We had a busy start to the year. We have already had 2 Pastors’ Practical Training Academy classes, and we are looking to have another one the first full week of March. We are averaging 12 pastors per class.
Later in March, we will have a Medical Clinic in 3 of these pastors’ towns: Migori, Rongo, and Homa Bay. All of the pastors from the PPTA will be helping with soul winning while medical staff from the U.S. will be providing the medical diagnoses, treatments, and medications. There will be 4 doctors and 10 helpers from the U.S. for about 2 weeks.
One of our team members, Brandon Heselschwerdt, has been instrumental in the preparation of this outreach. We are excited and expecting more than 1,200 to attend the clinics. They will hear the Gospel clearly presented, many for the first time. The number attending needs to be managed so that things don’t get out of hand. Kenyans from this part of the country often have no professional medical care and rarely have heard a clear presentation of the Gospel. This will be a real blessing for them and an opportunity for the PPTA pastors to receive exposure for their local churches and to lead many to Christ.
Next week, we will be traveling up-country to encourage 6 of the pastors who have been attending our PPTA. At least 3 of them will be looking to start a church building project after their graduation to cater to their growing ministries. This traveling will entail driving over 1,000 km.
One of the pastors, Pastor William, started a Bible study in a very remote location, which he has been operating for 4 weeks. He has been using the soul-winning skills he’s learned and showing great commitment to the task that he is being taught through the Pastors’ Practical Training Academy. He has seen his numbers grow from 9 to 27 adults, plus children. Brandon is kindly donating his tent to Pastor William, as the house they have been meeting in is already too small. I have been teaching and coaching Pastor William, and it is a blessing to see him growing in the ministry, both in number and in grace. This coming week, I will be traveling to his area to teach, preach, and go soul winning with him and his group of young Christians. I am excited to see how he is doing after only such a short time.
In the areas where our PPTA pastors minister, they speak Kalenjin, Masai, Luo, Luya, Swahili, and English. I will be using an interpreter in each of these areas.
I was greatly blessed yesterday with a visit in Nairobi from Pastor John Nkome, a Masai pastor whom I have known for over 29 years. He is a faithful man and is the pastor of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Olorupa; he has recently planted another church about 6 kilometers from his church. They had about 80 adults and 40 children in attendance at their opening service. I am discussing with Pastor Nkome on how best to train the young pastor of this new church, Pastor Timothy, through the PPTA program.
We would appreciate your prayers for the following:
1. Please pray for more untrained pastors to attend the Pastors’ Practical Training Academy and for wisdom on how to best facilitate their training.
2. Please pray about financial support for upcoming new church building and ministry projects as these newly trained pastors look to grow their churches by implementing what they have learned through the PPTA. This will lead to many souls being saved.
3. Prayer for good health to be maintained, as we work in a physically and mentally demanding environment.
4. Pray for the right Kenyan pastors to take over the PPTA training in Western Kenya in the spiritual battle against false doctrine, church organization, and behavior.
5. Pray for Melody to continue to see an acceptance of her dyslexic tutor training, which will have an impact on many Kenyan children in the future.
Thank you to those of you who have so faithfully supported our ministry through prayer and sacrificial giving and by partnering with us as we continue to train inexperienced and untrained pastors across the country. We train them in the importance of training their church members to go soul winning consistently, to disciple their converts, and to serve Jesus Christ through the local church and its members.
God bless you.
Your co-laborers, and brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,
Peter, Melody, and Lindsay Morris
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- Students in our PPTA classes searching the Scriptures
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- Previous PPTA class
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- Teaching inside a college classroom that we are blessed to use when college is not in session
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- PPTA pastors/students from all across Kenya
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- Students searching the Scriptures during a PPTA class
