-----------------Neno For Kenya------------------: Into The River

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Into The River

John and Kim of Into The River [ http://www.intotheriver.us/] and

Walter Matete of Special Ministries [ http://www.kenyahope.org/]

will be joining us for a week of ministry in Western Kenya. What a blessing they continue to be for the people of Kenya.

" Don’t play in the puddles where it is safe – go out into the deep end where you will need Him to stay afloat! " John & Kimberly, June 2009.

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WHY THE NEED

++Bibles are very difficult for people to obtain for economic reasons

++Showing the "Jesus" film benefits the ministries of local churches because:

+The “Jesus” film tells the Gospel story in the viewers’ HEART language

+Most people have never seen a film – the moving pictures in the Jesus film capture their interest and attention , i.e. brings the Gospel story to life.

+Believers and non-believers alike will visualize and grasp the entire gospel message all at once – in about two hours – rather than little-by-little during weekly church services

++Local children’s ministries need Sunday school supplies as well as Bibles

++ We desire to see believers grow deeper in the knowledge of God and that new believers are connected to a living body of believers.

John and Kimberly Hauenstein's Reflections

Special Ministries (http://www.kenyahope.org/)
recently had a team come from West Michigan (Sango Otieno, Tom Bruin, Rik and Heather Moreno, Steve Coomes, and Tyler Dickinson). The leader is a Kenyan who is a statistics professor at Grand Valley State University and has not forgotten the needs of his people. Sango Otieno, brought with him a team of five, 1600 bibles, about 3,000 pencils and bookmarks, and 2 PETs. The bibles, pencils and bookmarks were passed out at elementary schools and churches in 3 different areas in Western Kenya.

The PETs were for 2 specific individuals, one that Sango and Tom had met on their previous trip and one for a member of his wife’s family. PET – this is personal energy transportation (if I remember correctly). Basically it is a trike of sorts that can be propelled with pedals using hands (as was the model for Ken). John and I were only present for the building and giving of that one.

During the brief week we showed the film day and night with at least 7000 people to see it and about 400 people dedicating their lives to Christ!!! The most interesting of these, however, was a spur of the moment stop, where someone had heard that Sango was coming and knew of a village that really needed the Jesus Film, so it was added to the itinerary.

The village had a ‘church’ with a bishop, ‘pastors’, leaders and even uniforms/required dress. HOWEVER, they were worshipping an unknown god…..the ENTIRE village accepted Christ that night!!!!!!!! How awesome that was!

The week with the team was so wonderful – being with people from our home area and seeing how God was moving in their lives. It was really great to see the hunger and know that they are taking more of God back with them. But the week was too short! We look forward to the possibility of working with some, or all, of them again! Sango is thinking of making this an annual trip, so anyone who feels led, we can make the connection for you with a group!!

John & Kim [ http://www.intotheriver.us/]

Tom’s Testimony---May 2010

We had a wonderful week and God certainly worked in the hearts of the people we met. We spent time meeting with kids and Teachers at schools, with church leaders and members. We enjoyed the local food and even got somewhat used to weaving on the road to miss potholes! At the schools and churches we passed out New Testament Bibles, pencils, bookmarks and the “wordless book” to some of the younger children. The kids really enjoyed the soccer balls that we gave them. And since the World Cup in soccer will be played in South Africa in June, the kids are really excited about soccer.

It was good to see and work with the people from Special Ministries again as Shado drove us around some of the time and Pastor Walter and Michael Maina were our companions all week. Walter has such strong faith in what God can and will do, and Michael is a godly driver for a Missionary support organization. Connect that with the passion that comes from John and Kimberly and watch out world! God really blessed us with a wonderful team to do ministry together, He kept us in unity and kept our vision strong. To change the lives of people who don’t yet know God, and to strengthen those who already know Him.

I will only briefly mention the following: all 21 of our check-in bags with all our mission gear made it through intact, God’s prompting in many situations proved fruitful, Eunice the hotel attendant accepted Christ, the timing of us passing a bad accident on the road to Busia and two people dying while our team witnessed through compassion and prayer, being able to give something to the people we met that goes way beyond material needs.But the best of all of it was seeing someone’s life changed after watching the Jesus film.

