Greetings in His name!

I came back from Kenya last night (Sept. 14) and received my bags today. Somehow, they did not catch up with me yesterday.  It means that I had to stay in the airport to sort the matter out.  When I wanted to take an express train from the airport to get back to my place, I noticed that there was no train service.  I used underground trains, but they did not stop where I wanted to get off.  Despite the messiness in the last leg of my trip, it was a very good and rewarding trip.

I spent about 10 days in Kenya and 7 days in Tanzania.  I spoke to a group of pastors in both places.  I arrived in Nairobi on the first day of the conference in Kenya, from where I left 15 years ago for good.  The country has been changed so much.  Just like other cities, Nairobi was full of traffic plus air pollution. 

There were about 200 pastors from all over Kenya for the conference.  They were eager to learn from the Scriptures.  They had good times of fellowship for themselves too.  They sang wonderful hymns in the evenings.  I was able to recognize some of them, who were my former students.  The Bible college campus was really transformed and improved over the years.  Thanks to the Lord for Dr. and Mrs. Mark Kim’s dedicated ministries for more than 20 years. 

As soon as the conference was over in Kenya, I was rushed to Arusha, Tanzania.  There was a graduation service at the Tanzania campus of the Bible College of East Africa.  I was the speaker for the convocation.  I preached there on Sunday and spoke at the pastors’ conference for a few days afterwards.  When the conference was over, I came back to Kenya to minister to the Bible College students.  I preached for both services on Sunday and led chapel services for two days before I left for home.

Through generous gifts from God’s people, local pastors’ transportation fares were provided, food was ready for them during the conference, children in slum areas were given food and uniforms, and local churches and their ministers were supported.  Some pastors came from a very far distance for the conferences.  Their bus fares were even more than their monthly salaries.  They also had to pay about $3 for registration fees.  They were given mattresses for sleep, and the Bible college students and school chef cooked for them.  It was a very special treat for them.  Pastors wanted to learn more from the Scriptures.  Their conferences days were full of activities and learning sessions.  I thank the Lord for their eagerness to learn.

I visited children in a slum area, not too far away from the college.  I used to visit the place during my years in Kenya.  There were piles of rubbishes shared and dug by chickens, goats, sheep, pigs and humans together.  Children in slums do not have any education opportunities.  Bible College of East Africa has extended its ministry to help them out.  A property was obtained and a church was built.  A few classrooms were built for a kindergarten.  A meagre amount of fee is charged for their enrolment.  It is just $2 per term.  Instead, they receive kindergarten education and food every day.  However, Saturdays are off days, which means that they do not have any food on Saturdays.  One dedicated couple serving as short term missionaries are planning to open Saturday school for them.  A family from Adelaide donated enough money to provide them with uniforms and more food.  I would not name them for their heavenly rewards from the Lord.  Old and sickly ladies are working as masons, cutting stones for building bricks all day long for one or two dollars a day.  I must say that working under the sun in Africa all day long is torturous to most people.  They are sustained by a cup of tea and a couple of slices of bread, if they are very fortunate.  I heard about a boy, Patrick, who was starved to death, and now his mother and brother are in danger.  I also heard about Ian, who died only a couple of days before I left Kenya. 

Most pastors receive less than $20 per month in smaller cities and towns, and about $30 if they are in Nairobi.  Most of them do not own houses, which means that they have to pay for their house rent and buy drinking water.  In Tanzania, almost all pastors even did not own a Bible concordance.  If pastors need books for their ministries, the first book they need is obviously the Bible, and the second book should be a Bible concordance, for cross reference studies.  Pastors are poor in living and not well equipped for pastoral work.  However, they are eager to learn.  There are 17 students in the branch campus of Bible College of East Africa in Tanzania.  They depend on solar power for light at night.  Though the college paid a large sum for power lines, there is no power supply most of the time.  I could not read under solar powered light at night, because the solar panel was too small to generate enough electricity. 

One missionary who came to the college graduation had a car accident, while driving to return home from the college.  There were altogether 5 people in the car, and one lady was thrown out of the car, and the car tumbled and rolled over three times.  A missionary pastor and a lady had to be airlifted to a hospital in Nairobi.  They were initially taken to a hospital in Arusha, Tanzania, but even the hospital did not have a power supply when they got there.  So a small airplane had to be called in.  All these incidents once again reminded me of the transient nature of life and the dangerous life of missionaries. 

