It was my sincere and earnest
desire to have posted something on this blog long before now, but I seem to be
fighting, “not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual
wickedness in high places,” (Ephesians 6:12) for every time that I am almost
finished with a blog post the computer I was using mysteriously quits working. I have not given up though and almost have a
post ready for posting. But I have
paused in my endeavors to finish that post and am writing this one for I feel
that the events of the last three weeks need special attention before I move on
with anything else. For most people
following this blog you already know what I am going to share, but for the
sakes of those that I do not know are following I am posting a brief synopsis
of the past three weeks. It is my prayer
that after reading this post you will never be the same.
March 9, 2014 dawned bright and
beautiful here on our new property 12 kilometers out of Lolgorian Kenya. Just a month and a week before we had made
the move from our rentals in Lolgorian to the property. It had been a big step forward in the progress
of the work of Sutherland Bible Collage and a huge landmark for those of us who
have worked so hard to get this project off the ground. We moved into fairly slim accommodations, but
we were willing to make it work just to be on the property. We had planned that by the middle of March we
could have classes started so as to be able to still fit our first term in
before June. As soon as these plans were
laid however it became extremely evident that our enemy was not happy. The four
of us kids fell sick with respiratory infections making it impossible to be any
help to the project and even forcing the other members of our team to do the
work that we usually did out and above their own responsibilities. As we struggled to regain our health, the
project came to an almost dead standstill.
During the next few weeks every possible road block was thrown across our
path and yet we moved on, though the progress was painful at times, we knew
that it was just the enemy trying to discourage us and make us stop doing the
Lord’s work. Finally the last blow was
given when on March 9 our father fell sick with Malaria. Like I mentioned earlier it dawned a perfect
day, full of plans of moving forward with the work so as to start school the
next week, but before the day was over our father was bed ridden, never to
regain full health again. I do not have
time here to go into all the details of his sickness and subsequent death, a
week later on March 16, but what is of real importance is the fact that the
enemy knows that his time is short and is trying to stop the work of God. In light of this we as a family have decided
that we are not leaving Kenya right now, for to do this would make the devil
very happy, no we are staying and by God’s grace we are going to do the work
that God gave our family to do- start Sutherland Bible Collage. Though we do not have our earthly father with
us any more, our heavenly father has promised, “I will never leave thee, nor
forsake thee.” (Heb. 13:5)
Though the enemy planned our father’s
death to be the end of the work here in Kenya it was just the beginning. Since his death doors have been opened that
has made it possible to do a work that we could have never done before. Our work here has just started and though we
will not start school until June, we praise God that there will still be a
Sutherland Bible Collage to open! We
need much prayer as our team has gone from nine members, two of which were
skilled workmen, to seven, inexperienced and amateur workmen, who may not know
everything but are willing to learn, get their hands dirty and most of all want
to do the Lord’s work and see this project succeed.
I am planning to still continue
with the blog posts as I had planned before.
They are a series of stories from our work and everyday life starting
from the beginning of this mission trip and moving up until now. I also plan to make a new page on this blog
entitled “Loren” and put up the update that my mother wrote about our fathers
sickness and death and more things about his life. If you would like to get our updates and
follow are mission here more closely send an email to godsmissionaryband@gmail.com and
ask to be put on the Kenya mission update list.
Brothers and sisters time is short
and we have work to do! Is your life
such a threat to Satan’s kingdom that he would like to put you to death? If not something needs to change.
