Perry Eric Melodie 1998 Kenya

7/26/2019 Perry Eric Melodie 1998 Kenya

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SUND Y i n Y A s w 2 k \ \ \ ,

u m a p i l t )

I t i s j u s t a f t e r n o o n , a n d

t h e

c h i l d r e n a r e g e t t i n g

r e s t l e s s . . . many o f t h e m h a v e

b e e n a t

t h e

c h u r c h

f o r

w e l l o v e r a n h o u r

a l r e a d y .

T h i r t y w i g g l y

l i t t l e

b o d i e s

a r e

w a i t i n g f o r t h e w o r d

f r o m

t h e w o r s h i p t e a d e i l s

t h a t

i t i s t i m e

f o r

t h e " c h i l d r e n

t o g o

up t h e h i l l

t o

S u n d a y

S c h o o l . " I t

i s a

v i r t u a l

s t a m p e d e w h e n

t l i e

announcement

comes.

As

we n t h e c o n g r c g a t i o i i

s t a n d

a n d

s i n g

a c h o r u s

i n

S w a h i l i ,

c h i l d r e n

r a n g j i n g

i n a g e s f r o m

t w o

t o

1 2 l i m b

t h e r o c k y h i l l t o

t h e

t w o - r o o m Sunday

c h o o l

w i n g .

A f t e r t h e c h i l d r e n a r e

g o n e ,

t h e a d u l t s m o v e u p

t o w a r d

t h e f r o n t

of

h e

b u i l d i n g . We a k e

a d v a n t a g e

of h e r e l a t i v e

q u i e t t o s h a r e

commurt-

i o n

a n d h e a r a s e r m o n

( s o m e t i m e s

o n l y i n S w a l i i l i

sometimes

t r a n s l a t e d

from E n g l i s h ) .

We

r a y

f o r

t h o s e

w h o r e

s i c k n e e d e n c o u r a g e m e n t ,

a n d f a | c e

t o u g h d e c i s i o n s .

We o r s h i p t h e

L o r d i n s o n g .

Once

you

h a v e b e e n

h e r e

f o r

a w h i l e ,

you

d o n ' t

n o t i c e t h a t t h e

s e r v i c e

c o n s i s t e n t l y

r u n s t h r e e h o i j r s

o r t h a t th r e e

l a n g u a g e s

a r e

o f t e n u s e d .

You d o n ' t

e v e n n o t i c e when

t h e

I s l a m i c

m u e z i n

from

t h e

|

n e a r b y

mosque

b e g i n s h i s c a l l

t o p r a y e r

o v e r

a

l o u d s p e a k e r a t

1 p . m . : t h e r e

i n n o G o d b u t

A l l a h . . . . " You r e t o o b u s y

w o r s h i p i n g t h e

One r u e

G o d

w i t h H i s p e o p l e .

|

Ok u n d a y s , l e a s e pray

w i t h u sfor h e Body o f

C h r i s t t h a t m e e t s i n

Narok

—

i- o m

t h e

c h i l d r e n

who w r i g g l e

i n w o r s h i p t o

t h e

a d u l t s

who

t r u g g l e

t o g r o w .

Pray

f o r

t h e l e a d e r s h i p

t o

grow i n

w i s d o m ,

e x a m p l e , a n d

n t h u s i a s m .

S o m e o f h e m a n y

w r i g g l y

b o d i e s i n M a a s a i l a n d .

MOND Y j u m a t a t t i )

A f t e r t h e l u r r ) ' o l a c t i v i t ) ' on S u n d a y ,

t h e

P e r r y s a r e

a l l v e r ) ' r e a d y f o r a down t i m e ( w h i c h

i s

a

9 0 ' s

way

of a y i n g s a b b a t h ) .

Whenever we a n , we

r y t o

make Mon da y

u r

s a b b a t h . We s u a l l y d o n ' t go

i n t o

Narok o r d o

any

b i g t a s k s

on

t h i s d a y . We s e

t h e t i m e f o r r e a d i n g , c a t c h i n g up on

c o r r e s p o n d

e n c e . p r a y i n g ,

a n d

s p e n d i n g t i m e a s a f a m i l y . S o m e

t i m e s

y o u ' l l

f i n d

E r i c

a n d

Megan

down

t

t h e

b a s k e t b a l l

c o u r t , where Dad p a t i e n t l y t e a c h e s t h e

f i

n e r

p o i n t s o f

h o o t i n g h o o p s .

