Update 2-28-08 Posted: Thursday, February 28, 2008 - 3:57:28 PM by RC      Kenyan greetings everyone; It has been several weeks since I've updated you on our situation in Kenya. Here's the latest: Politically: Good News! Today Kenya's President Kibaki and opposition leader Odinga signed a power-sharing agreement to co-lead Kenya for the next five years. This is a huge first step....but still only a first step. Since I last wrote you, the disputing parties have been in intense negotiations to settle the political impasse resulting from the disputed elections. The impasse is over! It has been a rough journey as hard-liners on both sides have grand-standed, and generally struggled with the implications of compromise. I've never been a huge fan of Kofi Anan but I must say that I feel he's done an amazing job as the chief mediator in this crisis. His task looked impossible at first but today all sides are making commitments to work together under a newly-agreed government framework. As with all compromises, not everybody is happy, but it does appear to be the best political solution for the moment. I was in a meeting with the US Ambassador to Kenya this morning and his view of Kenya's condition and future was very positive. Condoleezza Rice (who visited here last week) and other international leaders contributed much to push the process forward. Most of all....we give God the glory as we only look to him as the only source of real peace and hope for the Kenyan people. Now the real work begins. The feuding parties agreed to push for land-reforms, constitutional reforms, and a truth & reconciliation commission (TRC). Forgive me if I bore you with these details. I know some of you will be interested. The larger problem in the country is deep-rooted tribalism. Since December 30th, we've had 600,000 internally displaced people (IDP's) living in refugee camps around Kenya and in neighboring countries because certain tribes have killed, maimed, burned, raped, robbed and threatened rival tribes out of their homes, farms and businesses. This remains a huge on-going humanitarian crisis! And this is where we have been working/ministering since the crisis began. Political and tribal leaders are already making efforts to dialogue in the affected communities. TRC's will emerge to promote confession, healing and resettlement. Justice is needed. Many hundreds of people were slaughtered. Most with machetes or blunt instruments. Excessive force was frequently used by police officers to dispel protesters--many unarmed Kenyans were shot. Nearly all Kenyan's agree that a new Constitution is needed to right the wrongs and stabilize the country. Obviously the political journey ahead for this one is ominous. A few years ago we had a referendum for a new constitution. The people voted "No". Perhaps a better proposal can emerge this round and meet with national approval. Land reforms are also a sticky but critical issue. Much of the violence erupted as an organized well-funded effort by ethnic Kalinjins to revenge (real or perceived) illegal grabbing of land by Kikuyus (Kenya's largest tribe) in the traditional Kalinjin areas of the country. Nobody is excusing the mindless terror caused by the Kalinjin communities. Nevertheless; it is widely accepted that much (not all) land has been allocated, grabbed and sold in very under-handed ways since the country's independence. And since nearly 40 million people are living in a country just twice the size of Nevada and maybe only two-thirds of that land is suitable for farming, land is in relative short supply and high demand. Some wise/logical reform of land allocation and ownership will go a long way toward healing old wounds and preventing future melt-downs. And what about us? Mercy Ministry Well, we've been in the thick of things! My new place of work has been in the refugee camps. To date you have sent us about $35,000. This is how we've spent it: Resettle 110 families (IDP's) who were burnt out of their homes and stuck in the deplorable conditions of the camps. After locating low rent homes for families, we paid up to three months rent. Then we purchased basic furnishings like beds, charcoal cookers, blankets, lamps and utensils. Clothes were donated by our local families. Then we've provided food for each family on a weekly basis until they reach a level of stability and independence. Most are anxious to work so we've brought in some micro-finance organizations to help with low cost loans to start small business...some as simple as selling charcoal or roasted corn on the road side. In some cases CMI simply provided the capital: purchased manual sewing machines, or stalls plus inventory for retail shops. In numerous cases we've assisted with medical expenses where free services are not available. And we've had twelve babies born in our nearest camp since we began. Then there are the students. Dozens of schools were burned down and hundreds of families lost their means of income...which means no money to send their kids to school. This left a huge number of students stranded hopelessly in the IDP camps. With several hundred form-four students (seniors), we scouted for openings in High-Schools around the country, paid their fees, and purchased all their necessities (books, clothes, etc) and dropped them one-by-one to the schools (Kenya is primarily a system of boarding schools). For a whole different segment of students (7th and 8th graders), we did not have the option of finding schools for them, so our best option was to open a partial Jr. High school in our church compound. CMI is sponsoring the school as an emergency measure for a year for about 100 students. Our hope is that by next year families will have the means to pay. To date we've provided food for about 1,000 families for at least one week. About 200 of these families have returned for weekly assistance for the past 6 weeks. Other measures include: paying military escorts to evacuate endangered families; rebuilding burned down homes and business; providing help to bury murdered family members; stocking medicine in the IDP camp clinics; placing electric lights and latrines in the camps, buying firewood for the camp kitchens and hundreds of foam mattresses and blankets for the IDP's. Spiritual Ministry How do you counsel trauma victims? What do you say to a man who had both hands chopped off and his neck slashed? What about rape victims (young and old)? Ok you might have some good answers, but almost daily this is my prayer to God. "God help people today and please use me." My seminary pastoral counseling courses just didn't prepare me for this. So....here's what I have been doing with hundreds of broken people I encounter: I sit with them in the grass and the mud and listen and then listen some more and this listen again. Then I return the next day and the next to show I care, and listen and listen and listen. And each encounter I love them! It can't just be my love but it is God's love pouring through me....but I assure you it is genuine Love because I feel it and most of the people do too. And then I pray. I pray for God to hear and I also pray so that the people hear that God is being addressed on their behalf. Many times I cry. And most of the time I've seen or felt the hand of God rest gently upon my friends. Now you can't measure the level of healing in a human heart. But you can see hope flicker in the eye of a once despondent grandma. I can't always tell the measure of effectiveness in my ministry, but I can spot the Grace of God when a broken human being just touches the hem of His garment. And Salvations! Most of the past weeks, I've abandoned our Nairobi church to be the "Pastor of Refugees". I love it! We've been having church services in the camp. People's lives are touched....exuberant worship, messages of faith and hope and grace, prayer for everybody...and each week we've seen a minimum of 8 souls commit their lives to Jesus! That has been a lot of fun. Somewhere over 100 people have come to Jesus that I'm aware of so far in this work. Each week we've hosted a four hour prayer meeting for about 100 pastors across denominational and ethnic lines. Many of these pastors are from Kibera slum, one of the major hot-spots of the clashes. These prayers have drawn leaders together in unity. Many have repented publicly for their own tribalism or ambivalence to the crisis. We've been on our knees together for one another and for the country. I just know God is honoring this! Ministry wise, I do feel like I've abandoned my first love. I've not visited Turkana (Kenya's northern district) since last October. My heart burns to be there among our villagers sharing Jesus hut-to-hut. I feel like I've neglected our Turkana churches and I know their challenges are huge. I've not been able to travel because of the high insecurity on the roads in Kenya's rift valley and apparently certain parts of the road were destroyed in the clashes. I do rest in knowing God is in control in Turkana and He can lead the work there with out me. I am also happy that with the new political settlement, law and order should return, and perhaps I can venture to the desert in the next month or two. Personal Battles Here's Becky's account of Tues Feb 19th: Today, I'm so grateful to be alive...to see the beautiful blue sky, hear the birds sing, receive the hugs of my family....to know God's presence Yesterday morning, on my way to work out at Sarit (a shopping complex in Nairobi), God protected my life. A car pulled into the highway, blocking both lanes, right in front of the car ahead of me, quickly causing the cars following to brake. The car on my left side crashed into the car ahead of it, then I saw a lady running from the car which blocked the road and then two men with guns directly across from me shooting with what looked like AK47s....I just put my head down under the window and prayed...and then of course, called Randy. :) When I thought they had gone, they came by again shooting. I had that peace that only God can give in my heart during the whole time--that seemed like forever and yet happened so quickly I can't even remember the events clearly. My spirit was at peace, but my body was shaking. The car that had blocked the traffic was shot up, but I didn't think anyone was killed or hurt that I could see. Actually... we read the newspaper the next day to discover someone was killed. And then this past Saturday, 23rd...Joel fell out of a bunk-bed at 2AM directly onto his wrist. Severe compound fracture. We rushed to Nairobi Hospital, waited five hours with Joel in agonizing pain for an Orthopedic Surgeon. Spent 24 hours in the hospital. Now Joel's home, fine, with a nice cast for a few weeks. Through it all we've seen God. He is so faithful! And Looking Forward Despite the political settlement, I still see the battle is spiritual and on-going. We won't let down our guard and we'll stay hard at work. And so...I still request you all to continue to uphold Kenya and ourselves in prayer. I want to see the Churches take a leading role on the grass-roots level to promote inter-ethnic reconciliation. And with over half-a-million internal refugees remaining in country, there is still a lot of hands-on mercy ministry still ahead of us. We are looking at coming to US on furlough this summer. Hope to see many of you face to face. And before then,,, I'm thinking about a few days on the Indian Ocean with the sun, the sand, the breeze, a cold juice, a good book, my queen...