The African Reporter - Dunkard Brethren African Mission

June 2015
Volume 8, Number 2
The African Reporter
Second Quarter 2015
An Update from the Dunkard Brethren Mission in Kenya
Journal of our Mount
Elgon Journeys
On May 2nd Jeremiah and Micaiah Johnson,
Dickson Kalasia
(Dicky), Andrew Ambundo, (Ambiche, Hosea and
Florence’s youngest son) and I left Makutano for Mt.
Elgon. Our plans were to do instructions for the Kapkisei church and baptism on Sunday for those who
were ready and qualified. Brother Hosea had undertaken the trip several weeks previously by motorcycle
he’d hired, but didn’t reach there because of an accident with another cycle.
It’s the rainy season and a phone call confirmed that
the mountain had rain in the night. Most of Kenya
has a red soil with plenty of clay. With few paved
roads on the mountain, we were praying for a breeze
to dry the surfaces.
We picked up Brother Amos Kones of the Kaptama
Church in the foothills of the mountain and proceeded
on to Brother Nelson Kimtai’s home near Chepyuk,
where we had a meal before walking 15 kilometers to
the school at Kapkisei, the current meeting place of
the church. We were challenged by rain to the meeting and by darkness going back to Nelson’s home.
That is where we spent the night after the evening
meal of ugali, smoked meat, greens, and of course chai.
After some good fellowship, the three young men
went to Nelson’s uncle’s place to sleep. Nelson,
Amos, Jeremiah, and I slept in a rectangular, steel
sheeted house - which was Nelson’s home. Nelson’s
family slept in one of the round thatched roofed houses (the kitchen). All the houses were made of woven
bamboo covered with mud.
The sun in Kenya, being on the equator, rises and sets
about 6:45 year round. This night seemed to have a
little extra noise beyond the usual chicken, donkey,
and cattle noises. In the bright sun of the new Lord’s
Day we found out the center of the commotion. In
the midst of squawking chickens and barking dogs
that Nelson was trying to quell, was a gray fox attack
on the chicken coop. The children forgot, because of
the extra evening excitement, to shut it. And yes,
Nelson rescued the chicken at the end of a hundred
yard dash. We saw feathers in the trail that were the
rest of the story - as we left for church.
After a good Kenyan breakfast, our group, and Nelson and Phanice his wife, walked the couple kilometers back to the Land Cruiser. Their seven children
went to the Chepyuk Church nearby, where Wycliffe
Kiprop ministers. They were called to minister at
Kapkisei as a mission point. There was a good number of others traveling from Chepyuk for services that
day.
After taking the cruiser to Kipsigon, we got rides on
four motorcycles (piki piki) to the school. We walked
around the mud holes, while the drivers waded
through with the cycles.
We met again at the school to finish the instructions,
and divided the congregation into groups for questioning to determine readiness and eligibility for the
baptism. The 10 or so couples were asked to wait for
further individual interviews to determine their marriage status. There are many forms here called marriages and the church has adopted standards for what
is legal and acceptable.
We decided three
persons were eligible and ready,
and proceeded to
the water, 2 to 3
kilometers down
a 45 degree an-
Amos a
nd Esth
er’s
baptism
gle grade to
the river. Upon
reaching the water, a
girl who was eligible but said
Continues on pg. 3
2
The African Reporter
!
s!
tor
i
Vis
Second Quarter
Food,
Fellowship,
And FUN!!!
Jeremiah and Debra double
dating with Ron and Nancy.
The Sweazies– a neat family
we met from Kiminini, who
are now serving in Uganda.
Enjoying Meals together on the NEW
counter!!!! Thanks Nelson and Laura
Hawbaker for coming to Kenya.
3
The African Reporter
Many Thanks!
Second Quarter
Thanks to God who is our provider of the needs and blessings in
this life here on earth.
Thanks to our Mission here in Kenya for the work that it’s continuing to do for the benefit of building the kingdom of God. I
would like to appreciate the work that was done during
A.G.M, it was of great blessing to many people. It also created
a very good example of responsibility for the churches here in
Kenya, as our Missionary Bro. Jeremiah encouraged all the
churches to contribute for the meeting. For sure we saw great
blessing, though all people could not come since they lacked
transport fare. The food was well prepared and there were no
complaints.
