Update from Max

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
    I pray and hope that when you receive this one all of you find yourselves in the best of health and prosperity.
    The month of October was a good month. From the 5th until the 7th we (Jaime) and I were in Lubbock, Texas. We were there for some lectures. We travelled for the K.C. Moser Ministry Lectures. Not only did we make some good contacts, but people found out about our work and the good that Jaime has done in the summer time in Africa. I was able to meet two young men from Artesia, another young lady from Texas Tech, and others he has worked with in Africa. And of course we met with brother Jim Beck a professor at LCU. It was very refreshing to meet him again after many years.
    During the rest of the month and on through November, I will be teaching at a preacher’s school in Rio Bravo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. I have the blessing of teaching Old Testament History and Geography and The Life of Christ. They are both good courses and I have the blessing of having students who want to learn. They surprise me much in that they will memorize much of my teaching and lessons. We started out with 20 students but as you know, work is very scarce so some dropped out and we now only have 12 students. Husbands and wives are attending so a lot of good is coming from this. I've met many from the brotherhood and many preachers from the area. Pray for us because I want to start the same classes in Monterrey in the near future. God has been good to me and I want to give of myself as much as I can!
    I'm also planning to be with the Vinasco brethren in the state of Hidalgo in the near future, maybe in December. They are in a very remote location and I know these brethren would appreciate a visit.
    Please PRAY for all these works that we may help them grow in wisdom and stature with God. Let's pray the Lord of the Harvest send some helpers to His vineyard and some more support! God bless you Jaime and please continue the struggle.

For His Cause,
Max R. Zamorano
Mexico Coordinator

Update on John

Dear friends,

Thank you.  Thank you for the notes, calls, prayers, and gifts on behalf of John Chengo.  As you know, John was mugged a few weeks ago and gratefully escaped with little harm done.  He had his school fees with him and all of it was stolen.

And even though these are hard times, you have come through in a powerful way.  We needed $2000 quickly to make sure the school would re-admit him.  To date, $1640 has been raised.  $900 of this amount was wired to John and the school allowed him to continue his studies considering the circumstances.  We only lack a few hundred dollars more, so if some of you have prayerfully considered helping John, now would be the time.

Thank you and may God bless us all as we strive to live for him each day!

Mugged!

Hello friends and family!

Below are excerpts from a long email from John Chengo. We are sponsoring John to go to med school. Last week I sent him school fees to cover this semester and he was mugged later the same day! Unfortunately he had all the money with him and they took it! Thankfully, he was not hurt. Read below for more.

We need to raise $2000 as soon as possible to keep John in school! The school has allowed him to return given the circumstances, even though schools in Kenya normally do not allow students who haven’t paid to attend classes.

So please help us if you can. Send checks to INTERCEDE, PO Box 2788, Mesilla Park, NM 88047.

And pray for John! As he writes below, he is “confused and down”.


Hallo Bro Jaime. Let me take this time to thank the Almighty for preserving my life. Every one is well and as I type this message am with Ziro and Dad here at Kilifi.

I thank God for the money you sent from Intercede for my schooling, but something terrible happened and am afraid because it has totally confused us here. On 1st I went to Kilifi at around 2pm to collect the fees and Ziro gave me the amount as stated in the fees structure. I signed and confirmed that it was the correct amount of money. We ate together with Masha and Katsuki and after praying, I left.

On reaching the bus stage at Kilifi I wanted to board a gari to Msabaha to see my dad so that I can get some money for fare to school and pocket money. While I was standing at the stage, 2 men asked if I could show them the District Commissioner’s office. I crossed the road with them and entered into their van. Instead of taking the DC's way, they took the Mombasa road and when I intervened, one of them drew a gun and forced me to lie facing down on the seat. They searched me and robbed me of the whole amount of fees, my phone, and other 500 shillings. They kept on discussing in a language not known to me and took me round while threatening to kill me. They took me around all through the night to a very far place I was not able to identify and at about 5 am in the morning they let me free. I reached the main road and rushed to Mtwapa police station. The Police assisted me to communicate to family members and friends.

Ndugu yangu, am glad with only one thing, that they did not touch my life. I saw death but God turned it to something that he knows best. Please pray for me cause am still not stable. I believe that God has a precious purpose for my life and that’s why he decided to protect it.

