Kenyan mission trip: pcb 2022
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February 2023 AFRICA MISSION & beyond kenyan mission trip: pcb 2022 MIRACULOUS PROVISION In spectacular fashion, God opened up the windows of Heaven on PCB 2022 this year. Over 150 thousand dollars was donated to support children and families in need in Kenya. In addition, families of ministers and teachers were gifted in Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, India, and Pakistan. There were weeks of planning and organizing at home and abroad. Due to the nine hour time difference, there were many phone calls taking place in the middle of the night with suppliers. My wife worked many long hours with the local pastors in Kenya to register families and organize the lists of names by location and date. TRIP BEGINS SOLO In a weakened condition from being sick for a week, I TEAM ARRIVES left home on January 6. Upon arrival, I was stopped in the On January 9, the rest of the PCB team left the USA for airport by customs as they wanted to tax the gift products Kenya. Despite delays and rerouting, Sisters René Smith, I was bringing into the country. This was the first of many Vanessa Smith, Julie Elwell, and Kendra Cole arrived safely negotiations to take place for the next three weeks. On Sunday, in Kenya on the morning of January 11. The following day, I purchased supplies and traveled over 150 miles to a small we traveled to Huruma; thus began a whirlwind of activity desert community east of Nairobi for a PCB distribution. As and work. The following two weeks were filled with buying, is our practice, I preached a gospel message before entering sorting, packing, traveling, teaching, preaching, praying, into the PCB phase of the service. A man stood up and visiting, and yes, some eating and a little bit of sleeping. wanted to come pray to be saved before an invitation was even PACKING OF BAGS given. Others sought the Lord that day as both soul and body Approximately 500 family bags were made containing were ministered to through the love and sacrifice of many; sugar, salt, tea, oil, soap, cookies, sweets, and a Bible Story chiefly the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus. The following two book. Each family received 55 pounds of rice and 180 days, I shopped for the Megan House construction project. pounds of unground maize. 1700 children packs were made. Each backpack contained school notebooks, devotionals, pens, soda, Vaseline, a toothbrush, lollipops, cookies, stickers, balloons, toys, and candy. In addition, over 1500 good quality hoodies of many colors were distributed to the children. It was a wonderful sight to behold 30- 50 helpful orphans working with the PCB team packing bags. Two days were spent preparing bags and then early in the mornings, sometimes before 6 am, we would load the large trucks with supplies for the day’s distribution. FIRST DISTRIBUTION AT HURUMA ORPHANAGE The first Saturday, we had a special celebration and meal with the orphans at Huruma and gave them their gifts. We AfricaMission.com |feb 2023 1
topped off our feast with cake we had ordered from town. due to the lack of food. The sisters on the team were touched It was a wonderful time of bonding and fellowship with as widows would come and hug them and tell them that our children in Kenya. Sunday was our largest distribution they had no food and were praying to God to provide in the local Stellah congregation. For the next week, we when they heard about the PCB registration and were able would travel to two locations each day for distributions. to participate. One man in his thanks, told me that people SHARING THE GOSPEL had been going to work and to the fields without eating, At every distribution, I would preach a short gospel but since the distribution, they were going to work ‘strong.’ message and integrate it with the story of the birth of Jesus SECOND TEAM TRAVELED TO OUTLYING AREAS which would usually be told by one of the sisters on the team. Hundreds of children received of your love and kindness. At every congregation, we would give an invitation for people Due to the extent of the project, our team was not able to to personally accept Jesus into their hearts and to turn away travel to all of the places. So, we hired large trucks and two from their sins. It was a blessing to see people respond to the other teams of our Kenyan brothers and sisters traveled to gospel message, whether in a brick chapel, outside under far out places to hold distributions. They came back two to the sun, or inside a mud structure. The power of the gospel three days later very tired but gratified and rewarded with reached hundreds of people and the angels in Heaven rejoiced! their labor of love. Not only were literally thousands of LOGISTICAL CHALLENGES MET people reached with the gospel, but those who were serving There were a lot of logistics to be dealt with, as we could with us were greatly affected. They were ‘ministers’ of love only bring a limited amount of supplies to each distribution. and it brought personally to them the value of serving others. Before service started and before we could be swarmed by GOD WAS FAITHFUL the community, we would distribute tickets to registered There were times that the team did not feel well, but families and children. We would then have service and no one got sick to the point of being unable to be up afterward, have everyone with a ticket line up to received and going. God was faithful. At the end of the trip, we their food and gifts. There were often many other people took a day safari with about 20 of the older orphans to that would come in hopes of receiving something. We Massai Mara and saw a lot of wildlife (lions, leopard, brought some extra supplies to each place and tried to cater hyena, hippos, elephants, gazelle, giraffe, buffalo, etc.). to the community visitors as much as possible. At times it The team arrived back home safely on January 27. Thank looked a little chaotic, but overall order was maintained. you for your prayers, donations, and love that made this TESTIMONIES OF GOD’S PROVISION outreach such a wonderful success. God bless each one We had a group of about 15 older young people —Bro. Michael Smith. from Huruma that traveled with us and helped with the distributions. They were