CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY FELLOWSHIP Prayer Newsletter

Eric and Melodic Perry

Ministry with the Narok Church

& Literacy Work among the

Maasai Tribe of Kenya

Box 110

Narok, KenyaEast Africa

ERIC, MELODIE, AND MEGAN

THE PERRY POST

January 1997

FURLOUGH REPORT

EUGENE, OR — We have lived in Eugene for sixmonths now. When we refer to home we mean

Eugene rather than Ewaso Ng'iro. Soon, however, wewill be confusing folks here in our letters when homewill mean Kenya, and America is the place we willmention by name.

While our time has been short, God has blessed uswith changes and challenges in family and ministry.As we look forward to our departure on January 27,1997, we would like to share some of these changesand challenges with you.

MISSIONARY AT HOME?

The call of a missionary is generally regarded as a callto go. Yet, there is a time when the expectation isreversed. Then family, friends, and churches expectthe missionary to return. Once a missionary hasreturned home, does he or she cease to be a missionary?

The answer is "no." Melodic and I have presented ourwork at sixteen churches in the past six months. Wehave told the good news of Jesus' love bearing fruit inthe lives of the people of the Narok Church andMaasai Literacy Program. We have shown how theprayers and support of the churches and individuals

here affect the work half a world away. Themissionary endeavor is not the work of one family, itis the work of the Church. A whole army of peoplestand behind a single missionary.

Our reports included a week of skits for three VBSs,presentations for Sunday school classes and pie socials,sermons, committee interviews, and chats over coffee

or at someone's house. In November, we logged2,500 miles on a car that already had over 210,000miles on it. We learned God's provision and the graceHe shows through His Body. Thanks to all!

A missionary at home is a missionary on the phone.

... AND BABY MAKES THREE

Megan Elizabeth Perry has utterly altered our lives. Ithas only been three months since her arrival on theafternoon of September 15, but neither Melodic nor Ican remember what it was like to only be a couple.

There is a danger that as a proud parent I will makethis section the longest of our newsletter. So, I willconfine myself to some basic hallmarks in her life andwhat furlough has meant to her:... as of December 5, she weighed 13 lbs. 2 oz. andmeasured 24 3/^ in.... she has visited 11 different states.

... she said "mom" not mama -- not some cooing that-sounded like-mom, she said "mom;"... she now gives us 6-8 hours of sleep every night.... she loves to laugh and hear her own voice.... she is cutting her first tooth.... she prefers the music of the group Jars of Clay totraditional lullabies.

... I think she already has a crush on Keanu Reeves.

Seven showers were held for Megan, and giftscontinue to flow in. We have learned of the sacrificial

generosity of Gods people and that a significant partof a missionary's ministry is one of gratitude.

Okay, one story. She met thirty-five Perry relativesover Thanksgiving in North Carolina. She and herGreat-Grandma Perry hit it off immediately. Everymorning while we stayed at Grandma's, we would setMegan in the kitchen with her, and they would carryon the longest conversations. She may look more likeMelodic, but Megan has the Perry sense ofconversational lingering.

New laughter in our lives!

LOSSES, GAINS AT NAROK

As many of you know, the past year has been adifficult one for the Narok Church of Christ. InNovember 1995, one of the ministers involvedhimself in a controversy that caused the church'sLeadership Committee to ask him to relinquish hisministerial duties for a time. His angry responseraised questions concerning his character, and theleadership placed him on an extended suspension.

During the time of the suspension, the ministeroscillated between bewilderment, rage, sorrow, andgossip. In July, after the elders discovered that theminister was the source of slanderous rumors about

the church and mission, and after witnessing himattempt to physically threaten one of our CMFcolleagues, the elders terminated his employment.

The minister was a dynamic visionary, and his absencein the Narok Church of Christ will be a loss. The

elders, however, have gained confidence as a group tomake difficult decisions regarding the oversight of thechurch.

The leaders of the Narok Church are exhausted. One

of my colleagues said that in many ways thecongregation is waiting to see what happens now.

