Christmas like no other...

Dear Friends,

We had an amazing Christmas morning with our kids.  We were able to get up early, drive out to the village of Mtepeni an surprise 13 families with special Christmas Care Packages.  These are the poorest of the poor.  They literally have nothing.  

One quick story on one of the families:

She was born deaf, raped at 14, gave birth to a beautiful son.  Now has several more kids (two of which attend our school)  She has no husband and no family support whatsoever.  We REALLY are her only hope!!  I do believe it is on of the best Christmases ever when we can help people like her!!  Each of the people who received the packages were so thankful and grateful.  They all wanted us to stay for chai, chapati and mandazi!!  :)  :)

I hope you enjoy some of the pics we took of these amazing families.  They send their thanks and gratitude back to you!

Thanks for your love, support and prayers!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Construction Begins!

Construction on the second floor of Mbewau Academy has begun!!! Our little school is growing rapidly and we are so excited that the Standard 1 children will have a brand new class room in just a few months.  Over the next two years we will grow the school up to Standard 3 which is 4th grade here in the states.  

God continues to AMAZE us as we trust Him to take care of our every need.

Thank you so much for all of your prayers and support....God Bless!

When all the tears are gone!

Dear Family & Friends,

Today we buried one of our precious Sunday School kids!  Sila was only 9 years old when God decided to call him home.  Yesterday, after church, he chose to climb nearly 40 feet into a coconut tree next to his home and fell to his death.  I sat by his body until late into the night listening to his mother and other women cry.  Today we dug the hole, built a simple wooden box, put new clothes on his body and had a simple service.  After the coffin was covered with dirt and the people began leaving back to their homes, I watched as the mother sat on the ground, staring where her son was just buried.  I went and knelt next to her.  I told her that I would be praying for her and that I would be by to visit every day for the next few weeks.  She looked up at me and said the most unusual thing.  She said that "her tears were gone".  She went on to explain that she had cried all night and most of the day but that now the tears would flow no more.   

I left her sitting there and started the journey back home with a heavy heart.  Unfortunately, I know what happens when the tears are gone.  She will still be a single mother but with one less child.  She will still struggle to make ends meet every day for the rest of her life. However, she has her Savior who will carry her through this valley and who will replace her sorrow with joy.  She has a church full of people who will love and support her through this time.  She has Lisa and I who will do all we can to meet the needs.  More importantly, she has all of you praying and supporting her from more than 9,000 miles away.  

Lisa and I want to thank each of you for doing your part because without you, we could not be here.  You may think it is a quick prayer or a small donation but God will take that "gift" and work miracles. We love each of you and appreciate your partnership with us.

May God bless each of you during this Christmas Season!

Letter from Bob Nichol

Thank you Bob Nichol and Crossway International for all of your hard work.  This H2O water will allow Real 4 Christ Ministries to share Living Water with many Kenyans.

God Bless!!! 

Water for Maasai Corner

On the ferry, heading to South Coast, Kenya 

Chris maneauvers the drill rig into position, Masai Corner, Kenya 

Justin - Geoffrey - Ken, l-r: On the hunt for water for mud drilling.

After a week of "prep" work, we finally began ACTUALLY drilling this afternoon. We stopped at 40' with the plan of going at least 150 feet or more. I am so excited that within a week or so, these amazing people will for the first time in their lives have clean/safe drinking water. This will be the first step of many that we will make in building a great ministry out here where 90% or more of the people are part of the Digo tribe and nearly all of them are muslim. Pray that that accept the truth and receive Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God...... More to come. Thanks for all your love and support!!!

Mbewau Clinic

Just a few days before we were robbed, we officially opened Lisa's new clinic and she was able to see over 100 people.  We moved Nzaro into his new house and "gutted out" his old area next to the church and made it into a LITTLE HEAVEN for Lisa to be able to do her job.  I am so proud of her and she is "tickled pink" to have her own, private place.  Very nice hospital bed was donated from another ministry here in Kenya! 

