The fund raising for the “Forgotten Families” of Kenya went well. We had raised enough to feed between 350 and 400 families for a month. Because of this I had asked each pastor to pick the 36 most desperate families in their area. When we arrived in Namorio, our first stop, I quickly realized how unfair my request had been. There were 85 people waiting to get a portion of food.

How do you choose 36 when all are hungry? You don’t. This scene played out time and time again over the next seven days. There was nothing we could do but stretch what we had. When the week was over we had given food to nearly 750 families, doubling what we had planned for. In the end they received enough food for about one week, and they will be receiving an equivalent amount this week. We were afraid to give them the entire amount at once because it would have made them prey to bandits and desperate neighbors.

Although what they carried would have to be stretched to feed their family for a week,(one meal a day) they were thankful. In some cases they waited for hours for us to arrive and upon our arrival they danced and sang in thankfulness to God. I have tried to come up with a comparison that you and I might connect with but it is difficult. We are so blessed that we simply can’t understand this kind of gratitude. I doubt few of us if any, have ever had to live on one meal a day, much less wonder where we would get that meal?

One of the most touching scenes I saw occurred in the remote village of Kulisiro. One of the ladies who had just received her portion started for home with her arms full. Just a short way down the road she stopped and talked to another older lady she had met on the road. As I watched she took her small bag of rice and poured a portion of it in the old ladies scarf. From the little she had been given, she shared. I suddenly felt embarrassed in my own giving and sharing. It was at that point that the Lord ratcheted up the pressure on me. We were led to a small two room mud house behind the shack that served as a church where we given a meal of chicken, chapatti, and rice. The entire church had pooled together their resources to honor and thank their visitors.

The generosity and willingness to share of the little they have with others is amazing. They share from their lack while we share from our abundance. We walk away thinking we have done something great. I wonder who is doing the greater work.

Updates on both Pakistan and the Kenyan Food Crisis

I was not sure what to expect on this trip. I had done my research and investigated everything I could but in the end it was a huge step of faith. I have found over the years that faith is what God is looking for (Consider Hebrews 11:6). The missions that I have undertaken requiring the most faith have been the most fruitful. In the end this trip became one of those. It may not have yielded the highest number of salvations of any trip, but due to the circumstances and conditions in Pakistan it was amazing.

My Host, Pastor Rizwan Fazal, and his family went out of their way to make me feel comfortable, and they honored me in every way. He did a marvelous job of planning and promoting our ministry. I will certainly be traveling back to Pakistan in early 2012. God is moving there, and He is offering to allow us to join Him. I will not miss that invitation. For more information and to see some pictures, go to our “Pakistan” page listed under International ministry.

Thank you for your continued support and may God bless you.
Pastor Steve

Jackson lives in a large city in a neighboring state. He is not as fortunate as many of us it seems, but his heart may be larger than most. Jackson lives in a mobile home park, just behind a fairly large church. The park is not a good place to live. The quality of life there is much lower than most of the surrounding area, possibly just above the poverty level. As is typical in these types of environments, life there holds many challenges. This week, the church held its annual Vacation Bible School. None of the workers had ever seen Jackson and the other boys that came with him on the first night of Bible School. It seems Jackson and the boys saw the other kids hanging around outside the church and came to investigate. A worker invited them in, and they have attended every night. This despite the fact that they were the only African American children in the group. It didn’t take long for the workers to realize the boys were hungry. Each night a light meal was served to the workers and the children. Each night the boys ate ravenously, asking for seconds and thirds. They would later slip back to the kitchen to see if anything was left. On Tuesday night the church provided Subway sandwiches for all the kids and the boys ate as if there was no tomorrow and when the night ended the workers gave the boys a large bag of left overs. As they watched the boys head home through a small park, the boys stopped at a picnic table and began to eat again. The workers began to discuss how they could help these boys in the future.

Each night of the Bible School the Missions teacher would go around to each class and share a missionary story. On Wednesday night, the story was that of Autumn Hope, and the people who are starving in Africa. The worker has been to Africa with me on two occasions, so she had pictures on her laptop to show the children. She explained to them that under current conditions many of the children in her photos may not even be alive today because of lack of food. Jackson listened and looked very attentively. When she finished all the children began to take their seats except Jackson. He looked up at the teacher and asked, “How can I donate?” She explained that the money collected in the offering plate passed each night during assembly would all go to Autumn Hope for this need. He asked her if the plate was still out so he could give tonight and she told him yes. Jackson, wearing flip flops that were much to big, and socks that were filled with holes and stains, reached down into his sock. He pulled out several one dollar bills and carefully unfolded them. He held one of them up to the teacher who started to take it from his hand. Just as she was about to take it, Jackson pulled it back, folded it back with the rest and gave her all he had. As far as anyone could tell, this little boy gave it all to help someone he didn’t even know. The missions teacher had to leave the room quickly to keep Jackson from seeing the tears in her eyes.

