Our blog is a little later this week as yesterday was a very busy day.
Last week we mentioned the great need of Bibles. God answered prayer that very day when we were given a cheque; by someone who hadn't read this blog; and it was enough to buy 100 Bibles for the Nakuru area of Kenya. We were able to organise this with the shop in Nairobi which we deal with and the money was sent out yesterday. God willing, Pastor Aringo will collect these within the next day or two and forward them on to Moses. In total, latest numbers suggest we have around 1000 children now needing Bibles across all areas, so please do not stop praying. This Saturday, 1st December, Moses will hold a children's rally. Please pray that this will be a great opportunity to share the Gospel with the boys and girls. We thank God also for His provision that has allowed us some spare funds to provide some juice, biscuits and sweets for this special "Christmas" event. In total we were able to send out over £600 yesterday to Kenya to provide for different needs and to help people especially at this time of year. Also included in this were the funds to pay for certificates for 220 children who have now completed all 30 lessons. Pray that we will soon have something else available for them to continue with. Last week we mentioned that Joyce had an aunt who was very ill. We since learnt the sad news that she passed away and was buried on Thursday. Please pray for the family at this time. Please also continue to pray for May (Billy's wife) and for the families of William and Moses after their recent losses. The market was so busy again this past weekend. We continue to appreciate those who donate items to us. Yesterday my car was filled and emptied twice with donations and last night I received another car load as I shared at a meeting in Bangor. We thank God for this generosity and also for His help at the meeting....we believe He was there and we thank Him for the interest shown. Today I will be calling Pastor Aringo and have already been in contact with Moses. Please continue to pray for all of our workers. I will be marking some of our final assignments in our Child Protection course and I also have to begin to put together an information pack on our work which has been requested by a local organisation who are interested to know more about our ministry. So another busy week lies ahead. We thank God for His hand upon us each and every day and for how He helps, leads and guides. This time last year we were in Kenya. Please pray earnestly that God will p Thank you for your continued prayers.
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The main aim of Feed My Lambs, over and above everything, is to bring the Gospel to the children of Kenya and Uganda and to teach them the Word of God. This is why we aim to distribute free copies of God's word (KJV) to the children who study our lessons. We are in urgent need of more Bibles. Around 700 children are now ready for Bibles in one area alone! Whilst it is cheaper to purchase the Bibles here in the UK, we do have an outlet in Nairobi where we can also purchase them for around £3.50 each. It is a quicker option when we are in urgent need. It concerns us that the children cannot continue with the lessons until they receive their Bible. Please pray that God will provide.
Following the recent conference in Kenya which some of our workers attended, there has been much interest in our lessons and the demand is great. Please pray that we will be able to keep up with the demand. Please continue to remember our team members who need your prayers in these days for their families. Moses buried his uncle on Saturday and Joyce has an aunt who is seriously ill. All need your prayers. We continue to pray for more openings here in the UK to share our work and ask that you consider recommending us to your Minister or Church.....or perhaps enquire whether there would be interest in our prayer letter so that they can become acquainted with our work. We do thank God for some bookings that have come in over the past week and we look forward to these. I will also speak at a ladies' meeting this day week. The market was busy at the weekend and unusually I am having to do some deliveries today as the demand was so great. We thank God for this and for His provision. We are always reviewing our procedures, especially as the work grows. Please pray that we will know God's guidance as we implement new ideas....especially from so far away. We desperately want to get flights booked for the summer time. Prices are gradually creeping up and we are praying that we will soon be in a position to book before it gets too expensive. Thank you once more for your continued prayers. We value your support. Last week our hearts were heavy because of the passing of Billy. Today we are saddened as William's maternal grandmother has gone to be with the Lord. FML extends our sympathy to the entire family. We thank God that William's granny was saved and today she at peace with her Saviour. I have no doubt that she has been a godly influence on many people over the years, not least upon her family. She leaves behind a testimony that we pray will be used to bring many unsaved loved ones to the Lord. Please pray for William and his family as they go through the funeral service tomorrow, Tuesday 13th November.
