LOS LLANOS : THE PASTOR'S FEET - THE LOG CHURCH SERMON, FEB 26

Lifted unto a Rock

As we saw in last week's sermon, David used the metaphor of a rock when speaking of a place of security and strength. The relevance to the people of the llanos who lived through an annual flooding of their land was found in the name of their church building—La Roca Viva; The Living Rock. These people know by experience the meaning of a place of security and strength.

But David also wrote of a rock in another way. I am certain that the people of the llanos could also closely relate to this illustration of the rock.

For these people of the plains of Venezuela, when the rains began and their land became inundated with flood water, and the roads at best were reduced to muddy trails, getting from place to place usually involved a good amount of walking.

NEWS ABOUT A TRIP AND UPDATE ON SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION

In about three weeks Vivian and I, along with one guy from our church (Larry), will be leaving for a two week trip to see the people and the work in Kenya. We all are excited to go and see everyone, but I think Vivian is especially excited. She has been preparing little things to give to the kids and even also to the people of the churches.

We will be visiting both Log Churches—one in the village of Matagaro, and the other in Nyakembene. I have never before had the opportunity to visit Nyakembene, since it was just getting going when I was there last. In the two churches together there are almost a thousand people.

And of course we hope to spend as much time with the children as possible. They are still in their school term, but we have some teaching and also activity times planned in the schedule.

I also want to see how our school building is progressing. As you can see by the photos, the bricks have all been laid for the ground floor and they are now putting up the

bracing and forms to pour the floor for the first level. I do not think that they will have enough money yet to pour the concrete itself, but I guess we will see how it is going once we get there.

As I did before, I hope to be blogging every day during this trip, but just yesterday I ran into some malfunctions with my laptop, so we will also see how that will go. I have a couple of options that I think will work.

Thanks for your prayers!

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Here is the report from Pastor Joel:

Greetings from Kenya in the most precious name of Jesus our Lord and Savior. Our prayers are with you all. The church and leadership of the Log orphanage Kenya are humbled for the work you are doing. Thank you for the help sent the children and leaders are happy for the help of food and other needs, may God bless you all.

The food we bought will last till Friday this week, our prayers are with you all, we trust you are well. Below is the expenditures of the help we received.

School fees Ksh. 200000 (Receipts below)

Building materials Ksh. 400000 (Receipt below)

Food report Ksh.300000 (Receipt below)

Rice=320 Kilogram,one kgs=Ksh. 250x320kgs=Ksh.80000

Cooking oil =60litres,one litre cost Ksh. 450x60litres=Ksh27000

Maize =310kilogram, one kg =Ksh.290 x310Kgs=Ksh.90000

Omo  17 kilograms , one kg @ 150=Ksh.2600

Vegetables 160 kgs. 1kgs =Ksh. 160x160kgs=Ksh.25600

Unga ngano/baking flour 164kgs One kilogram =Ksh.160 x164 kgs=Ksh.26,300

Salt 76Kgs=Ksh.7600

Beans 97kgs one kilogram Ksh. X 350=Ksh.33900

Transport cost Ksh.7000

May God bless you all, we keep you in our hearts, keep praying for the needs here as we pray for you too. Humbled we call you blessed. Thank you.

Son Joel and Church Leadership

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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

We now need to pay a wire transfer fee with every payment, which amounts to $50 each time, but other than that, your donated money will be used only for purchasing food, clothing, schooling, and other necessities of living. We wait until we have $4000-$5000 before we make the bank transfer to make each transfer more economical. Nothing is held back or diverted for any other purpose. Thanks!

RECIPTS BELOW

LOS LLANOS: LA ROCA VIVA - THE LOG CHURCH SERMON, FEB 19

During the time that my family and I lived in Venezuela, several times my work took me visiting the churches of the llanos. Llanos is the Spanish word for “flatlands” or “plains.”

Our family lived in the western Andes Mountains of Venezuela, but the llanos started about two or three hours to the east of where we lived. As we traveled in that direction from our home, we first had to drive the twisty mountain roads that continually descended and then climbed out of numerous canyons. Then, after finally gaining the last ridge, it was truly a spectacular sight to see these great plains of the llanos stretch out far into the eastern horizon.

