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February 21, 2010 Update
Hamjambo,
We finally got the right fuel filter for our Pajero and
got it up and running again this last week. Unfortunately the aircon is
still out. We've had a lot of rain the last two nights and with the mud
and humidity, we decided to take the Land Rover since it has good
aircon. We were in the car ready to go this morning but when I went to
turn the key in the ignition it wouldn't turn. The ignition was frozen.
Nothing I could do would make it work.
I am so frustrated with
cars here that I was questioning what God is trying to tell us, or
whether this is just another attack by Satan to discourage us and what
in the world am I supposed to do. As I went into the house to open the
garage and get the Pajero out Jonathan came in and said, "Mom got the
car started." I probably gave him a pretty dumb look and said, "How?" He
didn't know but it was running. Lhey said she just jiggled the ignition
up and down and it turned. So, off to church we went.
By the time
we arrived we were almost a half hour late. Didn't matter, only six kids
were there, but the building was open. In about ten minutes people were
coming so we started. Had a good Sunday school with about 60 total, and
then we had 89 for the morning service and three decisions.
Simon, who brought his brother, Joshua, to be saved three weeks ago,
came with a co-worker today. It was the first time for Alex and I had a
chance to witness to him. Lelenguya also brought his brother to church
with him for the first time. After the service everybody hung around
fellowshipping for a long time. We've never had a day quite like that
before. The Lord turned what started out to be a disaster into a pretty
good day.
And it didn't stop there. This last week Lhey met a
couple of Filipinos at the supermarket and they invited her over Friday
evening to a birthday party. Everybody went but me. I'd been working on
the cars all day and it got too late for me to get ready in time. They
all had a good time, and Lhey got in touch with Rhea, who had been a
part of our Filipino ministry back on our first term.
After
church today we met Rhea in town for lunch. She had been saved in 2003,
but in 05 when many of the Filipinos left the country over the tax issue
we lost touch with her. Turns out she's been here the whole time, but is
leaving this week for the Philippines and a new job. She updated us on
our friends, John and Elma, and their four children. Lhey led Elma to
the Lord in 03, and their two oldest kids in 04. Then, not long before
we went to the Philippines in 05, I was able to lead John just before
they moved to Kampala, Uganda. Rhea told us they are faithful in a
church and Bible study and gave us their facebook contact. What a
blessing the day turned out to be catching up with some of those we've
previously worked with.
There was one sad note today and this
brings up the difficulty we're having making a decision on trying to buy
the church property from the plantation. The farm is up for sale which
was supposed to have been completed in December. The buyer conglomerate
apparently doesn't have the money yet, so it's been put off another year
until after the next harvest. That allows us to continue without making
a decision yet.
The plantation is being subdivided and sold in
quarter acre plots for a housing development with a rehab hospital in
the middle of it. It sounds great. The problem is, the plantation is way
out in the country and when it is sold and the factory shuts down it
will take years before enough people move in to the area and build their
homes for there to be enough of a community to support a church. If the
plantation workers were able to stay in the housing area, there would be
enough people to continue the ministry and eventually support a national
pastor while waiting for the new community to develop. However, when I
was talking with the manager last week, he mentioned that when the sale
is done, most of the people living on the plantation will probably
transfer to a new plantation the owner has bought.
David
Wainaina was the first person saved at the plantation ministry last
October. He has been faithfully attending, learning all the memory
verses in our contests, and he volunteered to sweep the building every
Saturday and he cuts the grass when it is needed. He has been a real
blessing to the ministry. Today he missed church for the first time
since we started. When we asked about him we were told he had been
transferred to the new plantation.
So this is our dilemma. We
don't have the money to buy the building and a two-acre plot and sit on
it for who knows how long before we can restart a ministry out there
after the farm is sold. But as long as the sale doesn't go through, we
can continue like we are. It would never become an organized church, but
it's a great preaching point reaching a group of people that are in the
area for the time being. We know the Lord will work this out in His
time, so pray for us that we'll be able to make the right decision when
the time comes.
Also continue to pray for my work permit. I'm
going back to immigrations on Wednesday to see if the "internal
problems" have been resolved.
Lance Patterson |
