be exaggerated or misrepresented. There is a remarkable disconnect between the Kenya we hear and see in our media and the Kenya you experience when you are there. The recent movement of Kenyan pastors who went to many cities to pray for spiritual cleansing and forgiveness was never covered by any Western news outlets despite our efforts to tell them about it.

As we reported before, NEGST itself was always a secure place and the community became actively engaged in caring for refugees, protecting people who were threatened, talking openly and publicly about issues of ethnicity and tribalism from a Biblical point of view. What might be considered a disruption to learning was actually an occasion for great learning about being followers of Christ in a broken world. Friends of NEGST can be gratified that our support of students in their training for ministry bore fruit, especially among the graduates who are now all over Kenya leading the church.

The library at NEGST continues to be a place of special interest. It expands every year with more and more books, journals and electronic resources. The goal is for this library to be a major center of evangelical African scholarship for the continent. Not that long ago I received a $100,000 matching grant for the library. I’ve informed many donors of this grant and the unique opportunity it represents. Thus far about $10,000 has come in for the match. If you can help us toward the goal, even with a small gift, we and NEGST will be very thankful.
We think long-term about NEGST. We’re building for the future, for the next generation of church leaders. We’re looking to ground the exploding church on the African continent in the Scriptures and the application of God’s Word to Africa by Africans. That’s why I point to the endowment funds we started for faculty positions at NEGST. This will ensure that NEGST will have Godly evangelical African professors for years to come. This past year we went over $200,000 in the endowment fund. Our goal is $1 million and we are making progress. If you want your gifts to last for generations, give to the endowment fund. Your gift can be sent to the address below.

In Christ,

Paul Heidebrecht
Christian Leaders for Africa
P.O. Box 1642Indianapolis, IN 46206
clafrica@sbcglobal.net

Paul Heidebrecht's updates from his trip to NEGST

2008-06-01T18:16:00.000-07:00

Dear CLA board members:

I returned yesterday from three weeks in Nairobi living on the NEGST campus and spending quality time with students, faculty and staff. The days were rich and full and I am "weary in well doing." I'll try to summarize important discoveries as they relate to our work.

1. Kenya was much calmer than I was expecting. The political situation has stabilized though the issues that led to the unrest have not really been faced by the government. People desperately want to get back to normal and resume the growth that Kenya had last year.

I was able to move comfortably everywhere including Kibera slum where I went twice.

2. Despite the calm, the population was traumatized by the violence and destruction in January and February and you feel it under the surface, even at NEGST. I heard many stories of great fear and anxiety. The mood was somber and I suspect many are still quite depressed. The economy took a real hit and the consequences of the unrest are now being felt on many levels. NEGST is expecting a decline of students as just one result simply because people have lost income or used their limited resources for more pressing needs.

3. The decline of the U.S. dollar affected me and all Americans there quite directly. Estimates of between 15-20% loss of value since a year ago means that everything we pay for when we go there now costs 15-20% more. It was a bit of a shock. Add to that the effects of higher fuel costs and suddenly it costs a lot more to go there. Plus our donations fall short. A $3000 full scholarship really needs to be $3500 to meet the same need. I have begun to re-think my safari trips there as a result.

4. It appears that at long last NEGST will receive its charter from the Kenyan government. The logjam has broken loose and already four other universities have received theirs. Douglas thinks it may come before the end of the year. But the charter will be in the name of a Christian university, not NEGST. The name was to be African Christian University but that name is not available, so the Governing Council will choose another. I attended one meeting on the Christian university plan and realized that Douglas and the NEGST leadership are very serious and energized to move in this direction. This is partly driven by a vision to prepare more than just church leaders and partly by the absolute need to recruit more students.
In November, when we meet with Douglas, we will need to consider the implications of this for us as the development arm in North America.

5. The entire Ph.D. cohort was on campus, though now engaged on their individual research projects. They expect to spend 4-6 weeks at Cambridge in August researching in one of the foremost libraries in the world. I spoke with many of them individually and was even more impressed with them than before. But of course all that we have invested in them depends on them finishing their dissertations, hopefully by July
2009 when we hope there will be a grand celebration at the graduation ceremony. I told them we were all praying and counting on them to finish. Three of the
12 will likely join the NEGST faculty. Most of the faculty who launched this cohort have retired or left and there were many new faces in the faculty and more coming this year. The next cohort will begin in August, 2009.

6. I was able to have one-on-one time with over 30 of the moer than 60 students whom we support. This is always the highlight of being there and if you have any doubts about the validity of our mission, just get to know these students and how God called them to NEGST and to a ministry beyond and you will know we are part of grooming the future leadership of the church on the African continent. The role some of the graduates played in Kenya during the crisis testifies to the quality of leadership emerging out of NEGST. You will be hearing about this in future mailings.

7. George Renner agreed to serve as acting director of the Institute for the Study of African Realities (ISAR) and to seriously build up this center for research, training and nonformal education. Two new M.A. programs will be introduced under the ISAR structure, one in Organizational Leadership (under David Fraser's oversight) and one in Peacemaking & Conflict Resolution. George and Linda have decided to return to NEGST full-time to take up this role. He was clearly very pleased to be there again.

8. Because NEGST kept losing money with their guesthouse/cafeteria, they outsourced the entire operation to a private company. I was present for the launch of this new enterprise. The woman who runs the company is very savvy and professional and will upgrade the services considerably but at much higher rates. There may be some discounts for NEGST visitors but we will all be paying customers when we go there.

9. At our last meeting I told you about an retired American studying at NEGST who has volunteered to assist me in our work when he returns to the U.S. this fall. He graduates in July, perhaps the oldest graduate NEGST has had. His name is Spencer Radnich and I spent an evening with him and his wife. They are quite the couple. Spencer was an engineer and executive for Xerox but took early retirement and has spent the last 12 years in Kenya where he has done many things,including service at Daystar in various capacities. He was also in the Army Reserve all his working life and so he is comfortably retired. He told me he likes to travel and would go anywhere to meet anyone on behalf of NEGST entirely at his own expense. I confess I was a bit stunned. He expects to be settled near Erie, Pennsylvania, by September and wants to spend some time with me learning and strategizing his involvement. I fully expect he will be at our next board meeting so you can meet him in person.

10. NEGST has had to borrow in order to purchase the four acres of land and buildings adjacent to the campus still owned by a Christian publishing firm. This is the same project which we agreed to raise $300,000 to help purchase. I told you and Douglas this has been very difficult money to raise since it's simply buying land and not building anything new on it. My failure to find this money has kept the pressure on NEGST and slowed down the move of the administration offices to that property and the expansion of the library to the second floor where the administration is now housed. All I could do was pledge to Douglas that I would try even harder this year to raise that money though I'm not sure where. If any of you have some contacts or ideas, please share them with me. This is not a glamorous project but something that only certain folks are willing to support because they know it helps stabilize an institution for the long term. Schools here have alumni who understand this but with NEGST, we don't have those kind of alumni. Finally, I was able to get some remarkable interviews with various denominational and church leaders about the recent crisis in Kenya and how the church responded. I expect to write a few articles this summer based on these interviews and hopefully get them published and generate some additional publicity for our efforts at the same time.

Thanks for your prayers,
Paul

Christian Leaders Board Meeting

2008-05-04T17:34:00.000-07:00

CHRISTIAN LEADERS FOR AFRICA BOARD MEETING

May 2, 2008

Present: Lynn Cohick, Doug Long, David Holst, Darcy Weaver, Scott Swim, Ed Fischer, Dwight and Karen Jessup, Paul and Priscilla Heidebrecht

Guests: Keith Krispin, Nate Irwin, Steve Sanders, Luke Mertes

Following introductions at 9:15 a.m., Paul Heidebrecht led a devotional based on 2 Corinthians 8:1-9. We spent time in prayer especially for Mark and Ann Fackler, Derek Mpinga and Chris Schmid’s mother and friend, Meg Feemster.

On behalf of Douglas Carew, Dwight Jessup brought a report on recent events in Kenya and the latest developments at NEGST. He spoke highly of the Governing Council leadership at NEGST. He gave an update on faculty and staff changes, property and campus development activities, finances, enrollment issues and new programs, including African Christian university plans. Dwight and Karen reflected on their four years of service at NEGST and answered many questions we had.

After reviewing the audit, Doug Long, Dale Luther, David Holst and Paul Heidebrecht reviewed the auditor’s recommendations and presented the following motions.

It was moved and carried to:
Establish a Christopher Schmid Memorial Student Scholarship Endowment Fund for the support of tuition and housing costs for students at NEGST.

Appoint an audit subcommittee of two CLA board members (not including the treasurer) to meet prior to each board meeting and review accounting journal entries (if any) and report their findings to the board. Scott Swim and David Holst were appointed to the audit subcommittee.

Approve entering into a contract for a bank lock box service to process checks received at an Indianapolis post office and deposit in the CLA bank account. This arrangement will be reviewed after one year.

Approve the attached Sample Policy on Suspected Misconduct and Dishonesty and to designate the chair of the CLA board as the contact person for any employee, volunteer or donor to report concerns (this information to be posted on the CLA website).

Authorize Dale Luther to obtain the Quickbooks Premiere Nonprofit accounting software package which includes an accounting audit trail that cannot be turned off by the user.

Adopt a policy of receiving only cash and marketable securities and to accept these securities and sell/integrate them with our investment portfolio managed by South Indiana Methodist Foundation. Non-cash or other illiquid assets can only be accepted with prior approval by the CLA board and for which a letter of receipt will be issued but no value indicated for these non-cash item(s).

Approve the attached Sample Document Retention and Destruction Policy.

Maintain the official CLA Minute Book in the offices of Hall Render in Indianapolis with another set in the office of the executive director.

Since CLA is not currently in a position to promote Planned Giving activities, we will recommend to any donors the services of a qualified agency such as National Christian Foundation and to permit the executive director of CLA to enter into any agreements or accounts required for this purpose as approved by the CLA board.

Approve the attached Accountable Reimbursement Plan.

Require our accountant/bookkeeper to back up all electronic CLA financial records and databases on a monthly basis and store them offsite, preferably in a safe deposit box.

Request our Investment Manager to invest CLA assets in a broadly diversified portfolio of US and International stocks, bonds and cash equivalents, that in total, would be considered moderately aggressive.

Darcy Weaver and Ed Fischer were appointed to three-year terms on the CLA board of directors.

Paul reported that Scott Swim is beginning his third three-year term. Lynn Cohick, Mark Fackler, Doug Long and David Holst are beginning the third year of their terms on the board. It was noted for the record that in appointing Darcy and Ed, the board was also establishing two additional positions on the board.

The financial report from Dale Luther was accepted. It was moved and carried to permit Paul , Doug and Dale to prepare the 2008-2009 budget for consideration in June to be approved by email.

Darcy Weaver will submit a spending policy for the Wood Endowment Fund to allow distribution of earnings to NEGST when that fund exceeds $200,000. The original donor stipulated that this would be the threshold though the donor also indicate distributions should begin in 2008.

The board authorized the executive director to accept contributions for a TEDS/NEGST consultation next August provide the funds go to NEGST and not to a third party and also for the future student center at NEGST with contributions originating in Canada. The board was reluctant to receive contributions from friends or relatives of U.S. students at NEGST unless NEGST created a special fund for international students. Paul was asked to discuss this option with Douglas Carew.

Paul gave a brief report on his upcoming trip to NEGST, opportunities that have emerged with U.S. congregations and even a denomination to partner with NEGST for the training of African pastors and missionaries, his efforts to cultivate online donors and promotion of NEGST and his contacts with the new leadership of Bangui Evangelical School of Theology (BEST).

Paul presented his efforts to reduce health insurance costs for himself and Priscilla, for the most part, unsuccessfully. The board indicated it was essential that both of them have adequate coverage even if the premiums remain high.

The meeting concluded at 2:45 p.m. after a period of prayer.

The next meeting will be held on November 7, 2008.

Christian Leaders for Africa Newsletter

2008-04-25T20:56:00.000-07:00

Published by Paul Heidebriecht
April 2008
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NEGST Alumni move for peace
On March 7, hundreds of Kenyan pastors, led and mobilized by NEGST Alumni, began an historic journey across the country. Called “Msafara”, the mission was to pray, listen, and bring peace to Kenya's five largest city centers. The journey began in Mombasa, on the eastern coast. The cities chosen were ones broken and hurting from the post-election chaos.
Along the route, the Msafara team gave out 100,000 Care Packs, donated by churches and individuals throughout the nation. By March 17, on arrival in Kisumu on the western border, the team had encouraged thousands, providing basic supplies and food, praying and offering God’s physical and spiritual healing. NEGST can rejoice that in keeping with our calling to "excellence in African Christianity" our graduates are leading the way in demonstrating godly responses to current issues. Many other members of the NEGST community were involved in ways too numerous to name here.
To visit the Msafara website, click here.

NEGST student organises camp for internally displaced people
Meet Christopher Ngugi Wanaina, a first year NEGST student pursuing an MA in missions. Apart from being a student, Chris also serves at Karura Community Chapel in the missions department, in charge of the compassion and social justice docket since 2007.With the onset of the post-election violence, Karura Community Chapel began hosting three hundred internally displaced people (IDPs)—95 adults and 205 children—within the first week of January. By the second week, the number had doubled!

Upcoming Events
7th - 18th April 2008 Special Courses on Conflict Resolution & Forgiveness
RSVP:
admissions@negst.edu

Need To Read
The Drama of Scripture: Finding Our Place in the Biblical Story
The Drama of Scripture is a great help to understanding the revelation of God as it unfolds redemptively and historically and, in consequence, making sense of the Bible as a whole. This book is highly recommended for those who desire to understand how the Bible's diverse writings are united in content and purpose.Dr. Peter NyendeNEGST Lecturer, Biblical Studies
NEGST in Figures
7 cows graze on the green campus of NEGST
Kids At NEGST
Abby (3yrs): "I love coloring at school and playing on the swings."

Updates from David Waweru

2008-04-21T06:24:00.000-07:00

Hi Ed,

We thank God for the progress Kenya has made so far in returning peace and reconciliation among its leaders and people.

However the work has just began, there is a lot more that needs to be done in resettling displaced persons in affected areas. There is also the putting in of structures which will ensure the country never goes back to the state it was after election will be a crucial step.
So we need to continue to pray that this happens through Gods Guidance and Wisdom in the shortest time possible.

I`m happy to hear of your plans to come and minister at NEGST,on my part with the assistance of Carol Kariuki we will be happy to coordinate the Safari, in-road travels and home stays.
If there is anything else that we can do to make your visit here successful let us know.

David Waweru.

Kenya Is Attracting IPO Fever

2008-04-16T01:23:00.000-07:00

This article appeared in the Tuesday, Wall Street Journal and was written by Sarah Childress.

Nairobi, Kenya--Despite global financial turmoil and months of violence in this corner of Africa, first-time investors are betting big on an initial public offering of stock on the Nairobi Stock Exchange.

Taxi drivers, kiosk owners and street vendors have been queuing up at banks in downtown Nairobi to subscribe to shares of mobile-phone company Safaricom Ltd. in east Africa's largest IPO. The government is selling 25% of the company, a stake valued at about $ 800 million. The new shares will be listed on the Nairobi Exchange in early June. There is no underwriter on the deal, though Morgan Stanley & Co. International PLC is serving as the coordinator and sole bookrunner.

The Safaricom offering which had been delayed from December amid election-related violence that month could be an early indicator that Kenya's economy--badly bruised by the violence--is moving on.

"After the IPO, I'm going to make a bit of money," said Mwatha Karuita, a 50 year old lab technician, as he prepared to buy shares one recent day.

Fierce ethnic clashes and a simmering political standoff set back an ecomomic boom this country had been enjoying. The government and opposition party took a step forward Sunday, when President Mwai Kibaki names a new cabinet, with opposition leader Raila Odinga as new prime minister. As part of the power-sharing deal, 40 cabinet postings were split between the president's party and its allies, and Mr. Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement.

Lingering tensions directly threatened the offering as recently as last month. Mr Odinga, who cliamed victory in the late December presidential election, held news conferences and threatened protests to warn Kenyans not to buy in because of a dispute over a minor shareholder in the company. But his advice went largely ignored. On the offering's opening day on March 28, people lined up peacefully by the hundreds for a chance to snap up shares.

The Kenyan government holds a 60% stake in Safaircom with Vodaphone Kenya Ltd., a subsidiary of London based Vodaphone Group PLC, owning the other 40%. After the sale, the government's share will drop to 35%. The government has been in discussions with the company for about four years to divest its majority share to raise capital and as part of its effort to diversify shareholders in state-0wned companies.

Safaricom is a household name in Kenya. Eight yers ago, American Michael Joseph was brought in to turn around the struggling carrier, at the time owned by state-run Telkom Kenya Ltd. Vodafone Kenya bought into the company in 2000.

On coming aboard, Mr. Joseph, chief executive, said the company had $ 20million in the bank and 17,000 "very unhappy" customers, "That's all we had," he said. He quickly retargeted the company's marketing and went after Africa's high growth but financially strapped "informal" sector.

Many Kenyans, unable to afford high public school fees, have had to forgo educations, finding themselves shut out of well-paying jobs. They turn instead to entrepreneurial pursuits--for instance, start-up car services, like my friend David Waweru, who left his job at Telekom Kenya, or hair braiding, Swahili lessons or house-cleaning.

Many of Safaricom's competitors saw these customers as a risk since the lack of a steady, dependable income meant they may not be able to pay their bills. Mr. Joseph introduced the prepaid calling and personal billing. The latter was a big departure from rounding up each finished call to a full minute, which was a big hit for customers watching every Kenyan schilling.

Safaircom also offered inesp0ensive phones and free, rount-the clock customer care. Last year the company introduced a banking program that allows people to send money via mobile phone.

The changes paid off. Safari-c0m now has about 9 million subscribers and claims 80% of the market share in Kenya. Longtime competitors Celtel Kenya and Telkom Kenya have only a sliver of the market now, though Safaricom will soon face additional competition from new entrants.

Kenya's elite--including black businessmen and wealthy South Asians--have seized on the IPO. Beginning last week, international investors also were given a chance to buy in.

Of the 10 billion shares to be sold, 65% will be offered to domestic investors while the remainder were available to foreign buyers. Retail investors will get 52% of the domestic offering. If the domestic pool is oversubscribed, the percentage of the available shares will be increased. The application period ends April 23.

Blue-collar workers and small-business owners are also rushing in. the offer price is about five Kenyan shillings, or about 8 US cents, a share. Some investors have pooled money to meet the 2,000 share minimum. Many of these first-time investors don't even have bank accounts.

Some who can barely support their families have applied for bank loans to raise enough funds for the shares, a practice that worries Michael Masau, executive director of Emerging Africa Capital, Ltd., an investment advisory company in Nairobi. He believes Safaricom is a good buy, but only for those able to pay in cash.

"It's an investment," he said. "People can end up losing all their finances. We tell them to only invest what they can afford to lose."

Jane Keobu, 35 years old and with her three-year-old tied to her back with a red scarf, came into a Diamond Trust Bank branch in downtown Nairobi one recent morning. She supports her five children by selling cabbage, potatoes, and sukuma, a vegetable used in traditional meals, in a small town outside Nairobi. With no bank or brokerage account, the single mother saved the $ 160 to buy a minimum stake, having decided to buy when the offering was announced last year. Bank respresentative set up special tables tables to help first-time buyers open up an account.

"This is my first time to buy shares," she says. "But when I saw them, I thought it'd be a good time."

Peter Ndirangu, 21, who works as a butcher, agrees. He came to the bank one recent morning, clutching forms to purchase shares. "When the price rises, I'll sell, he said.

Dr. Chet's Wood's April Prayer Letter

2008-04-07T04:56:00.000-07:00

NAIROBI EVANGELICAL GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY

"A School in the Heart of Africa with Africa on Its Heart"

9441 Haddington Drive West, Indianapolis, IN 46256
Tel.: 317-595-9850 Email: Chester.wood@att.net, Dolores.wood@att.net

Dear Friend, April 6, 2008

LESSONS TO LEARN FROM THE KENYA CRISIS

It would appear that Kenya is back to “normal”. At least there is a measure of tranquility just now. But most of the underlying problems that gave rise to the recent crisis have yet to be addressed in any significant way. One deep underlying issue is injustice that goes back at least to the time of the colonial powers and perhaps further back. The apparent injustice in land distribution after the departure of the British is certainly part of the issue. Apparently the better lands were given to the more powerful tribe(s). And there are problems with the current constitution.

INJUSTICE AND ETHNICITY

If injustice is one of the fundamental underlying causes and if this injustice is along tribal lines, then NEGST needs to continue to take seriously both justice and ethnicity. Perhaps you will recall that the first fifteen months of the joint PhD in Bible and Bible Translation focused upon the topic of ethnicity starting with Genesis and going all the way to Revelation. This is a biblical theology approach to the topic. The PhD students have been called upon to speak publicly on radio, TV and in churches, universities and seminaries on this topic. What makes this all the more powerful is that the PhD students from Kenya represent some of the conflicting tribes. We thank God that He guided the PhD team several years ago to the topic of ethnicity. You may also know that each year from January to July Chester teaches OT and NT Theology at NEGST using justice as the integrating theme for the course.

One of the lessons to be learned from all of this is that we need to keep training more and more pastors like Pastor Oscar Muriu of Nairobi Chapel who will stay in Kenya for their graduate education, will take courses that speak directly to their local situation and consequently will be in a position to have a significant impact on the church and society in Africa. There are scores of NEGST grads in Kenya who have been and are seeking justice, reconciliation and peace in the months since the presidential election last December and are proclaiming the love of God and forgiveness through Jesus.

CONTINUING AND EXPANDING THE PHD PROGRAMS

The first cohort of twelve PhD students are now well into the dissertation writing phase of their work. The goal is for them to finish by the end of 2009, although the recent troubles in Kenya were a major interruption to their work. Pray for health, stamina, courage and wisdom as they write. This summer many of them will be traveling abroad as part of the program’s requirement
· to access a world-class library,
· to meet, if possible, with their international mentor, e.g. I. Howard Marshall, Karen Jobs, and
· to attend a major professional meeting in their area of focus.

The goal of LOWM has always been to assist in recruiting, training and sustaining African faculty members at NEGST. Currently we have been working in four areas to achieve that single goal. First, we want to help the first cohort of PhD students finish well. Several of these will become faculty members at NEGST. Most of the PhD students doing Bible will be going to Tyndale House Library at Cambridge, England which is one of the finest biblical research libraries in the world. Several years ago we (Dolores and Chester) spent twenty-two very productive weeks there. Although a great deal has already been invested in the PhD program, Light of the World Ministries (LOWM) is seeking to assist NEGST’s PhD students with a gift of $24,000 to help with trip expenses. NEGST needs these funds by June.

Second, LOWM plans to encourage the formation and launching of a second cohort in Bible and Bible Translation, a first cohort in Missions and perhaps a first cohort in Theology. All of these have faculty for NEGST in view. This requires seed money. We have set a goal of $6,000 to help start new doctoral cohorts. Third, we are continuing to sponsor the housing rent of one of the PhD students in this first cohort ($4,000). Fourth, from the beginning LOWM has assisted NEGST’s graduates, such as Douglas Carew, to be part of a post-MA/MDiv program known as the MTh which is a one year program that prepares students to do the PhD. We would like to invest another $4,000 in this area.

In addition to this goal of faculty development, we also undertake to give NEGST $3,000 each year for benevolence to help students who have had a death in their family or an illness that is not covered by the required health insurance program. Finally, we would like to make a special gift to NEGST as soon as possible to help them with preparations for celebrating NEGST’s 25th anniversary, which begins this September (1983-2008). In sum, we are asking the Lord to help us raise at least $46,000 in the next few months. We invite you to invest in African Christianity led by leaders trained at NEGST who are able to speak about and act according to God’s Word in matters such as ethnicity and justice. Please indicate that your gift is for “grants” rather than “general support”.

TAKING A BREAK

Four years ago we celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary, but we were just too busy to take more than a day or two off at a time because for the last ten years we have focused all of our energy on launching the PhD. Now that it is in orbit, we have handed over that responsibility to younger men and women. Now we can take time to celebrate by going on an extended holiday in Italy and explore some of Dolores’ roots (near Naples and Palermo) along with seeing the ancient Roman and Greek ruins, places St. Paul visited, the beautiful countryside and the coasts. An anonymous friend has made this trip possible for us for which we are most thankful. We are both rather tired. Pray that we might returned from Italy refreshed and ready for another period of writing and then back to NEGST at the end of 2008 for two terms of teaching. We leave for Italy Wednesday April 9th.

We also invited you to consider visiting NEGST during this special 25th anniversary year. There will be at least two special trips to NEGST, one in late January 2009 and one at graduation time, i.e. July 4th 2009.

