A Letter from the President

What can I give your Christmas this year?

The Christmas season is upon us. The pageants, the music, the decorations, the shopping, cookie making and family gatherings create lasting memories as we celebrate this powerful season. Children have started making out their Christmas lists. Cabbage Patch dolls, Buzz Lightyear, Tickle Me Elmo—the hot items of Christmas’ past will be replaced by the next latest craze. It’s that time of year again where in the US we’re bombarded with advertisements that help us solve the dilemma of what to buy that special someone for Christmas.

Last year at this time we talked and dreamed with you about the possibility of drilling a well in the community of Olmoran, Kenya. However, due to drought issues that resulted in needing to dig deeper wells and permitting issues that continue to raise the costs, we recognize that at a cost of $75,000 - $100,000 for the well – we’re probably not going to drill any. So what can we do?

Over the course of this past year, God has led us to an organization that has designed and implemented a water purification process that is simple, uses locally obtained materials, and has no moving parts. And it works!

This Christmas, as you’ve looking over the list of things to get others, please consider giving the gift of life through purified and clean water to the 50,000 people that live in the communities of Olmoran and Salame, Kenya. At $35 each, we know this is something we can do and we’re excited about it. In fact, we have a medical team ready to go in February of 2010 and we will build and install as many water purifiers as we receive the money for during this time.

We’re always in search of value. In these economic times I know that I want the gifts I give to have value physically as well as spiritually. By providing these purifiers through the Anglican Church of Kenya we can accomplish both of these goals.

Imagine the joy your family and friends will feel when they learn that a family in Kenya has just received the gift of clean drinkable water in their honor. For every Kenyan family you choose to help in this way, we will send you a beautifully designed card for you to present to each honoree. This way you will be able to celebrate together on Christmas day this gift of love and life.

What are you going to give for Christmas this year? Prayerfully consider giving the gift of clean water to families in Kenya. It’s the gift that really does keep on giving.

Thanks for giving,

Bob Wielenga

President

Global Outreach Development

Contributions are tax deductible and can be sent to Global Outreach Development, Attn: Kenya Water Project, PO Box 80221, Lansing Mi. 48908

Or Donate online

Kenya Water Project Update

Our Goal: Clean Water for Kenyan Families

As you know, we have been looking for practical ways to help provide safe drinking water in remote areas in Kenya, East Africa. Our search has led us to Aquaclara, a company that has designed a product that transforms pond scum into clean, clear, purified drinkable water that exceeds the WHO's standards for drinking water. And it is simple, efficient, and affordable.

The developers of these filtration systems understand the technology and will be teaching us the practical side of building the units which we hope to place in hundreds of Kenyan homes in 2010. While Aqua Clara has the technical know how, our partnership will provide a new network for distribution of these life giving systems.

This Christmas you can partner with Global Outreach Development (the parent organization of Simply Missions) in providing water purifiers for families living in the communities of Olmoran and Salame, Kenya.

In February 2010, a team from the USA will be traveling to Kenya to help with the health issues in these communities. Both communities rely hevily upon streams and standing water as their only source to sustain life. This water is very contaminated but can be cleaned and purified through this simple system. And each filter lasts 10 years.

Click here to watch a brief video displaying the units at work.

Help one family for $35
Help five families for $175
Help ten families for $350
Help more families... you do the math!

Contributions are tax deductible and can be sent to Global Outreach Development, Attn: Kenya Water Project, PO Box 80221, Lansing Mi. 48908

Or Donate online

FSTML Recap

I spent most of last week in Atlanta at the FSTML (Fellowship of Short Term Mission Leaders) Conference. The conference theme was, "The Road Ahead: A Critical Look at the Future of Short Term Missions", and included training sessions focused on the coming trends and issues facing Gods people who are engaged in and impacted by short term mission.

