April News

 To bring transformation to Suba District of Kenya through Biblical Environmental Education

 Dear  Friends, 

On the cross, Christ wore a crown of thorns; the sky thundered; the earth quaked; darkness fell. Creation was being redeemed from the curse of thorns pronounced in the Garden of Eden. After describing the pain and shame of the cross, Psalm 22 26 declares Christ’s desire and victory, “The poor will eat and be satisfied.”

 DEGRADATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT RESULTS IN DEGRADATION OF PEOPLE. The grinding poverty of a wasted land devours lives with hopelessness, grief, and shame.

 Pastor Gombe, the SEEK manager just arrived from Nyachebe Beach, his face shining because of what he is witnessing there. This fishing community of around 1000 people has been living in filth…with no functional toilets. Children play around human feces, and fish are dried there.

When people live in such conditions they get careless about everything else. Self destructive activities abound.

 There has been a change.  In partnership with Water Missions International, a water system of excellent quality was installed there.  At first the beach people did not care, not using the clean water, accustomed to their low standards.  Now after 8 months of our continual interactions with them, they have caught the vision that their community can be a good place and are coming together to make it happen.

 We have been working with Nagasaki University Institute for Tropical Health building our Arbor Loos. These cheap portable toilets enable people to live with good health and dignity and plant fruit trees. 

Christian Environmental Clubs in Schools:   Staff visit eight schools weekly, and a number of other schools have requested us to start clubs.

So we held a four-day training for a new Youth CORPS –Community’s Own Resource Persons.  We enjoyed the ten youth who were selected to train with us. With their help we will increase the  school reacheds. 

The Magnificent Seven: Of the greatest blessings around here are the youth we call “The Magnificent Seven”: seven youth who have wonderful character and top grades, but are orphans without means of paying for high school.  We got to know them through the schools we visited and the Life Skills Camp held last fall. Some in rags, living with poor relatives, nevertheless they pressed in to do their best. Because of their high scores on standardized tests, they were accepted into very good high schools.

 Staff challenged them to trust  God, and now they are all in school. For first break they have been working at the SEEK base to help, smiles on their faces. They spent a day “mudding” up the holes in the wall of the sickly aunt one of them stays with—though the house is leaning dangerously. (See pics below.)  They were camp counselors and faciltators for the Children of Destiny Camp. The seven are becoming close friends.

 We are grateful to Christ’s Gift Academy for allowing the Seven to join CGA secondary students study groups and Christian teachings by Compassion International university students.

 Compassion International University Students stayed at our camp for four nights and ministered to CGA graduates now in high school and to the Magnificent Seven in our new pavilion. 100 orphan youth attended. .  It was beyond blessing.                          

We feel the Lord is challenging us in these times of financial craziness to trust and seek Him more.  A Children of Destiny Camp was planned, but with no money to run it. Seeking the Lord about whether or not to cancel, we believed it was to go on. Every day miraculous provision came in, and it was a great camp. “Those who seek the Lord will not be in want of any good thing.” Psalm 34:10

 S.E.E.K. was invited by the government to participate in a debate on climate change held in Nyanza Province, all expenses paid. S.E.E.K. staff in his one minute to speak reminded the delegates that a problem with a product requires consulting the manufacturer’s manual. In the case of the environment, the Creator’s manual is the place for answers. There was noticeable assent. It is important to bring a Christian perspective to environmental issues.

Our agroforestry officer Omari is on the committee overseen by Kenya Forestry Department for replanting of trees, as the area has only 1% forest cover.

The Environmental Museum paintings are finished. Both children and adults as they enter the building start reading about creation and ecology, magnetized by the art.

Friday Pastor Gombe fasted lunch to pray for a casual worker at S.E.E.K. and after lunch, led the young man to the Lord. Michael was ready-his mom had been praying for him!

Prayer Requests: Whatever you ask in My Name that I will do that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My Name I will do it. John 14:13-14:4

1. The camp is ready for use except for furnishing: 10 bunk beds and 5 shelves.
2. The 4 wd Pajero to be repaired, ready for ministry use. (Right now, to travel anywhere we must hire a vehicle or use our feet. We are getting in good shape!)
3. For 2 motorcycles to enable us to reach schools easily.
4. Grace for excellence in school clubs and projects.
5. Monkeys trying to destroy the jatropha circas trees at Kirambo School  and those becoming aggressive at SEEK property to go away!
6. For wisdom in projects that not only greatly help the community but also provide income.
7. For immorality and AIDS to leave Suba. ( 2 out of 3 people are HIV+)
8.  Abuse to stop and God’s blessings to flow on the 37,000 orphans of Suba.
9. For every widow in Suba to know her God and to have a garden, home, toilet, chickens and moringa tree (for vitamins).
10. Ample provision to pay our staff fair wages and maintain our facilities well.
11. Opportunity to purchase the middle land separating our property is close which would enable us to function more easily and to develop a small game park for children to manage.

Thank you again for your interest and support. We love you!

Don and Nancy Richards

Please send any donations made out to Kenya Islands Missions, Inc. to Jeanie Morgan 109 Doral Lane, Hendersonville TN 37075 or give through Paypal at www.missionwild.org. Thank you!

Biblical Environmental Education for Sustainable Development