The whole landscape changes as much as it is possible to change—from mountainous terrain to lands that are almost completely flat. As we descended the last ridge coming out of the Andes, these plains extended before us as far as the eye could see until they finally disappeared into the mist of the far horizon. The llanos of Venezuela extend for hundreds of miles to the south and eastern part of the country.

Actually, these flatlands are one of the great geological features of South America.

THE SCHOOL RISES FROM THE GROUND

As you can see by the photos below, construction on our school at the Log Church and Orphanage Kenya is continuing to move along. It was very good that we could pick this up again before the more rainy season begins.

Below is the letter from Pastor Joel. In it he gives the full accounting of the most recent bank transfer that they received. As always, to see the receipts for items purchased, click the “Read More” button at the very bottom of the post.

I have a couple of other news items to tell you about. The first is that Vivian and I, along with a man from our Log Church Tripoli will be making a two week trip to visit the children and all of the people at the orphanage and two churches in Kenya. This will happen about the middle of March.

The other piece of news that I have for you is that I have written a book concerning my own calling to go to Kenya to begin this orphanage. It is an unlikely story of a guy who resisted at every point, but whom God finally compelled to go. Even if you don’t want to buy one, follow the link below to go to the purchase site where you can browse through some of its contents.

Why I Am Going to Kenya: Notes from My Journal: Rhody, Donald: 9798849711843: Amazon.com: Books

 

Here is the letter from Pastor Joel:

Greetings from Kenya family! our prayers are with you all, the church and leadership of the

Log Church/Orphanage Kenya are humbled for the work you are doing and appreciate for this great work you are doing.

We have no reward for you but receive our Thanksgiving from the heart of the church. We are praying that heaven to honor you and bless you all. Thanks to all who have donated for the school building and other needs. We love you all we are praying that God will send you to Kenya and see the work you are doing, great work.

May good God reward you all, we love you all. Thank you for your help.

Building materials bought

D 8 -300pcs @ 1000 =300000

D12 -100pcs @1400 =140,000

Binding wire 10 rolls @ 4200 =42000

Nails 2½"- one sack @ 6200

           3". One sack @ 6200

           4" - One sack @ 6200

Labour 99400

Total 600000

Food report Ksh.300000

Rice=320 Kilogram,one kgs=Ksh. 250x320kgs=Ksh.80000

Cooking oil =60litres,one litre cost Ksh. 450x60litres=Ksh27000

Maize =310kilogram,

one kg =Ksh.290 x310Kgs=Ksh.90000

Omo  17 kilograms , one kg @ 150=Ksh.2600

Vegetables 160 kgs. 1kgs =Ksh. 160x160kgs=Ksh.25600

Unga ngano/baking flour 164kgs One kilogram =Ksh.160 x164 kgs=Ksh.26,300

Salt 76Kgs=Ksh.7600

Beans 97kgs one kilogram Ksh. X 350=Ksh.33900

Transport cost Ksh.7000

Thank you for the provision send for the food and school building. May God reward you all and bless the work of your hand. We request for prayers for school fees and other needs. May good God bless you all. Thanks for your love. Real good we call you blessed.

Thank you we love you all. Humbled.

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

We now need to pay a wire transfer fee with every payment, which amounts to $50 each time, but other than that, your donated money will be used only for purchasing food, clothing, schooling, and other necessities of living. We wait until we have $4000-$5000 before we make the bank transfer to make each transfer more economical. Nothing is held back or diverted for any other purpose. Thanks!

RECIPTS BELOW

A SOLITARY PLACE - THE LOG CHURCH SERMON, FEBRUARY 12

The Gospel of Mark is the shortest and fastest-moving of all the gospels. The author normally does not elaborate a great deal on each episode or provide as many details as the other gospel writers. Rather, Mark simply and quickly moves from one event to the next in the lives of Jesus and the disciples, often using the word immediately to connect two incidents. His writing is in a hurried style.

