Monday, June 23rd, 2014
As a ministry, Word in Deed offers up prayer and financial support to local pastors in remote villages, to spread the gospel and plant churches. Pasto John Nathan is one pastor who has been working diligently to serve the rural poor where he lives. He contacted us to share the life-threatening situations their congregation was experiencing.
Below is a chain of emails (unedited so you can see the flavor of our communications) regarding a tragic situation going on in Kenya today. People (Christian brothers & sisters) are being rounded up and placed into these ‘camps’. As a ministry we are doing what little we can to help get a few of Pastor John’s church members out of the camps. We hope and pray that by reading these, you too will be inspired to help by financially supporting what WID is helping with in Kenya. Blessings to you and please keep these people in your prayers.
Email from June 12, 2014
From Stas Nicholade:Camp Dadaab is a refugee camp near the border of Somalia, 500 miles away from Pastor John’s church. When Somalis were rounded up and put in detention camps because of recent terrorist attacks they complained they were being singled out. So apparently they began to target all displaced peoples, including his (John’s) church members as well as those in sister churches. The gov’t came and loaded them into trucks presumably to check their papers, but they never returned. Pastor John told them not to hate the officials but forgive and pray for them. Others from Burundi, Congo, Rwanda and from his sister churches were taken too. However, they can’t provide for themselves. Though a UN HIGH Commission for Refugees exists his congregational members are not yet recognized as part of their program.
He visited them last weekend and discovered they had not eaten in 3-4 days. When they do it the food is quite meager.
While they are in the camp they can be taught because they are not slaves. UN encourages help from other sources. John advised us it was too dangerous for non-Kenyans to go b/c terrorists can interfere. He can send food in a truck. It would take $3,000 to fill it with necessary supplies that would last for one month. Along with this, locals can provide some limited food temporarily for less. Eventually 100 of these people may be resettled in the US though it could take up to a year.
We are currently raising money to send to Pastor John who will buy food and daily necessities for the men and women there. He has an account at PNC bank that donations can go to. Please pray and consider donating. Thanks
All Hallows Church, our home church, is sending $1,000 next week. $400 was put directly into his account yesterday to help with immediate needs. So you can send it in Pastor John’s name or I can check if it is possible to funnel it through our church
Email received June 17, 2014
Dear Sister Sharon, greetings once again in Jesus name. I kindly wanted to say thanks to you, to Apostle Steve and great friends in Christ like brother Stasie, David and all the Word In deed brothers for their quick response to this Ugly Satanic attack on our church members.
I wanted to travel to the Camp this week as I here that even the little food they were being offered has been cut off. They have been calling me every other hour to know how soon I should be there. I checked on my account today Monday morning and saw that the donation you offered is not there yet, hopefully it will be done today so that I can move to the Camp tomorrow.
I have scanned herein, an advertisement from the main nation magazine paper talking about the conditions leading to this situation which have affected our members and how they have been separated from their children. We still need to do something for the children who have been left behind, besides supporting those at the Camp.
Please continue remembering us in prayer and all you can possibly do. You are our parents God has provided for this period of live. Pleas do not get tired of doing good for this is our heavenly reward. The nation of Kenya is getting attacks on weekly basis, although they are isolated cases. Yesterday there was an explosion attack in the coastal region, close to Somali boarder causing much panic. More than 50 people died and many injured. The political and economic situation is not good as the current president is trying to pull away from the good relationship which was there with the Western countries ( US, Canada and Europe ) and liaising with Eastern countries ( China and the Arab world ). We know that there is nothing the country can possibly benefit from such. We are 80% Christians and what he is attempting can cause trouble in Kenya.
I hope I will be able to travel to the Camp as soon as I have any little funds.
May God bless you., Pastor John
Email received June 19, 2014
I am trying to change your title from Sister to Mom because you are honestly a mother to me and my ministry members. This is for spiritual purposes!
I have received the funds from the Word In deed account and right now I am almost at the Camp. I started late from Nairobi and had to spend a night on the way but today Thursday morning I am back on the road which will take a maximum of 5 hours before I arrive.
As you advised, I would like to divide the funds( $400 each week) to purchase food that can last one week each for a whole month. That means we shall be buying food every week. It will mean that I personally stay at the Camp for a longer period or else I should be traveling back and forth to make sure there is a better supervision of the purchase and distribution.
I will try as much as possible to send a report inclusive of some photos as we do this exercise.
We also also doing an advocacy to the government to consider the case of these brethren as they are totally victimized for no apparent reason. I know that the government is also under pressure considering many terrorist attacks which have been witnessed in the country. The last one was last Sunday which claimed many lives in the Coast.
To explain a bit on why terrorism has become a big issue here, let me summarize is that it is an aggression against the Western influence in the African countries based on Christianity. The country of Somalia is 95 % Islam while Kenya is 80% Christian. We are immediate neighbors. Somalia is influenced by the Arab world while Kenya has always been influenced originally by the British and now America. Religion is playing a major role here.
