Bwanabob

2/29/2000

Dear Friends,

Everything went very well these past few weeks in Turkana. I’ve been very encouraged by growth in churches and the desire of pastors to evangelize. In Lodwar the church has only been meeting for about 6 months. In December they decided to meet in a rented storefront type building, 850 shillings – $11.50 per month. For December I paid most of the rent, but since then the church has paid the rent themselves, not coming to me asking for assistance. You might think this is no big deal, but a large part of our ministry is trying to get the churches to become self sufficient and indigenous, not looking to the missionary whenever there are problems or bills. Well, almost from the beginning this young church has started paying its own rent. Now they are wanting to buy a plot, they came to me and wanted me to negotiate for a very nice plot they found, I put the matter back to the church. Please pray for them as they work on this, the church is Berea Bible Baptist Church, Lodwar. Also, pray for me as I seek to assist them in buying a plot, but at the same time help them continue on the path of a strong indigenous church.

I traveled to Lopur last Saturday and visited with the pastor about getting a door for them, Termites ate the first two. Again, the church gave money for the door and I’ll have it made in Eldoret for a much better price and then take it to them. On Sunday I rode a bicycle to Juluk to visit our church there. Juluk is usually in the news at least once a month because the Pokot tribe raid there and steal cattle, sheep and goats. Every time they raid several Turkana herdsmen are killed or wounded. Anyway, they usually don’t raid in the morning while we hold services.

The church there is eager to build and so I’ve asked them to bring sand from the river to use making concrete. They have since carried about two tons of sand 1 mile from the river, one small bag at a time! Also, they have said they would make palm leaf mats and have me sell them in Eldoret, the proceeds going to help build the new building. Please pray for the Bible Baptist Church in Juluk! On the way back from Juluk the bicycle I was riding had a flat and the pastor didn’t bring his repair kit. So, it was a long walk through the desert back to where my truck was in Lorpur, about 6 miles. It’s been so encouraging to see the churches make efforts to do things themselves, please pray for me that I will keep every promise to assist them as well as encourage them to look to our Lord for every need.

I’m in Eldoret for two weeks to buy supplies, make repairs, prepare for Bible Institute week, a crusade and ladies meeting this month. The poor little truck I’m using gets beat to death on the road between Lodwar and Eldoret. One shock absorber mount has broken twice and now I’m working on brakes and tie-rod ends. Please pray for the Truck, it’s efficient but maybe a bit light for the roads in Turkana. I thank God for the motorcycle, it’s saving gas and wear on the truck.

Received a blessing this week in the form of pictures and newspapers from home; Crane, Missouri. It’s amazing how pictures of a barn full of cats, birthday gatherings and loved-ones can cheer you up. It’s also a blessing to read a hometown paper, knowing that folks in my home place still hold tightly to things like HONOR, unselfish service for community and country, JUSTICE and Christian values that we know make our lives joyful and content. Many times these commodities are in very short supply here and I become jaded to the hope that things can ever be better in Kenya. Somehow, just reading about peaceful life around my home place cheers me and I know that our community was built on a fear for God and His Word. That’s the starting place for Kenya.

Mungu akubariki — God bless y’all

In Christ, Bob Clark

2/24/2000

Dear Friends,

Just returned yesterday from southwest Turkana. I was able to visit churches at Lorugum and Kalemenyang, I also encouraged Christians in the villages of Loringipi, Lokipatet-Arengang and Neremit. This was the first time to use the motorcycle in the bush, all went well and I saved quite a bit on petrol. Some of the children called my helmet “yang au”- wild man-eating animal.

First, I went to the village of Lorogum and preached at the Sunday service. Eight people came and accepted Christ as their Savior! An older man was one of those who accepted Christ and the pastor of the church said it was a great blessing to see him saved. Many of the Christians from Lorogum had traveled to the village of Loringipi to mine for gold, (placer mining). So after the service at Lorogum the pastor and I traveled 55 kilometers up to Loringipi to try and visit them. Upon arriving we found that only a few were in the village and most were in the mountains working. We encouraged the Christians there and prayed with them hoping to come back for a longer stay in April. Loringipi is a different kind of village in Turkana. It is located 5 km. from the Uganda border and has members from four different tribes; Pokot, Turkana, Tepesi and Karamojong, all enemies. The only reason they live there in peace is so they will be able to extract the gold. While there we were told of a raid the night before where most are mining, no-one knew which tribe attacked but many suspected the Pokot. Since then we have heard there was much more fighting and the hospital in Lodwar has several wounded people from that area. Please pray that the area around Loringipi with calm down so that we can evangelize there. The Tepesi and Karamojong have had very little evangelizing and this would be a great opportunity for us to begin with them.

On Monday I traveled to the villages of Lokipatet-Arenang and Neremit. As far as I know our national pastor is the first one to hold regular meetings in those villages. Both of these villages are very primitive and only a few people spoke Swahili, the national language of Kenya. Yet in both places the Christians were eager to learn more about Christ and how God would have them to live. There were even some young men wanting to come and attend our Bible Institute in Lodwar, please pray for these young men that we can help them learn to read and teach their own people. In Neremit, an older man came to our service hiding one of his hands. Later the pastor told me he had injured it beating his wife for coming to the services there. He had since repented, accepted Christ and become a faithful believer! After we finished preaching I took what little medicine I had and treated the wounds on his hand. Please pray that he would heal up and continue to be a faithful Christian.

On Tuesday, I traveled to the village of Kalemenyang and visited the Church there. It is one of the oldest churches our mission has started in Turkana, but has really struggled in years past. We had about 20 adults attend the service and they seemed to be encouraged by our presence. One of our students at the Bible Institute is living there in the village, holding prayer meetings and working with the youth. After the service I met with a man who had bought the church garden from the former pastor. We discussed returning it to the church for the same price he had paid the pastor, 12 young, live goats, about $50 US. By the church having this small irrigated garden it will allow the future pastor to have a means of food and income there in the bush.

I finished up on Wednesday back at Lorogum encouraging the Christians to continue to trust the Lord even during famine. Some of our Christians are really suffering from the drought right now. Churches we fellowship with in the highlands of Kenya have begun sending food with me and I’m doing what I can to buy food for the churches I am working with. Please pray the Lord to give me wisdom in helping and also that He would give us opportunities to evangelize during this drought.

Everything is fine here in Lodwar. Our Bible Institute is doing well and the students seem to be studying their lessons. Please pray for one of our teachers, Pastor Thumbi, I believe he is suffering from high blood pressure, he thinks he has Malaria. Anytime a Kenyan gets sick he says he has Malaria, so pray we can get him checked out and that he will be able to continue with us. I now have a phone in Lodwar! From the time I made application to the time of connection was one week! I think it is a national record for installation. Another missionary here told me it took him 3 months to get a phone. My number is, 0393-21248 just in case you want to call.

God bless you all and thank you for your prayers.

In Christ, Bob Clark