The missions teacher, who is my sister, called me last night to share this touching story with me and I must admit my eyes also became misty. As I lay in bed and thought about it the Spirit reminded me of something I had read recently. What if, instead of asking, “What can I spare?”, we asked instead, “What will it take?”. What if, instead of giving from our excess, we gave sacrificially, giving to make a real difference instead of giving our token offering to relieve our guilt. We might just change the world.  Please help me change the world for our friends in Kenya. They are literally dying. “Thank You” Jackson, for reminding us what is important.

Pastor Steve

More than 3.5 million Kenyans will require relief food until September, the government and experts say. It is in September when harvests are expected from Kenya’s bread baskets of Rift Valley and Western regions. Failure of the long rains has severely affected food production in the country. The most affected are communities in arid and semi-arid regions where malnutrition levels have risen to more than 20 per cent, way above the global acute malnutrition cutline index of 15 per cent. The expected number of cases to be handled for acute malnourished children under five years is 20,252, while those moderately malnourished are 106,502. In addition, about 49,758 pregnant and lactating women are moderately malnourished. Assessments by the Kenya Food Security Steering Group indicate that the long rains have failed in most of the arid and semi-arid districts and the drought situation has worsened since January.

Although the government claims the World Food Organization is distributing food to more than one million people, none of that food has been seen in the Western County on the slopes of Mt. Elgon.

I am no longer asking for your help. Instead, I am begging. Hundreds of the people involved in this crisis are friends of mine and some of yours. They are watching their children go to bed at night hungry. I doubt many of you if any, can relate to that. I know I can’t. Please…help us by making a donation today. I guarantee you that any donation you make will go 100% to purchase food for those in need.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Sincerely,

Pastor Steve Jones

The erosion of the Kenyan shilling in recent months has caused massive inflation throughout the country. This has been particularly hard in the area of food. Corn prices have increased nearly 400% in the past year. Since corn is the staple item in the Kenyan diet this has caused major hardship on the Kenyan family. The average family was struggling to survive prior to the increases and now many of them are being pused to teh edge of starvation and malnutrition. The erosion of the shilling coupled with the absence of rain and the loss of multiple harvest has made corn scarce even for those who can pay. The next harvest will not come in until August and it remains to be seen if the rains will come.

Many are already dying from malnutrition. While it may not be called starvation, the results are the same. The lack of quality food brings on malnutrition which greatly weakens the immune system. Because of this people are dying from diseases such as malaria and typhoid that they might normally be able to survive. We have already lost four pastors in the region indirectly related to this situation.

I find it interesting that we can post a comment on “Facebook” complaining that we are having a “Bad hair day” and in minutes multiple responses will come back consoling us for our apparent lack of misfortune. When we post a real need such as this however, there is silence. I cannot help but wonder what Jesus would think of that. We have the opportunity to help thousands of people in a time of need. While much is needed, if we all give something, many will be helped.

Please consider helping us today with this important project. Everything given for this project will go directly to the purchase of food. Together we can help.

Sincerely,
Pastor Steve

I recently shared a need with you regarding people who are hungry in Kenya. One of the most common responses I receive to these request goes something like this; “There is enough need right around us. We need to take care of it first.” And I whole-heartily agree with that. The death tolls in the storms of 2011 tell only a small part of the story. Thousands of people have lost everything. It is truly heartbreaking. I believe missions should always begin at home.
There is, however, a danger to this line of thinking. Especially to those around the world who desperately need our help. Let me give you a few things to think about.
Nearly 500 people died thus far in the storms of 2011. Due to severe famine in much of Kenya, food prices have increased as much as 400%. Because of this, the Kenyan Red Cross estimates that one person dies every minute from a malnutrition related disease. That means that 1,440 people die every day.
The U.S. Government has already spent nearly 56 million dollars through FEMA in Alabama alone. The Red Cross has spent millions as well in their initial response to the disaster. Governor Robert Bentley of Alabama stated that the total cost of the disaster in Alabama would run between 2 and 5 billion dollars. He also stated that estimates show 70 to 75 per cent of the people would be covered by insurance. The rest would get help from FEMA. In Kenya, the government has spent zero dollars on the hunger issue as of May 15, 2011. The Kenyan Red Cross has tried to help but they are currently out of funds. Corruption within the ranks is a major problem.
In Alabama alone, it is estimated that more than 500 faith based and community organized service groups have shown up to help the victims of the storms. Volunteers are in the thousands. In the Western County of Kenya, there is no other organization on the ground. The Red Cross makes short visits, and government officials come to survey the need. It goes no further than that. We are the only hope many of them have.

My Point?

My point is really quite simple. The disasters in America have been just that: disasters. As horrible as they have been, Americans have poured out help in every form. The government has stepped in to help restore hope to the thousands who were affected. Kenya however is a different story. There is no help. If we do not help, the deaths will continue to increase. I know Kenya is not the only place of need in the world, but at this moment, it is placed before you as an opportunity. An opportunity to make a difference. Please help me make a difference by donating to this important cause today. There is no one else to help. We cannot save them all, but we can bring hope to many. Send in your donation today, or make it now by clicking the link below.
Thank you for helping me make a difference in this dark corner of the world.

Donate Now
Sincerely,

Pastor Steve Jones