The days roll by and we wonder if we are getting ‘ done the work' God called us to. It's summertime and school vaction is in process. It's Kenya's coolest time of year and it really IS abit chilly! The rest of you have been sweltering in the heat but here we see many wrapped in lesos and many are sick. The Tommy Wagler family has returned from a 2 month furlough to the states and so has Rosalie Beiler, our school teacher. This means school will begin soon and the students are ready. Being confined in a compound doesn't provide for much activity other than washing dishes, sweeping floors and hanging up laundry "ALL THE TIME!" (David and Myrna)
A day after Daniel's and Miriam's baptism, Sam had something "come over him". His walking became unsteady and his eyes didn't focus properly. The right eyelid drooped......oh my! The next 2 days we spent in and out of the Aga Khan hospital doing tests. We sorta came up empty. The doctor told us to wait a few weeks to see how things improve. It has some...the reading has returned and he can drive again but something still isn't quite right. The body has weakened and the focusing needs improving. On Wed we are planning to go to Eldoret (2+ hrs) and have an MRI done to see what's happening in the innermost part of the brain. A young native brother, Samson Otieno, will be riding along with us and is also having a test done. He's from the Nyagondo church and suffers from a strange paralysis. Pray for us as we go. This is not a smooth 2 hour drive in the states, but 2 hours of pot-holed roads and crazy taxi drivers.
Pastor Sam holding Pastor Sam. This is the second of three named after their pastor. :) This one is a grandson of Jennifer Juma, one of our widow ladies. She's a happy, smiley lady and so is this baby.
Little Franklin Bender (1 1/2) doesn't meet a stranger. He loves the native Kenyans and tries to talk to them. Here he is trying to inspect Mama Alice's cell phone hanging around her neck. She doesn't speak a word of English and he doesn't speak much of anything yet, but they communicate.
The Kabonya church sisters, Ziatune, Elida, Millicent and Helen. This means they live in the same mountain area. Helen (right) had been excommunicated for fornication; eventually she confessed her sin and came back into the church on proving. She struggles with her drunkard husband. Pauline, a church widow, was also excommunicated for wearing immodest clothing and fornication. They now both left the church and are "free" they say....to do what? To do as they please for awhile...until AIDS captures them.....pray for these women. Living in a very loose environment, these things are difficult for women who have not been taught the virtues of purity. What do you expect if your mother did the same thing? Only with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit can you stand. They both have small children who watch and listen....oh my! May God help them!
Thomas and Joyce Oda were also excommunicated for numerous issues, including wife beating and witchcraft. Can you imagine a brother in your church beating his wife?! God arranged that this would happen to expose other things. The issues were heavy but the church helped in making the decision of excommunication. They have a family of 6 nice children and all attend church. the baby's name is also Pastor Sam) Thomas is an Agape administrator in that area and has much to lose financially. It could get ugly...since there is witchcraft involved, pray for the protection of the church people.... and we missionaries. It can get depressing doing this kind of work. But discipline needs to be done so others can walk straight! (Remember? .... having a sibling spanked helped you behave better!) The church is more upbeat and happier because of it. Interesting how that psychology works.
Thomas and Joyce Oda were also excommunicated for numerous issues, including wife beating and witchcraft. Can you imagine a brother in your church beating his wife?! God arranged that this would happen to expose other things. The issues were heavy but the church helped in making the decision of excommunication. They have a family of 6 nice children and all attend church. the baby's name is also Pastor Sam) Thomas is an Agape administrator in that area and has much to lose financially. It could get ugly...since there is witchcraft involved, pray for the protection of the church people.... and we missionaries. It can get depressing doing this kind of work. But discipline needs to be done so others can walk straight! (Remember? .... having a sibling spanked helped you behave better!) The church is more upbeat and happier because of it. Interesting how that psychology works.
Matthias and Jason Peachey and Daniel building church benches for the growing Nyagondo Church. They buzzed and sawed all week and finished with 25 benches. It was a job well done and they had a good time doing it. Last Sunday we attended the Family Seminar/Commissioning at Nyagondo and there were several hundred in attendance. It's an hour and half drive out toward the Uganda border. The hunger is great and the people want to know the truth. Who will tell them? Truly the fields are white with harvest and the laborors are few. The next posting will have more.....
Yesterday my father, Glenn Bender, turned 70 years old. He has been a minister of the gospel for almost 48 years and bishop 44 years. We nine children owe much to our father for the godly heritage and influence he has given us. He has been strict, but kind and many young people love him. Father's vision and energy has not diminished much...they and 8 other families are beginning a new outreach in Auburn, Nebraska in the next few months. Nebraska is basically a new frontier for the plain Anabaptist churches. In just the recent years has the state allowed private schools. Years ago the "Nebraska Amish" moved to Belleville, PA because of this issue.
Tomorrow Aaron King will be 100 years old. His wife, Mary, (Sam's aunt) is 95. They will celebrate 74 years of marriage in November. Did they see many changes? Not many couples in our churches have been together that long. Mose and Cora Yoder from Leon, IA will be married 74 years next Spring. They are grandparents of Rachel, married to brother Dwight Bender.
Mattie Kauffman
Tomorrow Aaron King will be 100 years old. His wife, Mary, (Sam's aunt) is 95. They will celebrate 74 years of marriage in November. Did they see many changes? Not many couples in our churches have been together that long. Mose and Cora Yoder from Leon, IA will be married 74 years next Spring. They are grandparents of Rachel, married to brother Dwight Bender.
Mattie Kauffman