With deep gratitude we are your fellow servants in Christ,

Chester & Dolores

Gifts toward this ministry are tax-deductible. Please make your check payable to “Light of the World Ministries.” Mail to Light of the World Ministries, 825 S. Meridian, Indianapolis, IN 46225.

LIGHT OF THE WORLD MINISTRIES, INC.

Update from Pastor Oscar Muriu

2008-03-31T07:20:00.000-07:00

This article appeared in last weeks Daily Nation. I think you will appreciate reading it. The papers surprised us by honoring our work. Thank-you for being a part of it in prayer and giving.

You can see the original article at http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgindex.asp . Go into archives for March 26.

Oscar Muriu.
____________________________________________________________
Halfway Point Back To Normal Life.
(The Work Of The Nairobi Chapel In Restoring People)
DAILY NATION, Living Magazine, Wednesday March 26, 2008.

Someone called my father from outside and I thought it was one of his friends who often called him to go and chew miraa with him. My father opened the door and went out to meet the man calling. I didn't give it a second thought. But he never came back.

"When I woke up in the morning, I went outside to wash my face and the first thing I saw was his badly mutilated body. It was floating in a stream next to our house. He must have been murdered and thrown into the water. I was so frightened that I literally ran all the way to the road. It did not matter to me where I was heading; I just needed to get away from what I had just seen. I ran without looking back.”

As many Kenyans try to settle down to business as usual following the very rocky start to the year, others, like 14-year-old Paul Ngatuk Erumu, are wondering where to begin to pick up the pieces. He is now an orphan - thanks to the post-election chaos in which thousands, including his father, were killed, and thousands others rendered homeless. The Standard Seven pupil's mother died several years ago in a village in Turkana while giving birth. Both she and the baby died, according to his father.

Paul was living with his father, an ODM elections agent, in a rented one room house in Isiolo town when the violence broke out. As he ran away in fear, he was lucky to get a lift to Nairobi. He arrived in the city in the evening and slept on the streets.

“I narrated my story to some strangers and a Good Samaritan gave me Sh20. The next morning moving from street to street, I found myself at the Kenya National Theatre where someone else me another Sh20 and told me to head straight to the Jamhuri Park showground. He said many fleeing Kenyans were being housed there.”

But by the time he got to Jamhuri Park following the directions he had been given, Paul found the gate closed.

"I started to cry. I didn't know what to do ' " says the soft spoken and traumatised boy.

I saw a man and asked him where I could go. After explaining to was from Turkana, he took me to some Turkana people who rejected me. I started crying again, feeling completely lost."

The man then took him to the Nairobi Chapel situated nearby and they asked him to stay with Paul for a few days while they looked for a place for him to go. "He bought me a meal and put me up for four days after which I went back to the church. From there I was brought here."

'Here' is a halfway house in Karen, Nairobi. The house is an initiative of the church; some members of the congregation have temporarily opened up their homes to accommodate Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). These halfway houses have proved to be a saving grace for those who have no homes to go back to or are still too frightened to even consider going back. Paul is one of many who were caught up in the violence and are unsure of how to start again. But for now, he and others like him are safe.

The halfway house has also been home to 55-year-old Naomi Wanjiku, who fled from her home in Burnt Forest after a celebration jig following President Kibaki's disputed election win.

"Immediately after the elections results were announced, we (women from my area) all came together to sing and dance in celebration. Within minutes, our neighbours from different communities started throwing stones at us. Even before we could recover from this shock, houses were being torched. They burnt our maize farms, which were ready for harvest. I remember going to check why my sheep and goats were bleating only to find them roasting alive. I couldn't do anything to save them."

That night, Naomi says, nobody slept. Having lived through the 1992 violent clashes, she took her title deed and tucked it deep into her pockets.

"In the morning, people started to flee with whatever they could carry," she says. "By this time, arrows were flying all over the place. This was very scary. More houses were being torched and I fled at seven in the morning with only the title deed and my life."

Naomi is thankful to God for coming out alive, but says she can never go back. "It is hard to forget the things that have happened. No matter how much the Government insists on reconciling communities, it is hard. I lost literally everything in 1992. I rebuilt and resettled; now here I am, back at square one! Where is my future and that of my children? My grandchildren? Will the Government guarantee my family a future?"

Naomi's family was divided as people fled in different directions. At the halfway house in Karen, she has only her two young grandchildren. Her four children are living with relatives in Kinangop and Githunguri. Although she left 4.5 acres of land in Burnt Forest, she has no plans of going back. She is thinking of settling in Limuru and hopefully set up a business there.

Mercy Wanjiku, a 31-year-old mother of three, fled from Cherangany in Kitale. She weeps as she recalls how 27 women were whipped and taken away to Kaboret forest in Cherangany where they were raped. She says she lost her two-acre maize plantation. With her is 25-year-old Anne Wangui, a mother of four. She was a resident of Chepcion in Molo when the violence erupted. She believes her husband is still trapped somewhere in Molo even though she hasn't heard form him since she ran with the children. Maria Njeri fled from Elementaita leaving everything behind apart from her four children. "Everything was razed to the ground. The only clothes I had were the ones I was wearing" she says.

At the halfway house are about 40 people. Twenty-four year-old Moffat Njau is the caretaker. He worked as a chef before the violence broke out and when businesses in Nairobi and its environs came to a standstill, he decided to volunteer to help in the halfway houses programme. He was introduced to Njenga Muigai, the owner of the halfway house in Karen. Njenga is one of those who have given their houses to be used to accommodate IDPs. Njau was charged with ensuring the smooth running and administration of the halfway house.

Njau says nothing gives him greater satisfaction than to see people come to the halfway house in a very needy condition and be transformed through care and counselling, until they are ready to face life again. Indeed, about a week or two after they come in many of the IDPs are ready to leave.

"Some are transported to their up-country homes if they feel that the structures are still in place for them to resettle. But in most instances, they choose not to go back. " says Njau.

Situated about five kilometres away is the Jordana House, a bungalow that used to be a guesthouse before the post-election mayhem. Alyta Githire, the proprietor, attended a service at the Nairobi Chapel on the invitation of a friend. Little did she know that this visit would change the nature of her business for several months. She had been watching news clips on television about how much IDPs were suffering in the camps.

"I always wondered how all these people coped up with living out in the open. How did they cook, eat, shower, dress or undress with all those people around them?" Alyta says. During the sermon, the pastor leading the service made an appeal to the congregation and Alyta raised her hand and volunteered her guesthouse to be opened up to the displaced. From then on, displaced people and their families started streaming in. In the first week of February, Alyta received the first bunch of 30 people. And it has been like this ever since - after each group has been resettled, another one comes in and the numbers have not gone below 30.

Alyta, who reveals that she was previously a very private person, says the whole experience of opening up and having her private space invaded has taught her some lessons in humility.

"I feel humbled. I used to complain a lot about small things, but now I do not. I have learnt to appreciate what I have, including people from backgrounds different from mine.” She has grown spiritually, too. "I thought I was close to God before, but now I know differently. Now He is right here with me' "

The halfway housing project is funded and supported by Nairobi Chapel, some partnering organisations, various companies and individual well-wishers. "The church has played a big role; individual members of the congregation have also been very helpful donating foodstuffs, clothes and toiletries;' Alyta says.

In both halfway houses, there are rules and regulations to abide by. A very strict timetable must be followed, especially when it comes to meal times. Njau explains that the experience of cooking for large numbers has taught him how to budget for large numbers of people. He has also learned how to handle people with sensitivity.

The healing process

He says, "When they first come here, most of the IDPs are very quiet and distressed. They keep a lot to themselves and we allow them to do so because it is part of healing. But at some point, they open up. That is when we listen carefully, wipe their tears and comfort them. I walk with them through all this until the point when they sober up and actually start to visualise themselves starting a new life altogether," Njau says, adding that many of their visitors came from Kirathimo, Tigoni and Cherangany camps.

"It is at that point that they start living again and we sit down together and discuss plans for their lives.”

Leornidah Ambiyo, 30, is one person who has benefited from this humble rehabilitation project. She fled from the Kibera slums at the peak of the violence. She was with her 11-year-old son and they camped with other fear stricken families at the Jamhuri Park showground.

“A month and three days later, church people came to see us. Some young women interviewed us on how we could get back on our feet. I had nowhere to go; our rural - home is very poor and going back there without any form of direction would only have caused problems to my family," explains the single mother, who originally comes from Kakamega.

After the interview, Ambiyo was taken to Njenga's house and after 10 days, the programme administrators had rented her a house for three months at Riruta Satellite and taken her son, who is now in Standard Five, back to school. Ambiyo cannot see herself going back to Kibera where she worked as a cleaner during the day and sold vegetables at night. She still returns to the halfway house to help with the cleaning and other chores. She has this to say to her fellow Kenyans: "We must love each other like members of a family with different characteristics and interests. We must be one thing."

Milicent Mwololo

Turning A House Into A Home

According to Pastor Anne Mburu, the team leader of the halfway houses project overseeing resettlements, the houses have acted as a transit camp where IDPs come in to experience the warmth of a home as they await resettlement. Anne says in while these people live in the halfway houses, the administrators on the ground work hand in hand with Red Cross personnel to gauge ways in which they can be helped.

"In most cases, these people do not wish to go back to their homes, especially after what they saw. These are people who saw death and killings with their own eyes and talking about going back home might even offend some of them. In cases where they refuse to go back, we rent a house and pay three months’ rent in advance for them. We also take the children to boarding school and help the parents start a business” Anne explains.

There are a few who have opted to go back to their homes and the halfway house team has been the success of this programme. "Those we have helped have been able to -pick up the pieces and get on with life,” Anne says.

When there were still very many people living in the camps, it was common for children to come to the halfway houses very sickly because of exposure to the cold "but after they absorbed the warmth of the houses, they would get better. I have seen some very sickly children get better within two days of coming in"

Anne says the half way house project was originally supposed to last until the end of March but since there are still very many destabilised families, it is likely to take a little longer to wind up. “But it need support form Kenyans, especially when it comes to sponsoring as many children as possible to go back to school.”

She explains that due to the instability of the families, there is little choice other than to send the children to boarding school so their parents can have space to restructure their lives. "Part of this is done through getting them actively involved in the running of the houses through a duty roster for cleaning and cooking."

The houses have also hired caretakers, matrons and chefs - all aimed at making the IDPs feel comfortable. Volunteer youths teach children the basics of reading and writing. At the Jordana House, for instance, a makeshift school has been set-up and a Form Four graduate is volunteering as a teacher. Children under her care are learning the basics of the alphabet. They also sing songs and engage in sports as a way of occupying them and reducing the opportunity to relive the horrors they have seen. Prayer and Bible Study are also part of life in the halfway houses, which have succeeded in painting a picture of love amid chaos, warmth amid coldness of heart and a process of transition from displaced families to surviving families.

Oscar Muriu
P. O. Box 53635
Nairobi
Kenya

Tel (254)723-261-944

Reflections on the Msafara by Oscar and Muriithi

2008-03-24T04:57:00.000-07:00

Msafara is Over

Time will judge just how effective the Msafara was in impacting Kenya’s destiny. And of-course reports will be written and audits done. However, off the top of my head and from my limited perspective several results of the Msafara seem evident…

300 Kenyans had a chance to visit and interact with the situation on the ground firsthand. They were able to see the extent of the country’s devastation for themselves. They learnt to care for the displaced. They were forced to deal with their own prejudices and to relate closely to people of other tribes. Each of these belong to a faith community and will return to it with a message of unity and hope. Especially powerful because many who came are the church leaders.

There was heartfelt reconciliation and a resulting unity among church leaders in the various towns we visited. Many leaders confessed that by taking sides in the political events, they had reduced their ability to care for all the communities they were responsible for. By repenting of this short-sightedness and committing to work with leaders of other tribes, they now model the way for the churches they lead to maintain peace in their areas and to care for those affected by the violence. And for church leaders to conduct themselves differently come the next election. There is great power for good when the church is united. An example - we were informed after Msafara left Naivasha, of an initiative by church pastors to ensure that the communities evicted from their town could return safely.

Many churches are caring for displaced people who are housed by their members. Because these people don’t live in the camps, they are ‘under the radar’ so to speak, and little support is going to the needy families caring for them. By delivering 65 tons of food and 5 lorries of humanitarian supplies to the pastor’s fellowships in the various towns, Msafara opened up new distribution channels that take care of, and support many of the most needy. The Red Cross has done a great job, but they can only do so much. We hope these channels will continue to be used by different agencies that are looking for alternative relief distribution channels

The hardest to quantify may be the most significant. In each town, united church leaders were able to engage in Spiritual Warfare prayer together over their communities. The bible teaches us that God answers prayers that are prayed in humility, unity and repentance. In 2Chronicles, God promises ‘If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, if they seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sins and heal their land’. I can’t wait to see the healing and turning around of our nation that will happen as God begins to answer the prayers that we prayed together!

What next after Msafara?

The initiative is ended, but the need is not. We were faithful to do that which the Lord called us to do – pray over 5 main cities in Kenya . . . and we therefore believe God will do a miraculous work as a result of our simple obedience.

Going around the country however, and meeting the IDP’s was heart-rendering! The need, the destitution, the hopelessness, their sense of despair, the children . . . it has reignited a desire to continue engaging in their plight, and work at ensuring their cause is not forgotten. We intend to close the Msafara office within a month, but to keep mobilizing food and medicines for the displaced. We can only do so much, but we must do what we can. We will therefore channel any new funds that come in towards the humanitarian work. At present, just as a single church, we have over 100 displaced children now in school under our care, and about 150 families under our support as we try and stabilize and ‘re-start’ their lives by giving them the psychological and financial support needed to get back on their feet.

Please pray with us.

Pastor Muriithi Wanjau/Oscar Muriu

Here is what Nairobi Chapel is doing to help

2008-03-17T14:47:00.001-07:00

Pastor of church in which 30 died honoured for courage

Story by MICHAEL MUGWANG’A and DENNIS ODUNGA Publication Date: 3/17/2008

A pastor of a church in which over 30 children were burnt to death at the height of the post-election violence was Sunday honoured by a Nairobi church for his courage and sacrifice.
Pastor Janet Mutinda of the Nairobi Chapel announced the decision to honour Pastor Stephen Mburu of the Eldoret-based Kenya Assemblies of God church that was torched on New Year’s Day with 35 people inside.

Pastor Mburu also received a Sh400,000 cash token to help him “pick up the pieces of his life”.
According to Ms Mutinda, the cash will help Mr Mburu build himself a house as efforts to rebuild the church continue.

The Nairobi Chapel also plans to have Mr Mburu fitted with dentures at a South African hospital. He lost eight teeth when he was attacked as he tried to rescue the children from the burning church.

The screams

In a moving testimony at Nairobi Chapel Sunday, Mr Mburu recounted how the screams of children moved him to try and save them. He vividly recalled how he had to watch as a female child burnt to death because he could not reach her in time. “I saw the children crying as the fire engulfed the church, and as much as my life was in great danger, I could not run away,” the pastor said. He managed to pull out five children alive, he told the congregation.

Meanwhile, displaced children from Sugoi Children’s Home in Eldoret are not willing to return to the home even though normalcy has returned to the town. They instead want Eldoret Presbytery, which manages the home, to find an alternative location. The children spoke to the Nation Sunday at PCEA Ayub Kinyua parish where they were relocated. “We are still afraid of the place given that we would stay next to people who showed us no mercy as orphans and former street children,” said John Kamau a Form Two student at the home. Rev Geoffrey Mwihandi, the moderator of the Eldoret presbytery, said that 130 children were relocated after their farm and houses were destroyed.

Please visit this site:
http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?premiumid=0&category_id=1&newsid=119211

Oscar Muriu
P. O. Box 53635
Nairobi
Kenya

Tel (254)723-261-944

Chester E. Wood
9441 Haddington Dr. W.
Indianapolis, IN 46256
Phones:
Home: 317 595 9850

Photos from Oscar Muriu and the "Cleansing Service"

2008-03-17T06:52:00.000-07:00

Dear Praying Friend,

Where it says “here” click and a window of photos should open if you are connected to the internet. Click the arrow to see all of the photos. The photos are from the cleansing service in Nairobi. It's titled 'Day 2 Msafara - Prayer Service in Nairobi' and you can view it here.

Chester and Dolores

NEGST Team Meeting features Dr. Chet Wood

2008-03-12T05:50:00.000-07:00

Dear NEGST team,

We were blessed to be able to hear Chet Wood continue his conversation on Jesus and Justice. He used the "Sermon on the Mount" Matthew 5:1-16 to illustrate their condition and their character and how the arrival of the Kingdom of Heaven brings the blessing on the righteous. He also illustrated how the arrival of the kingdom of heaven calls for a new righteousness set in the contrast to the prevailing understanding of the righteousness Matthew 5:17-7:12. He made all of this relevant in the context of the Kenyans who are struggling with ethnic differences which have been influenced by migration patters, and unequal distribution of capital-land.

Being the optimist that I am, it seems that there is hope that the work Oscar and his team is doing to provide reconciliation, spiritual healing, and providing for the basic needs of the displaced are bringing righteousness and healing to the Kenyan people. It is hopeful that this current ethnic tension can be replaced with an attitude of cooperation as the leaders set aside their tribal differences and work together to resolve this current crisis.

The time went very fast, but is was very refreshing to hear Chet expound on Jesus and Justice and how it relates to the current situation there and was very helpful in preparing us to ask the right questions to better understand their culture, and their view of Christianity in the context of African realities.

We spend some time presenting the team covenant which we will forward to each of you next week. This will be explored in more detail at our next team meeting which will be held at the North Fork Mountain Inn, in Cabins, WV. This will be held the weekend of June 22nd. I would encourage you to see if you can take a vacation day on Friday, and perhaps travel as a group, leaving Indianapolis around noon and arriving at the Inn by 8:30 that evening. As I mentioned before, you stay at the Inn is our gift to you our team members and we look forward to team building exercises as part of this weekend retreat. We would invite you to attend our Mennonite Church before returning home to Indianapolis around noon on Sunday. Please RSVP your attendance within the next week so we can block off the rooms for your stay. You are welcome to include your spouse even if they are not planning to go to Kenya with the team.

We are also open to adding new team members, so if you know of any others that may be interested in joining us, please let Phil or I know. We would be glad to interview them and even include them on this weekend retreat. I would also like to extend a special invitation for Jeff Unruh and Barry Rodriguez to consider joining our team and participating with us as we plan to return to NEGST and Kenya in January 2009.

I plan to attend Grace on Sunday and will be helping with the prayer services being held in the choir room and would invite any of you attending Grace to join us.

Ed Fischer
Qwest Communications
Global Account Manager
Government and Education Solutions
410-694-4745 Office
410-299-1947 Cellular
edwin.fischer@qwest.com

March 12

Identify With Your Target

Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
Proverbs 16:24

There’s a saying that goes something like this, don’t judge another man until you have walked in his moccasins. We must learn to identify with a person, before we try to speak to him about needs in his life.

About a month before turkey season was to open in Pennsylvania, I started noticing billboards along the road. Each bore a picture of a turkey and said, “Identify your target before you shoot.”

Often we judge people, or say things to them without knowing all the details of a situation. Our words, like arrows, go down into the innermost parts, wounding the victims, even possibly killing them spiritually.

Several years ago our Eastern Youth Fellowship Meeting’s theme was “Don’t Shoot the Wounded.” How sad it is when there are people who have been already wounded by hardship, personal failure, or loss, yet Christians come along and throw additional barbs at them, driving the wounds deeper and deeper until they become so painful that the victim succumbs. If we learn to identify with the hurting or wounded, we will be more careful about what we say. We won’t be guilty of shooting the wounded.

I asked an elderly lady why she had so many friends. She replied, “I taste my words before I let them pass through my lips.” Let our speech be seasoned with the salt that preserves others, and not with the poison that wounds them.

Joe Miller, Belleville, PA

~The kindly word that falls today may bear its fruit tomorrow.~

Update from Oscar Muriu

2008-03-05T06:18:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

We are just getting ready to begin the Msafara this Friday. We have done all that we can . . . and the time has come. To prepare for the Spiritual warfare, we have engaged a strategy of 4 levels of prayer

1. A team of 5 National Intercessors who will go ahead of us and pray over our ministry, the places we shall be in, and the strongholds in each of these towns (Mombasa is notorious for witchcraft and demonization. Eldoret houses the First Masonic Temple ever built in Kenya/E. Africa). This team intercedes on behalf of this nation full-time. They will spend several days of prayer in each place.

2. A larger team of 100 Church intercessors – mainly lay people trained in the ministry of intercession. They will be involved I city prayer walks, going to specific points of the city blood was shed. Going to temples or witchcraft centers, etc. They will spend one day prayer on this – before the cleansing ceremony.

3. The Pastors and National Leaders (about 300) praying at the cleansing ceremonies. Because these will also spend time reconciling and seeking healing for their division – they will only ‘cleanse’ at the service itself. But their work together will be an important united ‘stand’ by the leaders.

4. Churches around the country who will not be on the Msafara with us, but will be praying ‘back home’ full-time. For example many at the chapel have covenanted to cover me (their pastor) in prayer.

Last Friday we had about 30 Kesha points around the country (& Dar-es-Saalam), and we are now in a week of fasting. Yesterday we were also on TV/Radio to launch off the Msafara (alerting the nation).

To date we have : -

The Kenya Assemblies of God church registered – their Bishop will accompany us the whole way. He personally gave a lorry of food for Mombasa, all the bottled water we will need, and a lorry for transport. He has also worked out a favorable deal on the 6 busses that will transport people. His church has also been instrumental in mobilizing intercessors. KAG has about 3,500 churches nationwide.

The PCEA church – the Moderator is very keen about this. He too will go all the way with us, and has mobilized his intercessors to pray. PCEA probably has 1,000 churches nation-wide.

Several Bishops in the Deliverance Church will travel with us, and have mobilized their pastors.

The Archbishop of the Anglican (Episcopal) church has given his blessings and called his church to join in – so one of his Bishops will be one of our public speaker.

Many other smaller churches are also on board. Over 100 pastors have registered so far for the Msafara – so were right on target. The cost per person is just over 200$ each, but many, many expressed dismay in finding that sort of money (it is a lot in our context – but with having to move 300 people from town to town, feed and house them, it’s not a lot). Anyway, we took a step of faith and reduced the subscription to 70$, and are praying God will furnish us with the balance.

UNICEF gave us 10,000 hygiene packs to give the displaced (cost them about 140,000$). We have also set a goal to deliver at least 1 lorry of food (about 15 – 13 tonnes) to each town (costs about 5,000$ per lorry of food). 2 organizations (Diguna & KAG) have given us the empty lorries to transport with free, and another the fuel needed. The idea is that this food will be given over to the Pastors Fellowships in each town to distribute among the needy IDP’s among them. There are as many IDP struggling to survive outside the camp (under the care of the churches) as there are within the camps (under the care of the Red Cross – the Red Cross is very well supplied with provisions).

We are very, very encouraged, especially with all the good-will and support we have received; and believe this will have a huge impact on the nation.

For today’s updates, pls visit www.msafara.wordpress.com.

This weekend we will have a very special guest in our service – a pastor whose church was burnt down (& 35 people died). He rescued 5 children, dragging them out of the fire; but the arsonists caught him, beat him up knocking out 8 of his teeth, & left him for dead. He survived. We want to honor him as a Kenyan Hero, and will be giving him a gift to restart his life and church. A dentist in our church has offered to replace all 8 as a gift to the Lord.

Read his story on http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=1&newsid=118020

Oscar Muriu
P. O. Box 53635
Nairobi
Kenya

Tel (254)723-261-944

Chet and Dolores Wood's Prayer Letter 3-4-08

2008-03-04T09:11:00.000-08:00

NAIROBI EVANGELICAL GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY

"A School in the Heart of Africa with Africa on Its Heart"

9441 Haddington Drive West, Indianapolis, IN 46256
Tel.: 317-595-9850 Email: Chester.wood@att.net, Dolores.wood@att.net

Dear Friend, March, 2008

ELISABETH AND WAYNE MARRIED NOVEMBER 3rd 2007

Since writing last, the big event in the Wood family has been the marriage of our oldest daughter, Elisabeth, to Wayne Bloomquist on a beautiful autumn Saturday. Elisabeth finished her three years of work with Samaritan’s Purse in northern Uganda (Lira) where she organized, trained and led teams of Africans to do HIV/AID’s education and care for those dying with AIDS in camps for displaced persons. After returning home in September 2007, she had only a few weeks to organize the wedding. Wayne and his first wife, Kathy, who passed away a number of years ago, had been our friends for many years. Wayne has recently sold his insurance business so that he and Elisabeth can think about some sort of ministry opportunity overseas. Elisabeth Bloomquist’ new address is 952 North Ritter Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46219 and her phone is (317) 840-5420. We thank God for this next step in His will for Elisabeth and Wayne. As you might imagine it is wonderful for us to be home just now and enjoy family gatherings with married daughters, sons-in-law, grandchildren and Chester’s Dad. Sadly, Chester’s mom is not able to be with us and continues to be in a care facility. We thank the Lord for the privilege of being home for this year.