(maybe even my kids), and a long, long afternoon nap. Thank you for caring. Thank you for praying. In Christ, Randy back to home... Randy's update Posted: Tuesday, January 29, 2008 - 2:42:21 PM by Jerry & Rita      On the surface, the situation in Kenya has only spiraled downward the past 10 days. On the surface it is getting ugly folks! Yet our trust in God is not shaken and we humbly stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the body of Christ to fight on our knees for we wrestle not against flesh and blood. We still serve and follow our captain--the Prince of Peace who is alive and well with an agenda for Kenya. Stories... Today was CRAZY! I left home for my 10 minute commute to church only to find all traffic racing toward me in a mad panic...cars doing u-turns, all lanes coming my direction...pedestrians weaving at full stride among the cars. With no other option to escape the approaching rioters I entered a nearby shopping center just as guards locked the gates behind me. Riot police came with the tear gas to disburse the mob and so I went on my way to work an hour late. My staff at church greeted me with the sad news that one of the women I assisted just yesterday with food and clothes was stabbed...for being a member of the wrong tribe. I sent a pastor to Kenyatta Hospital to check on her status. Meanwhile I rushed to Jamhuri Park: the local IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camp & my satellite office the past few weeks. Forty small children just arrived on a truck from the embattled town of Nakuru. The kids were traumatized. They'd just witnessed their parent's brutally murdered, homes burnt, and their whole world turned upside down. How do you approach precious little ones in this condition? How do you "welcome them" and begin to minister? They never taught us stuff like this in seminary! It was a kind and brave man who risked his own life ushering these children to a truck, speeding through a war zone to dodge illegal road blocks and rioters. The look on their faces broke my heart. Minutes later a band of angry thugs with pangas (machetes) jumped the fence that separates Kibera slum with Jamhuri park. They badly slashed one man and then pursued the helpless women and kids who were running...screaming full bore toward me. Adrenaline rush for Randy! I prayed and grabbed my little pepper spray canister (like that was really gonna help) at the same time. Just in time, police rushed in with live ammunition and tear gas to chase the mob back to Kibera. For the next hour we listened to the sound of war--guns, screams, tear gas. Four innocent people were slashed to death in Kibera today for being the wrong tribe in the wrong place. I don't know how many were injured or killed by police. Next: two red cross workers approached me. A man had just been stabbed and they needed me to rush him to the hospital. The rest of the afternoon I sat on the grass and listened to women who needed to talk. They're scared and tired and angry. Some have been in the camp nearly four weeks now. Some are rape victims. Some are separated from family members and have know idea of their safety. As we sat and talked on this warm, sunny afternoon....our eyes were burning from the tear gas blown from the conflict in Kibera just a few hundred meters away. Last night around 10pm Otieno, a good friend and brother, called me. His voice was trembling. Panic! Youth of a different ethnic group had come, told him to leave or he and his family would be killed and burned that night. He did not know what to do or where to go. He was standing outside his house as he called. I called another missionary who works with Africa Inland Mission (AIM) who risked his own safety to pick up Otieno and his wife and two small children. Tomorrow I'll be taking him to a guest house in a secure section of Nairobi to wait out the storm for a few days and plan where they can possibly relocate. They've now lost their home and all their belongings. Ethnic clashes have exploded in normally peaceful communities across Kenya's rift valley: Naivasha, Nakuru, Eldoret, Molo are no-go zones now as innocent families are slaughtered in the name of revenge. Rogue gangs of youth set road blocks along the highways, stop all vehicles, and check Id cards to determine ethnicity, exterminate undesirables. Police have lost control. Glimpses of Rwanda. These stories are running in many major media outlets on the web. If you're interested, usually BBC covers Kenya's struggles more than US papers. Another reliable source is Kenya's own: http://www.nationmedia.com Just remember the media does not give the good news--that there are many, many believers standing for peace and reconciliation and bombarding heaven daily with prayers. I'm helping care for a middle-aged man whose leg was severely broken two weeks ago in the riots. It's the ugliest leg break I've seen in my lifetime. He's been in such intense pain all these days but with no money, home, job or family remaining--the leg is not the only pain he carries. Saturday I naively brought him to the government run Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) for treatment. I was shocked at what I found there. Now, in ten years I've been numbed to the normal unbearable conditions of KNH--two patients to a single bed, some patients sleep on the floor or under the beds, few nurses, fewer docs, no medicines, poor hygiene, lots of suffering humanity. But still Saturday...I was shocked! The place is packed. Trying to get our patient admitted we were told..."come back, Monday and apply for a bed. You may get a bed by the end of next week if you're lucky at which point you will wait several days for a doctor. Broken bones are not a priority....look at all these people (I looked and saw dozens sitting on the lawn outside the ER) some of them have been here waiting for a week. We're treating trauma only....people in coma's and with severed limbs." Wow! I had no words. We left and began the search for another hospital with capacity to treat a severe fracture untreated after more than a week. Today we took him to a private hospital and spent $500 on his operation. He's still in pain but should be fine. Pastor Maina (from the Kikuyu tribe) has been a pastor for many years of a small but thriving village church among the Kalinjin people in Kenya's rift valley. On Sunday he sang and prayed and preached with his parishioners. That night, the same church members attacked his family, looted all his belongings, burned down his home, burned down the small church, and left them running for their lives to the nearest police station....all because he is from a different tribe. This is the fourth week he and his family have huddled in the police post along with thousands of other displaced people of that region. We're trying to understand the kind of hatred that could cause a "devout" congregation to turn on their own pastor. It's demonic! One Mamma recounted the terror of hearing marauding gangs screaming, beating drums, breaking doors and setting building after building on fire. She grabbed her two smallest children and ran bare-foot for two kilometers until she reached the safety of Jamhuri fair-ground guarded by police. She, like the others, was being attacked because she was not from the majority tribe of that area. Now she is despondent because her seven year old son was left in the slum. She could not return because of security. It is now the third week since she lost him. She asked me to help. The case that has caused me to weep repeatedly these past weeks involves a man and his wife. The terror and torture Benjamin and his wife experienced in Kibera on Dec, 31st is too disturbing to write here. I spent the better part of a day listening to him, hearing such deep pain, as he recounted the unspeakable evil that invaded his life that night. His wife ended her third week in the hospital today as we paid her bills and moved them to a new home in a more secure part of town. We'll continue to assist them with rent and lots of love until they can somehow stand on their own. There are too many stories to recount here. We just want you to sense the struggle we're involved in on the ground. The big picture... There remain some 250,000 IDP's across the country. Their numbers and the severity of their plight increases daily. Hundreds have died the past three days alone. Many agree that Kenya's current struggle has less to do about politics and injustice but has now digressed to ethnic hatred. Politically things have not improved much. Kibaki & Odinga (the contestants in our recent election) shook hands in public, agreed to dialogue. That was very positive although only symbolic. Kofi Anan (former Sec. Gen of UN) has done well to bring them together and appears set to do serious work toward reconciliation. Unfortunately the sides remain stubbornly unwilling to budge. They blame each other for the current national disaster. Mr. Anan and his mediation team have their work cut out for them. We are praying for miracles. Ministry... Our ministry is all in Nairobi. The worst effected areas are in the other towns and villages...pray especially for those communities. We are doing our best to love those around us. You are a part of that! The stories above give an idea of what we're up to. We are so convinced that God has not abandoned Kenya. He will respond to the prayers of His Church! Believers across the country are endangering their own lives to reach out to people across ethnic lines. In every camp, churches are loving and giving and praying and preaching. 