Bwanabob

3/31/2

Dear Friends,

We are doing fine and thankful for recent rains in Turkana District. It is much cooler and the boys actually wore sweat shirts over their uniforms to
school today.

On Saturday night a drunken Kikuyu policeman shot and injured two local Turkanans, or so we’ve been told. A mob went to the local police station seeking justice but as is common here and in other third world countries, “justice” is only served to a select few. The mob left the police station without satisfaction and as they passed through town they broke windows and damaged vehicles on Saturday night. On Sunday after church we passed through town, but right after passing through town people began attacking Kikuyu shops and businesses.

Today, Monday morning we are hearing that again there is tension in town and most shops are closed for fear of what may happen next.

We have scheduled a seminar at the Bible Institue this week and are expecting about 60 church leaders and pastors. Please pray that there will be peace in Lodwar town and that we may be able to encourage and uplift the work of our Lord Jesus even in a weary land. We are staying home until our pastors have a chance to look around town and let us know when it will be safe to go to the Bible Institute. If nothing else I can always walk around the outside of town over to the Bible Institute so that we can carry on.

From what we hear of the rest of Kenya everything is peaceful, but the politicians are too busy dividing the spoils in Nairobi to deal with fallout from violence in December and January.

On a positive note, the pastors completed another month of Bible Institute classes on their own. They also disposed of a minor land dispute at our Bible Institute compound this week. They dealt with it in a very traditional way. The students began building the fence along our boundery where survey beacons had already been set when we bought the plot. Then two younger pastors waited for the neighbor to come and complain, which he did. The pastors explained their side of the land dispute and asked the neighbor if he wanted to take the matter to the chief which he did, the whole time the young men continued to build the fence. Once the chief arrived and saw the fence being built within the survey markers the chief ruled in our favor and asked the neighbor why he wanted to stir up trouble, which then put the neighbor on the defensive for which he apologized and said that he would not be one to stir up trouble. The whole time the Bible Institute Dean and other older pastor were waiting in reserve if things couldn’t be handled by the younger pastors. Praise God for the wise men we work with, the entire plot is now fenced with chain link and the Turkana pastors have worked to claim the plot for the work of the Lord.

God bless you all,

In Christ, Bob Clark

3/1/2008

Dear Friends,

A couple of days ago the government and opposition agreed on a powersharing deal.  Everyone is feeling a great sense of relief now and we are very hopeful that both parties will follow through on the agreement made and we should pray to that end.  The atmosphere now is like everyone has exhailed after holding our breath for two months, it’s really a load off.

Last weekend I was able to visit three of our churches and help transport one of our Bible Institute graduates, his family and hosehold possesions to where he is planting a new church.  It was a good trip, I had two minor breakdowns along the way but got patched up and gimped along with the old Land Cruiser. The trip was over 300 miles on very bad roads, but we all survived and it was very encouraging to the Pastors and myself.

The young pastors name is Donald Loboko and the new church is in the village of Kainuk.  Some of our church members from other areas have lived there for years and have asked us to plant a church there, but it wasn’t until the Lord prepared and called Donald that we were finally able to follow through.  Please pray for Donald and the village of Kainuk.  It is very unsafe around the village because of the Pokot tribe coming steal animals and kill any Turkanans that  they catch in the bush.  The security in the bush areas of Turkana has been really bad since the government ceased to function a couple of months ago.  It  was like all those bent on causing mayhem and stealing in remote areas knew that the government of Kenya couldn’t even wipe its own nose, let alone take care of problems far into the bush.  So Pastor Donald will need prayer for safety and a heart to comfort and cousel those who loose family members and children to the Pokot raids.

We are getting ready today to go visit the church at Lopur, we’ll stay there tonight and Sunday night and then leave out on Monday morning for Eldoret. We hope to be an encouragement to the church in Lopur.

Please pray with us about a seminar we have planned for the first part of April.  We have invited all the pastors, their wives and two church Elders/leaders from each congregation.  We will generally be teaching on the charcteristics of a mature church, character of leaders and the importance of the churches to take hold of the work of missions.  We will take this seminar time to explain to all the pastors and church leaders that the Bible Institute is now in the hands of the local churches and if it is to be successful it needs each church’s backing.   Since all of the turmoil of the last couple of months most everyone here understands the importance of the local churches being the leaders in ministry.  We missionaries easily come and go, and whatever is built on us leaves with us.  What is built on Christ and is ministry of the local church will stand through anything.

Our family is doing well, this last week we’ve all had the flu and are still caughing and sniffling but I think we are on the downhill side of it.

God bless you all and thank you for your prayers.

In Christ, Bob Clark