MIRALCES IN TANZANIA

God asked me one day as he asked the blind beggar in Luke 18, "Kierra, what do you want me to do for you?" I responded that I wanted to see miracles here. I wanted to see God's power unleashed and to see lives changed forever. God granted my request that day- I saw miracles! But they didn't come in the form I was looking for. One of the teachers at our training center took us on a tour of the gardens where students are learning creative and effective ways to get the most crops out of their little land in order to feed their families. As we walked into the garden, he said, "And here are our miracles. These vegetables God is growing are miracles." Later he introduced us to the 17 students learning at the center right now so that they can be change agents in their churches and communities. He again said, "Here are our current students, they are 17 miracles."So I saw my miracles. Thank you Isaac for opening my eyes to them. Truly, the food that God is growing here, and the life-giving ideas in these gardens are miracles that are saving lives. And the students who are now teaching these ideas to 100 people in the surrounding community are miracles. God's power is being released in this place and lives are beingchanged forever!

DANCING BEFORE GOD!

Boy do the Tanzanians know how to sing and dance! I have never seen anything like it. As soon as the worship started at church, everyone left their seats and came to the big space at the front to sing and dance together. What a joyful celebration! They danced before their God and worshipped Him with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. My heart and mouth couldn't stop smiling as I watched the joy of the Lord fill that room. And the smile stayed on my face as I then got to preach and watch 5 people give their lives to God for the first time and another 5 recommit their lives to Him.
(15 students at the school also came forward to give their lives to God, and joined a weekly Bible study to grow in this relationship!). But the fun and dancing weren't over after church. Later that afternoon we had a street crusade that around 600 people attended. Music and dancing filled the streets and I did my best to join the Tanzanian line dances. My rhythm and moves didn't quite match up to theirs, but hey, I did my best and definitely provided lots of laughter for everyone around.

TANZANIA TRIP

I had a blast experiencing Tanzania the last five days with my Dad and three close friends from home. The action and God encounters were non-stop as we worked at the training center, taught at an elementary school, got whooped by the kids in soccer, visited and assessed the local health clinics, spoke at church, and put on a huge street crusade. The needs in Tanzania really broke our hearts. As we pulled up to a local elementary school, we found all 300 children playing outside. Only one teacher was found on the campus and he was locked in his office doing his own personal paperwork. There was definitely no teaching or learning happening at this school. Sadly, the ELI Director told us that this is typical for schools in Tanzania. Most teachers don't show up for work, and the children are lucky if they get even 40 minutes of instruction during one day. They want to learn. They show up to school every day hoping to glean some knowledge, but despite their effort and desires, this generation is quickly falling behind. Another huge problem is water. Lake Victoria serves as the main water source for people, but unfortunately contains a dangerous parasite. We found most people suffering from the effects of the parasite and did our best to provide treatment and prevention training. Sadly, the people don't have enough firewood to boil the water they way they need to, so for many, sickness will continue to be a way of life. Please pray with us as we ask God for ideas to bring hope and health to this area.

WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS

So far, we have received 25 of the 96 children who will live at this home. We have four sets of Kenyan house parents who are each adopting 12 girls and 12 boys. These are now their children - for life. Each family eats together as a family for meals and has their own devotions in the evenings. We are currently building a school that the children will begin attending in September, but for now they are being home-schooled by the parents. Throughout the next few months, we will continue to bring in more children every week until we reach our limit of 96. Please keep these children and their new parents in your prayers. Pray for their transition and for God to settle the kids into their new families.

QUOTES FROM THE KIDS

The kids were amazed when they saw their beds for the first time. Most had never slept in a bed before; if they had, it was with 4 people in one single bed. Upon seeing their beds, the children exclaimed, "Mama, you mean I get to sleep in this big bed all by myself? I don't have to share with someone else?" They really couldn't believe it and asked multiple times. The next day when their new dad asked how they slept, one child answered, "I slept so well. Do you think I can sleep in that bed again tonight?" The dad happily replied it's HIS bed and he gets to sleep in it every night. "Every night?" the boy repeated in wonder. It seems that no matter how many times we tell them these things, they just can't wrap their minds around them. After bathing the first night, one girl tried to give her towel back to her new mom. Her mom told her it was her towel and she could keep it.. "You mean it's mine forever and I never had to give it back?" For children who have never owned a single possession before, the events of this first day were pretty mind-blowing.

