How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach UNLESS THEY ARE SENT? ...So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 10:14–15a, 17
It’s Thursday afternoon in Nairobi, where I arrived late last night for a short visit. Tomorrow, Missionary Bruce Naumann and Pastor Jeremia will arrive from Tanzania. Together, we'll travel to the Kisii area for meetings and worship with the KCLC congregations in Etago and Chotororo. Our discussions will primarily focus on organizational and leadership matters with the Etago congregation and the CLC Kinship supported School in Etago.
We will be traveling Northeast from Kisii County with pastors, leaders, and delegates from the Etago and Chotororo congregations to attend the KCLC convention in Soy. This convention will gather pastors, leaders, and delegates from the KCLC in the Kisii, Moi's Bridge, and Kitale areas. During the convention, church officers will be elected, and there will be discussions on proposed amendments and edits to the constitution. Missionary Naumann and I will also have the opportunity to conduct ongoing pastoral training seminars.
If everything goes according to schedule, I'll be back in the U.S. to attend my son and daughter-in-law's college graduation from ILC!
Your prayers for wisdom, love, patience, provision, cooperation, along with good health and travels for everyone involved, are requested and much appreciated.
I have one full day in Kathmandu before my flight home tomorrow (Tuesday, December 17) morning. Ruju and I parted ways yesterday when I flew to Kathmandu, and he returned to his family in Chitwan. We've done this for the past few years, so he doesn't need to spend another three or four days on the road and away from his family and the work. I've been here enough times that I'm comfortable navigating this country and Kathmadu on my own. My typical routine includes visiting a couple of my favorite places to eat and staying at a decent but inexpensive hostel with good Wi-Fi. It's also a plus that the hostel is just a short walk to a small tea and spice shop where I buy Beth's favorite Nepali chili flakes.
This morning, I'm just hanging out at the hostel, making good use of their free Wi-Fi, writing reports for the Board of Missions and the Kinship Committee. Later this afternoon, I will meet with Rajan to discuss the Kinship Cheli Project he directs, which assists and protects young at-risk girls from marginalized tribes and villages in the Himalayan hills outside of Chitwan. And this afternoon, I'll probably slip out and find a few small gifts to bring back for the grandkids.
This visit was about a week shorter than usual due to a couple of additional visits to Liberia and Pakistan that needed to be scheduled. But thanks to Raju's good planning, it was a productive visit that was highlighted by opportunities to preach the Good News at Himalayan-CLC (HCLCN) congregations, teaching a course on the "The Grace of God and the Doctrine of Election" at the Himalayan Bible Institute (HBI), leading a study on "Worship" at the HCLCN Pastoral Conference, and meetings to discuss future plans and opportunities. We also had a Pre-Christmas celebration with the HCLCN pastors and HBI students as we considered God's message to the shepherds: "There is born to YOU this day, in the City of David, a SAVIOR, who is CHRIST the LORD!"
In addition to the work (that doesn't really seem like work...more like a privilege!), I always appreciate the blessing of spending time with my dear friends and co-workers, the Bhitrakoti family. The other special blessing is the opportunity to stand in awe of God's beautiful creation with incredible views of the tallest mountains in the world, the Himalayas! It just never gets old!
Praise the Lord for another safe and productive visit to Nepal and HCLCN!
I'm looking forward to being home in a few days and then traveling to Michigan to celebrate our Savior's birth with our grandkids (for the first time) as they use their beautiful voices to proclaim the Good News on Christmas Eve.
Prayers to the LORD for safe and uneventful travels are requested and much appreciated!
Oh...and Happy Birthday Mom!!!
Raju Making Announcements at the HBI
Raju Making Announcements at the HBI
Teaching the at Himalayan Bible Institute
Pastor Raju Welcoming the HCLCN Pastors and HBI Students to the Conference
Pastor JB Delivering the Opening Devotion
Teaching with Raju Translating at the Conference
Lunch wth Raju, Sanju, Rajan, and Anu at the HCLCN Conference
Raju and Sanju
Raju, Sanju, Jordan, and Joshua at Jordan's School Program
It's been more than ten years since the first and last time I visited our brothers and sisters in Christ in Kenya. With Pastor/Missionary Mike Gurath faithfully serving this mission field, and so many other places to visit, I haven't had the opportunity to go back...until now. I've been looking forward to going back, putting faces to names again, and getting re-acquainted with the pastors, leaders, teachers, and congregations in the Kisii and Moi's Bridge area. These are two areas in Kenya where the CLC supports elementary schools through Kinship and where we work to assist in training more faithful preachers and teachers of the truths of God's saving Word.
I'll be traveling with retired CLC teacher Ted Quade, who also serves as the chairman of the CLC-Kinship Committee. He recently accepted a divine call from the Lord through the CLC-Board of Missions to serve as the Christian School Instructor Supervisor. This will be Ted's second trip to Kenya, but his first serving in this new role. This is primarily a fact-finding trip for Ted to assess the needs and discuss how he can best serve.
Ted and I will meet up at the airport in Minneapolis and then travel together through Paris and then to Nairobi. We'll have a quick overnight in Nairobi before heading north to Kitale by rented car and driver. In Kitale, we have a busy week planned meeting with the teachers, pastors, and leaders of the Emmaus Millimani School and the local congregation in Moi's Bridge. We also have meetings lined up with pastors from Uganda and South Sudan who will come to Kitale.
This trip also presents a long-overdue opportunity for the final face-to-face CLC colloquy review with Pastor Calvin Luvisha. He has been studying theological courses by correspondence with Pastors Mike Gurath and Paul Nolting for several years and is now ready for the next step. President Eichstadt has asked Ted and me to represent the CLC for this final phase of the colloquy process. Pastor Luvisha has recently completed the colloquy correspondence via email with Pastor Paul Nolting and is excited to formally apply for fellowship with the CLC and the CLC-Kenya. Representatives of the CLC-Kenya will also be with us to review.
Ted will also be meeting with and working with the staff at the school to find ways to improve communication and develop a program to provide more thorough Biblical Christian training for both the students and the teaching staff of the school. This is the real purpose of Ted's call...to assist our brothers and sisters in Christ of the two schools that we help to support to faithfully teach the truths of God's saving Word to the little children that the Lord has given them the opportunity to teach.
After about a week in the Kitale area, we will head southwest to the Kisii area, where St. David's Kinship Academy is located near Etago. We will spend our time there meeting and working with the teachers, pastors, and leaders of the school and local congregation to help develop a program like the one mentioned above.
It will be a busy couple of weeks. We hope to accomplish much for the Lord's kingdom with His blessings. Your prayers for safe and uneventful travel and a productive two weeks in Kenya are requested and much appreciated.
