Blessings in Kibura!

Wednesday, July 21 - Hello, precious prayer warriors! Thank you for your vital ministry on behalf of the Kenya 2010 team! Robyn's voicemail this morning was very encouraging and there are also two very specific prayer requests...read on...

The team spent the day at Kibura slums, the largest slum in Kenya. One time I actually googled Kibura and saw a satelite image - it's a great thing to do if you want to get an idea of the magnitude of this slum. Anyway, the team visited the GCC (Grace Childrens Centre) school there, which is housed in the small COTR (Church on the Rock) church building. The feeding station is next door, and the team was able to serve at the feeding station this year (last year we arrived about a half hour too late...) Robyn said this particular feeding station now serves 1257 children every day, which has grown from last year! CMIA (Christian Ministries in Africa) also has started planning to start another feeding station "downtown" in the heart of Kibura, so please keep this in your prayers. Pray for abundant food supplies and provisions for continued food, pray for the cooking team that will be serving there regularly, pray for God's heart for these precious people to be clearly visible to the people living in Kibura, that they may see their children being fed and want to know more about this God we serve.

Robyn said they were able to see some of the fruit of CHCC (Canyon Hills Community Church)'s previous support for CMIA that has been allocated to Kibura, including blankets and small businesses that have been started after the rioting of 2008. She said it was awesome to see tangible evidence of CHCC's support and how it is making a difference in the lives of these people.

The team then spent the rest of the day doing some shopping in Nairobi and then at GCC Langata, helping the kids finish their letters to their sponsors. Tomorrow they will be going to Ruben slums, and then back to GCC Langata for a fun day with the kids. They've got some games and activities they're going to break out now that the letter writing is done! The following day they'll travel the 3 hours to Nakuru and spend a few days there with the boys.

SPECIFIC PRAYER REQUESTS: One of our team members, Lisa, is not feeling well. Robyn didn't expound on the kind of illness, just that she's been in bed all day. Please pray for her health, that the Lord would heal whatever is trying to attack her body and that she will be up in full health and rarin' to go in the morning. For those that don't know her yet, Lisa is a very sweet lady with a huge heart to serve in whatever capacity God brings to her door. This is her first time to Africa and I know she's been looking forward to this trip for many months. Please pray for her immediate and total healing. Remember to keep praying for the health of all the team members, for a hedge of protection to be placed around their bodies internally and externally.

Lord Jesus, great and mighty Jehovah Rapha, You are the Great Physician. You don't need any medicines or doctors to heal us. We ask boldly right now for Your healing touch on Lisa, for Your life and strength to flow through her and infuse her with Your health. Lord, we know you have great plans for Lisa in Africa, and we pray that Your purposes will be accomplished through her; that the devices of the enemy will not stand against the mighty hand of Jehovah Jireh. El Shaddai, the God who does for us what we could never do for ourselves, we ask You to heal Lisa as she sleeps. Awake her in the morning with news of Your unfailing love, refreshed and ready to serve. In Your Mighty Name we pray, declaring and believing that You will do this, Amen.

The second prayer request is for the people of Kenya as well as CMIA and the team. Robyn said a new Kenyan constitution is being put into place, most of it happening next week. There is a big fear and tension in Kenya right now that violence will break out as it did during the 2008 elections. This is not said to alarm anyone here in the States; God knows all about this and He already knew about this long before the team ever stepped foot on the airplane. We trust in His protection for our team members, as well as the children, pastors, support staff and missionaries of the CMIA family. In 2008 the violence was tribal; a member of one of the three main Kenyan tribes was elected president, and the opposing tribe attacked. This year, the problem is not tribal but religious - Muslim vs. Christian. Thankfully, the team will not be in Nairobi next week, but on Safari at Masai Mara. Regardless of what happens in Nairobi and other major cities, the team should be safe because of their geographical location, a few hours' plane ride south of Nairobi. David Hatley has already taken measures to prepare for the team's safety, though Robyn did not share what those measure were.

Keep Kenya in your prayers right now. The Kibura children were singing a song about the 2008 elections while the team was there with them, very sad when you know some of what many of them have lived through. Robyn recited the words of the song to me, "Elections elections so sorry, so bad...you killed my mother, you killed my father, you killed my brother, you killed my sister...elections elections don't come again..." The violence in the slums often tends to be the worst, and very often the women and the children see the worst of it, if they survive the experience.

Jesus, our Great Protector, we come before You humbly in Your Name on behalf of Kenya, of our brothers and sisters in the Lord, and our brothers and sisters in humanity. Jesus, You already know exactly what will happen, so we don't worry about a thing. But we beseech You in the Name of Jesus for this expected violence to never come to fruition. Jesus, we ask that You thwart the plans of the enemy. We ask You to heal the land of Kenya; that no more will innocent blood be shed on that parched ground. Father, in Your tender mercy, give the government officials wisdom and guidance as they finish this new constitution and as they introduce it to the country. Lord, we stand on the promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14; cause us to humble ourselves before Almighty God. Prompt our hearts, Lord. Cause us to spend time seeking Your face. Enable us to put all distractions aside as we seek You on behalf of Kenya as well as our own country, Father. Help us to do this, and heal our lands, Jesus. We ask boldly for protection for the team members, as well as everyone associated with CMIA in any capacity. Father, we ask for Your protection for the precious children, that they may never again see violence of any kind but that they may live in peace. Jesus, our hearts break at what goes on when violence breaks out in Kenya. We pray that this bloodshed will end and be broken forever in the Name of Jesus Christ. Reclaim this territory for Your Name sake, Jesus. So that all in Kenya will know that Jesus Christ is King of kings and LORD of lords. In Your precious and mighty Name we pray, declare and BELIEVE, Amen.


Part of Kibura slums