America and some European countries have been using Kenya as a base for some interests in Africa and middles east regions. There have been many international organizations running projects in Kenya. This has not been going down well with Extreme Islamist movements which have always tried to control Africa ( China and Russia backing them ). One private mission Muslims have been targeting Africa to make the whole continent Islamic. They could not succeed this as the Eastern influence has been strong for them. Thus, Terrorism has been one weapon for them to achieve their goal.
It begun by the Terrorists kidnapping western tourists, missionaries and NGO workers in Kenya. This became a problem because Kenya earns much income from tourism and NGO projects. Kenya government decided to control this y fighting terrorists into inside Somalia, the base of Alshabab terrorists. Kenya has a large military force inside Somalia to fight and neutralize the outlawed militias. As a way of retaliation the terrorists have resorted to guerrilla ( including suicide bombings ) and mass kings in Kenya. My country has not been well prepared or experienced over such wars. They are taking desperate steps which have affected innocent people and affecting the economy in general.
The president of Kenya who was not favored by Western countries has also erred by turning or support and investment from the Arab and China countries which has affected good relationship with Western thereby cutting down donations (from Western countries) which were main sources of the country’s economic growth.
All these factors have played roles to what we are facing now. Maybe his can briefly explain why we are getting into this situation. We shall discuss more with time. I am in hurry for my bus now.
Thank you again. Pastor John.
Email received June 22, 2014
May I kindly take this opportunity to share my brief experience of my tour and the feeding exercise at the Somalia Kenya boarder. These photos will explain more of what I may forget by words.
Below is the budget as we discussed with the refugee leaders at the Camp.
The simplest food for one person in a day will be costing about Kenya shillings 50 (an equivalent of $ 0.588). That is about 50 cent of a Dollar.
For a total of 235 people at the Camp, the cost will be Ksh 11,750 an equivalent of ( $ 138.23 )
The total cost for one month feeding will be ksh 352,500 an equivalent of ( $ 4,147 )
Thus, the simplest food (Just for survival) that can support people at the camp is costing $ 4,147 in a month.
We are indeed grateful for the donation we have received from you amounting to $3500 (Word In Deed $ 1200, From New Life Church $1000, All Hallows Church $ 1000 and $200 and $100 deposits not sure who sent).
We only lack $514 to have enough food for the Camp lasting for one full month. This is contribution for food a lone, leave a side other basic needs like Soap, Tooth paste and brushes, basic medication, telephone calls and other communication, Ladies pads etc. (this should be contributed from other well wishers).
We have tried to source for Children food from the local community and churches and have so far managed but still will need an amount of $2000 which could help in extreme cases like children who have health problems. This is an approximate for one month.
We are also doing advocacy to persuade the government to move quickly and reconcile especially parents with children left behind. So Far we have managed to convince them to reconcile about 16 parents who are in the process of being transported back in the course of one week. We are seeing a situation where about 60 people who have extreme cases to be considered for reconciliation back with their families in Nairobi in one month period.
The rest, 175 people, will be left in the camp for as long as they will be resettled by the United Nations High commission for Refugees (UNHCR).
Accoring to UNHCR, It will take more than 3 months to have any structures that can support extra refugees at the Camp. They are already overloaded and cannot do anything for refugees whom they did not plan for, as they were forcefully brought here by the Kenya government without their prior planning. There is a stand off between the government and UNHCR at the moment. Remember it was not only my church members who were forcefully moved to camps (Over 50,000 Urban refugees were moved suddenly. Many of them of Somalia origin, South Sudan and Ethiopia. My Church members are Congolese, Rwandans and Burundians.
Meanwhile, the UNHCR is working to resettle one person (family) after another in developing countries including USA. This has been an ongoing exercise for those in and outside the Camp. So far, one person has been sent to settle in USA from my Church refugees at the camp since they were taken there.
God has done much through you to sustain his children in this condition. We are sure this situation will not continue beyond this year.
Please receive our thanks once again in Jesus name.
Pastor John M Nathan.
Email from June 23, 2014
I have taken pics of a few extreme cases we are requesting the government to consider. Two cases were so serious that I had to travel with them and pleaded on the way for their cases. Charles Ntebutse has an acute heart condition and would easily have died at the camp. We brought him back with his wife Jemima and they are now reconciled with their small kids. Another Sister, Dianna would not let me leave. Eric, her husband strongly believed that we could go through security checks even without proper traveling papers from the Camp. We believed God and with prayers, we argued strongly with Security officers ( more than 20 road blocks ) who finally let us go. Thanks to your donation for their transportation on the way back.
The few cases of sisters herein need such urgent attention.
Generally the brethren here can’t thank you enough. Those who may be resettled in Pennsylvania in future, will make a point of visiting you and give you their testimony.
May God bless you your great sacrifice for us here.
Pastor John
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Friday, March 28th, 2014
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