IMPORTANT: NEW WEBSITE and LAST BLOG POST

Greetings to everyone in the name of Jesus Christ!

We have been very busy preparing some things for you all...

Just recently we have totally re-done our website (it is actually under the same web address www.cwfan.org)! You will be able to find a lot of new things there. Keep in mind that we are still working on it, so not everything is up to date or has content. But God willing in the coming weeks, we will slowly be adding more and more content to the site.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

We will no longer be doing blog posts on this site. Instead, you will find all of our blog posts on the new site, and all you have to do is click on the "CWFAN News" button. Or, from the home page you will be able to our most recent blog posts / updates. Additionally, we hope to be posting a weekly "video update." This will basically be Leah and Phil sharing about the experiences of the week and what God is doing in and through us in the country of Kenya.

Also, unfortunately we have lost many of your email addresses. If you want to receive our monthly updates (this also has been re-done), please go to the site, and from the home page, you can sign up simply by entering your name and email address.

Additionally, you will find a section called "Walk in His Word." These are simple Bible studies and reflections from God's Word - it is like a daily devotional.

In regards to financial support, you will find a page that will give you an opportunity to donate to CWFAN through PayPal. There are several options there... You can do a one-time donation, or as you will see, you can set up a monthly donation through (also PayPal). site (whic

Feel free to look around and explore the site! Just remember that we have not finished setting it up yet.

Once again, I wish to remind you that we will no longer be posting to this blog. Instead, you will find all our updates from our new webh is simply the same address as the previous one). www.cwfan.org

Blessings in the name of Jesus! May He be honored and glorified! Amen!

THANKING GOD FOR PEACE and Praying that it continues

Greetings in the glorious name of our Lord Jesus Christ!

We thank the Lord of Earth and Heaven, the Sovereign of all the Universe, that He in His grace and mercy has granted peace to the nation of Kenya! Indeed, we do well to recognize that true peace (whether that be within a believer or within a nation) can only come from God the Father!

With the exception of a small town near Mombasa, there was peace throughout the entire nation. In Mombasa, there were some radicals from a sepratist group called MRC who attacked police officers. About 15 people died. And indeed, we know that even one death is too much - yet, this is significantly better than the thousands killed and hundreds of thousands who were displaced in the post election violence of 2007.

It is the privaledge of those who prayed to rejoice with thanksgiving in the work of God through the prayers of His saints.

This peace is a reflection of the peace that we can have with God through our Lord Jesus Christ! We called upon the name of the Lord, we sought Him for months, we prayed, we worshipped, we fasted - and God brought peace. It is indeed a great comfort to all who follow Jesus to know that HE HEARS OUR PRAYERS!

But please, please continue to pray!

The constitution of Kenya allows those who feel the process was not done with integrity to go to the courts and file their complaints. The other popular candidate (who lost by only by a small percentage) is going to the courts today (Monday) in order to challenge the outcome of the March 4th elections. Should the courts decide to re-do the vote, the supporters of the President-elect would be extremely upset. Should the courts decide NOT to re-do the vote, the man who lost could really cause some havok. He had something like 4-5 million voters (nearly 45% of the voting population) strongly on his side. If he told them to take to the streets, there would be great chaos and the loss of many lives.

Please continue to pray for Kenya! But please also pray for us as we try to minister to the people of Kenya throughout this time.

Blessings, and May the GOD OF PEACE rule in our hearts!

Amen.

Upcoming Elections - URGENT PRAYER NEED

Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ!

We pray that this small blog post finds you well and seeking the face of our Lord Jesus! May He be praise for all that He is doing and is yet to do in our lives!

While there are many more things involved with the story of 2007, I will briefly summarize what happened.

In 2007, there were elections in the country of Kenya. The election was between two political parties; and their leaders happened to be from the two largest tribes in Kenya. Whether or not the elections were good or corrupt - God knows - it is not ours to be pointing fingers and making any statements about various people. But what we do know is this: after the elections, violence broke out across Kenya and claimed the lives of many people.

The violence was largely between different tribes. If you were a part of tribe A and you were living among tribe B - all of a sudden, you were no longer welcomed in the community. Not every place in Kenya was like this, but more than enough were! In some places, people were evicted. In others, people's homes and business were looted and burned. In other places, some were hacked to death by machettes.

One of the biggest scars on the nation are the many IDP camps that are scattered throughout Kenya. (IDP stands for Internally Displaced Peoples.) Still today there are people living in UN Relief tents and practically neglected by the government - however, we must say that the government has done many things to try and relocate the IDPs and give them homes.

Now, it is 2013. It is an election year, and basically every political office will be up for grabs. In Kenya today, there are 8 presidential aspirants. Everyone has kicked their campains into the "High gear." On March 4th, all registered voters will go to the voting booths and cast their votes on who the next leaders should be.

We are asking you to pray. We ask that you would pray for PEACE during this time. Everyone is holding their breath, waiting, praying, hoping that what happened in 2007 will not happen again! We also ask that you would pray that a good leader would be elected - one that would actually serve the people and say "NO" to corruption. And lastly, we ask that you would pray for the Church of Jesus Christ in Kenya to stand up and be the voice of Christ! That we would be peacemakers and agents of His Kingdom!

Please also pray for us - that the Lord will use us during this time.

May Jesus alone be glorified in all that we do and say and think!

A Future Direction

So often we sit and ponder what God has instore for those who serve Him.  Often the way seems so uncertain until you have practically stummbled upon it.

We have been asking God to guide us and lead us in regards to what direction to go.  We have arrived in Kenya, we have had a chance to do various ministries, we have started learning Kiswahili, we have got a place to stay for the mean time... Yet we needed direction from God.