***Lisa's two medical bags were stolen when the house was robbed.  If you or someone you know is in the medical field and would be able to help us replace some of these items please contact us at http://www.real4christ.com/ so that we can send you a list of things we need to replace.***

God is good....

Robbed in Kenya

Please Pray!! Lisa and I were away from the house today when it was robbed by 5 armed men. They removed and took the safe with a LOT of money, jewelry, passports, bank cards/checks, work permits, etc. All our important docs. They also stole both of Lisa's medical bags with all her medical equipment she uses in the villages. They stole my backpack with all the COPIES of the important docs that we had in the safe! This is what we call a "double wammy"!! 

The important thing is that we were not here and no one was hurt. We SERIOUSLY need your prayers as we go through the FUN of closing and reopening all 4 bank accounts, get new work permits and passports. Pray for Lisa as she is apprehensive about our safety. Pray for me as I am dealing with anger and mistrust

Then and Now!

God has been so good to Real 4 Christ Ministries.  Please take a few minutes to read this newsletter from Chris and the Ministry Update blog below.

Ministry Update

Dear Fellow Supporters,

Lisa and I wanted to drop you a quick line and update you on our little school in Kenya.  We now have 130 students and we are making plans for 30 more precious 3 year olds coming in January.  The kids and staff look great and are so happy!  Lisa and I are also happy because each of you have given so much so that we can be a blessing to these amazing people.

Next month we plan to begin the next phase of our building project which is the 2nd floor of our school building and new toilet facilities.  Both of these buildings can be built for only $30,000.  We would like to have both of these complete by January 1st when we begin our brand new 1st grade class.  We are so excited as we make all the plans for this growth.  

Here's how you can help.  Please pray for us and with us about this need.  Pray that the funds will come in on time and the construction will run smoothly.  Pray that we find a qualified teacher for this new class.  Pray that people will come to know Christ through our ministry here.  Please share this email and these pictures with as many people as you can think of and if God presents the opportunity, ask them to consider getting involved with this very important project.

By now, all of you should have received our quarterly Kenya Connection Letter (sent in the mail 3 weeks ago) and our Sept Prayer Letter via email.  Each of you should also be receiving periodic updates in email and on Face Book as well (if your not on FB, consider joining our group called "moores2kenya").  Please let us know if you are not getting this regular communication from us and we will get it to you.

Finally, please know that Lisa and I love each of you so much.  We do know the financial sacrifice you make every month and we do not take this for granted.  We are so blessed to have so many friends across the world who "join hands" with us as we minister here in Mombasa, Kenya.

May God continue to bless each of you!!

Chris & Lisa Moore

Pastor Appreciation Day

Today we had "Pastor Appreciation Sunday" for Pastor Nzaro.  There were nearly 300 people in attendance and we had an amazing service.  Many came with gifts such as corn, beans, chickens, pots, pans, material, and money to show their love for their pastor.  Many of his pastor friends traveled from hours away to attend this important event.  After the service we fed everyone "Pilau" (rice, beef & spices).  Then we presented Nzaro with a motorcycle for him to use for his ministry.  He was overwhelmed with tears of joy!  He asked me to pass along his appreciation to all of you who give and pray for him and MBEWAU Church & Academy each and every week.

Thanks for supporting our ministry so that we can have great days like today!

Feeding Center Complete!!!

As many of you know, we just finished our Feeding Center and started the 3rd Semester of school.  Here are a few pics of the kids and staff enjoying all the new "stuff".  Just 2 months ago we were cooking in a mud hut and eating off the ground!  We have come a long way, thanks to all of your prayers and support!!

First Day of School

First day of School! :)

All the children were so excited to start their first day back to school. We have over 20 new students and one new teacher. The kids did not know how to act with their new cafeteria. Sitting on new benches, at new tables in a beautiful new building. Many of them used SPOONS for the very first time. We had more food on the floor than in their little bellies! :) Each of the children are so precious and they each come with their own story. Lisa and I are so proud of MBEWAU and we are honored to be here helping where HE points us. Thanks for your love and support!!

