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SUMMER MISSION PROJECTS
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2010
EMAIL SENT FROM JENNIFER DERRICK-Sent: Saturday, June 12, 2010 1:58 PM
Subject: first update from Kenya!!! Jambo from Kenya!! Its hard to believe I have been in Kenya now for a little over 2 weeks!! I just wanted to email you guys and let you know what I have been up to. The flight over was long but went well, and we even met a Kenyan man in the airport in Atlanta who led us through the foreign airports and made sure we made all of our connecting flights! He was such a blessing from God and an answered prayer. Walking through the slum is the hardest thing we do. It is built on a landfill and has sewage running everywhere. It is so sad to see people who live in such horrible conditions, especially all of the kids. The kids see us coming from far off (a group of 8 white people really does cause a scene) and run up to us chanting, "how are you, how are you." Once we get into the church it is like a small part of Kibera that God is redeeming and reclaiming as his own. Most of our time in Kenya is spent at Kibera Reformed Presbyterian Church in the slum of Kibera. Pastor Makuku and his wife are great and we mostly just lead worship on Sundays and try to understand the Swahili sermons. It is so easy to just assume that this church would be doing nothing but encouraging its members and telling them to focus on heaven, but they are not. The Makukus are teaching the members of KRPC, all of whom live in the slum, that Jesus is the author and perfecter of their faith, not their circumstances. They are preaching that complaining about your circumstances and saying that you can't praise God until they change is untrue. It is very refreshing and helps me to put things into perspective also. On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesdays we are at the school that KRPC started helping out where needed. I have been paired up with a teacher who teaches grade 2 and I teach English most days. It is a challenge for me to teach a lesson with no more resources than a chalk board, but I am starting to get the hang of it. On Thurdays and Saturdays we go to the Girls' home that the Makukus started for girls they have rescued out of desperate situations in Kibera. The home houses 20 girls and even 2 boys, most of whom were either being abused or were sold as wives for much older men. Hanging out with the girls in so incredible. They range from 6 to 20 years old. They are always so excited to see us and to teach us Swahili, I have never once heard one of them complain about anything. And if you ever compliment them on anything they give all the thanks to God. Seeing people who have been through and continue to go through so much everyday can be overwhelming. When I see the kids in Kibera my first response is that I need to give this kid a bath, and clean clothes and food. It is all about what I think I need to do. It is a hard lesson to learn that there is nothing I can do, the kid will be dirty and hungry again tomorrow because those things aren't eternal. The best thing I can do is to share Christ with them, because he is eternal and promises to never leave us or forsake us. Love, Jennifer 2009 ROMANIA MEDICAL MISSION TRIP SLIDESHOW 1 ROMANIA MEDICAL MISSION TRIP SLIDESHOW 2 MISSION TEAM GROUP PHOTOS
L-R: Cathy Carter, Stacy James, Barbara Raulerson, Angel Snyder, Alma Jumper, Laura Jumper, Emma Lee Lucas BACK: Adela Fedor
L-R: Pastor Cornel Fedor, Gerald Furtick, Pastor David Carter, Royce Nichols, Carroll Derrick BACK: Mike Sandy, Tyler Dittmar PROJECT UPDATE... In 2008, Faith Baptist Church
of Swansea purchased a building in the village of Hasdate, Romania. In this village was a small group of Christian gypsies
who had no place to meet. We felt God's leading in purchasing a home in Hasdate that was for sale. The owner allowed
us to place $30,000 as a down payment with the agreement that the church could begin using the building immediately.
We committed to sending two remaining payments of $18,500 on March 31, 2009 and on September 30, 2009. In August the
last payment of $18,500 was wired to Rev. Cornel Fedor, the sponsoring minister, to give to the owners - a month
early. Praise the Lord! Several of us will go back at the end of September to sign the final papers and to sign the church
over to Emanuel Ministries of Romania. Rev. Cornel Fedor is the pastor of two other Baptist church in nearby villages of Valle
and Alunis. At the present time, there are 50+ believers and 30+ youth and children meeting in the church and Rev. Fedor has
already baptized 17 adults and youth. We took a group to Romania in July 29-Aug 7 for a medical mission. The
group included Emma Lee Lucas, Angel Snyder, Barbara Raulerson, Stacy James, Laura Jumper, Cathy Carter, Mike Sandy, Royce
Nichols, Carroll Derrick, Gerald Furtick, and Pastor David Carter. While there, we conducted medical screenings, preached
in various village churches, made house calls on widows and widowers, and witnessed the official naming of the Hasdate Church;
Basilica Baptista de Credenza - Faith Baptist Church of Hasdate! As a church we are truly blessed to be given this opportunity
by God and we give Him all the glory!
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