Every pastor of The Way R122 Ministry Kenya has read, agrees with, and acknowledged their adherence to our Statement of Faith. This is important as it enables our Church to maintain the unity of the spirit the apostle Paul wrote of in the book of Ephesians.
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. - Ephesians 4:1-6
Each pastor is committed to the great commission and the cause of the one true gospel of Jesus Christ. Please pray for them and consider Supporting The Way Ministry Church Kenya as we strive to open a new Bible/pastoral training school and also expand two elementary schools.
Clean Water Projects
Towns and cities in Kenya are crowded with dusty traffic, and one item seen everywhere are large blue or yellow plastic water containers. Water, even in the capital city of Nairobi is not piped into most homes, so people have to find ways to either capture rainwater or transport water from a source to their families.
I asked my friend pastor Patrick how he got water to his home, and he explained there is a neighbor about a quarter of a mile up the hill from his house who has a well. So, when Patrick’s family needs water he takes his wheelbarrow full of water containers, pushes it up the hill to his neighbors well, buys the water he needs, and then pushes the wheelbarrow back home. This is the way most people here get water unless they can afford to have it delivered by someone with a well who either uses donkey’s pulling a cart or hires men who push and pull the carts.
I asked my friend pastor Patrick how he got water to his home, and he explained there is a neighbor about a quarter of a mile up the hill from his house who has a well. So, when Patrick’s family needs water he takes his wheelbarrow full of water containers, pushes it up the hill to his neighbors well, buys the water he needs, and then pushes the wheelbarrow back home. This is the way most people here get water unless they can afford to have it delivered by someone with a well who either uses donkey’s pulling a cart or hires men who push and pull the carts.
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Because the water brought in may not always be clean, medical issues like dysentery are common. Before I left on my last trip my wife Laurie asked me if clean water was a problem here, and suggested I ask my friend Bruce who is someone who likes to help people and solve problems if he knew of any inexpensive water filters. Bruce did some research and found there are a few companies here in Nairobi that make and sell gravity-fed water filters that are about the size of an office water cooler. They cost from $40 to $100 each depending on size and they will filter water for up to five years. However, we still need a way to supply water more easily to the homes.
To help the pastors of our Church here, we are planning to install 5,000 to 10,000-gallon water tanks and drinking water filter systems to as many of their homes as we can in the coming months and years. We are also in the process of researching the feasibility and cost of drilling wells in areas where that is possible. Our first project will begin when I return to Nairobi next Monday. Pastor Patrick laid a concrete slab at his property years ago for a water tank to catch rainwater but has never been able to afford the tank. So we will be purchasing a tank for him, designing a gutter system for his roof to channel rainwater to the tank, and a plumbing system to get the water into the house. The next phase will be to purchase a water filter to ensure the water his family is drinking is clean and pure. This will not only make Patrick’s life much easier, but it will provide a source of income as he will be able to sell water to others in his neighborhood. This solution is a model that could bless many people here.
Each tank installation with the needed guttering, piping, and plumbing costs between $1,000 and $2,000. This is an amazing opportunity to truly help Christian pastors who are engaged in the cause of the gospel in a long term way. If you feel called to join us in this work by providing the needed funds to do so, please donate at the link below and type “Water” in the message field at checkout.
To help the pastors of our Church here, we are planning to install 5,000 to 10,000-gallon water tanks and drinking water filter systems to as many of their homes as we can in the coming months and years. We are also in the process of researching the feasibility and cost of drilling wells in areas where that is possible. Our first project will begin when I return to Nairobi next Monday. Pastor Patrick laid a concrete slab at his property years ago for a water tank to catch rainwater but has never been able to afford the tank. So we will be purchasing a tank for him, designing a gutter system for his roof to channel rainwater to the tank, and a plumbing system to get the water into the house. The next phase will be to purchase a water filter to ensure the water his family is drinking is clean and pure. This will not only make Patrick’s life much easier, but it will provide a source of income as he will be able to sell water to others in his neighborhood. This solution is a model that could bless many people here.
Each tank installation with the needed guttering, piping, and plumbing costs between $1,000 and $2,000. This is an amazing opportunity to truly help Christian pastors who are engaged in the cause of the gospel in a long term way. If you feel called to join us in this work by providing the needed funds to do so, please donate at the link below and type “Water” in the message field at checkout.
Clean Water Projects Update - April 21, 2020
Pastor Patrick from Nairobi contacted me a few days ago to let me know the work had been completed on the installation of his new water tank. As I mentioned in a previous newsletter, we purchased the tank while I was in Kenya, but I had to return home before we could install it, so funds were left for Patrick to purchase the supplies and hire the help he needed.
What a blessing it was to receive these photos showing the tank now in place and ready to be filled when it rains.
What a blessing it was to receive these photos showing the tank now in place and ready to be filled when it rains.
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The Orphans In Our Care and School Renovation Project
Many Kenyan children are left alone when their parents are killed by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Kenya has the third highest number of HIV/AIDS orphans in the world, estimated at 890,000. The pastors and congregations care for abandoned children and continually take in more as the number of orphans continues to grow. The burden to feed, clothe, and care for so many children is a heavy one and our Church helps all we can, but much more help and support is needed.
We have been blessed by the donation of an old school building about two hours from our headquarters in Kisii. The school has not been used in many years and is in disrepair. However, it can be renovated and we hope to do so as soon as possible. The school also has space for living areas for both students and teachers. Once the school is renovated we plan on moving the orphans from the small and inadequate facility they currently live in, to the school where they will have more space and a healthier environment. We also plan to invite local children to attend the school as the area currently has no school nearby as well as use the facility as a feeding and care center for the impoverished.
Update on Elementary Schools - May 2021
The school location in Kisii has been renovated over the last year enough for local children to attend, which they have been doing regularly for several months now. Pastor Patrick is in charge of this school and also a small school at his home in Nairobi. We hope to be able to expand both locations in the next year in order to provide schooling for more children who are unable to attend due to the restrictions caused by severe poverty.
Children at the school in Kisii
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Classrooms at pastor Patrick's Church in Nairobi
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Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth. - 3 John 1:8