Having met people in Kenya and Tanzania, I could not but raise your awareness of the needs of the people in those countries.  There are families going to bed without food.  There are children without education.  There are pastors without financial means to live.  There are preachers without learning materials.  It is a real irony to see so many hungry people, while most of us are striving to lose weight.  I told the principal of the Bible College that I would speak to you about the needs of those people.  I would suggest to support those people through financial donations.  All donations will be directed to the missionaries.  Not a single cent will be wasted for administrative fees, as all other charity organizations take big portions of donations to run their organizations.  Every cent will be used for the people in need. 

I would say that one supporting account will be the amount of A$32 (U$33, S$41, £21) each.  It will guarantee the beneficiaries to receive U$ 30 per month.  The extra money will cover the cost of bank transactions, exchange costs, but whatever the leftovers from each supporting account will be used to support more people.  There are three categories of people who require our support: (1) children, (2) poor families, and (3) pastors and Bible college students.  I met one student who had to consider quitting the school, because there was no one who could provide food for his AIDS inflicted mother.  He was an excellent student, and someone stepped in and became his sponsor with U$30 per month.  The donors may designate the people whom they want to support.  Of course, poor families are primarily from local churches, which means that they are our brothers and sisters in Christ.  The donors may have more than one account, if they wish.

I asked the missionaries to make a list of people who might need our attention.  It means that each donor will eventually receive information about the person who will receive his/her donation including name, picture, age, and any relevant information.  The recipients will know the names of their donors without any contact details.  They will be encouraged to write thank-you notes through missionaries, but you may not receive one from them, because many of them are illiterate. All contacts will go through the missionaries in the fields, unless the donors want direct contacts with the recipients.  However, I would encourage you to contact them through missionaries. 

Here are some basic guidelines:

1. These financial helps will be provided to them on an yearly basis.  For example, if you support a child to go to school, but he is not faithful in his studies, his support may be forfeited after one year.  Such decisions will be notified to you as a donor through the coordinating missionary, and you may choose to support someone else in such case.

2. Initially, Myung and I will channel the support to get to the missionaries from you.  However, this work will eventually be given to responsible people to handle. 

3. All the reports will be made by the missionaries themselves from the field.

4. If you have any question, I’ll give you contact details of the missionaries in the field.  You may ask him/her directly.

5. If you can make a pledge for this supporting program, the minimum time will be for one year.  If possible, would you consider making a 3 year pledge?  Of course, in the meanwhile, if you cannot continue, you can discontinue at any time.  However, you need to inform me in advance to give enough time for the recipients to consider their own situations.  Or you may renew your pledge yearly basis. 

6. You can make a pledge for more than one account, if you can. 

7. If there are many donors, we may need regional representatives who may collect the donations and send them together once a month, or any appointed time. 

You may want to encourage your children to have one account.  By knowing that they are helping other Christians or Christian work, they will receive invaluable education.  I met a boy who was given one calf.  He is feeding her to grow.  He says that when his calf grows and has a baby, he will sell one and go to school with the money.  Let us remember brothers and sisters in suffering lands.  I thank you for your kind thoughts toward your needy brethren in Africa.  Would you pray about it?  Of course, Myung and I will also make a pledge to support them.  I will send a few photos for your benefits.  However, I tried to avoid taking pictures of human miseries.  I felt that I should not humiliate them by taking such photos.  I trust that the Lord will lead and guide your thoughts and hearts. 

Pastors from Kenya and Tanzania formally invited me to come again next year for their conferences.  However, I am not so sure if I can make another trip.  Time and cost involved are not small, and I have only limited resources to use.  There are so many pastors who require further Bible trainings in remote areas in those countries.  Maybe if you have resources, time, and willing hearts, you may want to go. 

Hope that you will prayerfully consider supporting your fellow brethren in Africa.  I trust that the Lord will not forget your kind deeds for your suffering brethren.

May the Lord richly bless you all!

Lovingly,

Pastor Ki

Isaiah 41:17, “When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.”

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