I want to appreciate the work that our Missionary Bro. Jeremiah
Johnson and his family have done here in Kenya. They have been of
great blessing here for the help in opening churches, providing spiritual
and physical food, helping the needy and much more - spreading the Gospel
all over the place. They have been a good family, God fearing, and I having
stayed with them have not seen any problem. For sure I will miss them.
Greeting line top and bottom
Youth class to the Left
er
bet aft
Chesu
there.
m
s
i
l
e
g
evan
Thanks too to the visitors from abroad that have been coming to Kenya for
the help of several works in the compound and also in the churches. I appreciate their work and God bless their lives. I pray that God may bring more people
for the work of God to be accomplished.
I appreciate the arrangement for evangelism that The Kenya Mission Board has
set up, to see that churches continue doing evangelism for the benefit of bringing
the lost to the kingdom of God. I appreciate the work of all the evangelists, for
personal and open air evangelism also.
Yours, Dickson Kalasia
she wasn't ready decided she was ready. After her public instruction, we did baptism in the muddy river. The
official DB beginning of the Kapkisei Church.
Back at the school we had a delicious dinner of chicken, rice, and greens. We had a light shower of rain with
dark clouds overhead. We were walking out when they came with chai, which we hurriedly drank.
The dark clouds overhead lightened, the heavier rains went around us, and we had no rain to walk through.
But the rain had fallen just before we reached the cruiser and passed on, so we had some serious mud to walk
through. Back on the road we caught up with the falling rain, and it put us in the ditch. We were so thankful
for the 4 wheel drive, and we made it home safely after dark, a fulfilling but tiring weekend!
On May 5th our group left Makutano for Mount Elgon with the intentions of installing two ministers to serve
their congregations there.
On the journey there was Brother Fred and Sister Diane Pifer, who will be serving as missionaries the next 2
years, and Brother Nelson and Sister Laura Hawbaker - who were here doing construction projects with us.
Our interpreter Dickson, Andrew Ambundo, Nancy and I were the rest of the group.
At Kitale we picked up Joseph Okemo and at Kamkuywa we picked up Hosea and dropped off Andrew - so
he could get ready to return to school. We then proceeded up the mountain.
Today’s work was in Kaptama church in the Mt Elgon foothills. We were able to park at the clinic within
150 yards of the mud church house which is on Brother Amos’ property.
Continues on pg. 4
4
The African Reporter
Leadership conference 2015
Second Quarter
We waited about an hour for
people to gather. It's a busy
time, planting shamba
(fields). An old man,
dressed in a beige outfit with
a hood, and carrying a cow
tail for a fly swatter provided us with entertainment. He
said (among his stories), he
was born in 1923 and educated in the British colonial school system.
A couple of dozen people had gathered by starting
time. Amos’ mother and brother came for the special
occasion.
Brother Hosea led the meeting and interpreted for the natives. Dickie interpreted for the mission staff. Brother
Fred led the ordination - giving the charge, and Brother Amos and Sister Esther Kones were assigned responsibility here in what's called the Kaptama congregation. After the service, a meal of chicken, ugali, and
greens, chapatti, rice and mandazi were served. We had a great time of food and fellowship.
It was Nelson and Laura’s first time to eat ugali. That was amazing to the natives who asked “What do you
eat?”
We came off the mountains and went to Brother Hosea
and Sister Florence’s house for supper of rice and beans,
and for a night’s rest. We had good fellowship and visited
the neighborhood and their place of business.
We awoke May 6th to a beautiful day in Misikhu with the
sun - huge and high, and clouds over the mountain. We
finished our breakfast of eggs and bread and chai when
Brother Amos arrived.
We bade Brother Hosea and his family farewell since he
wasn't going with us. The trip today included a walk of several kilometers and
he still had a serious limp from the motorcycle accident. Before we left, Hosea and
Florence’s daughter came.