THE WELCOME

There was no question that there was cause to rejoice as three cars loaded with children arrived at the Children's Home. The cars were honking, the staff were singing and tears of joy flowing. One by one, the children piled out of the cars with eyes wide in wonder; they had no idea what to think of this huge celebration all in their honor. They had been abandoned and forgotten their whole lives and now here they were, the guests of honor at the celebration of a lifetime! They stood behind the rope we had tied with streamers until the singing finished, and then one little girl got the privilege of cutting the string! Immediately, their new parents and grandparents were brought forward and introduced to them. It will be a moment that I'm sure neither parent nor child will forget. In an instant, the course and future of each life was changed forever. 14 orphans are now blessed children with loving parents and families. Four childless couples are now proud parents of 14 children-and still expecting!
And we were blessed to witness the hope of a future captured in the first hug shared between parent and child.

PICKING UP THE KIDS

I had the amazing opportunity to ride with the Kipkaren school head-master and pick up the children from their current homes. Together, we brought the children to their new home. What an experience! I expected the children to shed a few tears and show signs of fear as they left the familiar and headed to a new home. But that was far from the case. Instead, the children greeted us with huge smiles and tons of excitement. One small boy saw our car a long way off, came running towards us at full
speed and jumped into the car. He was ready to leave! My heart broke as many of the kids left their homes with no more than the tattered clothes on their backs. Barefoot and empty-handed, the children piled into the car, not knowing where they were going, but hoping that wherever it was, it was better than what they were leaving. If the children already had homes, why bring them to ours? All of the children are full orphans, which means that both parents have died. Most have been living with elderly grandparents, with relatives, or with neighbors. None of the guardians were able to meet the children's needs and were desperate for help.

Receiving Jesus

History was made in Kenya and heaven and earth will never be the same. God's Kingdom was brought to earth and lives were forever changed. On July 7th, the Kipkaren Children's Home officially opened, and received its first
14 children. Tears glistened in our eyes as the Kipkaren parents welcomed the children into their new homes. In a matter of minutes, each child went from being a destitute orphan to being the son or daughter of a loving couple. The fatherheart of God touched these "fatherless," and we were left speechless and moved. The night before the children arrived, ELI Director David Tarus exhorted us, "Prepare to receive Jesus tomorrow. We are not receiving orphans. These children are no longer orphans; they are children who belong to a family. Jesus proclaimed that whenever we receive a little child in His name, we
receive Him. Prepare to receive Jesus tomorrow." With that encouragement, some of the staff went to the kids' rooms that
night to pray for each child, and to anoint each bed with perfume. I decided to visit the rooms early the next morning. I found myself singing over each bed. "Come, Lord Jesus, come . . ." Jesus was born in a manager because there was no room for him at the inn. Many of these children have been sleeping in 'mangers' their entire lives, and have never slept in a bed. "Oh Jesus," I prayed, "I know you've been rejected in the past, but there is room for you here. Come, Jesus, come, we're ready to receive you."

Please pray for...

Sorry, I realized that I’ve been so busy updating you all on everything that’s been happening here, that I’ve forgotten to send you prayer requests. Here are some things I would love for you to cover in prayer and take before the throne of God.

