Unengaged People Group … the Kenyan Teso

This is a neat story of some work for the Gospel made possible by God connecting a lot of different people…….I love seeing how God works.

A friend of mine, Randy, was investigating the ethnicity and language data available on the people in western Kenya, near the LSH orphanage and he noticed a people group named that Teso that existed along the Ugandan / Kenyan border, southwest of Kitale, the region where the LSH orphanage is.  On the Ugandan side, they are well engaged with the gospel, have a complete Bible and many churches. The data shows that the Tesos of Kenya are only marginally engaged with the gospel.  It seemed ideal that the Ugandan Teso could be helped and encouraged to evangelize their Kenyan relatives.

Questions were asked of Pastor Moses and The Lord’s Ministries (TLM) group that we work with in Kenya about this apparent opening for the Gospel and it was investigated.  Pastor Moses’ associate Pastor Ben visited the border town of Malaba and he met Pastor Godfrey of the Portable Bible Center (PBC).  Pastor Godfrey is a Ugandan Teso who moved across the border to Malaba and established the PBC in Malaba with a mission to train Pastors to reach the Kenyan Teso people.

We met Pastor Godfrey and several students of the PBC during our recent mission trip as we were traveling from Kenya to Uganda.  There are fledgling churches among them established in the past few years of effort.  They are a determined and passionate group.  Pastor Ben, from Kitale, Kenya has been led to adopt the Teso as his mission.  He will work to encourage and help them.  I hope that we can help in some way, possibly providing digital audio media and printed tools through Pastor Ben to help the PBC reach the unreached Kenyan Teso.

“…….I established  there are many  people  who have  a  zeal  for  the   gospel.  This was from  the way I  was received  and  found   out  from  a number  of   Pastors  around.    In   conclusion   brother,  there   is  a   great   task   ahead.    God   bless  you,          Brother Ben – Kenya TESO MISSIONARY”

From Wikipedia….In Uganda, the Teso live mainly in Teso sub-region, i.e., the districts of Amuria, Soroti, Kumi, Katakwi, Ngora District, Serere District, Pallisa, Bukedea and Kaberamaido, as well as Tororo District and Busia District. They number about 3.2 million (9.6% of Uganda’s population). Until 1959, they were the second largest ethnic group in Uganda.  As of 2002 they were the fifth largest.[2]  The Teso in Kenya, numbering about 279,000, live mainly in Busia District, Teso District.[3]  Teso traditions relate that they originated somewhere in what is now Ethiopia and migrated south West over a period of centuries.[4] They were part of a larger group of Nilotic peoples who migrated from Sudan in several waves.  A splinter of this group later formed a branch called the “Karamojong Cluster” or Ateker.  The Ateker further split into several groups, including Jie, Turkana, Karamojong and Teso.[5]  The Teso established themselves in present-day north-eastern Uganda, and in the mid-18th century some began to move farther south. During the course of this latter migration, conflicts ensued with other ethnic groups in the region, leading to the split of Teso territory into a northern and southern part. In 1902, part of eastern Uganda was transferred to western Kenya – leading to further separation of Teso.[4]

Please pray with us for Pastor Godfrey, Pastor Ben, and the Teso people.

Men from the Teso

Men from the Teso at the PBC

Showing the Jesus film as an example of media technology available in Ateso language.

Showing the Jesus film as an example of media technology available in Ateso language.

Greg and Pastor Moses giving a message to the Teso Pastor Trainees

Greg and Pastor Moses giving a message to the Teso Pastor Trainees

Video from our visit to LSH in Kenya

Tony and Terri put this video together of our trip to The Lord’s Servants Home in Kitale, Kenya a few weeks ago.  They did a great job with illustrating how God was working through our projects and time there.  The water well and playground project completion was a huge blessing to the home as well as the whole community.  Our time connecting with the kids and sharing with the churches was a blessing to us.  The kids and people are so full of life as you can see….

Click here to the video on YouTube.

 

Hey Honey… Post #9

We serviced the bee hives tonight and established a 4th one.  In the process of correcting an error, we harvested about 20 pounds of honey.  I assisted and enjoyed it a lot although it is a thing to get used to…having thousands of bees on you.  They may be African Killer Bees but the honey is really good.

