Kenya Missions Update

March 15, 2006

Greetings in the Precious name of our Lord, Jesus the Christ!

Five weeks ago, I sent out our last newsletter. It is amazing how time flies. A lot has happened in that time. I hear that somehow the clock of a older person somehow moves faster than that same clock when they were younger. A week ago, I hit a marker in my life. Though 3 people guessed my age to be 40. The Bible says in Psalms 103:5b, “…so that your youth is renewed like the eagles.” I am here to tell you that every word in the Bible is true.

Yesterday the girls were skipping their way to school, so I being young of heart decided to join them for a ways. There is an advantage of having children older in life, as they keep you young!

Our neighbour lost her son a couple of weeks ago. This gave us the opportunity to be servants to them. We have not been close before this, but this has helped to create a friendship. The son was 30 years old and died as a results of AIDS. He drank and enjoyed life. As a results he paid the price. This is the second son to die for the family. Plus the husband. The oldest son seems also to be on the same tract of death. This family belongs to a church, which some people think is a cult. PRAY FOR US AS WE VISIT AND TALK TO THEM. Grace is using food as a way to visit with them at the moment. Yesterday they went and talked about exchanging beans for planting for some millet to make porridge. I will give them some maize seeds that are good for making githeri (maize and beans).

Compare this life to a good man who passed away. Sam McRenalds, who was a faithful man who taught at Abilene Christian University. When we were on sabbatical in 2004, he mentioned that he was travelling to Arkansas for the last time. He was preparing to die. He was a man who helped so many at ACU and a wonderful supporter of all missionaries! He served the Lord and will be rewarded for eternity!

We have been having a lot of car problems as of late. So, I have been a frequent visitor of the mechanic. On 3 – 5 March, I had 7 elders in the car and at 3 PM we headed for Mt. Elgon where we were to have a meeting with Fielden Allison and other elders from that area. It is about a 2 ˝ hour drive there. 30 miles out of town, we ran into heavy rain. The car started having problems. Finally, I decided to turn around. At one point, we could not even go up a hill in first gear. Many prayers were offered, as none of us wanted to sleep beside the road. After about five minutes, we were able to get under way again. We went to the mechanic and put in a new fuel filter, that one had water and dirt clogging it. While the elders went to a hotel for supper, I went home and got lights and food. We went back to Saroiyot, where we have built a building for meetings and sleeping and met until 11:15PM and then went to sleep. When we reached there, one elder quietly said thanks for reaching here and for having a bed to sleep in at night. The next morning, we meet for 3 hours and went home.

These elders and Grace are telling me it is time to think about a new car! But, I told them there is nothing wrong with the vehicles. The Lord is allowing this to happen for other reasons. I have had the chance to visit with James my mechanic quite often for a reason. James is a member of a church that is well known, but not well known for leading people to having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Or growing in that relationship. James asked me to come and pray for his business, but for three weeks in a row, he made excuses for cancelling the meetings. Last week, we did meet after work and pray for the business and his family. For years, I have been praying about how to approach James and talk to him more. The Lord knew when the time was right. James said that he will go out and buy a Bible and start reading it. I will go and visit with him more and WE NEED YOUR PRAYERS AS WE WALK THIS WALK TOGETHER. One reason he did not want to pray with me was because he thought if we prayed together, then he would have to quit going to his church and go to mine. We will work on a relationship with Jesus before we get into church issues.

This last weekend we went to Baringo, in the Kerio Valley. Climate and life is much different than our 6800 ft. elevation. Here, the rains have come and things are starting to get cooler and the grass is turning green. There, the rains have not come yet and it was hotttttt!!! I have been there several times before, but the family has not, so I thought it good for them to go. It was a scheduled ladies meeting. There are 13 churches spread out over the valley. One lady we were told started the journey on foot at 12 midnight, so she would get to the meeting on time. On Sunday, it was a cluster meeting of all the churches, some people walked 15miles to church that morning and would walk 15 miles home in the afternoon and night!!! Grace and Jane Bwire talked for 13 of the 24 hour that we were there. Praise the Lord, we had no troubles with the car, for this 2˝ hour trip took us to the bush where little help would be available!

OTHER PRAYER ITEMS

• The electric company says that we will get electricity in our house this month, may their words be true!
• We have had some things missing during the night. The first trip they took two bikes and the two turkeys and the second trip they took three outside water taps. We now have a night watchman.
• March 27 – 30th I will be away from home for a Men’s retreat for missionaries in East Africa. Pray for protection.
• April 7th we will head to Nairobi. Our first major trip in 16 months. We will visit with family, get the teeth cleaned, get a new passport for Ruth and PRAY as I need to get my Work Permit renewed. We hope to return home before Easter if all things get done.

KIRSTEN & RUTH KORNER
How do you describe the HAPPINESS and JOY of being little girls. They both are excelling in school and really enjoying it. They love to swing and play after school. When time allows they are busy creating food out of mud. Grace is teaching them the fine art of knitting. Ruth is developing her own personality, doesn’t always have to do the same thing that Kirsten is doing and not have to mimic her in everything. They love to learn new songs and sing them. The biggest joy of the Baringo trip was sleeping in the car, making new friends and learning to brush your teeth from the twigs that they use down there.

Ruth has been lately sincerely thanking the Lord that where we live is not called Jericho, because they are studying in school that the walls of Jericho fell down (we live in an area called Jerusalem).

May the Blessings of the Lord be upon you.

In Service to King of Kings,
Keith, Grace, Kirsten & Ruth

HELP – As you may note, this newsletter is being sent to you through our yahoo.com email address (kggafner@yahoo.com). Please begin to phase out the africaonline.co.ke e mail address.

HELP HELP – I would like to do more study on the Eph. 4:11-13 passage. If any of you has read a good book on this passage, would you please send me that books information or photocopy the article for me. Our Missions Chairman will visit us in June and can bring it to us. Let me know and I will send you his mailing address. Thanks