Pray for the leadership as they work to mend the livesbroken by the division. Pray that God will also grantthem renewed strength to move ahead with theirvision for the church, and that Satan will not defeatthem with hopelessness.

GET READY, GET SET ...

One of the things we have prayed about during thisfurlough is the renewal of our call to serve in Kenya.The Lord has blessed us with wonderful supporters,friends, and church families who have overwhelmedus with prayers and encouragement. He has alsograciously provided for our financial needs, both forfurlough and for our next two years on the field.Throughout our seven months of furlough, we havecontinued to see God's affirmation of our return to

Kenya and the ministries He has given us there. Wehave found the refreshment and renewal we have been

praying for.

You all have been a significant part of our furlough —through calls, letters, visits, and most especially your

Friends await our return to the Narok Church ofChrist.

prayers for us. It has been a busy time of beginning afamily, traveling, reporting, and planning. You haveblessed us and helped us to feel ready for what Godhas in store for us back in Kenya.

TWENDE!

"Lets go!" Going is also a part of furlough ... theconclusion and motion of our commission. We will

return to Kenya for another two years.

As we go, I return to Kenya as a career missionary.My work will continue to focus on the leaders of theNarok Church, empowering them to oversee thechurch without direct missionary supervision. As theNarok leaders grow in their ability, I will begin tospend more time with the church leaders in an area ofMaasailand known as the Ildamat. I also will assist

Steve Limiero, a CMF short-term associate, who willwork with Maasai youth in Narok and the Ildamat.

As we go, Melodie will continue to work with theMaasai Adult Literacy Program. Her focus willremain on developing materials, training andencouraging Maasai literacy teachers.

As we go, many are concerned about Megan's safety.Kenyans, by and large, love children. Just as she hadan abundance of aunties wherever we went here, shewill have plenty of folks to look after her there. Wealso have a pediatrician in Nairobi and two doctorswith our mission who will be on the short-wave radio

every night between 6:15 and 7 p.m. And, of course,there is God who protects us all.

As we go, please pray for:• God to continue to cause growth and provide

\

strength in the lives of theleaders of the Narok

Church.

• Melodie and me to

balance parental duties sothat both are effective in

our ministries.

• Steve Limiero as he and

I work together to developa youth strategy that willassist our common

ministries and youth workthroughout Maasailand.• Safety for all of us as wetravel to and live in

Kenya.

As we go, we leave familyand friends who helped to make the past few monthsrewarding and memorable. Thanks to you all for yourlove! We will miss you.

For the Kingdom,

Eric, Melodie, & Megan Perry

PRAYER PARTNERS ... Old and New

As we go, we need to know who has committed tobecoming a prayer partner. If you have not made acommitment before now, please fill out the formbelow and send to us at the CMF office. For thosewho have been prayer partners in the past, we askthat you would renew your commitment to prayfor us during this new term of service in Kenya andreturn this form, also.

Eric and Melodie,I commit to praying faithfully each week for you and yourministries in Kenya on:

Sun. Mon. Tue. Wed. Thu. Fri. Sat. (circle day)

Name

Address

City, State, ZIP_

P/ease return to: CMF International, P.O. Box 501020,Indianapolis, IN 46250-6020.

CMF INTERNATIONAL Prayer Newsletter

Eric and Melodie Perry

MINISTRY WITH THE NAROK CHURCH

& Literacy Work among the

Maasai Tribe of Kenya

Box 110

Narok, KenyaEast Africa

E-mail: Emelpeny@maf.org ERIC, MELODIE, AND MEGAN

THE PERRY PCS

July 1997

BEYOND TOURISTS:

ON SAFARI WITH THE PERRYS

For two weeks in June, we were blessed to havevisitors from Florence Christian Church, Florence,Oregon. Fred Jensen, Ken Prather, and Mike andDebbie Rehnberg came to stay with us and learnmore about our daily lives and work in Kenya.They brought teaching and encouragement not onlyfor us, but for Maasai church leaders and the peopleof the Narok Church.

On a ministry safari: Fred Jensen, Ken Prather, Mike andDebbie Rehnberg at the Narok Church.