For me:
1. That God would really set me free from the stress I live under, and the pressure I put on myself to “accomplish” a ton of things each day. I am living in a culture that places their value on “being” rather than ‘doing.” I am realizing that I don’t know how to “be” very well. I feel stress when I’m just sitting and not “accomplishing” something. I really want God to break this yoke that I carry. I want to learn from the Kenyans how to relax, how to just be, how to value relationships, and how to not be a slave to the clock. This is going to have to be a big God-thing. I’m just so programmed to feel guilty if I’m not being “productive” (whatever that word means).
2. That God would show me who I am. This goes along with the whole learning to “be” thing. A little bit ago, I was visiting the home of one of my Kenyan friends. After a while, I said that I needed to leave to go do some work on my computer. She looked at me and said, “Kierra, you are ever working. You don’t know how to relax do you?” I said no and asked if she could help me. She said, “Yes, I need to help you because I don’t even think you know who you are. You don’t have time to know who you are. All you know is your work.” Wow, she totally nailed it! Her words hit home so strongly and I realized that I don’t know who I am when I’m just sitting; just being. I find my identity in what I do, and so when I’m not “doing” anything, I’m not sure who I am. I know that my worth and identity do not come from what I do, but that’s where I’ve been finding it. I’m excited to embark on this journey of learning who I am in Christ apart from all my work and ministry. Please pray for me during this process.
3. That God would grant me a lot of wisdom as I host these teams. I have a lot of decisions to make each day and I’m realizing that I really don’t like making decisions. The responsibility of being in charge of their time here is a heavy one for me to carry and it’s a bit overwhelming at times. Pray for me as I learn to surrender the teams into God’s hands and let Him carry the responsibility instead of me. And pray for His peace, wisdom, and discernment to fill me as I lead these teams and plan their time here.
4. Continue to pray for my health! So far, God has been so faithful in this area!!! Please pray that the good health continues. I have begun drinking the filtered water here instead of bottled water because we just can’t always get to town to buy the bottled stuff. It makes me a bit nervous, but just keep praying for God’s protection over the water, and over all the food that I’ve been eating out in the community as I visit people’s homes. Also, continue to pray against malaria. Even though I’m taking an anti-biotic to fight it, it doesn’t provide complete protection.

For the village of Chepsaita: Pray against the bondage of alcohol. Chepsaita is a new village located about an hour from Kipkaren. Our Anti-Alcohol team, and Home Based Care Team started working in this village about 7 weeks ago. We are traveling there weekly to start programs and bring the hope of Christ. In Chepsaita, please:
1. Pray for Tom. On the AA team’s first visit to CHepsaita, they met Tom. Tom was an alcoholic, but after listening to their testimonies, he told them he wanted to quit drinking and to be free. He hasn’t taken a drink since that day and is exstatic to now be 7 weeks sober. Pray that God continues to give him the strength to stay sober. God is raising Tom up as a leader in Chepsaita, and as an amazing example to the rest of the community. Many others are looking at him and gaining hope that they too can become sober and free. Pray that God continues to use Tom in a mighty way to change his community.
2. Pray for John. I met John on Monday at the AA meeting in Chepsaita. At 60-years-old and a life-long alcoholic, John listened to our message and the testimonies, and decided to give up drinking. We counseled and prayed with him and are excited to follow-up with him next week to see how his first sober week went. Pray that God gives him the strength and will-power to resist alcohol each day this week. Pray that Holy Spirit takes control of his body and mind as he fights the urges.
3. Pray for Louise. Louise is John’s wife. When we visited her home, she was ecstatic that her husband committed to give up drinking. She told us that her husband is not a nice man when he is drunk. But the problem is that Louise brews alcohol. Their home is the village brewery and this is the method she has found to feed her children. She doesn’t want to brew alcohol. She doesn’t want drunk men hanging around her house and children, she doesn’t want more drunk men to rape her daughter, but she fears starvation if she were to quit. After talking and praying with her though, she’s ready to try. She’s ready to step out in faith, to try selling a few things in the market, and to quit brewing. Pray that God gives her the strength and courage to follow-though on this decision. Pray that He provides for her family in miraculous ways this week. Pray for healing and restoration for this broken family.
4. Pray for Solomon and Kennedy. These two young boys are addicted to alcohol and cigarettes. Both want our help to quit. Solomon burned his cigarettes while we were with him on Monday and both plan to meet with Tom throughout the week for accountability and Bible-study. Pray that God sets them free from this bondage and gives them the strength to resist their addictions.



“Our AA team burning Solomon’s cigarettes.”

Finding the Living Water!

“If you had asked me, I would have given you living water… And the water I give takes away thirst altogether.” John 4:10,14. Jesus spoke these words to a Samaritan woman over 2000 years ago, and His offer still stands for all thirsty people today. Five present day “Samaritan” women found this living water at our training center this past week, and I am excited to tell you the story.