We started the week by attending a pre-conference for organizations that have recently adopted the 7 standards of excellence in short term mission. This introductory workshop helped us catch the vision for how our continued commitment to the standards will impact our ministry efforts. One of the standards is "God centeredness", and as we talked about what that looks like, someone said, "Whatever becomes the center of your short-term trip is what people will worship when you leave." That was a powerful reminder that we must always be intentional to clearly point to Christ in everything we do on a trip.

While the teaching was great, the best part was spending time networking with people from the over 100 other organizations that were in attendance. Unlike other trade shows and seminars, there was a real sense of unity. Everyone was interested in sharing their best ideas and learning from others. We met several others from organizations doing exactly what we do at Simply Missions, but we didn't see each other as competitors. Instead, we spent lots of time talking and learning from one another because we recognize that we are not doing our own work, we are all doing Kingdom work.

Thanks to all who were praying for us while we were in Atlanta!

Heading Home

Since my last update there has been lots going on with little chance to connect to the internet and make additional updates. We had a great time up at YWAM Kruger and were able to help with a feeding program, assist in digging a trench and with building a home, and got to meet some great people.

We have now been in Cape Town for three days ministering at Kensington Worship Center. Friday night I taught at the youth service and today, Dave and I taught workshops focused on helping church leaders work with volunteers. Kim was sick on Friday but is feeling better now, and Dale has been sick today. Pray for both of them to get healthy for the 24 hour trip home, and pray that the rest of us stay healthy. Tomorrow Dave will preach at the morning services, we’ll have lunch with the pastors here, take the afternoon to visit Robben Island (where Nelson Mandela was held prisoner), then we catch an evening flight back home.

This will be my last chance to update you all before our departure so let me say thank you for your faithful prayers while our team has been here in South Africa. The trip has been outstanding.

Peace,
Joe

P.S. My back is almost fully better. Sleeping on a real bed the last few days has helped. Keep praying that it will improve in spite of the long flights ahead of us. Thanks!

South Africa Update #2

It's day 8 of the trip and things continue to go well. Thanks to all of you who are praying for us. Here is a quick recap of some of the things we've been up to...

Monday the team visited the Sisters of Charity home (a place for severely disabled kids). I missed that portion of the day as I was seeing a doctor about my back, but many of the team members were moved by what they experienced there. I met up with the team later at another children's home run by a woman called Mamma Mary. We served the kids lunch there, played with the kids, spent some time with Mamma Mary, and then headed home.

Tuesday we went to the prison in Pretoria and worked with the 13-17 year old kids in the morning. Dave gave a short message and then we just hung out, played games, and talked with the kids. In the afternoon we headed to Danville (an inner city area) and worked with an after-school program for a few hours. We also got a tour of one of the "apartment" buildings there. The living conditions were astonishing. In the evening we attended a bible study at 3rd Place (the small church plant that meets in a storefront down the road).

Wednesday we met some folks that wanted to talk to Dave about twitter/church, then we walked around downtown to meet the folks who run a ministry called PEN (Pretoria Evangelsim and Nurture) that runs down there, and to get a view of some of the inner city needs.

Today was a day off for the Pure Hope team (the group we have been working with each day) so we went hiking at Hartbeepoort Dam and had a picnic lunch up on a peak.

Tomorrow we head back to Mabopane to spend some more time with Mamma Mary and the kids at the children's home. We'll also go to Plasticview, a township (or shanti town) where Westwinds funded two shack builds in 2008. We hope to meet and spend some time with the people who recieved those homes and find out how their lives have been impacted.

Please keep praying for our team as we continue to serve alongside the Pure Hope team. And, keep praying for my back, I am finding some slow improvement. Thanks!

South Africa Update #1

Our team arrived safely here in South Africa on Friday evening. Saturday left us no room for jet-lag as we got up early and headed to Mabopane for our One Life shack-build day. We partnered with a team of folks called "Pure Hope" from Moreletta Park Church. Together we built two One Life shacks. One was for a young man named Sello, and the other was for an HIV+ widow mother of three (the youngest being a 10 month old baby). All were extremely grateful for the help we have provided for them. The Westwinds team paid for the building of one of the shacks and the Pure Hope team paid for the other. These were shacks number 6 & 7 for the One Life program that was started by Pure Hope with the intention of simply changing one life at a time.