We were soon back on the mountain
passing Chewele, the last town on the
Andrew and Dick
blacktop road. The view is breathtakwere a BIG help to
ing; the land is fertile with little waste
“Grandpa”
of land, but much is steep - 40 to 60
degree grades, The tops of the ridges
Over the rivers,
are not very wide, but they are level.
through the mud,
We admired the villages, the houses, and the coffee plantation
to the Kapkisei
with acres of narrow, low tables for drying the beans. Food is
plentiful here, the rains always come, and a good road leading
Church we go!!
up here would mean a lot less hunger in Africa. The mountain
air is good, the sun is not so vicious; the people look young and
healthy.
We reached the parking place at Kipsogon and got shod for the long hike to Kapkisei.
School is back in session, so the regular church meeting place was not available today.
We were gathering in the community center, a steel roof building - 12 feet by 30 feet or
so. Here again near “the forest” land, much bamboo is used for the construction.
This service order was similar to yesterdays except that Joseph Okemo took Brother Hosea’s place as the Kenya Mission Board representative. We gave
Continues on pg. 5
5
The African Reporter
Second Quarter
the charge of ministry and the laying on of hands, then Brother Nelson Kimtai and his wife Phanice were received by the Kapkisei church. After the service we carried in a table (to us a coffee table) for us wazungu
(white people) and everyone was served Chai and mandazi. We were very glad it wasn't a full course meal,
for the rain clouds overhead were dark. We got back to the cruiser without getting soaked. About a kilometer
before we reached it, Amos (who was following with Joseph) called my name. I looked down the hill to see
him talking to a man. He asked me to come, so I returned the 30-40 yds. where he introduced me to his father. What a surprise! We had a very abbreviated visit (by Kenyan standards). Everyone else was ahead
waiting, and rain was coming. Amos’ father had a 20 or so kilometer walk to his home in Chepyuk.
Back on the road we got the rain. It seemed every ditch turned into a river. Brother Fred did a good job navigating the water. It was a relief to reach the road which had gravel on top the clay, and even more relief when
we reached the blacktop road.
We left Brother Amos in Kamkuywa and brought Brother Joseph back to the mission to go home the next
day. It was well after dark, and Debra had prepared supper. It was full day of blessing in Kenya.
Ronald Marks
Well, after all that I don’t believe there is much left for me to say! I just want to take this little
space to thank all of you!! Your prayers, cards, letters, email, and financial gifts really help to
keep the mission going. Our family has greatly appreciated all that you have done for us! The
Sunday School classes that “adopted” our children from time to time have given them friends in
America (a real blessing when you’re not too sure about going back). We have passed through
valleys and have rejoiced on mountain tops (literally and spiritually). We feel so thankful for
the opportunity to have served here in Kenya. We would like to share that with you all at
“home”. If you are interested in a presentation at your church you can still contact me at [email protected]. We don’t know exactly where the Lord is taking us next. Your continued
prayers will be appreciated as we adjust. One finally plea I’d like to make is for more people
willing to come and serve!! It isn’t easy, it isn’t always fun, but if you are called to this work,
you WILL BE REWARDED!!! There are many blessings here: front-line evangelism, a very
hospitable community, beautiful weather, training disciples, learning a lot - just to name a few. If you feel
Many Ways to contact us!!!
that God may be calling you, don’t delay! If you beBy Mail:
lieve you know someone who has a burden for this
Dunkard Brethren Mission
work, encourage them to respond. Thank-you all
P.O. Box 658
Kapenguria, Kenya 30600 East Africa
again.
By Phone:
Fred’s cell: 011-254-71-698-0214
Jeremiah Johnson and family
Email:
Fred and Diane’s email:
[email protected]
If you’d like to help
financially!!
You can make checks
payable to “African Mission
Board” and send it to:
African Mission Board
c/o Jonathan Pifer
17872 D Ave.
Dawson, IA 50066
Still more ways to
stay informed!
On Facebook: Dunkard Brethren African
Mission
-be sure to “like” us. 
On the Web: we have our own site now!!
www.dunkardbrethrenafricanmission.com
Copies of the Newsletter:
If you’d like it emailed, or in print for your congregation please contact Sis.
Lorraine Lorenz at [email protected]
Sister Diane writes a newsletter; if you’d like to receive it write to her at
[email protected].