WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING!  Since the December news, briefly the following has happened– 

   Orphans from Mfangano Island came to An Adventure in Christ Camp in late December. Some had never been off the island before, while for others showers, dinner, a movie were new experiences. They were taught about Nature and God, having a Quiet Time and how to read the Bible. They played games that taught Life Skills and Teamwork. The camp was funded by the First United Methodist Church of Chipley, Florida, which is giving ongoing support to school these children. Ken and Nancy Omalla oversee this under S.E.E.K..

 Friday before Christmas 160 orphans on Mfangano Island received a blanket, 2 lbs. of rice, 2 lbs. of flour and 2 quarts of oil enabling their families to have food and them to sleep well for Christmas. A group from Gallatin Baptist Church who had been to Mfangano Island with Mission Discovery sent money for these destitute children/ JP, Hezron, Pastor Gombe, and David took the gifts to the island, working with the local Baptist Church to see the children received them..

 On Christmas Eve seven Chinese accompanied by three Kenyans came to SEEK for a night. In their cabins, they read the Bibles placed there. One who was in Kenya for the first time told the group he had taken a Christian name, Steven, signifying he had become a Christian. Through Nick and Willis who are Gideons, they were given the 10 Bibles they requested. They loved SEEK and vowed to bring a big group fromChina next year for a longer stay. Hey..we are sending Bibles toChina throughAfrica!

 Environmental Camp for Nyamanga Primary Runners Up in the EE Clubs 2011 Competition was held this past week. It ended with a day attended by 160 students in a Kick Off for the ten 2012 School Clubs.  We heard it was tremendous fun, life changing, with several children giving their lives to Jesus. Staff relate well with these students they have come to know through clubs. Young people in despair found hope. In Nick’s words, “It was wonderful and I do not think I have the right words to explain exactly how we experienced God through the event. Grace, the deputy Warden of Ruma National Park, came with a team from Born Free Foundation (as part of our partnership activities.)  We used their Land Rover to show conservation films to schools yesterday and today to all our club members in our Education Centre.  It was wonderful seeing how successful our upgraded solar system was in providing their heavy equipment with power.”

Thanks to the foundation who provided two more solar panels enabling this.

 We are grateful that Samson, Syprose, Judith Brenda, Maxwell, Julius, our magnificent orphans, are back in secondary school and doing well, thanks to your generosity..

 Last Saturday a Benefit Concert was held for Curt Bryson, a terrific young man, who is making a two year commitment to S.E.E.K. Curt will be coming out with a team from Springhouse Worship and Fine Arts Center inSmyrnaTennessee. Curt is doing a year’s internship under Bruce Coble. The team comes in August.

 Jenny Biggs, from N.E. in Hendersonville Tennessee will be coming out also with the same team and staying to work in Environmental Education for several months. Jenny has a degree in Natural  Resource Management and has worked with the Peace Corps in theDominican Republic.

 Bakers Heirloom Seeds has donated over 500 packets of seeds, $775 worth, and we are thrilled as we think of those widows and orphans who will be able to eat and produce income because of this gift. “Now He who gives seed to the sower..will increase your store of seed.” 2 Corinthians 9:11

 PlaneTickets. How grateful we are for the gift of our plane tickets to return toKenya  February 21st, also from a member of the Springhouse Team! So many kindnesses from others-a Kroger card for groceries, a BP card for gas, all have enabled us to function here.

 And we are so grateful for Sarah and Bryan’s wonderful wedding, all the love and fun with dear family and friends, with many thoughtful gracious provisions for every guest. Well, we sold the vehicle that needed repair, receiving several thousand dollars for it, allowing us to purchase a new water pump and meet ministry needs. At least it is no longer in jail!

 Prayer Requests

“Ask and you will receive that your joy may be full!” John 16:24

• So please pray with us for a vehicle that will enable us to reach those children and youth in remote rural areas where few venture to help.  Dt.28:6
• Widows would experience God’s care and rise up as a real force in Suba.  James 1:27
• Every orphan in Suba would experience the blessings and future God has for them .“All your children will be discipled of the Lord and great will be the peace of your children.” Isaiah 54:13
• Restoration of the environment, multiplication of trees and agriculture. Sanitation. “I will sprinkle clean water on you and you will be clean….and I will increase the yield of the fruit of the trees, and you will not experience a famine anymore, “says the Lord.  Ezekiel 36:25-36
• A small generator for movie outreach to youth and children at fishing villages. $450
• For Don and my physical strength and wisdom to care for our aging bodies so we can finish our work well.
• School camp scholarships $565 each.