Sunday (today) was a day off of the work for us. We attended church at 3rd Place this morning (with lots of our new shack-building friends), and Moreletta Park Church this evening. We've met lots of wonderful South African people along the way.

Tomorrow we head back to the community of Mabopane and will meet a woman named "Mamma Mary" who runs an orphanage there for neglected and disabled children. I anticipate it will be a pretty intense day.

The team is doing great. Everyone is enjoying the time here. Please continue to pray for us as we seek to minister the love of Jesus to all we meet. And please pray specifically for me. After the 16 hour plane ride my back began acting up. Some of you know that I have had recent issues with my back. Our whole time here my back has been in spazam and it has been difficult for me to do any work and ride in vehicles. I see a physiotherapist tomorrow. Pray that the kinks will get worked out and that I will be able to keep up with the activity planned for the team.

Thank you all for your love and prayers!

GoDevelop Olmoran Update

At the end of 2008 we launched a campaign called “GoDevelop Olmoran” focused on developing a community in Kenya that was in dire need. In March of ’09, Bob Wielenga (President of Global Outreach Development) and I traveled to Olmoran, Kenya with a team of six students from Hope College in order to see first hand the issues that the people of central Kenya were facing. We spoke with the people of Olmoran and heard their stories. We found some wells in working order, and in high demand. Other wells we found were broken down and ususable. We also heard about other important issues like the need for agriculutural and economic development.

Since then we have learned about two trees that could make a difference in Kenya. The Moringa tree and the Muiri tree.

The Moringa tree:

It is said that the leaves of the Moringa tree prevent 300 diseases. Modern science seems to confirm the general idea. Scientific nutritional analysis has shown that Moringa leaves are extremely nutritious. In fact, they contain larger amounts of several important nutrients than the common foods often associated with these nutrients. These include vitamin C, which fights a host of illnesses including colds and flu; vitamin A, which acts as a shield against eye disease, skin disease, heart ailments, diarrhea, and many other diseases; Calcium, which builds strong bones and teeth and helps prevent osteoporosis; Potassium, which is essential for the functioning of the brain and nerves, and Proteins, the basic building blocks of all our body cells.

Studies show that, ounce for ounce, the Moringa tree leaves contain…

· 7 x the vitamin C in oranges

· 4 x the calcium in milk

· 4 x the vitamin A in carrots

· 2 x the protein in yougert

· 3 x the potassium in bananas

Another important point is that Moringa leaves contain all of the essential amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins. It is very rare for a vegetable to contain all of these amino acids. And Moringa contains these amino acids in a good proportion, so that they are very useful to our bodies. These leaves could be a great boon to people who do not get protein from meat.

It is noteworthy that Moringa contains argenine and histidine, which are especially important for infants who are unable to make enough protein for their growth requirements. Experts tell us that 30% of children in sub-Saharan Africa are protein deficient. Moringa could be an extremely valuable food source. While native to the Indian sub-continent, Moringa has spread throughout the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world.

Not only are the leaves highly nutritious, but every single part of the Moringa tree has been used for beneficial purposes. Here is a list of the many specific uses people have found for Moringa.

Nutrition • Disease Prevention • Ointment • Alley Cropping • Fertilizer • Erosion Control • Water Purification • Cosmetics • Textile Printing • Insecticide • Fungicide • Lubricants • Tanning Leather • Dye • Fiber Products • Fences • Ornamentation & Shade • Wind Barrier • Cane Juice Clarifier • Honey Production & Clarifier • Condiment • Cooking Oil • Food • Traditional medicine: Anemia • Anxiety • Asthma • Blackheads • Blood impurities • Blood pressure • Bronchitis • Catarrh • Chest congestion • Cholera • Colitis • Conjunctivitis • Cough • Diabetes • Diarrhea • Dropsy • Dysentery • Eye and ear infections • Fever • Glandular swelling • Gonorrhea • Headaches • Hysteria • Intestinal worms • Jaundice • Lactation • Malaria • Pain in joints • Pimples • Pregnancy • Psoriasis • Respiratory disorders • Scurvy • Semen deficiency • Skin infections • Sore throat • Sores • Sprain • Stomach ulcers • Tuberculosis • Tumor • Urinary disorders • Wounds

