November 26, 2018 4 min to read

Field Notes

Category : Stories

Uplifting news from MAI’s workers around the world.

Country: Kenya, East Africa
Tirus and Winnie Githaka, Regional Coordinators

Flooding in Tana River North Coast
Lucy Chengo, Community Health Evangelism (CHE) Facilitator

A series of events during Kenya’s above-average spring rainfall caused severe flooding in CHE Facilitator Lucy Chengo’s village. People camped on the school grounds and in congested classrooms when they had to leave flooded homes. Only five homes were untouched, including Lucy’s. She housed and fed over 30 people for many days. Crops that were ready to harvest were swept away in the floods. Five CHEs had invested in a field of watermelon to generate income; it is a total loss. Boreholes (wells) became contaminated, eliminating clean water. Latrines filled and overflowed, spewing infectious diseases into the standing water. Cases of cholera are running high at this writing along with other waterborne diseases. Please pray for strength and hope for the affected people in Kenya. Their losses will be felt even more in the coming months before they can rebuild and replant. Pray for Lucy and Pastor Alembi, another CHE worker, as they help their communities find basic needs—food, clean water, tents, vaccinations and medicines, clothing, school books, and life jackets.

 

Confronting Alcoholics
Magdalene

Magdalene and her pastor husband experienced a worldview change after attending a CHE training and learning how God integrates people spiritually and physically. At first, Magdalene wasn’t sure what to do with her new knowledge. After praying, she approached her brother-in-law, who was struggling with many years of alcohol addiction. She told him about the love of Christ and the dangers of alcohol. As weeks and months passed, Magdalene noticed her brother-in-law was consuming less, until eventually he stopped altogether. He formed a men’s group and asked Magdalene to train them on the dangers of alcohol and the life God called them to live. Two others stopped drinking, and one man reunited with his wife and gave his life to Christ. Several are now attending church and Bible study classes.

 

Country: Wolaita, Ethiopia, East Africa
Tirus & Winnie Githaka, Regional Coordinators

Left to Die
Sharon Abebe, Women’s Cycle of Life (WCL) Coordinator

After a WCL training last year many of the new trainers were eager to reach out into their neighborhoods with their newly-acquired skills. One day while on home visits, they found a pregnant woman whose husband had left her alone without provisions in her house to die. The trainers and women of their church, Mercy Gospel, gathered as a group and collected money to give to the pregnant woman to use for food and other needs. They also came alongside her when she was in labor and delivery some months later. They inquired around the neighborhood to find her some housekeeping and babysitting jobs. Now she and her new baby are doing well, and she is getting on with her life. The church community is implementing CHE and the lessons have brought in seven new believers. Using WCL has rounded out the church’s skills in how they are serving God in their community.

 

Country: Cape Verde, West Africa
Dayo Obaweya, Regional Coordinator

Pastoral Care
Lia Veiga, Area Coordinator

Area Coordinator, Lia Veiga, recently arranged a couples’ retreat for pastors and leaders in Praia, Cape Verde. The team in Cape Verde felt isolated and abandoned, with no pastoral care to guide them. An American church offered to come and teach the Cape Verde leaders from their own experiences. The team soon realized this retreat was a time God had set aside for them; some couples had never been away together on a “vacation.” The American pastor explained how people in ministry can make their work their first love, while their families are dying at home. This resonated with the Cape Verde group and brought them to a change in attitude. Lia was also able to pass on the CHE vision of wholistic ministry and the leaders were open to training.


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