We were able to play it in their local dialect, their 'heart language'. At some places the people who watched had never before seen a motion picture. Towards the end of the two hour movie, it is stopped and Walter, the Pastor with us would talk about what Christ has done and how we just need to accept Him as our Lord and Savior and that God will forgive us our sins and grant us eternity in heaven.Many came forward and at one village we visited, every member that was present accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior! Praise God! So now we trust them into the hands of the local church and our Great God, and we pray they will grow to know more of God's love for them.

It is exciting to think about what God will do next in His plan for Kenya and in the hearts of people that are involved and getting involved. We are already looking at helping to finish the building of the church in Sijoa, to start a P.E.T. factory in the Mambai area and to do more evangelism wherever God leads. The days were long, the work was trying at times, the language is somewhat of a barrier but God is greater and overcomes all things, praise be to God!!! Thanks for keeping us covered in prayer while we were gone, and keep praying for the people in Kenya who have accepted Christ and those who received Bibles so they will grow and be nourished by a relationship with their Maker.

Tom B.

Heather's Reflection--May 2010

"Steve read Ps 22 one morning as we travelled in the van. It starts out as a cry of desperation by someone who is surrounded by dangers to which he is vulnerable as the people of Kenya are vulnerable - roaring lions, thirst in a dry land, famine. He pleads with God to rescue him, and then declares that God has heard and answered by revealing Himself to the afflicted. God Himself provides the source and theme of the praise offered by those who were hungry and are now satisfied, and that praise spreads throughout the nations and into future generations. It is the source of the serene confidence and peace that pervades Ps 23 in the heart of the individual believer. We definately had a sense of bringing the help and hope of God to the villages and schools we visited, to the people who were hungry for the Word and for the knowledge that they are not all on their own, of God providing the reason for celebration and praise and the foundation for strong faith and serene confidence for all involved and for the future despite the difficulties inherant to life in Kenya. The spread of the worship of God through the nations also took on additional significance as we began to understand how tribal Kenya still is and the need of the people to discover a reason and means for unity between tribal groups."

Heather M , May 21, 2010.

Tyler's Testimony--May 2010

"It has now been nine days since I returned to the United States of America from my trip to Kenya. I learned a lot during the trip and am still processing everything that happened. It was awesome to be used by God in the way that we were used; it was a massive privilege. I enjoyed going to the primary schools and presenting the Gospel to the children the most. The children were all very courteous and respectful. They listened attentively to what we had to say. The children in Kenya will always have a part of my heart. They are happy with what they have and know how to smile. I have a desire to one day teach in Kenya and be an inspiration to the kids.

The trip to Kenya has shown me that people are the same. People with completely different backgrounds or upbringings, economic statuses, and whatever else can make us different, are the same. We all have things in our lives that cause us pain that we are unable to change by ourselves, although we may try. The only thing that can relieve us of the pain, suffering, and detachment we feel is a true, active relationship with the Author and Perfecter of our Faith, the Lord Jesus Christ. I’ve found this relationship. It is the only thing that gives me strength to face the day. Many of us will say that we’ve completely committed our lives to Christ. But I ask, have we really? Are we really allowing God to use us in every facet of our lives? God has given us the keys to eternity: the keys to live forever in the glory of God’s presence. How selfish would it be to keep these keys all to oneself? We need to share them!!!! We need to let God guide EVERY step that we take and jump at every opportunity to be Christ to someone else that we are presented with. Let’s not be idle!

Now, I just want to add that there will be times when we will not feel completely on top of it all. In times such as these, I want to encourage you to seek God earnestly and hold to the promises that He has written in His word. Promises like those that state that He will never leave us nor forsake us. Promises such as He works all things together for the good of those who love Him. There is no way for us to comprehend God’s plan and how what He asks us to do is going to impact those around us. We just need to be obedient children and know and believe that, if we are doing God’s will, everything is going to work out for the best in the end. Additionally, if we mess up and don’t do God’s will, God will still forgive us and give us more work to do.

Are you ready for this? Are you ready to join me? Let’s not be lukewarm in our faith. Let’s not be shy about the Lord Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for ALL mankind. Together, we can reach the world!!!!! God be with you and God bless you as you go about His work!"
Tyler D