At the hive site at Lord's Servants Home

At the hive site at Lord’s Servants Home

 

Honey from your own hive is extra good.

Honey from your own hive is extra good.

 

Diana and Catherine with mail from the US

Diana and Catherine with mail from the US

 

Water is life, a Kenyan saying.  A shower is good life.

Water is life, a Kenyan saying. A shower is good life.

 

How many kids does it take to help you assemble a Merry-go-round?  3 times this many.

How many kids does it take to help you assemble a Merry-go-round? 3 times this many.

 

 

 

 

Praise God…flowing water. Post #8

At about 6:00 pm today, we watched water first being pumped out of our well, through our pipes and fill the main tank and bath house tank, and run through all the faucets.  To God goes all the glory.  The entire water system was initiated and executed in 1 1/2 weeks.  Making this more amazing is the fact that prior to leaving for Kenya, despite our best efforts and pushing, we accepted that drilling the well was not possible during this visit due to red tap, questionable drilling contractors, and confusion.  We had hoped to just get some prep work done.

Right now in fact, Greg is in the shower and water is spewing out of all faucets and the top of our tanks to flush the system.  All the kids are watching water cascade 25′ down from the top of our 3000 liter tank.  This is really exciting and humbling that God allowed us to be part of his work here.  Don’t get me wrong, we have a few leaky pipe connections to fix but that is for tomorrow.  We have had this project on our plate for nearly 2 years and tonight it is real.   It is also better designed than I planned, better performing than I hoped, and under budget.  Thank you to all the people who have supported this project and prayed for it!!!!

Today we met with the Area Chief (Like a county Mayor) and the village elders to discuss Mission Servants vision of blessing the community in addition to the orphanage.  We informed them that clean healthy water will be available to the community within 2 weeks (after testing and addition of the chlorinator) and asked their help to manage and administer it so the community is responsible.  They were very excited and appreciative and consider it a huge blessing.  Clean drinking and cooking water is going to be provided to a thousand people, an answer to one of their two largest needs.  Thank you Lord.  (Education is the next largest need and a subject for one of the next posts).

I’m going to take a shower now.

Inserting the pump into the well, 35 meters down.

Inserting the pump into the well, 35 meters down.

Water coming from the faucet on the kitchen building on the left.

Water coming from the faucet on the kitchen building on the left.

The Area Chief, Job, viewing the community access point.

The Area Chief, Job, viewing the community access point.

God is a great Boss. Post #6

Greg and I are still here, Tony and Terri are on their way back to the States.  It has been proven to us many times that God is more ambitious and with a better plan than we can ever be.  It is humbling to me to realize I have set my goals too low…that almost never happens.  It is commonly said that God is in control but this trip we have seen a perfect plan unfold before our eyes that we had nothing to do with planning.  It’s like God is saying to us….quit worrying about the details and plan B and C, I’ve got a plan in mind…just go and enjoy the kids.  Our projects and kid time are going great and even the vehicle trouble we have been having has worked out to our benefit.  God is good!

Tomorrow we will have the pump installed in the completed well, we will have pumped water into our completed elevated tank and pipes, we will have pressurized well water in our kitchen, bath house and toilets, and to the community distribution spot at our gate.  We have a meeting scheduled for tomorrow to discuss clean healthy water distribution to the community, beginning within 2 weeks when the water quality test results are in.  This is all in a week and a half and under budget.

Thank you for your prayers!

Here are a few photos….

Placing the tank up on the 18' stand

Placing the tank up on the 18′ stand

Someone had to go in to secure the pipe couplings....

Someone had to go in to secure the pipe couplings….

Hooking up to the piping.

Hooking up to the piping.

How many guys does it take to thread a pipe?

How many guys does it take to thread a pipe?

Joy with a bike tire "hulahoop".  No...her name is Joy.

Joy with a bike tire “hulahoop”. No…her name is Joy.

OK OK...you can have anything just turn off the cute powers.

OK OK…you can have anything just turn off the cute powers.

Catherine with baby Stephanie

Catherine with baby Stephanie

Mail day for the kids...this means so much to them

Mail day for the kids…this means so much to them

Greg talking about his blessings....

Greg talking about his blessings….

....and a beautiful view of the countryside.

….and a beautiful view of the countryside.