September 2005 Newsletter

Greetings Family, Friends and CMOI Supporters!

Recently we sat down and talked with Principal Kisoso about all that’s been happening at CMBCI. This year five of our CMBCI graduates were ordained in their denominations: David Langot (P.E.F.A.) of Kericho area, Steven Mwangi (Deliverance Church) and Joseph Waithaka (Cornerstone Faith Assembly) of Central province, Samuel Gumba (P.E.F.A.) and Samuel Baya (P.E.F.A.) of the coastal area. During the ordination ceremony of David Langot, Principal Kisoso learned that only six of the 50 pastors being ordained that day had had any Bible training. Principal Kisoso’s passion is that all 44 other pastors receive some training so that they might lead their congregations with a greater understanding of God’s word. One of the ways he envisions making that training available is through satellite campuses in other areas of Kenya not currently served by Bible training institutions.

September 6^th Simon Kamiano of Oloitokitok area (near Mt. Kilimanjaro), a November 2004 graduate of CMBCI from the Swedish Free Pentecostal Church, passed away after a brief struggle with an unknown illness. CMBCI Dean of Students Julius Musyimi attended the services the following week. Many of our graduates from that area were also there to support the family and congregation of Pastor Kamiano. We are rejoicing in Pastor Kamiano’s home going and continuing in prayer for his family and those he left behind.

CMBCI’s new Board of Governors met at the end of August and planned to meet in September but have had to postpone until the beginning of October due to the death of Rev. William Sororonyi’s mother September 17^th. Please keep Rev. Sororonyi’s whole family in your prayers during this time of sorrow. His mother had struggled with her health for well over a year and we are glad she is no longer in pain, but her children and grandchildren will of course miss her nonetheless. Brian and Stacy will attend the funeral services in Kima; about 30 minutes drive from Sultan Hamud, on Saturday, September 24.

Please continue to pray for the administration of CMBCI. The new BoG is currently working to come up with a proposal for a partnership agreement between CMBCI, CMOI U.S., and national and local church organizations of P.E.F.A. This kind of work can be tedious, time consuming and sticky at times, so they would appreciate prayer for clarity, unity, and strong sense of God’s purpose.

Throughout our time at language school, we’ve taken opportunities to visit various churches and learn about what other ministries are taking place in Kenya. After Hurricane Katrina, we visited a church in Nairobi and were encouraged to be a part of a prayer time during the main service for the victims of the disaster as well as for the leadership of the region and the U.S. We also received phone calls from concerned friends asking about the welfare of our families in the States. We hope you are encouraged to know that the church family you pray for here, prays for all of you as well.

Since we arrived in Kenya we’ve been praying about what kinds of ministries God would lead us into and being in language school has opened our eyes to many physical needs all around Kenya. However, the more we learn the more we feel a tug towards discipleship and Bible teaching ministry. Brian has had a number of opportunities to minister to young twenty-something men, a group that is usually lumped together with teens just because they’re still single. Stacy has found herself in situations of ministry to older women also to married couples. Please pray with us that these windows of opportunity will guide us to the overall purpose for our ministry. Please also pray as we seek direction about further Bible education.

September 16^th we visited Principal Kisoso and his family at their Lema homestead and were shocked to find the land dry as bones. At the time of this newsletter’s writing, Lema has not seen rain since the first weekend in May. Principal Kisoso shared that there are a number of families in the area, who will lose many new lambs and their mothers, if no rain comes by the beginning of October. Please pray that rain will come to the area. There are other parts of Kenya which have received good rainfall and even some parts which are flooded, but the national newspaper reported at the beginning of this month that almost half a million people are still facing the prospect of starvation; tens of thousands of them are in areas we have visited and done ministry with previously. Your prayers for rain, government intervention and God’s mercy are needed urgently.

Praise the Lord with us for His enabling of language acquisition. Conversations in Kiswahili are becoming easier and more natural everyday and at the end of our studies in December, we hope to be fluent in the language. Thanks to all of you who have been praying for us; we have known the power those prayers have let loose! We’re also excited to share that the government of Kenya has issued us one year Student’s Passes (valid until 9/7 next year), re-entry passes (so that we can come and go for the duration of our Student’s Passes), Kenya driving licenses, and also renewed our alien registration (haven’t figured out yet exactly what that’s for, but hey it’s a blessing anyway!). Praise God for all of these big answers to prayer!

We still have time available to share with churches, fellowships, or just anyone who wants to hear about Christ in Africa! We are happy to share with groups of all ages in any setting and can provide anything from table display, to PowerPoint, to food, to cultural experiences. Even if your Sunday School class or Bible Study just wants a guided time of prayer for ministry in Africa, we’d be happy to facilitate for you. Feel free to email us at clouds2kenya@yahoo.com in the next month or so to schedule an engagement with us.

Recently the post office in Sultan Hamud has begun to charge us lots of fees for packages (in big envelopes or boxes), so we’ve decided it would be best to request that no more packages be sent to us for the rest of the year. You have all made us feel so special with all the goodies and encouraging books and magazines, but we feel it’s not good use of our ministry money to keep paying so much in postage fees. Please don’t stop sending us letters and photos as we treasure them the most. However, being a few hours away from our hometown of Sultan Hamud means we only get mail once a month so don’t be discouraged if it takes a bit longer for us to respond to those letters.

Thank you for praying for Principal Kisoso’s mother’s eye cancer last month, because when we saw her during our recent visit, she was looking very well and attended church with us that Sunday. Following the progress of a disease like cancer here is very difficult due to the lack of adequately staffed and stocked medical facilities in the rural areas, but know that she is doing well and thanks you all (in Kimaasai of course!) for your prayers. We’re also praising God for a fellow language school student whose medical expertise helped to diagnose a possible blood clot or bone infection in Principal Kisoso’s right shin, which has put Principal Kisoso on the path to treatment and healing. Please keep Principal Kisoso’s health in your prayers this month as well.

Pastor Gene & Sherri have been on a much needed vacation for a few weeks in September.  Pastor Gene would appreciate your continued prayers for the health of his daughter Tama.

Fresh Hope Missions Church, Bloomington, is rejoicing that all went smoothly with the purchase of their church building. Pastors Jeff & Joani Grossnickle were also able to spend some time helping with the Hurricane Katrina relief effort, so we praise the Lord for the willingness to serve and for safety during that ministry.

Until next month,

The Clouds