Thanks again and many blessings!

Don and Nancy Richards

Any donations are gratefully accepted– send to KENYA ISLANDS MISSIONS, INC. P.O. Box 84 Lowell AR 72745 or through PAYPAL at website www.missionwild.org  Tax deductible receipts will be sent in January.

Please note that according to IRS guidelines (Pub 526) in order for a donation to be deductible, its use must be left to the discretion of the charitable organization (KIM).  Kenya Islands Mission, Inc. (SEEK) endeavors to use all donations in accordance with the donor’s wishes, but on occasion may need to shift funds to a greater need.  

 Biblical Environmental Education for Sustainable Development

 “For no word shall be impossible in the presence of God.” The angel Gabriel to Mary. Luke 1:38

 Dear Friends,

 This has been a year of miracles, and we stand in awe of what God has done. It is not our doing but His. You are part of this miracle. We bow before the Father in gratitude for each of you.

 MIRACLES- Here are a few samples, though almost every day has seen others.

January_ Staff had identified seven orphaned students they had encouraged in the school clubs to go for it, though there was no evidence of any finances to enable them to go on to High School. These students of good character and top grades who had given their lives to the Lord dared to trust Him. Miraculous provision came at the last minute. They have all had successful years in school and have served God and grown in their faith. One said, “I feel like a son of a rich man.” He is indeed. God is the father of the orphan.

February_A team from Calvary Rivergate, by faith God was directing, made a decision to come out to SEEK. They had little more than a month to raise their trip money. Their impact transformed much, including the Education Center’s main hall. Anyone, child or adult, who walks in is drawn to the art and teachings which glorify God.

March-Nyachebe Beach known for immorality, drugs and filth, with no functional toilets for over 1000 people, saw impressive transformation: revival, changed lives, clean water, sanitation.

April-With inflation soaring in Kenya and touched by staff’s hard work, we asked God to enable us to raise staff salaries. As a sign we asked for an unprecedented amount to come in. It did miraculously. We raised the salaries.

May-Hezron, head of SEEK’s children’s ministry, went to Tanzania to present cows to Mary’s family to seal the engagement. Only problem, he needed $600 for the cows and had nothing. He went by faith. The money arrived at the last hour.  Family who had thought he was crazy glorified God.

June-God told Don we would have favor with government. Several staff were invited to speak at large functions_ World Desertification Conference and a United Nations Conference on Climate Change. As they spoke on God’s perspective, there was significant response.  Pastor and Don were put on District Development Committee and to lead a government task force for Ecotourism.

July-A young teen broke into the house of one of our staff. This young man, who lived with a widowed mom, had been kidnapped as a young child by a witchcraft cult, and missing for a week. As our staff talked and ministered to him, they found out that voices in his head kept demanding him to criminal action. As this teen received the Lord, he was freed from the voices into a new and wholesome life. No charges were pressed.

 August- A children’s March for Jesus and local pastors’ days of repentant prayer led to climate change. Mbita went from 10 months of desert conditions with loss of crops and cattle to lush.

September- A free lance journalist wandered onto the base and filmed Don speaking about environmental issues of Lake Victoria. Soon Don was on prime time news, aired throughout E.Africa.

October- Chosen Widows of First Baptist Church Hendersonville TN heard of the ministry and have raised over $2000 for widows in Suba.

November- For Don and me personally, Northeast Church and dear friends enabled us to catch up on bills through their loving kindness. / At the base youth crowded the Education Center for a day of worship.. money also came in just in time to foot the bill and feed the crowd.

December-

• Hezron and Mary’s beautiful wedding took place in Mbita. We have no idea where the money came from. The night before we had to wire Honeymoon money it came in from some of you.
• Our son Mark having gone back to finish his bachelor’s degree at UT, graduated cumma sum laude, top undergraduate in Social Sciences. Yes, we are proud! And proud of the worship that flows from him.
• Our wonderful son Bryan is marrying the beautiful and accomplished Sarah Skibitze on December 23^rd, and we get to spend a couple of weeks in on the action. We have missed time with them.

