African outreach: Kenya

My good friend Ric Vargas and his mission’s minded traveling companion, Lou Pressman, recently returned from a trip to Africa. Ric is a little insecure about his height, thus, is standing on the sign platform They traveled specifically to Kenya and Burundi. Ric has promised to provide a reflective summary of his time spent there. Just from the initial testimony I have received from him, their time was both fruitful and challenging. I’m also hoping that Lou can provide a summary of things from his perspective as well. Needless to say, many brothers in Christ were refreshed and encouraged in the Lord along the way as their travels took them into several different areas. Lou took some nice photos, I’ll be including more as they forward them to me. I’m including email summaries that I received from them during their travels. This first post will feature photos and testimonies from the Kenyan segment of their trip.

Kenyan Pastors

“We arrived safely after a delay leaving DC. The weather here is cooler than the east coast of the US, mid 70’s. It is the end of winter here. Quite amusing to see people with scarves and coats. We are staying at an Anglican guest house a little outside of the city. We had a traditional Kenyan meal last night with our host and his family. A simple meal of cabbage,lentils,corn, peas and carrots. Not quite a vegetable soup but close enough. Yesterday was try and stay awake day which I lost miserably. We hope to be adjusting to the time difference tonight. Our hosts have gladly received us and we look forward to meeting the other brethren as our meetings start tomorrow. Internet service here at the guest house, though claiming to be high speed is a little bit slower than that. The times of availability is also limited, so we will do our best to stay in touch. Thank you all again for your prayers and support. Ric”

A food staple called Mokimo

“It is quite comfortable here unlike the heat wave you are experiencing.I don’t think we have seen upper 70’s yet. I should have brought only 1 pair of shorts and a few more shirts. We had another home cooked meal last night. Boiled chicken with spices,more cabbage and chipatis(sp) Indian style tortillas. There were several over from the fellowship and we heard some fascinating stories of village life. They all came from villages. Grew up in mud huts,no electricity, several saw white people for the first time around 10 and around that time had shoes for the first time. David, one of the Pastor’s can make a fire with sticks, (he’s not a boyscout) no matches in the villages. It was something to hear their stories. These were people in their mid 30’s to mid 20’s. If it is this cool here I can’t imagine what Eldoret will be like, of course Lou is loving it all in his shorts,while others are wearing winter coats, hats and scarves. We went to the market place yesterday and had quite fun with the merchants,walking out of one place after selecting several things to purchase. They probably had never seen whites refuse to pay their prices. We are safe and well. We travel Monday morning to Eldoret, a smaller city but the 3rd or 4th largest city in Kenya. Nairobi has 3 and a half million people. We will use it as our base and travel out from there everyday to rural areas having meetings. Oh yeah, got to pet a cheetah yesterday,its fur is not at all like a cat’s. Ric”

Two happy campers!

“I am glad to report Ric and I are doing fine. We had a long day of ministry today. The brethren here have purchased land for a children’s home and also a separate ministry center. They had put up a tent and we had a pastors/leaders meetings. I shared on what it means to be truly filled with the Holy Spirit. Not just the outward signs but an enabling to be a witness. In the later session Ric shared on true worship using the example of David bring the ark back to Jerusalem. We are being well received and the brethren are thankful to God for the ministry. We have enjoyed the fellowship and the weather here has been quite agreeable. The hotel here has an internet cafe so as time allows I will write more often. I need to get going. Love in Christ, Bro. Lou”

“We had wonderful fellowship with the brethren yesterday. Our meeting took place in a school on the western side of Nairobi. It was a few miles away from the new American embassy as well as other embassies. Lou and I both gave a word that they received hungrily with prayer over a few brethren. We had a meal together of tea, cabbage and something made from corn flour and water called ugali. For those familiar with tamales it is the masa without anything else. Yes, no flavor. They make it with the flour and water, no salt or anything else added. A brother Alex who is the pastor had us to his home later after the meeting. We had another meal of rice and vegetables, similar to the meal we had at David’s, no cabbage though. Alex had developed a friendship with Art Katz, visiting him in the states on 2 occasions. He is very hungry and open to receive from us. We travel to Eldoret today, aprox 6 hours. There will be 5 of us traveling together in a Peugot (sp) I rode home in the vehicle last night and I’m sure it is going to be quite a ride today. The vehicle stalled out twice the engine light shouted out a bright red STOP and it smelled hot, that was with only 3 passengers and no luggage. Take care and blessings to all. We thank you for your prayers. Will stay in touch as we are able. Ric”

