Wednesday, March 18, 2020

CORONAVIRUS - WHAT I TOLD MY CHURCH SINCE WE CANNOT MEET

Dear Church,
  
Watching the channel 12 news this morning, I see that governor
Evers has just announce a ban on gatherings of 10 or more.

Seeing that this is the case, I do not see how it is possible to have church on Sunday, or if it would even be responsible of us to do so.

For more than a week, I have been wondering about the possibility that this might happen, and thinking about what we could do instead.

 
As those of you who were in church last Sunday already know, for the next Sunday I was planning on beginning on telling the story about how and WHY I began to be involved with beginning the orphanage in Kenya.

 
Since we cannot meet as we normally do, I will instead put this on my blog page (www.donaldrhody.com) so that you can read it there. In some ways, it may even be better this way since I can include photos when appropriate, and you do not have to feel obligated look at my face!—and you can read it in your pajamas!!!

 
Also I wanted to tell you that since ours is a church with many older adults who perhaps should not go out, I will volunteer to run any errands for you, like picking up groceries for instance. I am also an older adult, but God has gifted me with a strong immune system, made stronger by living and working in many third-world countries. I am, however, more concerned about Vivian with her compromised respiratory system, so this offer may change if conditions change.

Let me know, and we can stay in touch.

Also let me know if there are others that are not on this email list who would like to know.

Love and prayers, Pastor Don
www.donaldrhody.com
 
 
 

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

KISII REPORT - A GIFT OF FOOD

I think it was last October when I filled out a questionnaire and application for a donation of food to be sent to the orphanage. The application was to an organization called Feed My Starving Children, based in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. One week ago (March 10) I received an email from them, wondering if we had ever received the food shipment that they had arranged.

Apparently, this food had been cleared to be shipped to the orphanage in early January and was in a warehouse in Nairobi, but because the email that they had sent to me at that time was lost someplace in ether-space and never made it into my in-box, I was
not aware that this had been approved and did not know that to receive the food first required some action on my part.

Sunday, March 15, 2020

INTO THE DISTANT HORIZON

Paul’s Closing Words to the Ephesians
Ephesians 6:21-24 (The last of this series)

 
We have approached our reading of the book of Ephesians as a study more than anything else, but it is in fact a letter. It is a letter written from Rome by the Apostle Paul to a group of people who met together as a church in Ephesus, a harbor city on the banks of the Aegean Sea. As you would expect, the letter was hand delivered. No international postal service in those days. The name of the man who was to carry the letter was named Tychicus.

As Paul introduces his helper in the letter that Tychicus was to carry to the Ephesians, he calls him a, “A beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord.”

“Tychicus will tell you everything,” Paul adds, “so that you also may know about me and what I am doing. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about us, and that he may encourage your hearts” (Ephesians 6:21-22 BSB).

 

Final Greetings

With those words of presentation of Tychicus to the Ephesians, Paul is now preparing to put down his pen. His final closing is one of the most beautifully written anywhere in Scripture:


Wednesday, March 11, 2020

LETTER FROM JOEL - SCHOOL IS ALMOST OUT

Dear Beloved Dad, Mum, Church and friends,

Greetings in the precious name of Jesus our lord and savior, we are humbled once again when we remember how great your help that you have donated for the children in Log Orphanage Kenya, which has brought hope to them.

We as the church and staff we are praying for your all who have taken your time and resources to support these children for the well stay, despite there are other needs which have not been met and others are required daily for the survival, we are praying and seeking God to provide and give you the desire of your heart.

We praise God for the financial help we received and we were able to buy food that will last from Tuesday through Sunday this week, thanks to all who have donated. We thank God for you each day, we requesting your prayers, for food, school fees, clothing and other basic needs.
At the Laundromat

We received $800+$10 service/withdraw fee this help we received was budgeted for food. We trust God to provide. At the moment we are challenged by school fees as we have 2 weeks to end the first term, the children have been sent to collect the school fees balance.

We want to thank all who have donated the school fess this far. Surely we are almost done by paying more than the remaining but because the school is closing the fees is needed to clear bills, pay administration cost, buy examination papers, printing costs, pay water bills and pay staff workers, kindly keep praying for the school fees.
Drying clothes on the tea bushes

We had to pay $4200 for the school fees this term we have paid $2840 and we are remaining with the balance of $1360 we trust that God who provide that big figure will also provide $1360 for the clearing of first term fees balance.
 

Thanks goes to Pastor Don, Vivian and all donors who have trusted the information and report at the blog which has moved you to help these children under our care.
 

Surely without your help, this burden we could not be able to make. Most of these children could have been in the streets and others have died long ago because they were in desperate without no hope. But now we have given them hope in the word of God and your help have played much.
 

Our prayers is that this education will help these children to be able to preach the word of God and make Jesus known because that is our outmost priority as our Lord Jesus Christ will return soon.

Thanks to all supporters. We celebrate you. Kindly keep praying for these children. The little you have done is great in the eyes of God. Keep doing it greater is the one that hear what God is speaking in his heart and react. Beloved your prayers and help requested by the family in Kenya God to provide for remaining school balance of $1360.

Yours Son Joel and Church/Orphanage Leadership.

********************************************
If you would like to help the children of the Log Church Orphanage of Kisii, Kenya, you may make your check out to “The Log Church” and write “Orphans” on the memo line.
 
Send it to:
The Log Church
PO Box 68
Tripoli, Wisconsin 54564
 
Every nickel given in this way will be used for only aid for the orphans. It will be used for purchasing food, clothing, schooling, and other necessities of living. Nothing is held back or diverted for any other purpose
 
 

 

Sunday, March 8, 2020

THE INTERMINABLE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS


What does it Mean to “Pray without Ceasing?”