Thank you very much, tell my friends to pray for me cause am so confused and down.
Bye Bro.

Tough Times for Church Leaders

From Duncan Ziro in Kilifi:

Kibarani Church of Christ is the mother church in Kilifi District. It was the first, and from it, many others were planted. Philip Safari (the preacher at Kibarani church) was there from the beginning and is respected as a pioneer of other churches. But tough times have forced him to abandon the church. Philip has not been attending leader’s meetings and even failed to avail himself on Sundays to serve the flock he had laboriously worked for many years. The main problem was food. His economic status had deteriorated to an extent that he couldn’t put food on the table for his family. He was forced to look for manual jobs even on Sunday.

The church tried to support him, but because he has a big family and the times are hard for everyone, they were unable to continue. I did what little I could and gave him 3,000 KSH (about $38) to help him revive his small business of selling fruits and vegetables. Because even this amount was small compared to the need, I talked to the members of Kibarani Church of Christ. We organized an area wide fellowship and fundraiser to help Philip and his family. From this, Philip received clothes, food, and money from Christians all over Kilifi and Malindi. It was a wonderful day of true family fellowship just as Jesus intended.

Kenya is facing a food crisis. The coast province, especially Malindi, Kaloleni, and Kilifi, are the worst hit areas. People are looking for anything to stuff their stomach provided that it does not kill. Roots, berries and even some leaves are all experimented with as food. Women search high and low for anything and everything to feed their families while many men spend their days searching for work. Both searches end up fruitless more often than not.

Please remember Kenya in your prayers. Your support is highly appreciated. We seriously need it.

Famine!

Dear friends and family,

According to the Daily Nation, the government of Kenya is struggling to deal with an estimated 10 million famine stricken families. Some of the worst hit areas are on the coast and include families in Malindi and Kilifi Districts. Duncan Ziro is coordinating efforts in both districts and his hope and prayer is that he can reach as many families as possible.

INTERCEDE's long range goal is to overcome this type of disaster. By educating and equipping Kenyans, we can help them to feed themselves for a lifetime rather merely help them when things are at an extreme like this. "Give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day; teach him how to fish and you will feed him for a lifetime."

Please donate to relieve the current suffering, then consider donating regularly to solve the problem.

Immediate need: donations to buy maize and beans for suffering families and seed so that they may plant crops during the next rain.

DONATE NOW by visiting us at www.intercede-intl.org/donations or by sending your check to (be sure to put on it “food relief”:

INTERCEDE

PO Box 2788

Mesilla Park, NM 88047

Thank you. Please be in prayer for all of our Kenyan brothers and sisters during this time.

Sosoni Youth Seminar

Dear friends and family,

It has been a while! We sure hope this note finds you all doing well. What an exciting time this is. We are overjoyed by the amazing things that the Lord continues to do in Africa. We ask that you would continue to pray for us and especially for the young men and women who are serving in Kenya.

Below is an update from one of the young men in Kenya who you should know by name. Duncan Ziro writes about a recent youth seminar held in a remote bush area known as Sosoni. The first sentence of his report tells all – his passion is for the young people in Kenya.

Did you know that 71% of Africa’s population is below the age of 25? Targeting the youth is the future of Africa’s church!

Read below for more from Duncan…

Youth ministry is where my heart is. I enjoy working with the youth. The last youth seminar I taught was at Sosoni Church of Christ. I was together with Rodgers Gona and Benjamin Loda.

Rodgers Gona acting out a point as he teaches on Spiritual growth.

A youth burst in laughter during the Bible drill competition.

Drama time.

Benjamin Loda teaches on HIV/AIDS

One of the groups meets for an after lesson prayer.

God is good. With the little resources we managed to pull together, we feed all the youth and teachers for two days. There were a few complexities here and there but at the end all of us were happy and nourished. I taught on the topic ‘Changing from within’. Thank you for your prayers, encouragement, and support. We really appreciate you. Thank you Intercede. May Glory go back to God!

Duncan Wanje Ziro

Team Kid Encampment

Hello friends! I sure hope and pray this note finds you all doing well.