Having visitors from the US caused us to see ourlives and work from a fresh perspective. And, nearlyeverything the Florence group experienced was newand different for them! They were sensitive andinterested guests, and we had fun giving them abrief look at life in Kenya. We know that everyonecan't make the trip here, but we thought we mightanswer some of the most commonly askedquestions, so you can feel like you have been on amini-safari. Maybe some of your questions will beanswered — read on!

How often do you come to Nairobi (the capital ofKenya)?

We make the three-hour drive to Nairobi about

once a month. Our trips are usually scheduledaround team meetings or business responsibilities.We usually stay four to five days and use the time tocatch up on paperwork, finances, and shopping forsupplies and groceries. While in Nairobi, we stay atone of the missionary guesthouses ~ often theMennonite Guesthouse, which provides three mealsa day. When our Florence visitors arrived inNairobi after their long flight, they were glad to findhot showers and normal food awaiting them at theguesthouse!

What kind of money do you usef Are thingsexpensive^

We use Kenya Shillings here. Right now, oneUS dollar is worth about 53 Kenya Shillings.Because you get so many Shillings for eachdollar, it always looks as if you have a lot ofmoney! But, as our visitors found, it candisappear quickly! Here is a sampling of someof the items and prices our visitors found:

Kenya coffee (the best in the world, in ouropinion) $5.50 per pound

Small "finger" bananas 2 shillings(or approx. each)

Wool blanket (the first choice in outer wear oftraditional Maasai men) $6.50

Coke (from a glass botde, not a can) 50$

Postcard and stamp to the US $1.50

It should be noted that many prices arenegotiable, and shopping for souvenirs inKenya is a bargain-hunter's paradise.Bartering is an art form here and fullyexpected. However, it is not for the shy.

Do you live "in the bush"?

Our house is near the roadside town of Ewaso

Ng'iro, and about 50 yards from the Ewaso Ng'iroRiver.—^ric-oftcn refers^to Ewaso Ng'iro as the "gray-fringe of civilization." Our house is located on thecompound of the Maasai Training Center, whichalso includes a church building, dormitories,classrooms, and a dining hall. The Training Centeris a place for teaching, literacy, fellowship, meetings,and worship for Maasai Christians. Another CMFfamily lives at the center, as well as national staff andtheir families. We are a 20-minute drive from

Narok, a town of about 13,000 people.

Do you have lights? Electricity?

Our electricity for our computer and lights issupplied by solar panels on our roof; our smallrefrigerator runs on kerosene; and our stove and

water heater (which provide on-demand heat) usebottled propane gas.

Can we take showers? Can we drink the water?

Understandably, many of the concerns of visitors toAfrica have to do with water! At our house, we havea regular bathtub and shower, and usually plenty ofwell water. On occasion, when there is not enoughsun to keep the solar water pump for the well going,we supplement by pumping river water into thestorage tanks. This makes for some muddy-lookingbaths, but reminds us to be thankful for each andevery drop of water! We have a rain tank that is asource for all of our drinking water, which ispurified further by katadyn filters.

What is it like to visit a traditional Maasai village?

According to one of our visitors, "The experience isbeyond words, and cannot be captured adequately onfilm!" Still, we'll try!

One afternoon we met with our friends Naitayuangand Mary, and they took us to their homes in anearby village. The traditional village is made up ofseveral huts arranged in a circle. These aresurrounded by a tall fence made from branches ofthorn trees. As we entered the village gate we weresurrounded by children. Our visitors rememberedto greet the children by touching the tops of theirheads and saying, "Supa."

Maasai houses are made of a framework of poles andsticks covered with a mixture of cow dung and mud.They are not very tall, and all of us had to duck as

—we-made our way into-the darknessT—We-sat-onbenches and low beds near the cooking fire andtalked as both women prepared tea for us. After wesat for a while inside, our eyes adjusted, and wecould actually make out one another's faces! BothNaitayuang and Mary made chai for us, andeveryone enjoyed it! Chai is tea leaves boiledtogether with water, milk, and a generous amountof sugar.

