Warehouse and Distribution Center

We have completed the first phase of our warehouse and distribution center. This facility will enable us to store items needed for disaster response as well as train workers and volunteers. We are in the process of painting and landscaping. Already the two containers are being used to store relief goods as we continue our response to the post election violence. Hundreds of thousands of Kenyans are still living in refugee camps for the displaced people. The Kenya Assemblies of God, Africas Children and Convoy of Hope are helping with food, clothing and school supplies. We are thankful to Assemblies of God Relief services for their support during this critical time. So many people have expressed their concern and have given sacrificially to help us respond. May God bless you abundantly for your sacrifice!

New 4x4 delivery truck

Its been a while since I posted and thats due to the crazy pace at which we have been living. For the past few weeks we have been working on our warehouse, clearing containers of food from the port and sending our delivery truck out to many refugee camps in Kenya. The truck has now delivered 25 tons of food to internally displaced people in various parts of Kenya. We are thankful for Speed the Light which funded the purchase of this vehicle.

"Your father has died"

On Jan. 21 I posted a story about our visit with a family who had fled the violence in Western Kenya. During our visit "Grandpa" asked for my name. When I told him he thought I said Mwangi and so he began to call me Mwangi. Pastor Simon explained that I wasnt Kikuyu but Grandpa insisted that my new name was Mwangi.
We laughed about it and had a good visit with the family. A week or so later I returned with some freinds for another visit. The family was adjusting and making a new life here in Central Kenya. On Friday morning ir recieved a phone call from Pastor Simon. He said, "your father has died". Mzee Mwangi had been sick and I think the stress of all that has happened was too much for this 83 year old trooper. The funeral is scheduled for this week and today I will meet with Pastor Simon to purchase the casket for the family. The family fled Western Kenya with the clothes on their back and they have no financial means to give Mwangi an honorable burial. The Assemblies of God church in Kiramithu has adopted the family and will be helping them re-build thier lives. Keep them in your prayers during this difficult time.

For the past two weeks we have been assisting with a camp in Tigoni, Kenya. The refugees fled to the Tigoni police station following threats by a rival tribe. Most of them were able to leave with their belongings and arrived at the police station with everything they owned. Several missionary families adopted the camp and began supplying food and other supplies to help meet the needs. The Red Cross had placed 4 volunteers at the camp and over the last two weeks we have worked together closely. We took on the responsibility of providing fresh vegetables for the crowd which at one point was well over 6000 people. We made daily trips to the camp with supplies of cabbage, greens, onions and tomatoes. We also made several trips to deliver water and blankets. On Friday an announcment was made that the camp was closing and that busses would arrive to take the people to Western Kenya where most of the Luo tribe members are originally from.
I have to admit that I was surprised to see the busses show up. Friday and Saturday people frantically packed thier belongings and got their names on the list for various areas of western Kenya. By Saturday evening the camp was nearly deserted. Only a few that are too sick to travel or have no where to go remain in the camp. Im including some pictures of some of the people I met over the last two weeks at the camp.

Charles, one of the refugees became the head cook. We worked together to provide meals for the masses. Groups of volunteers came almost everyday to chop vegetables and help Charles cook the meals. Charles called me today from Western Kenya where he hopes to be reunited with his wife soon.

This young boy is one of 10,000 people living at the refugee camp in Eldoret. Our church members number around 1000 in this camp, including several pastors with their families.

Our family spent Sunday afternoon with a Kenyan family that recently arrived in Limuru, Kenya. They are part of the 350,000 displaced people in Kenya. We were able to take them some blankets and spend some time hearing their story. After the elections on December 27th, their neighbors turned on them and chased them from their homes. They lost everything they owned including all their livestock. The whole family fled to Nairobi and have now settled in Limuru, near one of our churches.