So, the Moringa tree not only functions as a source for nutritional value and health benefits, but it also has potential as a dietary supplement for livestock and can be used to help increase crop yields.

(The above data on the Moringa tree is from www.treesforlife.org)

The Muiri tree:

The Muiri tree (Prunus africanus) has been used for thousands of years by inhabitants of East Africa for treating various ailments. However, recently pharmaceutical companies have discovered its potential and have hired agents to harvest the tree by improper methods and to an unsustainable degree. Consequently, very few of the trees now remain and the species is considered endangered.

Read more about Africa's Medicine Tree Facing Extinction From Greed, Corruption

Bob recently returned to Kenya to begin investing some of our resources in these areas. Now, there are 5,000 Moringa tree seedlings and 1,000 Muiri tree seedlings growing on a plot of land that was donated to the cause. We also hired nursreymen to tend this farm while the trees grow.

In February 2010, Bob hopes to return to Kenya with a medical team that would host a free clinic in Olmoran in order to determine the key health issues facing that community. If you are interested or know of someone who might be interested in joining that team, please let us know. There is much work to be done in central Kenya and we need your help.

Guatemala Team Reflections

Shiloh Community Church recently returned from their Simply Missions trip to Guatemala. Tom Rundel, the pastor/team leader has blogged some great updates and reflections on their trip. Take a moment to surf over to his blog (tomrundel.blogspot.com), see some pictures, and read some updates on what God did through them in Guatemala.

Great Jamaica Reflection Video

The team from Westwinds put this video together after their trip. I think it really captures a lot of the meaning behind what we are trying to accomplish at Simply Missions. The team spent the week at a residential school for deaf kids in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Take a look at what these kids have to say about their experience. (Read more about the Student Journey trip to Jamaica at www.variousparables.com)

New Simply Missions T-Shirts are here!

Show your support by wearing a Simply Missions T-Shirt.
Now Available for $15 each or two for $25 (plus shipping).
Adult sizes: S, M, L, XL, 2XL
E-mail your order to joe@simplymissions.org!

Let Us Start Planning Your Trip Next!

Current Opportunities for you or your church:

· Medical Mission trip to Olmoran, Kenya in October of 2009 (Approx. Cost: $2,600)

· Skilled Construction work in Paris, France – now through January. (Approx. Cost: $1,700)

· Guatemala trips customized for your team. (Approx. Cost: $1,300)

· Jamaica trips customized for your team. (Approx. Cost: $1,300)

We are already planning trips for 2010. Contact us today to get a custom quote for your church, school, or small group!

Jamaica Update

I'm just back from 12 days in Jamaica and want to thank all of you who prayed for the teams that were serving there. It was an incredible time. I started out my trip with the Westwinds Youth Ministry team that was working at the CCCD in Montego Bay. We helped pour a concrete sidewalk and the students spent a lot of time getting to know the deaf kids too.

Later I joined the JCS team and spent the remainder of my time in Whitehouse, Jamaica. There we built a house for a family who lost their home in a fire. It was hard work and hot days but it was also an awesome moment to hand the keys over to Solomon and his wife. I'm proud of all the students and adults that joined Simply Missions on these work teams.

If you would like to read testimonies about the house build or see more pictures go to www.royalservants.blogspot.com.

Simply Missions is now on Facebook!

We've opened up a Facebook Group for Simply Missions! This is part of our recent efforts to increase our connection points with you, our trusty supporters, and to create a viral approach to getting our name out there.