Alfred and the Thief

Our story will start with a word from Lisa...

This morning (last Sat) I was feeding my monkeys (Duke & Daisy) when I heard alot of screaming outside our gate! As I opened my gate, I saw a young african man being dragged through the street by several security officers. He was beaten and bleeding from his head! I was horrified as I witnessed a mob of Africans continue to punch & kick him then he was thrown into the back of a truck. I have heard people talk about mob justice over the past few months but never thought I would see anything like this happen so close to my home! Not knowing what this man had done to deserve such a beating, the nurse in me kicked in and I was moved with compassion for this stranger. I asked if anyone needed medical attention and a guard replied, "no madam, just stay there." With tears in my eyes, I closed our gate, locked it and went inside my house. An array of emotions went through me and I began to ask God how I can make a difference, inside the walls of my village, this place that I call my home.


Yesterday morning my phone rang @ 6:30. It was Alfred, our gardener, telling me that someone had fallen into the quarry next to our home and that he was presumed dead. I threw on my clothes and drove down there as quick as possible taking Alfred with me. We pushed through a crowd of over 100 people on the edge of the quarry and then descended down the trail leading to the bottom (about 70 feet down). After pushing through another 20 or more people we found the man, not dead but sitting up. He was in VERY bad shape after having fallen more than 70 feet. Blood was everywhere! The bone above his right hand was sticking out of the arm and the hand was at a 90 degree angle, his right leg was at a 90 degree angle obviously broken in more than one place, his right shoulder seemed separated, his head was flat and dented in about 2 inches. Blood all over his body, face and on the ground. The people that had arrived before me were not trying to help in fact they were yelling and had stones in their hands.

The story was that this guy was trying to steal metal off of the roof of someones house and they caught him. He was running away from them and had fallen into the quarry about an hour before I had arrived. The people thought he was dead and he had sat up just minutes before I arrived. Now the mob was insisting on finishing the task of stoning this man to death for his attempted crime of theft. I began yelling at everyone to put down their stones and to walk away, they refused. I then stood in front of the man and said that this man had already paid the price for this crime by falling and breaking his bones. They insisted that this man should die. I stood my ground and said they would have to throw their rocks at this "mzungu" (white dude) because I was not moving. (thinking back on this, probably not a good thing to say but....) Thankfully, they backed off and watched me. I then looked at my only friend in the crowd, Alfred, and said, "let's pick this guy up as best we can and get him to the top of the quarry and into my truck so that we can get him to a hospital".

Here is where the story really gets good!! Alfred said "NO". He then told me that this past Saturday, there were 4 thieves in our neighborhood and that he had joined in the beating of the one they had caught, the other three got away. He said, "this man is one of the guys who got away and he deserves to die." I told Alfred that no one deserved to die like this and that because we were Christians, we had no other choice than to help this man. I reminded him of the story of Jesus and the attempted stoning of the prostitute and the story about the thief on the cross next to Jesus. He then said, "okay, maybe he does not deserve to die but there is blood everywhere and I am afraid of the AIDS!" I then bent down and grabbed the guys bloody body and looked back at him and said, "okay, if this guy has the aids, then we will both be touching the same blood, will you please help me?" In the most amazing moment I have witnessed here in Kenya (and in my entire life), Alfred went against everything he knew in his culture and in his mind and he reached down and grabbed this man with me and we carried him up the long trail to the truck. The crowd did not assist, in fact many of them told us they would stone us with the thief but we kept climbing. Alfred, being a Kenyan, was the one that was taking all the risks, he was the true hero of the moment!!