Well, after the many medical adventures, Phil's doctors suggested that for a period of time, it would be best to remain within driving distance of a good hospital.  Not that anything is wrong - but just to be safe incase something were to happen again.

Also, just recently, Phil was involved in a planning meeting for another Men's Conference.  In that meeting he met several people who are in charge of the Christian Education Department for the entire Region (about 100 churches).  In the course of conversation, Phil shared about the ministry and what we are doing here in Kenya.  From that conversation a door opened up...

We have been asked to write material in English and Kiswahili that the Africa Inland Church (AIC) can use for their Christian Education Department... Not just in one or two churches, but for the entire Region!  We would be involved with both writing and teaching.

So, with this door having flung open, we are planning on remaining in Kijabe for the next two years.  During this time we will be working on Kiswahili and writing materials.  Additionally, we will be traveling all over the Region to various churches to teach... But these things are not to the neglect of evangelism!  No, even within the Region are many locations that are lacking in both biblical teaching and in a steady witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Please continue to pray for us as we have seek God's will for our lives in the coming days and years.  We thank you for your continued prayers and support.  May God alone be glorified in His Church!

A NEW PLACE TO STAY!

We are excited to inform you all that Leah and Phil have been blessed by the Lord to move into a place they can call their own!

For the last two months, we have been praying and asking God to provide a place for us to stay in Kijabe.  We have been staying Rev. Simon Muhota - our dear friend and fellow co-laborer.  However, as we have been praying about where to go in the near future (something we will discuss in the next blog post) - were thinking where ever we go, we need to have a place where we can work and rest at our own schedule.

An opportunity opened up for us to look at an appartment / office in Kijabe.  And by God's grace, we were permitted the chance to rent it!

It is amazing what a different having your own place makes - not only with the ministry of CWFAN, but also with ministry in the community - people love to visit you in your home!  We have connected with many people because of this new place. with

Our new appartment is inside of a large office building, we have about half of the second floor... Here are some photos from around the place...

The front door


The "sitting room" where we will have guests sit (Some day we will have a couch for them to sit on...)


Our bedroom (closet and bed)



The bathroom



The Kitchen



The Office / Dinning Room



The unfinished room (future bedroom)



Indeed, we feel as though God has given us this opportunity in order that we might serve Him new ways and give ourselves even more to the work of the ministry!  If we have this place, we have it for God's glory.  And we cannot cling to anything too tightly in the world - for our true desire is to find that city whose founder and builder is God!

Rejoice with us as we rejoice in having a new place to stay and do ministry!

Tunajifunza Kiswahili

For those who do not know Swahili, that says: We are learning Swahili.

We appologize for being so late in updating you on the issue of language learning...  In January, we began the long and difficult task of learning a new language.

In the country of Kenya, there are 42 tribes - and each one has their own beautiful, native language.  Indeed we would be in trouble if we had to choose just one language to learn from 42.  But in the country of Kenya, most people speak 3 languages: (1) their native language, (2) the national language of "Kiswahili" (which most people know as Swahili), and (3) English.

One of the benefits of learning Kiswahili is that most people (in the more populated areas, and many in the more rural areas - if they have been educated) know at least conversational Kiswahili.  This language brings Kenya together - and it allows us to communicate with just about anyone, from any tribe in Kenya.

For one hour per day and for four days per week we have Kiswahili classes.  We are extremely thankful to God for our Kiswahili teacher: Edward Amalu.  Instead of us going out and sitting in a classroom with 20 other people, Edward comes to our home and teaches just the two of us at our own pace.





Our classes are mostly practice with the little vocab we cover each day -  but we are slowly by slowly learning how to communicate in Kiswahili.  God willing, we will be having these classes for a few months - then it will be learning as we speak with other people.

One of the ways that we practice what we learn is by simply talking with our neighbors.  In learning a language you must be patient, willing to be corrected, humble, and able to laugh at yourself and be laughed at.  :-)

While it is easy to feel as though we are not accomplishing much while studying vocab lists - we are reminded of the great importance of learning this language every time we meet someone who struggles with English... How can people receive the Gospel if they never understand a word you say?  How can a community, a village, a district, a country - or even one heart - change if the truth of the Gospel is not communicated in a language they understand?

So even though we feel like we are not doing a lot of ministry - we know that learning Kiswahili will be foundational to any kind of long term ministry in Kenya.

Please pray for us that we might understand the language and that God will enable us learn quickly - to the Glory and Honor of His Holy Name!

A time to Rest

As Leah and Phil have been in Kenya for nearly 6 months, the CWFAN board decided that we needed a little retreat.  So, Phil asked around for a good place to rest for a few days.  Someone suggested Panaroma Plaza - a resort that is practically on the side of a cliff and overlooks Lake Naivasha.

With the help of gifts from our board members and family, Leah and Phil we to Panaroma for two days as a person retreat.  Our time there was wonderful!  We had two day just to relax, read the Word, pray, and just feel free without pressing needs or any interuptions.

Here are few pictures from the place:















We ate some of the best food we have ever had in all of Kenya!  It was amazing!  Everyday we had a huge buffet style breakfast. The first day we had a buffet lunch - but the second day we had our choice of anything from the menu.  One meal consisted of a salad, soup, the main course (usually with two sides), and desert!  Then dinner again was buffet style.  All the food was prepared by highly qualified cooks.

But far more important the eating fancy food, far more important than resting in a fancy room - we had the chance to really study God's Word and to pray. It was great to have two days without any pressing needs... We simply read the Bible and connected with our Lord!  This was very refreshing to our souls!  It was like taking a deep breath after being under water for too long.

We praise God and thank Him for letting us be refreshed in Him!