His Work Among the Luo People Of Kenya Go ... and make disciples of all nations Matthew 28:19
August 1, 1989

Fraley's Chapel Church of Christ
c/o Jeff Young
Rt. #2 Box 421
Corinth, Mississippi  38834

Dear family in Christ,

   This has been a full, exciting, tiring, unbelievable month.  It's been full of highs and lows, and very little rest, but one I wouldn't have wanted to miss.  Let me just highlight the memorable things for you.
   It started out on Thursday.  We packed all the tenting gear and headed out for a weekend with one of the churches.  Barry planned to teach about the covenant that God made with man through Jesus and expects us to keep today.  It was a good weekend with lots of good teaching.  On Sunday there were 64 baptisms, after a 3 kilometer hike to the river.  64 baptisms was an extremely heart lifting experience.  Many Americans will never see that many baptisms in their whole lives.   We were so tired when we arrived home on Sunday evening.  And we knew that we had to empty out the car and the suitcases and repack to start out early on Monday to take Grace on an animal Safari.  I left all the dirty things from the weekend piled in the house and we set out very early on Monday thinking that it would take about four hours to get there.  Well. . . true to form we got lost and it took eight hours to go about 100 miles over very bad, ill marked roads.  At one point when we thought we knew where we were going, we came upon a road sign that pointed in three directions.  You all will get a laugh out of this knowing my sense of direction.  The arrow to the right said, "Kisii".  The arrow pointing to the left said, "Kisii".  And the arrow that was pointing directly at us said, "Masai Mara"  which happened to be our destination, however, we had just come from that direction and we came from Kisii.  Is this as totally unclear to you as it was to us?  Good.  Then you get the point.  Well, also true to form I started to cry cause I felt so lost and was totally disoriented.  Barry was losing his patience and trying to comfort me at the same time.  He said,  "I know where I am going Stacy.  I want to go east.  Look at the shadows."  And he set out on a road that had a sign pointing to Kisii.  It took me about ten kilometers to figure it all out and to discover that Barry was a worse boy scout than I am a map reader.  He thought he was going east until I screamed and hollered at him for five minutes, while he continued to drive, and finally got it through his thick skull that the shadows showed that we were going north.  Grace was speechless through the whole thing.  I'm sure she thought we were both cracked.  Finally, after much heated debate we set off on a different road and just as we were sure that we were going in the right direction, Barry, true to form, decided he was going to leave the road and drive through the bush to avoid the chewed up road.  For two hours, count them, two hours, we wove through the bush and again got totally lost.  At one point I was sure we made a 180 degree turn and were heading right back the way we came.  Only God led us out of that mess and at 5:00 p.m. we arrived at the tented camp where we were scheduled to stay and the only animals we saw were a few baboon which we could have seen right in the Kisii area without eight hours of sheer torture.  The tented camp was so relaxing and beautiful.  Our tent faced the river where several family of hippos live.  We thoroughly enjoyed sitting on a log and watching them for hours.  The one draw back to that was that after dark, those same hippos could be extremely dangerous.  Hippos can cut a human in half.  Not to worry though, Barry assured us that he could protect us with his trusty pen knife.  Actually, the camp owners provided adequate protection so we stopped worrying until Tuesday morning when I found a tarantula in my hair.  This was destined to be a very eventful weekend and the best is yet to come.
   All of Tuesday was spent in the car  traveling through the game reserve.  We had a good day and saw lots of animals (zebra, giraffe, elephant, wildebeest, hardibeast, baboon, hippos, water buffalo, tropical birds . .).  By this time Kit was saying the animal names and imitating their sounds.  He really noticed all the animals and he's been walking around the house growling ever since.  Early Wednesday morning we set out for home just sure we knew the right direction.  Just about 15 kilometers from the game reserve we got stuck in the mud.  I was not really worried because Barry was industriously, amongst all the flying mud, keeping the car moving in an attempt to get it out of the ditch.  I was laughingly recounting a story to Grace about a time when we were stuck in a much worse spot.  I was trying to put her at ease, when what should happen next but that the steering should break.  You read it right.  For the fifth time since we bought the truck, the steering broke.  Kenyan roads are unbelievably rough.  Let me describe our situation thoroughly for you.  We were over 100 miles from home.  Over 50 miles from the nearest telephone.  Over 50 miles from someone who could understand Luo or English.  Over 300 miles from the nearest tow truck.  Over 100 miles from the nearest mechanic or replacement part.  And we were sitting on a road that would probably not see another car for who knows how long.  Does it sound desperate enough?  Well, it was.  And that's not all of it.