Let us know what you think by posting on the Simply Missions wall. Or, tell your friends about what we are doing with Simply Missions.

Find us on Facebook here. Or friend me (joe neill) and you'll see a link to the group on my page. I just opened the group this afternoon and already we have 83 members!

Not sure what Facebook is??? Don't worry. We'll continue to post updates here as well. If you don't recieve our email updates, contact me here and request to be on our e-list.

Whitehouse, Jamaica

In March 2009 Solomon Johnson's family of 11 was left homeless after an electrical fire destroyed their house and many of their possessions. Solomon's family was given land to rebuild on, the only problem was it was in the bush and would need to be cleared first; a difficult task for a man with only a machete.

That's the point where 23 Lansing Christian School students and adults entered the scene. With shovels, pick axes, a chain saw, and the generosity of a local contractor and his "bobcat", the land was cleared in one day. During the week of service, footings were poured; cement block laid and rocks carried to fill in the foundation. The sun was warm, and the work was hard as students had to carry heavy bags of sand and rock up the mountain to the site. Hand mixing concrete and mortar taught the students new skills and an appreciation for cement mixers! The team was able to complete the foundation for the new Johnson family residence as well as begin the hole for their latrine.

While in Jamaica the LCS team was able to present two chapel services in area schools. They sang songs and students shared about life in the USA. The group also attended an energetic Palm Sunday service (over two hours long) complete with the waving of palm branches. All week long this team had the privilege of demonstrating love to Jamaican kids. Whenever they had a break at school the kids would find the LCS group for more time coloring, blowing bubbles, and playing Red Rover, soccer and even cricket.

The LCS students were challenged each day to see God at work around them. Some examples included a bobcat showing up at the worksite to help clear the brush, the true worship that took place at a small Jamaican church, the chance students had to help each other carry heavy loads, and the joy on the faces of all the students as they ministered to Solomon's family and the children in the area.

The week ended as the LCS team gathered together to pray with Solomon and his family. They all stood around the foundation of his new home and lifted up prayers of thanksgiving to our wonderful Lord. It was another amazing week filled with amazing stories of God's faithfulness.

Upcoming Ministry Schedule

June:
• Jamaica – From June 13-20, a team from Westwinds Youth Ministry will travel to Montego Bay to work with the Caribbean Christian Center for the Deaf (CCCD).
• Jamaica – From June 16-24, a team from Jackson Christian High School will travel to Whitehouse to work with KBM.
• Jamaica – From June 16–25 a team from Rivertree Community Church will work ½ a week at KBM and ½ a week with CCCD .

July:
• Guatemala – From July 12-19, a team from Shiloh Community Church will work in Guatemala City, Guatemala, with Global Soccer Ministries (GSM). Their focus will be working on homes in the slums, repairing soccer fields, and ministry with children.

August:
• South Africa – From August 12-19, a team from Westwinds Community Church will travel to Johannesburg to work with various ministries.

Good times & God moments

In April, I had the privilege of taking Laura along with me on a trip to France. With our young family, it’s not easy to make that happen very often but it is always a blessing when it works out. We led a spring break trip for a small team of high school students who have been studying French. Our first night there we participated in a youth rally where several churches gathered. That event formed the foundation for relationships to develop over the course of the following days. Spiritual conversations were sparked, seeds were planted, and friendships budded. I was pleasantly surprised at the way these students sought to minister to their new friends through simple conversation.

At the end of the trip, my plan was to stay in France for a few extra days after the team left. I had some arrangements made but didn’t know what I would do for my last evening. Early in the week I contacted an old friend who I knew was a missionary in France and, as it turns out, he was going to be in the Paris area that day and was able to meet me. We spent a day catching up and talking about his ministry. They need teams to come help with camp, and it just so happens that I lead teams. God is good. On my last day in France I was able to stay at their facility just outside of Paris and he took me to the airport the next morning. It was one of those moments where I trusted God and the result was more than I could have imagined.