Don and I feel old and inadequate when our hearts break over the 52,000 orphans and the struggles of widows and the trashed environment bringing poverty in Suba. We remember that God uses the weak things of the world, and we are reminded that it is faith in His faithfulness and not in our own strength that accomplishes His purposes. His ways of love surpass anything we can imagine.

 Thanks so much for your kindness in believing with us and reaching out to address these urgent issues of our times.  We love you so much! 

 We send our wishes for a wonderful Christmas and a 2012 steeped in the blessings of God.

 Don and Nancy Richards

 Any donations will be gratefully accepted– send to KENYA ISLANDS MISSIONS, INC. P.O. Box 84 Lowell AR 72745 or through PAYPAL at website www.missionwild.org  Tax deductible slips will be sent in January. .

Please note that according to IRS guidelines (Pub 526) in order for a donation to be deductible, its use must be left to the discretion of the charitable organization (KIM).  Kenya Islands Mission, Inc. (SEEK) endeavors to use all donations in accordance with the donor’s wishes, but on occasion may need to shift funds to a greater need.

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 

Staff Dorothy at Roo with Children

 

Community Transformation through Christian Environmental Education-

 a catalyst for hope, an effective tool for discipleship and empowerment

“Then the nations round about you will know that I the Lord have rebuilt the ruined places and planted that which was desolate. I, the Lord, have spoken and will do it.” Ezekiel 36:36

                                                                                                                        October 1, 2011

Dear Friends,

Sincere thanks to you and to God for YOUR ANSWERED PRAYERS!

• SALARIES-Salaries came in so that by the 15^th of September all staff salaries were paid to date. The staff had continued to work hard with faith, showing their commitment but were so grateful to be able to have money to pay rent and grocery debts.
• PROMISED LAND. For 15 years you have prayed with us for the “Promised Land,” that middle piece of land, around 7 ½ acres between the other two pieces of land we own. Although the owner refused to sell it to us, we felt God’s encouragement that it was already ours in the spiritual realm, but now the original owner died and his son is willing to sell it by February. We are excited at the prospect of a nature conservancy for children where they can learn about God and His creation that the purchase will enable us to create with the partnership of Kenya Wildlife Services. We think we can purchase the property for $16,000. Ruma National Park will give us 2 giraffe and a number of antelope!
• Also the motorcycle you prayed to be licensed and in operation is out on the streets now doing much good, constantly in use for many kingdom purposes.

TRAVELS:  We left home (Mbita) the 6^th of September, exhausted though BLESSED IN ABUNDANCE by all God was doing, challenged always by the spiritual warfare.

God gave us 9 wonderful days with Andre Brink at Walking with Maasai in Loita Hills, 7000 feet above sea level, crisscrossed by ancient elephant paths on the border of Tanzania and Kenya. It is an amazing Eco Tour Camp, in true wilderness, where the Maasai conduct their lives as in more ancient times. Wildlife roam through the place as they feel safe there. The Community benefits from the income of the tourists who stay there and thus they protect the land and animals. Don is the overall director of the board for WWM. Andre with his team of Maasai is building this amazing camp, creatively highlighting natural beauty and fiercely adhering to Biblical standards. If you would like to camp there, let us know or check the website: WalkingWithMaasai.com.

We spent over a week of travel with arrangements definitely not going as planned, but still tremendously blessed. A Brititsh visitor returning home from Loita kindly allowed us to travel with him to Nairobi and paid the whole fare. We arrived home to a house well supplied by our son Mark. We have been taking time to rest, and the daze is lifting daily!

All your children will be discipled by the Lord, and great will be the well being of your children.  Isaiah 54:13

This is a great promise from God, expressing His will, something for which Christ paid the price at Calvary, a promise to cling to til we see the children of Africa become not the needy ones, but rather the ones whom the Lord has blessed to be a blessing.

Since the Children’s March for Jesus, it has continued to rain for over six weeks.  Hezron reports that children keep showing up for prayer meetings. Recently on a Sunday afternoon, when youth (18-35 year olds) were scheduled to go up to the hill for an afternoon of prayer, he found over 20 ten year olds with their Bibles, fervently in prayer for several hours.  May God continue to bring in His kingdom in greater Suba through the children. This is God’s doing and it is marvelous.