We thank God for His help to those who attended the conference. Pastor Aringo, Moses, Joyce and others had a good time and were blessed. Pastor Meshack had to pull out at the last minute because of a death in his congregation. We thank God for the leaders who organised the event and pray that the Lord will continue to bless all who attended. We thank God also for His help at the market this past weekend. God is faithful. We are keen to book flights soon for our next trip. Please pray that God will provide in a big way for this need. Thank you for your continued prayers. It is a very sad weekend for the FML team both in the UK and in Kenya as one of our dear friends and prayer partners has gone to be with the Lord.
I first met Billy and his wife May in late 1995 when I began studying at Bible College which was in their home town. At the time the college had just moved to the area and we were using a local Church for the lectures while the leaders looked for suitable premises. As a result, for my first year in college from October 1995 until June 1996 I stayed in Billy and May's home, only returning to my own home at the weekends. It is hard to speak of Billy without May as their characteristics are so similar but I will try to focus on Billy. Right from the outset I found him to be a "gentle giant". A tall man in stature with a quiet personality, yet full of fun. Most of all, one of the most godly men I have ever met and one who has impacted me personally and indeed the work of FML more than I could ever have imagined. He was a car mechanic by trade and as I got my first 13 year old car I had many occasions to avail of his services, as was the case with so many people. I remember the first bill he gave me for some relatively small job on the car....it amounted to over £500. I remember wondering how I would ever pay it and then I began to read the itemised list and discovered that he was charging me for the most ridiculous things; including washing powder for cleaning his overalls; yes....the whole thing was a joke! Billy never had children of his own. But I think he is like Abraham who was told his children would be as many as the stars of the sky. Billy has been like a father to so many and has been so good to so many. Always there when needed. William commented to me that loosing Billy is like loosing your Grandad. I think if Billy were here he would be the first to laugh and say he isn't that old....but I think this describes exactly how we are feeling today. Billy and his wife never forgot me when I moved away from the area and when Feed My Lambs was formed they were excited to hear of God's leading. They have proved over the years to be faithful in prayer for us in the work. They welcomed William into their home also. Each time we would have a trip to Africa, they would be the first to have a meeting in their home upon our return and would fill their little room to capacity with those who had a heart for the work among the children. We thank God that Billy had opportunity to hear all about our last trip and to see lots of photos....the first request he made to us after his diagnosis....he really wanted to see what all had taken place. Billy and his wife have given invaluable help to us at the stall up until 11 months ago when he began to be unwell. Travelling around 30 mile every week to be with us, they remained faithful when others dropped out. When we went to Kenya, they kept things ticking over with the help of others and did an excellent job. Texting to tell us how things had gone and to ask how we were getting on and running to the bank to send out any funds which had come in that day. In fact, the market would probably never have happened without Billy and May. It was their idea to have a sale for a few days. They initially suggested a shop, but when we found that to be too expensive, I came up with the idea of the market....but the concept was something which the Lord laid on their heart and that was evident with their committment. We have confided in them regarding the work of FML. We valued their prayers and advice so much and knew they kept everything in confidence. As a result they have known things that we haven't shared with anyone else....the ups and the downs....the joys and the discouragements....yet knowing all, they have stood with us....praying, supporting, listening, never judgemental but always there. Heaven today is more precious knowing that Billy is there. Quiet, fun loving, wise, faithful, committed and most of all a godly man who on more than one occasion opened up his Bible before us and shared with us what God had said to him concerning situations we were going through in the ministry at the particular time. We were always encouraged when we left the home. Our team in Kenya are familiar with the names of Billy and May and they have been praying much for them over these past months. They too are sorrowing today. On behalf of my dad, William and all in FML in Kenya and Uganda, we extend our sincere sympathies to May and assure her of our prayers in the coming days.....we know that she will continue to pray and be as faithful to us in the days to come as in the past. Billy went to be with the Lord late on Friday evening 2nd November. As a mark of respect we did not open the stall on Saturday. We had been booked for many months to attend the Missionary weekend at the Iron Hall in Belfast. We decided that Billy would be the first to tell us to go and the first to ask us how it went....so we felt we would go ahead, though our thoughts were never far from Billy and May. After visiting with May on Saturday and Sunday, we headed to Belfast. We set our stand up on Saturday evening and were able to give people information about the work before and after the meeting. Around 18 - 20 missionary organisations were represented and all had stands. On Sunday we returned in the afternoon to speak with the children. I taught them a little from the Kenyan flag and had them singing in Swahili. William shared a powerpoint presentation entitled "Growing up in Kenya" which gave them an insight into Kenyan life. We finished with a quiz which resulted in some children