It perhaps should not be surprising that Mark would write in this way, because he wrote his gospel from accounts given to him by the Apostle Peter (as it is commonly thought), with whom he traveled on his preaching circuit. Peter himself was a man who was usually very economical with his words and was, as we know from the descriptions of his activities, a man who quickly moved from one event to the next.

Although Mark may have written in the hurried style of the ministry that he shared with Peter, I have my doubts if Mark was of this same, impetuous temperament in his own personality. Mark sometimes writes as if he is a little out of breath as he followed the Apostle Peter in his travels. For instance, of all the gospel writers who, in telling about the ministry of Jesus with his disciples, only Mark mentions not only once but a couple of times that they were so busy that they did not even have time to eat (Mark 3:20; 6:31).

I find it a little amusing that Mark writes in this way, since he was not even present with the disciples when these times of going without meals occurred.

WORK CONTINUES AT THE LOG CHURCH SCHOOL, KISII, KENYA

As God provides, we are buying the materials needed to pour the cement floor for the first story of our school building. Because it will be a heavy load of concrete poured above the ground floor, the forms have to be strongly supported and braced before any concrete work can be done. As the building work progresses, I will be posting photos of the work.

As you can see, there is also more brickwork needed on the ground floor. It is always step-by-step, but we praise God that we can again continue with this project. This school will be an important addition to our work in Kisii. We intend this ministry not only for the benefit of our own children, but also for other children of the area who at this time are not able to attend any school.

Of course as this project continues, the daily needs of the children do not stop. We are also praising God that we were also able to send money for food and for the schools where the children now attend.

The school costs for this term are the most ever, but we have gradually been paying it as we go along. We now have a school balance for all three schools of 400,000 Kenya Shillings, or $3,200 (current exchange 1 shilling = about 0.008 dollars).

After buying the food this week, they

currently have food until about next Monday, but just today they also received another bank transfer from us. Pastor Joel will send a report on that next week.

As far as the current receipts, you will find the latest food purchases below:

Food report Ksh.462000

Rice=400Kilogram,one kgs=Ksh.
250x400kgs=Ksh.100000

Cooking oil =60litres,one litre cost Ksh. 450x60litres=Ksh27000

Maize =572 kilogram,

one kg =Ksh.290 xKg 572=Ksh.165 900

Omo  17 kilograms , one kg @ 150=Ksh.2600

Vegetables 160 kgs. 1kgs =Ksh. 160x160kgs=Ksh.25600

Unga ngano/baking flour 164kgs One kilogram =Ksh.160 x164 kgs=Ksh.26,300

Salt 76Kgs=Ksh.7600

Beans 286kgs one kilogram Ksh. 350=Ksh.100000

Transport cost Ksh.7000

Some closing words from Pastor Joel:

We are happy to report that we feel your prayers and we appreciate for your help we do receive. Keep praying for us as we are all working to see the children stay well and serve the kingdom purpose. May good God bless you all.

Thank you to all who are helping the work in Kenya. May good God bless you all. We call you blessed. To God be the glory. We love you all. Welcome to Kenya.

Yours Son Joel and Church 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

We now need to pay a wire transfer fee with every payment, which amounts to $50 each time, but other than that, your donated money will be used only for purchasing food, clothing, schooling, and other necessities of living. We wait until we have $4000-$5000 before we make the bank transfer to make each transfer more economical. Nothing is held back or diverted for any other purpose. Thanks!

RECIPTS BELOW

WEARINESS - THE LOG CHURCH SERMON, FEBRUARY 5

The Apostle Paul wrote in one of his letters, “Do not grow weary of doing good” (2 Thessalonians 3:13 NAS).

When one is facing extreme difficulties and is already weary of the effort, these are words that seem almost too easy to say. It seems like it is a bit like saying to a person who is struggling with depression, “Just be happy!”

We cannot simply generate happiness, just as we cannot simply deny that we are weary. There must be reasons for a person to feel happy. In much the same way, for one to not be weary when he feels fatigued, something also has to be done. 

Weariness of a Different Color