So thanks for your continued prayers for Stakwell, Francesca and their two little daughters, Wendy and Maribell.  They are giving out both physical water and the “water of life” – the Lord Jesus!

More in my next report from Zimbabwe – which was my last country on this past 3 week, 5 country mission.  I will see you then and there…

On His Mission with you,

Severe Drought in Kenya

Unfortunately, this story is the headliner for our prayer letter update. Most of Kenya, especially northern Kenya, is experiencing severe drought conditions. Samburu is currently littered with dead buffalo, elephant, and live stock due to the drought.

The International Red Cross (IRC) has been tracking the drought conditions since January of this year, and you can see on our blog an IRC Kenya map that graphically illustrates the food insecurity of people across the country as of August. Most of northern Kenya is just one level above what the IRC considers a Humanitarian Emergency. The situation is dire by any standard of measurement.

There has been a run of dry years in Kenya (since 2003/4), and combine that with the effects of election chaos at the end of 2007 through early 2008 you see a growing catastrophic situation. Runs of dry years have been a common phenomenon here, but apparently there used to be a wet year in every four, rather than in every seven. The destruction of forested areas in Kenya or water towers, such as the Mau Forest has no doubt contributed to the rains failing.

Hydro electric power, which Nairobi and the nation is overly dependent upon, is now ineffective as there is little water in the dams. Currently power is being generated by diesel generators and rationed for at least three days per week - city wide for householders and businesses alike. We experience blackouts twice each week with brown outs in between here in Maralal. The ‘jua kali’ fundis (carpenters, welders, small businesses) who operate on the side of the road are struggling badly alongside major industries. Boreholes are running dry everywhere.

The cost of vegetables and food has gone up dramatically due to the shortages. The amount of maize Kenya produces this year will fall well short of what is required as the main staple food (10 million fewer 200 lb bags than usual). Kenya has not had a bumper maize crop since 2006 - due to inadequate and poorly distributed rainfall.

We pray that there will be a good rain which is predicted to run from September to January (if the El Nino rains occur). The year upon year with the lack of adequate rainfall has manifested many problems in the country. Apparently Kenya is now listed among the top 5 most rainfall deprived countries in the world. The Kenyan government is currently appealing to other developed countries for food aid.

The Samburu people are primarily nomadic, pastoralists who depend on their animals for food and their livelihood. With the cattle and goat herds dying off and the sheep eating the grass down to the roots, their livelihood and primary food sources are almost gone. In some areas, the Kenyan government offered to buy live cows regardless of their condition. Some people in our Lare-Oibor church plant recently tried to bring five cows to town to sell to the government, but all of them died before reaching the town just 2 km away.

Adding insult to injury, raiders from the Pokot tribe have been attacking manyattas and stealing cattle and goats to restock their own animal losses. These raids bring misery to people already suffering and the loss of life is much higher than what the media reports. The police are powerless to track and punish the raiders, and the Samburu often retaliate escalating the violence. We definitely see Satan at work here.

Most schools remained open during the usual August break, in order to continue feeding children. In mid-August trucks bearing relief food from the World Food Program and non-government organizations began arriving here in Maralal. The Kenya army was also involved in the effort. What has happened to that food is a mystery. The 250+ men, women, and children in Lare-Oibor church have only received one ration of relief food in the past 30 days. We know that corruption is part of the problem, because some people who can afford to buy the relief food are doing so at reduced prices and then they resell the food at a profit. We also have reports from pastors in more rural areas that people are on the move by foot to find grass and water. Some of these people faint from hunger along the way and die of starvation.

- Ken and Susan Black

We went there to see if we could help them with their small vegetable garden.  While they had made a good start, we realized very quickly that we could significantly enhance their small plot to a much larger one with the quarter acre drip irrigation kit, along with some better quality seeds.  While this was our first visit there, we quickly saw the fingerprints of the Lord on this visit.  We met a gardener there who had trained years earlier at one of the very first Double Harvest projects in Kenya.  So he was familiar with this drip irrigation system and very eager to get it started at the Hospital to give better vegetables to the patients.  So the chances of us meeting up with this brother in the middle of Sudan was one in a million!  But that’s no challenge for our Sovereign Lord who networks his people together to accomplish His will!

So look at the video clip and pictures below and be blessed by what your prayers and partnership continue to make possible.

More later from Kurungu, Kenya, from our Samburu Sports Camp…

In His Love,

(For Len and Arie VanWingerden, Bert Lemkes and Randy Durham)

The LORD will guide you always;    
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land    
and will strengthen your frame.    
You will be like a well-watered garden,    
like a spring whose waters never fail. - Isaiah 58:11

A couple of years earlier when I was ministering in Haiti, I had met a unique agricultural missionary by the name of Aart VanWingerden.  Aart had founded an organization called “Double Harvest” with the goal of assisting people in developing countries with agriculture and to give a holistic presence of the gospel in the process.  Aart partnered with Mr. Dick Chapin (the “father of drip irrigation” in the world) to develop the “Bucket Drip Kit” for the background kitchen garden.  When I saw the potential of this system, I talked to Franklin Graham about letting us introduce it at the ICIE in Amsterdam.  He too was excited about the concept because of its relevance for poor people—especially poor pastors from Developing Countries.  As they say, “the rest is history!”

As a result of that exposure at the ICIE in Amsterdam, Franklin asked Aart to take this drip irrigation and associated greenhouse technology to Ethiopia—which was in the throws of a famine that killed hundreds of thousands of people.  It was a joy to go with Aart on that pioneer trip back in 1987—over two decades ago.  I have continued to travel here yearly since then.

Through these past 30 years, I have had the joy of preaching and teaching at many Conferences here.  We have also been able to fund the building of many rural churches through the partnership of people like you.

Nearly 10 years ago, the “Genesis Farm” (GF) was started.  It would prove to be Aart’s last vision before the Lord took him home to heaven.  After Aart’s home-going, his sixteen (16) sons and daughters have continued the project at GF.  It is now he best farm in Ethiopia—and probably the best on the African continent.  It now employs hundreds of people and produces an average of 60 tons of fresh vegetables every week!  We have come here this time to start another new project in the town of Awassa in Southern Ethiopia.

Please take a few moments to look through a few pictures from the past several days.  I think they will thrill you as you see what God is doing in this Christian holistic project.  The photos include shots taken on the Genesis Farm where you’ll see vegetables, milk and dairy products and the market on the grounds where locals come to buy the products.  You will also see a couple of images of Hydroform blocks that were used to build the chapel and many other buildings here.  We are using a Hydroform machine to assist with building projects in several countries.  There are also shots of the chapel service we shared with Genesis workers on our first day here.  And finally there are a couple of images from our meeting and scouting trip related to a new project developing in Awassa, Ethiopia.  We will also try to upload a video clip we recorded on Lake Awassa while we were surveying the area, if we can get a fast enough internet connection here.

I cannot thank you enough for your prayer and financial support that make opportunities like these available for us to partner as Kingdom Entrepreneurs with others, investing in the Kingdom of God.  Your support is needed now more than ever as the Lord is opening doors.  Randy Durham and I have been in Ethiopia for the past several days and now we leave for Sudan this weekend and we covet your prayers.  Things there are still very tense and unsettled.  So we will probably not be able to update our blog or send another email until I get to Kenya by mid-week.  Until then…

From the Cutting Edge,

PS:  I trust that you looked at my last report from Ghana.  If so, PLEASE let me know that you are receiving and reading these blog entries and emails by sending me a brief email response to let me know!