Mega Church in Kapalwat

Another Kenyan church building

Our brothers & sisters in Christ praising the Lord!

Kenya experienced a political upheaval earlier this year between to factions after one faction claimed that the election was rigged. The losing side went on a rampage and many (including some Christians) lost their lives. The following is an excerpt from a story that reports on these events. Kenya’s leaders came under increasing pressure from the international community on Wednesday to end post-election violence that has resulted in the deaths of at least 250 people, including dozens who were burned alive as they sought refuge in a church. The killing of as many as 50 ethnic Kikuyus Tuesday as they sheltered in a church in the city of Eldoret fueled concern that ethnic conflicts were deepening in the east African nation. Much of Nairobi was quiet and deserted Wednesday, though clashes continued in the city’s giant Mathare slum. Government spokesman Alfred Mutua downplayed the violence, saying it had only affected about 3 percent of the country’s 34 million people. “Kenya is not burning and not at the throes of any division,” he said. Mutua said the security forces had arrested 500 people since skirmishes began. President Mwai Kibaki was inaugurated for a second term Sunday, but his rival Raila Odinga says the poll was rigged.”

Ric Vargas

Githeri another food dish in Kenya (Mokimo's cousin)

Pastor David Kipyego

Ric & Lou with two Pastors

“We have been appreciating our time here with the brethren in Eldoret. They have cared for us in every way desiring to meet any needs that we have. The neighborhood we are in lost power for the night but was on in the morning which allowed for hot showers. We were attempting to send and check messages before leaving for our meetings but once again the power went out. We have learned from our travels that “high speed internet|” is a relative term. Our journey took us about 45 kil. outside of Eldoret, near the place where John is from. The brethren stopped on the way to an overlook place where we saw the Kerio Valley. The Lord blessed us with a clear view as it has been cloudy most of the time. Of course as some of you know, my fear of heights only allowed me a partial view. I will have to enjoy the view from Lou’s photos later. I not only have a problem with getting close to ‘the edge’ but even seeing someone else causes my anxiety level to rise. Of course our dear brother David was bounding around like a hind inviting us to follow him. He seems to have taken the scriptures very literally when David wrote that God had made his feet like hind’s feet. Even Lou could not be coaxed to follow him. I was glad for that as I am not sure how I would have explained to Theresa his tumble into the valley. What I saw was spectacular though, and my reluctance to get a better view made for some great laughs on our drive. Lou caused quite a stir with the children walking along the road. They actually ran away squealing when they saw him. It was quite amusing and repeated again and again up in that area. We arrived at our meeting place, a small church in the countryside. I so appreciate hearing the voices raised in worship in the native language, fulfilling the scriptures that declare He shall have from every tribe and tongue a people. We took turns in bringing a word that seemed to be what was needed in the situation. We enjoyed a meal together before leaving. It was called Githeri, a similar dish to the Mokimo we had a few days ago but without the greens and unlike Mokimo which is mashed this was whole. I enjoyed this one more perhaps because it was served hot. Some tea and fellowship and we were on way back to Eldoret. We stopped along the way to see where John lives. It was nice to stretch our legs and go for a walk. The area is a beautiful countryside setting with cows, sheep and farms making up the scenery. We were able to call home and went for a meal at Ben’s house. A wonderful meal of local flavors with some fried fish, and yes, we also got our cabbage for the day. We are grateful for this opportunity to be with our brethren and witness what the lord is doing in their midst. Continue to remember us in prayer that we will be able to release the word we carry in our hearts and for the Lord to bring about joinings that will be for His glory and the furtherance of His kingdom. Thank you all again for your love and support. Ric “mazoongu”