Ephesians 6:18-20

In the previous two posts we have seen what it means to pray in the Spirit and the purpose of prayer. We came to understand that even though God knows our needs even before we ask, our prayers to God are still a valuable part of our Christian lives.

We also saw a quote by Jesus when he was teaching his followers to pray: “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” (Matthew 6:7-8 NAS)

I do not know specifically what pagan Gentile religion Jesus was referring to, or if it was perhaps a common practice for the pagans to believe that the more they repeated a prayer, the more effective it would be.

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

KISII REPORT - DISPROPORTIONATE PRICES

“Dear beloved Dad, Mum, Church and Friends,

Greeting from Kenya family, our prayers are with you all. The church in Kenya is praying for you all as you are doing so in return.
We pray that God of the universe to bless you and answer your prayers. We are humbled for your prayers we are seeing the lives of people here being transformed and changed more are coming to Christ who had never before accepted Christ. Our prayers are with you all. Thanks for your support and prayers for the work in Kenya.
 
Inside the church
The church in Kenya is growing and many people are joining and the two Log Churches in Kenya. The church at the Matagaro Church has 358 members, counting the children, youth and adults. In the church at Nyakembene are 223 members.”
 
Outside the Church
This is the opening portion of a letter received last week from Pastor Joel. Both Matagaro and Nyakembene are regions of Kisii land. Even though the donations that you, the readers of this blog, give me to send to Kenya are used exclusively for the orphanage, I of course am also interested and involved with the development of the churches in Kisii land. These are the now the two Log Churches of Kisii, Kenya.
 

Outside
Given that the area is so heavily affected by poverty, the challenges that the people and churches face are very great. Joel tells me that among the church members, “nobody” has employment—that is the word he used, “nobody.” There are absolutely no jobs to be had in that immediate area, except if they can find day work in the field of a larger land-owner. This work typically pays $1-$2 US/day.
 
Inside
Even though the salaries for day labor are so low, the cost of living is not correspondingly inexpensive. Needless to say, neither the orphanage nor anyone else in the area purchases any prepackaged or prepared food. They buy only the raw food product. It may be that the cost of these foodstuffs are usually a bit less expensive than here in the US, but given the usual wage of a day-worker, you may be surprised at how expensive it is.
 
This morning I did a quick online price comparison between the prices that we would pay at our local supermarket in Wisconsin with the accounting that I received from Joel for the last food purchase of the orphanage:
 
 
In Kisii: 250kg of MAIZE (corn flour) – Kenya Shillings.50,000 ($500)
Our local supermarket: $2.10/kg in 2 kg bags ($525 for 250 kg)
 
In Kisii: 150 kg of BEANS – KS, 20,000  ($200)
Our local supermarket: 150 kg=330 lbs. At 1.39/pound –  $458.70 for 150 kg
 
In Kisii: 200kg of RICE – KS 30,333 = $300
Our local supermarket: (sold in 5 pound bags) 4.95/5 lbs (2.26 kg) = 2.19/kg total for 200 kg $438

In Kisii: COOKING OIL (20litres) – Ksh. 6000 = $60 US
Our local supermarket: 6.99/gal (20litres = 5.28 gal) $36.90 US


Perhaps you can see why it is so difficult for the families there. Joel continued to tell of some of the difficulties that they as a church are facing with the rapidly growing congregations in such a poor area of Kenya.

The buildings that they have at each site are far from adequate. Despite the fact that they have two services (services that often last 3 hours or longer) in each church every Sunday, not all are able to fit inside. Many have to sit or stand outside to listen in, which is especially a problem if it is raining. Sometimes they can rent extra chairs, but the people often have to sit on the ground. If it is raining, they need to stand. They also rent tarps to protect from the rain if they have the money.


 
In the words of Pastor Joel: “Beloved, we know that you are asking that why the members are not able to build the place of worship. The place where God has called us members who are not able because they are from poor families. Even for them to have food for their own families they are not able to feed themselves. They stay hungry even for a number of days. This are the people we are taking the gospel to them and give them hope from the word of God. Bibles are the challenges also pray for this also.”
 
Pastor Joel and his family donated the land on which the church and the orphanage are built. This is no small sacrifice, since the availability of land there is so limited. Kisii is the most densely populated rural area of Kenya. The price of agricultural land runs about (hold on to your hat), $12,000-$14,000/acre.
 
That may not be so shocking for some of you from richer areas, but the average price for agriculture land in Wisconsin is about $4,000 per acre, and in the poorer agriculture where we live, I think you could find farmland (not woodlands) for $1000 per acre. In addition, when you take into account the wages in Kisii, you can see why land prices seem disproportionally high. It all is because the high population of the rural lands.
 
Your gifts that you send for Kenya will continue to go toward the needs of the orphans, but please remember these families who live in a very destitute situation. They are our brothers in Christ. We uphold them before the Lord.

********************************************
If you would like to help the children of the Log Church Orphanage of Kisii, Kenya, you may make your check out to “The Log Church” and write “Orphans” on the memo line.
 
Send it to:
The Log Church
PO Box 68
Tripoli, Wisconsin 54564
 
Every nickel given in this way will be used for only aid for the orphans. It will be used for purchasing food, clothing, schooling, and other necessities of living. Nothing is held back or diverted for any other purpose

Sunday, March 1, 2020

WHY PRAY?

Doesn’t God Already Know My Needs?
Ephesians 6:18 

“Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.”

As we saw last week, praying in the Spirit speaks of a prayer that transcends the mere words as spoken from our lips. As Paul continues with this sentence in Ephesians, we can see that he writes of other aspects of prayer as well. As with the thought of praying in the Spirit, these other aspects will also require some study on our part to see what he means.