99 out of 100 Kenyans are beautiful peace-loving men and women. I believe that, even though the surface picture looks bleak: good and light and life and love are going to overwhelm the powers of darkness at work in the 1%. Please continue to join with us in faith-filled prayers for Kenya. The past two Sundays, I've conducted church services in Jamhuri park for the crisis victims. My message was simply "Hope". People came and worshiped and listened to the Word. We rejoiced as four men surrendered their lives to Jesus. We also invited some well known Christian comedians to come join in the ministry. Their skits brought the people so much laughter...something they sorely needed. Isn't it true that sometimes we take laughter for granted? Becky, Nichole and Joel lead our children's ministry in the grounds. Children were enthralled with our puppets and they responded so well to the simple presentation of the Gospel. It was good ministry...just to love these kids who've been through so much. People come by the church each day. We send them with food to push them through the week and clothing when needed. With the funds you've provided we have: rebuilt several business that were burned down; resettled endangered families out of clash areas to more stable communities; purchased food, clothing mattresses, blankets and various necessities to victims; paid for medical bills for many victims, helped deliver a baby, and many, many other acts of mercy. Thank you so much for the contributions received. Regarding Mercy Contributions.... To date we've received over $35,000 to aid our victims here. Thank you! I feel we have enough money at the moment to effectively help those whom God has given us. Please do not send any more money for this project at this time. If we find we are in need of more funds we will not be shy to request. It is important that we remain good stewards of what you have given so far and we are working hard to maintain strict accounting for every penny spent here. Be encouraged that your gifts and prayers have done much to ease the suffering of our people. Keep praying for Kenya. Thank you for the many encouraging emails. It means a lot to know of your love for us and your concern for Kenya. We'll continue to keep you up to date. Blessings Randy Coates Nairobi. back to home... New Update 1-18-09 Posted: Saturday, January 19, 2008 - 7:02:35 PM by Jerry & Rita      Greetings everyone! This is a long one. Brace yourself. It's been another tumultuous week in Kenya. Amazing...again as I sat to write you all this update, another series of gun shots has just gone off outside our home, and what sounded like a tear-gas canister being fired some distance away. It is 11PM now. At least it makes for a dramatic introduction to this update. But I also pause to ask God's help for those involved. Yesterday, while working in Jamhuri Park, our "refugee camp" of sorts, I was startled with the loud crack-crack-crack of gun fire less than 1/4 mile away in neighboring Kibera slum. I then cautiously watched as mobs of youth scattered to avoid the tear-gas that followed. Next day's papers told of several deaths from that skirmish. On a lighter note: last night I awoke frightened at the sure sound of repeated gun-shots in my compound...right in my yard!!! I quickly got dressed, looked out the windows, then cautiously went outside....to kill any invading bad guys with my bare hands of course. Only to find it was my very zealous night guard who was tapping on my bedroom window (it was not gun shots I heard) just to alert me that I had failed to lock one of our outside doors on the house! I felt like killing my guard....but I remembered I'm a godly missionary and that would not be good ministry. Plus he was just doing his job...a little too well. Wednesday, Thursday, and Today were scheduled as national mass protests. Unusual for January, heavy rains caused many would be rioters to stay home (I believe this is an answer to prayer). Nevertheless; scores of people have died the last few days in Nairobi and elsewhere. It is still a sad and tense time for many. There is a lot of pressure....you can feel it....the kind a small "spark" could ignite. Much hateful talk, fear, resentment, ethnic bitterness. In other words, fruit of Satan's kingdom is evident everywhere. Politically... Opposition and government leaders are still at a standoff. Kofi Anan cancelled his mediation trip do to flu. The government said it doesn't need mediators anyway: "we can handle our own domestic problems". Unauthorized demonstrations (peaceful or otherwise) are banned and police have liberty to use lethal force as deemed necessary....and on several occasions they've "deemed necessary". All local media are still forbidden to use live broadcasts. The Government insists they "won the election fairly" and are restoring social order accordingly. Now they're filing suit against opposition leaders on genocide charges in an International Human Rights Court. For the most part the government has been effective the past week in eliminating further extensive mayhem in the country. There are many signs that most people have resigned to let Kibaki have his Presidency so long as they can get on with their lives. The Opposition leaders urged the masses to "take to the streets". Their view remains: "Kibaki stole the election and killed the democratic process". They attempted rallies in Nairobi and other key cities. Most of the marches never launched as police dispersed gathering crowds with tear gas. In some localities demonstrators didn't even bother to show up. In areas where crowds could manage to gather, police crack downs were swift and usually one or two people died. These "peaceful protests" nearly always shut down all normal movement in their towns/cities, involved burning vehicles and tires, barricades of all sorts, and plenty of looting. The Opposition did win a major victory in seeing their man installed as speaker of the house in Parliament--the country's third most powerful position. I personally like the man and think he can be a good stabilizing personality in the nation. The event (opening day of Parliament) was a raucous televised affair but fortunately no kicks or punches were thrown. Opposition parliament members were sworn in but they swore allegiance to their candidate--Mr. Odinga--rather than to Pres. Kibaki. And...the Opposition has also filed a law suit in the International Court accusing the government of genocide. Economy... Most donor nations: US, EU, Japan etc. have decided to suspend financial aid to Kenya until there is a satisfactory resolution to the crisis. Kibaki and his "government" are now persona non grata throughout much of the World. Many countries (including US) issued travel advisories against travel to Kenya. By the way--I hear this means you can get very cheap tickets to Kenya these days:} Tourism (a major industry in Kenya) is virtually dead. Some western firms are evacuating. Companies are laying people off. Nairobi's Central Business District has been closed by police nearly every day. Much of the economy is in a coma for the past month. Transportation lines are erratic or closed. Much of the nation's work force are traumatized, displaced or fearing insecurity. Prices are increasing. Of course the hardest economic impact is felt by the poor. I am really amazed that basic public services--water, power, phones have been operating without fail throughout. Our Work... All day, every day, I am with the IDP's (Internally Displaced Persons) in the refugee camps. To date, many of you have designated gifts to help our "mercy ministry". We've received $26,000. "Thank You" does not properly express our appreciation for your help. My work is to use those funds to help our people get back on their feet. By now I've spent $12,000. Some of you have asked if you can still send more money? By all means! Every cent goes directly to help victims on a grass-roots level. Forgive the long narrative but here's a recap of what we're doing: hiring police to escort trapped family members in hostile areas to a safe town where we resettled them with three months rent, food and clothing. Settled hospital bills for gang-rape victim and placed in secure home with food, clothes and continuing Spiritual and emotional support. Provided 150 mattresses and blankets to IDP's whose homes here razed along with all their clothes and belongings. Water containers, firewood, electric lighting for the central cooking area where food is being prepared for 3,200 people daily. Two weeks of food distributions for around 50 families to date who've fled from clashes in rural areas to Nairobi and now reside with our church members. We've purchased a wide range of medicines to bolster stock at red-cross clinics in the camps. Replaced looted inventory of church-member's shops--these shops are their only source of livelihood. Dozens of additional helps: tarps to protect homeless families from rains, funeral expenses of victims, school fees & uniforms for kids, phone cards, transportation to resettle families and many others. We anticipate our biggest costs will occur when we are able to help people rebuild their homes. Of course our hope that peaceful times and renewed security will enable people to rebuild houses and business on their old plots. We need some time before we can begin that phase. And we are busy...very busy...with Spiritual concerns. Prayer and fasting are staples in this work. Tonight we began showing Swahili Christian movies to the thousands of refugees. I've spent hours listening, counseling, praying with victims whose stories are horrific beyond belief. Saturday, Becky, Nichole and Joel will lead an effort to gather the hundred's of unattended children in the camps for "children's crusade" with teaching, puppet ministry, music and games. Our church is putting a tent in the camp to facilitate counseling and worship services. Pray for me this Sunday as I face the daunting task of preaching in a setting unlike any in which I've ever ministered. I know God's Spirit will give me His message for His people to bring hope and healing. Although I trust Him, I feel such a heavy responsibility. At the same time on Sunday, Becky will lead a Sunday outreach to the kids. Her work is even more challenging than mine. So many of the children from Kibera slum can be unruly on normal days...but all the more as they cope with their recent and present experiences. We want to see God move mightily in the lives of people this weekend. It is a high honor for us to be here at this time as vessels of His glorious Gospel. We feel so rich and so privileged to live and work among the beautiful people of Kenya. Thank you for your continued interest and participation in the work. We want prayer! Please don't get tired of praying. In Christ Randy back to home... Kenya Update Posted: Saturday, January 12, 2008 - 2:57:20 PM by Jerry & Rita      It's been a relatively peaceful week in Kenya but things are still boiling under the surface. Business were open, transportation lines were moving again, supplies restocked, and many began to rebuild their business. Relief efforts were underway. Peace makers of all types are working very hard to heal and help Kenya. Millions are praying and trusting God. We have been so uplifted by your emails. We read every word and take to heart the encouragement. So many have sent money for the "mercy ministry" which began in full-force this past week. Thank you! We did not waist time putting these resources to work. Your ministry has already touched thousands of broken people. My next report will include an accounting of funds given and spent to-date for this mission. A Wounded Nation My only work this week has been to aid the clash victims. We purchased mattresses and blankets, medicines and food to aid hundreds of people. We've helped some to obtain secure passage out of hostile areas and then we've placed them in homes--providing rent, food, etc. for a few months as they evaluate how to restart their lives. I have been in the refugee camps assessing needs, delivering meds, counseling traumatized victims, encouraging red-cross volunteers and praying with all of them. Most have nothing left in this world...they arrive with only the tattered clothes on their back. Their homes were razed to the ground; possessions looted or burned. Many are rape victims or spouses thereof. I've seen a lot of trauma, depression, fear, uncertainty..and anger. Refugees arrive with reports that the body count in corn fields and along rural roads is much higher than official tallies only from hospitals and morgues. It is sickening! As worrisome