I am excited to report to you that INTERCEDE is growing and continuing to give hope around the world! This month, I would like to share with you a little about INTERCEDE’s ministry in Mexico. Below is a brief update from our brother and co-worker Max Zamorano.

How are all of you?
I write my report to you all! I want to write about some things that I am encouraged about! It is the children’s work in Monterrey, Mexico. For the last two years they've called it “Team Kid”. This is an encampment outside of Monterrey where the little kids and big kids are taken. They are 2-years through High School kids that participate. The 16th of September Church goes all out on this encampment. Kiddos that attend this congregation get to go. Then each kid invites a friend and they go also. So altogether about 100 kids and adults get to go. There is a lot of work involved both for the congregation and for all involved. There are cooks, teachers, chaperones, camp administration, etc.
There is a lot of work involved in this effort. One individual who stands out on this Team Kid Encampment is Beatriz Cavasos, or as we call her, Betty. A few years ago she started this program paying for it out of her own pocket, and having it in her own home. This year, the camp will be held on August 8th through the 11th. Pray for this effort and for all the work that goes into it.

For HIS Cause,
Max R. Zamorano


Thanks again to all of you who prayerfully and financially support the ministry of Max, Betty, and others through INTERCEDE! Let’s be in prayer for the Team Kid Encampment in August!

John Kahindi Chengo

This note is from John:

My name is John Kahindi Chengo. I am a Giryama in tribe and I live on the coast of Kenya. I was born in 1980 at Malindi District Hospital. I am the first born of five, with two brothers and two sisters. I went through 8 years in primary school in my home village of Msabaha and attended secondary school from 1996 to 1999.

My desire was to get a Degree in Biomedical Sciences after secondary school, but this has been impossible due to the fact that I do not have the financial means to pay the school fees. A degree was too expensive so I took a one year certificate in 2001-2002. After this, I thought that I would join for the degree, but still finances were a problem. So I took a diploma of the same course from 2002-2005.

After 2005, I also thought of immediately starting the degree course but up to now, am still waiting for God to help me get the fees. In 2000, I enrolled in a Bible school at Uzima Christian Training Center in Malindi, and I still take the Bible classes up to this day because I also want to be a Christian doctor. I have the desire of reaching people, sharing with them how to be spiritually and physically healthy. To achieve this, I am equipping myself with God's knowledge and with medical knowledge.

God is faithful enough and I believe that he will help me get the fees and the proper knowledge.

We would like to raise the money needed to help John get his degree. What a blessing he could be to the ministry on the coast! Imagine, a Giryama Christian doctor serving with us fulltime, among the poorest of the poor in East Africa! He would be the first doctor, and a Christian at that, willing to give his time in service to God’s people on the coast of Kenya! His father has agreed to pay for all other expenses, so this is a partnership; we’re not footing the whole bill.

$3,500 is needed to pay for John’s first year at college.

If you would like to make a contribution to this cause, please make your check out to INTERCEDE and mail to the address below or go to: www.intercede-intl.org/donations

INTERCEDE
PO Box 2788
Mesilla Park, NM 88047

Personal Update

Hey friends!

We sure hope you are doing well. I have so much to share with you, I’m not even sure where to begin!

Well, we’re all back in the US, getting settled into a new lifestyle. Between us we have 4 different jobs in order to support ourselves and the ongoing ministry in Africa. It keeps us hopping for sure! They are good jobs, and we are so very grateful to have them. Our three beautiful girls are enrolled in school and having a good time. Things are new and different for them – remember, Ginger and I are returning “home”, our children are not. This place is completely new to them. (If I had the space here, I’d share with you some of their cultural blunders! Maybe next time.)

We are thankful for where we are and the life we have now, full of blessings. That isn’t to say that our hearts don’t ache for the place we called home for nearly ten years. I stay in regular contact with Ziro, Kaingu, Muramba, Makaya, Masiga, Gitau, and many others. Two of them, Jeremiah Muramba and Isaac Masiga, were very close. Jeremiah was married in December, Isaac in February. Both invited me to their weddings and I would have loved to have been there with them. Moses Gitau’s wife has breast cancer and had to have a mastectomy. He has written me several times about the “Hard Times” that has befallen his family and the struggles her sickness has brought. Oh that I could be there to encourage him.

