"May the God of hope fill you with all joy
and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may trust in Him with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" Romans 15:13
ASANTE
SANA! (Swahilli) OSHAY OLANG! (Maa) THANK YOU!
As you sowed seed into the Kingdom by sending us to Africa this summer,
you have brought hope to many widows and to those we ministered to in Kenya. God's work is going forward because
of your partnership with us. We thank you for helping us help others.
Our time was very busy as we accomplished all
that we were sent out to do, by God's grace.
Al was able to purchase two new Singer foot pedal sewing machines in Nairobe.
He bargained successfully (not his cup of tea, but necessary in Africa) and bought them at a very good price, which left more
funds available for buying fabric and sewing supplies.
During our time in Nairobi, we met with the Pastors at Nairobi Pentecostal
Church. This is a very large, dynamic church of 10,000 members. Al had the opportunity to deliver a message of
hope at their mid-week service, based on the above scripture. It was a very timely message as Kneya has experienced
a major drought for nearly 2 years and it is causing many hardships. The entire city of Nairobi experienced rotating
power blackouts due to the lack of water necessary for the generators to produce enough electricity. The home where
we stayed only had electricity every other day for a few hours. As a result, daylight became a precious commodity!
The
Maasai, a nomadic tribe who's lives depend on their cattle had sparse grasslands for their livestock to graze, so
they had to travel hundreds of miles from the bush in order to find green pastures. It was quite a remarkable site to
see herds of emaciated cattle grazing in the city parks, creating huge traffic jams as they crossed major arteries in downtown
Nairobi.
Their desperate "out of bounds" grazing
also started tribal wars as the Maasai encroached on the Kikuyu's property, where they had no grazing rights.
Food
shortages resulting form this unusual drought also caused the Maasai to suffer from famine. The pastors at NPC have
invited us to return to Kenya at a future date with a medical team who can minister to health and nutritional needs of this
unique and wonderful tribe whom we love so much. Please pray for much needed rain to fall upon Kenya.
We left
the City life behind and headed out to the Bush, stopping along the way to buy big bags of maize to distribute to the
the Maasai widows.
We ministered in Naikkara, a Maasai village where Al set up the sewing machines on the porch
of the Pastors home. His students, 6 widows, eagerly showed up for their first sewing lessons and boy did they catch
on quickly! The bright smiles on their faces as they completed their first project (tote bags) could have lit
up the sky! Then they tackled a repair job on a pair of jeans for Dr. Marty Graber, the missionary Doctor who hosted
us. Marty paid them 100 Keny Shillings for the repair and the woman were excited to experience first-hand how these
machines can provide a means of support for them. Please pray that a leader will rise up and supervise the continuation
of this worth while project as the Maasai are a very innocent, generous people who want to give everything away. (Except
cattle)
The drought also caused wild elephants to stray from the game reserves and invade the property of the Maasai in Naikkara.
The Maasai are normally not farmers, but warriors and herdsman. Anna, a beautiful Maasai believer, had learned that
people who plant crops are able to feed their children. Since Anna had 6 children to feed she single handedly planted
an enormous corn crop, which became the family's main source of food. She also planted a small shamba (garden) with kale,
collards carrots and other vegetables.
Anna invited us to her mud hut for a cup of Keny Chai (tea) and sadly showed
us where an elephant had come the night before and totally destroyed her corn crop. It was a devastating loss for
the family. Amazingly, the elephant had not bothered the shamba. Gail prayed that God would place a protective
shield around her garden and keep the elephants from eating the rest of her few remaining crops.
A few days later Anna
appeared as we were getting ready to depart Naikkara to return home. She carried a large bag and handed it to Gail.
Inside were two huge head of Kale, which Anna said was a thank you gift for Gail. She excitedly told how the
elphant had returned during the night. When Anna heard him she went outside and saw hime enter her property, stop in
his tracks, looked at the shamba, then immediately turn around and retreat back into the bush without demaging any crops!
Her sacrificial offering of Kales humbled us and brought tears to our eyes. Knowing how great here family's needs
were and not wanting to insult her, We gratefully accepted her gift gently explaining that we were not allowed to bring
plants on the plane. We presented it back to her as a gift for her family to eat that night in celebration
of God's goodness and provision. Pray that the Lord will restore all that the locusts have stolen from Anna's
vine.
Thank you again for your prayers, support and encouragement. May God bless you abundantly as you
have blessed His Kingdom. "Your name is known through out the Earth, O God. You are praised everywhere
for the salvation you have scattered throughout the world" PS 48:10
In His service together,
Al & Gail Barrett