Kerio Valley

“Dear Brethren, The difficulties of sending email from third world countries. Was midway through when the power went out, needless to say very frustrating. Anyway we had a great day today. We went back to Ziwa for another day of ministry. The trip from Eldoret to Ziwa is about 45 km or 30 miles. The roads go from bad to worse. It takes about 1 hour 20 minutes to go the 30 miles. A long trip that is hard on the kidneys and makes you feel like a bobble head doll. Today we had a leadership meeting. Ric shared out of Judges. The condition of the people and God choosing leadership. I shared out of Genesis on God’s plan of redemption. I am thankful to report on how these messages are being well received. I am grateful that during and after the meetings we are able to have fellowship with the brethren. It is always amazing to experience on how God takes total strangers and through the Word and by His Holy Spirit knits hearts together. Tomorrow is our last day in Ziwa then Monday a leadership meeting in Eldoret. Must get going so I’ll email with more details tomorrow. Blessings to all, Bro. Lou”

Sharing the word in Ziwa, Kenya

Meal preparation in Ziwa, Kenya. Note the color of the water in basin to the left

I wonder if this bathroom will be featured on Home & Garden TV?

“Dear Brethren,
Today and the next few days we will be traveling about 45 km out of Eldoret for leadership meetings. These meetings will be critical for all the leaders will be with us during this time. The Lord has been faithful and the brethren have been testifying that these meetings have been exactly what they need to hear.

As many of you know there was great unrest in Kenya starting the beginning of this year. Kenya has basically been known for its stability especially considering other African nations. Yet there arose a tension between two major tribes the Kalenjin and Kikuyu. It could have been terrible as far as carnage. Thankfully the government stepped in and quelled the uprisings. However, officially over 700 people died but many fear much more. The most difficult in all this is that many churches sided with their tribal roots. What about the “one new man”? For the church here to go forward a major move of repentance must come.

I am thankful that the brethren that we have been ministering to understand these principles. May God continue to send us as a ministerial fellowship to those who have an ear to hear. For those who are committed to the cause of Christ. Nothing else will satisfy the heart of God.

Love in Christ,
Bro. Lou”

Open market

Street Preacher

Signs of the recent factional fighting

Digging into the word

Worship team

A note from the blog Author. Ric told me that there were times when some of the translation work done didn’t go as well as it could have. These men shared from the word four times a day for many days in a row. Therefore, through just shear exhaustion, some things are bound to get lost in the translation work. I know this from first hand experience. I speak fairly fluent Spanish. I was translating for a friend in Costa Rica back in 1977. He was telling a story about how he was embarrassed about something he did. I translated the word ‘embarazada’ instead of ‘avergüence’. You might be asking, “What does embarazada mean in Spanish?” It translates ‘pregnant’! The folks in service there laughed their heads off when I did that! They had reason too! Here’s a photo of just such a moment in Kenya as Lou is sharing.

Translation blunder

More Mokimo, please!

Dear Brethren,
It is hard to believe that our time in Kenya is coming to an end and tomorrow we leave for Burundi. We were in an area of Kenya called Nandi Hills. It is one of the tea regions and it is beautiful.
We had a series leadership meetings in that area and am thankful to see the hunger in these people. For Ric and myself it is like wherever our foot trods the Lord is with us and using us to bless others.
I must run since there is some packing to do and we are meeting some brethren later. I will give a full report as soon as I am able. We continue to do well but we are both feeling the exhaustion of this trip. Your prayers are most appreciated.
In Christ,
Bro. Lou

Note from blog author, I found this posted Youtube depicting one of the areas Ric & Lou visited in Kenya called Nandi Hills. This videos shows the the economic poverty these folks live in. I’m not sure who produced the clip, or the message they are ultimately wanting to send. So, I’m not endorsing it, only posting it to provide a look into the lives and surroundings of Nandi Hills, Kenya.