These are our friends, our brothers and sisters. My heart aches and my eyes swell up if I spend too much time thinking about them. They all have a special place in my heart and nothing will ever take that away. But time and distance have a way of wearing on our memories. I pray I won’t get lost in the crazy, busy life in America and forget my friends.

But too, these memories help me as I head out to work each day. I leave motivated to make a difference. My paycheck doesn’t simply pay my bills and feed my family, it also helps those I gave my life to in Africa. It makes it all worthwhile knowing that through INTERCEDE, I can still serve my African brother and sister.

Please take the time to pray for us and INTERCEDE and all that the Lord continues to do in Africa – these are exciting times! Let’s work together for something more, something greater. I know we can make an eternal difference in the lives of men and women across Africa and beyond.

Visit http://www.intercede-intl.org/

Makaya Family Thanks You!

Happy New Year! We certainly hope and pray that you are having a good start to a new year.

I just wanted to write you a quick note concerning Prince Makaya and his family. I’m sure you’ll remember that we wrote to you asking for help in raising money for their children so that they could return to school. Many of you responded generously, and thanks to your generosity, Corban, Carmel, and Caleo have returned to school. Please take a moment to watch this brief video they sent to us.

And thank you!

Trouble in Kenya

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

I truly hope you'll take a moment to read over this note. And after you're done, all I ask is that you pause for one short minute to pray.

I have not written about the situation in Kenya. Maybe some of you have heard, maybe not. I would like to share more with you now whatever the case.

On December 27th, there were elections for president in Kenya. Elections in Kenya are never peaceful, nothing like what we experience in the US. (Another reason to be thankful.) Rioting, tribal conflict, and killing, always mar elections in much of Africa and Kenya is no exception. (The picture to the left was taken in Mombasa.)

But this time was particularly brutal. The opposition party has claimed the elections were rigged. European Union observers agree. But the incumbent president has shown no intentions of stepping down. It is estimated that more than 600 people have been murdered and that more than a quarter of a million have been chased away from their homes. And these numbers are expected to increase as the demonstrations and riots continue even today. Here are some words from friends and coworkers who are still in Kenya experiencing the turmoil firsthand:

• “The disputed elections have caused the ugly head of tribalism to rear its head in a shocking turn of events. Most of the deaths have been the result of ethnic cleansing and violence against people who are perceived to be government friendly as well as shooting by police - in many places they are using live bullets to ‘disperse’ rioters.”
• “The country has been shattered and over 250,000 people have are now refugees in their own country.”
• “His Kalenjin [a Kenyan tribe] neighbors are mad at him and threatening to burn his house down and cause he and his family harm”
• “The situation is critical. There is widespread looting, clashes with police, and rioting.
• “Gunfire just outside their home.”
• “The Minister for Internal Security has banned all live broadcasts on TV concerning the situation.”
• “Things are not well here. Kuna fujo zhomu. [There are serious problems.] Shops are closed. People are hoarding food. Hali si mbidzo. [The situation is not good.]”
• “When you called I had just come from Malindi talking to Christine Khadija’s parents. Parents here are really worried for their children traveling upcountry. As I was typing this email, Luganje called too expressing his fears if the students travel to Nairobi. I encouraged them to leave everything to God. This is not easy brother because deep inside me I am also a bit worried. Always remember us in your prayers.”

The people are rioting. The candidates are arguing and spew bitter words at each other in the media. International mediators from all over have tried to bring peace and reconciliation. All have failed. Kofi Annan, the former United Nations Secretary General failed. Condoleezza Rice has tried as well. Now let’s bring it before the only one who can bring true peace. Please pray now for peace, safety, and healing before things get worse.

October Update from Africa

Hello brothers and sisters in Christ. I hope this note finds all of you doing well and growing daily in your relationship with the Lord. As a family, we are doing well and looking forward to our first winter and holiday season in the US in nearly 10 years! Wow! Oh yes, we celebrated the holidays while we were in Africa, but Christmas with 95-degree temperatures just never seemed quite right! Our children may feel otherwise, as if cold is all wrong!