By the time we arrived at the top of the quarry, Lisa was there to help us get him into the truck. People were pushing us and yelling that we could not take him but we kept pushing back, getting into the truck and drove down the trail to the road. 45 minutes later we arrived at the hospital and we turned him over to 3 doctors who began to care for him. They asked us for all the details, we gave them none, other than to say that he had fallen and that he desperately needed their help. All the way home, Alfred asked many questions and for the first time in his young Christian life, he realized the value of life in God's eyes and that God loves us all no matter what we have done. I love Alfred and his willingness to be a bigger man and to "swim against the current" no matter the consequences. I love this country that God has called me and Lisa to because there is an opportunity every minute of every day to share the love of Christ! There are so many who do not know Him both here and there in the USA, we all must do our part to share what we know to be true about Christ, to whoever we meet, whenever we can.

Thanks for all your prayers, love and support. Keep them coming!!

Feeding Center Update

We serve a mighty GOD!  Just over a year ago we started our new school building.  In the next few weeks we will complete our new feeding center.  The children of Mbewau Academy will be served 2 meals a day in this beautiful facility.

We are so very thankful to everyone who has given sacrificially to this project.  You are making a huge difference in the lives of many Kenyans.

God Bless!!!

San Antonio Trip Update

Our Team of 7 left San Antonio on July 10 and returned on July 23rd. While the men helped build the feeding center, the ladies taught the school children bible lessons, crafts, games & songs. Two days were spent working in the medical clinic w/ Lisa. While watching the construction workers, we realized the 11 men had no shoes on their feet! One worker had wrapped his feet in plastic trash bags!  This broke our hearts and we raised enough money right there to purchase shoes for these men.

Learning there was an immediate need for a fence around the new property, our men started digging holes and placing fence posts while a group of local boys began clearing the land.

We had several opportunities to visit the villages throughout Mtpeni while blessing many kids with shoes.  We prayed with dozens who received Christ and had many conversations with devout Muslims, planting the seed for future harvest.

It was very sobering to see the conditions under which the villagers lived…no electricity, no running water, just dirt floors, poor sanitation and disease. But their sweet, welcoming spirit and unique hospitality was such a blessing to experience.

On Sunday, Paul preached his first sermon. At the conclusion, 9 people prayed to receive Christ! As in years past, the rain was pelting down, but we still baptized 16 people who had accepted Christ as their Savior.

Our team was so blessed for the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of many in and around MBEWAU.  We left Kenya honored to have served God and our hearts are forever changed in ways we had not anticipated. Praise God for all He has done and will continue to do!

Mtepeni Day 1

Jambo Jamboooo! Today was such a great day, it was just awesome to be reunited with everyone! 

My baby Lauren remembered me and when she saw me she was the first to scream "Torrrri" with my r in the middle rolled.
The kids are all so precious. It's quite hard though when there is only 7 of us on the team and only 3 girls to play with 100 kids.
Where as the past trips there has been 20 of us to play with about 70 kids. So it gets crazy when kids are pushing each other to hold our hand. At one point I had the kids in a line and I would pick them up and throw them in the air and put them down and then they would run to the back of the line. This was a good method until my arms started dying after the like 25th kid. So after that I decided to sit down, and then I literally had at least 12 kids sitting on me starting at my feet all the way to my stomach and then 2 on each arm holding my arm and then kids behind me playing with my hair. It was stressful but I loved every minute of it! Hearing them say my name and remember me was just so awesome. I can't wait to start doing the medical clinics tomorrow!
Oh and my parents and my close friends know this but Gladys wasn't here today at school but I talked to the teacher and she said she should be here tomorrow, so YAY! okay well guys I am super tired and hopefully I will have more things to blog about tomorrow!

Lala Salama ( good night!)

Tori

Shoes have arrived!

San Antonio Team

After an extended stay in London, the shoes have arrived. PTL!

Tonight we had an opportunity to enjoy dinner with the host missionaries Chris and Lisa Moore at the Milele Beach Hotel. At dinner, Chris told us that he had received a phone call from Kenyan Airlines saying the lost baggage had arrived.

