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

Fraley's Chapel Church of Christ
c/o Jim Brown
Rt. #8 Box 29A
Corinth, Mississippi  38834

Dear friends,

    My Momma and Poppey are real tired these days so they said I
could write the newsletter this month.  Hi!  I'm Kit Bartholomew and I
have passed my first birthday I'm a big boy now.  I started walking
on Jan. 21st and next month Poppey is going to teach me to drive the
truck.  Momma has already taught me how to use this typewriter so I
can type this newsletter.  And guess what?  I am learning to be a
preacher man here in Kenya!  My Poppey is a good teacher.  Let me just
tell you. . .
    It's not easy bein a preacher man here in Kenya.  First you gotta
know a new language, which I am lernin, and you gotta be able to ride
on these bumpy roads (I can even sleep on 'em) and eat "gali and wiki"
(which I love).   And you can't worry bout dirt and germs cause Kenya
has lots of those things.  I just crawl around and get as black as the
Luo kids and I've even tried to eat the dirt.  You see, I'm gettin a
real nitiation into being a missionary preacher man (whatever that
is)!  Momma keeps sayin that she's glad I had my shots, but I'm not
worried bout germs.  That dirt is good fer you.  How can sumpin that
tastes so good hurt you?
    You know?  The hardest thing bout being a missionary is trying to
understand these people who are so different from us.  And my Momma
and Poppey try real hard to understand them.  I'm still trying to
understand why the kids run around without any clothes and shoes on.
But, you know what?  I've lerned that clothes and shoes don't really
matter because these kids don't have any, but they're still happy and
they love Jesus too.  Even when they're hungry they can sing and pray
and say thank you to God for sending His Son, Jesus.  Now that is hard
for me to understand, cause I go to bed with a full tummy every night.
But bein here in Kenya and seeing these people who love Jesus so much
is teaching me a lot bout bein God's servant.  I'm trying real hard to
lern all I can.  Someday I'm gonna be a real preacher man.  Maybe next
month.
    Momma and Poppey need your prayers for lots of things.  But they
specially need you to pray that God will send some more helpers here
real soon.  They are gettin real tired.  There's lots and lots of work
to do here and they can't do it all alone.  Poppey has livered 19 tons
of corn.  That's a lot!  Everyday he takes a whole truck full of corn.
I am so happy that you are so generous.  It makes me feel good to see
some of those kids eat the corn and go to sleep with full tummies.
And when Momma and Poppey aren't livering corn, they are taking
someone to the hospital, or out teaching some lessons bout Jesus, or
translating materials (whatever that means).  Sometimes I wonder when
they are going to have time for me.  I'm asking Jesus bout that.
    In January we had a big meetin at our house.  Poppey invited the
Luo preachers and teachers, and fifty men showed up.  Momma and Poppey
were real pleased.  Momma was busy cookin and finding places for
everyone to sleep.  Poppey was busy teaching lessons bout Jesus, and I
was busy practicing how to walk.  Simeon, the preacher man for the
deaf helped me, and I took my first steps in front of those fifty men.
I really knew how to walk a long time ago but I was waitin for a big
audience.  But shhhhhhhh!  Don't tell Momma and Poppey that.  Everyone
was so happy at the meetin, not because I walked, but because they all
love Jesus so much and they were so happy to be together and share
some singing and praying and Bible stories.
    This week we are helping one of my little friends who can't walk.
Momma says she is handicapped.  Can you please pray for her?  Her name
is Sabine Akumo and she's three years old.    Yesterday we took her to
the doctor and he says she has a bone disease and pneumonia (whatever
that is), so he put her in the hospital.  I'm askin Jesus to help her
and I hope you will too.  Thank you.
     You know what?  Sometimes it's very hard to live here.  I miss my
grandmas and my grandpoppeys so much, but I am so happy to be here in
Kenya lernin to be a preacher man because I'm trying to love Jesus
with my whole heart, and I am so happy that you all help us with this
work too.  We pray for you everyday, and we love you a whole lots.

For Jesus,
 
 

Kit Bartholomew