invaluable in their service. Time [Scan this code to view photos and videos and time again locals would testify to what a blessing the of PCB 2022, .] food was to them. There had been deaths in one congregation www.projectchristmasblessing.org The events of this trip were innumerable! Passing out hoodies, backpacks, sweets, and toys to children, witnessing joy on the widows’ faces when they received a bag of maize and rice, spending countless hours holding babies, playing volleyball with the orphans, praying for sick children, and singing “Hatua Kwa Hatua” with the secondary students. This trip was absolutely amazing and I am so thankful I was able to witness the hand of God moving across the villages of western Kenya. It is always such an humbling experience to see the gratitude of the children and adults. There were places we would go that I knew that the Spirit of the Lord was very present. I am so thankful the Lord allowed me to go back to Kenya once again. My favorite part was spending time with the older students in the matatu, singing songs and worshiping together as we traveled through Kenya. I pray that God will daily bless them and that the love of God will be known to every heart. —Vanessa Smith (age 14) 2 feb 2023 | AfricaMission.com
February 2023 Pictorial pcb 2022 report—“comfort & joy” The workshop served as a staging area for ordering supplies & packing bags two packing days and nine distribution days between two teams the story of jesus, the gift of his love. it never grows old. |feb 2023
pray that the bible story books will be used by families. Honduras Honduras 2 feb 2023 | AfricaMission.com
Huruma Dolor Orphanage The last year was difficult at Huruma. Our original goal was to help the orphanage become self-sustaining; but without living on site and starting large businesses to support the work, we are very dependent upon sponsorships and general donations to meet monthly expenses. The economy in Kenya is not good and inflation has been out of control. Local parents are struggling to pay their school fees and local donations are now very small, so more responsibility has fallen on us to sustain the Huruma teachers. At the current sponsorship level, sponsorships alone are not enough to meet all expenses. We appreciate all the sacrifices of the local staff and congregation and our foreign donors. Huruma continues to provide a loving home to 100 orphans and maintains a primary and secondary school for the community. Please contact us if you are interested in sponsoring one of these beautiful children. Email: sponsorship@africamission.com Megan House While in Kenya, I met with a builder and we began construction on the Megan House. This home is being built in memory of Sis. Megan Williamson. It will be home to eight young women at Huruma who have graduated from school and are serving in various capacities at the orphanage. It is located next to the guest house. The construction phase is going quickly. We thank God for this beautiful little home. team from germany sets up workshop For the last few weeks, a team from Germany, under the leadership of Bro. Roman, have been working to establish a wood working shop they had built last year at Huruma. They are expanding the shop and setting up an extensive array of equipment. This will provide a place for training the young men in metal and wood working. In the future, they may be able to sell wood products to provide a source of revenue to help the orphanage. AfricaMission.com | feb 2023 3
Malawi/Mozambique: From the Gospel Field Three months ago at a camp meeting in Mozambique, a man stood up and shared his testimony. He had been in a religious organization that had no standard of holiness. He had three wives, was a drunkard, and yet he was “I was lost but ” appointed to be a church elder. He heard about the Church now am found! of God and the truth that was taught. He called the pastor to come pray for him. The pastor told him the story of the THANKS FROM PAKISTAN young rich ruler who came to Christ. Jesus told the young man to go and sell all he had and come and follow Him. The man in Mozambique understood that he needed to forsake The Ministers and schoolteachers have many thanks his sin, clean up his marriage issues, and that God would for your love! My soul is felt joy in the Lord and am very forgive him. He shared that, “I was lost but now am found.” thankful for you and for the Lord from my deep heart for He was born again, and he testified that he has been saved for the blessing of funds from the PCB. May God bless you all six years now. Praise God! more and His peace, joy and protection be with you always. In Christ. Bro. S— Pictured above: Praying children at the school. The school is dependent upon donations to pay teachers to continue this ministry. Wall being built on land recently purchased next to house rental in ghana the chapel and school. One of the pastors in Ghana has fallen on hard times. The weather failed the farmers this year and he is having financial problems. The pastor and his family were evicted by their landlord, and it has caused family problems. AMB has provided funds to rent another house for a year for this family. FEED THE HUNGRY Due to the continuous humanitarian needs, the “Feed the Hungry” fund remains open to support the poorest of the poor as funds are available. We continue to receive reports of hunger from the saints in multiple countries in Eastern Africa. There is a cholera outbreak in Malawi. Many of our Africa Mission & Beyond African brothers and sisters were lacking food and were Correspondence may be sent to: eating mangoes. The time of mangoes is now over and they Africa Mission & Beyond P. O. Box 2042, Nixa, MO 65714 are eating whatever they can find, often eating unhygienic Find us on Facebook food, exacerbating the problem of disease and contamination. facebook.com/africamissionbeyond Due to the severity of the need and the hundreds of Email: contact@africamission.com people, Africa Mission & Beyond is especially focusing on Website: www.africamission.com helping the elderly and orphans with the limited funds. Donations payable to Africa Mission may be mailed to the above address or sent by paypal to: donate@africamission.com 4 feb 2023 | AfricaMission.com
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