Monday s u a l l y

g o e s by

much

t o o q u i c k l y

P l e a s e pray t h a t we

a n

o f t e nfind a

a b b a t h

r e s t

on Mondays. Pray t h a t

o u r f a m i l y r v i l l

h a v e t i m e

t o r e s t

a n d e l a x t o g e t h e r a s we n t i c i p a t e a b u s y

w e e k . P l e a s e

a l s o

prayfor r i c

a n d

m e s p a r e n t s ,

t h a t we v i l l h a v e p a t i e n c e , w i s d o m , a n d m u ch

l a u g h t e r a s we pend

i m e

w i t h Megan.

TUESD Y Ju m a n n e )

We

r e b o t h a r o u n d home on

T u e s d a y

m o r n i n g s ,

s o

we

t a k e t u r n s w a t c h i n g Megan and d o i n g s o m e

of

h e

h o u s e h o l d a n d o f f i c e c h o r e s . On u e s d a y a f t e r n o o n s ,

Megan g r a b s h e r cup

of

a t e r and

h e r b a l l , s a y s a

l o u d

" b y e - b y e , " a n d

r u n s

s t r a i g h t

t o

J o s e p h i n e , o u r

h o u s ew o r k e r .

I

s p e n d t h e a f t e r n o o n i n t h e

o f f i c e : d o i n g i n a n c e s ,

w r i t i n g b u s i n e s s l e t t e r s , w o r k i n g on M a a s a i l i t e r a c y

m a t e r i a l s , s k e t c h i n g o u t n o t e s

f o r

a

women s

B i b l e

s t u d y . F o r E r i c , t h e

t i m e

i s

u s e d

f o r s t u d y a n d

s t r a t e g y : t al k s w i t h teammates about m i n i s t r y

p l a n s , w r i t i n g o u t n o t e s f o r a

v i l l a g e

t e a c h i n g v i s i t ,

d o i n g

a grammar l e s s o n i n S w a h i l i ,

o r

c a t c h i n g up

on m i n i s t r y r e a d i n g .

Ow T u e s d a y s , l e a s e

prayfor

t h e

c r u c i a l

(but

n o t - a l w a y s - e x c i t i n g l )

f f i c e w o r k t h a t

n e e d s

t o b e

d o n e . M a n y of

t h e s e t a s k s a r e t h o s e

t h a t

h e l p

k e e p

us in touch with and ccou n ta ble

to

o u r

t e a m

and

s u p p o r t e r s . Pray

a l s o

for t h e p r e p a r a t i o n t h a t t a k e s

p l a c e

o r

t e a c h i n g a n d

u t r e a c h ,

t h a t t h e

Lord w i l l

g i v e u s t h e

w o r d s

a n d i r e c t i o n n e e d e d

o r

w e e k l y

m i n i s t r y . And, r a y f o r

t h e

i t e r a c y s t u d e n t

e s t i n g

I i l l b e

d o i n g

t h r o t i g h o u t t h e y e a r .



WEDNESDAY Jumatano)

Narok s much

i k e

a

b u s t l i n g f r o n t i e r

town of h e

Old West

i l l e d

w i t h d u s t y t r a v e l e r s ,

t r a d e r s ,

and

q u i t e a

f e w

" w a t e r i n g " h o l e s .

Cows

n d g o a t s o f t e n

b l o c k

t r a f f i c , and p u b l i c t r a n s p o r t

v e h i c l e s

crowd

the s t r e e t s .