As you know, although we are not physically present in Kenya any longer, we are still intimately involved in the ministry there. We have regular communication with them so that we know how to pray and how best to continue to partner with them in the Lord’s work. As we enter this season of Thanksgiving and celebration of our Lord’s birth, please remember our brothers and sisters throughout the world who do not enjoy the blessings that we know as commonplace. Remember especially the Giryama people of Kenya’s coast, those people we love so much. Here is Duncan Ziro’s most recent note concerning the work in Kenya. He jumps around a bit from subject to subject, but I think you can follow it:

To Jaime & the brothers there in the US,
I want to give you a few highlights of what we are doing here in Kenya. We appreciate your love and support.
There was a women’s seminar at Uzima Christian Training Center – Malindi. It was on 30th to 31st of August 2007. Nine women from Kilifi District attended the seminar. After the seminar these women felt the desire to teach those who missed the opportunity to attend Uzima Seminar. Mama Esther Kasiwa - the Women’s leader in Kilifi District called for a one day seminar. This seminar was aimed at educating other women. They shared on challenges women whose husbands are not believers face. The seminar was on 22nd September 2007 at Kibarani church of Christ. A total of 14 women from Mkoroshoni, Tumaini, Wayani, Kilifi Town Church and the hosting church Kibarani, attended the seminar.
Each woman brought 30 shillings for food, and water. Esther Kasiwa requested MCRC to help them with 300 shillings to add to their 420 shillings which we did. The women who attended talked about how they can help their husbands in providing for the family. Some of the suggestions were to start small businesses, help one another acquire tailoring skills and then contribute to buy cheap sewing machines.
In Kaloleni there was a youth leader’s workshop on 22nd September 2007. This was organized specifically for the youth leaders. The purpose of the seminar was to motivate youth leaders to become more committed and take the responsibility of nurturing others to Christian maturity. They were also taught on how to deal with their fellow youth. A total of 10 leaders attended the workshop. Fredrick Kaingu and Ngowa facilitated the workshop. What really motivated Fredrick to call for this workshop was what we observed during the August Youth seminar. Some of the Youth leaders who attended were shy and could not even take responsibilities like leading small group discussions.
The “Watoto wa Yesu” children’s class is doing very well. Every Saturday the kids come anticipating something new from their teacher Mr. Nelson Katsuki. During the week children pass by the library to ask one or two Bible questions they didn’t understand at school. Nelson cheerfully shows them where to find the right books for their questions.
Apart from the Watoto wa Yesu children’s program, we have the Miziji Bible study every Friday from 3PM to 4PM. (By the way “Miziji” means roots.) We meet at the office extension room. We have been studying the book of James. Our aim is to be deeply rooted in the word of God. We bought some Bible study materials from Bible League (they are in Kiwsahili). These study materials go for 30 shillings a copy. God is blessing us every week.
Last week but one I went to Kaloleni to check on the construction work going on. The fundis [builders] are nearly through with the plastering. This week they have been working on the floor. We hope that God willing by the end of this week everything will be ready.
Mrs. Johnson Ngala is a member of Tumaini church of Christ. She is also the wife to the Tumaini church of Christ leader Mr. Johnson Ngala. The husband worked as a mason till the devil struck. His right hand was pierced by a poisonous thorn plant which resulted into his hand being unable to hold anything. He even eats and does everything else using his left hand. The couple has a daughter who developed some complications forcing her to be operated. When the hospital bill came they were required to pay 7,605 shillings [$120]. That is when the wife opted to asking help from friends and church members. When she came to MCRC, she had managed to get only 400 shillings [$6]. That is when we decided to help her with 1000 shillings [$15].
Umwenga newsletter is back and Wilfred Kaingu is the editor. His is pure voluntary work. We did give him some 300 shillings [$4.60] in August because we needed him to help us facilitate the Vijana a Masihi youth seminar and he did not have money for transport. He is a very good teacher especially on development issues. We still need him to facilitate more workshops on development and self-reliance, which I personally feel it is one area people here need to be taught.
Esther Kabibi from Ganze did her high school through the help of an NGO called Plan International. She did very well. She has a Mean grade of B. Her desire is to do medicine. If Esther succeeds to join a University and study medicine, she will be the first girl from her area to have gone that far.

