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

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

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

                                                           CHANGE

   One of the first principles that a student of missiology learns is that change is the number one indicator of a field that is ripe for harvest for the Lord.  People are more apt to listen, more apt to respond and more apt to change their spiritual lives when their physical lives are undergoing change. And change is quicker when the physical change especially involves change of a value system within the culture.  Increased mobility, increased wealth, increases in living and health standards will all alter receptivity.  But changing views on life and death, respect and honor, and morality can throw a soul to the depths of insecurity and bring about more rapid change in one's spiritual life.
    The Luo tribe of Kenya are undergoing a terrific amount of change in this decade at a terrific rate.  Their land is too small to support steadily increasing size of families.  Because of Western influence they have more money to spend than before.  Housing is becoming better.  Public transportation is a common thing.  Health standards are improving and medical care is better than ever before.  These changes are all figuring into the increased receptivity among the Luo.  But, more importantly, the core of Luo culture, their value system, is undergoing phenomenal change, producing a tribe of very insecure people.  Their increased mobility is causing much problem with traditional views of death, forcing them to rethink and change customs involving death and funerals,  and westernization is causing an impact on this traditionally polygamous (marrying more than one wife society, just to name a few.
   Many many traditional Luo values are changing, but today, because of an incident we witnessed this last month, I want to write to you about the profound change in respect and honor that toady's Luo's are undergoing.  After three and a half years on the field here among the Luo, I am still amazed at the number of elderly people that respond to the gospel.  It is a rare event (in America) to see an elderly person (lets say over age 65) respond to the gospel and be buried with our Lord in baptism.  In Luo it is not.  Some value system that is changing is causing much insecurity among the elderly Luo people.  Which brings me to the conversation we witnessed between two Luo "jodongo" (elders). . . .
   Otuomo and Acholla are members of the body of Christ and worship faithfully at the Mariwa congregation in South Nyanza.  Both are over age 70, walk with canes and are troubled with aching bones and joints.  Both have earned the right to be respected and honored because of their age.  They grew up in South Nyanza and were taught the traditional Luo code of honor and respect.  They gave up many chairs as youngsters to elderly Luo's and perhaps they gave up many meals to elderly Luo visitors to their homes.  The traditional code of honor and respect taught them that an elder always comes first, is never questioned and above all is never ridiculed.  An elder is held in the highest esteem even if mentally of physically handicapped and is always served by younger members of the family in every circumstance.
    Even today, many signs of that code of honor and respect still exist.  I've often times thought that more Americans should see this sense of honor and respect and can learn from it.  You can imagine my surprise when we were sharing breakfast with Otuomo and Acholla at a .retreat, and I heard one ask the other, "Did the youth beat you when you were walking home last night?"  Try to imagine how they must have felt.  They learned and practiced absolute respect for their elders and grew up knowing that they would deserve the same respect.  Not only is this culture basically non-violent, which makes one wonder at the statement, "Did the youth beat you. . ."  but it cuts to the core the traditional value system of respect and honor of the elderly.  Now I know why Otuomo and Acholla have responded to Christ so readily and cling to Him so heartily.  He (Christ) is providing a security that has been swept out from under them in what has suddenly become an unstable culture.  And hundreds of other Luo's are responding in the same way.
   Maybe that is why we feel that we are spread so thin, one family among one million insecure Luo's.  Maybe that's why the church is growing so rapidly here in South Nyanza.  Last year there were 36 churches, the list at present reaches 45, and one family cannot teach them all.  And maybe that is why our mailbox is flooded daily with letters asking us to come and teach.  The harvest in Luo is ripe now because of this rapidly changing culture.  It will not always be so ripe.
    Please pray for Otuomo and Acholla.  They have responded but need more strength to deal with changes such as they are seeing.  Please pray for those who feel the insecurity but don't know how to stop it.  And above all, please pray for those who want Christ but who we are unable to teach because we are only one family among one million Luo's.

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   We are fine physically but drained both physically and spiritually because of the work load we are experiencing.  Help us with prayers for the Roger Moon family who are preparing to come and be a part of this work.  They still need a sponsoring eldership and funds.
   Many of you have asked about the little girl I wrote about in a previous newsletter.  Kit Bartholomew's little friend, Auma, was the 3 year old handicapped child who we were helping to get a back operation to relieve pain on some spinal nerves.  She died this month while awaiting the operation.  I am glad that she is in the arms of Jesus and not suffering any more, but sad because her death seemed so needless.  We were unable to influence the doctors to move faster.  Keep her family in your prayers.  They have already lost four of ten children.
   You are in our prayers daily and we ache to see and hear from you.

For Christ,
 
 

Barry, Stacy & Kit