SABBATICAL, HOME LEAVE, FURLOUGH

Perhaps depending on your age you will recognize one of the above terms: sabbatical, home leave, furlough. In the old days, missionaries took furloughs every four years. In the modern world with jet transportation, missionaries follow different patterns and take home leaves. Because of the need to finis h the first part of a major writing project on biblical theology of justice and because of our desire to be near Mom (91) and Dad (who will be 95 in May), Light of the World Ministries’ board has allowed us to be home for 2008 to focus on writing and caring for family. (The picture is several years old. Mom is now unwell.) We are booked to return to NEGST to teach as usual beginning January 2009. We appreciate your prayers that we might remain in good health. Chester is at his desk Monday through Friday mornings at 5:15 a.m. and works until lunch at 1 p.m. with the goal of having the section on “Israel and Justice” (OT) finished by the time we return to NEGST.

Every Tuesday evening at our church, Faith Missionary Church, Dolores teaches English to eight adult students, men and women, coming from Egypt, Russia, Taiwan, China, Mexico and Azerbaijan. Among them are Muslims, Catholics, Coptic Christians and Atheists. Volunteers in our church are teaching English to over 50 students, many of whom live near the church. Every other Saturday morning, here in our home, Chester is teaching ten fathers how to teach their children (ages 6-12) the Bible as a whole. He hopes to repeat these sessions in the autumn with a new group of young fathers.

CRISIS IN KENYA

Perhaps you have been following the news about the post-election upheavals in Kenya. As we compose this letter we are praying that there will be a good outcome to the recent negotiations led by former Secretary General Kofi Annan. As we understand it, there were substantial irregularities in the election held December 27th with both parties seeking to manipulate the outcome. It does seem that even before the election there were plans in place to cause trouble. The underlying issue goes back many years to the early days of Kenyan independence when lands were distributed (sold) by the government. Obviously those in power in the early days favored their own people. Ethnicity comes into the issue because lands were distributed along ethnic lines. Of course the realities on the ground are much more complex than this explanation. In many ways NEGST and its grads have been involved in seeking to resolve in a Christian way the current crisis and address its underlying root causes.

ROLE OF NEGST AND ITS GRADS IN THE RECENT CRISIS IN KENYA

1) The twelve PhD students spent the first eighteen months of their time focusing on the Bible and ethnicity working from Genesis to Revelation. Several of these students, from differing, even contending, Kenyan tribes have been on radio for extended periods (four hours) speaking to the issue, seeking to give biblical guidance in this complex crisis.

2) Many of our graduates are now heads of large churches, denominations and even the National Council of Churches which in Kenya is an evangelical body. They have been speaking out against the violence and speaking for justice and peace. Oscar Muriu, who is pastor of Nairobi Chapel, has taken the lead in the country in bringing together hundreds of pastors who as we write are touring the country and seeking to “cleanse the land” from the pollution of witchcraft. Before the election powerful witchdoctors were brought in from neighboring Tanzania and used to influence the outcome of the election. Obviously this is an area where many of us non-Africans feel out of our depth and are thankful for leaders like Oscar. See Msafara at http://www.msafara.co.ke/ and http://greatnessnow.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default.

3) NEGST itself is a multi-ethnic community made up largely of Kenyans who represent a wide range of forty two tribes including those who have been killing each other in brutal ways. Special chapel services have been held in which the crisis was discussed openly in a biblical way. One of the beauties of NEGST is that over the years we have managed by God’s grace to live together in peace and harmony in spite of our many differences. This has been a witness. If you are not on our “Photos from Africa” email list, please send me an email at chester.wood@att.net. Thanks!

Your fellow servants in Christ,

Chester & Dolores

Gifts toward this ministry are tax-deductible. Please make your check payable to “Light of the World Ministries.” Mail to Light of the World Ministries, 825 S. Meridian, Indianapolis, IN 46225.

LIGHT OF THE WORLD MINISTRIES, INC.

Grace Community Church responds

2008-02-29T13:05:00.001-08:00

Dear Kenya Mission Trip Team,

Ed and I have just had a conversation with the Kenya Crisis Team Leader, Barry Rodriguez, and below in Barry's email is a summary of what each of us on our team can do individually to help our brothers and sisters in Kenya. It includes who to contact for each item. This is the information that will be announced this weekend, which Phil mentioned in an earlier email. Hopefully everyone on our team can pray and help to some degree, whatever church you are from. Faith Church has taken a collection for our brothers and sisters in Kenya. Grace Community Church sent money (which had been set aside in the Imagine Campaign) for crisis like these. We are not sure exactly what College Park is doing, but maybe Brian could let us know?

If you want to see the Grace website section on Kenya, you can click on http://gracecc.org/kenya. If you want to see the Navigator insert for March 12th weekend (pdf file) on this, then click on the link on the right side of this Kenya page.

Nairobi Chapel's website is http://www.nairobichapel.org/pages/index.asp. We were told that there is a way to donate money direct with a credit card, but I can not find it?

Chet Wood has sent us an excellent pictoral summary of their situation in Kenya (attached PDF file below).

Looking forward to seeing everyone at Judy Parker's on Friday, March 10th. We will meet at 6:15 and eat at 6:30. Regarding to food at the pot luck, if you have not contacted Judy yet, please do so. We will wish Polly a Happy Birthday from a distance (she will not be able to attend). Chet Wood will speak more about "Justice and Jesus." There will be breakouts of the Drama team to practice and the computer team to discuss issues. We plan to end the evening by 8:30 PM.

Blessings,
Phil & Ed

-----Original Message-----From: Rodriguez, Barry [mailto:barryr@gracecc.org]Sent: Friday, February 29, 2008 1:58 PMTo: Arnold, Phil & KathyCc: Chester Wood; Fischer, EdSubject: How your team can help...
Phil,

Here is a basic rundown of what we’ll be doing.

1. This weekend we will be handing out fabric prayer ties (to go along with our week of prayer and fasting) at each of the doors of Grace Main and Sojourn. We need lots of volunteers to make this happen. If your team is willing, that would be great!
2. We also need a lot of help cutting the prayer ties before the weekend. There are bags in Grace’s mailroom with instructions on how to cut them. Alicia McClure is heading up that project (marcandalicia@sbcglobal.net).
3. We are setting up a kiosk in the lobby as a source of information for people interested in praying for/learning about the crisis in Kenya. We need people who are interested in manning the booth after each of the services. Chuck Easton is coordinating that for the next few weeks (chuckeaston@gmail.com). Contact him with your availability if you are interested.
4. Finally, we will be having prayer sessions during all four services in the choir room for the month of March (starting March 8). There will be a short presentation of a specific issue each week (tribalism, Kenyan politics, etc.), then prayer over that issue. Would love to have you! I’m the contact person for that one.

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Barry Rodriguez
Work: 580-2749
Cell: 797-5185
barryr@gracecc.org

Update from Dr. Chet Wood

2008-02-29T06:08:00.000-08:00

Friday, February 29, 2008

Dear Praying Friend,

Beginning Saturday March 1st in Kenya there will be a week of prayer and fasting followed by a week, beginning March 7th, in which Kenyan pastors, led by Oscar Muriu, will travel to the hot-spots of Kenya for services of confession of sins, cleansing of the results of witchcraft and resisting the Devil. The trip is called Msafara (trips/travels).

See attached brochure which is in PDF format. (If you have trouble opening it, you can download a pdf “reader” at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html. This is a fairly large file (22.4 MB) and cannot be downloaded on a phone line connection.)

We are so thankful to the Lord for the signing of the peace agreement yesterday, but we know there is much to be done by way of healing, cleansing, forgiveness, restoration, restitution, etc.

Chester & Dolores

You will no doubt hear the news on radio or TV later today. You can see the BBC link at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7268903.stm

Kibaki and Odinga sign power sharing agreement

2008-02-28T11:44:00.000-08:00

NAIROBI, Kenya - Kenya's rival politicians signed a power-sharing agreement Thursday and shook hands after weeks of bitter negotiations on how to end the country's deadly postelection crisis. Opposition leader Raila Odinga referred to his rival as "my countryman, President Mwai Kibaki" -- an important sign of acceptance. But in a reminder of the previous weeks' chaos, police fired tear gas to disperse dozens of people who were gathered outside Kibaki's office to witness the signing.

Kibaki and Odinga, both in blue suits, looked stoic as they signed the deal, side-by-side, to create the prime minister's post for Odinga that the opposition has been demanding. "For the last two months, Kenyans have known nothing but sadness," Odinga said. Kibaki added: "This process has reminded us that as a nation there are more issues that unite than that divide us."

Both Kibaki and Odinga claim to have won the country's Dec. 27 presidential election, which observers say was marred by rigging on both sides. The dispute set off street violence that killed more than 1,000 people and eviscerated the East African country's economy. Postelection violence has largely subsided in recent weeks, but the country remains on edge. In western Kenya, scene of the some of the worst violence, many people said it will take years to recover.
"The deal between Raila and Kibaki will help to cool down the situation but I doubt if it will enable us to get back to our homes," said Paul Waweru, 56, among 19,000 people living in a camp in Eldoret.

Mediator Kofi Annan said earlier Thursday that "compromise was necessary for the survival of this country." "There will be a post of prime minister of the government of Kenya with the authority to coordinate and supervise the execution of the functions and affairs of the government of Kenya," he said. The conflict has tarnished the reputation of this once-stable and prosperous country, bringing sharp rebuke from exasperated Western powers. Diplomats from the U.S. and around Africa have jetted in to Kenya to urge progress, many of the exasperated by the talks' glacial pace.

The State Department welcomed Thursday's announcement but said work remains to ensure long-term success. "We want to see this agreement implemented and much will depend on its implementation," said Tom Casey, a State Department spokesman. "We will be watching very carefully to see how this progresses." "We appreciate the goodwill shown" by Kibaki and Odinga in reaching the agreement and calling on their followers to cooperate, Casey added.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown also applauded the deal but said "the hard work must continue. Kenyans need help to resettle and rebuild. Real leadership, patience and tolerance is necessary to ensure that the agreement sticks."

Update from Oscar via Dr. Chet Wood

2008-02-28T05:37:00.000-08:00

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Sigh,

These are not good times to write. The mediation talks seem to be collapsing so we live with the real dread that we may yet see even more difficult times.

We’re trying to keep a website (actually blog) refreshed so you can keep up with the situation here. The Msafara is going well – we now have prayers in 10 confirmed sites in Nairobi. Many church leaders (Bishops & big leaders) are on board – one for example (the Archbishop of the Kenya Assemblies of God – they have about 3,500 churches in the country. Their church is the one which was burnt down with people in it. Altogether 40 of their churches in the rift valley were burnt down.) has offered a lorry of food from his church, will finance all the drinking water we need for the whole trip, is mobilizing his pastors nationwide to support the Msafara, and will personally travel with the Msafara the whole way. The PCEA moderator (the top gun) has also committed to engage his church, and to travel with us the whole way, etc.

In Nakuru the division in the church is so deep they had initially cancelled the Msafara, feeling they cannot dare engage in spiritual warfare while so divided. They are back on board, but please pray for Nakuru. In Mombasa they recognized the need to seriously repent their division before the Msafara. Many parts of the country had been divided into “Churches for Change” (ODM), and “Churches for No Change” (PNU). The two factions could not even talk to one another.

This complicates our Msafara because we cannot dare publicly use any minister that was strongly aligned one way or the other. We have therefore had to work hard to find non-partisan leaders . . . there are not many. . . and our list is not yet complete. Both the two mentioned above (KAOG & PCEA) are 2 such men however.

In parts of the Rift Valley the division was really bad. So much so that there is now record of Pastors being some of the gang leaders that caused or led the mobs that were killing. Church members have even come forward to say “My own pastor came to burn down my house” – feels so much like Rwanda.

And now that the talks seem to be collapsing – the TV has shown images of Militia camps where people are being trained. One prominent pastor told me personally that one of his members advised him to buy a machete. We’re on a knife edge.

To keep you refreshed – here are some sites you can visit.

www.msafara.wordpress.com - daily updates and prayer requests

http://www.nairobichapel.org/pages/articles-ChurchResponseToCrisis.asp

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/02/14/wkenya114.xml

This last one is really frightening, but is happening. We are now expecting that if Koffi Annan quits, we’ll be back to bloodshed and mayhem.

God bless.

Oscar Muriu
P. O. Box 53635
Nairobi
Kenya

Tel (254)723-261-944

News from the Web

2008-02-22T09:36:00.000-08:00

News from the web
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/02/14/wkenya114.xml

'Secret army' preparing for war in Kenya
By Robert Oluoch and Mike Pflanz in Iten
Last Updated: 1:15pm GMT 14/02/2008

An army of young warriors is being secretly armed and reinforced in remote areas of Kenya’s Rift Valley, preparing for war if the country’s knife-edge peace talks fail.

Elders have organised thousands of men from the pro-opposition Kalenjin tribe into militia units, each split into marksmen, foot- soldiers, armourers, drivers and cooks.

Hidden arsenals are filled with bows and arrows, many of them dipped in deadly poison, as efforts are made to buy guns smuggled from northern Uganda or Sudan.

“If the peace talks collapse, there will be war,” said David Cheserek, 46, an elected opposition councillor in Kamogich, 240 miles northwest of Nairobi. During January’s first wave of post-election violence, Mr Cheserek commanded a company of 60 Kalenjin fighters as they swept through the nearby town of Eldoret, burning homes owned by the rival Kikuyu tribe.

Accusations that President Mwai Kibaki, a Kikuyu, rigged election results triggered the fighting, but it also tapped into a frustration long held by the Kalenjin that the Kikuyus had cheated their way to owning the best land in the Rift Valley. “We are waiting the results of Mr Annan’s talks, but if they do not go well, we will make sure there is not one Kikuyu left in the Rift Valley,” said Mr Cheserek.

As the country continues to divide along tribal lines, this week is perhaps the most crucial for Kenya’s peaceful future since independence from Britain 44 years ago. Across the country, all eyes are on talks mediated by Kofi Annan, focused on the make-or-break issue of power sharing between the election rivals. Compromises have been mooted by each side to end the fighting which has so far killed 1,000 people and forced 300,000 from their homes.

But at a recent rally, opposition leader Raila Odinga told a crowd of thousands that the only solution he would accept is the resignation of Mr Kibaki and fresh elections.
The President has ruled out both of these paths. “If Mr Kofi Annan cannot bring us an acceptable solution, men will fight and there will be shedding of blood,” said 'Andrew’, 29, a Kalenjin militiaman who spoke anonymously to The Daily Telegraph in Iten, 30 miles north of Eldoret. “That solution cannot include Mr Kibaki as president.”

He described how the tribe’s elders gathered hundreds of men at a time in clearings deep in the arid, unpoliced Kerio Valley below Iten, preaching hate against Kikuyus. Such gatherings, common among the Kalenjin, have in the past only been called to organise defence against cattle rustlers. Now they have an alarming new function, linking the Kalenjin’s 11 sub- clans to plan a united offensive to purge the Kikuyu from their lands. Elders have given each man a role — some are 'sharpshooters’ because of their skills with a bow and arrow. Some, like Andrew, are drivers. “I went from village to village collecting weapons, arrows, bows and spears, which I took to the frontline,” he said, describing his involvement in January’s fighting in Eldoret.
“Others took lorries filled with fighters. Others carried food cooked by our women to keep the fighters strong.” 'William’, 24, a teacher, said his job was to hammer house nails into arrow heads, many of which are dipped in poison concocted from roots and leaves.
“There were three in my team and we were making 1,200 arrows a day,” he said.
Since peace talks started two weeks ago, the Kalenjin war machine has slowed and fighters have been told to wait for orders. “We are ready if they call us again, we are adding more arrows,” said 'Peter’, a village butcher. “We tried to have our voice heard at the ballot box, but they ignored us. We tried to protest peacefully, but the police shot us and tear- gassed us.
“It is very dangerous for people not to listen to us. Now we are ready to fight to the end.”

How all can get involved in Kenya to heal this country and its people

2008-02-19T08:08:00.000-08:00

Mobilize Humanitarian Aid for the hurting, displaced people. Food, clothes, shoes, school-books : anything that can be of help and blessing to people in need. You could also contribute a “GIFT PACKS” for the Internally Displaced. A Gift Pack is a small box with some helpful toiletries for the displaced. Each gift pack will cost a mere 500/= to put together. You can mobilize your church or friends to give 10, 50, a 100 or more gift packs. We are looking for 100,000 packs to give to the hurting (see below for details)

Men’s Gift Pack Women’s Gift Pack Child’s Gift Pack
Bathing Soap (large) Bathing Soap (large) Bathing Soap (large)
Sandals (large) Sandals (medium) Sandals (small)
Toothbrush Toothbrush Toothbrush
Toothpaste (150 ml) Toothpaste (150 ml) Toothpaste (150 ml)
Bar soap Bar soap Bar soap
Afro comb Afro comb Afro comb
Vaseline (large) Vaseline (large) Vaseline (large)
Sanitary Towels (2 packs) Exercise book (large)
Kangas (2) Pencil & Biro
Blanket Blanket Blanket
Mosquito net Mosquito net Mosquito net

Thanks,
Phil

-----Original Message-----From: Rodriguez, Dave [mailto:DaveR@gracecc.org]Sent: Monday, February 18, 2008 8:42 PMTo: Management Team; Governing BoardSubject: FW: Updated Msafara details
Looks like they got a plan….

From: Oscar Muriu [mailto:oscarmuriu@wananchi.com] Sent: Sunday, February 17, 2008 11:07 PMTo: A GowiSubject: Updated Msafara details

Msafara
“Claiming The Nation For Christ”

March 7th to 17th, 2008
National Spiritual Warfare.
From Mombasa to Kisumu.
Closing the Floodgates Over Kenya.
Love and care for the Displaced.
Humanitarian Aid.
National Worship Events.
National Fasting Week.
National Kesha

The Vision : Strategic Spiritual Warfare For The Soul Of Kenya

Chaos : Violence, looting, burning, destruction and killing erupted on Kenya immediately the election results were announced. Many explained it as a boiling over of emotions due to Kenya’s disappointment with the announced election results. Quickly gallant efforts were put together to try and broker peace in the country. “Eminent Persons’ were even brought into the country to mediate peace between the two warring political parties. The legal fraternity began consulting the text-books to see what could be done constitutionally, while the business community talked about jump-starting Kenya’s economy back to life.

Would these various efforts be enough? Yes and no. At a human level leaders are doing a commendable job; everything they can to restore order. But there is another dynamic to what Kenya has just witnessed that is unmentioned - strategic war at which battle must be done . . . the battle for the soul of this nation. A battle against the demonic forces that have assailed Kenya, and a battle that only the church can do!

Witchcraft : Before the elections there were several reports of heightened witchcraft in the country as politicians sought all manners of supernatural power to ensure they win their electorate. A dark, unspoken side of Kenya’s reality was awakened. There was stories in the media about powerful medicine-men from neighboring countries coming to cast spells over whole regions and cities in Kenya that would therefore supposedly vote for one candidate as against the other; and even boasts by such witchdoctors that they were so busy consulting Kenyan politicians, that their diaries were full and they would have to think of relocating to Kenya to keep up with the demand.

Dark forces were awakened and marshaled against this country as politicians battled for the soul of Kenya. Floodgates were opened, and out of them poured the spirit of hate, destruction and bloodshed.

The Church : The church in it’s first response to the crisis reached out with hands of mercy towards the hurting. As it’s leaders gathered on Monday 31st Dec, at Ufungamano House under an newly formed “National Alliance of Churches”, they developed a four pronged strategy – a ‘political strategy’ to engage the two contending political parties; a ‘humanitarian strategy’ to mobilize churches and NGO’s to care for the many displaced people; a ‘spiritual strategy’ to mobilize the church to prayer; and a ‘media strategy’ to give voice to the church as it sought to address the nation. All four strategies worked commendably well.

But that initial response did not address the dark side of Kenya’s battle, and many church pastors now feel the time has come to engage in spiritual warfare that will close these floodgates. Because the blood of innocent lives, especially children and women, was shed upon our soil, the time has also come for Kenya to confess and seek God’s forgiveness against this injustice least we stand accursed before God for this heinous sin.

When the Annan team does what it does best, it will not have dealt with the demonic forces marshaled against this nation. When the businessmen do what they do best, they would not have bound the “powers and principalities”. Only the Church can do this.

The Plan : Many churches are therefore coming together under the National Alliance to engage in Spiritual Warfare over our main cities. From 7th to 17th March, they will gather in 5 main cities in Kenya, wage war, and close the ‘Spiritual Floodgates’. Beginning in Mombasa (8th), which is the entry point into Kenya, the “Msafara” (caravan) will make it’s way to Nairobi (10th), and then onto Nakuru, Eldoret, and finally end up in Kisumu.
At each city 100 pastors from the nation, will join up with 300 - 500 local pastors and spend the first day in confession, preparing themselves for spiritual warfare the next day. The will also be joined by a sizable number of church members whose task will be to spread the love of Jesus Christ, and to give out humanitarian aid to those affected by the clashes. They will pray, cry, hold, laugh and counsel with the hurting, seeking to be the hands and feet of Christ to the people. Thirdly, prayer intercessors are being mobilized nationwide as they will have the task of engaging and beginning the prayer battle over the city.

How Can I Be Involved? You can be involved at several points -

As A Denominational Leaders/ Bishops/ Gate-keeper.

1. Give The Msafara Your blessing. As a denominational leader or Church Father your word has the power to create! You stand at the helm of a fellowship or network of pastors who will join in if they have your blessing. Please free your people to heal this nation.

2. Mobilizing your troops and spiritual sons to join in. Actively encourage your leaders to be involved in this warfare. We need all the help we can get and would be deeply blessed to have your pastors join the Msafara trip, and/or spiritual cleansing services.

3. Be visible to the nation. This nation needs to see the church engage the demonic forces actively. Your presence at the events will enable the nation to see the church united in action on their behalf, doing what only the church can do. Please commit yourself to be at the spiritual cleansing ceremonies in these 5 cities.

As A Church Pastors

1. Join the Msafara personally – come join us as we move through the different cities. We need 100 visiting pastors for each event, and 300 local pastors at each city. If time does not allow you to travel with the Msafara, then mobilize other pastors for the cleansing ceremony for each city and join in. Maybe you can also join one leg of the Msafara.

2. Mobilizing the saints to prayers - cover the “Msafara” with prayers for protection as they engage in spiritual warfare for this nation. Please call out your intercessors and prayer generals to begin praying now, and seeking divine intervention and protection. Inform the church as a whole, and ask them to set aside a regular day to fast and pray for the battle ahead.

3. Mobilize your members for the National Night of Kesha. On Fri 29th Feb, churches around the country will gather at large church venues citywide to Kesha. A list of such venues for each city will be advertised. Encourage your church to join in.

4. 7 Day Fast. From Sat. Mar. 1st till Mar 7th is a National Week of Fasting. We are calling all Christians nationwide to set aside a time for fasting. The fast can be a day fast, a 3 day fast, a total fast, a weeklong fast, a chain fast. Direct your members to what is appropriate for you as a congregation, or as individuals. The target is to raise up 1,000,000 people to pray nationwide.

5. Mobilize Humanitarian Aid for the hurting, displaced people. Food, clothes, shoes, school-books : anything that can be of help and blessing to people in need. You could also contribute “GIFT PACKS” for the Internally Displaced. A Gift Pack is a small box with some helpful toiletries for the displaced. Each gift pack will cost a mere 500/= to put together. Your church could give 10, 50, a 100 gift packs or more. We are looking for 100,000 gift packs to give to the hurting (see below for details)

As An Individual Believers

1. Join the Msafara : we need 200 volunteers to join the Msafara road trip. At each stop you will spend a day caring for, crying with and helping the internally displaced people. You will distribute gift packs, bless and pray for the hurting. After the first day you will spend the night in an overnight Kesha preparing the heavens for the spiritual warfare and cleansing service. During the prayer service the following day you will serve as an usher and prayer warriors. So sign up and come.

2. Pray, Pray, Pray : your pastor and the other Men & Women of God who go on this journey will be under personal spiritual attack. They need your prayers. Satan will not take this lightly and will hit back by causing disunity, illness, demonic attacks, possible accidents and logistical nightmares. Please call out other intercessors and prayer warriors and begin praying now. Inform your church leaders just in-case they have not heard, and ask them to join in for the sake of the nation. Set aside a regular day to fast and pray for the battle ahead.

3. Attend the National Night of Kesha at the appointed location nearest you . . . or organize one in your church or home. Fri 29th Feb, churches around the country will gather at large church venues citywide to Kesha. A list of such venues for each city will be advertised. Encourage your church to join in.