So Chris, Lisa and Josh braved the roads of Kenya at night. Nearly dying twice in traffic (literally) we made it to Moi International Airport so I could be harassed and extorted by the local customs official. After his repeated requirement that I pay duty on the shoes brought over for the less fortunate, I informed him that he could either have me detained or tell me good evening; either way, he was not going to get any coin from me.

22 seconds later, I took my bag and walked out of the customs office (still with a full wallet) and met Chris to try the streets of Kenya for a second time.

Tomorrow, we will be leaving at 0745 for the village of Mtepeni so Kevin, Tim, Paul and Josh may begin construction of their new feeding center. Stay tuned for more details and to find out what Teasha, Brittany and Tori did with the kids.

Kenya Mission: day one - starts tomorrow.

We have Arrived

San Antonio team has arrived!

Last night after about 24 hours of straight flying, we arrived in Mombasa and met Chris and Lisa Moore. Teasha will tell you about everything in between:

Teasha: Fine. OK, we flew from SA to Chicago. I didn't know there was a Garrett's in the O'Hare airport. Chicago to London, we all wanted to leave the London airport and sight see but we only had 3 hours and it wasn't worth going throught customs. Finally, we flew 10 hours and 20 minutes from London to Nairobi, Kenya. (hey you know those shoes, we stuffed into 2 large carry on's, well 1 was too large and was checked in Chicago and was left in London.) We then flew from Nairobi to Mombasa.

Today we are all recovering from our 2 day travels. So, today is now Monday, around noon and Tori, Brittany, Josh and I are all sitting in the outdoor reception area communicating with the world electronically. We are all waiting for the restaurant to open to eat...and we're off. Talk to everyone in a few.

J and T

The Holy Spirit is ALWAYS present (even at Wal Mart)

San Antonio, Missions Team

So here we are, the night before we all leave. Teasha and I are doing some last minute shopping and gathering when my flip flops break and fall off my feet. Seeing this as a sign, we head to Wal-Mart (281@1604 for all the locals.)

As we are walking through the aisles, I comment to Teasha about a Facebook post that I read from Chris Moore (Pastor/Missionary - REAL 4 Christ Ministries) today about shoes. As we round the corner, we find an entire wall of shoes for $3.00 per pair - and they were all kids shoes. After just a look at each other, we begin emptying the shelves of 100 pairs.

But it gets better...

The managers had just closed all but three of the registers and there were about 40-50 people standing in line waiting to check out. Did I mention that all of the registers were right next to each other? Couples and shoppers started staring at this cart mounded with shoes. One woman finally garnered the courage to ask the question that everyone was wanting to ask: "What are the shoes for?"

We told her that we were heading to Africa in the morning and the shoes were for a large group of children. It was a brief overview of the mission trip ahead; she replied, "I just got the chills." She thanked us for what we were doing and went back to her husband in the checkout line.

As I went to hunt for a large box, the woman's husband came over and handed Teasha $40.00 without a word. The woman (Dina) said, "We want to help." After hugs were exchanged, with a large group of bystanders watching, another woman silently came forward and handed Teasha a twenty dollar bill saying, "I think this is great what you are doing."

That was when Teasha lost it and started crying in the middle of the store.

So, for all of the naysayers, for anyone who thinks that the Lord is not always watching, always guiding...this is a story for you. God is always present...even in Wal-Mart at 11:30 at night.

God is Awesome!

Josh Perkins

Special Prayer Request

From Chris

Please pray for the team flying into Kenya tomorrow night. Pray for safety, rest, no lost luggage and excitement as they embark upon the greatest 2 weeks of their lives. Lisa and I are so happy to have this team come and be a blessing to the people of the village of Mtepeni and MBEWAU Academy & Church.