   A half hour later, Barry was under the truck trying to tie the steering back together and I was in the middle of changing Kit's diaper when we heard a car.  I dropped kit and ran to the road waving the diaper in the air.  God blessed us with a couple of tourists who were heading to Migori (a Luo town). When all was discussed and decided, Barry hopped into their car with them and went for help.  Who knows what kind?  We were fully aware that a tow truck or a replacement part was an impossibility and we were fully aware that Grace, Kit and I may end up spending the night in the truck, stranded in the middle of a very remote part of Masai territory.
    At this point I will relate our afternoon as I can't even begin to relate the troubles Barry ran into.  It was noon and we spread out under a tree on a towel knowing it was going to be at least a five hour wait if not a whole nights wait.  We had a bit of food and some drinking water, but we never reckoned on Kit's getting diarrhea, running out of diapers and toilet paper, and we never reckoned on being surrounded by three staring Masai children and their 300 cattle.  The flies were horrendous.  Eating was difficult with some 606 eyes watching our every move not to mention flies, so we shared our lunch with the six human eyes and got the surprise of our lives when they sucked the banana skins clean.  After lunch we were relieved to see the children herd their cows off to greener pastures and we settled to an afternoon nap.  It didn't last long before the children were back, heading their cows home.  I had an idea that we would be the talk of the neighborhood after those children arrived home and sure enough a delegation of young men were sent to see what was going on, one of whom spoke just enough English to find out that we were just two women and a baby and that we were stranded for an indefinite period.  Let me say here that we were not afraid of bodily harm but we were wondering just how we could stop them if they decided to take everything that could be pried loose from the car.
    Don't lose interest here!  The most exciting thing bas not happened yet.  I never prayed so hard in my life as when those Masai men were leaning over the car window, about two inches from my face, casing the goods in the car, the most interesting of which turned out to be the bananas.  Just in the nick of time Barry pulled up in a strange vehicle with four Luo men.  You would think I was relieved,  but somehow all I can remember is those Luo men hollering at Barry for leaving his women and child right in the midst of the hot spot for lions and elephants.  I could have dropped dead from shock right then.  It seems we were picnicking in a very dangerous area.  Oh the blessing of stupidity.
    Barry found a welding outfit and borrowed a car from a mechanic and an hour later we were ready to test the newly fixed part.  It was supper time for the lions so you can imagine how hard I was praying that the weld would hold.  The part held, we drove very slow as it was dark already, and we arrived home six hours later at 1:00 am the next morning.  That was two weeks ago,  and we are still recovering from the shock of that experience.  Grace had the shakes for a day, Kit still has diarrhea, I am having bad dreams and Barry, par for the course, is only interested in getting the car fixed.   I don't think we will take another animal safari anytime soon.  I've had enough of animals!
   Grace will be with us for only two more weeks and we will be sorry to see her go.  She's been a wonderful asset to the work this summer, especially making an impression on the Luo children and our sisters in Christ.  She's been a rock of emotional support to us and to all she met.  Thank you Grace!  We've attached a copy of her newsletter for you to read.  She describes Kenya through fresh eyes and has caused us to notice many things that we had begun to take for granted.  Please pray for her as she returns to the States for her last year of college, and as she reports to her supporters on the work among the Luo.
   We are praying for all of you.