4. 7 Day Fast. From Sat. Mar. 1st till Mar 7th is a National Week of Fasting. We are calling all Christians nationwide to set aside a time for fasting. The fast can be a day fast, a 3 day fast, a total fast, a weeklong fast, a chain fast. Direct your members to what is appropriate for you as a congregation, or as individuals. The target is to raise up 1,000,000 people to pray nationwide.

5. Mobilize Humanitarian Aid for the hurting, displaced people. Food, clothes, shoes, school-books : anything that can be of help and blessing to people in need. You could also contribute a “GIFT PACKS” for the Internally Displaced. A Gift Pack is a small box with some helpful toiletries for the displaced. Each gift pack will cost a mere 500/= to put together. You can mobilize your church or friends to give 10, 50, a 100 or more gift packs. We are looking for 100,000 packs to give to the hurting (see below for details)

Men’s Gift Pack Women’s Gift Pack Child’s Gift Pack
Bathing Soap (large) Bathing Soap (large) Bathing Soap (large)
Sandals (large) Sandals (medium) Sandals (small)
Toothbrush Toothbrush Toothbrush
Toothpaste (150 ml) Toothpaste (150 ml) Toothpaste (150 ml)
Bar soap Bar soap Bar soap
Afro comb Afro comb Afro comb
Vaseline (large) Vaseline (large) Vaseline
Sanitary Towels (2
Kangas (2) Pencil & BiroBlanket Blanket Blanket Blanket
Mosquito net Mosquito net Mosquito net

Dates, Events & Program

Date Event Venue
PRE-MSAFARA EVENTS

Thur 21st Feb
Pastor’s prayer meeting
2 – 4 pm at NPC Central

Thur 28th Feb
Pastor’s prayer meeting
2 – 4 pm at NPC Central

Fri 29th Mar
National Kesha
All Churches

Sat 1st – 7th Mar
National Week of Fasting
-----
Thur 6th Mar
Pastor’s prayer meeting
2 – 4 pm at NPC Central
MOMBASA

Fri Mar 7th
Msafara travels to Mombasa

Sat Mar 8th
Pastor’s Prayer meeting to confess on behalf of city.
Volunteers work in Mombasa

Sun Mar 9th
Prayer service/concert to cleanse city
2 – 5 pm

Travel overnight to Nairobi

NAIROBI
Mon Mar 10th
Prayer service/concert to cleanse city

NAKURU
Tue Mar 11th

Travel am to Nakuru

Pastor’s Prayer meeting to confess on behalf of city.
Volunteers work with Nakuru IDP’s

Wed Mar 12th
Prayer service/concert to cleanse city
10 – 1:00 pm

Travel to Eldoret

ELDORET

Thur Mar 13th
Pastor’s Prayer meeting to confess on behalf of city
Volunteers work with Eldoret IDP’s

Fri Mar 14th
Prayer service/concert to cleanse city
10 – 1:00 pm
Travel to Kisumu

KISUMU
Sat Mar 15th
Pastor’s Prayer meeting to confess on behalf of city
Volunteers work with Kisumu IDP’s

Sun Mar 16th
Prayer service/concert to cleanse city
2:00 – 5:00 pm

Mon Mon 17th
Travel Back to Nairobi

From The Msafara Secretariat (National Alliance Of Churches).

0733 - 678 - 311
0721 - 219 – 330
www.msafara.co.ke
www.msafara.wordpress.com
info@msafara.co.ke
Contacts Pastor Oscar Muriu (Coordination)
Pastor Bob Msitzah (Kesha Night)
Pastor Simon Mbevi (Prayer & Fasting)
Mrs Jane Ogot (Humanitarian Aid)
Mr Owino Odera (Logistics)
Pastor Muriithi Wanjau (Msafara Program)
Kanjii & K-Krew (Worship Concerts)

Uprooting the Sycamine Tree

2008-02-18T06:59:00.000-08:00

Dear N EGST Team,

You probably heard about President George Bush being in Africa this weekend passing out aid to more stable countries to encourage and set an example for Kenya to get their house in order. If they want to continue to be a benefactor of US Aid, they must also get their political issues resolved. In other words, they need to uproot the sycamine tree in their culture, in order to drive out the evil spirits mentioned by Oscar Muriu, in his e-mail about "spiritual warfare".

Ed Fischer
Qwest Communications
Global Account Manager
Government and Education Solutions
410-694-4745 Office
410-299-1947 Cellular
edwin.fischer@qwest.com
February 18

Uprooting the Sycamine Tree

Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
Mark 9:2

The sycamine tree of the New Testament is the black mulberry. Its edible fruit is similar to the fruit of fig trees. The root system of a large sycamine tree is impossible to uproot, even by an experienced dozer operator.

Spring Valley Grocery was a small, simple but busy country store. Brother Alvin, the owner, was enthusiastic and aggressive. He deeply loved the souls of his employees and customers.

But Alvin noticed a definite problem at the store. Fruits and groceries were mysteriously disappearing. Quietly he made it a matter of earnest, fervent prayer and fasting. Though tried, he sincerely loved the soul of the unknown thief.

After some time, Alvin confronted and kindly rebuked an employee named Jay. Jay brokenly confessed stealing the groceries. Alvin freely forgave him and rejoiced over the penitent sinner.

In the next month, Alvin confronted Jay three times for repeated offenses. Jay confessed each time. By now Alvin realized that Jay had a “sycamine tree” in his life. He began to doubt the sincerity of Jay’s confessions, yet he chose to discard those doubts and instead pray, “Lord, increase my faith.” Consistently Alvin prayed for Jay and assured him of his love and forgiveness. Eventually, Jay gained victory over this sin.

Through faith in the power of God, and a consistent spirit of meekness and compassion toward an erring but penitent brother, sycamine trees of sin can be uprooted. Leaf, branch, stump, root, and all may be cast out.

David Stoltzfus, Spencer, WI

~God can mightily use a Christian who stays cool in a hot place, and hot in a cool place.~

Bible Reading: Luke 17:1–7; Matthew 17:14–21
One Year Bible Reading Plan:
Mark 2
Leviticus 26, 27

Spiritual Warfare by Oscar Muriu

2008-02-12T16:32:00.000-08:00

Yesterday after church I went to see the former General Secretary of the “Evangelical Alliance of Kenya” I wanted to see him because he is widely networked with church leaders all over Kenya and felt he is an important “Gatekeeper” (person with wide network whose blessing opens up many contacts of goodwill). I’ve known him for several years and count him a friend.

As I shared the vision of closing the floodgates that had been opened up by the bloodshed and witchcraft, Ibrahim told me his heart resonated with this vision, and feels this is of the Lord, is timely, and is much bigger than I can imagine. He had had a vision for cleansing but felt he himself could not do it. He therefore approached one of the prophetic leaders of the Kenya House of Prayer, but she is too exhausted by all the intercession and spiritual warfare they have been doing. He had therefore put the matter before the Lord praying that God would raise up someone to carry this vision . . . so my coming was an answer to prayer for him . . . for such a time like this.

He resonated with the fact of demonic floodgates having being opened up over Kenya, and told me about a conversation he had with one of his church members who until recently (innocently) worked closely with one of the militia leaders who have been causing mayhem in Kenya. The militia leader boasted that there were 4 spiritual forces fighting for control over Kenya.

The first was the Christians, but because so many Christian leaders were “compromised”, partisan and divided – they had no spiritual power to claim or protect Kenya. They were supposedly a minor spiritual force and would not be able to save Kenya.

The second was the freemasons. Spiritual forces from the Freemasons were fighting for this country, but were defeated at the elections, and many of their leaders were kicked out of Parliament. They are now a spent force.

The third were demonic witchcraft & blackmagic forces released over this nation by some of our political leaders as a price to win the general elections.

And the forth were demonic spirits released by the militia.

The first two were said to be weak, but the later two were said t be battling in the spiritual for control over Kenya. The blood-price for Kenya was to be several thousand lives delivered as a sacrifice, and the first to deliver would have control. The witchcraft led to the widespread killing post elections, but was unable to deliver because the election fighting did not snowball into widespread bloodletting.

The militia have since been trying to deliver by starting inter-tribal conflicts in the hope of starting a full scale tribal ‘war’ to deliver the blood, but every time they start the killing, the other tribes have not responded as expected in revenge killing. Their attempts have been frustrated by something that is stopping or blocking the war.

The militia leader concluded that it is the prayers of the Christians that is blocking their delivery of the blood-price demanded by the demonic forces. They had not expected the church to rise up so swiftly in prayer and fasting, and in such great numbers as the Christians mobilized, especially at a time when the church leaders were so divided.

Several months ago, before the elections, the Kenya House of Prayer intercessors started going around the country trying to close and cancel these floodgates because God showed them what was going to happen. They went to many of the hot-spots and killing points and prayed, interceded over them. They even lay on the very spots where blood had been spilt into the ground (such as the place where the policeman was beheaded) and prayed that the blood would be silenced from crying out for revenge (Gen 4:10 The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth."). This intercession left them completely exhausted, but it must be done again.

These are frightening words because what we are about to do is engage the same demonic forces at a national scale. There could be dire consequences coming against the demonic like this – personal attacks, attack on family, accidents, etc. The demonic will not take it lying down.

As we prepare for this spiritual warfare engagement, we will be calling a 21 day prayer fast. We call you to join us as you can because we need all the help, prayer-cover and protection we can get. In many ways God has already gone before us and the Caravan has received widespread support so far. There is still much to do, but we are encouraged. Your prayer are being answered so do not tire.

Sincerely,

Oscar Muriu
P. O. Box 53635
Nairobi
Kenya

Tel (254)723-261-944

A request for help from Nairobi Chapel Pastor Oscar Muiiu

2008-02-06T04:53:00.000-08:00

Hi. I had promised to write and let you know how you can help us in these difficult days. On Thursday last week, a number of pastor’s met asking – “What more can the men & women of God do in our present crisis? What more can the church do? After much discussion they agreed to do 5 important things within the next 1 – 3 month.

1. Mobilize the church to spiritually cleanse this nation. Before the election several politicians engaged the help of a well-known witchdoctor from Tanzania, to come and pray over the towns and provinces they were claiming victory over. The witchcraft was conducted in Kisumu, Eldoret, Nairobi and Mombasa – the very epi-centers of the violence we have experienced. What demonic influence did that act unleash upon this nation? How do we close the floodgate or portal that he opened up? And what of the floodgates that have been opened out by the bloodletting, the killing and the burning of churches?

Our politicians will broker for peace; the business community to restart business, but only the church can cleanse this nation spiritually. If we do not do so – people will turn back to the old ways, charms and witchcraft for spiritual protection against the evil that has been unleashed.

In preparation for the spiritual cleansing, Christians will be called to a concerted, unified time of fasting and prayer.

2. Mobilize churches to take in Internally Displaced People. Nakuru is full, and cholera is a real risk. Tigoni got 7,000 new IDP’s last week because of new threats to certain tribes. It is the same all around the country. We need to open up our church doors, and allow these houses of God to be ‘shelters’ in this hour of need. Let people associate the Church with mercy and help. If we play safe with our buildings, or do not want the inconvenience – God may well declare ‘Icabod’.

But what if a church is not an ideal set-up for IDP? Compared with where they are staying right now, almost all our churches are much better places. Karura Community Church shared their story. They are in a tent, with prefab Sunday School buildings, but they still took in 250 people. God has blessed them in amazing ways as a result.

1. A borehole has now been installed for them since they did not have enough water for the IDP’s.

2. Someone has erected a fence around their property to help define the grounds for the IDP’s.

3. They are not well known in Runda and had intended to reach out to the community and increase their visiobility this year; but because they took in the IDP’s, the Runda Welfare Association wrote to all the homes in Runda asking them to visit Karura and help the IDP’s. In one fell stroke they are now known in all the homes in Runda in very positive light.

4. The rural villages along Limuru/Banana road used to say Karura is for ‘rich folks’. But because they took in the IDP’s, many residents in the area have reviewed their perception of the church, and have been visiting to help.

5. KP&L also installed a 3-phase electrical connection to help them have more power.

We can all try and do more for the internally displaced people. Many do not even want to “stay” in a camp, they just want help to go home squared. Many others are pleading for a little help and capital to rent a room for 3 months, and to restart up their business ventures asap. What can each church do?

3. Use the Media to speak a message of hope to the nation. There are far too many negative stories in the paper, and not enough stories of Christians helping others; stories of grace, etc. We will use the media (even if it means purchasing space) to tell positive stories, give pastoral letters, mobilize the churches to act as one, etc. We shall also work to have a voice in the local community FM stations, especially in the rural areas.

4. Mobilize the church to Community Networking. one church told how, when pamphlets started going around threatening people of a certain community, how it had called together all the church leaders in the community and agreed they would not allow the community to be ruled by fear. So the leaders went out into the community and started encouraging people on the streets, meeting places, etc to reject division, embrace tolerance, and actively reach out to one another . . . and it worked. They then teamed up with the DO, Chief, etc and have instituted a community program to make people positively aware on what their community will stand for. We can network other churches and interested parties for peace.

5. Mobilize the church for a Caravan of Hope. The pastor’s agreed to mobilize 200 – 500 pastors from all over Kenya to conduct a Caravan of hope march from Mombasa to Nairobi to Nakuru to Eldoret to Kisumu, visiting all the hot-spots, conducting cleansing services, counseling the traumatized, bringing food and supplies and hope to the displaced, comforting the bereaved, healing the sick.

Because this is a statement by the church, on a national scale, hopefully ministering to the whole nation, the desire will be to mobilize as many pastors as possible, to dress in collars, and to minister together as a sign of unity, doing that which only the church can do. 500 ministers together would speak to this nation.

The caravan will take a week from Mombasa to Kisumu. This is not a physical march, but a caravan of vehicles. The caravan will mobilize the local pastors of these places, and as the church of Kenya, commission them to go after the cleansing, and cleanse other areas in their province, hence covering a much wider area.

We are also suggesting that the “Caravan of Hope” mobilize funds and rebuild the AOG church that was burnt down in the Rift Valley, plus build a memorial for the many who died there as they sought shelter in the house of God.

Secretariat - To make all this possible, it was suggested that a secretariat be set up with the sole purpose of mobilizing the church and planning logistics. The secretariat will be led by those pastors who are willingly give up their usual church work and focus on this single task alone (because they cannot ably fulfill their church responsibilities AND ALSO run the secretariat, without burning out).

The purpose of the secretariat will not be to highlight any particular church or denomination, but to mobilize the goodwill and participation of as many churches and ministers as possible, so we can act together as the church in Kenya. Once this work is done, the secretariat will disband. Work will begin immediately with those already available.

I will serve as a point person at the secretariat as my co-pastors have graciously freed me to mobilize others. Already 30 members of Chapel have also volunteered to serve full-time at the secretariat. Several computers and office equipment/desks have also been donated. We are presently looking for offices to set up this week.

Can I plead with you to be help us with this effort? Our biggest need will be funds to mobilize the whole church, and funds to care for and feed the displaced people we take in or minister to. We also need you to pray – mobilizing the church without falling into the battle of disunity & personal agenda’s will take the Lord . . . but we must try, and we must believe that the church of Christ can rise above that for the sake of the nation. Pls help if you can.

Sincerely,

Pastor Oscar Muriu

(254) 723-261-944

Kenyan mobs rule day as leaders stall in talks

2008-01-31T06:30:00.001-08:00

Government helicopters fired on crowds in the Rift Valley on Tuesday-the latest flare-up of the ethnic fighting that has gripped Kenya since its disputed presidential vote. Earlier in day, gunmen killed an opposition lawmaker in Nairobi.

Under increasing pressure to share power, President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga formally opened negotiations, but the two remained far apart on the vote outcome-an issue each has indicated in not negotiable.

Odinga insisted what needed "the most urgent attention" was the resolution of the flawed election results. Kibaki deplored the fact that some Kenyans "have been incited to hate one another...as enemies."

Former U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan is helping mediate the dispute and Tuesday's meeting. "The people need you," he told them. "They want you to take charge of the situation and do whatever possible to prevent the downward slide into chaos that is threatening this country."

Mugabe Were, who was shot to death as he drove home Tuesday, was among a slew of opposition members who won seats in the legislative vote held at the same time as the presidential election on Dec. 27th. The opposition, which won the most seats in parliament, accuses Kibaki of stealing the presidential vote.

In western Kenya's Rift Valley, about 5,000 people set fire to homes an smashed shop windows in Naivaska, dragging away goods. Five police officers fired into the air but were unable to control the turmoil. Naivasha's police chief tried to calm the crowd but was pelted with stones and fled in his car.

Associated Press

This is a very sad commentary on how tribal relations have gotten worse as a result of the post-election acrimony. Today was the day we were planning to return. As I reflect back on the last two weeks, I realize it was a wise decision to postpone our trip until January 2009. Hopefully this nasty period of Kenya's history will be a distant memory by then.

ed fischer

January 28th Update from BBC World News

2008-01-27T19:11:00.000-08:00

Fighting spreads in western Kenya

The fighting in Naivasha has forced more people to flee their homesAt least 17 people are reported to have been killed in another day of violence in western Kenya, apparently linked to last month's disputed elections.

The victims are said to have been beaten, hacked or burned to death by mobs as fighting spread to Naivasha. The town is about 60km (37 miles) south of Nakuru, also the scene of recent inter-ethnic fighting.

Former UN chief Kofi Annan has been holding talks to try to end the month-long political deadlock in Kenya. He met opposition leader Raila Odinga in the capital, Nairobi, on Sunday, and called on the two rival parties to nominate officials for further talks. Mr Annan visited the violence-racked Rift Valley on Saturday, and later said he had seen tragic, heart-wrenching scenes, and "gross and systematic abuse of human rights".

Mr Odinga accuses his rival, President Mwai Kibaki, of stealing December's presidential election.
Dozens of people are reported to have been killed in Rift Valley region in the past few days. In all at least 750 people have died since the disputed election, and about a quarter of a million have been made homeless.

Hacked to death

The fighting in Naivasha is thought to have broken out late on Saturday, descending quickly into sickening brutality, says the BBC's Adam Mynott in Nairobi. Reports are unclear but at least nine people are said to have been hacked or clubbed to death as they tried to flee mobs with machetes.

Press despair at crisis
In pictures: Violence spreads
In other cases people were locked inside their homes, which the mobs then ignited with petrol. At least eight charred bodies were said to have been recovered. Police tried to disperse youths blocking the main road by firing over their heads. By Sunday afternoon the town was reported to be much calmer.

The mobs appeared to from the Kikuyu tribe of President Kibaki, which bore the brunt of the violence that erupted after the election. "We have moved out to revenge the deaths of our brothers and sisters who have been killed, and nothing will stop us," said Anthony Mwangi, hefting a club in Naivasha. "For every one Kikuyu killed, we shall avenge their killing with three," he told the Associated Press news agency. Some of those fleeing the violence have taken shelter in some of the horticultural farms around Naivasha, on the main road between Nakuru and Nairobi, our correspondent says.

Residents of Naivasha are joining the growing number of refugees

The area's huge horticulture and flower-growing industry employs more than 20,000 people, and supplies a third of Europe's cut flowers. Further north, Kenya's fourth biggest city Nakuru has also been the scene of deadly violence between rival Luo and Kikuyu communities.

Clashes erupted on Thursday between fighters armed with machetes, spears and bows and arrows. There were no reports of further fighting from Nakuru on Sunday. But the ruins of torched buildings smouldered, and a reporter for news agency AFP said bodies lay in the city's deserted slums.

Annan call

Meanwhile, further south in Nairobi, Mr Annan has embarked on a sixth day of talks aimed at mediating a solution to the crisis. He met Mr Odinga, after meeting Mr Kibaki on Saturday.

HAVE YOUR SAY
The best way to defuse the ethnic tension in the country is for politicians from the two divides to preach peace
Philip Langat, Kenya

Send us your commentsOn Saturday, he visited Eldoret in the Rift Valley, scene of some of the worst post-election violence took place and spoke to refugees living in camps.
"We saw gross and systematic abuse of human rights, of fellow citizens and it is essential that the facts be established and those responsible held to account," he said. Fundamental changes, he added, were needed in Kenya to prevent a repetition of inter-ethnic violence. "We cannot accept that periodically, every five years or so, this sort of incident takes place and no-one is held to account," he said. African Union chief Alpha Oumar Konare also urged Kenya to seek a political solution to its problems.

January 23 Update from US Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya

2008-01-23T12:19:00.000-08:00

Embassy of the United States of America
Nairobi, Kenya
January 23, 2008

WARDEN MESSAGE: SUBJECT: WORLDWIDE CAUTION

1. This Worldwide Caution updates information on the continuing threat of terrorist actions and violence against Americans and interests throughout the world.
American citizens are reminded to maintain a high level of vigilance and to take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness. This supersedes the Worldwide Caution dated October 9, 2007.

2. The Department of State remains concerned about the continued threat of terrorist attacks, demonstrations and other violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests overseas. Current information suggests that al-Qaida and affiliated organizations continue to plan terrorist attacks against U.S. interests in multiple regions, including Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. These attacks may employ a wide variety of tactics including suicide operations, assassinations, kidnappings, hijackings and bombings.

3. Extremists may elect to use conventional or non-conventional weapons, and target both official and private interests. Examples of such targets include high-profile sporting events, residential areas, business offices, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, schools, public areas and locales where Americans gather in large numbers, including during holidays. In August 2007, two bombs exploded almost simultaneously at an amusement park and a restaurant in India, killing at least 42 people. In June 2007, two unexploded car bombs were discovered in London.

4. Americans are reminded of the potential for terrorists to attack public transportation systems. Recent examples include multiple terrorist attacks on trains in India in 2006, the July 2005 London Underground bombings, and the March 2004 train attacks in Madrid. In addition, extremists may also select aviation and maritime services as possible targets, such as the August 2006 plot against aircraft in London, or the December 2006 bomb at Madrid's Barajas International Airport. In June 2007, a vehicle was driven into the main terminal at Glasgow International Airport and burst into flames, but the bomb failed to detonate.

News from Isaac and Emily in Kenya

2008-01-22T19:06:00.000-08:00

Dear Anne

Thanks a lot for your concern over the situation here. We thank God for the far he has brought us despite the few ups and downs all over here and there. God is faithful still and good to us and we praise his name for his love endures forever. We also appreciate for your prayers and support that you’ve always demonstrated for the love of the brothers in Kenya . your support and may the lord bless you for your giving. I shared with them and discovered many were affected. It’s painful to them and they’re still crying for what happened to them. The government and the Red Cross society dint help some parts explaining they voted the opposition.

We have 8 small children who came in our house today, they have no Idea where their parents went, we don’t know these children, we reported to the police and the police asked us to keep them while they investigate, these kids need special attention as they are malnutrition, hungry, unhealthy and all you can say. With dozens of other refugees in our hands as you know we live with pastor Nixon, pastor George and other 11 families from Soy. We also received some 7 families from mt elgon on Friday, 3 families were from the kikuyu tribe. The situation like I said is not good at all. Please do pray for us and even our whole lives at large because our lives are in danger and we also can’t send them (kikuyus) off since they’re our friends. We’re just living with them secretly. Once again we need your prayers and by so doing I know the lord will see us through in these difficult times otherwise we thank God for you and we also thank God for Kenya . We also pray for you as you pray for us. May the lord really bless you and do you good in everything that you will be doing.

Yours in the lord,
Isaac & Emily

Dwight Jessup's notes from US Embassy briefing January 18, 2008

2008-01-21T13:43:00.000-08:00

US Ambassador’s briefing on the Kenyan situation (18 January 2008)

An estimated 400-500 Americans attended the standing room only briefing at the US Embassy in Nairobi. Here are my notes:

Should Americans evacuate? No need right now. There will still be tension points over the next few weeks, but until or unless something more happens – more widespread killings, the arrest of the opposition, the establishment of authoritarian government, a major civil breakdown occurs, there probably is no need. “The US Embassy is certainly not preparing for this. . . . We are in a crisis situation. There are still some road blocks, some rock-throwing incidents, so don’t be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Take necessary precautions. Watch out for false rumors and misinformation.”

Should US visitors come to Kenya now? “The US Embassy is not encouraging non-essential persons to visit Kenya at the present time. We do not want to worry about them, we already have enough to worry about. . . But the airlines and the airports are open. No Americans or other expats have been targeted”

The election itself? The US had its own 200 observers. The voting itself went very well… It was a model election. But there was cheating in the vote counting and reporting in at least 45 of the 210 constituencies. It was a “seriously flawed” vote tally that lacked accountability and transparency. Both sides were at fault. Impossible to know who really won the Presidential election, but it had to have been by a narrow margin either way. Impossible to do a recount, and a re-vote won’t work. The Electoral Commission was negligent. “The chief officer could not control it. Too much responsibility was placed on him.”