E r i c n a v i g a t e s h i s

p i k i ( m o t o r c y c l e ) t h r o u g h

Narok

town

and

up

a

s t e e p

h i l l

t o

t h e

c h u r c h

most

Wednesday f t e r n o o n s . There, n a

s h a c k made

of

o f f - c u t

b o a r d s , E r i c m e e t s w i t h o n e o f h e y o u n g

men

r om

the N a r o k church, Charles

Odhiambo

T o g e t h e r , t h e y

i n v e s t i g a t e

e v e r y t h i n g f r o m t h e

r o l e

of

p i r i t u a l g i f t s

i n

t h e c h u r c h t o e x a c t l y how

. . .

t h r o u g h

t h e

c h u r c h ,

t h e

m a n i f o l d

w i s d o m of

God

should be made known o

the

r u l e r s

and

u t h o r i t i e s

i n h e a v e n l y r e a l m s . . . . " E p h e s l a n s 3 : 1 0 (They r e

w i l l i n g

t o

t a k e s u g g e s t i o n s

on

t h i s o n e ) They p r a y

f o r e a c h

o t h e r

and f o r t h e c h u r c h . As h e y l o o k

over

N a r o k and

i n t o t h e i r

own e a r t s ,

there s

much t o p r a y a b o u t Pray h a t E r i c and CharUs

c a n e n c o u r a g e

and

t r e n g t h e n

e a c h

o t h e r , and

h a t

C h a r l e s w i l l

c o n t i n u e i n G o d ' s e n e r g y

and

direction.

Wednesday t 5 p.m. s f e l l o w s h i p t i m e . P e o p l e

from t h e

Narok

c h u r c h g a t h e r

t o s i n g , h e a r

S c r i p t u r e , p r a y , a n d

— i n

s h o r t

—

t o r e n e w s t r e n g t h

i n t h e

m i d d l e of

t y p i c a l l y s t r e n u o u s w e e k .

R e c e n t l y ,

t h e p r a y e r

t i m e h a s

b e e n

c e n t e r e d on

t h e

n e e d s

of

h e

y o u t h

of

h e

c h u r c h .

Pray

h a t

God

w i l l b u i l d up t h e Body of C h r i s t

i n

Narok

d u r i n g

t h e

f e l l o w s h i p

a r i d

p r a y e r on

W e d n e s d a y s .

Pray

abo t h a t

God w i l l

c a l l

and

q u i p p e o p l efrom o u r

c o n g r e g a t i o n

t o

e n c o u r a g e and

e a c h

our

o u t h .

THURSDAY Alhamisi)

L i l l i a n ( w i f e ofJohn S a i t e i ,

t h e

Narok c h u r c h ' s

m i n i s t e r ) and b o t h

t r y

t o h u d d l e

u n d e r

t h e same

u m b r e l l a w h i l e w a l k i n g a l o n g a n a r r o w , muddy

p a t h .

" D o n ' t g e t

t o o c l o s e

t o

t h a t b u s h ,

s h e

w a r n s

me, nd g l a n c e down t o

s e e

a t h r i v i n g s t i n g i n g

n e t t l e p l a n t

The r a i n s

h a v e b e e n e x t r a o r d i n a r y t h i s

y e a r ,

and t h e Narok R i v e r i s

r u n n i n g

s w i f t a n d

muddy

n e a r

t h e t r a i l .

L i l l i a n

h o l d s

our B i b l e s and

s o n g b o o k s s a f e

from t h e

r a i n i n

a g r e e n p l a s t i c b a g .

P i c k i n g o u r way

among

t h e

r o c k s and p u d d l e s ,

o u r

p r o g r e s s t o

M a r ) ' ' s

house s

s l o w .

F o r t u n a t e l y ,

w e

a r e o n Africa

time,

which mea ns that t e a a nd a

w arm

welcome

i l l b e

w a i t i n g

w h e n e v e r w e r r i v e .

Mary

s

g l a d

t o s e e

u s ,

amazed

t h a t

w e h a v e come

t o h e r p l a c e i n

t h e

r a i n .

We e t t l e on

b e n c h e s

a r o u n d

h e r h e a t e r a n d

c o o k i n g f i

r e

— a

s m a l l m e t a l

j i k o . L i l l i a n

p u l l s o u t

t h e

s o n g b o o k s , a n d w e

i n g

t o g e t h e r w i t h n g u v u ( g u s t o ) , o u r

v o i c e s

p r a i s i n g

God ve r

the

sound

of ain

on

he

t i n

roof.