Continue to pray that the "$25 per child sponsorships" would come in for feeding the 107 children we now have at the school. Pray that the project funds would come in for us to be able to complete the Feeding Center and begin building the 2nd floor to the school which we will need next year. Pray that we can build Pastor Nzaro a nice home to live in and that we can get him some transportation to travel through the villages he ministers to each week.

God has answered so many prayers and we are excited about what the next weeks, months and years will bring here in Kenya. Lisa and I say it as often as we can, THANK YOU for everything. Please keep up the support each month, keep those prayers coming and let us hear from you from time to time.

All our love,
Chris & Lisa

San Antonio Team

7 Days and counting...

The team has been assembled, we have packed the goods, Visas are squared away, passports are in hand. We leave in seven days for Mombasa, Kenya.

Since this is the first post, I will keep it short. We will be traveling to Mtepeni Village just outside of Mombasa to assist with the building of the village, help with feeding and cleaning, witness and evangelize and continue to practice being good Christians. Will keep everyone posted as we get closer to the airplanes and closer to Africa.

Blessings,

Josh Perkins

Outside These Walls

Outside the walls of every school and feeding center there are children that can not come in. The schools are full or lacking funds to bring more children in. The following poem was written by one of our team members that was really touched by seeing this.

Outside These Walls
By: Steve Kelley

There is hope within these walls, The children laugh and play.
From the heart, the Spirit calls, “Joy and Peace here today!”
All the smiles are very bright, The eyes are filled with trust.
Workers toil into the night, The lives are made robust.
Christians come from near and far, to minister and pray.
Once inside, God fills their jars, Such an ironic way!
Music fills the air inside, Praise and worship ring true.
God is worthy, let’s abide, together me and you.
Inside there is light- A life with Jesus brings peace.
We were blind, but now have sight. The joy of his grace won’t cease!

But outside these walls it’s dark. People must know our Lord.
The hope that faith brings to hearts, The strength that comes from His Word.
Ye soldiers you must press on- Christ’s high calling in you.
Till all God’s children are won, ‘Tis the least that we can do.
Don’t rest, don’t weary, don’t quit. The Lord is coming soon.
We must find lost souls to fit, With a crown that cannot be removed!

Home

We have been home for a week now. My mind goes back to our debriefing time at Chris and Lisa Moore's house right before we headed to the air port. Bruce O'neal made this statement, "we will get on an air plane and go home but the missionaries will remain here." I am so very thankful for all of the missionaries that have answered God's call to go to a foreign field.

God had a divine appointment set for the Moores and Hayes' when we met 2 years ago. Our focus changed, our life was changed, now our friends and families lives are being changed through God's work that is going on 9,000 miles away in Kenya. We are really excited to see what God has for us in the future. Kim and I want to return to Kenya with another team or two next year.

If you or anyone you know would be interested in going on a short term missions trip to Kenya please contact us. God is really using these trips to reach the lost and touch the hearts of His people.

God Bless,

David Hayes

Coming Home Today!

This has been such a wonderful trip!!! The thing that has stood out the most to me, has been what a difference that we can and have been making here in Kenya. Through the support of Hallmark, there is a new school with over a hundred smiling, happy children, and a new feeding center currently being built! Thank you for all of your prayers and support. We are looking forward to seeing you soon:)

If you would like to see more pics from the trip go to:

http://www.facebook.com/kimhayes11?v=photos

See you soon!

Kim

Day 8 & 9 Mtepeni

Wow! we are at the end. It is difficult to put into words the feelings in my heart. I am so thankful for the MANNA ministries, Real 4 Christ and the work they are doing here. The Lord touched my heart unbelievably on Tuesday when we saw Mercy and Paul who was the liaison between the states and Kenya during her surgery. My heart was filled when I saw her running, jumping and smiling. Another highlight was buying drums for past Allen's work. They were so excited to be able to enhance their music program. The clinic day was also a bonus when we gave all the children and workers tetanus shots. Even though we couldn't explain the process to the kids, they did fairly well. It is unthinkable that these kids have never had any inoculations. In the sates, we would be appalled. We are so blessed!!! Thank you church for your prayers and support while we have been here.

