Joseph preaching in the Toi Market in Kibera

Dear Praying Friends and Family,

I am actually into my fourth week here in Kenya, and I sense and appreciate your prayers as I was recently under the weather with a bit of fever. I am happy to report that I am “back in the saddle again”!

Global Letter Exchange with students from Standard 4

At Restoration Educational Centre (REC) I have been working with Teacher Mary in Standard One (with our 49 students) and with the remediation lessons after school. I also began to visit the upper classes to “deliver the mail” from the students in Miami who participated in the Global Letter Exchange. My first group in Standard Four received letters from students in Ms. Ruby Villa’s class from Dante B. Fascell Elementary in West Kendall (Miami), Florida. I hope you will take time to view the albums from this class and the others, which I will add soon, so that you can see their excitement and JOY they experienced from this project! I know that we often use email, phone calls and texts in these modern days, but you must agree that nothing compares to a handwritten letter from afar! 

This week I will continue this project with students in Standard Three, Five, Six and Seven. I appreciate the teachers and students from Miami that took time in the hectic last days of their school year to participate in this letter exchange program. It is something these boys and girls will remember and cherish for years. The written replies from the local REC students have been composed with great detail and with skilled drawings. I am sure the Miami students will find that “Kenya’s Got Talent!”

Tidrah and Teacher Ruthie in the Standard One Class! She is very sharp and is definitely a future teacher!

I was able to address the REC morning assembly this past Friday briefly where I further explained the Letter Exchange Program, and I assured the students (who I have yet to work with) that I would be making the rounds to their classrooms over the coming two weeks to deliver their mail!  I also plan to share some of my favorite children’s literature, which I brought along with me (which reminds me-I must go online and renew my library books! lol), as well as some worship songs, and more pictures, stories and experiences from my mission work with children from around the globe. The classes here have really enjoyed the pictures of my students in India, Thailand, Dominican Republic and Hungary! 

The common thread that I consistently find in all children is potential- everyone has it- and it is our job as teachers to recognize it, nurture it and build it so they can walk fully in their God-given abilities to realize His Divine purpose for their life. I am so thankful to have been able to observe and take part in this process in so many cross cultural settings! I am truly blessed!

Niko and Catherine teaching how to make chapatis!

There have been many visitors in and out of the Mbithi’s home over the last week and a half and on some nights the head count in our lodging was 12 or 13 people! I am being enriched with the local culture and by our sweet fellowship in the Lord. So far I have learned to love several local foods like samosas, ugali, mandazi and chapati. Margaret came last week and showed me the steps for “Samosas 101” and this week Catherine and Niko taught me the steps to making “Chapati 101!” With all the new food experiences, I have been encouraged to compile recipes from Kenya to share with friends and prayer partners when I return. Maybe I can arrange a “Feast from Kenya” where I can share in greater detail my experiences and the ministry work here in Nairobi. I will keep you posted on these plans!

Looking ahead, we will have a US team coming in on July 14^th and I will join them as we prepare and head to Kakamega, which is 245 miles from Nairobi. We will travel by bus and after my jaunt of 100km to the Daystar Athi River Campus for Julie Mbithi’s graduation during my first days here, I learned that the roads can abruptly change from a nice four lane highway to a rutted path where you carefully move at a walking pace for 4-5 miles. I am sure the travel alone will be an adventure! So if you will, please be praying in advance for the US team as they prepare to come,  and for the ministry we will undertake together in the village of Kakamega during the week of July 16th- 23^rd. I will be working primarily with the children’s ministry , and I have been preparing activities, songs, lessons and games over the last week and a half-especially while I have been down with my fever.  I will continue to provide details of the ministry as the team gathers here in Nairobi and finalizes the ministry plans.

Natasha, our neighbor, with Joseph and Diana. Good times and memories here at the Mbithi's home!

I appreciate the news from home and the prayer support each of you faithfully provide during my trips. I love the saying:

 “No prayer = no power, Little prayer = little power, and MUCH prayer = MUCH power!”

 I used to apply it (and still do) to my personal prayer life, but I think we must garner prayer-MUCH prayer- for the work of God that is going on around the world. When we understand that ministry for the Kingdom of God attracts spiritual conflict, we will realize that we must not battle in the “natural”- which usually results in our trying to do God’s work “our way.” We have to fight as Jesus fought-on our knees in prayer. Prayer is a prerequisite for every aspect of ministry- think of it as our “Red Bull” to jolt us forward and through any challenges that we may encounter! Sorry to reduce it to such an analogy, but I can personally relate to this as my son (and many other college students!) rely on Red Bull for their burst of energy to forge through a time of deep study or testing! 

His for the nations,

Ruthie