The present conditions? “Both candidates have limited credibility…Neither can claim the moral high ground…each is a mirror image of the other…the people are fed up with both…the violence has been sometimes well-organized, sometimes spontaneous, and sometimes hooliganism….It reminds me of the US in 1968…The seriously flawed vote tally has shocked Kenyans and galvanized the people …the police are doing their job, but do not really want to be involved…they are less of a solid, and disciplined force…The military is more professional and does not want to get involved in a political conflict and so far has not been called out.

US position? “We won’t take sides unless it becomes evident that one side is more credible than the other…But the US is engaged…it is on the people’s side, putting diplomatic pressure for a settlement…The EU has gone too far in its demands and threats to apply sanctions, reduce aid, etc…but peaceful demonstrations should be allowed…the media should be given complete access.

The road ahead? “It must be a Kenyan solution, not one imposed from the outside…some sort of power sharing. The extreme hard-line persons behind each of the competitors are the real antagonists…each candidate professes to want a solution. Election of the speaker in Parliament and swearing in of MP’s shows that a democratic process can still work…but neither side has a good plan for a solution.

Ambassador’s optimism: If candidates can get together by themselves with a neutral negotiator, they can get a process started towards peaceful settlement, and then it will go from there. His optimism is based on (1) the Kenyans who want to continue their regular lives have a big stake in this (2) US influence (3) private conversations that will go on behind the scenes, in addition to the statements being given to the public by both sides in the conflict.

The lastest perspective by NEGST Vice Chancellor, Douglas Carew

2008-01-21T13:31:00.000-08:00

NEGST Brief on National Crisis

In 2002 the world cheered as Kenya underwent a peaceful transition through the ballot box in what was viewed as an exemplary democratic process. However, while tangible progress has been made on some fronts in the last five years, the nation has far to go in establishing a true and stable democracy, and a united Kenya, even as the current crisis demonstrates.

On December 27th 2007, Kenyans went to the polls in unprecedented numbers. They voted
peacefully, they made their choices, they did their job and they did it well. Indeed there was a quasifestive mood in the air as they anticipated the results. Things took a turn for the worse when the Electoral Commission declared the incumbent the winner of the Presidential elections, in view of alleged glaring discrepancies in the process of vote tallying. The challenger felt defrauded and denied justice. A case of one “declared winner” and one “presumed winner” arose. Open and shocking admissions by electoral officials have raised serious doubts over the integrity of the process and the validity of the final results.

In a week, Kenya experienced its darkest days in its 44 years as an independent state. Hundreds have lost their lives and hundreds of thousands are displaced with no shelter, food, water, medicine or hope. Billions of shillings worth of property, business and means of earning a living have been destroyed. The nation reached its lowest ebb with the torching of a church full of destitute Kenyans, mainly women and children; 35 people died. Kenyans are hurting, afraid, ashamed, and disillusioned.

While the genesis of the violence witnessed in the country reportedly goes back to colonial Kenya, the real or perceived failure over the years to address social, political, and economic inequities has taken a toll on the nation. In the midst of the violence the voices of a wounded people began to filter through. Stop the violence! Making every effort to avoid being partisan, being members of a troubled and fractured society, the church and civil society led the call for peace and dialogue. The Churches formed the National Alliance of Churches and initiated a fourfold response:

1. Political mediation – meeting with the key players on Government and the opposition to broker a political resolution of the crisis.

2. Humanitarian - facilitating and providing relief for the affected.

3. Spiritual– mobilizing Christians to pray and fast.

4. Communication – working with the media houses to educate and communicate on the above three. In a united voice, the local media issued a rousing and moving call to “Save our nation.”
South African Nobel Laureate, Archbishop Desmond Tutu was one of the first to arrive in the
country to seek mediation. NEGST alumni Peter Karanja and Oliver Simiyu, General Secretary and Assistant General Secretary respectively of the National Council of Churches of Kenya, Bishop Boniface Adoyo of Nairobi Pentecostal Church, and Pastor Oscar Muriu of Nairobi chapel are all at the fore-front of the church’s initiative in bringing the two parties to the negotiating table and mediating a political resolution of the crisis. These and other NEGST alumni are providing leadership in reconciliation based on four Christian pillars (Psalm 85:10) truth, mercy, justice and peace.

In the midst of the misery we thank God that his work at NEGST has stood the test of
building leaders of integrity. Relative calm has returned to Kenya over the past week. NEGST and its environs were safe throughout the protests, but many staff and students were caught behind violence zones. We hope the worst is over and a negotiated settlement will pave the way for healing, reconciliation, justice, and lasting peace. At NEGST, we have dedicated the Chapel services to personal healing - coming to terms with our ethnicity as Christians, seeking forgiveness and reconciliation as a community of believers - and to national healing. As our neighbors’ keeper, we are contributing food and basic essentials to distribute to those who have been affected both within our community and in areas around us that are really in need. We welcome any assistance to help alleviate the suffering of the destitute.

Please remember Kenya in your prayers. As you pray, please pray for:

1. A resolution of the political crisis as a matter of priority. In this respect the President and the
opposition leader need to meet and dialogue, aided by mediators. Pray for our leaders not to
let the sin of pride prevent them from doing that which is for the greater good of this nation.
Pray for wisdom for the group of eminent Africans mediators, led by Koffi Annan, the former
UN Secretary General.

2. A complete cessation of the violence. Thankfully the levels have gone down considerably in
the affected areas. Pray especially that we will not have reprisals, for reconciliation among
our peoples, and that we may live in justice, peace, and harmony.

3. Humanitarian crisis and assistance: pray for the displaced for the provision of shelter, food,
medicine and the return to their homes; for the needed donations to come in, and for those
involved in providing relief.

4. Bereaved families; for grace and comfort, and for the process of grieving and healing.

5. Post-crisis solutions. That the complex longer term issues will be faced with honesty, truth,
justice, and mercy so that lasting solutions, including building systems and institutions of
integrity, will be arrived at.

M. Douglas Carew
Vice-Chancellor
14th January, 2008
P.O. Box 24686-00502
Karen, NAIROBI, KENYA
Tel: 254-020-882104/5, 882038 Fax: 254-020-882906
Email: info@negst.edu Website: www.negst.edu

Paul Heidebrecht and Christian Leaders for Africa

2008-01-17T05:39:00.000-08:00

Ed,

Great to hear from you. My website is being updated but I'll add you to the list. Thanks.
I have not cancelled yet but will make a final decision this week. NEGST has urged me not to cancel but after this week, it's probably going to be too risky. I'm looking at delaying until May. NEGST faculty from here are going there without problems but they are staying on campus, not traveling around. So sorry yours didn't work out. But our problems are nothing compared to what folks in Kenya are facing. What a huge disappointment and setback for the nation.

Blessings,
Paul

1-17-08 Update from the US Embassy in Nairobi

2008-01-17T05:23:00.000-08:00

Embassy of the United States of America
Nairobi, Kenya
January 17, 2008
Warden Message: Kenya Travel Route Advisory

The U.S. Embassy in Nairobi would like to alert American citizens in Kenya to the "Kenya Travel Route Advisory" which the Embassy has posted to its Internet website at: http://nairobi.usembassy.gov. The "Kenya Travel Route Advisory" provides details on the current security situation of the roads to most major game park destinations as presently known. Please refer to this document which we intend to update periodically.

Destination
Post Election Location & Route Security Status
Police or Illegal Road Blocks
Gas Stations and Medical Facilities
Travel with Domestic Employees
Local Police Contacts

Masai Mara

Narok and Transmara district affected, but situation calm at the moment
Police roadblocks at Mahimahiu & Narok. Sporadic roadblocks reported in adjacent Bomet district.
Gas stations at Narok town and at times at Suswa.
Narok District Hospital
Non-local communities may have problems in particular Kisii and Kikuyu
OCPD Naivasha, Mr. Luguza – 0720/702854; OCPD Narok Mr. Wambani – 0722/734988 & OCPD Transmara, Mr. omukata – 0721/523376

Lake Nakuru National Park

Nakuru town and Nairobi-Nakuru highway not affected.
Some IDPs camped at Nakuru showground.
Regular police road blocks/highway patrols in place. Unconfirmed rumors of attempted illegal roadblocks around the Kinungi and Kimende areas.
Nakuru, Naivasha and Gilgil have serviceable gas stations and private hospitals.
Non-kikuyu communities may be targeted along the highway.
OCPD Kiambu, Mr. Munyambu – 0722/582227, OCPD Naivasha, Mr. Luguza – 0720/702854 and OCPD Nakuru Mr. Munguti – 0720/861418

Naivasha & Hells Gate

Naivasha town partially affected, but calm at the moment.
As above – same road
Naivasha town have serviceable gas station, a district hospitals, and a few private clinics.
Non-kikuyu communities may be targeted along the highway and at town.
OCPD Kiambu, Mr. Munyambu – 0722/582227, OCPD Naivasha, Mr. Luguza – 0720/702854

Lake Baringo

Situated in Baringo district. Not affected. Calm at the moment. Route via Nakuru and Koibatek district partially affected, but calm at the moment.
As Naivasha and Nakuru – same road.
Nakuru and Marigat town with serviceable gas stations. District hospital in Marigat and Kabarnet town.
Nakuru-Marigat road clear with no threats to non-locals.
OCPD’s along Nairobi-Nakuru highway and OCPD Baringo, Mr. Peter Njenga – 053/2227; 0722/392591

Amboseli

Located in Kajiado district and along the Kenyan Tanzanian border town of Namanga. Slightly affected in the past, but area now calm. Only normal police road blocks at regular intervals along the Nairobi/Kajiado/Namanga roads. Athi River, Kitengela, Kajiado and Namanga towns with gas stations and district hospitals. Nairobi/Athi River/Kajiado/Namanga road clear with no threats to non-local communities.
OCPD Kajiado, Mr. Kirimi 0721/701053

Nanyuki & Mt. Kenya

Located in Laikipia and Nyeri districts. Areas not affected and remain calm.
Only normal police road blocks at regular intervals along the Nairobi/Thika/Nyeri/Nanyuki roads.
Gas stations at Thika, Nyeri, Karatina and Naro Moru. District and private hospitals in Thika, Nyeri and Nanyuki
Nairobi/Thika/Nyeri/
Nanyuki roads clear with no threats to non-local communities.
OCPD Nyeri, Mr. Limbitu – 0721/815927 and OCPD Laikipia Mr. Peter Maelo – 0733/757412; 062/31511

Samburu

Located in Samburu district that borders Isiolo to the East and Laikipia to the south. Not affected and remains calm except for isolated cases of traditional cattle rustling.
Only regular police road blocks along the Nairobi/Nanyuki/Nyahururu or Isiolo/ Maralal roads.
As above for Nairobi-Nanyuki road. Nanyuki/Nyahururu or Isiolo all have gas stations and district & private hospitals.
Nairobi/Nanyuki/Maralal road clear with no threats to non-local communities.
OCPD Nyeri/Laikipia and OCPD Samburu, Mr. Charles Wasike – 0722/858163; 065/62043; OCS Maralal, Samuel Okoyo – 0722/424090

Tsavo East/West National Park

Located in Makueni, Kitui and Taita Taveta districts. Area not affected and calm at the moment.
Only regular police road blocks along the Nairobi/Athi River/ Mtito Andei and Voi highway with traffic patrols
Gas stations along the highway.
District & private hospitals.
Nairobi/Athi River/Voi/Mtito Andei road clear with no threats to non-local communities.
OCPD Machakos, Mr. Waruare – 0722/831850; OCPD Makueni, Mr. Garama – 0722/572044 and OCPD Voi, Mr. Kumut – 0722/898562

American Citizen Services Unit
Consular Section
U.S. Embassy Nairobi Tel: ( 254) 20 375 3704 Fax:( 254) 20 363 6410
Email: kenya_acs@state.gov Emergency Telephone Number (254) 20 363 6170

Update From Paul Heidebrecht, Christian Leaders for Africa

2008-01-16T16:22:00.000-08:00

Christian Leaders for Africa Update

January, 2008

www.clafrica.com

NEGST Brief on National Crisis in Kenya

In 2002 the world cheered as Kenya underwent a peaceful transition through the ballot box in what was viewed as an exemplary democratic process. However, while tangible progress has been made on some fronts in the last five years, the nation has far to go in establishing a true and stable democracy, and a united Kenya, even as the current crisis demonstrates.

On December 27th 2007, Kenyans went to the polls in unprecedented numbers. They voted peacefully, they made their choices, they did their job and they did it well. Indeed there was a quasifestive mood in the air as they anticipated the results. Things took a turn for the worse when the Electoral Commission declared the incumbent the winner of the Presidential elections, in view of alleged glaring discrepancies in the process of vote tallying. The challenger felt defrauded and denied justice. A case of one "declared winner" and one "presumed winner" arose. Open and shocking admissions by electoral officials have raised serious doubts over the integrity of the process and the validity of the final results.

In a week, Kenya experienced its darkest days in its 44 years as an independent state. Hundreds have lost their lives and hundreds of thousands are displaced with no shelter, food, water, medicine or hope. Billions of shillings worth of property, business and means of earning a living have been destroyed. The nation reached its lowest ebb with the torching of a church full of destitute Kenyans, mainly women and children; 35 people died. Kenyans are hurting, afraid, ashamed, and disillusioned.

While the genesis of the violence witnessed in the country reportedly goes back to colonial Kenya, the real or perceived failure over the years to address social, political, and economic inequities has taken a toll on the nation. In the midst of the violence the voices of a wounded people began to filter through. Stop the violence! Making every effort to avoid being partisan, being members of a troubled and fractured society, the church and civil society led the call for peace and dialogue. The Churches formed the National Alliance of Churches and initiated a fourfold response:

1. Political mediation: meeting with the key players on Government and the opposition to broker a political resolution of the crisis.

2. Humanitarian: facilitating and providing relief for the affected.

3. Spiritual: mobilizing Christians to pray and fast.

4. Communication: working with the media houses to educate and communicate on the above three.

In a united voice, the local media issued a rousing and moving call to "Save our nation."
South African Nobel Laureate, Archbishop Desmond Tutu was one of the first to arrive in the country to seek mediation. NEGST alumni Peter Karanja and Oliver Simiyu, General Secretary and Assistant General Secretary respectively of the National Council of Churches of Kenya, Bishop Boniface Adoyo of Nairobi Pentecostal Church, and Pastor Oscar Muriu of Nairobi chapel are all at the fore-front of the church's initiative in bringing the two parties to the negotiating table and mediating a political resolution of the crisis. These and other NEGST alumni are providing leadership in reconciliation based on four Christian pillars (Psalm 85:10) truth, mercy, justice and peace. In the midst of the misery we thank God that his work at NEGST has stood the test of building leaders of integrity.

Relative calm has returned to Kenya over the past week. NEGST and its environs were safe throughout the protests, but many staff and students were caught behind violence zones. We hope the worst is over and a negotiated settlement will pave the way for healing, reconciliation, justice, and lasting peace.

At NEGST, we have dedicated the Chapel services to personal healing—coming to terms with our ethnicity as Christians, seeking forgiveness and reconciliation as a community of believers—and to national healing. As our neighbors' keeper, we are contributing food and basic essentials to distribute to those who have been affected both within our community and in areas around us that are really in need. We welcome any assistance to help alleviate the suffering of the destitute.

Please remember Kenya in your prayers. As you pray, please pray for:

1. A resolution of the political crisis as a matter of priority. In this respect the President and the opposition leader need to meet and dialogue, aided by mediators. Pray for our leaders not to let the sin of pride prevent them from doing that which is for the greater good of this nation. Pray for wisdom for the group of eminent Africans mediators, led by Koffi Annan, the former UN Secretary General.

2. A complete cessation of the violence. Thankfully the levels have gone down considerably in the affected areas. Pray especially that we will not have reprisals, for reconciliation among our peoples, and that we may live in justice, peace, and harmony.

3. Humanitarian crisis and assistance: pray for the displaced for the provision of shelter, food, medicine and the return to their homes; for the needed donations to come in, and for those involved in providing relief.

4. Bereaved families; for grace and comfort, and for the process of grieving and healing.

5. Post-crisis solutions. That the complex longer term issues will be faced with honesty, truth, justice, and mercy so that lasting solutions, including building systems and institutions of integrity, will be arrived at.

M. Douglas CarewVice-Chancellor14th January, 2008

Founding CLA Board Member Passes to Glory

The day after Christmas we lost our friend and colleague, Christopher Schmid, to the ravages of cancer. Chris, a senior research scientist at Lilly in Indianapolis, died at the age of 48. He was single all his life and an only child who cared for his widowed mother, Neida, now the only remaining member of the family. Chris was an active member of Faith Missionary Church in Indianapolis where he came into contact with Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology and developed a passion for theological education in Africa.

In 2001, Chris joined a group of lay leaders from around the U.S. who were invited by NEGST to form an American nonprofit to represent them to U.S. donors. He played a key role in creating and even naming Christian Leaders for Africa and defining its relationship to NEGST. Of special interest to him was a scholarship program that matched NEGST students with U.S. donors which he launched and oversaw for several years. He also served as CLA's treasurer from 2004 until 2006 when his declining health forced him to relinquish all volunteer duties. Chris was known among the CLA board members for the generosity with which he gave of his time and financial resources.

CLA is not a typical Christian nonprofit. It did not begin with a visionary leader who had a dream. It began as a board of lay people who genuinely wanted to help and be connected to an African seminary. They did not have an agenda for NEGST. They wanted to come behind NEGST's agenda and support the vision of African church leaders. The board decided one of the members should work full-time for CLA. I was the one chosen.

Chris, like the rest of us, was looking for a genuine partnership between Americans and Africans. He wanted openness and integrity in the handling of funds. He wanted the freedom to ask questions and challenge the leadership of NEGST but without interfering with or disrespecting that leadership. Whether he realized it or not, we were breaking new ground for American church leaders involved in Africa. We were contributing to "Africans training Africans in Africa" as Chris' mentor, Chester Wood, liked to say.

I think Chris' contributions to CLA and to NEGST grew out of his professional identity as a researcher and scientist. His world was facts, results, proof. He had little patience for wishful thinking. Chris always looked at the bottom line. He was a hard-nosed realist whose reactions I always found bracing but necessary. Every nonprofit board needs someone like this. Not that he couldn't be emotional about the mission and the students and faculty at NEGST. He made several trips there on his own just to meet them personally and see what he had committed himself to support.

Chris represented a rising generation of lay people in U.S. churches who have global interests and who want to be part of the worldwide mission of the church. These lay people won't be career missionaries but they will travel the world, meet church, seminary and mission leaders and offer their skills and resources. CLA reflects this new type of mission engagement. We want to engage with the global church in mutual relationships.

We will honor Chris' contribution with a memorial fund to be used at NEGST. We will remember Chris as an example of what ordinary church members can do for the Gospel and the church around the world.

If you wish to contribute a gift to the memorial fund for Chris Schmid, send it to Christian Leaders for Africa, P.O. Box 1642, Indianapolis, IN 46206.

Paul Heidebrecht, Christian Leaders for Africa, P.O. Box 1642, Indianapolis, IN 46206 clafrica@sbcglobal.net

Letter from Rev. Esau Oreso, Tuamaini Church, Kibera

2008-01-16T15:00:00.000-08:00

KIBERA NEWS JANUARY 2008
POST-ELECTION VIOLENCE.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” [ John 14:27].

Kenya has always been one of the most relatively stable countries in Africa until 29th December 2007 when presidential election results were announced. The election process had been very peaceful and even received high commendations from the international observers. But the tallying process became the source of the violence witnessed in our country today. The effects have been grave. Shops have been broken into, looted and burnt down, individual, commercial and industrial cars and properties have not been spared either, lives have been lost, ethnic tensions and divisions such as never experienced before has taken root, astonishingly even among Christians. The Church leaders also seem to have taken political sides and their moral authority is questionable. The number of displaced people is increasing each day leading to a humanitarian crisis. Apart from the displaced people, there are those whose businesses, their only source of livelihood, have been destroyed, hence also adding to the list of humanitarian target. Criminals have with no doubt taken advantage of the situation and have caused more pain to the already hurting people.

Kenyans from all walks of life have continues to appeal to the government and opposition to dialogue and come out with a lasting and peaceful solution. While the government insists on peace, the opposition insists on justice. Most Kenyans, if not all, agree that there is need for peace before negotiations can be done. There have been a number of high profile international leaders who have given attempt to mediation between the government and the opposition but with the slow pace of the mediations many are slowly getting impatient. This only depicts the complexity of the matters both legal and political. Arch bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, African Union chairman John Kufour, former African presidents, Kenya’s bishops and U.S.A deputy secretary of African Affairs Jendayi Frazer and several high commissioners are just some of the people who have and still work hard to help with the mediation process. As Kenyans wait for the coming of the former United Nations Koffi Annan led team, we all pray that God will speak to the hearts of our leaders to maintain peace and justice-that “…justice be our shield and defender…” and that we “…may dwell in unity, peace and liberty…” [Taken from our national anthem].

THE EFFECT

Every Kenyan is affected by the post-election violence in one way or the other. The news of the violence and the experience itself is psychologically traumatic, the inter-ethnic tension and divisions, the family social break down, sadly even among the families from the cross-cultural marriages, the economic challenges and the state of apathy and seemingly anarchy and impunity in some parts of the country, the state of spiritual decay-all these calls for a lasting peaceful solution. But as much as every Kenyan is affected-directly or indirectly, the displaced and the poor in Kibera and other slums are the most affected people.

KIBERA

In Kibera where I serve, people live in fear and tension for fear that they can be attacked any time. Some have lost hope of ever getting justice-not just political but also socio-economic justice. During my post-election pastoral visits in Kibera, people have boldly faced me with comments and questions that have left me wondering what the solution to these complex problems are. Indeed the problems need a multifaceted approach. While walking in the Kibera slums with my wife Jane, one woman, called mama samaki [not her real name but a business name-she sells fish] told me in my face that had I not been a Luo [my ethnic community], they would not have spared the Tumaini Church Kibera and the clinic. They would have burnt it down. While she said this with a light laughter, I knew she meant it because 3 churches in Kibera that I know of had been burnt. The burning of the Churches has been fuelled by the assumption that Church leaders have taken sides in the political situation in the country.
Another young man by the name of Ken followed me from the slums as I approached the bus stop and asked me, “where is God, he has let us down. If he is a just God why can’t he do something to change our situation. Will he see injustice and keep watching? And still another one told me that it was better for him to die while demonstrating in the streets instead of dying from hunger and frustrations. He also told me he had 2 little children whom he was willing to die for-if his death would bring justice and food for his family.

While these are not members of my congregation, they with no doubt represent the frustrations and disappointments that my members too share- the unjust conditions of life in Kibera. However they must be helped to understand that violence is not and should not be the way out of their problems. For violence cannot bring justice and peace.

ETHNIC TENSION

A considerable number of people in the Tumaini Church Kibera are a people from the Kikuyu ethnic community. As a pastor I was very concerned with their whereabouts because I knew things were difficult for them. I called them just to hear from them, where they were and how they were doing. They responded well but could not disclose to me exactly where they were. This made it difficult to offer them any physical assistance. Although I later managed to get into contact with them, the reason for lack of disclosure of their whereabouts, I assume, was that because I am a Luo it was difficult for them to trust me at such a time. I can’t blame them for that. The experience was terrible and perhaps under the same conditions I would do the same.
Where I live all men were forced out of their houses at night to keep watch over the night for fear of being attacked. With such realities, I could fully understand these brothers and sisters from our Church.

HOPE

Even though there are heart rending stories, there are stories of hope that are not always told and heard. Grace Nyakio, one of the members of the Tumaini Church Kibera narrated before the Church last Sunday how through her Luo neighbors, she managed to escape unhurt from people who had come to attack her because she belongs to Kikuyu community. These neighbors made sure that all her household belongings were also safe. With normalcy returning to most parts of the country and with international mediation attempts to settle the political dispute, there is hope for peace. However calmness should not be mistaken as peace even though peace is about calmness.

THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION

Every human being is created in the image of God. There is therefore no ordinary and extra-ordinary human being before God. All people from every ethnic community are bearers of God’s image and violence against human life is against God himself. God abhors violence [Gen 1:27, 5:1]. For this reason sanctity of human life must be a priority for all. God expects us to be our brother and sister’s keeper and not be like Cain who murdered his brother because he was different from him [Gen 4:9-11].

Even though the multiplicity of human languages as a result of confusion of language took place in an environment of rebellion at the tower of Babel[Gen11:1-9], during Pentecost, God celebrated the different ethnic languages and his people from different ethnic groups will finally sing in his praise[Act 2:1-12, Psa 34:1, Rev 5:9]. God redeems his people and sanctifies their lips and languages for his praise.

