Reversing Drought and Famine

 Community Transformation through Christian Environmental Education

Nov.18, 2011

At this time of Thanksgiving…. twelve million people in East Africa are in an emergency situation from DROUGHT AND FAMINE – on the verge of starvation.

Some onlookers turn from God declaring that they want nothing to do with a God that allows such things to happen.  But God put man over the earth to care for it. (Genesis 2:15) The famine is a direct result of how we humans have taken poor care of our environment. All this can be reversed and prevented.

AND YOU are part of reversing and preventing these things through the promise and love of God, and we thank you so very much!                                                       

 MORE INFO:  Look at these statistics and see what is happening on Planet Earth- so far this year:  

• 4, 512, 606 hectares of forest have been lost.*
• 2 million hectares of arable and grazing land have been lost through erosion. (That is the size of the USA and Mexico combined!)
• 25,000,000 tons of topsoil have been washed away. WOW.
• Over 10 million hectares of land have been lost to desertification. Yikes!!

*Trees put moisture in the air through transpiration from their leaves, use CO2, drop litter on the land improving the soil and cushion rain drops, allowing water to soak into the earth. Roots from trees hold soil in place, preventing erosion. Their shade cools the climate. They host helpful critters and improve the ecosystem. They provide food, fuel, construction materials, etc.

 What we are doing together is urgent.

 Reversing Drought and Famine  is God’s Will and Totally Possible.

 Isaiah 41:17-20                                                                                                                                                                                    

  The afflicted and needy are seeking water, but there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst.I, the Lord, will answer them Myself. . . and not forsake them.

I will open rivers on the bare heights and springs in the midst of the valleys…  I will put the cedar in the wilderness, the acacia and the myrtle and the oil tree. I will place the juniper in the desert…

That they may see and recognize and consider and gain insight as well, that the HAND OF THE LORD HAS DONE THIS  and the Holy one of Israel has created it.”

• Through S.E.E.K., YOU are part of reversing environmental degradation  and bringing restoration of land, enabling people to provide for themselves and have food.  You are preventing future drought and famine.

• Who are you helping to be the change agents to reverse this process in Africa? Orphans and widows and the poor! And in the process they are saved and come to know the love of God.
• And communities gain insight and glorify God.

SEEK NEWS:

• It continues to rain and be green in greater Suba.
• 11 /11 / 11: Over 160 teens from nearby schools came to SEEK for worship. Before the middle of the day, our hall was full, and even though we had borrowed chairs from Christco Church, there were not enough for everyone. They worshipped gloriously. Out staff said they really experienced God’s presence. Then they  discussed teachings in small groups on being like trees rooted in Christ from Jeremiah 17:7 ff, and had a great lunch. They learned about how to plant trees from JP and Omari and then planted trees to commemorate their life in Christ. Many accepted Christ and before they left were giving testimonies on how the day had changed their lives. Staff will do follow up with these young people who don’t have adults in their lives to love and mentor them. We are getting requests for the same in outlying areas and on the islands. 
• The competition for Environmental School Clubs was held. The projects focused on tree planting. The following is from Nick, one of our leaders. See how the Clubs are influencing adults in the community and the government:

“We had a great day with the judges on Thursday!  I don’t think we have ever met such committed judges before.  They were meticulously thorough at their work and showed lots of commitment and concern towards the whole event.  We finally finished by around 1900Hrs. and they were still all very eager to continue in spite of the fact that some of them, like the Research scientist from KWS were to travel back to Ndhiwa (over 50 KM) away from Mbita!  We converged at Loves Filling Station for our last comments from where we delivered our vote of thanks and gave each of the judges an opportunity to share with us his/her experience for the day.�
One interesting thing was that the headmistress from Mbita Primary School is already asking that we lend her Hans (the CORP working at Mbita Pr. Sch.) to help her plant trees at her home, situated on a rocky hill, which she feels has the same soil structure as the site she allocated us in her school.”

First prize is a day trip to Ruma National Park. Amazing that so many children who live within 15 miles of a National Park have never been there to see the wild animals. The 40 winners are excited.*Much thanks to Patti Gallo Bryant and those who gave an offering  at the Esther Gala which will pay for half of these hard working children to have that trip.

Hooray also to the Widows Group from Hendersonville Baptist who sold crafts made by widows in Mbita and raised over $1000 toward widows’ ministries in Kenya.
                                                                                                                                 

   May God be praised for the three teams that are making plans to come to Mbita next Summer:

1. From Calvary Rivergate under Bill Earl,

2. Springhouse Assembly from Smyrna Tennessee under Bruce Coble,

We also look forward to Jane Lambshead who will be coming to teach for a year at CGA and Curt Bryson, who will be assisting with groups and with Hezron in Youth Ministry for two years starting in August 2012. Prayers are being answered.

With love and gratitude,

Don and Nancy Richards

 Prayers and Pleas

Would you like to provide for widows / orphans to eat during this Thanksgiving time?

• $25 enables us to provide a widow a Multistory vegetable garden-this includes seeds and paying other widows to grow the seedlings, make the compost, and help her build this garden. This garden once constructed requires little care and can insure she has a supply of vegetables. An additional $30 provides fencing to keep animals out.
• SEEDS- would your school class, Sunday School, or group collect seeds-any kind that can provide FOOD and will grow in hot conditions?

Seriously…to help with ministry… we keep borrowing and renting from others..

• We have a vehicle that needs repair. It would help to reach those in need if we only had $6000 to repair this vehicle. The police station won’t keep it any longer.
• A generator for $430 and
• A Public Address system for $250 would enable ministry to youth in outlying areas.

 A Wedding Many of you know Hezron and what a great guy he is, laying his life down for the youth and children in the area. He makes less than $150 a month and is trusting God to be able to provide for the wedding and make things ready for his bride. We are collecting money for household goods and a Honeymoon. If you would like to help out, please just designate your check for Hezron.

 And please don’t forget Salaries! Our staff  are amazing, hard working people of integrity.

Danny and Michelle Johnson have taken over the accounting for Kenya Islands Missions, Inc. Please send any checks to KENYA ISLANDS MISSION INC. PO Box 84, Lowell, AR 72745. Or you can give through Paypal at www.missionwild.org.

P.O. Box 349 Mbita 40305 Suba District Kenya

Cell: 254 703 676 760 E-mail:  KenyaSeek@aol.com