Greetings Family, Friends and CMO Supporters!

Brother Scott Hodson, of Fresh Hope Missions Church in Bloomington, Indiana, arrived May 30 for 17 days of revival and teaching ministry. The day after his arrival, Scott shared in chapel service at the Bible College and then our team headed off on a six-hour trip to the coast of Kenya (just north of Mombasa) back to the village of Chonyi. Five days hardly seemed long enough to share with this spirit-filled congregation pastored by Rev. George Chipa, father to our friend Joshua, whom we mentioned in last month’s newsletter. One afternoon, while exploring the Chonyi countryside, we came upon a group of women and children working in the cornfields. As Scott shared the Gospel with them, a young girl accepted Christ for the first time. On the way back to the church, we met a local pastor and told him about the girl’s decision so that he could follow up with her and lead her further in her faith. Please pray for Rosalin’s new life! Stacy taught the women’s fellowship twice and Scott shared with a small church fellowship on Friday, followed by a powerful time of prayer. During the prayer service, a woman of the church shared that she and her husband had gone to a local witch doctor to have charms put on their sick baby’s waist and wrist. A small group from the church went with us to her house where we anointed her child, burned the charms and covered her family in prayer. Having been told that this is not an isolated incident of church members continuing to seek assistance from witch doctors, we were impressed with the need for much more Bible teaching in Chonyi. Saturday Scott was invited to minister to a district-wide pastor’s meeting. Servant leadership was a key teaching of Scott’s ministry and as he gave the message God had given him. He led the group in a foot washing service which most of the pastors had never before experienced. The pastors powerfully received this practical application of the teaching. In a packed Sunday service, Scott testified to the youth and then preached on how to protect our ministry. After our team member, Nzumo, recited a soul-stirring poem, we all took Holy Communion together. Thank Jesus for safe travels and a great start to Scott’s visit! Our long drive home was tiring, but we were excited about what the Lord had prepared for us the following week.

Each of the next three mornings Scott taught in the Bible College chapel services. Students and faculty both enjoyed the two days of “15 Ways to Protect Your Ministry” teaching. Point number five “Learn to chill out and have a good time” caused lots of laughter and when you visit you will probably hear “Chill out” on the campus of CMBCI. Staff members were invited to join in the third session on servant leadership. Although Brian and Stacy began the service washing the feet of CMBCI students, faculty and staff, the service ended with Principal Kisoso and Josephine Wanza (our Food Services Director) on their knees as servants as well.

Tuesday afternoon we rallied the congregation of the Emali church plant for a walk around the community to visit and pray with people who had been part of the church in the last year but had stopped fellowshipping with us for various reasons. Two young mothers gave their lives to the Lord and one elderly blind woman rededicated her life to Christ. Praise God for lives changed even when our focus was on the existing church congregation! Stacy and Scott found one of the boys of the church so sick that he was lying on a heap of dirt outside his house,barely able to move. They took him to the doctor and the next night he was dancing in the church at the revival meeting! The church was greatly encouraged and energized to move ahead even though they are still without a full-time pastor. Please keep this young growing church in your prayers, specifically for a head pastor that can live in the community and lead this precious flock of believers.

Thursday was another day of traveling to a different area of Kenya, but this time we took public transport since the roads are very rough and we don’t have access to a four-wheel drive vehicle. Pastor Joseph Lomonyak accompanied us on the small grossly overcrowded bus we took to his home in Kimana at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro. We arrived safely mid-afternoon in Kimana and Scott preached a revival service the same night. Because of Scott’s “15 Ways to Protect Your Ministry” sessions along with Brian and Stacy’s talk on how to have a Godly marriage, people testified that they had already implemented changes in their everyday lives according to the teachings. Saturday Scott spoke again on servant leadership and followed the service with a foot washing ceremony. Another evening revival service to a packed church brought people into a deeper relationship with the Lord with new commitments and dedications given at the altar. Brian preached on Sunday after Stacy taught the children and youth in Sunday school. Sunday afternoon Scott wrapped things up with a message on love from 1 Corinthians. Pastors and visitors from different denominations joined us and two more people gave their lives to the Lord for the first time! Please pray with us as we look towards future ministry to the Maasai people with Pastor Joseph and his young, but thriving congregation situated in the midst of Maasailand.