receving Kenyan keyrings and then all were delighted with their FML pens which we were able to distribute to each child in attendance. They listened so well and we were encouraged. Last night, Monday, when we returned for the final night we were told the news that one child who had been at the Sunday School had yesterday trusted the Lord as her Saviour....praise the Lord. Again we were encouraged by the interest shown at the stand on the final two evenings and we are glad that so many people have been able to learn of the work. We were made to feel so welcome and we believe that many more people will be praying as a result of the weekend. Today is an exciting day for the team in Kenya also. Pastor Aringo, Moses, Pastor Meshack and Joyce will be travelling with others from their various parts of Kenya and Uganda, to Kisumu to attend a conference for Children's workers which is being run by the Free Pentecostal Fellowhip of Kenya churches (FPFK). We have a close relationship with some of the leaders of this denomination and we are praying for them and indeed all who attend, that they will blessed and encouraged in their ministry to children. We thank God for His provision that has allowed us to pay for transport for the team to travel and their registrations fees. They will arrive today, have the conference tomorrow and Thursday from first thing to 9pm each evening and then they will leave on Friday. Please remember them all in your prayers. We are tired! It has been a whirlwind weekend with many mixed emotions of sadness and encouragement.....but as I read a quote this morning I felt that it had been true in our lives this weekend.... it said, "When we feel the stress of the storm we learn the strength of the anchor." We have known the strength of the anchor this weekend without doubt. Billy was "grounded firm and safe in the Saviour's love" and is with Him today. But as we think of someone who is with their Saviour and then think of the challenge to missions that we also received over the weekend, we realise afresh the urgency of bringing the Gospel to those lost in sin. Perhaps you are one of those.....trust in Billy's Saviour and meet him again one day. Perhaps you are already saved, then the challenge to witness comes to you. Will you determine to work for the Lord and say with the words of one of the songs we enjoyed over the missionary weekend: So I will go wherever He is calling me I lose my life to find my life in Him I give my all to gain the hope that never dies I bow my heart, take up my cross and follow Him Well the weather forecast had said it was going to be a cold weekend. We were brought into a false sense of security on Friday morning as it didn't start out too bad at the market. But then mid-morning the temperature dropped and everyone was just freezing cold. We were so glad to get home to the heat....but it took quite a few hours to warm up. We wrapped up with plenty of layers on Saturday, but thankfully, whilst it started off quite cold, it did improve as the day went on.
Many people had obviously decided to stay indoors as the market was definitely quieter than normal for the time of year. Nevertheless the Lord did help and we got on ok. Our little newspaper ad for the firewood etc. paid off again as we gained another new customer who had 10 bags of coal delivered! In Africa this week there has been much excitement among our workers. A good friend of ours who is a children's worker in a big denomination in Kenya, is organising a conference from 6 - 9 November in Kisumu, Western Kenya. The conference will be attended by many Pastors, Sunday School Teachers etc. After some consideration we felt that it would be so good for our workers to attend and we thank God that He has made it possible for us to have funds available to pay the registration fee (which covers food and accommodation) for our workers and also to cover their transport there and home. To travel to Kisumu from Nairobi, for example, will take maybe 5 or 6 hours. Pastor Aringo, Moses, Pastor Meshack and Joyce are definitely all travelling and Dan will confirm to us this week. Some of them also hope that the Lord will provide for their families to attend with them. Children are welcome! It will be a great opportunity even for the FML family to be together. Having looked at the programme we can see that it promises to be an excellent seminar and we believe that our team will benefit greatly from being in attendance. We trust they will learn much which will encourage them as they return to their responsibilities within FML. We pray for the organisers as they prepare over the coming days. There is a little sadness accompanied with all of the excitement as Dad, William and I would just love to be there with them all and it has made us miss them all, especially as we think back to this time last year when we were just making preparations to go out. However, the three of us have been invited by a christian organisation here to attend a dinner on one of the same evenings, so as we come together and attend something special, in a small way it will help us to think of them and to feel a part of what is happening. As we enter this incoming week, we ask you to especially remember the missionary weekend. William and I spent some time last night working out our programme for the Sunday School which we will take next Sunday afternoon. We will also have the FML stand at the missionary exhibition on Saturday, Sunday and Monday evenings. With the market stall on as normal during the day on Friday and Saturday, it promises to be a very busy weekend. Please pray that many new people will be made aware of FML as a result of the weekend and that good contacts would be made. Pray especially for us as we share with the children. We will let you know next week what the programme consisted of. Thank you once more for your continued prayers. We always appreciate your support. Another week has passed and we thank God again for His help. On Monday Pastor Meshack spent some time visiting Churches in regard to our lessons and there was substantial interest with the potential for another 250 children to be registered.