So there is the latest from Duncan and our other faithful brothers and sisters serving in Africa. Please continue to pray for them all as often as you think of them!

A Report From Our Friends in Africa

Below is a note from our friend and brother Duncan Ziro in Kenya. It is a brief report of what went on during the month of August. Many thanks to all of you who continue to support the ministry in Africa through Duncan, Fredrick and others. You’ll notice as you read below that there is a need for more monthly assistance to continue the seminars and meetings. Would you consider making a one-time or monthly donation to the ongoing work in Africa? Please visit our website at www.intercede-intl.org/donations for more info and always keep our African brothers and sisters in your prayers!

From Duncan:

Praise God!

The month of August is over. It is a vacation month here in Kenya so the youth and some of their parents who are teachers are at home for a one month holiday. This is a great time to hold youth and leaders seminars.

On 7th of August to 10th of August, we had a youth seminar in Kaloleni. 43 youth attended. 38 youth paid the 50 shillings [about 75 cents] registration fee, so we collected a total of 1900 shillings. The total cost of the seminar was 10,900 shillings [roughly $170].

We had a leaders meeting for all leaders in Kilifi district on 25th August 2007 at Kilifi Primary School. 21 church leaders turned up for the meeting. The cost of the meeting was 1,537 shillings [about $25]. This is food and rental fee for a room at Kilifi Primary School.

We have done a lot of internal borrowing to make these meetings happen. I communicated this to the MCRC board and together we decided to skip a month (there will be no board meeting in the month of September) so that we don't run short of money before the yearend.

Brother, I pray for you as you work hard to make sure that we get funds for the ministry. Thank you very much for your prayers and support. I thank God for giving me the opportunity to serve in his ministry. I am learning a lot of things. Continue praying for me and Fredrick.

Pass our greetings to all brethren over there.

Short Report

Hello again to all our friends and family!

Mulungu ni mudzo!

As most of you know, we have returned to the USA, but our efforts are still with our African brothers and sisters. We are thrilled to report that INTERCEDE is doing well and succeeding in its mission to “stand in the gap”. (Please visit our website often at www.intercede-intl.org.)

Just last week we created and handed out several flyers that listed specific needs for the ministry in Africa. Those needs were:

1. A new computer for Duncan and the ministry of Maarifa Christian Resource Center
2. Funds for a floor in Kaloleni (from dirt to cement!)
3. And assistance to send three young people to Nairobi Great Commission School beginning in January.

We are happy to report to you that 100% of the funds needed were raised for all three needs and will be sent to Africa for the continued ministry to the Mijikenda people! Thank you!

Mulungu ni mudzo! God is good!

We’re Home and We Need Your Help!

Yes, Jaime and Ginger have returned home from Kenya, but the ministry continues through INTERCEDE…

Mama Dama is a mother… again.

Dama is now mother to her six grandchildren whose parents died four years ago from AIDS. She has no job and has faced numerous days with no food for herself or her grandchildren. She barely manages to survive from day-to-day. There is little hope for her or her grandchildren for the future.

This is INTERCEDE’s story too. It is our desire to intervene and to help – to intercede – on behalf of people like Dama and her grandchildren.

Will you lend a hand? If you could change the life of Mama Dama, would you?

Graduation

I cannot possibly express the joy and sense of pride I feel at this moment. After more than 4 years of hard work and many prayers, Duncan Wanje Ziro graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from Daystar Christian University.

Although we moved home a little over a month ago now (more on that another time), one of our dear friends in Lubbock blessed me with a round-trip ticket to Kenya in order to be with Duncan during this momentous event. (Thank you!) Duncan’s parents and several good friends were also on hand to support him on graduation day. In fact, this was his mother’s first trip to Nairobi ever! She had never traveled far from her small village on the coast. And what an incredible trip this must have been for her, filled with pride at her son’s accomplishments!

As for me, I could go on and on about this good friend from a small rural village. How far he has come indeed! I am proud of him. Not only did he finish and finish with very good grades, but the desire of his heart is to return to the coast and to his people to share Jesus with others, using his education to bless those around him. God is good!