During our trip to Kimana we took a morning to drive across the border into Tarakea, Tanzania (mostly just to say we’ve been to TZ), but the trip turned out to have a higher purpose. As we sat sipping our sodas, Pastor Lomonyak struck up a conversation with our Swahili-speaking waitress. Although she claimed to be a devout Catholic, she wondered at the idea that she would need to “be saved” from anything. Joined eventually by two other waitresses who espoused the same beliefs, Stacy, Scott and I were surprised at their ideas since we fellowship with so many American Catholics as members of the same Body of Christ. Pastor Lomonyak later told us that commonly in TZ the Catholic population (which is greater than the Protestant population) live as though they have never undergone any kind of transformation of the heart. The saving grace that is offered through a relationship with Jesus seems to go unnoticed, or worse unwanted. Combined with the ever-growing Muslim population of TZ this news quickened in us the burden to see TZ reached with the true life-changing Gospel.

Monday was finally a day of resting since we had traveled hundreds of miles and preached many times the previous two weeks. We took the day to camp and bless our friend Francis Mutuku who lives on a mountainside near our town of Sultan Hamud. The guys hiked the amazing hills and rock formations from which three towns are visible. We were reminded of how simple and difficult the lives of our friends really can be. Francis and his family have to walk about a half-mile down the mountain with empty containers, fill them with water and walk back up the mountain carrying the heavy 20-liter containers. No electricity, pit toilets, cooking with fire, our idea of primitive camping is the way they live every single day. We had a great time of fellowship and much needed rest for the upcoming week of preaching.

Even though Scott’s original plan was to leave for home on Friday, he ended up leaving instead on Saturday because, as it turned out, God had more work for him to do. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday Scott preached evening revivals to the Sultan Hamud PEFA Church with a few pastors from around town in attendance. The church was encouraged to “step up to the plate” and become humble before the Lord so that He will hear their prayers as is found in 2 Chronicles 7:14. Many came forward to be anointed and commissioned to prophesy to the people of Sultan Hamud.

With only minor travel difficulties Scott returned home safely June 18 and probably could have used some vacation time to recoup from his mission trip! Stacy and I are missing him already and can’t wait until the next group comes…. will you be part of that group? We hope so. With so many opportunities for ministry your question shouldn’t be “CAN I be used on a team to Kenya or Tanzania?” (because we guarantee God will use the willing), but “WHEN can I go?” Teaching, drama, music, construction, evangelism, medicine, in churches, with children, in the bush, in the city, doors are open for almost any ministry you can imagine. Part of CMO’s vision and our calling to Kenya is to empower people to do what God is calling them to do. If you feel a tug at your heart towards East Africa, begin praying now about joining a team next year and if you’re really serious contact CMO now at cmo@psci.net.

We will begin Kiswahili language study on July 5 at Brackenhurst Baptist Language Center in Tigoni. Previously we had planned on spending just three months in the program, but we have decided to remain for the full program which will end at the beginning of December. At that time we will return to the U.S. as planned to visit family and churches until mid February. Numerous problems with getting our work permits have made the decision to go to language school for the next five months an easy choice. A government issued Pupil’s Pass allows us to stay in Kenya for one year as long as we’re in school. We are so excited about learning Kiswahili and we couldn’t have found a better language school. Because it is a Christian Language School, we should be able to preach entirely in Kiswahili by the time we leave in December. Additionally, we will receive college credit for taking the course. The Lord has opened a door for us here next year to take some courses at a Christian University that will help us to better minister to the people here in Kenya. Keep this in your prayers for us as we decide where the Lord is leading us and how we can get there.

Kiswahili Class I is now in session at CMBCI. Students arrived 26 June for their second term and were joined by two new classmates. Praise God for local pastors who are hungry for solid Biblical teaching in order to feed the flocks they shepherd! We are still in the process of hiring another full-time teacher and appreciate your continued prayers for him or her. CMBCI is undergoing some minor administrative restructuring at this time, so we would also appreciate your prayers for guidance, wisdom and discernment as we move forward with God’s plans for the ministry of CMBCI.

Student sponsorship is still our greatest need and we thank all of you who have jumped on board with us recently! Prayerfully consider making a monthly commitment to sponsor a student so that we can continue training local pastors to lead their congregations in truth. CMBCI accepts students from all denominations, tribes & tongues. You can begin supporting a student by checking the appropriate box on the commitment/prayer form and writing “student support” in the memo of your check. You will be sent a photo and brief history of the student that you are supporting. God bless you and thank you for your commitment and love.

Serving Jesus in Kenya,

Brian & Stacy Cloud