Kenya Missions Update

3 August, 2004

Greetings in the Wonderful Name of our Lord, Jesus the Christ!

Since the last newsletter, our lives have been exciting and blessed. In the last newsletter, several of you could not read it, I am presently on a different computer and different program, so hopefully this letter will be readable, if not, please let me know.

Our permanent contact until December 21st is the following: Gafner’s, 1937 Minter Lane, Abilene, TX 79603-3225. Phone number: 325-677-3655. We have been blessed with a house that we are making into a home.

We have been blessed with two families making sure that our transportation needs are met while we are here in Abilene. We have been blessed with some families at the South and 11th Willis Church having a harambee (fund gathering) and rented a car for us to use on our 3,400 mile reporting trip. We still have two trips to make reporting, to Oklahoma and Phoenix.

LIFE ON THE ROAD

We reported to churches, individual families and got to visit with friends along the route. After two days of driving, we took one day and went to Noccalula Park in North East Alabama. They had a petting area for deer and domestic animals and also a reptile and amphibian exhibit. They also had the old time early settlers house/compound. It started to rain, so we headed to the school/church. Kirsten thought since it was a church we should do church. She started the songs and Ruth was to preach. A lady and her two children came in and a couple. So, I, Keith ended up preaching. Come to find out the couple had just come from the Sequoia mirror caverns, which we were going to go and visit next. It was wonderful to be inside that big hill! Cold as it was (60 degrees). Sam Houston signed the wall and it was also used by the Cherokee tribe.

We then went to Jellico, TN and enjoyed the Greeks and Meeks families. It rained and we got to see why they are called, The Smokey Mountains. The Greeks had just returned from Kenya, so it was good to get caught up on the news of home. They went with a group from the South and 11th Willis Church of Christ and others to work with the deaf Christians. On the way home, we stopped in Searcy, AR to visit the Tankersley and Cox families, also former teammates. A special treat was a trip to China, actually an informative point presentation from our friends who spent a year there teaching English at a college. They will be returning to China in August.

Kirsten and Ruth learned to swim at the swimming pools along the way. They watched other kids do things and they became brave enough to do it themselves. They can do all the floats and also jump into the water without fear. A family blessed us with specific monies to stay in nicer hotels as we journeyed. They were blessed, with a portable DVD player and several DVD movies to watch on the trip, loaned to us by a family.

As we got in the car to go on down the road, the girls would say, “are we going to Kenya now?”

The day before we were to take the car back, I asked Kirsten to come help me clean the car. On the way out, she was asked, “Where are we going now?” No where, we are here now. “When will we go to Kenya? Daddy, you know we have a lot of friends there!”

LIFE IN ABILENE

Trying to be blessings while we are here and teach the girls to serve others. We have as a family been able to help prune or do yard work in three yards. Now that the weather is hotter (Grace has thawed out from Michigan) we probably will do less of that until fall. Pray for Kathy, we have visited with her three times. She once was a Christian, fell away and now wants to come back to the Lord. But she, I think is having a hard time forgiving herself and just allowing the Lord to love her.

We have been blessed by a small TV/VCR/DVD player. The TV gets one channel, with no real good shows on it, so we won’t have to be tempted by it. But we can get great videos and DVD’s at the Abilene library.

Kevin and Susan Kehl, former teammates live here in Abilene. Kevin just came back from several days in Kenya, while there using our house and car. He brought us wonderful news and some very encouraging letters from home.

Ruth starts Rainbow School on the 9th. She will go on Monday/Wednesday/Thursday.
Kirsten starts at Johnston Elementary School on the 16th.
Classes will be audited at ACU which starts on the 23rd.

I have done some research and we hope to have a bit of fun while here as well. Most of the major events take place later in the year. Fun family things, like the West Texas Fair and the tractor pulling contest! Just kidding, don’t think the girls are going to like that!

We do want to say that we are Very Thankful to all who made our trip to be such a success and wonderful. Thanks to so many of you for putting us up in your homes and for so many who also blessed us in many other ways as we traveled or as we settled in our home here in Abilene. We really feel blessed and hope that we left some blessing with you as well.

All mankind will fear; they will proclaim the works of God and ponder what he has done. Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him; let all the upright in heart praise him!

Psalm 64:9,10

In Service to Christ,
Keith, Grace, Kirsten & Ruth