The son-in-law of friends of ours in Colorado, Lance McWilliams a deaf person who ministers to the deaf, just returned from a mission trip to Kenya. If you read the email giving a summary of his trip, you will be blessed, you will be saddened, but...hopefully driven to prayer and with assurance in what your next step would be, should be--and that is driven to action.
Below is the email we received recently:
Subject: Kenya report and pics
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2008 13:04:41 +0000
Dear Family and Friends,
Let me begin by thanking you again for all of your love and support before and during my mission trip to Kenya. This amazing journey could not have been possible without you!
This trip truly showed how the body of Christ worked together to spread the gospel and bring glory to Him.
It was wonderful, but difficult to return to Kenya. I was overjoyed to see my brothers-in- Christ, Winston and William, again. I spent a wonderful first day with them and their families.
But as we drove around the city getting supplies for our journey, I was confronted once more with the great poverty of Africa, and I saw first-hand the impact of the recent violence. Later, as we drove through the Rift Valley, it looked as if a bomb had been dropped. Buildings and homes were completely torn to the ground, and cars were burned and left by the roadside.
My heart ached for these people, but yet I was hopeful because I knew the Lord had great plans in store.
One of my favorite parts of the trip was giving out Picture Bibles, 30 in all. One deaf man was so thrilled when he received his Bible that he refused to stop clutching it when it was time to clasp hands and pray.
I also witnessed to a hard of hearing girl with blue eyes (very rare in Kenya). After she became saved I gave her a Picture Bible. She gratefully accepted it and replied with a smile, “I’ll always remember this day, because other than being saved, a blue eyed man gave me a Bible!”
An important goal of this year’s mission was to train many Deaf people on how to evangelize. I created business sized cards with key gospel verses and then laminated them.
During our time there, Winston, William, and I taught others how to use these cards and share the gospel.
One day, in a town called Bomet, I had just finished training some Deaf people on how to witness with the cards when I was needed elsewhere. As I was busy attending to that situation, the Deaf I had just trained witnessed to some new visitors and they became saved! PTL!
Another great experience was visiting a Catholic Deaf school. God certainly protected us because we could have been arrested for preaching the gospel there. But God distracted the nuns and I shared with the students how faith in Jesus, not works, saves you.
They had never heard this concept before, but after listening to the Truth, about 72 kids prayed to receive Christ! As I left, many of the children looked at me with such gratitude. I cannot imagine the burden that was lifted from their hearts that day.
The highlight of the trip was the week we spent at a Deaf orphanage outside of Kissi. Peter, the head master, is a faithful Deaf Christian who runs the orphanage with little outside help and support.
Peter and his wife use their own money to keep the place running. There are about 25students there now, but they have only 2 bunk beds in their one room dorm. All the other kids have to sleep on the floor.
Each student has just one tattered uniform to wear all the time. It was so sad how little these children have. While there, we were able to give them school supplies and many Picture Bibles, tend to cuts and wounds, bring 2 sic k girls to the doctor, play games, and share the gospel with many visitors.
Also, several of the orphans asked if they could call me “father”. Oh, how touching it was to have these precious children look into my eyes and know that someone from America loved them and cared about their needs.
As our time at the orphanage came to an end, Peter and the children blessed me by renaming the orphanage to “Lance’s Deaf Orphanage School.”
This was truly a humbling moment, and through it, God made something very clear to me. He wants me to “adopt” this orphanage and do everything I can to raise awareness and support for them. I am working now to set up a non-profit organization to help them get the funds and supplies they so desperately need.
While in Kenya I experienced so many wonderful blessings, such as seeing over 300 people come to faith in Christ, and training 150 Deaf on how to present the gospel message!
But there was one event that still weighs heavy on my heart. Just hours after arriving back in Nairobi, Winston’s 19 month old daughter, Valerie, began having trouble breathing. We rushed her to the hospital, but the doctors could not save her. Precious little Valerie passed away.
To see a child die, and then to hold her mother as she wept over the loss of her first born, was almost unbearable. But I do praise the Lord that He allowed me to be there to offer love and support to my dear friends.
I was also able to help pay for the hospital and burial expenses. Winston and Everlyne had no money for this, so I thank the Lord that He had me there at the perfect time and He provided for their needs. Our God is good, even in the midst of tragedy. Glory be to God!
Thank you for taking this journey with me. I cannot wait for the day when we are all together in heaven and you get to meet the people who became saved as a result of this mission trip! What a glorious day that will be! May God richly bless you, and may you be inspired to continue sacrificing for His Kingdom!
In Him,
Lance McWilliams
P.S. Please stay tuned for more information on how you can help pray for and support the orphans in Kenya.
ttp://www.aslmentor.com
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