At an AIDS campaign that we put on a few months ago, the ELI staff met some women who were living as prostitutes. One of them grabbed our director’s arm and said, “Ok, I’ve been tested. I know that I have HIV, and I don’t want to spread it anymore, but I don’t have any other way to feed my children. I don’t know what else to do. You have to help me.” Thus began a relationship with six very special ladies. It started in some local bars. We wanted to start where they felt comfortable. Slowly, they began to share their stories with us, and our hearts broke. As trust developed, the meetings moved from the bars to our training center, where the women have been coming every Wednesday for a time of devotion, prayer, and business development skills. For the first time ever, these women have been encouraged to dream of a new life. We are helping them dream of new possibilities for feeding their children, and hope is sprouting. After a three-day training here, each woman came up with her own business proposal, and we are now praying and working through the endless barriers and logistics of them.

But even more important than business skills, these “Samaritan Women” as we call them, are feeling the love of Christ for the first time. They are hearing the Gospel and are finding dignity, acceptance, and value once again. I think that initially, the women continued to come to our center each week simply from intrigue. “Why are these people so committed to helping us?” “What is this love that I experience every time I’m around them?” “Why do they want to be friends with us when everyone else in society as rejected and labeled us?” Slowly, they have learned that the answer is simply Jesus. Jesus loves them, sees them, knows their past, understands their pain, and wants to offer them living water. What a blessing to walk this journey with them the past two months!

I have seen their tears of joy as we visited them in their homes (homes that no one else in the community would ever be caught dead visiting). I have loved sharing the Bible with them and watching them learn who God truly is. I rejoiced that day that shyly admitted that they didn’t have Bibles, but would like to own one so that they might continue to read about God on their own. And, my heart has danced as I watched new hope shine in their eyes as they began to believe that another life is possible! But nothing in this journey compares to last Saturday.

The day began as we welcomed the five ladies to our training center in the morning for a day of special fun. After singing and a devotion about the time that Jesus washed His disciples feet, we proceeded to wash the feet of each woman. I think that everyone in the room was near tears. The women kept saying, “No one has ever done anything like this for us before.” Each woman then get a foot massage and pedicure, along with one-on-one counseling and prayer, and business advice for their new proposals. AND, each woman heard the gospel message. At this point, they didn’t even need an invitation- all of them asked US if they could give their lives to God. All five women found the living water that day, and heaven and earth rejoiced. At the end of the day, I presented a Bible to each lady with verses already highlighted throughout. They kissed the Bibles and hugged me tightly. Each woman knew that she now had a mighty weapon to take with her as she entered the battle at home again. With their new swords in hand, the women bid us farewell and promised that they would see us in church the next day.

And sure enough, they came! They walked the 4 miles to church and greeted us excitedly as they arrived. What joy to sit with them in church and watch them raise their hands and worship their new found Savior with all their hearts. And what joy to meet with them this past Wednesday for our weekly meeting. This time during the devotion time, EVERYONE shared. Each woman shared a scripture that had touched her during the past five days. Though the days had been rough for many, and the battle raged strong at home, each woman had stayed strong and was finding strength and hope in God’s word. One said, “When I arrived at church on Sunday, I felt God’s Holy Spirit fill me, and as soon as I got home, I just started reading. I didn’t want to waste anytime.” Another said, “I’ve been so happy the past five days because I never had a sword before. I have been in a battle, but never had a sword to fight with. Now I do!”

The battle ahead is still a big one. The obstacles in the way of these new business proposals are many. It’s hard not to lose hope that they will ever be a reality. But I know that God did not lead them through the Red Sea to let them die in the wilderness. Yes, the giants in the way of entering the promised land are huge, but our God is greater. And we trust that he will lead us into that promised land, providing manna for today until we reach there. I often think, “Lord, we are still so far from getting these businesses started, so what are these women going to eat today?” But He reminds me again and again that He is the God who provided water from a rock, and manna in the wilderness to care for the children of Israel, and He will do the same for these women today. Please pray for us as we journey through this wilderness, seeking entrance to the promised land flowing with milk and honey. Pray for ideas from above, and for miraculous doors to open. We need a miracle. We need the walls of Jericho to come tumbling down. And the women need strength for today. They need food for their children today. They need protection from the attacks of the enemy today.

Thank you for your prayers! And thank you for walking this journey with me!

Amazed by Him,
Kierra