Pokot Hut

I wanted to post this photo to show how the people we are minister to live. This is a primitive area, and the people here live a modest existence. H.I.M. provides spiritual guidance, church building, evangelism, seed in times of drought, food for the hungry, education for the children, and the Love of Christ in their lives.

Pictures of the Mission House

Dear Friends, I know some of our supporters might wonder why it is so important for us to build a Mission House in Kamaketto. I thought it would be helpful to explain , even as we post pictures of the almost complete house. When Ruthann & I were first in the area, Leroy and Mary loaded us up in the Land Cruiser and took us to the "bush"; the area of the villages in West Pokot . It took us 4 hours of travel, over roads that are mainly up and down mountains, through river beds, and over rocks and deterioration that would challenge the most rugged of Alaskans. It is in this area that the ministry takes place, and the ministry is effective. Now 18 churches, 4 pre schools, transportation for the sick, seed for the farmers and food for the starving is provided. Plans are underway to support the many pastors and Evangelists in this region with ongoing training and teaching in the Bible and doctrine. All this means we must spend time in the "bush". In this region the people live in mud huts that are often no bigger than 10' X 12' - and their entire family lives in there. We have nowhere to sleep without the Mission House.

Even with the Mission House , living there is rustic. No running water, no electricity and no heat or air conditioning. We cook on a propane cook stove, and drinking water is gathered from a rain barrel, from runoff on the roof. In this region it can get over 100f in the day and cold at night in the winter months. We also pray that working witness teams will be led to come form the Churches who support this work. When they come - we need a place for them to sleep off the ground and away from the snakes and insects. We praise the Lord that the Mission House is almost done! Mike.

May Newsletter part 2

The village sits very high on Mt. Kaptoloma. The recent rains have made the roads almost impassable. Some of the vehicles we saw on the way down had to give up and turn around. But our old trusty Land Cruiser took us up there and back. But I worry what its doing to our vehicle. it’s the only way we have to get around. If we tear it up we could never walk that far to minister to them. Please pray that the Lord will provide in case it does break down. The recent rains are doing a great job on the maize fields, at this point in time it looks like there will be an abundant harvest on the mountains. Rain has come in the lower regions now and some have been able to replant their crops that had dried up earlier. When we did get home Sunday afternoon we had people waiting on us.Some just wanted to talk but some were needing medication for sore eyes and one lady was very ill so we brought her to the doctor in Makatano today. Understand, we are not complaining. We just praise God for using us to serve his people. I know his rewards to us when we do get to that home in the sky will make it all worth while. We love all of you, Leroy and Mary

May - Letter from Leory part 1

Hello Everyone,

Well, another month has almost rolled by. We just returned from Pokot bush country. Didn’t intend to come back today but a lady from Mt. Koroko got very ill. So we brought her to a Doctor at Makatono. That’s about forty miles from Kitale. Have no idea what was wrong with her, but she sure didn’t navigate very well. Think she rode most of the way with her head on Mary’s shoulder. We pray to God that what she has is not catching. A week ago Saturday we helped the pastors build a shelter at Kaseito to hold services with some protection from the weather. They seemed very pleased with the efforts that went into building it. We are just about done with the Mission House at Kamaketto. We are building a storage unit there now. It will house our tools and be a place for our guard to stay when it rains. The fonda’s (carpenters) are also finishing the painting on the house. We would like to have a dedication service to give it to the Lord, don’t know when that will be. I still need to set the water tanks to catch water off the roof. We have a water purification system that Crossroads Church brought us. I want to get it set up and to working off a solar system that Crossroads also furnished us with. The well at Kamaketto is working good but the water looks dirty to me. We will test it next week and see if it is good to use. We don’t use it for anything but to wash with, but I am afraid it might make someone sick. We plan to start moving into our headquarters house next week. We have already taken the shower house over there. I don’t want to be in the fonda’s way so I just haul water and sand, then bring the building material down from the Kitale area. We attended church Sunday at Mkongor, it’s a new church we started under the trees. The people built a shelter (like a brush arbor), it just protects them from the sun, so we took a big tarp the Hervey’s had bought for them to put over it for rain protection. We have some heavy plastic to make a windbreak until the Good Lord provides funds to build them a church building. The people were very happy to get the tarp, they testified for a long while about the goodness of the Lord. Kisamoi gave his testimony and led them in a praise song in the Pokot language. We couldn't understand the words but I am sure God enjoyed it. After the service we went to a pastors hut for lunch. Just a mud hut with a thatch grass roof, we had ten people in there while the Mama’served us chicken and rice and beans. Then we had chi to drink and that’s African style too. Its tea with lots of hot milk and enough sugar to almost call it syrup. It was a good day in the Lord.

Kamaketto Mission House

The Mission house at Kamaketto is almost done. The building is all block, three rooms with a porch. The roof is made of corrugated metal. You see the workers pictured here on the front porch; temporarily, the congregation of Kamaketto will be using the poach to have church. Eventually we believe the funds to build a church on the grounds will be provided. This house will provide two bedrooms, a kitchen, an outhouse, and a bathhouse with sun heated water for a shower. In faith, we are preparing for working witness teams, pastors, and other mission groups who will be staying in the mission house while working to spread the Gospel in West Pokot. When Leory and Mary are in the "bush" (which is most of the time) they will stay here. Is is so much safer and better than staying in a tent.

The church and community provided the sand, hauled the rocks for the foundation, and helped as they could with the construction. The Kamaketto cheif and the people of the community have given H.I.M. 15 acres of land to use as a mission headquarters in West Pokot. Here, along with the Mission House, we are asking the Lord to provide funds for the church, a storage building, the outhouse, a shower house, and a screen porch to keep out of the weather (and mosquitoes) and meet with elders and community folks.

We need your help! While buildings are very basic with no indoor plumbing, heat or air conditions (no electricity!) -the block, corrugated metal, windows, doors, cement and labor to build them costs money. If the Lord moves on you to provide funds, you can be certain that we are able to stretch every dollar as far as possible. We believe the church can be built for around $15,000 in US dollars. Please pray and give as you can. Mike and Ruthann are also available to speak to your church or to individuals about the ministry and how you can help. call Mike at 907-841-8224.

BUV - Utility Vehicle

David has been crippled all of his life. He works in a clinic in Kamilla, one of the most remote villages H.I.M. works with. He also works to Pastor the church there. For more than 20 years, David has moved around with the aid of a modified bicycle which uses his hands and arms, rather than his feet and legs, to move the chain around and turn the wheels. There are times, however, that he needs to go from one village to another and move medical supplies around. Now he can do it in a motorized vehicle supplied through the ministry.

We delivered the BUV to Kamilla yesterday some photos of HAPPY DAVID! BUV was donated by Ward Brehm in Minnesota. Thank you Ward for your generosity in the Lord.

Seeds for Planting, crops coming up!

Dear Friends,

Leroy just sent me this photo and I had to get it up on the BLOG right away. Two great churches; Church on the Rock in Wasilla, Alaska, and Crossroads Community Church in Palmer, Alaska donated almost $3,000 for seed. Due to years of drought, the farmers in the remote villages of West Pokot did not even have seed to plant, and no money to buy any. We are praying that the rain will be sufficient to mature these crops. You will never know the hundreds and hundreds of families, men women and little children that are thanking God and praying for their Christian brothers and sisters in America. You are a blessing!