"God is my help; the Lord is the One who sustains me."
Psalm 54:4
A truck's fuel tank is ruptured on a rough road, and the driver watches the gauge needle slowly drop as he races home ....
Sea freight with valuable supplies is delayed for many months as the shipper goes bankrupt; families wanting their freight are forced to pay for the shipping a second time....
A husband reaches his rural home within minutes of a rainstorm that isolates their family for the next three weeks...
Streams and rivers swell to record flood levels, sweeping away anything and anyone in their paths; bridges are destroyed or badly damaged....
A doctor treats critical patients in a remote clinic because no vehicle can leave the area or reach the nearest hospital...
People traveling on foot are forced to cross a deep and swift flowing stream by climbing over tree limbs that span the gap....
Medical supplies have to be flown in because the roads are impassable....
As the rains begin to slacken, the doctor and her family face a grueling marathon cross-country drive to reach a remote clinic. They winch themselves (and others) out of the mud time and time again....
The truck's springs are completely shot, no longer able to support the weight of the Land Cruiser, making costly repairs necessarily...
The only ambulance serving a large community is disabled for months because no starter can be found in the entire country....
An outbreak of Rivt Valley Fever, a hermorrhagic fever, spreads across a section of the country; two doctors confer by radio and recommend temporary evacuation for a missionary family in an affected area....
The CDC (Center for Disease Control) in Atlanta and WHO (World Health Organization) send in teams to investigate the extent that Rift Valley Fever has spread....
An intense outbreak of persecution threatens a young and dynamic national minister and his congregation....
A computer with essential data suffers a hard disk failure in a land with no repair facilities...
The Land Cruiser's breaks fail completely while the driver negotiates a hazardous escarpment road...
A severe outbreak of malaria along with typhoid and brucellosis brings patients to rural clinics in record numbers. Weary clinicians work in shifts around the clock....
A nearest mission hospital reports that it is running at 250% bed capacity...
Countrywide shortages of essential medicines are reported...
The solar panels on the roof of a rural clinic are blown off and destroyed in a sudden storm, leaving clinicians with work by lamplight after the sun sets...
A vehicle speeds off into the night after dropping four critical patients at a clinic; they have all the symptoms of cholera....
I have to admit that I have long been a fan of natural disaster films like "Twister", "Volcano", and "Dante's Peak", to name a few of the more recent ones. Ordinarily people find it necessary to overcome incredible difficulties as nature unleashes its destructive power. The visual effects are stunning, yet viewers can take comport in knowing that the events are not really happening.
I have been at a loss for words to relate to you our experiences of the last several months. For those of us ministering to the Maasai in Kenya, life has become to much like a scenario dreamed up by Hollywood movie makers. heavy rains and serious disease outbreaks have combined to make very real challenges for us here.
This is not our ordinary work environment. However, once or twice a year, we find ourselves overwhelmed in a stretch of weeks or months that taxes all of our reserves of strength, stamina, and resolve.
The aim of disaster films is to give an audience a thrill. My intention is sharing this with you is to give you an accurate picture of just how difficult life here can become -- sometimes. Usually, by the time we can communicate all this to you in a newsletter, the crisis has passed. That is why your daily and weekly prayers for us are so important!
In the imaginary realm of disaster films, the main characters have only their physical stamina, quick reflexes, and resourcefulness to rely upon as they face each new challenge as it presents itself. To be sure, we are called upon to do some considerable creative problem - solving as well, but never alone. As chaotic as things may become, we have a degree of calm that can only come through faith in the One who sent us. Our God is in control even when life becomes so out-of-control when measured by our resources.
We also find encouragement and a lot of practical help from teammates and supporters who chip in and help out when the going gets rough. Several CMF families have helped us get medicines and supplies to our area, and we are so grateful to have Lee and Anne marie Pruitt (and their kids, Danielle and Adam) as our newest teammates. As our field business administrator, Lee helps us with a multitude of tasks from his base in Nairobi. We were also blessed to have a dear friend, Jan Taylor, from Nashville, Tennessee for a four week visit. She sewed up a storm making curtains for our new clinic and replacing many in our house. Thank you, Lee and Jan!
Finally, thank you for your prayers on our behalf during these past trying months. We especially want to encourage your prayers for a young Maasai minister, David Liaram, and the congregation he leads. Several believers have made a stand for Christ refusing to participate in traditional rituals that involve offering an animal sacrifice to their husband's or father's favorite hill or tree. This is an exciting step forward for the community of faith here, however, non Christian men are incensed that their wives and daughters are refusing to cooperate with them.
Their is a considerable outbreak of persecution against our church at Mara Rianta. Two of our local chiefs have threatened to refuse access to the school where the congregation meets and beat anyone who tries to meet elsewhere. A community meeting originally scheduled to discuss this problem was rained out in February. Once the malaria outbreak dies down, we hoe to reschedule the meeting.
Praise
Concerns
If you have E:Mail and would like to receive the monthly ministry updates from us, please send your E:Mail address to DSnyder@MAF.org Or, keep an eye on Dave & Suzie's web page for additional newsletters.
We challenge our supporting churches to designate this summer's VBS offerings for the purchase of clinic motorcycles. These motorcycles are an important asset to CMF's medical and evangelistic ministry. They provide the only means for the clinic workers to reach remote areas when someone is critically ill.
Checks should be made payable and sent to:
CMF International
P.O. Box 501020
Indianapolis, IN 46250-6020
How do I Keep Informed?
|
I
N F O |
|
