Month: November 2019

Thanksgiving is a federal holiday in the United States, celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. It originated as a harvest festival.

According to legend, the pilgrims and the Native American Indians celebrated the first Thanksgiving with a feast.

Today, most Americans celebrate with friends and family. A turkey is at the center of the table along with stuffing/dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, and pumpkin pie.

Happy Thanksgiving, from your American family to our brothers and sisters in Western Kenya and around the globe!!!

Here are 3 videos I thought you might enjoy! They give you a brief glimpse of my life here in Western Kenya.

This is elder Elijah’s compound. The recent campmeeting was held here. (1:02)

The next video is of the Pentecostal church were I’m holding Bible studies in Kibagenge. (2:53)

The final video is another Bible study location, Kongoni. (1:36)

I had to slip in a photo of my buddy, the Resident Cat.

It has come to my attention that some of the students that are attending the classes I teach do not have Bibles. The Gideons used to do their thing out here – but not anymore. It just never crossed my mind that in a country where half of the people and businesses have Biblical names, many do not have Bibles.

Someone took Miriam’s Bible when she wasn’t looking the other day. It is a shame that some of my students are just sitting in class and hearing the teaching and the reading but not seeing it in the Word themselves.

A Bible costs between $10 and $15. That’s a lot of money for people who live on less than a $1 a day. It is cost prohibitive to send Bibles from the US. The best way to help is to send money so that we can purchase the Bibles here in Kenya. Click Donate for a variety of ways to send money.

The clutch in the car quit working on the way to my first class. The rest of the day was tricky but I managed to pick up people in 2 different locations on the way out to the furthest of all the studies I do. I got the car parked on a hill so that we could have a rolling start after class.

Halfway home, I got stopped behind another car at exactly the wrong spot. We weren’t able to move again without a clutch. Fortunately there was a place nearby that I was able to buy fluid and it stayed in the system long enough for me to get moving, drop everyone off and start on the way home again before I lost the clutch again.

I managed to get the car into Afrikana Yard and parked a little crooked because a dog was sleeping in the dark on the ground where I normally park.  My truck driving skills syncing engine RPMs with the gear box came in handy today. I thank God for His goodness!

Ten minutes after I started the movie TELL THE WORLD, we heard a loud crash and the power went out.  The projector I borrowed from the SDA Church, went dark. We all went out front and saw a distressing scene.

A straight truck lost control, went down through the grass and plowed over a pole carrying the main power supply to the town of Simatwet.  Thankfully, no one was hurt.

We prayed for the drivers on Kenya’s roads, announced the continuation of the movie next Sabbath and dismissed the group. We had about 15 people in attendance, 10 were children.

Next Sabbath, we hope to be able to view the entire movie, which is a history of The Seventh-day Adventist Church. I highly recommend it for your family to watch!

After Nehemiah helped to rebuild the holy city of Jerusalem and the walls around the city, he went back to Persia for a time. You may remember that when he came back, things were different from when he left. This was after the 70 years of captivity. You can read more about Nehemiah’s experience in the book Prophets and Kings, Ch.57.When we read about the great men and women of the Bible, we note a common thread: following all of God’s commandments, principles, and precepts is typically not popular. All godly men and women are tested as to their faithfulness and dedication to Him. I’m tested each day and sometimes I trip, sometimes I fall. Are you one of His people that will follow truth no matter whether you’re the only one? —- Brenda Zarska

Pastor Curtis went back to the States for about a month after his first 3-month stay in Kitale. Friendships had been formed and bible study was vigorous! Many committed themselves to the keeping of all of God’s commandments.

By God’s grace, pastor Curtis is back. He is helping those who might have stumbled to get back up! He is there to form new friendships and study God’s Word with any who will hear! Is that you?

Pastor Curtis says: I’m teaching or speaking every day and on some days teaching in 2 different locations. There is a multi-denominational women’s group, a Penticostal church in Kibagenge, a weekly class in Loreto with Pastor Nicholas Juma and his church, another with Pastor John Kasembeli and his church in Kongoni, and Sabbath’s spent with pastor Benjamin’s church in Simatwet.

I’m keeping Friday afternoon free for my own Sabbath preparation. I want you to know how happy I am to be back with my second family here in Kenya! Everyone is so warm and welcoming and I hope to stay even longer, if funding can be found.

Here’s how you can help: DONATE