Nandi Hills tea farm

Nandi Hills tea farm

Ric & Lou in Nandi Hills

I’ll try and catch up as we have only had access once since being here in Burundi and that for only a few minutes. Nandi Hills is surrounded by tea plantations which are very beautiful to see as they fill the hillsides. We stopped as we neared the town. Having never seen tea plants we were quite surprised as to their size and shape,and that there were no little bags hanging from the branches We had a wonderful 2 days of continued fellowship and were encouraged by the turnout, as this was the first time a gathering of this kind had been attempted by the brethren in this location. This was also an area that had been effected by the clashes, we passed a few camps for the displaced and saw evidence of destruction that still littered the area like a scar that remained to remind them of the dark days their country had been through. The word was warmly received and we sensed that we had released the word we came with for our brethren in Kenya. We had to leave early for the ride back to Nairobi as we wanted to get to the bank so Lou could cash the remainder of his travelers checks before we head for Burundi. This was also my 50th. birthday, and many thanks to all those who sent birthday greetings to me, they were appreciated. Lou made sure to announce my upcoming birthday,4 days in advance, wherever we went and I was sung to on several occasions. We enjoyed some close up encounters with Zebras,Wart Hogs and Baboons on the way back to Nairobi. We made it back to do the banking got our room for the night and started packing for our early morning flight. We took David,John and his wife out for a farewell dinner. They chose a restaurant with a western flavor, Java House, which we understand was a favorite of Jesse and Diane. So for my birthday I was able to enjoy a double bacon cheeseburger, yes, I thoroughly enjoyed it! That was followed by a warm brownie and a scoop of ice cream. I thanked them for choosing this place and feel like that burger will last me for the next 12 days till we return home. It was an enjoyable final night with the brethren. We leave Kenya tired in body but encouraged in our hearts as we have seen the Lords handiwork in His people and with the knowledge that He has joined us in a way that we are sure will bring us back here in His time. Thank you all for your prayers for us and may you continue to lift us up as we head for Burundi.

Ric mung Vargas

Morning commute

Roadside rest stop in Nandi Hills, Kenya

Worship service Nandi Hills, Kenya

Teaching session Nandi Hills, Kenya

Missionaries Moira (Mo) William & Children

“Our time here in Eldoret has come to a close. We have been very encouraged by the rich fellowship we have enjoyed while here. The love and care we received from the brethren was a true reflection of the Lord. We do believe that our hearts were joined together and trust the Lord will allow return visits in His time. It has been raining the last few days here, not all day but when the rains come the heavens have opened. We have only seen rain like this on a few other occasions in Colombia and Thailand. They claim that the rains have come very late. We visited a missionary couple last night, ‘Mo’ (Moira) and William. They have a son Aaron and a few other Kenyan children they are caring for. We enjoyed their hospitality and some broccoli, we did not have cabbage yesterday, the first day since our arrival here in Kenya. I thought I was turning into a Cabbage Patch Kid. Mo and William shared stories with us of their experience during the clashes earlier in the year. They were able to shelter 20 people during those dark days. There was potential for the nation to erupt into chaos. We are thankful for the Lord’s mercies upon the brethren we met here and on the nation as a whole. We enjoyed good fellowship. As we were about to leave we joined in prayer for Mo and William, after prayer or brother Alex said he felt the Holy Spirit asking him to wash the feet of his brethren,the 2 other Kenyans, who represented opposing tribes during the clashes. It was a time filled with the Lord’s presence and a clear demonstration of lives desiring to break and confess any hidden hatred and prejudices. I had a sense in my heart that the water left in the basin was truly holy water. We leave shortly for Nandi Hills till early on Thursday morning when we will return to Nairobi for an early morning flight on the first for Burundi. We can truly say that our time here in Kenya has been fruitful and in the Lord’s timing. We thank all of you for your prayers and support and we know your brethren here in Kenya are grateful for you sending us to them. Greetings to all and we trust to get out another note before leaving for Burundi. Ric mzungu Vargas ”