are the undercurrents of fomenting tribalism and resentment. Landlords are evicting tenants and employers are firing simply because of ethnicity. Minority populations, fearing ethnic cleansing, are evacuating their homes in certain districts, only to camp out in the open air at police posts. This panic has created a whole new set of displaced peoples. Next Week The opposition called for resumed mass street protests again to begin this Wed, 16th through Fri. Leaders are insisting the protests will be peaceful. The Government has already banned these demonstrations. All Kenyans are bracing again for unrest, clashes, mayhem. My take is that the majority of people on all sides of the arguments are tired of it all...they need to eat and they need security above anything else. Politics, corruption, injustice, democracy (however important) are secondary issues to most. Politically: both sides are at an impasse. The opposition demands President Kibaki confess elections were rigged and thus renounce his claim to office. The President insists he was declared the winner by an independent electoral commission and must now uphold the law and the constitution. Efforts by high profile international mediators have born little fruit over the past week. Kofi Anan arrives this next week to give another try at mediation. Hopes were high last week but now many have resigned that the crisis will escalate and resolution is a long way away off. Good News I am truly amazed at the huge response of the local population to assist victims. Each day I've been in the camps, truck loads of clothes and food have poured in from church groups. Local radio stations, grocery stores and other businesses are doing much to provide basic necessities and temporary housing. The red cross--though obviously stretched--is doing a great job coordinating relief efforts. NGOs of all stripes are pitching in to help. Kenyan believers know how to pray! Countless 24hour prayer chains have been underway in churches & Christian homes across the land. Church leaders from all tribes have joined efforts to lobby leaders toward peace, justice and sensible action. I am proud of the Church. Some have lead prayers of repentance, others are preaching the message of hope and reconciliation. God is so powerful! He loves this country and His Gospel has left an indelible imprint across cultures and classes. Where most have lost all faith in politicians and institutions, millions are trusting in a God whose wisdom and power are boundless. That is also the camp in which my family is standing! Prayer Points Demonstrations scheduled this week--Praise God they gave us forewarning so we can bombard heaven with faith-filled prayers in advance. We battle Satan not men and we're on the winning side! Changed hearts--hatred, prejudice, are deep rooted in a large segment of our population. Pray the Holy Spirit and the Gospel of Jesus will change hearts on a national scale. Victims--healing is needed. Hundreds of thousands are so completely broken that only a wave of God's presence across the land and deep into the hearts of wounded people can help. The Church--uphold your brothers and sisters lest they grow tired in shinning the light of Jesus and battling darkness. Pray against compromise. Pray for unity. Government--we need one! In many respects, Kenya is without a government now. Education system, law enforcement, judiciary, all public infrastructure are mostly in limbo at the moment. Its a dangerous season. Coates family--wow! we need wisdom, energy, and grace to both: continue faithfully in the storms and to provide effective leadership for our beloved brothers and sisters. And a Personal Note... We know Kenya is a distant, small country of little concern to many in the US. Our crisis may seem small news in light of the US elections, the war in Iraq, winter storms, football playoffs and the crisis in Pakistan. We are also aware that each of you faces great struggles and temptations. Yet so many of you have given attention and prayer and heart-felt assistance to us and our precious friends here in Africa. Thank you! We are always amazed the people God allows us to call friends and family. Randy "Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world" back to home... Would you like to help? Posted: Sunday, January 06, 2008 - 6:17:38 PM by Jerry & Rita      Dear friends, partners and family; Hello again from Kenya! We thank God this Sunday for another day of general calm across the country. Many have written to know how they can assist us and the Kenyan people. I have a very practical opportunity for you: I am directing our ministry in an effort to assess the scope of this crisis and to determine where we can help. We are looking at affected church members, their families, and then all others (regardless of religious affiliation) in our region. There are thousands of people sleeping outside in a field almost directly across from our church--it won't be hard to find suffering people. At the same time we are looking at the resources available to minister to those needs. If you wish to send money to assist us, please join in. Feel free to involve friends, churches, co-workers you think may be interested. Mail your checks to cmi as usual, not to us here in Africa: Coates Ministries Inc. PO Box 26 West Bend, IA 50597 You will be promptly receipted as usual. All gifts to CMI are always tax deductible. Please designate on the check or with an attached note that the money if for "mercy ministry". We will make sure that every dollar given goes directly to assist people in greatest need. We will not deduct anything for admin or handling. Because of the urgency, If any of you e-mail me directly that you are sending a certain dollar amount for "mercy ministry", I will borrow that money from our operating funds (as far as possible) immediately so that we can begin to help people from tomorrow (Jan 7). In our discussions with our wounded church members and Red Cross reps., we anticipate the following immediate needs to be most pressing: 1. Water 2. Dry foods eg. beans, rice, corn-flour 3. Blankets 4. Medicines 5. Other medical assistance 5. Phone time (In Africa most people use scratch cards to buy mobile phone time) 6. Replace looted inventory of small businesses 7. Rebuild burned-down homes 8. Rebuild burned-out small business premises I will combine funds channeled through CMI with money and in-kind donations being made here on a local level. All assistance will be given through our church: Cornerstone. You would be amazed at the sacrificial generosity of our people who have so little themselves. I will do my utmost to oversee the whole process over the next days/weeks to insure donations are properly accounted for and distributed to the point of need. Please feel no pressure to give. This note is simply in response to many of you who asked how you can help in addition to prayer. I think time is important, so please don't send anything after Jan 18 unless I write another update requesting such. Thanks God Bless Randy back to home... Randy 1/6 Posted: Saturday, January 05, 2008 - 4:47:17 PM by Jerry & Rita      Hello everyone; Thank you for praying for us. Please continue to pray for Kenya. It is evident that God is working in many ways over here. I believe He has responded to the cries of His people. We are deeply touched by the enormous concerned response we've received via email and (more significantly) prayer. Please, please don't stop praying. We're not out of the woods yet. We are very secure and grateful today. The violence in Nairobi has subsided almost completely over the past two days. Cars are slowly pouring back to crowd the streets of Nairobi. Who would have ever thought we'd be glad to see these mad-house traffic jams again. Some businesses are open, but for limited hours. Today I traveled nearly two hours to perform a wedding in one of our village churches. How refreshing--contrasting the joyful Pentecostal wedding ceremony to the stress all of us in Kenya have experienced the past week. Funny anecdote: when questioning some of the local youth's in our neighborhood who've been protesting and rioting: "why are you guys not marching and causing all your chaos today", they said "we're tired...tired of shouting...tired of marching and screaming...tired of being tear-gassed by police...we need to rest." Perhaps here's an emerging mental health issue for our psychology students: "riot-fatigue." Anyway...we're glad people are tired of burning and looting. At the same time, I hope Kenyan's will not grow weary in pressing for justice and the freedoms of speech and peaceful protest. Our highest concern is now for the very real suffering of friends and church members. Nationwide estimates are up to 500,000 displaced persons. So many are right in our neighborhood...not cold statistics but our personal friends are without homes, jobs or food. UN, Red Cross and others are pleading for international relief. We are laboring to minister to those at our door-step...mostly with food distribution. There are signs of hope on the political front. Mediators from the West together with S.Africa's Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu and local church leaders seem to be making some headway. Peaceful negotiations are now well within the grasp of the warring political powers. The details of these efforts are available in most major news media today. Pray they will have the humility, wisdom and courage to take the next wise step toward healing for this nation. Ok...if you'll keep faith-filled prayers going, here's some ideas: What we're concerned about: Food & Shelter: Immediate relief for homeless, hungry Kenyans. Healing: Personal and corporate: for all those who've suffered terribly this week Security: Large portions of rural population are still threatened with ethnic violence. Cannot safely return to homes and businesses. A working government: Political/government stability & healing. We've still got a long road to achieve this. Economic recovery: All sectors of economy have been pounded. God can turn it around again. Gospel Transformation: tribalism & corruption are the long-standing demonic cancers that surfaced here. The Gospel is the only hope for the human heart. What we're thankful for: Jesus utterly defeated Satan at Calvary Family security Two days of comparative calm in the nation Powerful signs of hope for reconciliation of government and opposition powers Strong praying Kenyan Church that is impacting both spiritual powers (Eph.6) and political powers All of you who have upheld us this week Cappuccinos: Nairobi's 'Java House' reopened today! In Christ Randy back to home... More Kenya News Posted: Thursday, January 03, 2008 - 8:20:26 AM by Jerry & Rita      Update from Randy: Hello from Kenya To all of you who have been concerned about our family this past week, thank you! We are ok! So many are writing and praying for us...please don't stop doing both...it is so encouraging and I believe so much in the power of prayer to change the course of events in this world. If ever you've thought about praying for Kenya and for our family, please do so now! Here's just a general update in response to so many inquiries. Mainly, just know we are