When we drank chai, Mary asked us to be in prayerfor her co-wives and husband. Her husband has

shown an interest in the Gospel, but remains veryweak in his faith. Mary wants her whole family tobe strong Christians.

Megan on a visit to Mary's house ...we have no shortage ofbabysitters!

Do we have to eat weird food?

Usually, a visit to a village will include a cup of chai.If you are a special visitor (and all of the folks fromFlorence were!), sometimes food will be prepared.Our group was treated to roasted goat meat, rice,and potatoes in the village of one of the Maasaichurch leaders in an area called Oletukat. They alsoate several meals in the homes of believers from the

Narok Church. These also included rice, potatoes,and beef, as well as chapatis (kind of thick, friedtortillas). Most Kenyan food is very tasty and nottoo much of a challenge for our American tastebuds!

At our house, we eat more familiar foods, and mostdishes are prepared from scratch. Our visitors atethings like pizza, baked chicken, french toast, andtacos when they weren't indulging in goat meat inthe village!

Will the church services be in English?

Sometimes! At the Narok Church, the first Sundayservice is in English, and the second in Kiswahili.Most of the congregation Is more comfortable withSwahili, so the second service has a higherattendance and lasts much longer!

Ken Prather, the senior minister at Florence

Christian Church, led a seminar on "Christian

Commitment" at the Narok Church, and also

brought the Sunday morning message. For both ofthese events, he had a translator who spoke inKiswahili. It was Ken's first experience with atranslator, and he did an excellent job!

Eric often preaches or teaches in English and has hiswords translated by Matthew Ngomo, one of theNarok elders. However, Eric is currently practicinghis Swahili and hopes to preach a sermon without atranslator this summer!

What is it like taking care ofbaby Megan in Kenya?

This is something everyone seems to be curiousabout! First of all, there is no shortage of babysittershere! Dad and Mom take turns, and we also have ahousehelper named Josephine who is available towatch Megan for at least an hour or two every day.Megan finds her fun and fascinating, and plays withJosephine's children. When we are at church,Megan usually disappears with some of the girlsfrom the youth group or with other Kenyan womenin the congregation. She loves the attention and thechange of scenery from Mom and Dad!

Megan is now crawling, so we have to be extracareful! Our house has concrete floors (no housesare carpeted here) and a couple of steps for her tonegotiate. She has her own small room and lots oftoys. At night, she sleeps under a mosquito net.One of our teammates is a pediatrician, and she is inradio contact two hours each day. So far, Megan hasbeen very healthy, and we continue to trust the Lordto watch over her.

MEGAN MILESTONES

About 1 inch of hair and 6 teeth.

Crawls everywhere, eats everything.

Claps and points at people (although wetold her this is rude).

Likes to: make funny faces, chase Mom and Dad,swing ride in her backpack, sing along at church,

and pet the dog.

Will be one year old September 15!

Do our prayers make a dijference?

We were so thankful to have visitors who were able

CO come and experience life in Kenya with usfirsthand. We know that the group from Florencesaw the effects of prayer in the lives of those theymet. We cannot emphasize enough the crucial rolethat each of you has as you pray for us, the NarokChurch, Maasai Christians, and the specific needswe bring to you. Thank you so much for laboringwith us in this way. Here are some ways you cancontinue to make a difference through prayer:

• Give thanks with us for RAIN! We know that

many of you have prayed for the country of Kenyato receive.rain. Beginning on Easter Sunday, andcontinuing through the end of May, we receivedgood rains! Land that was once barren and brown isnow covered with lush grass. Maasai Christians arecontinuing to give thanks for God's grace to them,shown in the gift of rain.

• Pray for the Maasai-wide women's course to beheld August 19-22. Maasai Christian women froman area called Olombokishi will host other Maasai

women from many different areas for this course.Maasai women will do the teaching, and they arepraying that this course will be a time ofrefreshment for Christians and a witness for those

who are not yet believers. Pray for us as we help withthe planning andpreparations for this course.

• Pray for the Home Groups, which are beginningto meet in Narok. These groups are an opportunityfor deeper study, prayer, and outreach to those whowould not normally come to a church building.Please pray for the members of the Narok Churchwho are leading and participating in these groups.Prayfor those who can be reachedfor Jesus throughthese groups.