If anyone is interested in a trip to France, the camp is desperately in need of some skilled construction workers to do some renovation of their guest housing. The project is already underway and supplies are already at the location. Now they just need help installing windows, laying tile, installing drop ceilings, repairing plaster, and lots more. Contact me if you are interested in helping out!

Bwana Asifiewe!

Bwana Asifiewe is Swahili for “Praise the Lord!” And there is much to praise Him for after my recent trip to Kenya. God went before us and paved the way for an incredible week in Africa. Thanks for your prayers!

The needs in Kenya are overwhelming. As we drove throughout the country, the thing that left the greatest impression on me was the bredth of poverty across the land. Everywhere we went there were people living in shanti town slums, and surviving conditions beyond my imagination. It is tough to take all that in, but at the same time it is exciting to be a part of a mission seeking to bring help and hope to those in desperate need.

In such situations, it can be difficult to know where to begin, and the truth is we could probably start almost anywhere. Relationships are often the default starting point, and our work in Kenya is turning out that way too. Through a network of already established relationships we decided to focus in on Olmoran, a remote community located about 45 miles north of Nyahururu.

We found ourselves in Olmoran, speaking with a group of cattle farmers about their greatest needs, food and water. In the midst of the conversation, a man named Leonard stepped forward from the back of the crowd and said, “I will pray for you, that God will show you how to help us.”

I want to ask you to join Leonard in his prayer. With so much work to be done, we don’t stand a chance without Divine intervention. We are now planning a medical mission trip to Olmoran, Kenya in October of this year. If you are interested, or know of someone interested in going on this trip, please let me know.

This is an incredibly busy spring season for us at Simply Missions. While I was in Kenya we had a team in Mississippi doing Katrina relief work. Next week Laura and I will be leading a group of high school students on a trip to France. During that same week, Bob & Janet Wielenga (founders of GO Develop) will be at a children’s home in Jamaica leading a team of 23. We get a short breather in May before the summer season begins in early June with two team trips to Jamaica, and one to Guatemala.

As always, we are grateful for your prayers and support that make this work possible!

Please continue to pray as this ministry grows.

Kenya Update

We’ve been so busy that it has been difficult to find time to update you all on what is happening here. Here is a recap of the past few days…

On Monday morning we drove to the Huduma School which is located about fifteen minutes from here in the heart of the Kwangware slum. There are 1,500 students in the school which currently goes up to “Form 2” (or 10^th grade). More grades will be added in the coming years. The cost to attend the school for the year is about $25/student. Class sizes at Huduma are all around 40 students per teacher. As a teacher myself, I know that this is less than ideal. School begins at 7am and lets out at 6pm, so these kids are working hard to get an education. One of the school’s greatest needs is for a library, they do not currently have resources for the students to do research, though they occasionally take the older ones to a nearby seminary to do projects.

Another great ministry of the school is the sewing and carpentry classes that are offered. Young adults join these programs and can learn these trades in order to get employment. The programs take between a year and a half to two years to complete and prepare the students to start their own businesses in the community.

We played with the kids during their recess hours throughout the morning. As soon as one group would leave the playground (which was really more of a dust field than anything) another group would come running out. Everyone was pretty exhausted (and really dirty) by noon.

Monday afternoon we drove to Nyahururu which is about four hours north of Nairobi. We passed over the equator on the way.

Monday night, Bob and I met with a man from the Department of Water, who happened to be one of the board members of a local church where we have connections here in Kenya. This was a true Godsend for our hopes to begin a well project in nearby Olmoran.

Tuesday morning we drove 70 kilometers to Olmoran. That drive took us about two hours and the road was incredibly rough. It is difficult for me to describe this village. It is a meeting place for three different tribes. We happened to be there on a market day so the village was bustling with people setting up tents and lean-to’s to display their products. Our team split into small groups and walked through the village talking to people. Bob and I had an extended conversation with a group of cattle farmers and we discussed the challenges they face regarding food and water. They have a well in Olmoran but it is not satisfactory to meet the demands of the number of people coming to that area. The men we talked with had traveled 40 kilometers on foot (two days walk) to get to Olmoran to sell some animals and buy food for their family.

