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.

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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