We

d r i n k t e a

and

L i l l i a n

g i v e s

a

s h o r t

d e v o t i o n . Most

o f he conversation i s i n

Maasai,

o r which I am

t h a n k f u l .

As

w e p r e p a r e t o

h e a d b a c k

t o town, w e

a s k Mary o r h e r p r a y e r r e q u e s t s

and

p r a i s e s . T he

l i s t i s l o n g and comes r o m h e r h e a r t . S i c k n e s s ,

f i

n a n c i a l

n e e d s ,

a n s w e r t o p r a y e r s , h e r c h i l d r e n ,

and

g r a n d c h i l d r e n . . . . We

p e n d a

l o n g

w h i l e

i n

p r a y e r

w i t h h e r . God h e a r s , God c a r e s , God o v e s

y o u ,

God

s

f a i t h f u l

. . .

t h e p a t t e r n

of

h e

r a i n

on

the r o o f choes

o u r

words.

A

ew

minutes

a t e r we r e back

o n

t h e t r a i l ,

accompanied by

Mary

i t

i s Kenyan t r a d i t i o n t o

walk p a r t of h e

way b a c k

w i t h v i s i t o r s ) . I

am

r e l u c t a n t

t o l e a v e

M a r y ' s s i m p l e home, e c a u s e i t i s

w a r m , e c a u s e i t i s a

s h e l t e r , and

b e c a u s e we et

w i t h the Lord

here.

On

T h u r s d a y s ,

l e a s e

p r a y o r

John a i t e t and

E r i c ,

i l l i a n

and

me

s

we

b i t

d i f f e r e n t

e o p l e

from

t h e Narok

o n g r e g a t i o n . Prayfor

h e h e a l i n g

e n c o u r a g i n g ,

c h a l l e n g i n g , and

l e s s i n g work of o d

i n His e o p l e . Prayfor h o s e i n Narok who do no t

y e t know e s u s i n t h e i r l i v e s ,

and

or h o s e who r e

s t r i v i n g t o

o l l o w Him.

E r i c

b e c o m e s " P i k i

Man

n W e d n e s d a y s



FRIDAY

Jumaa)

T h e r e

a r e

o v e r 20

m a l l

CMF o n g r e g a t i o n s

s t r e w n

a l o n g t h e

Mau

s c a r p m e n t ,

a

t r i p of a n d t h a t r i s e s

o v e r

4 , 0 0 0 e e t a b o v e

t h e p l a i n s o f

a r o k .

Many

F r i d a y s , E r i c c a n

b e

f o u n d among

h e

I l d a m a t

Maasai who i v e

i n

t h i s c o o l , f e r t i l e

a r e a o f

cedar

trees and wheat

i elds.

One e c e n t

F r i d a y , E r i c

and Jo hn a i t e t t r a v e l e d

o v e r f o u r

h o u r s t o meet

w i t h elders in a

remote

c h u r c h .

The c t u a l

b u i l d i n g s t o o d a t

t h e

end

o f

rutted

track

in t h e m i d d l e of i eld.

Eric now

s t a t e s t h a t h e

has

been t o the

en d

o f he e a r t h

"Can

a widow

r e m a r r y ? "

T e a c h

u s m o r e

a b o u t

g i v i n g . How

a n

we h a r e

t h e

G o s p e l w i t h y o u n g

p e o p l e ?

We

e e d h e l p t o p u t

a r o o f

n

o u r

c h u r c h

b u i l d i n g . " P e o p l e

i n

o u r

c h u r c h a r e a n g r y w i t h e a c h

Sometimes

t

i s j u s t a s

d i f f i c u l t

t o

i nd p e a c e

and u n d e rs t a n d i n g o v e r c h u r c h i s s u e s a s t i s t o

t r a v e l

t o t h e b ui l d i n g s w h e r e t h e y m e e t .

P l e a s e r a y f o r t h e

b e l i e v e r s

among

h e I l d a m a t

M a a s a i .