Tuesday afternoon we traveled another two hours back to Nyahururu for lunch, then another hour the other direction on an even more difficult road in order to reach the village of Salama. The well in Salama is in a state of disrepair. The windmill that had been powering it is no longer functioning. This community is another target opportunity for a well project.

Wednesday morning we left Nyahururu early and headed back to Nairobi via Nakuru. We took the opportunity to spend a few hours on safari in the Lake Nakuru National Preserve. What a beautiful display of God’s creation! On the way back we also stopped and visited the Rift Valley Academy, a boarding school for children of missionaries.

So, today seemed like the first day that we were not in the van for hours on end, and it was a welcome change. We spent the day teaching students at Lavington United Church School, which is only about ten minutes from where we are staying. The Hope College students presented a lesson on the armor of God to students in several grade levels.

After lunch Bob and I met with the Archbishop of the Anglican Church in Kenya. Our meeting was to discuss their potential involvement with us in the community development projects that we are looking at in Olmoran and the surrounding areas. It was exciting to hear the Archbishop using some of the very same terms that we have used in describing what we hope to see happen in that community. God seems to be at work and we continue to listen carefully for more hints on what God is up to here.

This evening was our first evening when we were back to the guest house before 7:00pm. It was nice just to have a few hours of relaxation time. Tomorrow we start early again at the school and the group will be doing presentations for the upper level grades at Lavington school. We will head back to the USA on Saturday evening.

Our time here in Kenya has been a whirlwind (or maybe the proper term would be a dust devil, as those seem common here). We have seen so much and time and space do not permit me to write about all that I have experienced and felt personally. One thing I will say is that the needs here are overwhelming. Pray for us as we continue this journey, that God would keep our eyes open even when what we see is hard to take in.

Blessings on you all, and thanks for your prayers.

Peace to you from Kenya,

joe

Catching You Up To Speed in KENYA

Friday and Saturday were long travel days and we arrived here last night (Saturday) at 8:00pm. After checking into the Guest House we grabbed a late dinner and went to bed as we were all pretty tired. Today (Sunday) we went to Huduma Church in the Kwangware slums for an authentic two and a half hour Kenyan church service.

This afternoon we enjoyed our day of rest by taking in some of the sites nearby. We spent some time feeding (some even kissing) the giraffes at the Giraffe Center in Karen. We also saw some cultural dancing at the Bomas Center, also in Karen.

Our highlight this evening was sorting through all of the donations that we brought with us. Tomorrow we will spend time with kids at Huduma Scool in the Kwangware slum before heading to Nyahururu which will serve as our base of operations for the following two days. Tuesday we will drive from Nyahuru to Olmoran, the site we are investigating for our first “Go Develop Communities” project. Later in the week we will be back here in Lavington doing two days of school activities at Lavington United Church Academy.

We are all overwhelmed by the love and joy that we are greeted with wherever we go. It is our prayer that we will bring more of God’s love to each individual that we meet on our journeys. Please pray with us that God would use our time here in Kenya for the growth of His Kingdom.

A new look for a new year!

Happy New Year! We are excited to unveil our new logo and a new look for our website for 2009. Click on the new logo above to surf over to simplymissions.org and have a look around and let us know what you think.

Aside from our new logo, we have some really exciting things going on in 2009. We are currently working on putting together nine different trips for '09 and we are always looking for new groups and partnerships. One of the most exciting things that is in the works is our newest initiative to transform communities in need of clean drinking water. We are already in the process of identifying a community where we will work to provide...

Clean Water through well drilling, water filtration, and purification.
Mosquito Netting to help prevent malaria.
Medical Clinics to relieve urgent and chronic illness.
Evangelistic Outreach through clinics, seminars, sports ministry, and relationship development.
Long-term Discipleship through church planting.

We'll keep you posted on all the latest news as these projects develop further. Thanks for your prayers!