TELEVISION: Recently Don was on national television, having been interviewed by a free lance journalist concerning the pollution causing algae blooms which are killing the fish population. We are now working on a toilet design for local fishing boats that would prevent the nightly pollution of Lake Victoria by over 40,000 fishermen.

Prayers: Please add your prayers to ours and celebrate the results with us.

“You can ask the Father anything in My Name and I will do it. Jn. 14.14”

• Guidance and success for profitable use of time while in the USA
• Web page of excellence that glorifies God.
• The widows’ pillows business to continue to flourish as it provides for six widows to work 
• Salaries on time and in full..with abundance 
• Outpouring of the Spirit on the children-that they be blessed to be a blessing 

• Release of vehicle from Narok Police Station: No it wasn’t bad. It just broke down there and they have been looking after it for almost a year. Please pray it out of jail and repaired.
• A healed Mbita and Suba District population: environmental degradation and the resulting poverty. corruption, filth, AIDS, malaria, poverty and immorality to become vague memories instead of present realities.
• Nyachebe Beach biogas project to be implemented.
• Recycling, multistory and Arbor Loo businesses to take off and really provide for locals
• Museum completed
• Success of boat toilet project and healing of Lake Victoria’s fish population- “You can give a man a fish, he will eat for a day. You can teach a man to fish, and he can eat as long as fish populations hold out!”

Danny and Michelle Johnson have taken over the accounting for Kenya Islands Missions, Inc. Starting now, please send any checks to KENYA ISLANDS MISSION INC. PO Box 84, Lowell, AR 72745. Or you can still give through Paypal at www.missionwild.org. Thanks to Jeanie Morgan for 12 years of unpaid service to this ministry!  She has been wonderful.

If you would like to participate in this ministry here are some opportunities:

• Provide for a staff’s salary – ranges from $85 to $500 per month.
• Provide a widow a toilet $52
• Provide a widow a sack vegetable garden $17
• An Outreach to Children $25
• Train and license a staff to drive Motor bike $88
• 1 mattress for camp bunks $35 (12 needed)
• Sponsor a Camp for a School Class One day $167. 2 days $334, 3 days $500
• Solar lighting in Acacia House Dormitory $100
• Water catchment off the huge education centre roof $1000
• Dairy Goat Barn $300
• Stopping bat entry points in Education Center $91
• Boma for camp meetings, with camp fire pit    $173
• Solar fridge $1364
• Vehicle repaired $5800
• Generator  $450
• Provide t-shirts for our Children of Destiny 40 of them at $2.50 each

Thanks so very much for caring,

Love and blessings,

Don and Nancy Richards

P.O. Box 349 Mbita 40305 Suba District Kenya

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

                    Biblical Environmental Education for Sustainable Development

“This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you.”

John 13:34

Dear Friends,

 You may have heard of the great drought in northern Kenya and southern Somalia putting millions at risk.  We are here working on drought prevention.  These droughts are man-made, and lack of understanding is at the bottom of them. Deforestation, overgrazing, and agricultural practices that dry out the soil and deplete it are at the root of these things.  SEEK is helping Africans find and implement solutions to these problems. Reforestation restores climate and rain.  A couple of $17 sack gardens can enable a family to always have veggies, using their dish and clothes washing water to water their gardens. Knowing how to feed and raise healthy chickens can provide needed protein.  So thanks for helping us help people help themselves!

 Deadlines help. The carpenters were bringing in the last bed across the gully bridge to Cabin 4 as the Mission Discovery team travelled their last miles from Nashville to us for a night on their way to Mfangano Island. We really enjoyed these visitors from Tennessee. Their serving hearts and sweet countenances reminded us of why children around here run out excitedly calling, “Muzungu, muzungu!” when Americans are around… just wanting to get a bit of attention from them.

Now all beds are made for our beautiful campground, and only twelve mattresses and blankets are needed to make us ready for a class to camp.