Steve's testimony--May 2010

"I am thankful that God uses the foolish things of this world to bring himself glory. Our team of six who traveled to Kenya are broken vessels in our own strength, but we are "more than conquerors in Christ." God showed me he loves his children in Kenya just as much as he loves me, and how our mission in Kenya was to support the Believers there and to spread the Gospel with them. In that sense, God humbled me. The Western church has much to learn from the community of the African church (Acts 2:42-47). We are not perfect, and neither are they, but we are blessed in different ways. God showed me how we can share our blessings to strengthen the body of Christ. God opened my eyes spiritually and gave me understanding and boldness regarding the use of spiritual gifts. Miracles were not only for the first century church, but are occurring today through disciples who exercise faith. The American missionaries from Hudsonville whom we worked with in Kenya taught us about using our spiritual gifts and encouraged us to operate by the power of the Holy Spirit. We began praying for people who were sick, laying hands on them and claiming healing in Jesus name. We prayed that God would miraculously increase the number of our supplies and Bibles so that we could hand out more of God's Word to the Kenyans. One evening dozens of people we prayed for declared that they had been healed from various ailments. I return to the states determined to stand on the boldness of operating in the power of the Spirit and am glad that God gave me this opportunity to increase my faith substantially. I am thankful to God for protecting us and guiding us through an experience that has strengthened our faith. I also thank those who supported us in prayer and financially. Your prayers provided a hedge of spiritual protection from Satan's attacks. Those who supported us by giving pencils, Bibles, soccer balls, money and prayers were just as part of the team as those of us who actually traveled to Kenya. Continue to pray for our new Kenyan brothers and sisters in Christ and for the ability to minister with them in the future."
Steve C.

Sango's Testimony--May 2010

For me not taking a step of faith to go back to Kenya would be acting like a non-believer. It is worthy it all... Seeing the school kids soaking in amazement of what God can do satisfies better than a cold drink of water in a hot summer… God has blessed me with faith to trust in HIM, see HIM move mountains in my life and wisdom to understand the finished work on the cross, that the very least I can do is to GO.

Being in the company of other believers (Team members: Pastor Walter,John & Kim, Rik & Heather, Tom, Tyler and Steve) lifted me up and vividly spoke to the people in the villages of HOW BIG/MIGHTY OUR GOD IS…Thanks to all who gave/believed so that we could GO. Through prayers of many (who I may not even know by name) God put a hedge of protection over us as we travelled and ministered in several villages. Praise be to God. Glory glory Halleluyaaaaaahhh!

I wish to encourage you with the following excerpts by Max Lucado:

" "Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin" (Zech. 4:10 NLT).

Begin. Just begin! Begin. Just begin!

What seems small to you might be huge to someone else:

Moses had a staff. David had a sling.
Samson had a jawbone. Rahab had a string. Mary had some ointment. Aaron had a rod. Dorcas had a needle.

All were used by God. What do you have?

God inhabits the tiny seed, empowers the tiny deed.

He cures the common life by giving no common life, by offering no common gifts.

Don't discount the smallness of your deeds. "

Heather's Testimony--May 2010

"When I was in Kenya, I didn't blend very well. In fact I was an anomaly everywhere I went. I saw a few more white women in Kisumu, but they were just passing through, and so was I. In the villages and schools we visited with people, and most of them were glad we were there. I tried to meet people and just be friendly, but language was often difficult.Surprisingly, it seemed to me that the biggest barrier was shyness. I guess it makes sense that I would not be shy after having traveled so far to visit with the Christians of Kenya, but they were often shy of being met. I was acuriosity, a source of blessing, and a window to the world beyond, but I was unfamilar and imposing. I bungled customs; trying to take the basin from the woman who held it while I washed my hands (I figured it was her to turn wash so we could eat together), sitting in the middle of the church instead of in the seats that had been reserved for the "honored guests," insisting on helping to carry water jugs with some other women. The Kenyans often wished to maintain a respectful distance - not all of them, and not in an unfriendly way - and I spent the first few days crashing recklessly from one awkward situation to another. I had traveled a long way to close that distance, not reinforce it, but as the week wore on I became more accustomed both to the part the Kenyans expected me to play and to being laughed at when I just didn't quite "fit" somehow.

Now that I am home, it is clear to me that this was the greatest blessing and revelation of the journey for me personally. Yes, we saw scores of people dedicate themselves to Christ nearly everywhere we went (literally SCORES, as in multiple groups of 20). Yes, we witnessed miraculous healing.God even allowed me the assurance that a young girl was ushered into the kingdom of heaven after she died on the side of the road. None of these things are common place, and all of them are powerful. But far and away the most powerful experience for me is the first hand knowledge that I can be that different and still be me.

