LETTER FROM PASTOR JOEL - DECEMBER 15

Praise God! Dad, Mum, Church and Friends,

Greetings from Kenya family. We are humbled to thank God for us that through you, He has blessed us spiritually and physically through support that we have ever received from you. We praise God for the love and prayers. We feel the power of your prayers, because the church has reached more souls this year than before.

Receive the thanks giving from me as a pastor, and also from the Church Leadership, church members and children from orphanage. We all appreciate the work you have done. We have seen it good to send our Thanksgiving for the help sent to us. Surely through God moving in your heart, your help has worked for the church and orphanage too. We trust that you will accept our thanks.

Please let the church and friends who support the work in Kenya know we appreciate their help. We know that words will not be able to express our deepest gratitude we have for you, but we are honored that you all are blessing us in a way that God has designed it. May our God bless you all for the help we receive from you.

Kindly, we are sorry if there are anything we did wrong in our irregular and late replying and reporting of the children. We apologize for the same. Kindly we request that do not terminate the support because your support reach to the church for evangelism, food orphans and school fees and building the school. Thanks for being there for us and may good God restore whatever you have lost as church, ministry and church.

We are joining all as church in our prayer and fasting list and we trust God will provide for you and all with you. Keep praying for the Christmas season God to provide for something that Church will have something to celebrate this time of Christmas as we have families from poor families which cannot afford anything. Kindly join us in prayer God to provide. Thanks.

Lastly, we welcome you to Kenya for the ministry work and we will be humbled to receive you and see the work God is doing here through your prayers and support in every way. Welcome, we call you blessed, may God continue to bless you and your family as we look forward to finish 2021. Tell your team and Church we appreciate all their efforts to support us.

We are here to thank all who have been donating towards school building its our prayers you keep praying for it to continue, we trust God will provide. Thanks.

May God reward you all. Humbled to serve with you to advance the Kingdom. We finally we finished well the conference we thank God for using us to continue with it. May God bless you all Abundantly.

Best regards to all.

Yours Pastor Son Joel and Church Leadership

Below is the budget of what we received.

WHY WE DID NOT GO TO KENYA - THE LOG CHURCH SERMON, DECEMBER 12

Admittedly, the trip was rather hastily planned. I had originally hoped to visit the churches and the orphanage in Kenya last year in early 2020. But then the covid virus struck the world, and life became crazy. We went from “fifteen days of quarantine to flatten the curve,” to lessons on how we should wash our hands, to shutdown mandates and mask mandates, to social distancing X’s on the floors of every store, to promises that the vaccines would solve everything and that everything would soon get back to normal.

But as we continue to learn, “normal” is a moving target. Instead of life settling down to any type of regularity, it seemed to be always constantly changing, and even in some ways becoming more difficult. Travel restrictions, for instance, were becoming not only more demanding, but also more unpredictable. Rules for where you can fly and from where you can return were always shifting depending on the latest covid numbers.

I could take it no longer. The craziness seemed to not be ending, so I decided it was time to go to renew our friendship with the people of the churches and orphanage of Kenya before it became impossible. I felt a strong pull to return and see with my eyes how the orphanage was faring, and how the churches were progressing.

FAILED TRIP TO KENYA

This week Vivian and I were to be in Kenya at a conference organized by Pastor Joel and the church leadership. The trip was unsuccessful. We were stuck in Chicago with visa problems.

On Sunday, I will be telling the entire story in my sermon at the Log Church, and will be posting it later in the day on this blog.

Our failure was a big disappointment, but we cannot stay there. We press ahead with what we see God giving us to do.

The following is a report that I received from Pastor Joel today:

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Dear beloved Dad, Mum, Church and Friends,

Praise to God for the love and prayers you offer for the Kenya church. We are humbled for the provision and protection that God had for overseer Donald and Mum Vivian for their time in Chicago Airport. We know that God kept them safe during that time. We are sorry to those who expected the trip will happen but did not happen. We are sorry for this but we have to accept and submit to the will of God.

Dad and Mum, sorry it didn't happen but we trust God will send you to Kenya soon. Sorry to those gave their gift for the children and sorry to Mum for returning home with the gift that you were bringing for children, such as sanitary towels more to touch the life children.

We are sorry to all donors who were waiting to hear progress of the work in Kenya kindly keep extending your hand of help to Kenya orphanage and school project, we sorry for the period of two weeks we have not updated on the blog we waited for Dad to come and give you the reality of the work but we hope it will happen.

Yes were praying and fasting as Mum was on the airport but we can not say God did not answered our prayers. No. We thank God for answering our prayers that Dad and Mum are safe looking to God for the trip. Kindly adjust and accept with us that Covid-19 has changed protocol of travel industry.

Beloved Isaiah 46:10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’

We as Kenya church family we did not stop services which Overseer Don was going to minister. We agreed as leaders to continue with programs as a way for keeping the churches here grounded on truth of the word of God. Even Apostle Paul was prevented not go to Thessalonica church so for Pastor Don and Vivian, it is not new.

“For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan obstructed us”. (1Thessalonians 2:18)

In the end, God will clear the way for them. We continue to pray God for this trip happen in Jesus.

Thanks church treasurer for sending help for food. We will update on next email as we wait for the recovery money we had paid for hotel and fuel station in the preparation for the arrival of Mum and Dad. We will give out clear financial report together with what was sent. May God bless you. The Bible say Romans 8:28 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Thanks for those who are helping the work in Kenya, we trust God will provide for you and all with you, kindly accept our thanks giving from church leaders, members and children. We have no words to say but may God reward you and supply what you need in any are of your lives.

We are humbled to attach you pictures of the main church members who were waiting for Pastor Donald and Vivian. They are 550 members main and branch is 230 members and we are all in unity for praying for you all. Welcome Kenya all of you in the spirit and in person. Thanks for your prayers and support. God bless you all and keep you safe. Thank you.

Yours Son Joel and Church Leadership