Once again and as always, God is good, and He has blessed us tremendously! Since our last letter, we have traveled to West Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Indiana to share our church-planting work in East Africa with God’s people. We are very excited to have several new supporting churches, putting us over 50% of our target support level. Please pray with us as to God’s timing for us to leave for Kenya. While it is our desire to arrive on the field as soon as possible, much counsel has been provided not to act foolishly by leaving under-supported. We are more than willing to live by faith but also do not want to get in front of God’s timing and have to return because our stay is not financially sustainable. We are tentatively planning to leave the U.S. within the next 12 months and ask that you pray that God would allow us to make this goal.
You may have heard about some terrorist activity in Kenya. A group called Al-Shabaab has carried out a number of attacks, largely against Christians, over the last 12 months. Most recently they killed 147 people in Garissa. We have had a part, through the training of a national man, in a church started there. Please pray for this young church and the ministry there. The terrorist group has publicly stated that this is just the beginning of their intentions to wreak havoc throughout Kenya.
This activity has heightened my desire and burden to reach the people of Kenya with the saving knowledge of our Saviour, Christ Jesus. In case you may be wondering, these things have not changed our plans. “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.” (Acts 20:24) They need to be saved, and God has called us to reach them. Lord, help us to do so quickly!
Pastor Fred, whom we helped in establishing a church in his home, is doing a great job. His landlord asked him to stop meeting in his home, because the crowd was getting too large and because he is Catholic. They have recently moved the church into a rented building. Here is an excerpt from an email he sent me recently:
Missionary Andy, We salute you in Jesus name. All church brethren we thank you, Bro. Andy, for support of chairs and good advice to this young church, please keep on advice us in Jesus NAME. We have blessed to pay our church rent this month, I thank all members for giving according to Bible, also we have received Maina Peter who accepted Jesus after sermon on Sunday glory to GOD. By now we have 18 men, 7 woman, 4 youths and 28 children. We have seen many people that need teaching. We are starting children ministry every Saturday. –Salute all brethren of your church, Bro. Fred Kambuni, PST Baptist Church, Nairobi, Kenya.
Praises
1. We are being used of God to see people saved as we are traveling to different churches!
2. New churches are partnering with us, putting us over the 50% mark!
3. Works we have had a part in are growing!
4. Our daughter’s wedding went well!
Prayer Requests
1. Pray for souls to be saved.
2. Pray that God would place a hedge of protection from Al-Shabaab terrorists around the churches in Africa.
3. Pray for new churches to partner with us in our work for the Lord that we may get on the field as soon as possible.
Your servant for lost souls across East Africa,
Andy Richey