P r a y f o r

m a t u r i t y

and n i t y among

h u r c h

l e a d e r s . P r a y o r E r i c a s

h e

e a c h e s , c o n f r o n t s ,

and

e n c o u r a g e s

t h e s e c h u r c h e s .

E r i c

and

ohn a i t e t t e a c h i n g l e a d e r s h i p l e s s o n s a t

O l e t u k a t ,

o n e

o f h e c h u r c h e s

among

h e

I l d a m a t

Maasai.

SATURDAY umamosi)

L i l l i a n s d a u g h t e r G r a c e r u n s

t o g r e e t u s

a s

our

t r u c k p u l l s up

t o t h e

g a t e .

P e o p l e

f r o m

t h e n e a r b y

s l u m g a t h e r a r o u n d a

s t a n d p i p e , i l l i n g

p l a s t i c

w a t e r c o n t a i n e r s .

S e v e r a l y o u t h t a l k

and l a u g h

on

t h e

s t e p s

t o t h e Sunday

c h o o l

b u i l d i n g , w a i t i n g

f o r c h o i r

p r a c t i c e . John

a n d E r i c

h e a d

t o

t h e

church

o f f i c e

t o d i s c u s s sermon p l a n s . Down

h e

h i l l

a

l i t t l e ,

a t

t h e e n t r a n c e t o t h e

c h u r c h

b u i l d i n g ,

I

s e e

t h e

c o l o r f u l h e a d s c a r v e s

and h e a r

s i n g i n g a s

t h e women a t h e r

t o c l e a n

t h e c h u r c h a n d h a v e a

f e l l o w s h i p o v e r t e a . T h i s i s a S a t u r d a y a t

t h e

Narok

c h u r c h — t i m e

o f

l a n n e d m e e t i n g s

and

a s u a l

c o n v e r s a t i o n s ,

a

t i m e

o f

a u g h t e r

and

p r a y e r ,

a

r e m i n d e r

o f

od's p r e s e n c e w i t h t h o s e who o v e

im

G i v e t h a n k s w i t h u sf o r t h e e o p l e o ft h e

Narok

hurch

Our

ime f s e r v i c e

with the

church

at

Na r o k

w i l l

end

a r l y i n 7999. h > / t < f p mynutU

u s

t h a t

G o d

i l l

ma ke His e o p l e i p

N / t r n k

r p / i d y

o f t h i s y e a r .

Over h e

coming

o n t h s , pray ar

t i c u l a r l y

forJohn and

i l l i a n

S a i t e t and h e

c h u r c h l e a d e r s h i p .

Thank

you f o r p r a y i n g

E U C , i T l e l e c U ^

E r i c , M e l o d i c ,

and Megan e r r y

E v e r y

day n c l u d e sfun

i m e w i t h

Megan



Eric,Melodic,

egan e r ry

MINISTRYWITHTHENAROK CHURCH nd

LITERACY

WORK AMONG HE

MAASAI

RIBEOF

KENYA

P O Box501020

Indianapolis,IN

6250-6020

E-mail:

E m e i per r y@ m af.org

THE

PERRY

POST

CMF NTERNATIONAL rayer N e w s l e t t e r

August 1998

Ministry V i t a l Signs" Everywhere

Each

Tuesday a f t e r n o o n ,

s e v e r a l

young

women

close the doors t o t h e i r

p l a c e s

of work

or

hom es and

g a t h e r t o g e t h e r

a t

t h e

Narok

Church. This f e l l o w s h i p

group

w a s organized by t h e

women

hemselves when

t h e y r e c o g n i z e d

t h e i r

need f o r

growth

i n God's

W o r d ,

r a y e r , and encouragement i n

t h e i r

l i v e s

R e c e n t l y ,

when E r i c had

t o

be

away f o r o t h e r

r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s ,

t h e e l d e r s and m i n i s t e r of h e Narok

Church

went ahead w i t h t h e i r r e g u l a r meeting

w i t h o u t

him. They

have m ad e

p l a n s f o r

t h e growth

of h e church and

use

of h e p r o p e r t y

on

t h e i r o w n

I n

remote

v i l l a g e s , Maasai m e n

and

w o m e n

c o n t i n u e

t o s t r u g g l e

t h r o u g h

t h e

d i f f i c u l t t a s k

of

e a r n i n g t o

r e a d and w r i t e i n t h e i r h e a r t l a n g u a g e . Committed

l i t e r a c y

t e a c h e r s a r e

encouraging

and

t r a i n i n g

r e ad e r s

in

their own communitiesso

hat

local

Maasai

churches can

grow

i n

God's Wor d.