                                               For Him,
 

                                               Barry, Stacy & Kit
 

Dear Friends in Christ,

Greetings from Kenya! It has been over one month since my
arrival.  My luggage did not join me for two weeks.  Even
this I found to be a blessing.  I truly began to learn the
meaning of "shedding my material possessions".  Once it
arrived I realized how silly I was to think I needed any bit
of it.

So many in the Luo tribe have welcomed me wholeheartedly.
My first meal consisted of goat intestines (which is rarely
fed except for special occasions), and the discovery of the
"bush bathroom" have been just two initiations into the
African bush.  The trip upcountry was a long and bumpy one
in the 4 wheel drive truck, but the scenery of zebra,
flamingos, and mountains were breath taking.

Because I am single and of "marrying age" many parents have
offered up to 12 cows as my bride price.  Just a few days
ago the price rose to 16.  Marriage holds great priority in
this culture.  Women are useful for child bearing and for
physical labor.  No romance is involved what so ever.  I
thank my Lord daily that the missionary family I am working
with do not wish to be 16 cows richer!

The sounds of different tribal languages and animals, the
smells of urine and sweat, the tastes of strange foods and
drink, and the sights of sickness and death all possess
positive viewpoints when it involves sharing the love of
Christ with fellow brothers and sisters.  We may not be of
same cultures and we may not be of same blood lines, but the
blood of Christ gives us all something eternal in common.
This has been my greatest joy this summer.

Teaching the women of Luo about the Bible has become quite a
challenge.  These ladies cannot get enough information to
satisfy and then share with others (even for years to come).
Once one lesson has been taught, they sit and wait for
another.  Their desire to learn as much of the Bible as
possible is so strong.  In America, an average Sunday
morning worship lasts for about one hour. In Africa, Sunday
worship may last five hours.  Most Kenyans do not wear
watches.  Time has no limit here.  A twenty minute sermon is
an unknown event.  So, for all you long winded preachers,
Kenya is the place for you!

The family I am helping this summer have been wonderful
coaches in preparing me for what is ahead.  They have spoken
many times of what an encouragement and blessing I have been
to them. But, if they only knew what life changes are taking
place in my life because of them...  It takes very special
and  strong people to work for Him in such a place as
Africa.  I know of few people who work harder than these.
They eat, sleep, and live Luo.  Their 18 month old son
already speaks words in two tribal languages and English.
He is definitely an African boy.  The thought  of leaving
them and the work here is one I dread to even think of.
Barry, Stacy, and Kit Rosie... I love you all dearly.  Thank
you for sharing your lives with me.

The Lord certainly knows how to open ones eyes to sickness
and death.  I was very ill a couple of weeks ago.  I now
understand a tiny portion more of the suffering these people
go through.  Many people are dying.  Every day we hear of
someone that is very ill and needing medical help.

My heart seems to go out to the children of Kenya.  They
have made quite a realistic impression on my mind more than
anything.  So many die needlessly.  Everywhere I am greeted
I shake their grubby little hands, share their toothless
smiles, and see their bloated tummies.  I ache inside and
only wish I could scoop them up for a lifetime.  I still
struggle with understanding why these little ones must
suffer.  But the more I see I now pray that their suffering
be short.  God bless the children.  Give thanks that your
child does not have a fatal disease, hunger, worms, bloated
tummy, constant diarrhea, and only days to live.  Give
thanks in all circumstances, give thanks.

     Jesus said, "Let the little children come
     to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom
     of heaven belongs to such as these."

I would like to say a special thank you to all of you who
helped me in so many ways towards this work.  The lessons I
teach here are few in number to the lessons I learn each
day. Ero kamano thank you). I look forward to sharing them
with you when I return to the country.

It is very difficult mailing letters out of the country.
Your letters coming in are such an encouragement to me and
so many others here.  Please continue to pray for the Luo
work.  My prayer is that you may all grow in His love daily.

For His Cause,
 
 

Grace