I remember when I wrestled with the decision to let God lead me. I wondered, as I think most do, how I could do God's will and still be me. If He had jurisdiction over everything, did I get to pick anything I did? God is so big, I thought that I would just be swallowed up and become some kind of religious automoton. I couldn't see how I could let God be My Lord in practice without losing something of myself, as if lordship over myself was the essence of who I am. This is why one must follow Christ by faith. It isn't until after you give God the benefit of the doubt and throw caution tothe wind that you realize those fears are completely unfounded. No one can tell you how it is - you either give God the keys and see how it is, or you don't and you continue to wonder.

At any rate, being different is often uncomfortable. In Kenya, I didn'thave a choice - I was different by definition. Even if I spent years in Kenya and immersed myself in the cultures and languages, I would still stick out like a sore thumb. But in the States, we have to choose to be different, and it's hard. Even Jesus acknowledged how difficult it was for Him to go back to the people He had grown up with and be different. There are understood expectations. There are assumed modes of conduct. We are completely unconscious of them until we feel the pull to be different. Then even the smallest changes seem to bump up against an insurmountable barrier.Being different feels forced - imposed - because we have to choose it andit's a lot of work. To go to Kenya and find that "different" can be a partof my identity rather than an addition to it, was a real eye-opener. For the first time I realized that "different" and "same" are definitions imposed on people from outside. "Different" is dependent upon the surroundings and has nothing to do with the individual. It has no meaning what so ever without some outside point of reference. Clearly that outside point of reference has no real significance to me personally. I am the same person in Kenya and the States. Why should I shun being "different"? What difference does it make?

What is it about people that we continually see ourselves through the eyes of others? Why do we define ourselves in terms of external factors? Are we so ignorant of what or who we are? Shouldn't we know ourselves more intimately than our neighbors do? Why then do we look to them in order to assess ourselves? I have now had the first-hand experience of being awkwardly "different" fora week and yet being the "same" person the whole time. It's embarrassing that I had to travel almost half-way around the world to see how weak those words are. I look around me and see some people striving for "sameness."Surely they are really after something more solid - unity or fellowship perhaps. Others go out of their way to be shockingly "different," even if they make sure to do it in groups. Again, they must be looking for something more - maybe recognition or a sense of power. No wonder being different feels forced or imposed - it is. It's a definition imposed on the individual as a result of comparison with the group. It's a meaningless assessment of who someone is.

We saw all those people come to Christ because they encountered the Truth about Him and it was compelling. We witnessed salvation and healing because of the power of the faith that followed. In America, those experiences are different. I think about the joy I felt at being a part of it, and I hope Ican hang on to "different" even now that I am home. The Truth is still setting me free."

Heather M.

SIJOA and MAMBAI CHURCHES

Sijoa church, located in Busia district, was planted around 1970 by two elders from the Funyula Anglican Church about 6 miles away. Like the Mambai Friends church, worshippers initially met under a tree and later built an aluminum-roofed house, which is the current meeting place. In 2007, only 4 people had Bibles. Our team was able to provide 21 additional Bibles, but once again people needed to share. The believers in Busia have opportunity to witness to three public primary schools of 400 pupils each in addition to the surrounding area.

Mambai Friends Church, located in Vihiga district, was established in 1920 by pioneer Quaker missionaries from the U.S.A. The church at Mambai began as a gathering of elders who had converted to the Word of God. They met under a tree and later built a grass-thatched house, which served as a church for many years until 1991 when the congregation built a permanent building with a capacity of 200 people. In 2007, about 40 people had Bibles; our team purchased 25 Bibles and asked people to share. The believers here need Bibles in order to be effective in reaching the community and the three surrounding public primary schools, each with about 500 pupils, as well as in furthering their own spiritual growth.

PRAYER & CHALLENGE

Prayer: That like Paul, our lives would testify to Acts 20:24 (NIV). “ …, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” The most important thing is that I complete my mission, the work that the Lord Jesus gave me!

Challenge: How about you? You were made for a mission too! God is at work in the world and he wants you to join Him. The Great Commission was given to every follower of Jesus. Jesus calls us not only to come to Him, but to go for Him. He has given you an assignment called your mission. The Bible tells us why your mission is important. Your mission is:

1) a continuation of Jesus’ mission on earth;

2) is a wonderful privilege;

3) telling others how they can get eternal life. It is the greatest thing you can do for anyone!; and

4) has eternal significance.

I pray that you will use every opportunity to share the Good News with someone. Let God use you!

Jambo !!! [Hello!!!]

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Into The River

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