The last few months have been very busy. On November 2, we welcomed our seventh child, Gilbert Adoniram, to the family. He was born at our home in Kiambu, Kenya, surrounded by his family. In December, we attended Teen Camp with another local church. We were thrilled to have four young ladies, our son Corey, and Justin, one of our neighbor boys, attend. Two teens, Sharon and Justin, both accepted Christ.
In January, two of our recent high school graduates, Priscah and Mitchell, were baptized and started attending the local Bible college. This is nothing short of a miracle for these girls. They have been faithful members of our church for more than two years. However, their father, a Catholic, has refused to allow them or their six siblings to get baptized or dedicated. Baptism was a requirement for college enrollment, and he finally consented. Praise the Lord!
We’ve seen some great growth in the church during the last several months. For a few years, we’ve been praying for more men in our church. God has fulfilled that request, as we often have more men than women now on Sunday mornings. Praise God for an increase in tithing members as well. The Thursday Night Men’s Bible Study has also seen consistent growth, both numerically and spiritually.
In January, we were invited to a men’s meeting at a like-minded church. Five men joined me on Saturday for the conference. Harun, who works nights as a security guard, was able to join me Monday through Wednesday for the remainder of the conference. It was a time of great fellowship and Godly teaching.
For the last year, we’ve prayed about being able to acquire a van for the church. Vehicles are not as easy to come by in Kenya as they are in United States. The prices are much higher for used vehicles, and the condition of the vehicles is much less desirable. We had actually stopped looking. However, we recently stumbled across an ad on Facebook Marketplace. Used cars usually go fast, but this one hung around for more than a week after our first inquiry. We drove over an hour to view the vehicle with the family and picked it up the next day. Calvary Baptist Church Ruaka now has a 1978 Volkswagen Bus that we just love. It hit all the markers for the things that we needed in the van, and it is in good shape. Parts are fairly easy to find, and mechanics are inexpensive. It’s not new. It’s not fancy. It doesn’t have all the luxuries of newer vehicles. But it’s what God has provided, and we are thrilled.
We are excited to take the old Kombi out at the end of the month for a Missions-Emphasis Sunday at a nearby Baptist church. We will be able to use our family vehicle, plus the van, and take everyone from church who’s wanting to attend. Of course, will be packing them in Kenyan style.
Please pray for the spiritual growth of our members. We are hosting a soul-winning training course every Saturday before we do church outreach. We’d like to see more people attend. Pray also for the spiritual well-being of our members and our family, as the Devil is alive and well and pays attention to people who are trying to do what’s right.
Lastly, after a year of waiting, we finally have all the paperwork required for our church registration. Filing will be done this week. Pray that the process will be smooth and successful.
Your missionaries,
Corey & Elizabeth McDonald & Family