ok and we believe our family is secure in the mighty hands of God. We have no immediate plans to evacuate the country but we are prepared. As I sit to type right now, I hear repeated gunfire, tear gas in the air, the beating of drums and crowds chanting in the street. We live on the edge of Kawangware and a short distance from Kibera slum (two of the country's 'hot-spots'). The mob is mobilizing to protest the government, and the government riot police are firing weapons (mostly tear gas) and helicopters are in the air to turn back the crowd. Things are very tense today. It is scary to hear such things. Cars are burning in some of Nairobi's streets, major highways are blocked, business and markets are closed and most of our friends are locked up in their homes--praying. Our co-workers have suffered as food is hard to find in Nairobi. The little food available has doubled or tripled in price and yet Kenyans who normally live day-to-day are unable to work to get the money. This has added to the tensions. People we love are hurting. Their small shops have been looted. Homes have been burned down. Getting caught up in a riot is a fearful experience, and facing the wrath of the police can be equally harrowing. Many are just tired from watching through the night with neighbors to guard businesses and homes. Fear and uncertainty about the future is taking it's toll. Fortunately I was able to go out yesterday and find food for our family and fuel the cars. Supplies of both are dwindling. We now have enough supplies at the house to sustain our family for a couple weeks. We're not worried! Power, water, cell-phones, and internet are all functioning presently. Thank God! We do have a satellite phone in case of emergency. I've been able to reach many of our church members and friends to monitor their situation. We're in constant touch with missionaries as well. And the US Embassy is available to advise the thousands of American citizens here if things were to melt down. I've been in touch with our leaders in Turkana. Oddly: that's one of the more peaceful places on the country now. Their biggest problem is that all highways are shut down so there is no fuel or food being trucked up there. Unfortunately that will mean severe crisis for people in the towns like Lodwar. This won't effect people in our villages...most of them have no idea there is unrest in their country anyway. Well that's a general update on things here. The government has forbidden all live media reporting so we are relying on many of the same sources you all have to get the 'big picture' around Kenya. You'll find pretty accurate and detailed accounts of the political situation, body counts, etc. on Reuters, CNN, BBC, AP, and one of Kenya's papers--The Daily Nation. I won't recount all those stories for you here. My view of our situation: Undeniable rigging occurred in Kenya's recent national election. The EU, US, and Kenya's own electoral commission (which conducted the election) have all stated such. Nobody knows the real outcome and...at any rate...it was a close race. The President was happy to accept the results and doesn't want to listen to anyone. The opposition is sure they won and the presidency was stolen from them. Underlying racial tensions have surfaced on both sides. Now the economy is shut down, horrific crimes have been committed across the country, more than three hundred people are dead by Wednesday, nearly 70,000 people are displaced. In a nation of some 35 million peaceful people...it is too early to make parallels to Rwanda or Sierra Leon. Kenya is still presently stable and leaders are calling for peace, not war. There is strong international pressure coming from many directions to reconcile and find a just and peaceful resolution to the turmoil. Ghanaian President John Kufuor, head of the African Union, has just arrived to attempt to mediate between the two leaders. Condoleezza Rice is scheduled to speak with both today. Britain has tremendous influence in Kenya and they are using their influence to push for peace as well. Please, keep this is in mind. The Church in Kenya is strong! I've been on the phone today with 16 of our pastors around the nation. Everywhere people are praying, fasting, and standing for peace. We spent our New Years Eve and New Years day having a sleep-over at our home with two other missionary family's from Pioneers and AIM--praying, playing and encouraging one another in the midst of the storm. The Prince of Peace is alive and well in Kenya and there is great faith that things will work to the good here. And as for me and my family, we are called to shine the light of Jesus in this nation as long as God allows us to be here. We'll be doing all we can to influence people towards peace, justice and the saving knowledge of Jesus. We know that people like you are praying around the world and surely this makes a difference. Jesus is Lord over Kenya!!! This is why, as bullets are flying outside my window right now, we are at peace. Ok... you can tell I'm stuck at home today so lot's of time for writing lengthy emails. We'll keep you up to date as things develop. We love you and are so grateful for the encouraging emails and especially your prayers. Keep 'em comin In Christ, Randy Coates back to home... Pray for Kenya Posted: Wednesday, January 02, 2008 - 8:34:39 AM by Jerry & Rita      Randy sent me this a couple of days ago: To our family, concerned friends, supporters and prayer warriors; Greetings from the Coates family in Nairobi! I am writing to request you to pray and to inform you of our status since Kenya is getting a lot international attention lately in the press and many of you are wondering about our situation. Kenya is in the midst of a crisis that has implications for the stability of this great nation God has sent us to serve. We are asking you and your congregations to pray for Kenya, it's people, the churches, and for my family. We are ok, we are not fearful, and we fully believe that God will carry this nation through the present trials. The situation is currently being reported in all the major international media outlets so I won't give the details of the struggle. In short: national elections took place on the 27th in a very tight race for the presidency. The two top candidates are from tribes with long-standing animosities. As of Sunday morning 30th, the electoral commission (group that runs the elections) have not finished counting and released the results. In the mean time wide-spread allegations of rigging by both sides have sent rioters onto the streets. The violence is sporadic and scattered in the country. Unfortunately several of the hot-spots are right in our neighborhood. Public transportation is shut down in our area of Nairobi, people have been killed in ethnic clashes nearby and a certain amount of panic and fear has gripped the local population as the ethnic-based battles have intensified. The police have come out in strong numbers today. We have remained in our home since the 27th since traveling about is a bit risky. Be assured we are well and we are grateful for your concern. Please join us in praying for peace for Kenya's people and their government. Pray for God's choices to arise out of the process. Pray for God to continue building His kingdom in Kenya--many people still do not know of His love for them. Pray for God's continued protection over my family as we look to a new and fruitful year of ministry in 2008. In Christ Randy Coates Nairobi back to home... We're home Posted: Thursday, December 06, 2007 - 4:14:40 AM by Jerry & Rita      12/06/07 3:45 A.M. Iowa time Our last day in Kenya was bittersweet – saying Goodbye is never easy – it was a beautiful day – Randy took us to the airport and it took us about an hour to check in and go thru security – our flight was to leave at 11:10 P.M. but the plane had some problems and had to come back to the ramp and we didn’t depart till 12:30 P.M. We just made our connection to Detroit in Amsterdam – that plane had some empty seats and Rita found a spot with 3 empty seats and slept for 6 hours – arrived at Detroit at 10:30 A.M. after a 9 hour flight – took us 2 hours to go thru customs – boarded a Flight to Des Moines and arrived at 4:15 where our niece picked us up and took us to their place where our vehicle was – battery was dead so we borrowed a jumper pack from a neighbor and finally got our vehicle started – drove in rain most of the way home and arrived at West Bend with a lot of ice on the roads and 3” of snow on the ground – I showered and was in bed by 9 but woke up at 1:30 and couldn’t get back to sleep so went thru the ton of mail. This was our 6th trip to Kenya and Rita and I think this was the best – we were blessed with good weather and Coates are blessed to live in a beautiful home with beautiful trees and flowers and room for the dogs and family to play in. This will be my last blog for a while – if we get e-mails from the Coates that I think would be interesting – will cut and paste it on a blog – Randy and Becky are so busy that they don’t give writing blogs priority. God Bless, Jerry back to home... 12-01-07 Posted: Monday, December 03, 2007 - 3:41:53 AM by Jerry & Rita      12/3/07 2:40 A.M. Yesterday we all left for the compound about 8:30 and had breakfast at Java House. Worship service started at 10:00 and so did Sunday school – the first hour and a half was praise songs, praying , and announcements – about 11:40, Bishop Francis Kaumau preached on how we are all different but are all from God (Body of Christ) – the main service was over by 12:40 but everyone stayed as they had a fund raiser (cultural thing they do in Africa where the people in the church raise money as groups or individuals and place their giving into a basket where it is announced to the whole congregation) This was to be towards the debt incurred in buying the property and building the church and education buildings. This lasted till 2 but Rita and I went to the Sunday school class where Becky was teaching about 50 English speaking kids – ages 6-12 – she had the class divided into 6 groups where they were to discuss and answer questions she had prepared on a sheet of paper for each of the group leaders – Joel and Nichole each had a group and Rita went to Nichole’s group and I went to Joel’s group – He did a good job asking the kids the questions and maintaining control – many of these children had been there for 4 hours – Becky has so much enthusiasm and love for these kids. After the service Rita and I were greeted by some of the Kenyans we became acquainted with from other trips. By 2:30 we headed back to the compound with Becky and Randy arrived about a half hour after. We rested and later played badminton over the volleyball net. At 6 Randy went and got Chinese take-out – very good. Joel led the devotions and after reading scripture pertaining to work – after complementing Nichole on how she stays on task, he said that school was harder for him but he did it not for Mom, not so he could go to college, but for God. Who do you work for??? This will be our last blog from Kenya as we leave at 11:10 P.M. or 2:10 P.M. CST Monday and arrive in Des Moines at 4:20 Tuesday. God has blessed us during our