Kelly Wagner

It’s our last night in Africa. As I look back on the week, I am thankful for the many blessings we have received from our Kenyan brothers and sisters and grateful to our Mungu (God) for this opportunity. The gospel of Jesus Christ is spreading across this region and the Kenyan believers are very passionate and real in their worship. I love listening to the little children sing praises to God in English and Swahili. The greatness of God came to life this week. The same God we worship, serve, turn to in times of need, etc. in America is the same God that the Kenyans worship, serve, and turn to in their times of need. He is so big that he cares for each of us and hears us in our own language. Greg Wagner was leading a lady through the sinner’s prayer on Saturday and needed two interpreters due to the different tribal dialects. I could not get close to the door where they were gathered due to the amount of mud/puddles and small amount of dry area around the door so I stood back a little ways and prayed for Greg and the woman hearing the gospel. At one time God heard each of the English, two variations of Swahili, and knew the heart of each of us and cared deeply for each person there and we were just a small part of everything going on in the world. Our Mungu is truly a GREAT and MIGHTY GOD and I am thankful for the opportunity to be a small part of what He is doing here in Kenya. We love you all and we are looking forward to arriving back in Texas on Tuesday. Thank y’all for your prayers. God Bless.

Sean Willeford

Safari!!!

Day 5 & 6- Vipingo, Mtepeni and Parani

Hello everyone!

Sorry for not blogging sooner. We have been so busy and are having a great time! First we visited Vipingo and got to see Mercy! She is doing well. For those of you who don't know Mercy, she had a health condition that caused her head to become enlarged. Because of her condition, she was having trouble with balance, seizures and migraines. When we came back from Kenya last year, we presented to the church the opportunity to help her by giving the funds to have surgery. In one morning, the people of Hallmark donated all the funds needed!

After going to Vipingo, we visted MBEWAU (the school that hallmark funded to be built last year). It was amazing to see the progress that has been made in just a year. We played with the kids and had a medical clinic where we gave all the kids and teachers tetnus shots. Hopefully the kids won't hate us too much.

Day 6 we visited Parani school and feeding center. It was about a 2 hour drive south of Mombasa, almost to the Tanzia border. The kids there especially loved the balloon animals that we made for them. After doing classroom activities, the school hosted a soccer and volleyball tournament for the community.

Day 3 and 4- Injili and Vipingo

Where do I begin... God is doing amazing things here in Kenya. This has been one of the most humbling experiences I have ever had. Monday, we went to the Gospel feeding center. After spending the whole day singing to the kids, I asked them to sing me a song. What they started singing was the most touching songs. "Thank you for the food you gave me. Thank you for clothing me. Thank you for sending someone to teach me." WOW!!!!

How can kids that have so little be so thankful? This trip has really opened my eyes to how "spoiled" I am. I can't wait to come home and share everything God has done on this trip... In the lives of Kenyan people and in my own life. God is awesome!

Justin Tomasi

Janelle Willeford

Thank you to everyone that is praying for all of us on this Africa trip. God is amazing and we are seeing HIM at work all of the time. The trip over was long and sometimes complicated with large number of people and all of our luggage. After a good night sleep I look back and think, it wasn’t so bad. I say that because of the amazing experiences we have had. I wish I could give all of you a chance to experience this trip through our eyes.

We have visited the 2nd largest slum in the world and you just can’t believe that people actually live like this. After walking through part of the slum we arrived at the Manna feeding center and school. The children were so excited to have all of us there. Watching them sing about Jesus and the smiles on their faces really humbled me. Our society takes so much for granted.

