We hope you had a blessed Christmas as you celebrated the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ and hope you are looking forward to a prosperous New Year.
Last week, we went upcountry to meet with Pastors’ Practical Training Academy graduates before Christmas to check on how they are doing and to see how the projects on two buildings turned out now that they are complete. Both projects went well, with windows and doors in both buildings. We tiled one church, and it is now ready for a Youth Conference of an anticipated 300 youth starting on December 26.
We traveled for 5 days and visited 12 pastors and their churches. It was very informative. These churches are in very remote areas; they face the difficulty of access and have a very poor congregation, with little capital to build. A number of the churches have building needs, and pastors are facing the problems of a church where the people live in poverty and have no hope of enough money to build a church building. While upcountry, I also visited a missionary church builder who can erect a prefabricated steel roof in less than a week, leaving the church to finish the rest of the building as they are able. This way gives them shelter immediately from the elements, all for less than $5,000. Please pray for these Christians who are a testimony of God’s grace.
Our vehicle, a seven-seater van, went where no van is supposed to go, but praise the Lord, we only got bogged down in the mud once and only bottomed out a couple of times. We do have an unusual shudder when breaking, but that we assume is only brake wear and tear. We thank the Lord for safety. The roads are especially dangerous after dark, and it is sad to see the number of accidents just in one night while traveling home.
We gave the pastors a Christmas gift of flour, sugar, and oil to make chapatis (“pancakes”) for their family over Christmas. I also left pastors with copies of John and Romans in English and Swahili, tracts, and other materials to help in their ministries. They were very thankful. We discussed their issues and got to fellowship and have a meal together over chai. Under difficult circumstances, they have a great attitude, and I find myself often laughing and joking with them. It also allows me to counsel them on many aspects of the ministry, guiding them on how to build their churches through soul winning, discipleship, correct doctrine, church organization, and the spiritual battle we face. We had the time to say a few words to the church members and encourage them about how they have a responsibility as a Christian and church member to lead people to Christ for salvation.
The year 2025 is promising to be a good year, with the PPTA starting again in early March, God willing. Some of the churches are already asking if they can enroll students. We are praying that we can raise the funds to bring these men in for one week every month for 18 months. To “adopt” a pastor will cost a total of $2,300 for their transport, food, accommodation, and study materials to complete the course. The project has been posted on the FBMI website if you wish to contribute. It is under Missions Project Giving – Pastors’ Practical Training Academy – Brandon Heselschwerdt Family and Peter Morris Family, Team East Africa.
It has been a bit of a battle to get the website site “. . . let the truth be known . . .” up and running, but I am hopeful my Kenyan IT guys will complete the project soon. It should have a tract in 10 languages up soon, as well as discipleship and teaching material, Q&A, a couple of books by a Kenyan Christian author, Wilson Macharia, other references, the link to an online free Bible college course, free online Bible, and a contact page. Please pray that it will all come together in January. I have already started handing out materials with the QR code printed clearly so it can be easily scanned and the site accessed.
We are praying for the Lord to do great things with a number of building projects upcountry and a multiplication of our effort by assisting pastors of independent Baptist churches (PPTA graduates) to build their churches both in grace and in number.
Please pray:
1. We are looking to have at least 12 committed PPTA students at a total cost of $2,300 per student for the 18-month training. By adopting a pastor (student), you are assuring that the pastor, when correctly trained, will reach a very remote part of Kenya that otherwise may not be reached.
2. We would count it a great blessing if we could raise the finances for the building of a steel fabricated roof for two PPTA graduates at a cost of $5,000 each. This is less expensive than a cement-pillar construction, lasts much longer, and is erected in a fraction of the time, so it is usable immediately. Please pray for God to bless these ministries to the poor of Western Kenya.
We indeed give thanks that He has allowed us to serve Him in the country of Kenya. God bless you. Thank you for your support as you partner with us as we endeavor to see people saved and discipled, pastors trained, and churches planted here in Kenya, East Africa.
Your fellow laborers in Christ,
Peter, Melody, and Lindsay Morris
Missionaries to Kenya, East Africa
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- Pastor Elphas receiving his diploma
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- Saying farewell to Pastor George Sekho
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- Deciding the location of the new sign
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- New sign, new windows, new doors, new floor–new soul-winning church!
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- A crowd has arrived at Sikalame Baptist Church.
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- Breaking bread in a Masai home
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- What an amazing moon! Kenya can be stunningly beautiful.
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- I was not sure we would make it through the mud so diplomas were presented on the road. We didn’t make it so we used a pastor’s motor bike and went another way to our next meeting.
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- No, I am not taking the van down there–visiting Pastor Wycliffe in Homa Bay.
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- A few of Pastor John Kirui’s members. He gifted me his walking stick that was made for him by his young son. It came in handy. Thank the Lord.
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- That water is running very fast, a little to close to the top of the bridge for comfort–no baptizing here!
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- Pastor Lawrence receiving his diploma
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- The river is close to touching the bridge, but we made it across. Praise the Lord!
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- We only got bogged in the mud once.
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- A new church starting in a remote school classroom