On more than one occasion, my eyes swelled with tears as I recounted all the good times – and struggles – we have endured together to reach this point. Yet as the Guest of Honor spoke, I too was challenged with his words, “It isn’t how far you have come, but how far you will go.”
I am proud of what Duncan has done, but it is true, how far will he go now? What will he do for the kingdom in the future? I cannot wait to see and to hear of the victories!

Some may wonder why it is we went to all this effort or why we were so concerned with helping Duncan get his degree. The simple answer is quite best: because it was always our intention to “work ourselves out of a job”, teaching and training our African brothers and sisters to take our place, blessing them with the same tools we had access to in order to more effectively take the good news of Jesus to a lost world.

Please pray for us and for the next phase of our mission. As we settle into a new life in the US, it is our earnest hope and prayer that God will bless INTERCEDE as we strive to partner with young men like Duncan.

Duncan is one of two young men we currently sponsor to continue our mission of carrying the Good News to those who do not yet know our Savior. Will you continue to help us? Please pray and continue to send your financial support for Duncan and others.

How far will you go?

Home?

This is a strange and even difficult time for our family. We are moving home – but where is that?

It has been said that, “home is where you hang your hat”. That must be true only in Texas!

Some say that home is where your family is. Which family? We have family everywhere!

The Son of Man said, “I have no home”, obviously referring to an earthly dwelling in which to lay his head. At times, we can certainly understand what He meant.

For roughly nine years we have called Africa home. For about eight years prior to that, we referred to Lubbock, TX as home. When we are in Africa, we speak of home as the USA. When we are there, we speak of Africa as home. So oddly enough, we’re never “home”!

Our girls don’t seem so confused. They know where home is. But too, their parents are concerned about them all the same. They are more African than American, more so than we probably realize now. What problems will they experience that children their age don’t usually struggle with? What will other kids say and think about them? Will they be unique because they grew up in Africa or weird and treated as outcasts?

Although those thoughts do cross our minds from time to time, we aren’t so concerned. To be outcasts in the view of the world isn’t such a bad thing as long as they have a firm grasp of who they are.

"But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness." – 2 peter 3:13

As a family, we’re excited about the future and that excitement transcends the fear of the unknown. Children generally take their cue from their parents. So as long as we present a strong, united (and even excited) front, they will follow suit. We’re not overly concerned about their adjustment to life in the USA, or ours for that matter. It is sad to be saying goodbye, but exciting to think about what God has in store for us next.

We would appreciate your continued prayers. This is an emotional roller coaster for us, excitement and joy mixed with much apprehension. But God is faithful and will carry us through.

Disaster

Dear friends and family,

As you know, many of our dear African brothers and sisters have been suffering greatly. If you recall, the United Nations declared a famine in Kenya in March of this year due to a serious drought. We wanted to help our friends on the coast, the hardest hit area, and you were ever so generous in helping with funds to purchase food.

Nearly three to four months ago, we sent you a message encouraging you to rejoice with us, the rains had begun. After such a long dry period, the people were planting again and looking forward to a bountiful harvest. Little did we know then that the rains would not stop, and would in fact, increase drastically.

The picture you see is the front page headlines from November 24th’s edition of The Standard. It is a disaster. Flooding has caused wide-spread panic, fear and even death across much of East Africa and especially Kenya. I’m not sure you can read it, but the third paragraph reads, “In the Coast Province alone, the victims are estimated at 200,000 – all marooned in ever surging waters.” The UN is again saying that help is urgently needed in Kenya. They are conducting emergency airlifts into regions of the coast because roads are swept and bridges destroyed.

And yes, we have many friends who are affected by the floods. Their homes are being washed away (remember, they are nothing more than dried mud huts) and hopes of a bountiful harvest have been dashed.

At this time, we would simply ask you to pray. This is traditionally the time of the year when we all give thanks for what we have been blessed with. It is a time of joy, good-cheer, and gift-giving – a time to share with family.

Please pause and pray for your African brothers and sisters who continue to suffer. Many will celebrate Christmas with no home. Many will miss the joy of giving and receiving as we know it. Others still will ring in the new year not with shouts of joy, but with tears of pain for lost family members.

Pray.

Holidays 2006

As is tradition with many families, we too enjoy putting up the Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving!