Th e signs

say

that the thin gs w e have been working

and

raying

toward

o r the past ou r years are

happening God's

people

i n

Narok

and i n

Maasailand a r e

t a k i n g

on

t h e work

of

His

Church;

t h e y a r e

growing,

m a t u r i n g , and r e a c h i n g o u t . We

a r e n o l o n g e r

c e n t r a l t o

t h e work i n

l i t e r a c y

o r t o t h e

r o l e of

h e Narok Church

i n i t s

community. Though

i t

i s

sometimes an u n s e t t l i n g f e e l i n g t o f i n d

w e

a r e

working o u r s e l v e s out of a ob, h i s

i s

what l l of us

have

been

asking of h e Lord, and He as

been

abundantly

f a i t h f u l

to

a n sw e r

us

As we look

around a t

t h e

changes

t a k i n g

p l a c e w i t h i n

our m i n i s t r i e s ,

we have a

m i x t u r e

of r e s p o n s e s :

joy

a t

h o w t h e Lord i s

answering

p r a y e r s

f o r s t r o n g

b e l i e v e r s

and

a

mature church

a

sense of completion a s

we s e e our s p e c i f i c t a s k s w i t h i n t h e Narok

Church

and Maasai l i t e r a c y being t a k e n on

by

n a t i o n a l s

and

a n

increased

need

fo r

pr ayer

as our

hands-on

wo r k b e c om e s

l e s s

and we

ncourage our Kenyan

b r o t h e r s

and

s i s t e r s i n l e a d e r s h i p and i n t h e i r walks of

f a i t h .

Please p r a i s e God n d

pray

w i t h us

i n

ministry

Megan o

Receive

Competition

Changes

a r e

everywhere

t h e s e days; not only

i n

m i n i s t r y , b u t

i n

our

a m i l y

l i f e a s w e l l . We e c e n t l y

found

o u t

t h a t we

r e

going t o be a f a m i l y of o u r

Lord w i l l i n g , M e g a n w i l l be joined by a baby

b r o t h e r

or s i s t e r

i n e a r l y Ma r c h 1999 Melodie

i s

doing f i n e and r e c e n t l y had t h e

fir s t u l t r a s o u n d

(a

r o u t i n e

p r a c t i c e here) w i t h her doctor i n

N a i r o b i .

M e g a n

has

not m a d e t c l e a r whether

she

p r e f e r s

a

boy

or

g i r l , b u t

i s p r e t t y

e x c i t e d

about "baby."

We

a r e a l l

f i l l e d w i t h

p r a i s e

f o r t h i s

b l e s s i n g

from t h e

Lord

Please

praise Godand r ay

w i t h

us o r h i s

n e w baby

The

Perry

amily i s always on t h e m ove

z/ lima

M e g a n s i n g s

i n

S w a h i l i

w i t h

her f r i e n d Grace.



Margaret

Wangui s an

a c t i v e p a r t

of

h e y o u t h

group a t t h e Narok Church and a grow ing C h r i s t i a n .

Shecomes

from

a d i f f i c u l t

home

ituation

a n d h a s

worked h a r d t o

pursue an

e d u c a t i o n . For t h e p a s t

t h r e e y e a r s ,

we ave been h e l p i n g Margaret w i t h h e r

s c h o o l i n g . She h a s j u s t

completed

h e r second term i n

a i r l s

b o a r d i n g

h i g h

s c h o o l

n e a r N a i r o b i . Please

praise od

and

ray

w i t h

us o r

Margaret.

Perry Eric Melodie 1998 Kenya

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