We have spent the last two days at the Gospel Center. We celebrated the building of a high school and were able to have church service there. Pastor Allen is doing great things for the people of the area. Spending time with the kids has been so much fun. I only wish Ashton and Aaron could have the opportunity. They would love it. Today we were able to play games, face paint, make bracelets, sing, and make balloon hats, swords, and animals. We served lunch and helped hand out shoes for all of the kids from the center. I believe, that groups visiting is one of the highlights of these kids life.

If I were to pick the coolest experience so far it would be singing songs, worshiping our Lord together.

Today was an amazing day. We went out to visit Vipingo MANNA Center and were able to see Mercy run around and play without pain. She has the most beautiful smile. God is good all the time, and all the time God is good! God is doing so many great things through the MANNA ministry in Kenya.

Matt. 13:19-15

Greg Wagner

For more pics go to:

www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=444061&id=536100130

Day 2- Injili

Hey everyone! We had a great day at Injili Baptist Church and school. The church service was full of singing and joy. The choirs were amazing and we really felt God's presence there. After the service, the people of Injili hosted a dedication service for the new high school in memory of Valerie McMillan. We were the guest of honor. They made a beautiful cake and had a feast prepared for us:) We made many new friends and it was great to be able to connect with them because of the love that we all share through having a relationship with Christ!

Thank you for all your prayers!

Kim Hayes

For more pics visit:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=443388&id=536100130&ref=mf

Things are busy in Kenya

Hotel Info

Severin Sea Lodge. Bamburi Beach

Emergency Number + 245 712293743....David

Today is Monday. Sorry that we haven't written.

Saturday, we arrived in Nairobi and visited the Kibera Slums. Afterwards we went to the Connerups school about an hour and a half outside of Niarobi.

Sunday we had a wonderful time at Injili Baptist Church. The service was very exciting. The African music was so inspiring to just let go and let God move. I have decided to get out of the way and just let God work. I will not stand in the way of His moving in my life.

The internet is very slow. We are working on loading pics.

God Bless,

David Hayes

For more photos go to:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=442859&id=536100130

Today we fly!!!

Last night we had a wonderful time with family and friends at our send off service. Thank You to all who came.

Please pray that our flights are on time and no bags get lost. We have so much stuff for the kids in the feeding centers. God is so good!

Here is the hotels contact info. Once in Kenya I will have a Kenyan phone for emergencies and will post that number.

Severin Sea Lodge:

P.O. Box 82169 Mombasa 80100 - Kenya

Telephone +254 (0)41 5485001-5

God Bless,

David

5 days left

Mission Mombasa 2010 will be taking flight in five days. Ministry bags are packed, fundraisers are complete, training sessions are over and now we are waiting to see what God has for us in Kenya. We have a large team from Hallmark and more people coming from Kentucky. Please keep us in your prayers as we take care of all the little things here at home as we prepare to take flight on Thursday. God has some wonderful things planned for us. We trust Him to take care of all of the flights, luggage and family back home. Thank you to those that have donated financially, school and medical supplies. You are truly laying up treasures in Heaven. Have a great worship service tomorrow and GOD BLESS!!!

Shipping Container

We have 40 ft shipping container in San Antonio, Tx. If anyone would like to donate slightly used tools and construction equipment please email us at real4christ@gmail.com. We can accept childrens clothing, slightly used shoes, school supplies and Diet Dr Pepper for Mrs. Lisa.

1. Any power tools that can be used with the generator for woodworking or construction purposes.

2. Power Tools that run off battery like the RYOBI or sets like that.

3. Heavy Duty Wheel Barrows, the ones here break within a month or two.

4. Good Hand Tools (shovel, rake, hoe, stamper, sledge hammer, etc) that can be used on a construction worksite.

5. Ladders, heavy duty ones as the ones here break within a few months.

6. Chainsaws

7. Air Compressor with ANY Air Tools

8. Welding Set/Rig

9. Generator are weak here and tooooo expensive. I REALLY need a 10,000 BTU to be able to use for everything here including used as a back up generator for facilities should power go out as it does just about every day here.

Lets fill it UP!!!