short visit – Nichole and Joel are such good missionaries using their God given talents. God has truly blessed this home. I hope you got something out of my ramblings. God Bless, Jerry back to home... 12-01-07 Posted: Sunday, December 02, 2007 - 9:13:51 AM by Jerry & Rita      12/2/07 3:30 A.M. Yesterday morning, it rained till 1 –Becky and Nichole still went to the stables and rode a little – the rest of us went to leave in Randy’s vehicle to get groceries and meat for our afternoon cookout but the battery was down and the Land Cruiser wouldn’t start so we tried to push it to jump start it but vehicle was too heavy – Randy called Elijah and he came over and we tried to jump it with jumper cables (new, but pretty light weight), but failed so Elijah took the battery out of his car and put it into Randy’s – started the vehicle – then put it back into his and we were on our way. We got everything at ABC (strip mall with a few shops) where Joel and I got haircuts and Rita and Randy picked up the meat and groceries – got back to the compound about1:15 and the guest were to arrive at 2 – James (one of the gardeners) was starting the fire in the Kenyan made metal grill and I helped him fan the coals to get it started. It had stopped raining so we decided to eat and cook the meat outside – we carried the grill around to the north side of the house where we set the tables up under the shade of the trees – Joel and Nichole set the tables and put the chairs around them – Randy cooked the meat which was steak and chicken on the grill – guests (which was all their hired help and their wives) started arriving – Evanston and his wife arrive a little before 2 and Becky offer them juice – James’ wife arrived shortly afterwards – Baba Kevin was sick and Nicholas and his wife couldn’t attend as his wife’s grandmother was being buried Saturday so all that was left to arrive was Fred and his wife who would be late as they had a niece’s graduation to attend – food was all ready by 3 so we all sat around the tables with the request that each Kenyan had to sit between two Americans – meat was well prepared – other dishes were mashed potatoes, ugali, katchumbali, chapatis, mixed fruit salad – Fred and his wife arrived just as we were finishing. They ate – Randy and Becky steered the conversations to how each of the couples met and how they came to know Christ – this is the first time that the wives were ever together – After everyone was finished eating, chai and coffee was served – Randy and Becky thanked each person for their faithful work in helping them do their ministry of spreading the gospel. We then prayed for their families and also those who couldn’t attend. After the quests left we cleaned up and put away everything and had family devotions. Nichole spoke on dreams we have and how dreams were used in both the old and new testaments. God Bless, Jerry back to home... 11/30/2007 Posted: Friday, November 30, 2007 - 6:43:05 PM by Jerry & Rita      12/01/07 2:45 A.M. Yesterday morning Randy took Joel, Nichole, Rita and me to shop for a new mattress for Nichole. We went to Westlands where a new shopping mall had just opened. It was very nice and modern – complete with escalators for the 5 stories complete with underground parking – not many people there shopping – you have to realize that only 1% of the population could afford to buy anything there. We were fortunate to find a 42” mattress but had to special order a box spring for it – so Nichole should have everything in about a week when they will deliver it. Grandma’s plastic card at work. Becky went to the workout place and was happy as she had more strength in her legs. She has a test scheduled Tuesday having to do with nerve sensory. After lunch, Rita and I took a nap. Around 3, Randy brought his trailer back to the compound and wondered if he and I could repair the wiring for the lights because when he lost the trailer on the way back from Turkana, all the wires pulled out of the plug. There were 6 wires – all white and 7 possibilities – so by trial and error using a paper to make a diagram of the female part of the plug attached to the land Cruiser and marking pens to code the wires, we figured out the running lights, backup lights, brake lights, and left and right turning signal lights. Next job was to reconnect all the wires to the correct spot on the male plug – my depth perception is not the greatest the first 4 feet and naturally it started to rain and Randy was holding an umbrella over me during a brief shower. We got everything to work but I don’t know for how long. Becky called us in for tea and cake during our work project on the trailer to celebrate the memory of our son Jim’s 41st birthday. We had some laughs and tears as we remembered him. I was talking with Randy about the high death rate in the Turkana area – Lodwar has the highest rate of men testing positive for HIV in Kenya – 33% -not that high out in the bush - a live baby has a 50% chance to live to age 5 due to malnutrition, bad water, malaria, sanitation, poor health care, etc. – most of which could be fixed with education and good water supply We ate after Nichole’s internet class that ended at 7:30. Rita gave the family devotions which was setting aside time with no distractions to be with Jesus each day and the importance of journaling. I know I need to be a better listener. I see on the internet where a winter storm is to hit Iowa today – I’ll be thinking about that as I’m sitting outside under the trees with a cool drink. God Bless, Jerry back to home... 11/29/2007 Posted: Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 8:42:29 PM by Jerry & Rita      11/30/07 4:30 A.M. When it got daylight yesterday, the house was decorated for Christmas – seems Santa and his helpers stayed up till 12 decorating – kids are all excited – Joel wore a Santa’s helper hat all day long. After Mama Kevin made us chocolate chip and fresh strawberry pancakes, Joel and I caulked in some holes and seams on the glassed in porch where we raised the pitch of the roof. Joel helped Nicholas put the empty APs that held the Christmas decorations in the attic. Becky was busy completing the decorating. Randy was gone most of the day with church work – counseling, etc. I tried to consolidate and organize a small plastic organizer with several small drawers. I should have done that when I arrived so I wouldn’t have spent so much time looking for things. Around 3 Terry came over to get his tools we borrowed to dig the hole for the volleyball standards and brought along a friend of his to meet us. Billy is a 72 years old with a body of a man in his 20s. He grew up on a farm in western Kansas – wheat country. His wife passed away 4-5 years ago and he was alone so he prayed for God to direct him. He felt the calling to help the people in the Sudan region. He read that when the wars in the Sudan breakout the missionaries have to leave – since he used to be with the Special Forces in the military, he could stay and be with the gorilla fighters and live off the land. He just got back from spending 6 weeks in southern Sudan. He’s working with the Terry & Margie to bring books to the Sudan that are written in Dinka (the tongue that 90% of the Sudanese use) and the opposite page the same word in English – He thinks that as the people get literate that knowing English will be important. What an intelligent servant of God. Becky’s MRI showed the knee O.K. so I think another test is to be scheduled for next week. Terry just found out that his problem of blood in the urine and not feeling up to par was a worm that gets in the bloodstream and from there goes through your urinary and digestive tract. He was on his first day of three days on potent medication to kill the worms. Becky led family devotions and stressed that spend our time with God all the time. I was thinking of competing gods (money, success, pride, material things, etc.) We all need to become servants. Today, Randy is taking Rita, Nichole and I to shop for a mattress for Nichole. God Bless, Jerry back to home... 11/28/2007 Posted: Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 5:53:27 AM by Jerry & Rita      11/29/07 3:15 A.M. Yesterday, Wednesday for me consisted of cleaning out Randy’s storage room and making shelves to organize his stuff and also making some hangers to store the lawn chairs off the rafters – took most of the day – Nicholas wants me to stay another month to fix things. Johnnie and Becky Long who used to be neighbors when the Coates lived at Mountainview stopped in to visit and do laundry. They now live in the UK but have 3 children living in the states. They came to Kenya to attend an African Missionary conference. He wrote the curriculum for Sonship which was the resource that Pastor John used at our conference. Johnnie was Pastor John’s mentor. They are 65 and going strong – from here they’re headed to Uganda – He’s a former pilot so he and I got along well. They were anxious to hear about Coates ministry and Randy and Becky filled them in on the happenings since they left – they stayed for almost 2 hours at which time we all prayed for one another. We had a lot of activity as Randy had the trees trimmed Kenyan style – Fred one of the night guards use to work for a tree trimming business so he and another Kenyan were climbing high up in the trees using ropes to pull down dead limbs and also a saw for some of the bigger limbs – James (the alternate gardener) also was here to help pick up all the sticks. Health wise Nichole and I are getting back to normal and Becky is much better. Randy took her to a doctor’s appointment at 8:30 and she had an MRI at 4:30 yesterday – should know the results by Friday After our evening meal and family devotions, they went out to the storage building to bring in the AP’s with all the Christmas decorations. The whole crew decorated the house except for me who took a shower and went to bed. Not “BA HUMBUG” – I was just tired. God Bless, Jerry back to home... Observations Posted: Tuesday, November 27, 2007 - 10:31:45 PM by Jerry & Rita      11-28-07 Some of my observations: When we arrived here I asked Randy what the exchange rate was and he said: $1:64.5 Shillings – yesterday it was $1:57 Shillings – The $ lost 11.6% of it’s value here in 25 days – also fuel prices here increased to 80 from 70 Shillings/liter for diesel which makes it a double hit for missionaries from the states. Randy said his biggest budget item is transportation – his 4th set of shock absorbers went out this trip, must replace a tire on the Land Cruiser – heaviest tire he can get is only 3 ply – must repair hitch for trailer and repair wiring for lights – he lost the whole trailer coming back – bolts broke in the hitch – I told him to try to find grade 5 or 8 bolts but probably not available here – really makes me appreciate our small home town that has about everything. Health wise Randy, Joel and Rita are great – Nichole and I are at 90% and Becky 80% - Randy is taking Becky to a doctor this morning probably to schedule a MRI for her knees – she had to sit most of the time at Turkana – Pray that the doctor can make the correct diagnosis and sent her the right specialist (Becky hates all doctors and Randy warned him