June News - Mary Rides a Motorbike

Hello again everybody. We are so happy to report that our Sunday Service this week was one to remember. For quite some time we've been invited to attend church at the site of one of the Nursery Schools we started and support. It is in a village called Chedawa. When invited, I always asked "can we drive there" and the answer always came back "no", so we had not attempted it. Mary and I are strong, but in our seventies are not confident about hiking any real distance through the bush country of Africa. Finally last week we were told the villagers had made a good road to Chedawa, and had actually built a little church. So finally, even though we were skeptical, on June 28th, we agreed to go.
So off we went in the trusty Land Cruiser. The road the built was pretty good and passable until just about a half a kilometer from the village. It was obvious I could go no further without risking severe damage to the Cruiser so we got out and began walking. We only went a short way and it became obvious that Mary would need to rest. She has breathing problems somtimes and this exertion in the heat and dust of the 'bush' was getting to her. One of the pastors had a motorbike so he agreed to give Mary a ride the rest of the way if she would just hop on the back. So..... here is a picture of my darling wife, a 74 year old grandmother riding through he African bush on the back of a motorbike- you just don't see that everyday!The name of the village, CHEDAWA, has interesting origins. "Che" is Pokot for a tree whose bark is harvested for medicine. "Dawa" is Swahili for medicine. At one time, this village was known for making whisky and beer, but once the villagers found the found the Lord the whisky makers had to leave. Now, several years later a Lutheran church and our little church are there.

Kamaketto MISSION HOUSE PRAYER

Father, we thank you for all you have done and all you will do though the ministries of HIM to the POKOT people and the pastors and missionaries who are associated with us and all who will be associated with us. Thank you for the completion of the MISSION HOUSE. This is your work, not ours. We put our hands to the plow, but we know it is you who gives us the strength , endurance and support to accomplish anything at all. We dedicate this house to your work, Father. May all who stay here feel the presence and power of God Almighty. Let your work through our hands bear fruit and multiply souls to the Kingdom of God. In Jesus name, Amen.

Many come to Celebrate

A crowd of local people came to the dedication. Some walked for many miles to be there. It is a testimony to the Lord to have the Mission House completed

Mission House in KAMAKETTO

The Mission House at Kamaketto was dedicated this last Sunday. What a glorious day it was with over 250 people showing up to sing and praise the Lord for the work He has done through the ministry of HIM. Thank you all who believed in this project and donated funds to complete it. With this house we will be able to sleep in a building away from the bugs and animals that have such easy access in a tent. Working witness teams will also have a room to sleep in when in the "Bush". Here you can see Leory and Mary with some of the Pastors of HIM praying and praising God at the celebration.

Dear Friends, Here is our new LOGO!

The symbol represents

• A ministry for PEOPLE


• we reach up to PRAISE and SEEK the Lord


• we worship God in three persons the FATHER, SON and HOLY SPIRIT


• Jesus wears the CROWN as He is and always will be The LORD OF LORDS and KING of KINGS

We are working of getting our web site constructed and I am so excited to see it completed! The web site will allow friends to see much more basic information about the ministry; the history of HIM, who we are, our goals and projects, pictures of the ministry, our beliefs, and so on. It will also allow people to donate with credit cards as well as Pay Pal. All of this and much more will be available on the web site. Simultaneously we are editing the videos that were taken on the last trip to West Pokot to create tools to use in keeping our supporters informed about the progress made with the POKOT people. All of this should be done in the next few months. I expect the web site to be completed and on line in 4 weeks or so. When it is done, you will see the address posted here. It may also be that the BLOG will be moved to the web site. we will let you all know. May God richly bless you

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.