Because human beings are fallen and sinful [Gen 3, Rom 3:23] they are bound to, without Christ and his spirit engage in violence, hence the need for just systems that can deal with lawlessness, admitting that human problems emanates from the sinful condition of the heart.
The peace that we so urgently need must not be in a vacuum. Peace is always founded on truth, justice and reconciliation. The redemptive plan of God for humanity is based on the same principles-truth+ justice + reconciliation= peace. Rom 5:1-2.9-10 gives us the Biblical foundation for understanding peace. The truth is that human beings have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory and are headed for eternal destruction [Rom 3:23, 6:23]. Death is the just punishment that human beings need, but this punishment which is God’s justice for sin has been put on Christ on our behalf. Because justice has been done we have peace with God.

Rom 5:1
“Therefore, since we have been justified [justice has been meted on Christ for our sake] through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

TRUTH- we are sinners and corrupt, our punishment has been taken by the Lord Jesus Christ.

JUSTICE- our destiny is death- the death was put on Christ for our sake.

PEACE- since we have been punished in Christ, we are reconciled to God, we have peace with him.

Like the young man Ken who questioned the justice of God, prophet Habakkuk too complained to God. And God gave him an answer. May he give Ken and many of us answers to our questions that will satisfy our hearts and not just curiosity.

Habakkuk 1:2-5

“How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry to you, “violence!” but you do not save?

Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife and conflict abounds.

Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.

“Look at the nations and watch-and be utterly amazed…”

PRAYER POINTS

Pray for peace- truth, justice and reconciliation.
Pray for provision of basic needs for the displaced and those in the slums.
Pray for comfort for those who have lost their family members and properties in the violence.
Pray for those who offer humanitarian services for God’s strength, patience and encouragement.
Pray that the rich Christians will be generous towards the displaced and the poor at this time.
Pray that Christians, will, like Nehemiah think and act creatively on reconstruction and rebuilding of the nation of Kenya in their different levels of influence.

Rev. Esau Oreso
Tumaini Church Kibera.

Margaret Muhia says farewell to NEGST

2008-01-14T07:03:00.000-08:00

Dear All,

Greetings to you all in the matchless name of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.

I write to tell you kwaheri ya kuonana (bye for now) as my season at NEGST as the director for communication and Development has now ended. I am currently on leave from 1st September til the 18th and then move on. I have appreciated working with you in this great and most treasured (by the master and his disciples) institution. Whatever your role, contribution or in put has been, NEGST has continued to serve the church because you chose to obey the master’s call to serve him the way you have served him at NEGST.

I also wish to inform you that Communication and Development department affairs will be conducted through the Vice Chancellor’s office until a new director has been sourced. However, specific responsibilities will be carried our as follows: local fund raising and marketing will be done by Jacob, all donor and partnership matters will be handled by the VC’s office, Matthias will do publications and update the website while sandy Morad will provide services to the alumni desk. For any inquiries, please contact Miss Mbesa Kimanthi in the VC’s office.

kind regards,
Margaret Muhia

NEGST Steps 1-13-2008

2008-01-13T17:22:00.000-08:00

Dear NEGST Team,

It was great spending time with you on Friday evening. I was encouraged that you are all so excited about returning to Kenya and NEGST in January 2009. Here are some important dates to put on your calendar.

Jan 15-29, 2009 Planned dates for our NEGST trip

March 10, 2008 at Judy Parker's, NEGST team meeting (we're celebrating Polly's birthday and Carol is bringing the chocolate cake.) Judy will send directions and coordinate the food as we get closer to that date.

June 20-22, 2008- Retreat at Ed & Carol Fischer's B&B in WV, lodging and breakfast are on us.

We will need volunteers to host in August, October, and December. The host can pick the dates.

For those of you in the drama, please come to the March event prepared to perform your lines for the first skit. It will be our first chance to perform without a rehearsal. Check with Anita, she has the DVD(in MaryBeth Kirschman's mailbox at Grace) that you could perhaps borrow to see the VBS series of skits associated with Son Treasure Island. It will be our first opportunity for peer review. We will perform each of the remaining 4 skits at the next meetings.

I am so encouraged to have each of you on this team. If you know of others, just as talented and as special as you, we are open to growing our team. So, if they may be interested, please let me know. If we have a larger team is is easier to distribute the workload, and free up team members so they have more flex time.

Ed Fischer
Qwest Communications
Global Account Manager
Government and Education Solutions
410-694-4745 Office
410-299-1947 Cellular
edwin.fischer@qwest.com

January 13

God Is Faithful

Great is thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:23b

While driving to church one Sunday morning, I was feeling rather discouraged. As I crested the hill, I noticed the gospel sign on a brother’s mailbox post. It read: “God Is Faithful.” Only three words, but, oh, what a message they contained! This message, reminding me that God is faithful and true, lifted my spirits and gave me fresh courage. He will keep and fulfill His promises to us.

We can look to faithful brethren for help and for an example. But they are only human. With time they may disappoint us. We remember those who once were faithful pillars in the church, brethren who cried out against sin and were seemingly infallible, yet they proved unfaithful

But not so with our God. He is not made of flesh and blood as man is. He is not vulnerable to the temptations and snares of the devil. It is impossible for Him to let us down and disappoint us.

We can depend on Him. What He said thousands of years ago is still true today and will be throughout eternity. How would it be if we did not know whether God was going to be in the mood to help us or be with us tomorrow? Might he take a day off, and His grace be insufficient for our needs?

Praise God! Our Lord is not so! He is faithful, unchangeable, and dependable. Therefore, we can face tomorrow and whatever the future holds with a calm
trust. We need not be of those whose hearts fail them for fear (Luke 21:26).

Mark Coblentz, Flemingsburg, KY

God never sends a burden to weigh us down without offering his arm to lift us up.

Bible Reading: Hebrews 6:9-20; 1 Corinthians 1:8, 9
One Year Bible Reading Plan:
Matthew 10:24–42
Genesis 31, 32

Mary Omollo

2008-01-11T06:50:00.001-08:00

Dear Mr. Fischer,

Indeed we were looking forward to your visit. But we do understand that the current situation has made it difficult for your coming. We do appreciate your prayers for our beloved country Kenya. Some of our students have not reported yet due to transport problems. Some of them have families that are displaced and have lost everything. Pray that there will be peace and reconciliation in Kenya.

Mary Omollo
Financial Aid Officer

Carole Kariuki

2008-01-11T06:48:00.000-08:00

ED,

I hear you and I think you have made a better decision. even though we do not expect any more flare ups, the air is tense and not condusive for travel even for most of us around. I do pray things will change soon adn yu can come in the fall than wait for a whole year which might desyke many of the team members.

Keep in touch and and pray with us in this interesting times in Kenya's history

Carole

Feedback from Tina Miles

2008-01-11T06:47:00.000-08:00

Ed,

Thank you for the update. While we're sad, we're also relieved to know for sure one way or the other... The emotional roller coaster we felt we were going on was making it difficult to stay excited about the trip--and I want to go excited! Anyway, I sent out a note to our supporters and one wrote back this reply:

"I must admit it has caused me to pray for the people involved in this conflict directly. Thank you. We will all pray for peace and resolution without more violence."

I know it has done the same for us as well...I find it interesting how God used the team members to raise up a small umbrella of prayer in an area where many probably wouldn't have given the situation must thought. Thank you for your leadership, I know this has been a hard time for you!

Tina Miles

Notes from Judy Parker 10/10/2008

2008-01-11T06:35:00.000-08:00

Ed – yes, indeed, this has been a very emotional week! It grew to be much more than I could have imagined or prepared myself for. But, I didn’t know I would need to be prepared! That’s where the Love of God has become so real to me! I have such peace about postponing that that has helped my healing process – to God be all the glory for that. He understands my every thought and emotion. These emotions have been hard to verbally express to others, but as I have told several people about the postponement, they breathe a sigh of relief! “I’m SO glad you are not going.” was the most common response. They, too, are very cognizant of the difficulty of making this decision and have been praying for us. Some weren’t aware of the situation, but most were; and when I explained the situation, they were relieved that we were being prudent in not going just now. Everyone thought it was THE right choice to wait until September.

I’ve only talked to Colleen since the decision, so I will be anxious to hear the hearts of the other Team members. I, too, feel that this last meeting (even with a “downer” topic), I could feel that the Team was becoming a real TEAM. It just takes time to create a team spirit which doesn’t happen overnight. I’m thankful for each one!

I would like to know when will be the next time you are in Indy. I think we need to meet periodically to keep as much momentum as is possible, given the fact that we do not have an immediate deadline. What are your thoughts? My home isn’t as large as some in our group, but we could do it – maybe with food!!???!!

Thanks, Ed, for all you do. These devotionals have been great, too.
Judy

Dear NEGST team,

Thanks to all of you that sent messages about the postponement of the trip. I appreciate your kind words. Attending Friday's meeting will be helpful as we process or debrief what we have been through. In addition to making decisions about next steps, we need to take a moment to heal, as we have all been emotionally challenged by this experience. But as we began this adventure together, we can now consider our response as we look to the future. This is a great example of how our life is in "His Hands". These past few weeks shows how we have to learn how to trust, and not lean on our own understanding.

Ed Fischer
Qwest Communications
Global Account Manager
Government and Education Solutions
410-694-4745 Office
410-299-1947 Cellular
edwin.fischer@qwest.com

Kenya Protests Reignite As New Government Forms

2008-01-08T19:46:00.000-08:00

Published on: 01/08/08
KISUMU, Kenya — In a severe setback for U.S.-backed peace efforts in Kenya, President Mwai Kibaki filled key positions Tuesday in a new government that excluded members of the powerful opposition party, which claims that he stole last month's election.
Ignoring the explicit request of the Bush administration, Kibaki handed 17 influential Cabinet positions to allies, who finished behind his party in an election last month that foreign observers say was deeply flawed.

The surprise announcement immediately reignited protests in the western city of Kisumu, a stronghold of opposition leader Raila Odinga.

"No Raila, no peace!" chanted dozens of young Odinga supporters, who took to Kisumu's streets after nightfall, erecting roadblocks and hurling stones at passing cars, witnesses said. In one run-down neighborhood, youths burned piles of tires and said they were looking for members of Kibaki's Kikuyu tribe so they could set their houses ablaze.

Hundreds already have died in the election aftermath as opposition supporters targeted Kikuyus and other ethnic groups seen to be loyal to Kibaki. U.S. and European diplomats have been applying pressure on the two rivals to reach a political settlement that would end the fighting, which has shattered Kenya's reputation as a model African democracy.

There was no immediate U.S. reaction Tuesday. But diplomats said that Kibaki's announcement — including his choice for vice president, Kalonzo Musyoka, who finished a distant third in the presidential race — was a slap in the face to Odinga and to the internationally backed mediation efforts.

"Of course we are frustrated," a senior Western diplomat in Kenya said. "It's really a disappointment for the country. It's very, very irresponsible."

The announcement came as John Kufuor, the president of Ghana and the chairman of the African Union, arrived in Kenya for two days of meetings with both sides that could serve as a prelude to negotiations. Hours earlier, Odinga rejected an invitation from Kibaki for a meeting Friday because an international mediator wasn't going to be present.

By naming the heads of key ministries such as justice, roads and internal security, experts and diplomats said, Kibaki was trying to pre-empt Odinga's demands ahead of negotiations. Another 17 Cabinet seats are still up for grabs, but they're for lesser positions such as sports, science and technology, and the environment.

Assistant Secretary of State Jendayi Frazer and other envoys had been pressing Kibaki not to conduct "business as usual" before negotiating with Odinga. But the Western official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing diplomatic protocol, said the Bush administration hadn't put enough pressure on Kibaki, who's a key ally in the war on terrorism in East Africa and whose government received more than $300 million in U.S. assistance in 2006.

More on ajc.com
Kenyan rivals move to end vote dispute
Kenya President Appoints Cabinet Members
Obama Contacts Kenyan Leaders
Kenyan voters cheated, says U.S. envoy
Kenyan Police Accused of Killings, Arson

Disappointing News

2008-01-08T19:28:00.000-08:00

Dear NEGST team,

As you know we have been monitoring the situation in Kenya. We had hoped to wait until Friday to make a decision based on feedback as agreed from our Brothers and Sisters in Kenya, the NEGST and Nairobi Chapel leadership teams. However, Grace Community Senior Leadership made the decision that they are not comfortable with the risk associated with sending a team at this time. (see e-mail below that was received this afternoon from Keith Carlson). They are looking for a period of sustained peace which could not be realized by waiting three more days. We, as I am sure you are, were looking forward to this trip and are disappointed about not being able to go at this time.

We are planning a meeting this Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Grace Community Church to discuss our options for re-scheduling for later this year in September and/or early January 2009. Because of new information and conflicts with September, we are considering another alternative of January. Grace has agreed to cover the ticket change charge of $ 300.00 per person and any increase in airfares. We encourage all to attend in person so we can discuss these latest developments as a team. If you cannot join us in person, please dial into the conference bridge at 1-888-725-8686 and conference ID 4587320# at 7:35 p.m.

Please continue to pray for the people and leaders of Kenya that they can reach a peaceful solution. We realize these last two weeks of uncertainty have been an inconvenience for you, but it is small compared to the suffering our Brothers and Sisters in Kenya are experiencing and we want to keep them foremost in our prayers.

Ed Fischer
Qwest Communications
Global Account Manager
Government and Education Solutions
410-694-4745 Office
410-299-1947 Cellular
edwin.fischer@qwest.com

From: Carlson, Keith [mailto:keithc@gracecc.org] Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 4:34 PMTo: Fischer, Ed; Phil ArnoldCc: Elliott, Aaron; Bloxsome, Kathleen; Rodriguez, Dave; Shore, ChrisSubject: Nairobi Trip

Dear Nairobi Team,

Let me first of all say how grateful I am to each of you for giving of your time, energy, and resources to be part of the Nairobi short term trip. I was encouraged meeting most of you at the weekend retreat, and am always so hopeful of what God is going to do on and through a team when they travel overseas together.

Obviously the last couple weeks have been an extraordinary time in Kenya’s history, and none of us could have predicted or envisioned the events as they have unfolded. We have been burdened as a church for our dear family of Nairobi Chapel and Mavuno Church, and all the other relationships we have throughout Nairobi. We have been praying, and are grateful that things have not deteriorated any further, and seem to be moving toward reconciliation, albeit slowly.

We don’t have any protocol for political insurrections in our short-term trip preparations, and have never faced a situation quite like this before. We have tried to walk through this prayerfully and with understanding towards our friends in Nairobi and the commitments you have made as a team.

Our original plan was to wait until Friday to make a final decision. Ed and Phil communicated that with you on Saturday. We wanted to get as much information as possible, and allow some more time to play out in regards to the volatility of the situation. And there were not any penalties from the airlines for waiting another week. Ed and Phil were doing a very good job caring for you, and seeking the best information possible to make the wisest decision in consultation with me and other leaders at Grace.

But after further consultations, I have decided that no other information will change the decision at this point and we need to postpone the trip until the fall or next January. The situation in Kenya will not be stabilized enough for us to be comfortable with the risk we would be taking for your safety. I know that this is difficult for everyone involved – the people receiving the team, each of you, your families, your workplace. We want to trust God, follow Him, and take risks for God’s kingdom. But this risk seems to great, especially since we can reschedule the trip for a time when the situation has settle down, and you can accomplish the purpose of the trip then. If you have any questions or would like to talk further with me, I would be very happy to talk with you.

Again, thank you for trusting God and we’re trusting God that you will be able to go to Kenya in the near future.

Serving with you,
Keith

Keith Carlson
Pastor of Outreach and Leadership Development
Grace Community Church

Phil Arnold's Update January 8, 2008

2008-01-08T09:28:00.000-08:00

Everyone,

I found a Rueters article from yesterday, but I do not know if that article is what Ruth was refering to (see the fifth article below). To get current news, I googled Kenya for today's date and found the first three news reports from today 1-8-08. Then I googled Kenya for violence and found the fourth & fifth article.

The first article says that the US, UN and International Community is getting involved for peace. In my opinion, it looks like money is talking. The two Kenyan leaders do not want to lose the roughly $1 billioin a year in aid from the US, so they are calling off their rallies, softening their demands, discussing compromises, and meeting to talk with International mediators.
The second article shows that it is not all 100% peace, but that there are still some pockets of violence, but it is in Western Kenya, where some people are going to Uganda for safety. Our trip would be many miles away from Western Kenya.

The third article basically repeats the first article.

The fourth article was written yesterday (1-7-08) and is has some omissions of the latest events. It also expresses violence still.

The fifth article was also written yesterday (1-7-08) and is similar to the first article. The mediation process is starting.

Here is the link for each article and some quotes from them:

I have tried to be objective and accurate in this research from the press. Hopefully, this helps. It seems to me that because we are in the beginning of the mediation stage and the violence is winding down, it is still wise to wait until Friday to see how the mediation goes. There are strong incentives for it to work, as well as indications that compromises have already taken place (i.e. Odinga calling off the rallies, and Kibaki inviting Odinga to talks).

Prayerfully,
Phil
FIRST ARTICLE:
http://www.wral.com/news/national_world/world/story/2268748/
Rivals Make Concessions in Kenya
By ELIZABETH A. KENNEDY
Associated Press Writer
Posted: Today at 7:18 a.m.
ELDORET, Kenya —
On Monday, Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga made key concessions under U.S. pressure.
Both sides softened their tones amid the U.S. intervention.
The U.S. also is a major donor to Kenya, long seen as a stable democracy in a region that includes war-ravaged Somalia and Sudan. Aid amounts to roughly $1 billion a year, said embassy spokesman T.J. Dowling.
On Monday, Kibaki invited Odinga to his official residence for a meeting Friday to discuss how to end the political and ethnic turmoil, according to a statement from the president's press service. Just hours earlier, Odinga called off nationwide rallies amid fears they would spark new bloodshed.
Odinga then said he was willing to drop demands that Kibaki resign and was willing to discuss sharing power, but only through a mediator empowered to negotiate an agreement that the international community would guarantee.
It would be nearly impossible for Kibaki to govern without opposition support. In parliamentary elections held the same day as the presidential vote, Odinga's party won 95 of 210 legislative seats, and half of Kibaki's Cabinet lost their seats. It was a sign of people's anger over pervasive corruption and nepotism that favored Kibaki's Kikuyu tribe.
SECOND ARTICLE:
http://news.morningstar.com/news/ViewNews.asp?article=/DJ/200801080809DOWJONESDJONLINE000282_univ.xml&Cat=ForMkts
Ugandan Officials Say Kenyans Still Crossing Border -AFP1-8-08 8:09 AM EST
KAMPALA (AFP)--Ugandan officials said Tuesday that Kenyans were still crossing the border amid reports that tribal violence was still raging in some areas following a disputed presidential election.
"We are getting more Kenyans crossing," said Jackson Hashaka, resident district commissioner for the Tororo, a region in eastern Uganda bordering western Kenya.
THIRD ARTICLE:
http://media.www.bgnews.com/media/storage/paper883/news/2008/01/08/World/Kenyan.President.Seeks.Peace.After.Violence.During.Elections-3147150.shtml
Kenyan president seeks peace after violence during elections
By: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Issue date: 1/8/08
NAIROBI, Kenya - Kenya's president yesterday invited his chief rival to his official residence to discuss how to end the country's election standoff, just hours after the opposition called off nationwide rallies amid fears of new bloodshed.The signs of softening by both sides came after three days of talks with the top U.S. diplomat for Africa. The African Union president, whose trip to Kenya had been delayed repeatedly as the government rejected outside mediation in the disputed vote, was to begin talks in the capital as early as tomorrow.
FOURTH ARTICLE:
http://allafrica.com/stories/200801080018.html
Kenya: UN Seeks to Mediate Crisis
7 January 2008 YESTERDAYPosted to the web 8 January 2008
Haider Rizvi
With no imminent end to the ongoing political violence in Kenya that has resulted in some 500 deaths in the past one week, U.N. officials are trying to bring the ruling party and opposition together to find a peaceful solution through dialogue.
"I have been in close contact with Kenyan leaders, including President Mwai Kibaki, opposition leader Raila Odinga, the African Union Chairman John Kufuor, and many other international leaders," U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told reporters Monday.
But whether the international intervention is going to produce any positive results is far from clear at the moment.
Still, some observers seem hopeful about the possibility of some kind of compromise. On Monday, Kibaki reportedly invited Odinga for face-to-face talks, which Odinga has not yet responded to.

FIFTH ARTICLE:
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL07118775
Kenya opposition calls off protests, deaths near 500
Mon Jan 7, 2008 5:58am EST YESTERDAY
By Andrew Cawthorne and George ObulutsaNAIROBI, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Kenya's opposition leader Raila Odinga said on Monday he had called off protests because a "mediation process" to resolve the political crisis that has killed nearly 500 people was about to begin."We are now assured that the mediation process is about to start," Odinga told reporters after meeting U.S. envoy Jendayi Frazer. "We are therefore informing our supporters countrywide that there will be no public rallies (on Tuesday).
While most of the country largely returned to calm, there was an unconfirmed report from Uganda that 30 Kenyans drowned after being pursued by attackers into a river on the border.

Leona Grigsby shares her thoughts

2008-01-08T04:25:00.000-08:00

Ed:

I would join with the other team members in advocating that we postpone our trip to NEGST until September. Uneasiness about the situation in Kenya/Nairobi is quite distressing to me, my family, and friends. All are advising me to not go at this time. That is hard to take because I was so "up" about going and could hardly wait. However, we also need to use wisdom and common sense about the timing of our trip.

I have train reservations for Mon. a.m. Jan. 14 from Kansas to Indy and for the return trip in February. These can be changed easily, we have learned today. The sooner we know, however, the better.

It seems to me we would be better able to minister to the peoples of NEGST if we are not worried/stressed about the political/tribal situation. I do want to be part of the September trip.

Thank you for your continued leadership as we all pray for God's wisdom and guidance.

Blessings,

Leona.

Feedback from David Waweru 1-8-2008

2008-01-08T04:09:00.000-08:00

The road from the Airport Mombasa road is safe to my knowledge I pass close to that road and Ngong road and I can attest to that.

The Hosts family we identified are the best place to say whether they have a problem hosting you guys or not and I will find that out for you. Patience and I are one of the hosts are we are still ok to host,Manaseh and Twity our best couple and nearby Neibours who hosted last time are good to go. Chris and Elizabeth our tour operator will also be hosting and they too are good to go. Pastor Faith has the rest of the Hosts from Chapel and I will call her to find out if the rest are good to go.

Food crisis was greatly caused by shops being closed for days due to the unrest at those 5 days or so and because suppliers had stopped supplying food stuff and other items at that time due to insecurity. Its not the same story now Supermarkets like Uchumi and Nakumatt are well stocked now,we have been shopping well since last week Wednesday.

My view is that there is no need to postpone your trip and my reasons are as follows:

1. Calm has returned to Kenya now as we speak,people are back to work,businesses are fully operational. What's going on now is healing,reconciliation and rebuilding for those whose lives were greatly affected.

2. We have international` mediators who have jetted in from the US and UN President expected soon to assist the two Presidential hopefuls work out a resolution and the two have accepted to work it out that way. Meanwhile the two candidates have been able to calm their supporters to await this process.

3. During the mayhem 2 tribes were being targeted,these were the Kikuyu`s (Kibaki`s tribe) and Luo`s ( Raila opposition,tribe). We have at least 42+ tribes that were not really at war with each other. This tells you that they were not at all targeting Tourists like the Terrorist kind of Insecurity.

4.Your team will be operating at NEGST that's where you guys will spend most of your time,and I believe if nothing else NEGST is a safe place to be.

5.We have Police presence all over the country keeping peace more than ever and this makes it feel safer now that life is back to normal.

6.If we avoid the slum areas and stick to Home stays,NEGST and Masai Mara,I do not foresee any problems.

For donations to victims there are camps for the displaced and we have one close to Nairobi Chapel manned by the International` Red Cross that you guys can visit.

In-road transport we will ensure its limited to only safe areas and we know areas to avoid even though calm has returned to Kenya.

That's my honest feeling on the situation on the ground but if your team still feels some fear, I do not blame them we could also work with September this year. September is not that far we could wait to see you then but for me that's not necessary.

On Saturday I was in town after attending our opening BSF meetings and I could see Tourists walking comfortably in the city center and there were very few people in town then.

