Trip Final Story -Part 4
Meanwhile Back in Kenya …
To finish up the story about our American trip, we would be amiss if we didn’t include the great job our brothers and sisters did in Kenya while we were gone. So this final chapter will bring you all the way to the present.
Traditionally our adversary takes advantage of us being gone. Meaning spiritual attacks and physical tribulations that normally don’t happen, and this time was certainly no exception. While dealing with the normal maintenance challenges of our physical community and the many problems arising from overseeing hundreds of needy people in our churches, there arose two new major problems.
The first took place when the submersible pump inside our well stopped working. This meant no water for the 4 families living on Windy Hill, and no water for the 70 families depending on us daily to supply them clean drinking water.
After we contacted the company who originally installed the pump, we were informed that the guarantee for the pump motor had expired one month ago and sadly we didn’t have money for a new one. Time to pray. Later, Njeroge went back to the company and explained that we were a ministry and are helping the entire neighboring area with clean water and asked if they could help us. When he heard how we were taking care of so many people in our area, the manager graciously said … we will extend your guarantee for the extra month to cover the cost of a new pump.
Now this would require bringing two of their huge trucks out to pull up the old pump and to install a new one. One of those trucks was already on another job. When the trucks finally arrived, the larger of the two couldn’t make the turn into our property. The driver wanted to cut a huge tree down and take down the gate and a stone walls to enter.
Thankfully, Njeroge figured out another way. It would require some frontend loader work but would cost much less than destroying our entrance and having to rebuild.
This too would cost money we didn’t have but … we thank our Father for our StoneHouse Emergency Fund. I didn’t even know we had an emergency fund but my beautiful wife did. Praise our Father. Between the money we did’t know we had and the gracious gifts from friends in America we had enough to finish restoring the water project and even to finish painting the Airbnb back on Windy Hill.
A week later the second major problem visited WindyHill. This was a compete electrical failure. Now, here on WindyHill, we often have short brownouts or full on electrical outages once or twice a week, lasting from a few minutes to a few days. Yet, this particular problem would require a new transformer from Nairobi and installing a new power line to our area. The Kenya power company said it would take a month to repair or replace the transformer. That meant no hot or cold water again, and no lights … security or otherwise.
So Njeroge talked to them and worked out a solution to relocate our power lines to a different nearby transformer. Njeroge went out and worked with the KPLC (Kenya Power and Light Company) man for days to get it done, ending the week long black out. Total without water 4 weeks followed by a week without electricity. Our neighbors asked him to help them too. He did. The power went back on within a weeks time!
We’re writing this to encourage you in your journey not to complain. To help you remember that … yes … inevitable and unexpected tribulations will come, but they are always accompanied with the faithful peace and provision of our Father. There would be a total of 4 and 1/2 weeks without water and a week without power. There arose smaller problems happening during our absence but, suffice to say our Father took care of all of them.
What makes us so proud of our spiritual family here in Kenya is amidst all these tribulations, the churches continued to thrive. They are learning to love the scriptures, learning to handle the problems, reached out to the needy, baptized a number of people and grew in their knowledge of the Kingdom and all without us being there. Blessed be the strength of the Lord.
Since we returned three weeks ago, each Sunday has seen new baptisms. There has been a growing hunger in our members to know the scriptures which is being met by disciples teaching disciples. This to us, is truly amazing.
As previously stated we seem foolish even to ourselves yet.I am reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians …
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. 1Co.1:25–29
Here in the StoneHouse, not many are wise (educated, intelligent) according to our abilities, not many mighty (capable or powerful) and not many noble (of high standing in this present age).
We are weak and foolish, not only in the eyes of the world but in our own eyes … and we glory in this, that in His eyes we are called and chosen.
StoneHouse