 Events of past couple of weeks include:

• Suba Lakers girls soccer team hosted
• Open house for Environmental Club Patrons
• Birth of three dairy goats
• Club activities moving forward in ten schools.
• Christian movies for Youth and Club Members
• Children of Destiny meetings and practice
• Calling together of pastors to seek the Lord on behalf of Mbita District which resulted in their commitment to gather on the 30^th for repentance and prayer and participation in the Children’s March for Jesus.
• Task force meeting for ecotourism development in Mbita
• A day clean up of Mbita with great turn out and nice results for one part of town

Incidentally human

What happens in human hearts is God’s great concern. Poignant incidents like these make life worth celebrating:

• I walked in on the little old ladies laughing and dancing during plastic recycling work, grateful for something that will enable them to eat or pay their children’s school fees.
• A perky 13 year old girl in a pink suit was standing nearby on the ferry. We felt led to chat with her and found out that her step mother had sent her away with only 100 shillings (about $1.20 or a fourth of the fare needed) to travel home to her real mother. Aware of the dangers for a young lady traveling without money, we were able to take her to Kisumu and put her on a bus home, providing enough fare, enough warnings to the bus driver and enough prayers to see that she did reach her mom.
• One of our staff had his house broken into and items stolen. The police caught the thief, a thirteen year old son of a widow. Our staff would not prosecute the lad, but brought him to Hezron for counseling. His story: at a young age he had been kidnapped and was missing for a week. When found he had a funny mark shaved onto his head, evidence of some dark black magic. He shared with Hez and Joel how voices in his head would demand him to do wrong acts like stealing, and he was afraid not to obey. Hezron and Joel prayed with him. He gratefully gave his life to the Lord and was set free.
• Rachel, the widow, whom we were given money to help start a business was the one who when she received the Lord broke her old beer brewing equipment. This resilient 81 year old widow who lives with her 12 year old granddaughter Ruth, would go begging when she was too hungry to stand it. When SEEK staff Dorothy went to see how the business was doing, Rachel prevailed on her to stay for a friendly visit and joyfully brought her a plate of food. She was full of joy that she had something to share with others.
• Reports from Pastor Charles that twenty of the 80 people who came to the Lord during a base outreach in an area strong into witchcraft and the occult are now happy Christians regularly attending church and growing in the Lord.
•  Nancy and Ken Omalla returned from outreach with the Mission Discovery team, their faces looking refreshed and glowing from the encouragement they had received. Nancy has been blind for a year and a half and Ken has struggled to look after her and the three children. Nancy has worked hard to overcome the challenges. During the outreach, Nancy did needed  translations, was treated with much kindness by the team, and Ken received commendations from local pastors for the example he has set in caring for his wife.

\

Prayers: Please add your prayers to ours and celebrate the results with us.

“You can ask the Father anything in My Name and I will do it. Jn. 14.14”

• Children’s March for Jesus August 6th. Please pray for this to be wonderful. We are encountering a lot of spiritual warfare, but preparations are going well.
• Unsticking Motorbike Registration: We have a new motorbike, and we are waiting for the registration so we can insure and use it.
• Release of vehicle from Narok Police Station: No it wasn’t bad. It just broke down there and they have been looking after it for almost a year. Please pray it out of jail and repaired.
• A healed Mbita and Suba District population..AIDS, malaria, poverty and immorality to become vague memories instead of present realities.
• Nyachebe Beach biogas project to be implemented.
• Recycling, multistory and Arbor Loo businesses to take off and really help.
• Museum completed

Danny and Michelle Johnson are taking over the accounting for Kenya Islands Missions, Inc. Starting now, please send any checks to KENYA ISLANDS MISSION INC. PO Box 84, Lowell, AR 72745. Or you can still give through Paypal at www.missionwild.org. Thanks to Jeanie Morgan for 12 years of unpaid service to this ministry!  She has been wonderful.

If you would like to participate in this ministry here are some opportunities:

• Provide t-shirts for our Children of Destiny 40 of them at $2.50 each
• Provide a widow a toilet $52
• Provide a widow a vegetable garden $17
• An Outreach to Children $25
• Train and license a staff to drive Motor bike $88
• 1 mattress for camp bunks $35 (12 needed)
• Sponsor a Camp for a School Class One day $167. 2 days $334, 3 days $500
• Solar lighting in Acacia House Dormitory $100
• Water catchment off the huge education centre roof $1000
• Dairy Goat Barn $300
• Stopping bat entry points in Education Center $91
• Boma for camp meetings, with camp fire pit    $173
• Solar fridge $1364
• Vehicle repaired $4800

 Thanks so very much for caring,

 Love and blessings,

Don and Nancy Richards

 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

Please keep checking back with us as we get all our old content up and running, as well as growing with new pages and postings and interactivity! And do leave us your comments to let us know what you think!

The S.E.E.K.ers.