Melody, Lindsay, and I wish you and your family a blessed Christmas as you celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. May the New Year bring you peace, joy, and great blessing as you serve Him according to His calling on your life.
We have had a wonderful year in the ministry, with some tragedy as well. We praise the Lord for all that He has done. Among the many blessings throughout the year, we saw hundreds saved during our last Pastors’ School, and we saw pastors make decisions that will significantly affect their ministries. There were 75 in attendance at the Pastors’ School, and we directly ministered to another 25 in separate meetings. We had our first ladies’ meeting at Olorupa Baptist Church in the remote southwest of Kenya, with 65 in attendance and 10 saved.
Churches and group meetings were started in Nairobi and Kilgoris. Principal Wright Jobson was saved and has a chapel service at Sankale Secondary School every Thursday afternoon with Pastor John Nkome’s assistance. Pastor Kennedy Obiko Ototo has planted another work in Mandela, along with works he has started in Meru, Garissa, and Wajir up towards the Somali border. Pastor Obiko’s Christian school has grown to over 200 children after helping him improve his facilities. We have pastors all over the country doing a wonderful job as we assist them in many different ways.
Whether it be through direct training in doctrine, soul winning, discipleship, church planting, or financial assistance on occasion, we are blessed with being able to work with these men as they strive to serve God in whatever the capacity God has blessed them with. Recently I received an email from Pastor Obiko simply informing me of how sad he was at the loss of one of our good men who had only recently started a Bible study in Mandela. He was hauled off a bus heading for Nairobi by the Al-Shabaab terrorists and asked to recite a Muslim creed. Not doing that, he was summarily executed with another 25 people. A friend of Pastor Obiko, and fellow servant of Jesus Christ, has paid the ultimate price. Please pray for these men who are taking the Gospel to Kenya, a country going through great spiritual upheaval at the moment, along with many others.
Please pray also for Team East Africa members Andy and Connie Richey as they work diligently to raise their support so that they can move to Kenya next year. Also, pray for Corey and Elizabeth McDonald as they start deputation and have a challenging road ahead of them. We are all looking forward to when the whole team is resident in Kenya.
We had a blessed time in July when both the Richeys and the Morrises were able to travel together to Kenya, both for ministry purposes and as a survey trip. We were blessed with seeing much fruit. If you know anyone who believes God is calling them to be a missionary to Africa, please suggest they call us. I would be happy to hear from them and discuss the possibility of them working with fellow missionaries of like spirit who are looking to see people saved and discipled and churches planted for the furtherance of the Gospel.
Prayer Requests
• More meetings for all members of Team East Africa—we personally need the support of about 20 more churches.
• Resolution of a legal matter in favor of the ministry, concerning the land of a previous missionary who is no longer on the field
• Finances to help with projects on the field:
- Pastor Solomon Ondora needs US$1650 to start a dress-making business, which will allow him to move his 300-people church in Mombasa away from the Muslim threat and enable his church to become self-supporting.
- Pastor John Towett needs transport money (US$200) so that he can continue to disciple pastors in Tanzania.
- Pastor Fred Kambuni has been told he cannot hold church services in his house anymore. He needs to buy 80 chairs for his new church location ($650).
- Money for Bibles
Many of you have supported us for many years, both financially and in prayer. On behalf of the many people you have helped see saved and for those who are yet to be led to Jesus Christ, we say, “Thank you.” A simple “thank you” seems hardly enough, but let me encourage you by assuring you that much fruit will be held to your account when the day of reckoning arrives and rewards are handed out.
God bless all of you,
Peter, Melody, and Lindsay Morris
Missionaries to Kenya
Leader Team East Africa