We are glad that this week Pastor Aringo was able to forward some Bibles to Moses in Nakuru and we look forward to them being distributed among children in the near future. We have communicated with one of the possible new markers in Nakuru area and are encouraged by their enthusiasm. Pray that God will give wisdom in appointing new markers. We thank God that Joyce has found someone who may be interested in marking in Uganda also. This is not definite as yet so we ask for your prayers. All of our markers are volunteers and do not receive payment for being involved in our work. We do expect quite a bit of work and committment from them and whilst we appreciate that many are in need, payment is not something we are in a position to do at present. However, on the up side, we know that we have really dedicated people who are doing the work for the Lord and not for the money! We are delighted that 4 people are now enrolled on our next email course which will start in January and a number of others have been enquiring and asking for more information. Pray for the current students who will begin their final assignment at the beginning of November. Pray also that we can soon launch another email course which dad has been preparing over past months. This is part of the ministry we would like to develop in the future. The market went well again this weekend and we thank God for that. The weather was mild which always helps! During the first weekend in November (Saturday, Sunday and Monday) William and I will have the FML stand at a missionary convention and we will also be sharing with the children of the Sunday School. Please pray for us both as prepare for the weekend, but in particular for the time with the children. Please continue to pray that boys and girls will be saved....this is why FML exists. We pray that children will come to know the Lord. Thank you for your continued prayers for the work of God among the children. We had previously mentioned some concerns we had about the lessons in the Kisii area of Kenya. We thank God for 100 children who have been enrolled yesterday. Lessons will be sent to the representative for the area and we pray that the Lord will bless as these boys and girls begin to study. Lessons will also be sent out tomorrow to Malaba in Western province and also to Nakuru. We thank God for His help at the market and for the finances brought in. We thank God, that after our market rent was paid, we were left with £150 which has been sent to Africa this morning. As our current child protection course draws near an end, we have sent out emails notifying of our intention to run another course, beginning in January. Already we have one person definitely registered and a few others who have been making enquries. Last week I spent a lot of time compiling a very detailed database to assist us in our work and am glad that much progress was made. This week I hope to begin some preparation for some meetings coming up soon, do a little more work on the database and hopefully some work on Bible lessons. We were delighted to receive some photos from Pastor Aringo of a recent Bible presentation in a school near Kisumu. We have good memories of visiting this same school just over 2 years ago. We are delighted to see the children receive their Bibles and ask you to pray for them as the begin the second part of our course. We hope you will enjoy looking through the photos below. We thank God for all of those who have been studying on our Child Protection email course. 19 children's workers enrolled on this course. Not all have continued but we are thankful for those who have. Currently students are working on Assignment 9. Assignment 10 will see the course completed. We hope we will be able to run it again and will learn from some of the teething problems of this first email course. We pray that it will continue to be of benefit to those who have been seeking to learn. We also hope to start another email course soon.