ahead of time) Last night during family time Randy had the lesson and read from the Bible in several places where people and angels praised God. He said instead of finding fault with people, we should praise their good qualities. God Bless, Jerry back to home... More Turkana Posted: Tuesday, November 27, 2007 - 8:23:37 PM by Jerry & Rita      Wednesday 11/28/07 3:30 A.M. More of the Turkana Trip – after everyone had lunch, everyone was released and we went back to the Yost compound where Rita, the grandkids, and I hit the pool – Randy was busy lining up transportation(4 wheeled van and driver) to take everyone to Kalico (a fishing village where Pastor Peter and Mama Sunday have a church) It was 55 km east of Lodwar – We left around 5 and it took us an hour to get there – the road was good by Kenyan standards – went thru several dry steams where if it rained up north there would be water crossing the road – never met a single vehicle all the way there. We arrived at Peter’s church which was a building where a company processed fish. It was owned by a Norwegian company but the government gave them 48 hours to leave a few years back so the church rented the building – well made cement structure – the best looking building I saw there – there is no electricity in the village of over 10,000 – when we arrive the van was already there with the rest of the team and the pastors and wives – when we arrived, we realized we had a flat tire so we changed that and headed out into the bush where Pastor Peter is starting to plant another church – we headed off road into the bush (sand and bush with thorns) following the other vehicle – stopping several times to try a different route because Pastor Peter walked to the meetings and went where vehicles couldn’t go – we eventually arrived at an open clearing near some huts – they started beating the drum and people started coming – we experienced a beautiful sunset – Pastor Peter’s wife Mama Sunday who was very with child lead the singing and dancing – there were probably 70 there including many young children – we were all introduced with Pastor Dan interpreting – We all sat down on the sand and Bishop Njogu gave a short 20 minute sermon with Pastor Dan interpreting – there was a full moon shining on us and it seemed it was almost daylight – after the service was over, all the people greeted us – followed the other van to the main road and headed back to Lodwar – took longer as we met a few vehicles and we had to travel slower as some spots the road was not two lane traffic due to wash outs. When we got back Becky wasn’t feeling well – had a bad night with chills, vomiting, etc – treated her for malaria – Nichole was also sick but not as bad – Sunday Rita and I stayed with Becky and Nichole – Randy and Joel traveled to Kalico to preach in Peter’s church – Bishop Njogu preached in Pastor Dan’s church in Lodwar – Pastor John preached in Pastor Francis’ church in Lodwar and Mama Macharia preached in Pastor George’s church. Sunday I started to feel rotten also –slept for 3 hours in the afternoon and went to bed and slept all night. Monday morning Randy picked up the team at 6 and the rest of us were waiting for the plane to come to take us back – all of us sick people were feeling better – the plane was suppose to arrive at the airport around 11:15 so Pastor Dan and his wife mama Tina had the taxis at the compound and we went to the airport – we unloaded from the taxis and waited for the plane in a 12x12’ tin roofed shade – it was only 115 degrees – Becky laid on the cement floor – plane arrived at 12:40 with the Yost family on it – seems the pilot had to make 3 passes at their airstrip to get it down and then narrowly missed a camel that wander onto the runway. The pilot was from New Zealand and his wife was with him as it was his last flight for MAF after 13 years of flying for them in Australia and Africa. He prayed for a safe flight and we made the two hour flight back to Nairobi with Joel sitting between Becky and Nichole who were not feeling well – Elijah met us and we were back in our compound by 4 – Everyone was feeling much better. Yesterday, I put up some blinds on the glassed in porch and made some hangers to store lawn chairs in the storage room – also put up volleyball net – looks pretty good. Becky’s young teachers came again at 5 and Rita gave her witness how faith helped her thru her life – Becky asked for prayer concerns and then each one volunteered to pray for one of the group – mighty powerful prayer warriors It’s hard to believe that by this time next week, we’ll be back in Iowa God Bless, Jerry back to home... Turkana Conference Posted: Tuesday, November 27, 2007 - 12:24:14 PM by Jerry & Rita      Tuesday 11/27/07 4:00 A.M. We are all back in Nairobi and survived the heat of Turkana. Randy arrived back last night at 11 after leaving at 6 A.M. in the morning – had some trailer hitch problems. It was a wonderful trip and gave me a good wake up call as to how blessed we are. We left for the airport a little after 8 in the morning and got caught in rush hour traffic and it took us over an hour and a half to get to the airport. We went to the MAF (Missions Aviation Fellowship) which transport missionary to remote areas. We loaded the Cessna Caravan around 10 and the pilot was from Finland. He briefed us and then said a prayer for our safe travel and we were off. The flight took one hour and 50 minutes and our cruising altitude was 11,000 feet – at time we only 500 feet above the mountains. When we landed at Lodwar, it was hot – well over 100 – Pastor Daniel had two taxis there to take us to the Yost compound. It is really nice – the house has a screened porch running the full length of the house and there is usually a breeze blowing thru – the house is spacious with roof vents in the ceilings to let the air flow thru – has ceiling fans in all the rooms – outside they have a very nice pool complete with pumps and filter – 15’x25’x4.5’ – water temperature 78 degrees – whenever we got too hot we went in the pool which was quite often – Greg put his 1000 gallon tank at least 20’ in the air so we had a little water pressure – no need for a hot water heater – most of the time the electricity comes from solar power – he has several solar panels that faces skyward toward the east in the morning and is changed manually to the west in the afternoon 20 foot north of their compound is a large river that was fairly low as a lot of the children were playing in it. Randy arrived the next day with the rest of the team (James, Bishop Njogu, Pastor John and Mother Macharia) He got them settled in at the conference center and came back to the compound. When we got there only three of pastors with their families were there- just as there were problems in the early church of Jesus’ day - there was some lies and false accusations made – 4 of those pastors were in Lodwar and Randy went to meet with them but they refused to come. It was their loss as we had a tremendous conference. We took all our meals at the conference center – the main building was circular with at thatched roof and open sides except for about 20’ – if there was a breeze it was fairly comfortable – the dining area was a similar building 30’ away – where the pastors and the rest of the team stayed was nice as they had showers and toilets. Our conference schedule went like this – everyone gathered for prayer at the main building at 6:30 A.M to 7 breakfast at 8 which consisted of bread or toast with jelly and chai – first session at 9 – chai break at 10:30 – second session at 11 – lunch at 1 – third session at 2 – chai break 3:30 – forth session 4 – evening meal 7 – fifth session 8 – Bishop Njogu and Pastor John alternated sessions – Randy insisted all pastors and wives be present before we would start – All sessions started with praise songs in Swahili or Turkana and prayers – usually lasted at least 10 minutes – they have beautiful voices. All the talks were given in English and were translated into Turkana by two interpreters (Pastor George and Pastor Francis) – both did an excellent job. Bishop Njogu was more of a preacher and Pastor John was more of a teacher. I came to love both of those men – they were so humble. Pastor John a Masai warrior who had killed many wild animals and men had the kindest countenance. The speakers spoke on keeping your eyes on Jesus. Pastor John gave a powerful talk on forgiveness – how he overcame the hatred he had for the tribes that would steal their cattle and land. He was pretty impressive when he drew out his 2’ double edged sword and pointed it at you. One of the talks was on servant hood and in African culture a women is less than a cow or goat – after the talk Randy asked each man there including the interpreters to do something for their wife this week and each man there said what he was going to do and someone else was to check to see if he really did it. We introduced agape love by giving gifts to the pastors and their wives. The multipurpose tool I gave the men was a big hit. We also gave shukas (blankets) to everyone and we wore them all the time – so Jerry had his “blankie” Friday evening Randy led a moving service where we all wrote something which we wanted to confess or get rid of on a piece of paper and we had a 2’ wooden cross I made out of 2x2s and we each took a nail and hammered the paper in the cross – after the service, Randy, John and Bishop burned the papers signifying that our slate is clean by the blood of Jesus. Saturday morning Bishop Njogu held a foot washing service where we all had our feet washed and then we handed each of them letters that some of you sent and we wrote - the last session we had Holy communion – after that each of the pastors and wives told what the week meant to them – they were amazed that people from all over the world were praying for them. Thanks for your prayers – God Bless, Jerry back to home... Sunday 11-18 Posted: Sunday, November 18, 2007 - 8:56:02 PM by Jerry & Rita      11/19/07 5:00 A.M. Yesterday, Randy and I dropped Joel off at church at 9:30 – Becky & Nichole left for church at 7:30 – we stopped at Java House for breakfast and met up with James and Daniel (a 24 year old Nigerian from England who came to Kenya to work in James’s ministry which is getting volunteers to work in orphanages short term). After breakfast we traveled to Bishop Njogu’s church which is located in a lower middle class neighborhood by Kenyan standards which had a bar next door. It was a simple pole building with metal roof and a dirt floor. We arrived a little after 11 and they had already started their praise singing and dancing – most of it was in Swahili – when that was done, Bishop Njogu introduced Randy and he introduces me and James did the same for Daniel. Randy preached and James acted as his interpreter – he assigned 5 scriptures to be read by volunteers when he asked for them. His message was that we all have the power of God but it doesn’t do any good if we don’t use it. He did a very good job getting the message across. After the service most of the people shook hands with me – especially the little kids – I think they were fascinated with my white skin and hair. After the service, Bishop Njogu lead