Saturday, October 20, 2007

News from Kenya...

Greetings Readers,

Here's a bit of news from Pastor Julius of Massai Mission in Kenya, gleaned from his last email (posted here as received) in our ongoing correspondance. This info should help you understand more clearly some of the challenges of life in the outlands of Kenya. Please consider becoming part of God's plan in helping this pastor meet the needs of his church in this remote part of God's Kingdom...
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Dear Stanley,

Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ who is our Lord and savior! Thank very much for your email and good work you doing for Christ and his people. am really thinking and challenge with your love and concern for us, understand what you are doing is very costing and time consuming but I have no doubt is worthy in God sight and is Christ work. We are pray for you and your family to get strength and resources from the lord to fulfilled this aggressive vision. We always think of you and desired if the lord will allowed us to meet face to face one day!

Our ministry currently have 300 members excluding children, the number of children obviously out number the adults, since in every family we have at least more than three children and some comes from family which adults are not church goers .Children do not attend church regularly because our community are pastoralist and some children can be a sign (by their parents) to look after either sheep, cows or goat during church services.

The box for shoes is of great help to children here, truly speaking even my two daughters (5 and 3) has no shoes now, I always think about them when they are walking in forest where there is a lot of thorns! It's my prayer that it will reach us safely.

Yes the duty custom due open parcel for security reason and they are only authorized to do that. This is a government body and we do not have any worry for them doing so.

Last Sunday we meet with others pastors from our churches and we discuss how we can use the materials you have sent effectively to benefit our people even illiterate members.We proposed to start small study classes for adult in the church and community to redicate illiteracy to enable every body knows how to read particularly the Bible. We also decided all pastors to be meeting for two days a month for study together using materials. All this is yet to be implemented and I think if the Lord opens away for this to real, may eventually result in Christian centre with Bible College and others activities. This will help us witness effectively to community. Truly Christ message can easily spread through servanthood. Please pray for this vision.

Stanley I also kindly requests any financial assistance to meet some basic need here at home. As voluntary pastor with no employment and only depending small income from crops is not easy. Sometime we found our self in great difficulties and no way to avoid. Please you can help with any amount you wish and it will be of great help for me sustain my family needs. I decided to share with you this needs as family friend and God servant bearing in mind your love toward us. Thank very much, greet all for us.

Shalom!

Julius
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As you can see Julius has his hands full and labors under very difficult circumstances. My hope is that this website opens the door to him being partnered with others here in America and around the world. Any one desiring additional information is invited to email me and I will fill in as many "blanks" as possible for you.

Thanks so much,

Stan
servant@InsideChrist.com

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Crumbs From the Rich Man's Table

Greetings and Blessings,

The Bible tells us that Lazarus "desired" to receive the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table. While my family hasn't gone on vacation in the last six years, I felt a lttle guilty as I was sitting in my office this morning while my wife was doing the final packing for a trip to the mountains. And I had some thoughts occur to me as I sat looking around at the children's books and the little pairs of shoes waiting to be sent to Kenya.

It occurred to me they are literal crumbs from the tables of "rich men." Rich by the standards of the rest of the world. We feel that we are doing a good deed when donate items to Goodwill or The Salvation Army, - and we are. At least those who value these items can buy them at reduced prices and the funds provide jobs for others. - But are we doing enough?

As you read the next post, please consider helping us with the shipping cost of sending this precious cargo to Kenya. We will find and purchase the items, prepare the Customs documents, and ship them. If you could help us with some of the shipping costs, it would be most appreciated. Let's see that "Lazarus" doesn't just "desire" the crumbs from our tables, but that he actually gets some!

Shalom,

Stan

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Shoes for "Our" Children...

Greetings and Blessings to all,

International Relief Ministries do a wonderful job and help multitudes. We appreciate them and support them, but the truth is that there are many they can't reach. God has lead us to The Massai Misson in Kenya. They are a small group of 300 adults spread over 10 small churches. There is an equal, if not greater number of children. Most of these children have never owned a single pair of shoes! Some eventually get a pair, but only when they get old enough to work and buy them themselves. ( ...Since over 58% of Kenyans earn less than a dollar/day, many parents must choose between shoes and food. )

I live near Nashville, Tn. and it is an area of great prosperity. Since American children often outgrow shoes before they wear out, I find many pairs of high-quality children's shoes in thrift stores that have most of the useful life left in them. We like to mail these durable shoes to the children in Kenya. Imagine their joy at getting the first shoes they've ever had! We can send about 5 pair of shoes in a US Postal Flat Rate Parcel for $37 dollars. If you would like to share in this service to Christ's little ones, please send a check ( a "Tax-Deductible" Donation! ) to Inside Christ Ministries, Inc. at the address at the bottom of this page.