I hope this helps you somewhat but the decision will ultimately be yours and your team and we will work with your decision.
Thx

The Latest from the Associated Press

2008-01-07T20:09:00.000-08:00

Photo 1 of 4
Kenyan join in prayers at International Christian Church in Nairobi, Kenya, Sunday, Jan. 6, 2008. to pray for the country after bloody violence after the Dec. 27, 2007 elections. President Mwai Kibaki told the top U.S. diplomat for Africa that he was willing to share power and the opposition backed off demands for his resignation, offering hope for an end to Kenya's deadly electoral crisis. As Kibaki and Raila Odinga faced growing pressure to compromise, the violence that has killed more than 300 people across the country appeared to ease in the capital for the first time since the disputed vote that gave the president a second term and awakened dormant ethnic rivalries. (AP Photo/Sayyid Azim)

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Firms to discuss Kenya travel ban go to URL http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5glL_1wWW-8-Gwfvo-yw8h_5sfQhAThe Press Association - 19 minutes ago
Bush urges 'good faith' Kenya dialogue go to URL http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gRZFeORQKkmoBbehoXljcb_T-53A
Kenyan Leader and Opponent to Meet go to URL http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/08/world/africa/08kenya.html?ref=africaNew York Times - 1 hour ago
Full coverage »
Kenya's Opposition Calls Off Rallies
By MICHELLE FAUL – 14 hours ago

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya's opposition leader on Monday canceled nationwide protests, saying he wanted to avoid new violence and give mediation a chance to resolve the election dispute that has killed nearly 500 people in political and ethnic bloodletting.

Raila Odinga made the announcement at a news conference after meeting with the top U.S. envoy to Africa. The government of President Mwai Kibaki, accused by Odinga of stealing an election last month, had said the proposed Tuesday demonstrations were illegal and could provoke violence.

Odinga noted Ghana's President John Kufuor, the current chairman of the African Union, was expected to arrive by Tuesday on a mediation mission. Kufuor's trip had been repeatedly delayed as the government rejected outside mediation.

"We are now sure that mediation will start. We have consulted and decided that the public rallies we called for are canceled," Odinga said. "We want the mediation to take place in a peaceful environment, that is why the rallies have been canceled."

Odinga and President Mwai Kibaki both say they are open to some form of power sharing. Kibaki was declared winner of Dec. 27 elections after a vote tally that Odinga and international observers charged was flawed. In some areas, protests have degenerated into rioting pitting other tribes against Kibaki's Kikuyu, long dominant in Kenya's politics and economy.
A statement Monday from the Ministry of Special Programs put the toll at 486 dead with some 255,000 people displaced. The toll was compiled by a committee of humanitarian services set up by the government that toured areas most affected by riots and protests.

Opposition rallies last week were blocked by police who fired tear gas, water cannons and live bullets over people's heads. Human rights groups accused police of excessive force and unjustified killings, but police Commissioner Hussein Ali insisted Sunday that "We have not shot anyone."

Tens of thousands of people are cut off from food and other supplies as shops and transport have shut down. What food is available has tripled in price.

On Monday, Jendayi Frazer, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs, embarked on a final round of talks. In her three-day mission, she won an offer from Kibaki to form a coalition government and a concession from Odinga that he would negotiate without insisting that Kibaki first resign.

Odinga said Sunday he was willing to drop demands that Kibaki resign and was willing to discuss sharing power, but only through a mediator empowered to negotiate an agreement that the international community would guarantee.

The opposition also has proposed an interim government be set up to hold new presidential elections. But Kibaki has said only a court could order fresh elections — an unlikely event since he has packed the judiciary with his allies.

It would be nearly impossible for Kibaki to govern without opposition support. In parliamentary elections held the same day as the presidential vote, Odinga's party won 95 of 210 legislative seats, and half of Kibaki's Cabinet lost their seats, apparently because of anger over pervasive corruption and nepotism that favored Kibaki's Kikuyu tribe.

The United States, Britain and the European Union have appealed for Kibaki and Odinga to hold talks to end the deadlock over only the country's second free election since independence in 1963. The country is seen as an ally in the fight against terrorism, and the explosion of violence has damaged its image as a stable democracy and attraction for investors and tourists in a region rent by wars, uprisings and civil unrest.

Thousands of tourists have canceled vacations at the beginning of the high season.
"Hotels have been projecting an occupancy of 80-90 percent of capacity. But today, as we speak, that has dropped down to less than 40 percent. That's a huge loss for the economy," Mohammed Hersi, general manager of Whitesands Hotel in the coastal city of Mombasa, told The Associated Press.

The level of violence eased over the weekend, though ethnic attacks continued.
Nearly 1,000 members of Odinga's Luo tribe were chased from their homes Sunday in one small town, Limuru, 30 miles west of Nairobi, the capital. Some with furniture and bundles of clothing, others with nothing, huddled around a police station compound.

George Otieno, a 30-year-old who works in a car body shop, said about 100 men armed with machetes, hammers and sticks attacked his home and smashed his head with a hammer.
"They said, 'You have to go back to your place,'" meaning the Luo's native lands in western Kenya, said Otieno, whose head was bandaged and shirt marked with dried blood.

Francis Waweru said he had arrived in the Nairobi area three days ago with his wife and four children, fleeing a mob of hundreds who torched his shop and home in the west. He showed a leg wound where he said he was shot with an arrow. "They said, 'No Raila, no peace,'" Waweru said.

Associated Press writers Elizabeth A. Kennedy, Katharine Houreld, Tom Odula and Malkhadir M. Muhumed in Nairobi, Todd Pitman in Eldoret and Tom Maliti in Mombasa contributed to this report.

Colleen Armstrong's E-mail and Ed's response

2008-01-07T17:51:00.002-08:00

Colleen,

Thanks for your feedback. We have committed to making a decision on Friday and will wait until then. You do have a vote, as we indicated in the Saturday meeting that anyone that is afraid of going, they can opt out of this trip. If we can get enough interest, even if we decide to continue this trip as planned, and can find a suitable leader, we could also send a team then, too.

Ed Fischer
Qwest Communications
Global Account Manager
Government and Education Solutions
410-694-4745 Office
410-299-1947 Cellular
edwin.fischer@qwest.com

CurrentSubject: Re: 1/7/08 Beside The Still Waters
Ed & Phil,

I'm not sure about the rest of the group, but my family and friends are asking me not to go at this time. Although I had a lot of hope on Saturday, I am feeling more uneasy about going at this time. I would have to agree with both Polly and Judy, I do not feel this is a good time for the mission trip and would prefer to wait until September. I feel God is telling me to wait and be patient.

Would it be possible to make a decision earlier (like Wednesday)? Will this team have a vote in the decision? I am impacting decision at work for both myself and my husband by being in limbo.

Sincerely,
Colleen

Subject: 1/7/08 Beside The Still Waters
Dear Team,

Right now I feel like we are doing the infamous mosquito dance. Pray this week brings clarity to the situation in Kenya.

Ed Fischer
Qwest Communications
Global Account Manager
Government and Education Solutions
410-694-4745 Office
410-299-1947 Cellular
edwin.fischer@qwest.com

January 7

God’s Mercy

But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. Psalm 86:15

Have you ever done the infamous mosquito dance? You jump up from whatever you are doing with a very determined look on your face and clap your hands repeatedly in several directions. You then look around and see someone staring at you like you are crazy. With a triumphant glow, you show the spectator the lifeless squashed blot on your palms by way of explanation. Perhaps you have caught yourself grinning from ear to ear when you are able to
smash two flies with one devastating blow of your fly swatter.

When I think of how easy it is for me to execute my judgment and wrath to destroy the things that cause me aggravation, I cannot help but think of our wonderfully merciful God. Time after time the Israelites murmured against God and committed wickedness and sin. God, for the sake of one, stayed His
judgment and did not destroy the people.

I am very thankful that One stands in the gap for me. Jesus Christ pleads for my soul and is my advocate and intercessor.

Friend, are you saved by the precious blood of the Lamb? We are all worthy of unmerciful judgment. However, God has proved Himself to be full of
compassion and mercy by providing a way of escape.

Willie Joe Oaks, Jr., Montezuma, GA
_________________________________________
It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed.
—Lamentations 3:22

Polly Harrington's e-mail from 1-6-08

2008-01-07T17:11:00.001-08:00

1/6/08 Beside The Still Waters I accidently clicked on "send" instead of "save". How I wanted to end my email was to say that I still look forward to serving with you and this team. I believe we have come to know each other and bond as a team. Respectfully, Polly

On Jan 6, 2008 12:36 PM, Polly Harrington <polly.harrington@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear Ed and Phil,

After much internal wrestling, prayer and listening to my team members thoughts yesterday, I have decided that the right decision for me is to not go to Kenya at this time. As I said yesterday, I have a heart and a passion for serving to equip the Christian leaders God has called to preach and teach the Gospel in their respective countries. I am saddened and concerned by the unrest in Kenya at this time. My heart goes out to those who have been injured, displaced or worse and whatever we can do from this country and from Grace to ease the burden for them, I am all for and will support. However, I strongly believe that it is not safe or prudent for Americans to travel to Kenya at this time. And I do not believe that even if a resolution were found today that life would "normalize" before January 17. I support the plan to postpone our trip until September and the start of the new semester at NEGST. I appreciate the consideration that has gone into your quest to see the truth of the situation from our contacts in Kenya, your caution, and your desire to hear our concerns yesterday. There are many factors that enter into my decision: ours is not a humanitarian mission that must happen now, unrest can settle and then flare up again, the State Department warning against travel in Kenya, transportation interruptions, food shortages, and not the least of which is what I sense God telling me to do. Please know that I trust you as leaders, and I trust God more. What I sense God firmly impressing on my heart is to wait. NEGST will be there in September, the students will be there in September, and the warring tribes and political leaders will have ample time (we can all pray and hope) to really find a new and peaceful way to co-exist. Should you decide to postpone the trip to September, count me in!!!

On Jan 6, 2008 12:01 PM, Fischer, Ed < edwin.fischer@qwest.com > wrote:
Dear Team,

Are you a sycamore tree for the people in your life? What are the things in your life that presses against you?

Ed Fischer
Qwest Communications
Global Account Manager
Government and Education Solutions
410-694-4745 Office
410-299-1947 Cellular
edwin.fischer@qwest.com

January 6

Crowds and Sycamore Trees

For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke 19:10

Why couldn't Zacchaeus see Jesus? Besides being short, he had a crowd pressing against him. We all face obstacles when we try to see Jesus. What is the crowd that presses against you? For some, it is the radio, TV, drink, drugs, or immorality. Others are pressed by their jobs and other legitimate cares of life.

Another thing that presses against us is our own carnal nature. Our selfish nature may keep us from seeing Jesus, and we begin to feel like Zacchaeus; we can't see Jesus because the crowd gets in the way. Do we give up in despair, or do we look around to find a sycamore tree? If we have faith, we will soon find one. Important "sycamore trees" are God's Word, prayer, hymns, and faithful brethren. Think of more "trees" in your life that have helped you to see
Jesus.

Are you a "sycamore tree" for others who want to see Jesus? The only way many people in this world ever see the Gospel is in the lives of Christians. Are you willing to share a few words for the Lord? Can you point those lost in the crowd to the One who can save their souls? Give an encouraging word to the discouraged. Lend a helping hand to the burdened. We need to remember our first calling in life is to serve God—which means serving others.

Today the crowd will press you. Remember, God still has "sycamore trees." And don't forget to look for ways in which you can be a "sycamore tree" for others.

Daniel Kuhns, Farmington, NM

Am I a part of the crowd or a sycamore tree?

Judy Parker shares her thoughts 1-7-2008

2008-01-07T17:08:00.000-08:00

Dear Ed, Phil and Fellow Team Members:
I have delayed in replying to “sleep on it” and pray for Guidance.

When Jerry and I have been making major decisions, we pray for the Lord’s peace, a peace which only He can give. I have had a hard time knowing just how to pray because I want to return to NEGST. I have nothing but excitement about my next trip to NEGST. That hasn’t changed. However, my sense of inner turmoil has been that the Lord is not giving me peace about going to Nairobi on the 17th as planned. An extra $250 to change our tickets is nothing compared to my safety in returning to my family. I’m not afraid of dying, but do not have peace about subjecting myself (my sister and new friends) to the possibility of getting caught in an unsafe event. The news from Kenya has not gotten any better in the last couple of days. I have peace in saying that I am not ready to leave the US on the 17th because of the civil wars continuing in Kenya. God has prepared me for a ministry which has been such a blessing to me. The Lord has also given us the ability to make wise and discerning decisions. I have peace in postponing this trip until September. I believe the Lord calls us to a ministry and expects us to demonstrate wise decisions. To this end, I must agree with Polly that this is not the time that He wants us to place ourselves in such a predicament where our lives truly would be in danger.

I await the decision of the GCC Elders on Friday afternoon, but I believe my decision has been made. I do not have the Lord’s peace about going in January; I have His peace about waiting until September. I will have a hard time waiting!

Prayerfully and respectfully submitted,
Judy

A Week of Waiting

2008-01-07T05:50:00.000-08:00

It is Monday morning. I find it very comforting to wake up, make breakfast, and then walk downstairs to turn on my computer and start working. It is now automatic to check and see what is going on in Kenya. We have tried to keep the blog updated with personal e-mails and news from there.

The team has decided to wait until Friday to make a decision about going as planned or postponing our trip. I really want to go, but as one of the leaders, I must consider the needs of the entire team. Please pray for peace and guidance as we seek God's will for this trip and our team.

For some on the team, this week of waiting will seem like an eternity. But, as we have been advised by leaders on the ground in Kenya, a week will give us more clarity so we can see if the situation improves. I can take comfort in the waiting, as I want to make sure we make the right decisions.

As my mind goes back to my work, I realize how fortunate I am to live in a relatively safe country, with plenty of food, a nice place to live, and a good job (actually 3 jobs). My heart goes out to those in Kenya that are less fortunate.

ed fischer

Message from our friend in Kenya Muhia Karianjahi

2008-01-07T05:42:00.000-08:00

From: Muhia Karianjahi [mailto:muhia@tanari.org] Sent: Saturday, January 05, 2008 7:46 AMTo: mkarianjahi@gmail.comSubject: please pray for our beloved Kenya

Dear friends,

You have most likely read of the crisis facing Kenya, especially over the past one week. After an election whose results were rejected by the opposition, many parts of the country encountered pockets of violence that has left over 300 dead and 150,000 displaced people. Both the government and the opposition have accused each other of rigging in the presidential poll, and with lots of intervention from local and international peacemakers, are seeking amicable solutions to the ensuing impasse.

Many of you have written to ask after our welfare. We thank you for your prayers and concern. We fortunately live in the city in a neighborhood that has not been directly affected by the violence. We have kept safe by keeping our heads down. However, that does not diminish the pain we feel for many who have not been as fortunate. Keeping our heads down is probably not even the most godly solution to our situation right now, and we are seeking ways of becoming engaged—not in the politics, but in being salt and light and responding to the humanitarian crisis that faces our country today. Our hearts are heavy and we grieve the things we have seen, heard and felt.

I especially grieve for the youth who have mostly been used in the frontlines to fight the battles of politicians who are safely in their well guarded homes and travel in their bullet proof limos. Never before in our history have Satan’s lies been more visible as they are played out in the Kenyan arena. I feel the call even stronger now to be a frontline agent of instilling a Biblical Worldview that says, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul and with all your strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. Kenya will be saved because of the heart of God, working in and through his people. Africa will thrive in His Name!

Would you join us in prayer? I am here attaching items from the prayer bulletin of our church, Karura Community Church, for tomorrow’s worship services.

In Your Prayer Closet
Kenya is bleeding, the righteous must stand in the gap!
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive heir sin and will heal their land.”
(II Chronicles 7:14)

· Pray for an amicable solution to the Elections impasse. Pray that justice, truth and peace in Kenya will be served.
· Pray for Raila Odinga and Mwai Kibaki, the two men at the centre of Kenya’s pain.
· Pray for our fragile democracy, now threatened by an unsatisfactory election.
· Tribalism has shown itself to be a crisis in Kenya, one that is resulting in bloodshed. Sadly, even in the Church, even among its leaders, tribal allegiance seems to control our response to politics more than truth and righteousness does. Pray that we, the Church, a people whose nationality is one in the kingdom, will be a light to the rest of our countrymen. That love will not only be possible, but will predominate in our inter-ethnic relations.
· Pray concerning the ethnic violence, that it will stop; that the displaced will be able to return to their homes in peace. Pray that people throughout the country will be able to go about their business in peace.
· Pray for those who have lost loved ones through the violence of the last week. Pray also for those whose businesses and/or homes have been destroyed.
· Pray that fomenters of violence and murder will be stopped, and justice prevail.

Many blessings to you all,
Muhia Karianjahi
Mobile 254 720 376968
www.tanari.org Innovations for life giving, wholesome communities
Rites Of Passage Experiences (ROPES), Camp Malta, Creating Positive Relationships (CPR) and Team Building
Tanari Trust P.O. Box 2095, Nairobi, Post code 00200.Kenya, East africaTel. Office 254 20 2719083, 2730807
Fax 254 20 2713677
Tanari Trust is a Public Charitable Trust overseen by five non-denominational churches in Nairobi
Tanari International is a nonprofit 501(C)3 organization registered in the State of Illinois

E-mail from Nairobi Chapel Pastor Muriithi Wanjau

2008-01-05T17:58:00.000-08:00

From: Muriithi Wanjau [mailto:muriithiw@gmail.com] Sent: Friday, January 04, 2008 11:46 PMTo: muriithiw@gmail.comSubject: RE: Prayer for Kenya

Hi all,

Thanks for your prayers for our nation. Praise the Lord with us… my family finally made it safely home! All are in good shape and I can only thank God for His mercy to us – I felt like I had received them back from the dead! One of our other pastors (Janet) had family members in an even worse situation in a town called Eldoret, and most of them were able to fly out to safety as well. It’s possible that God allowed us to go through this so that the crisis of many in our nation would not be theoretical but highly personal. We still don’t know how things will turn out and appreciate your continual prayer.

The reality on the ground is that things could get a lot worse. The political crisis conceals many undercurrents of ethnocentrism; and there is much evil afoot in our nation. Please pray that those planning evil will be confounded; that God will arise in Kenya and scatter the enemies of peace.

The political situation is still unresolved. Continue to pray for a softening by both sides. We need the Holy Spirit’s wisdom to bring about a win-win solution here that allows justice to not only be done but to be seen to be done.

As the churches work together with non-governmental bodies to deal with the social crisis, we face a large scale humanitarian crisis. Widespread rioting in the informal settlements left those living there without food, water, medication etc. Many have been displaced from their homes in several parts of the country. Fears are that we will have increased lawlessness if things are not resolved soon. We have appealed to our congregations to donate food, cooking utensils, clothes, shoes, counseling and medical services to those in need. Many are chipping in. Pray that God will multiply what we give and make it enough

With all this said, there are many stories of greatness and heroism that are very encouraging. Ordinary people who are hosting others in their homes and giving time, sweat and possessions to help others in need. Within these challenging times are opportunities for greatness. Pray that many Christians will arise and be known for their compassionate response.

One of our friends, Jim Thomas, has begun a prayer blog for Kenya. Its http://praywithkenya.blogspot.com.

God bless,
Muriithi

Letter from Judy Parker's friends in Kijabe

2008-01-05T07:30:00.000-08:00

Dear Team -- here is another email from Carolyn with more information.
Jerry – U. Fred and A. Drula arrived a day later than Carolyn and her daughter – see toward the bottom for Carolyn’s comments. I think these pieces of info pretty much makes our decision for us.
Judy

From: Paul Jaster [mailto:pjaster@kijabe.net] Sent: Friday, January 04, 2008 1:23 AMTo: Judy ParkerSubject: Re: TRIP

Judy,

You may be better informed than we with more access to news.The situation in Kenya is definitely not looking like it is going to have any easy solution or go away very quickly. The losing party continues to try to have a rally (or swearing in of his presidency) in Nairobi though so far the police have managed to block that. There are hot spots scattered around the country. Just down in the valley from us are many displaced people who have had to flee their homes.

Follows a note from someone who was there yesterday.

Thankyou all for helping with blankets, clothes and money - 63,750/= hasbeen raised so far. The situation down there is pretty miserable. The smallAIC church building (the new big building is only half built) - a bit biggerthan the hospital's old chapel - is the focal point and only shelter for1,400 people, with trucks arriving as we left. Two drop toilets serve them.Most will sleep under the stars on the dirt. Fresh water is needed, as is some shelter outside and a daily serve of food. I will return with PastorSimon in the morning to dish out some of the money to the 165 or so peoplewho've indicated they can get a matatu to relatives elsewhere. So about300/= for each 165 is about 50,000/= so we'll have some left over for morefood, possibly for another 3-5 days. We've already given them some bags ofmaize and beans and cabbage for a few days.

RVA has decided to postpone the start of school until Jan 21. Below, from their recent letter. With the current uncertainty, we have wrestled back and forth about the best time to bring students back. Our local community is very stable and safe. Once students are here we feel confident it could be pretty much business as usual, at least on campus. The driving concern for us has been our concern for the safety for your family and child in transit. Urban centers have been those most strongly affected by violence. Those of you who are located nearby could easily select safe times for traveling. Those in rural areas could potentially select routes avoiding dangerous areas. Our biggest concern is the stability and predictability of the situation in Nairobi for collecting the significant number of our students who fly into JKA. While things have not progressed politically at the present time as many of us would have hoped, we still hope and pray that a breakthrough may be just around the corner. We wish we could predict when this might happen, but only God knows. We feel we need to set the date far enough ahead to give adequate time for things in Nairobi to settle. With rally dates being proposed and changing daily, we are not convinced that one more week will be adequate. Because of the challenges in booking your flights and making the necessary travel arrangements to get to international airports we do not want to select a date that has a significant probability of being delayed again. Therefore we have chosen a more conservative approach and set our new arrival day for term two for Jan. 19th (Saturday). This will allow our first day of instruction to be on the following Monday.Things are quiet here in Kijabe. The hospital has a shortage of supplies, some critical. But the census is down as few people are traveling. We had no problems flying in on Sat. Dec. 29. Nairobi had a few areas of violent activity but we just avoided those areas. The stores for the most part were closed and the streets quieter than I have EVER seen them. We were back briefly on Sunday to the W. side of Nairobi and the grocery store lines were very long. Wed. morning when mom and dad came the city looked more like business as usual though downtown was still mostly closed. I was thankful that they came in when they did as things were quiet after Odinga's attempted rally on Monday. Tues. and Wed. were calm, but with the rally planned for Thru. (though prevented to some extent) we were asked not to travel Thurs. or Friday as now they will try the rally again today.It really is hard to know what you and others should do about plans to travel here. We certainly hope and pray that things will settle down soon, as it is sure not in the countries best interest for this to continue.

We'll be praying that God will give you wisdom as to what to do. Leona must really be concerned. (Kijabe is definitely a safer place than Nairobi.) Mom & Dad did fine with the travel and definitely could see that God was with them as he provided for them along the way. They are still tired from the jet lag as I am too!

Love, Carolyn

NEGST Team Meeting 1-5-08

2008-01-05T07:04:00.000-08:00

Dear Team,

Thank you for all your prayers and emails regarding the situation in Kenya and those suffering people. Our team will meet tomorrow (Saturday) morning at 9:00 as planned for training, but we will begin with a discussion on the status of the trip. If you can not attend the meeting (like Ed), then please call in at 9:15 for the conference call (1-888-725-8686 conference ID 4587320# ). We plan to make a final decision on Friday, January 11th, and let you know. GCC is in touch with our contacts at NEGST and Niarobi Chapel to monitor criteria and questions below.

Here is our agenda:

Update on facts and questions. Criteria for decision and options regarding Mission Trip to Kenya.

Feedback from teammates.

Prayer for God's leading and people of Kenya.

Team Breakout for VBS & computer training.

See the other items in the previous email below.

FYI: Here is a summary of the decision criteria and questions:

Can we stay the whole time at ISAR (housing) at NEGST (seminary), instead of with host families, so we are not a burden to them (already housing the homeless in this crisis)?
Would we be a distraction or a help to NEGST students at this time? (Note: NEGST has postponed classes one week to begin 1-14-08.)

Do ISAR and NEGST have or expect a shortage of food, water, fuel, and would we be a drain on their supplies?

Would our mission trip be a better service to Niarobi Chapel in distributing humanitarian aid, than to NEGST (VBS & computer training)?

Can our ground transportation company give us safe transportation around the "hot spots" from the airport to NEGST, to the safari, and back to the airport?

Has or does our airline (NWA) cancelled any flights to Niarobi because of safety?
Is postponing the trip to use the airline tickets later (fee of $250) an option for the schedule of people at NEGST and the mission team?

Friday's Update from the US Embassy-Nairobi

2008-01-05T06:08:00.000-08:00

U.S. Embassy Nairobi
Warden Message
January 4, 2008

This Warden Message is being issued to alert American citizens to the security situation following disputed elections in Kenya. U.S. citizens should strongly consider the risks of travel to Kenya at this time. The situation in Kenya continues to be volatile and subject to frequent change. There continues to be incidences of violence, demonstrations, and looting in several neighborhoods of Nairobi and Mombasa and in large parts of the western-most provinces.