•'Pray for our new neighbors, the Reids: Greg and.^^©ccky Johnson, teammates who have been ourneighbors at the Maasai Training Center for several-^^ears, are returning to the States to begin a newTministry with CMF. Oiirteam has asked DennTsand Mary Reid and their family to continue in theministry at the Training Cemer., The_Reids.will?ransition to the center during July and August.Please prayfor them in this move, and for their quickadjustment to their new ministry roles.

For the Kingdom,

Eric, Melocbe ̂

Eric, Melodie, and Megan

7/97

Eric and Melodie PerryChristian Missionary FellowshipP.O. BOX 501020

INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46250-6020317-578-2700

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CMFINTERNATIONAL Praxer NewslettermVEMBEK 1997

Eric and Melodic PerryMinistry with the Narok Church& Literacy Work among the

Maasai Tribe of Kenya

Box 110

Narok, KenyaEast Africa

E-mail: Emelperry@maf.orgERIC, MELODIE, AND MEGAN

THE PERRY POST

NEEDED: PRAYER FOR MAASAI

LITERACY PROGRAM

At a recent meeting of all CMF missionaries working inMaasai, there was considerable prayer and discussionconcerning the Maasai Literacy Program. We all agreedon some significant changes in the way we want tocontinue to work toward literacy goals in Maasai.Melodic and several of our teammates have discussed

the program and the changes with the Maasai literacyteachers over the past few months.

Currently, 15 Maasai literacy teachers continue to teach

local literacy classes. Praise be to the Lord, in manyMaasai churches the goal of five to six readers percongregation has been met successfully! However, inthe areas where this goal has not yet been reached, we

plan to make two major changes: One, we want to focuson much smaller classes and concentrate on teaching

those who will be able to use their reading skills todirectly benefit their local church.

Second, as of January 1, 1998, teachers will no longerreceive a monthly salary from CMF missionaries. At that

time, they will have the opportunity to begin teaching inan incentive program ~ students will be tested quarterly,and the teacher will receive the equivalent of a goat orcalf for their students' successful completion of differentliteracy levels.

(conunued on page 2)

ERIC PRESENTS A DIPLOMA TO DANIEL OLE TUKE.

NEEDED: PRAYER FOR

LEADERSHIP TRAINING

Along with many of our teammates, Eric is

involved in teaching leadership courses at the

Maasai Training Center where we live. He

teaches on a variety of subjects — from

stewardship to the Holy Spirit. These courses are

part of a program designed to help Maasai church

leaders as they serve their home congregations.

Please pray for the Church in Maasai as

believers learn and apply God's principles to

their daily lives.

(continuedfrom page 1)

Our team believes that these two changes will lead localchurches to be more involved in the literacy work intheir area, as well as encourage teachers to be more

consistent and committed to their work.

Please pray for the teachers, Melodic, and our CMFteammates as we travel this new direction in the

Maasai Literacy Program. These changes will bringsome financial challenges for some of our teachers.Please pray that the Lord will continue to provide fortheir needs as they go through this transition timeand into the future.

RAVE REVIEWS FOR NAROK

CHURCH SUNDAY SCHOOL!

For about a year now, the teachers at the Narok

Church have been involved in an exciting

teachers-in-training program. Each of the three

permanent Sunday School teachers chose another

person in the church to be their special

teacher-in-training. Each Sunday, these teaching

teams have worked together to bring God's Word

to the children who attend the Narok Church. The

teachers-in-training are learning all the specifics

of teaching kids, as well as providing support and

encouragement for the permanent teachers.

Teachers and teachers-in-training have also been

involved in outreach to the families of the Sunday

jol-dnldfeurrAt-least-once a-monthrthey--

organize home visits to pray, sing, and bring a

word of encouragement from the Bible.

Praise God for the teachers and

teachers-in-training who work so faithfully

week after week. Pray for their lessons and for

their outreach!

It's hard to believe, but we will celebrate omfifthwedding anniversary on April 3! Join us inpraising God for our marriage!