It seems there are never enough hours in the day to implement all of the ideas we have, but we trust that the Lord will continue to guide us and give us wisdom as we take each step. We had a really good time at the market this past weekend as we see things get busier now that Winter is approaching. We are also delighted that the online order form here on our website is also be used by those requiring blocks etc. Please continue to pray that the Lord will bless the work among the children in the coming days and show us the way forward in Kenya, Uganda and here in Northern Ireland. Thank you for your prayers. Our hearts are heavy today for the family of the child who was killed in a grenade attack in Nairobi yesterday. We ask you to pray that the Lord will comfort them and bring peace in the midst of this terrible tragedy. Remember also the other children and indeed adults who were caught up in the events of the day. Our thoughts and prayers go out to them all. You can learn more of what happened by clicking HERE. Meanwhile, we would ask you to pray for our ministry as it continues in Uganda. We spoke briefly to Joyce a few days ago and she estimates that around 600 children will be ready for Bibles in November. We are excited and encouraged to hear this news...yet disappointed that we probably won't be able to be there in person for the first presentation in Uganda. Please pray for funds to purchase these Bibles as well as many more copies which are needed in Kenya. Yesterday we also received an email from a brother in the Lord in Uganda. He writes: "Greetings to you my sister pamela To day was a wonderful day in our church. Sister Joyce visited us and the children, so they have started the lessons, the lessons are good and i understand they are going to do good in their lives and thank you for starting them. thanks" We were so excited to read this latest news and thank God for the desire in the hearts of those in leadership to bring the Gospel to the boys and girls in their congregations. Please pray for these little ones as they begin to study. More than ever we want to return, not only to Kenya, but to be able to make our first visit to Uganda. Please pray that God will provide so that we can organise this very soon. We feel it is vital that we visit Uganda so that we are more familiar with the area and with our ministry in that part of the world. I also thought you may like to see some photos of the newest addition to the FML family. Our brother Mike, who assists Pastor Aringo in our Nairobi office; recently became the proud father of a beautiful little girl called Mary. He and his wife prayed for many years for this precious little gift and we rejoice with them that God has answered prayer. Pray for this lovely family. We continue to give God thanks for all that He has been doing. After a good weekend at the market, today we were able to transfer some more money out to Africa to be used in our ministry in both Kenya and Uganda. We thank God for this. Please pray that we will continue to know God's blessing in this practical part of our work. Pray for William as will have added work in cutting blocks and sorting the coal and firelighters etc. for sale at the market as the busy Winter season approaches.
We continue to look to the Lord to bless in all that we seek to do for Him and thank you once more for standing with us in prayer. The Country Comes to Town event in Portadown a week ago on Saturday was a successful day for the FML stall and we are thankful for the opportunities we had on that day. It was especially exciting to have a surprise visit from prayer partners from England whom we have only met once before. We were delighted that they came to see us at the stall and we continue to appreciate your faithfulness in prayer for us.
We thank God for a few more bookings that have come in for meetings and we look forward to sharing our work in the different venues. We are praying about ways to make the work better known among Churches in the UK and would ask you to share our ministry with your Pastors and congregations if you are able or send us details of your Church if you think they may be interested. Please pray for Joyce in Uganda as she urgently needs help to mark the many lessons that have been submitted. Please pray that she will be led to the people of God's choice to help her. Moses also needs help with marking in Nakuru. There are a few people who may be potential helpers. Please pray for him as he communicates with them and also remember them as they complete our application forms and then for those of us in leadership who will make the final decision as to whether to accept them or not. Please pray for Pastor Aringo as he continues to run the office. It takes time to organise and distribute the lessons to many areas and we pray for him and his team of helpers in Nairobi. He has to deal with many difficult and sensitive situations so we as that God will give him much wisdom. Pray also for Dan. He is taking a short break from the work in Nakuru as he completes some studies alongside his work, but he is very keen to resume again in the near future. Lessons have been slow moving in the Kisii area of Kenya and we ask that you pray for this area in particular and some various issues we are facing there. Please continue to pray for those who are studying on our email course. There are only 2 more assignments left and this first course will be completed. It seems more students drop out with each assignment which is disappointing, but we Praise God for those who are continuing faithfully with their studies. We pray that what they learn will be of benefit to them in their ministries. As ever we ask you to continue in prayer for all financial needs of the ministry. Following discussions with Pastor Aringo we all feel that he needs to travel to each area of ministry and meet with representatives. Please pray that God will provide for this. We are also keen to get flights booked again for our next trip and are considering various dates. Please pray for God's provision. As I am typing this blog, I am, at the same time, communicating online with a Pastor in Kenya. We are chatting together about the Church that he oversees. We visited it when we were in Nairobi in December. It started with just children coming to a Sunday School, then it grew to a small church, and just now he is telling me that they plan to build a Church building as the congregation has grown so much......and all through their ministry to children. God is so good and the work amongst the boys and girls is so vital. Pray for these servants of God as they serve HIM and also for the children as they continue with our lessons. Asante Sana (Thank you in Swahili) for continuing to stand with us in prayer. |
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August 2022
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