And then again, like so many, we take a break for leftover… pizza?

Happy Holidays from the Swifts

Victories

Hello again friends and family, brothers and sisters!

October 22 is a special day for us for two big reasons. On this day in 1997, our second daughter, Autumn Grace, was born. For that reason, it will always be a special day, full of wonderful memories.

The other reason is because on October 22, 1998, we landed in Kenya to begin our lives and ministry in Africa. And oh what an adventure that has been, full of joy and sadness, struggles and accomplishments, victories and defeats.

As of today, our beautiful daughter turns 9 years old (and I'm considering moving deeper into the jungle on account of my beautiful girls!) and we enter our ninth year of ministry in Africa. It’s incredible to think that we have now completed a full eight years and are beginning our ninth. My how time flies. I tend to be nostalgic and sentimental (this is Jaime) and I could write all day long about this land and its wonderful people. Since I was 17 years old, I have dreamed of living and ministering among the African people – that is 20 years ago for those of you who don’t know how old I am! But let me not do that here and now. I want to talk with you some about those victories, victories that you have made possible through your love, kindness, generosity and prayers.

Within months after our arrival, we noticed the tremendous need to minister to young people. On any given Sunday fellowship, there would be 10-12 adults and 30-40 young people and children. And yet, to our amazement, there was no ministry targeting the largest percentage of the population! (We would later realize through research, that 71% of the African continent is under the age of 25!) And so began in 1999, our efforts at youth ministry among the Mijikenda. We called it, Vijana a Masihi or in English, Youth for Christ (we were really creative!).

And I am happy to report to you that Vijana a Masihi is alive and well even today. Here are some excerpts from a report sent to me just a few weeks ago by Fredrick Kaingu in an area known as Kaloleni:
“Once again Vijana a Masihi-Kaloleni had a very successful meeting. It was held at Kizurini Primary School from the 8th-11th of August. It was a nice meeting which lasted for three days. We had a good number of 25 youth in attendance, aged 15 and above. The youth had a nice time and enjoyed lessons focused on spirituality. The next meeting will be from the 5th-8th of December. This time we hope our building to be ready… we are in the process of planning a fundraiser to help with the costs of our seminars.”

Isn’t this wonderful? I think that what is so exciting to me is that we have done what we first set out to do – replicate ourselves. It really was our goal to “work ourselves out of a job” and as much as I still want to be there with Fredrick, I know he’ll do so much better without me. He’ll carry this ministry far beyond our wildest dreams and reach young people we could never have touched.

I want you to know now, I love Fredrick. This guy has weathered so many struggles and yet remained faithful. (I’m having trouble seeing the computer screen as I write, just thinking about my friend.) His family is not Christian and yet he remains faithful even when they question him. When his father fell some 50-60 feet from a coconut tree (he was “tapping” the tree for the local palm wine brew), Fredrick didn’t ask, “why God”. When his fiancée was insisting on spending literally thousands of dollars on a wedding he knew he couldn’t afford, he wouldn’t borrow and go deep into debt “because it isn’t right Jaime.” Instead, he insisted on a simple, affordable wedding that he could afford. His fiancée left him for that reason. “It was best this way Jaime. I learned her heart wasn’t in the right place.” When all of his chickens died unexpectedly – his sole source of income – he didn’t blame God or come begging for more. When I give him and the youth money to help with whatever, he has proven extremely trustworthy and honest, accounting for every last cent – and doesn’t even take anything for himself despite the fact he lives in a TINY 8x8 mud hut with a leaky roof!

Fredrick Kaingu from Kaloleni. He is the reason we came. Fredrick’s story is most definitely one of our greatest victories. We sponsored him through Bible school, served side-by-side with him for many years, encouraged him through some tough times, and now we feel confident that he is more than able to continue the good work that was started through us. He is my friend, he is my brother and I look forward to many more years of service with Fredrick.

Please remember Fredrick in your prayers. Remember the youth he is working with too. And pray about the future. We cannot leave a dear brother like him alone, we must continue to partner with him and encourage him. I believe God has provided us with an opportunity to do just that through INTERCEDE. We can and will continue to partner with good friends like Fredrick as now he takes the gospel to the Giryama.