THE GREEN BEAN CHALLENGE: TRY THIS AT HOME, KIDS!

NEEDED: PRAYER FROM PARENTS

FOR PARENTS!

So far, Megan has been a parent's dream — funny, full of

laughter, and endlessly entertaining! She has grown

more hair and more teeth, and added lots of words to her

vocabulary: bear, ball, shoe, Joe (for nearby neighbor

and teammate Joe Cluff), and a very distinct "Bye."

Please keep praying for us as we negotiate the

growing challenges of parenthood. We need God's

daily blessing as we "train up Megan in the way she

should go." Proverbs 22:6 We'd like to ask fellow

parents (and there are a lot of you!) to lift us up when

you are praying about your own challenges and blessings

as parents. We all face many similar situations as we

seek to raise our families to be followers of Jesus!

"WALKING? STAIRS? PIECE OF CAKE! I'M ALL FOR BUNGEE

JUMPING! MY FIRST STEPS WERE ON SEPTEMBER 18. 1997-THREE DAYS AFTER MY FIRST BIRTHDAY!"

Been Praying

Dennis and Mary Reid (along with childrenMarshall and Elizabeth) became our new

neighbors at the Training Center in July. You'vebeen praying for their transition to this newlocation and ministry ...

God's Been Answerin

We really enjoy having the Reids so nearby! Wenot only have another family with whom to shareministry plans but wonderful times of fellowshipas well. We have established Monday as worshipnight, and it has encouraged ail of us to sing andpray together weekly. Friday is game night, whenwe share dinner and a relaxing activity together.We are often joined by neighbors and teammatesSteve Limiero and Joe Cluff. Steve and Joe work

with youth in several of our area churches.

Dennis Reid and Eric have also been workingclosely with each other to continue ministry tothe Damat area of Maasai. Eric and Dennis have

been teaching leadership lessons in four differentplaces within Damat. The attendance at thesetwo-day courses has been excellent, and many ofthe leaders have been asking for more teaching!

Praise God with us for teammates and

partners in this work! Praise Him for theReids' willingness to transition into the newministry role of oversight and encouragementof the Training Center staff. Praise Him forthe Damat Christians who are so eager to

learn from God's Word!

MELODIE WITH TWO OF THE WOMEN FROM THE NAROK

CHURCH. LUCIA AND MARY ARE BOTH ACTIVE SERVANTS OF

THE CHURCH.

NEEDED: PRAYER FOR DEEPER

RELATIONSHIPS!

^ch of our work continues to center on deepeningrelationships with men and women who attend the NarokChurch. One of the ways we are involved is "Visitationfursday." Eric and John Saitet, the minister of the

church, visit different men of the congregation onThursday afternoons. Often, this means going to theirplace of work for a short time of prayer and Scripturereading. Recently, John's wife Lillian and Melodiebegan venturing out on Thursdays to visit differentwomen from the church as well.

Visitation Thursday is a great time of getting to meetpeople where they are and to pray specifically for needsthey have. It means a lot of footing, as the Kenyans say,through some of the poorer areas of Narok. And, itmeans drinking a lot of tea and warm sodas through eachThursday afternoon! But, it means deeper, more personalrelationships with those in the congregation who mightnot find Jesus in their everyday life any other way.

Please pray with us speciflcally for VisitationThursday. Pray for John and Lillian as they learn tominister to the people of the congregation they serve.

You've Been Praying...You prayed for the Maasai Women's Course heldlast August at the Olombokishi Church (in theDamat area of Maasai, where Eric continues toteach and meet with area leaders)...

God's Been Answering...Over 10 women attended this three-day villagecourse! There were refreshing times of worship,intense times of prayer and solid teaching byMaasai Christian women!

Praise God for those who were introduced to

Jesus and for those who are continuing togrow in Him!

THANK YOU for continuing to pray for us, write to us,e-mail us, and encourage us. Bach of you is so importantto us and to people we continue to serve. Keep praying!God is answering!

For the Kingdom,

Eric, Melodie, & Megan Perry ^