Although the security situation is improving, Americans in Kenya can expect interrupted flights, a large police presence in the troubled areas; food shortages; cash shortages at banks and ATMs; and sporadic telephone, cell phone and Internet service. U.S. citizens should monitor U.S. Embassy Nairobi’s website at http://kenya.usembassy.gov for the latest information.
Events intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence. American citizens should avoid public rallies and large gatherings, and should always carry a mobile phone or other means of communication. American citizens should continue to exercise caution when traveling throughout Kenya, particularly in Nairobi’s city center. Main thoroughfares and alternate routes are subject to closure with little or no warning and travelers must always remain vigilant regarding their personal security situation.

U.S. Peace Corps volunteers, who are private U.S. citizens, have temporarily relocated from the Kenyan towns of Busia, Kisumu, Kericho, and Kakamega to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. American citizens residing in Kenya should carefully assess their own safety and security situations to determine whether to remain, or risk travel to alternative sites within or outside Kenya.
The Consular Section at the US Embassy in Nairobi will be closed to the public on Friday, January 4. The Embassy will reassess the security situation on Monday, January 7, but plans to re-open for normal public operation at this time. Updated security information will be available at http://kenya.usembassy.gov and at http://travel.state.gov.

Americans living or traveling in Kenya are encouraged to register with the U.S. Embassy through the State Department’s travel registration website at https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/ to obtain updated information on travel and security within Kenya. Americans without Internet access may register directly with the U.S. Embassy. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy to contact them in case of emergency.

The U.S Embassy is located on United Nations Avenue, Gigiri, Nairobi, Kenya; telephone (254) (20) 363-6000; fax (254)(20) 363-6410. In the event of an after-hours emergency, the Embassy duty officer may be contacted at (254) (20) 363-6170. The Embassy's international mailing address is P.O. Box 606, Village Market 00621, Nairobi, Kenya. Mail using U.S. domestic postage may be addressed to Unit 64100, APO AE 09831. The Embassy home page is http://kenya.usembassy.gov.

NEGST Classes start on January 14th

2008-01-04T14:45:00.000-08:00

This letter was sent by Vice Chacellor, M Douglas Carew announcing a delayed start of classes because of the current situation.

NAIROBI EVANGELICAL GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY

Change of Date for Resumption of Classes

At a meeting of academic and administration department heads held this morning we unanimously decided that classes will not resume on Monday 7th January 2008 as originally scheduled. The first day of classes has therefore been changed to Monday 14th January, 2008. This decision was arrived at for the following reasons:

Political Crisis and Security. We recognize that the security situation is gradually stabilizing and improving, and believe that the past is behind us. However, the situation is still fluid to a certain measure and has not yet fully returned to normalcy.

Travel and Transportation. A number of community members are currently in areas of the country from where they either cannot travel safely to campus or do not have access to transport. The transportation difficulty affects students- both full time and part-time/extension, staff members, full and part-time teachers.

Psychological State. The events of the past week have left us in a national and individual state of shock, loss, and grief. This psychological environment is not conducive for learning to resume at this time.

Community Welfare. In the event that the situation deteriorates further, it is easier logistically and otherwise to provide the needed care and resources for a smaller percentage of people than would otherwise be the case with a full campus complement.

Please note that the administration and academic offices will be open throughout the week of January 7th and normal services, including Library and IT, will be provided. In addition the following will take place during the week beginning Monday 7th:

Chapel services will take place each day at 11 am in the multi-purpose building. We will focus on healing and reconciliation in each service during the week. The daily security briefings will be done during this time.

Counselling services will be provided for everyone in need of them. Our official counsellors, Rev. Kivanguli and Mrs. Carew, and faculty members will be available to counsel with.
Medical services will be provided as needed through the Clinic for displaced people currently accommodated on campus by various community members.

Humanitarian services. All members of the community are encouraged to participate as volunteers in providing humanitarian services off campus. Opportunities are available to give help at the Red Cross- Nairobi Chapel work with displaced people at Jamhuri Park. We are looking at how to do this as a community in a structured way as part of our Christian responsibility, beginning Monday afternoon. We strongly encourage you to volunteer to take part in this humanitarian effort. Please sign up by email or otherwise with Ms. Mbesa Kimanthi in the Vice-Chancellor’s office.

Please keep our nation, people and leaders in prayer.

M. Douglas Carew
Vice-Chancellor

Update on Jerry Parker's Heart Procedure

2008-01-03T19:04:00.000-08:00

The saying “You never know what a day will bring …” is very true. This morning Jerry’s doctor came in to talk about his procedure. It was more about describing the difficult procedure that was scheduled earlier and making Jerry in the second position for the day. As it turns out, the patient ahead of Jerry was a man from Florida who had had three of these procedures done in Florida w/o success; he has come to the center in Indianapolis to have this done, seeking a resolution to his very complicated electrical system difficulties in his heart. In planning this procedure our doctor said that it may take 6 hours and even into the evening to complete it. This poor man has not only tachycardia but a-fib and other complicating factors.

Our doctor didn’t know that Jerry had been added to today’s schedule until early this morning. Knowing the difficulty of the other man, he knew he would be too exhausted after an all-day procedure. After the explanation, we understand and would prefer to have a rested doctor before such a procedure as this. Jerry is now scheduled for his rather uncomplicated procedure (as compared to the Florida man) on January 15th. Jerry has been feeling well all day today and wanted to go to work, but it took about 5 hours to be dismissed! He worked some from home late afternoon and through the evening.

Thanks for your prayers and emails. It is so comforting to know our family and friends are praying for him. We expect him to go thru his rather simple procedure and will come thru it easily on the 15th.
Judy and Jerry

Dr. Chet Wood's perspective

2008-01-03T14:36:00.000-08:00

Dear Ed,

Greetings. Not being on the ground makes it difficult for me to say much. We did live through a similar experience about ten years ago. The wisdom then was to stay on campus if there is trouble. That would re-arrange some of your plans! But we were safe and I would think you would also be safe.

My prayer is that there will be some substantial mediation by next Monday. Bishop Tutu is there. I understand the Attorney General has called for some sort of audit of the election (of course he is a Kibati appointee!). I don’t think the situation will unravel, but Africa is not always predictable. So, I would take advice from folk on the ground as you are wisely doing, wait a few days and then make a decision about postponement.

You are getting a real taste of working in Africa!

Chet

Another View from a Kenyan Missionary

2008-01-03T14:32:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

Kim and I wish you a happy New Year! We pray that God will use all of us in 2008 to bring him further glory.Last Thursday, December 27th, Kenya held its national elections. The race was predictably tight. On Saturday the head of the electoral commission said that he could not certify the election results because of irregularities. Yet on Sunday he named incumbent Mwai Kibaki as the president. Kibaki was inaugurated the same day despite confessing later that he was not sure who won.European Union observers have stated that the vote count contained irregularities. It was reported that the American State Department in Washington initially congratulated Kibaki. Later the State Department officially stated that it had concerns about irregularities in reporting the election results.Since Sunday more than 300 Kenyans have been killed and 70,000 displaced in intertribal violence. The leader of the opposition, Raila Odinga, called for a million person march in Nairobi today to protest the election results. Thousands attempted to attend but were met by security forces as they attempted to reach the downtown area. The protest march has been rescheduled for either tomorrow or next Tuesday as Odinga attempts to keep the pressure on Kibaki.

JOE'S THOUGHTS ON VISITING KENYA
I do not see this unrest lasting for more than a week or so. Right now gasoline supplies are disrupted in some places and there has been a run on the grocery stores for food. Soon the citizens will turn on the politicians if they don't visibly work for a solution. Additionally, Kenya is the transit sight for all of Uganda, Burundi, and Rwanda's fuel and imports. The longer the unrest stays the more pressure neighboring countries will put on Kenya to find a solution. Kenya is not Rwanda circa 1994. Kenya has nearly fifty tribes to Rwanda's two and all those tribes have an economic interest in seeing the unrest solved quickly.
It would not be wise to travel to Kenya in the next few days. The airport is on the far southeast side of town and you have to travel near the city center to get out to quieter suburbs like Karen where NEGST is. But my guess is by this time next week the situation will have calmed considerably. The Kibera slum that houses so many of todays protestors is in the challenger Odinga's district. He is their elected politician and they will listen to him if he tells them to stand down when a compromise has been reached. Yes, you will always have a few opportunistic thugs but, by and large, the violence is committed by unemployed youths who feel that the politician who has the best chance of improving their lots has been cheated out of an election victory.
Once things calm down in the center of Nairobi then business will continue as normal. These are my thoughts only. It will be up to the organizers of the Grace/FMC trip to NEGST to decide to continue the trip or not. But it is best to view the current situation as a dogfight between two seasoned politicians over the results of a questionable election. As Africans say, "When elephants fight, it is the grass that is trampled." So far more than 300 have been trampled to death.
We ask you to please pray for the leaders of Kenya. Pray that they will push for peace and that some resolution will come from the election.

In Christ,Joe and Kim Cluff

Updates from the US Embassy in Nairobi

2008-01-03T09:31:00.000-08:00

It looks like the political rally for today was not cancelled afterall.

U.S. Embassy Nairobi
Warden Message
January 3, 2008
This warden message is being issued to alert American citizens in Kenya to an ongoing political rally. The rally is being organized by the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and is attracting large crowds and a significant police presence in and around Uhuru Park in central Nairobi. The rally is disrupting transportation and commerce. Currently, the main thoroughfare to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is blocked and not passable. Similar rallies and other large-scale gatherings may also occur in other cities throughout Kenya.
Even events intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence. American citizens should exercise caution when traveling throughout Kenya, particularly in Nairobi’s city center. American citizens should avoid public rallies and large gatherings, and should carry a mobile phone or other means of communication.
The Consular Section at the US Embassy in Nairobi will be closed to the public on Thursday, January 3. The Embassy will reassess the security situation on Friday, January 4. Updated security information will be available at http://kenya.usembassy.gov and at http://travel.state.gov.
Americans living or traveling in Kenya are encouraged to register with the U.S. Embassy through the State Department’s travel registration website at http://travelregistration.state.gov to obtain updated information on travel and security within Kenya. Americans without Internet access may register directly with the U.S. Embassy. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy to contact them in case of emergency.
The U.S Embassy is located on United Nations Avenue, Gigiri, Nairobi, Kenya; telephone (254) (20) 363-6000; fax (254)(20) 363-6410. In the event of an after-hours emergency, the Embassy duty officer may be contacted at (254) (20) 363-6170. The Embassy's international mailing address is P.O. Box 606, Village Market 00621, Nairobi, Kenya. Mail using U.S. domestic postage may be addressed to Unit 64100, APO AE 09831. The Embassy home page is http://kenya.usembassy.gov.

US Embassy in Nairobi Advice 1-3-2008

2008-01-03T06:57:00.000-08:00

We received this update from the US Embassy this morning. The opposition rally for today was cancelled. That is a positive sign.

We are advising Americans in Kenya to stay indoors and keep a low profile. There are no reports of American citizens being injured.
Please see the most recent travel and security updates available from the State Department. Please continue to check these websites for updates.

Security Situation in Kenya -- http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/crisis/crisis_3914.html
Warden Message -- http://nairobi.usembassy.gov/warden_20080102.html

American Citizen Services
U.S. Embassy - Nairobi

Judy Parker's Husband, Jerry has heart procedure

2008-01-03T06:31:00.000-08:00

Chet Wood forwarded this e-mail from Judy about Jerry's heart procedure. Please pray that it goes well and that it is not too much of a distraction for Judy during this time as she prepares to go to Africa and serve at NEGST. It is always conforting to know you are in the hands of a Believer as well as a skilled surgeon. Whether we realize it or not, we are all under the care of the great Physican.

Jerry has been admitted to Methodist Hospital this afternoon, Jan 2. He has had tachycardia episodes quite often since October, 2007. His Cardiologist is an Electro Physiologist, Dr. John Miller, who has a 98-99% success rate with this procedure. There are many of these Cardiologists/Electro Physiologists; however, Jerry’s doctor is rated one of the top five in the nation and even of the world! We didn’t know just how respected he is until today. We have long known that his doctor is very skilled, but this confirms that Jerry is in the best of hands with this procedure. This is not a life-threatening condition, just has made his life rather uneasy. His tachycardia occurs in the lower chamber of his heart and can be fixed. We have made the decision to have it done and was planning to get it scheduled. However, today he had at least four hours and many events so he went to the hospital where they could watch him go in and out of tachycardia! He felt light-headed and some pain in his neck when these occurred, not the “typical” heart pains.

Tomorrow he is scheduled to get it fixed -- sooner rather than later! They decided that since he’s already in the hospital and he is planning to have it done, why not do it and get it over with. It’s a procedure that can wait or until the patient gets tired of this nuisance! At this point, we have not told his Mom or my Dad as they both get over-wrought easily. We will tell them after he gets home and is doing well. We feel very confident in Dr. Miller’s abilities, not from him, but from his colleagues and online information. He is also a Christ-follower and has attended our church. We knew of his specialty but didn’t ever think we would need his expertise! We know Jerry’s in good hands at the hospital and we are trusting the Lord to bring him through. Will update you when I bring him home.

Trusting in His everlasting arms!
Judy

From John Gray, Pastor in Australia

2008-01-02T14:05:00.000-08:00

Here is a letter from John Gray, who just returned from a visit to Nairobi, Kenya and with Oscar at Nairobi Chapel.

G’day Ian,

We are back in the country and safe. While I am still on LSL I thought I needed to email you concerning the headlines we are seeing on the news re Kenya. Would you pass this info onto God’s people at St Paul’s with a view to raising prayer support – and, if possible - some finances.

And so I hope you will forgive me getting right to a very serious matter.

I have just spoken with Oscar and things are a nightmare for Kenyans. Oscar used the phrase: “This is what happened in Rwanda”.

At that point my blood chilled and everything became very surreal for we have just spent time in his church, his home and with his people. We visited families in the slums of Kibera and saw some magnificent work being done. To think that people are being hacked to death where we walked and visited …

Here is the update.

It seems that the President’s decision to claim victory in the elections is “out of character”. That decision has led to very serious violence and terror. Militia are now forming. Officially, there are some 25k displaced people in Kenya. Oscar estimates that number to be 3 – 4 times the official figure. There are, eg, some 5k people living on the showground right opposite the Nairobi Chapel (NC) site. These are mainly women and children who fled Kibera slums where much of the hacking to death is taking place. On this point I suspect Max and Hanna will be feeling quite heavy hearted for a major hot spot is right where he ran a clinic. The NC is trying to provide food and water and compassion for these people.

The violence is taking place along tribal lines. The 2 main tribes are Kikuyu and Luo. If you are from the wrong tribe you are in mortal fear. (Hence Oscar’s comment re Rwanda).

The churches are trying to work out how to respond to the humanitarian crisis which sees food and fuel supplies cut off because people are fearful to trade. Women are being gang raped. While the cities are relatively safe it is only at the moment. If things are not resolved in the next 2 weeks the situation will descend into total chaos.

Oscar is part of coalition of churches trying to be compassionate in voice and action. They have been on TV and Radio but there is much to do.

We need to pray that
the churches can find food and water. IF so, NGOs like World Vision can provide finance and transport. But we may be called upon to help out financially too (would you therefore ask our people to see if they can set aside some money so we might be able to respond quickly if called upon. How much? God only knows)
for protection for church leaders like Oscar, the Catholic and Anglican A’bps as they seek to provide leadership to a ravaged nation
that the gospel which proclaims there is no Jew or Gentile would translate into “no Kikuyu or Luo”
for protection of those who do gospel work in the slum of Kibera – they are the only light in a very dark place.

Oscar and his family made a decision just a few hours ago to take some of the displaced people into their home. They have decided to take in people from both Kikuyu and Luo. This, he said, could be dangerous if those taken in decide to go tribal. They could “do you harm or burn your house down”.

Oscar is need of prayer for wisdom for as he speaks he walks a knife’s edge. If the govt perceives him poorly they would take the land NC sits on away. If one tribe or other perceives NC poorly, their tents could be torched. NC could lose everything … or, it could be a great moment for the name of Christ.

So, my brother, would you communicate something of this email to our people? Would you ask them to pray as indicated. Would you ask them to prayerfully set aside money for food and water should we need to send some. IF we do need to send it, it will need to be available quickly.

We live in such a great land and know nothing of what Oscar and his people are living through.

Apart from this our time in Africa was very good and I began to feel my spirit catching up with me once more.

I am more than open to call from you if you want more info - I will keep you updated.

Yours in Christ’s Service,

John.

News from a Doctor in Eldoret

2008-01-02T13:17:00.000-08:00

You can read an e-mail below from Dr. Joe Mamlin, in Eldoret, Kenya where much of the post election violence has occurred. A special thanks goes to Fran Quigley who forwarded this message to one of our team members, Anita Austin. As some of you know, Indiana University has a joint project with Moi University located in Eldoret.

Dear Friends,

I find comfort as I take a moment amid the madness here to catch you up a bit on what we see on the ground.

First, let me assure you that Sarah Ellen and I are safe and fine. We feel fortunate in getting the US community out of here for the time being. Our British friends will fly out on a charter today if we can find fuel for the plane.

As far as I know, we have not lost a single AMPATH staff member or patient. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to run clinics since there are no matatus [van-taxi] running. It took almost three hours for one of our pharmacist to walk by foot to give us access to drugs. Most staff are busy securing safety of loved ones and most patients are either afraid or can’t travel. We will have some fairly unique decisions to make if we can’t move supplies around safely and soon.

I took heart in an ER this morning when I no longer needed to step over a body.

Eldoret is quiet today but all roads in and out remain blocked by unpredictable gangs. Many residential areas of Eldoret are insecure and many of our friends are simply scared to death. We are doing all we can to help with the food and shelter needs of our Kenyan friends seeking safety.

We can find food as of today since a few markets reopened. And we have our farms. Can’t get the food out to patients so will harvest food to help feed our compound and the many refugee centers that have popped up in churches and jails.

We have seen some things over the last few days that cannot be described in this note. We have witnessed sad evidence that we as a human family have a lot of growing yet to do. When you think a moment, you realize the IU-Kenya Program is at its core symbolizes what is so critically needed by Kenyan leadership. This is not a program dedicated to building medical schools or even stamping out a pandemic. At its heart, it is a program that screams “Yes” in a world to ready to say “No”. This program puts love and compassion front and center. Those values build the rest. When that message is embraced here, we can go home. We are unable to stop what is now happening, but we are rock solid in keeping to our core message

Deep in our heart, Sarah Ellen and I believe Kenya will find a way to move back from the abyss now staring them in the face. As they reclaim their lives, programs and pride the IU-Kenya program will be there for them. Please do not be discouraged. Stay with us as we stay with our Kenyan family. Shortly they will need us all more than ever.

Pray for each other as we go forward with hope one day at a time.

Joe and Sarah Ellen

Fran Quigley
Indiana-Kenya Partnership
1001 West 10th Street
Wishard Hospital, OPW M200
Indianapolis, IN 46202
(317) 630-6882
www.iukenya.org

2008-01-01T13:30:00.000-08:00

January 1, 2008 Happy New Year, but not so happy in Kenya. With the recent presidential elections, there is a lot of political unrest. You can read more at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7166932.stm. Please pray for Kenya and their people that they can peacefully resolve their differences. I was encouraged to receive an e-mail earlier today from NEGST Vice Chancellor, Douglas Carew. He wrote:

Ed,

We flew back into Nairobi yesterday morning. There was an uneasy calm as we drove from the airport to NEGST, but no serious incidents of violence. Most of the violence appears to have been restricted to certain parts of the city and to some hot spots in the West of the country, two hundred miles or so from Nairobi.

What we have at the moment is a serious political crisis that has been attended by some severe localized violence and widespread uncertainty. Church and other leaders are making efforts at reconciliation. We are praying and hoping that the situation will not degenerate and a peaceful solution will be found soon. We are monitoring the situation and should be able to advise more appropriately before your meeting on Saturday.

Do keep us and Kenya in your prayers.

Blessings,
Douglas

I also heard from Dr. Chet Wood, he added his thoughts:

Ed,

I am sure the Douglas will give you good guidance. My own experience of such riots is that they are very localized and that one can avoid them by asking locals where the hot spots are.

Chet

At times like this it really helps to put things into perspective. Here in the United States, we take the transfer of power rather calmly. What is the real message here? I now, more than ever, am very interested in visiting Kenya and understanding why this is the crisis it is.

We must remember to keep Kenya, and its people in our prayers.

Purchased Airline Tickets Today

2007-10-10T12:53:00.000-07:00

It is amazing how much anxiety I feel when we go to purchase airline tickets for our trip. First, there is the nearly $ 1,500 per person that I am putting on my personal credit card. Then, I think about how this really locks us in. It is no longer just a thought and plan. We are now committed because we have spent the money. It also reminds me that I need to get busy and get my support letter written. I am always amazed at how God provides for the financial support a trip like this requires. I am grateful to my employer, Qwest, that not only gives me the paid time off, but also supports my efforts by sending a $ 1,000.00 check to Grace Commu nity Church.

Since October is Ministry Appreciation Month, I would like to share an exerpt from Roy Lessin, the founder of DaySpring.

God has called each of us to serve Him in the place He has us. In His eyes we all have a ministry. Many serve him in a local church through a variety of ministries such as music, teaching, youth work, or by being a part of the church staff. Other serve on the mission field, on the job, at school, or at home.

God knows you and He knows your heart desires to serve Him. You are someone that He will use to make a difference to share his love, and to touch the hearts of others. What has qualified you for this high privilege of being used by Him? Is it talents, your personality, your education, your influence, or your resume? It is none of these; rather, it is the response of your heart toward Him. God is always searching for those whose hearts are yielded to Him so that He can work mightily through them.

Sometimes we can be led to think that God's work is dependent upon us, upon what we do, and upon what we know. The truth is that God wants us to be totally dependent upon Him. He is the Treasure, we are the vessels; He is Vine, we are the branches; He is the Living Water, we are the channels through which He flows.

The apostle Peter was someone who needed to learn this important truth. Jesus taught him the futility of trying to get results through his own efforts by allowing him, an expert fisherman, to labor all night and come up empty. Afterward when He followed Jesus' word to cast out into the deep, Peter pulled in a catch that was beyond his dreams.

As His servant, remember that your ministry is His idea and not yours. He is the One who knows you, who has called you, and who has equipped you to serve Him. Remain true, remain faithful, remain restful, and remain totally dependent upon Him.

God is not looking for those who are clever, but for those in whom He can be wise; He is not looking for those who are talented, but for those to whom He can be all sufficient; He is not looking for those who are powerful, but for those through whom He can be almighty.

So it is my prayer that God will encourage you today as you faithfully serve Him, and the He will use you to bring encouragement to others in a special way during this Ministry Appreciation Month.

2007-09-14T06:20:00.000-07:00

Come join a team from College Park, Faith Missionary, and Grace Community churches as we travel to Kenya to serve the students at Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology (NEGST). This team will be teaching computer classes to the students, faculty, and families of NEGST. Additonally, we will be providing a VBS for the children of NEGST students. The day care facility located on the campus also serves as an outreach to many of the local orphans and underserved children in Karen, Kenya.

This trip with also include homestays with families from Nairobi Penecostal and Nairobi Chapel Churches. We will also include trips to ministries in the area such as Beacon of Hope, St. Luke's card ministry, and the Tuamini clinics located in the Kibera slums.

We will wrap up the trip with a 3 day, 2 night safari at the Masai Mari game park on the Kenya/Tanzania border.

You can check out the comments from the previous trip at http://kenya06.blogspot.com/.

Interested? Contact Phil Arnold at parnoldfam@insightbb.com or Ed Fischer at 304-257-1108 or edwin.fischer@qwest.com.

Adventures for 2008

2007-09-11T15:59:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we started promotion for our upcoming short term mission trip to Kenya to teach computer skills and provide a Vacation Bible School for the students and children at Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology(NEGST). As a trip leader, you are always anxious, yet hopeful that God will lay it on the hearts of many to join this team as we go to Africa and serve those who will be a part of the future African church. Since I work in the Information Technology field, it is exciting to be able to travel to Africa and help the students of NEGST learn to use technology to help spread the gospel. Even more importantly, I look forward to renewing the relationships I have developed over the years in my travels to Kenya. I also look forward to experiencing first hand how organizations like KIVA (kiva.org) have used micro-enterprise loans to help Kenyans become self sufficient. I think this is the beginning of a great movement related to "Kingdom Business" where people from the United States use their resources to help Africans become financially independent. This also is an important tool in helping ministers launch new churches in this part of Africa where many new Christians are hearing the Word and becoming Believers.

I look forward to our return to the Masai Mari for a safari. I was amazed as I reviewed our safari pictures from our last trip. I trust that God will bring together a team that is just as motivated as I am to help enable His Word to be preached thoughout Africa. This trip is always the highlight of my year and I always look forward to how it "transforms my life and my priorities". It is truly a blessing to be able to be involved with such an important work.

ed fischer