us to a dwelling where we had lunch of stew with vegetables and a little meat and cooked cabbage – very good – after the meal, Randy asked me to bless this home and their church which I did. We dropped James and Daniel off where we picked them up and we went to buy groceries and supplies to take to Turkana. We arrived back at the compound at 4:15. The rest of the day was spent getting things packed for the Turkana trip. About 7:30 Randy took Becky out to an Italian Restaurant to celebrate their 18th Wedding Anniversary. When they got back, Randy and Fred (guard) loaded the trailer and Land Cruiser. Randy’s taking us to the airport at 7 this morning and meeting the rest of the team at 10 and they should arrive early afternoon on Tuesday at Lodwar. Pray that everyone has safe travel and the Turkana pastor’s and their wives will be truly blessed. Next blog will be 8 days from now. God Bless, Jerry back to home... Saturday 11-17 Posted: Saturday, November 17, 2007 - 10:33:00 PM by Jerry & Rita      Saturday 11/17 6:30 A.M. Yesterday we all got up to a fairly heavy downpour and left the compound with both vehicles loaded with stuff to sell at the school. When we arrived at the school, the rain had let up some. We were one of 80 booths marked off in the parking lot and elsewhere on the school grounds. Becky picked up Mama Kevin on the way – we set up a table and unloaded some of the stuff (some of Joel’s old toys, Becky’s shoes, old video tapes, old record player with Disney records, home school books, etc. Many had fancy tents – we had Randy and I holding three umbrella over the table for about an hour and a half till the rain stopped – We got left minding the store as Becky and Rita were looking for bargains elsewhere – Becky was able to buy a lot of things to use at the church Sunday school – about 9:15 Randy & I cut out. The rest stayed and sold about everything including Joel’s old bike for 2500 Shillings ($40). I talked to Nicholas and we decided to put the volleyball poles in. We dug one hole 18” in diameter and 2’ deep and sent him to get the cement, sand, and ballast (rock) He arrived back about one and half hour later with everything (six sacks of sand, two sacks of ballast and a sack of cement) He paid for the transport which was a guy pulling a two wheeled cart over a half a mile up and down hills 250 Shillings ($4). We went to work and dug the other hole and Nicholas wanted to mix the cement on the ground and I told him to try it my way, mixing it in the wheelbarrow. We put some water in the wheelbarrow and added sand, rock, and cement till the wheelbarrow was almost full mixing it with the shovel. Nicholas wheeled it over to the hole and I held the 2’ section of pipe into place and we dumped the mixed cement into the hole – we also put some bigger rock in the cement – put the 10” section of pipe into the short pipe made the pipe plumb with the level. Joel also helped us mix the cement. It took 6 wheelbarrows full before we had the cement 4” from the ground level – after the cement is cured dirt and grass will be put in so they can play soccer over them. Randy was busy getting has two wheeled trailer ready for the trip to Turkana. The Yosts (people’s house where we will be staying in Turkana) arrived about dark with sacks of chicken feed, dog food, salt, and other supplies they needed taken up there(my guess – 1000 lbs) – it will be put in the trailer. Greg and Mindy are wonderful, talented people that love to laugh. Today Becky and Nichole leave for church at 7:30 and Becky will come back for Rita for the 11:00 service. Randy, Joel and I will leave at 9:30 and drop Joel off at the church and then pick up James and go to Bishop Njogu’s church where Randy will preach. God Bless, Jerry back to home... Friday 11-16 Posted: Saturday, November 17, 2007 - 10:56:39 AM by Jerry & Rita      Friday 11/16/07 4:10 A.M. Jambo, Friday, It rained in the morning putting off the porch roof repair so I decided to mount a shelf that Becky wanted me to put up and after I drilled the first hole in the cement the power went off for 2 hours. At noon Nicholas and I took the plastic corrugated sheets off the porch roof and put the four pieces on top to increase the pitch of the roof – I thought the job would take an hour but 3 hours later we got it done – looks like it should work. Randy took me to buy some screws I needed for the repairs at a hardware store within a mile of where they live about 9 and he was gone all day. The women went shopping in the morning along with Joel and purchased Joel a new bike as his old one had problems – putting that one on the sale this morning. Becky took Nichole for her riding lesson at 2 and Nichole had an internet class from 5:45 till 7:15 Rita warmed up the left over turkey and all the trimmings and it was delicious. Randy had the devotions at family time and spoke of failures (Peter’s 3 denials). We all have failures everyday but Christ still loves us. It helps to learn from our failures. Today early, we leave at 6:45 with both vehicles to take stuff to the sale at a Christian school – sale is from 8-1 – hope it doesn’t rain God Bless, Jerry back to home... Thursday 11-15 Posted: Friday, November 16, 2007 - 11:14:37 AM by Jerry & Rita      Thursday 11/15/07 4:45 A.M. Jambo, Yesterday was another beautiful day in Kenya. It was another busy day with Becky, Rita, and Mamma Kevin busy preparing for the evening Thanksgiving feast. Becky went thru the action packers to take things to a sale Saturday. She and Nichole went to the stables in the morning. Randy was busy all day with meetings and running errands – such as getting the turkey. Joel and I put up three more shelves in his work room. Terry couldn’t come to help with the porch roof as he had a doctor’s appointment so will try that today – weather permitting – Becky also gave me another shelf to put up and a couple of blinds. The Jones arrived at 7:30 and the turkey was done. Margie brought rolls, green beans and apple pie. We had fruit salad, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, dressing, turkey gravy, and squash. After that excellent meal we went into the living room and discussed what everyone was doing. Terry reported that his doctor told him he doesn’t have cancer but does have an infection in his bladder which he’s taking medication for – he took medication for a year to get rid of TB. They and their staff are busy translating bible studies, pamphlets, etc. into other African languages and teaching workshops. Margie asked Randy what his vision for the Turkana regions. He hopes to have 30 churches in the next year including a couple in the Sudan (main danger there is land mines). It will be the already established churches that will do most of the work and they will send their people to go to the next village and start a church. He says the less Western influence the better as long as they have the word of God. God Bless, Jerry back to home... Prayer Request Posted: Thursday, November 15, 2007 - 3:44:34 AM by BC      To all you prayer warriors who stand with us in this ministry, please uplift our family and 8 Turkana pastors and their wives, Becky’s parents, two speakers, and two helpers November 19-26. We are bringing in the frontline pastors and their wives to a main village to love on them through gifts, prayers, and encouragement Emmaus style. Our speakers will be sharing on Sonship--a program of grace. Always include health as a major prayer…including health for our families who remain in their home in the desert or home in the U.S.. Our speakers are from the Masai and the Kikuyu tribe--that they would be well received...they are wonderful godly men. My parents would be strong, sleep well and protected from the heat...bugs...snakes...scorpions. Nichole and Joel would find their role in this and participate gladly. Becky wouldn't have any problem with the plane ride and Randy wouldn't have any problem with the drive. God's love would pour through us to these people on the frontlines. For all of our hearts to receive the love and grace God lavishes upon us; we would all be renewed and refreshed to love upon the “flocks” God has put in our care. (Some of our pastors have lost a child to disease this past year.) Thank you. We know your prayers will enable this ministry to succeed beyond our imagination. back to home... Wednesday 11-14 Posted: Thursday, November 15, 2007 - 2:45:14 AM by Jerry & Rita      Wednesday 11/15/07 5:45 A.M. Yesterday was catch-up day for the adults. Randy was gone most of the day (working out at the gym, paying bills, preparing for the Turkana trip). Becky worked out, bought a mountain of groceries (We’re celebrating Thanksgiving this evening with the Jones because we will be in Turkana when it actually is), took Joel and Nichole to the stables to work with their horses in the afternoon, read a story to Nichole and Joel while they folded a mountain of clothes. Rita worked on repairing the cushions for the metal chairs on the patio. The kids did school most of the morning. I spent most of the day repairing drapes (replacing the cords thru the eyelets), repairing a couple light fixtures, laying out where the volleyball standards are to go, and beating the kids in a game of Parcheesi. The pictures were all downloaded to the computer and there are some fantastic shots – will be glad to share them when we get back to the states – could do it now if I knew how to put them on the website. Rita had the family devotions and we shared what was the most beautiful thing that we saw during the day. God Bless, Jerry back to home... Safari Posted: Wednesday, November 14, 2007 - 3:43:18 AM by Jerry & Rita      Safari 11-14 5:50 A.M. Elijah(Randy’s mechanic) took us to the Wilson Airport in Randy’s Land Cruiser and we went thru security. We boarded a Cessna Caravan(19 passenger). It took about an hour and landed on a gravel strip at the north edge of the Masai Mara(700 square mile game preserve) – two planes – both twin engine, landed just ahead of us and a 4 engine landed just after us-no terminal just a bunch of safari vehicles to pick everyone up – our camp had a 9 passenger Land Rover which we used the whole time – the side window rolls up and the top rolls back which makes it a very good vehicle to see all the animals – our driver/guide was James who was excellent in spotting animals and driving – we also had a Masai named John who also helped spot game and acted as James’s assistant and our guard. It was about a 20 minute drive to our camp which was just outside of the Masai Mara – it took us 40 minutes because we came upon a pride of lions, I believe 6 in all and a bunch of hippos in the river. The conservancy where our camp was located consists of 250,000 acres(around 36 square miles) which consisted of 10 guest tents 16’x30’ – each with a single bed and a double bed, stool – lavatory and safari shower which consisted of a 5 gallon pail with a 10 ft hose connected to the bottom and the other end connected to the shower head inside the tent – the handle of the pail was connected to a rope which went thru a pulley attached to a pole about 15 ft high outside the tent – when we wanted a shower they brought hot water and poured it into the pail and ran it up the pole.