Thank You!!!

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Maasai Mission Needs Help

Greetings and Blessings to all,

This blog was created to assist our friend, Pastor Julius Lenkume of the Maasai Mission in Kilgoris, Kenya. I discovered Pastor Julius and his ministry accidentally while searching on Google.com. It seems it was one of those "divine appointments" that God creates sometimes. He knows what His people's needs are and has a way of connecting us to each other to give one the honor of serving, while the other finds Him meeting needs they have not had met in other, conventional methods.

Christ was constantly "out of the box" in His methods and thinking when He walked the earth over two thousand years ago, and He is still "out of the box" that most people expect Him to operate in today. The wonderful fact is that when we find Him working in our lives to share His love with others, we find He is often busy about His Father's business in some very unconventional ways. The fact you have found or stumbled onto this blog, could indicate that Jesus is leading you to put compassion into action.

But getting back to Pastor Julius...

Pastor Julius is the overseer of a group of 10 small churches about 50 kilometers from Kilgoris, Kenya. The total congregation was about 300 at the beginning of 2007. We at InsideChrist.com have been able to send some of these sweet natured people Bibles, New Testaments, and Christian Training materials. The need is great and at present they do not get help from any other source. We hope to eventually supply them with enough material, that every person who can read at all can have their own Bible, and every child their own picture/story book to help them learn more about Jesus!

Life in Kenya is quite different from what we are accustomed to in America. Most of Pastor Julius' church live in traditional huts (see photos) and rely on their livestock and small crops for their day to day survival. The drought this year has many facing possible starvation unless the rains come in amounts that allow them to cling to what little is left of their herds and crops. And this is where you can make a real and vital contribution to help what the Lord must have had in mind when He referred to "the least of these My brethren." Remember He said: "...when you have done it unto the least of these My brethren, you have done it unto Me."

Why not join us and help the Maasai Christians buy seed and fertilizer for the current planting season via Western Union http://www.westernunion.com/? ...NOTE: Please email us BEFORE attempting to send funds by wire, as there is vital information you will need to know or your transaction will be denied due to Homeland Security concerns. ...OR, you can send funds without any hassle at all by sending your personal check to us and we will process it for you. We will wire the money directly to Pastor Julius and send you a receipt when he picks it up at Western Union.

Pastor Julius has shared with us that many have not yet been able to purchase the seed they so desperately need for survival, and the planting season is underway. Think of the opportunity before you. You can send assistance directly to some of God's children who are in great need without any of your donation being siphoned off by some large organization for "operating expenses", "salaries", or "overhead." If you've ever desired to do something meaningful, even life changing/life saving, this is your opportunity.

Feel free to email Pastor Julius directly and begin to get to know him for yourself. He has explained to me that his education was not completed due to financial hardships and you will see from his writing that English is not his native language, but his words will stir your heart. So please, drop him a line. Mention this blog so he makes a connection as to where you learned of him and his people. You'll find such satisfaction in helping these people that you'll look forward to every exchange between you and this humble man of God, as you open your heart and share your resources. - There's nothing like it!

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PS: We at Inside Christ Ministries, Inc. can wire your donation directly to Julius if you send it to us. Please include the $20.00 Western Union transatlantic wiring fee in addition to your donation, and mail it to us at the following address: (We will send you confirmation of the transaction via email, so be sure to include your email address.)

(Make check payable to:)

Inside Christ Ministries, Inc.
2679 McKnight Rd.
Culleoka, Tn. 38451

Gifts are tax deductible. We are a 501 (c) (3) Non-Profit Corporation.

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Here's Pastor Julius Lenkume's contact info:

email:
jolelenkume@yahoo.com


Mailing Address:
Julius N. Lenkume
c/o Maasai Mission
P.O. Box 471-40700
Kilgoris, Kenya


THANKS FOR CARING AND HELPING!!!