Discipling Teachers

The sunday school teacher’s training on October 1st went well.  Go to our photo albums page for the link to some pictures.

Yesterday I was able to lead a teachers’ training session for the teachers of the Narok Community Christian Church.  They want to implement the “Eating the Word of God” lessons.  The time went really well, after a typical Kenyan late start.  I have hopes that the lessons will be taught in this congregation, which will serve to strengthen that whole cluster of churches.  We should include more about both of these trainings in our next update (for those of you on our list).  For now, here’s a picture:

teachers' training: Eating the Word of God

Back row, L-R: John Saitet, Joshua, Isak, Jim Kipees, Moses. Front row, L-R: Veronica (with child), Josephine, Rael, Purity, Walter

August update

Maasai Women's MinistryA new house, curriculum development, training sunday school teachers for the Maasai churches, a special visitor from America …

click here to view a PDF of our latest newsletter.

We’ve  posted some new pictures of the Maasai Women’s Ministry on our photo album page.

Have you ever wondered just where we live?  Take a bird’s eye view of the places we’ve lived in Kenya, together with our major ministry sites.

 

teaching …

I (Joshua) had a wonderful opportunity to teach a few weeks ago (28 January – 1 February).  Twenty-one pastors and elders from our churches came to our training centre at Ewaso Ng’iro.  They represented 19 different communities and eight different geographical regions.

I taught the Enkinosata Ororei Le Nkai curriculum that we finished just before departing for furlough on our last term.  But this was also a teachers’ training course:  at the end of our 35 hours together, each had been prepared to take these lessons to their home congregations, adapting them as necessary for their specific pastoral context.

Before we departed, Stephen Kereto (and elder from our “home church” in Endoinyo Erinka, who learned to read through CMF’s literacy program) stood and publicly thanked us for providing teaching materials that were prepared in their own language and which addressed their own culture.  In the following weeks, John Sosio and Jim Kipees (not pictured, he is my co-worker and taught one of the ten lessons) reported to me how helpful the lessons and dramas were when they taught them in their churches.

So that was a most encouraging time for me.  But let us give all praise and thanks and glory to God, to whom it is due.

Pastors' - Elders' course: Eating the Word of God

L-R (bottom): Joseph Sosio, Paul Shuel, Elia Nkilapus, Sammy Pesi, Stephen Kereto (middle): Jacson Mereru, Philip Sitayo Kobaay, Johnson Ntadia, Peter Kiopiro, Peter Tamoo, Jackson Pareyio, Stephen Kutingala (top): Joshua, Paul Karia, John Sosio, Daniel Meipuki (standing), Daniel Kereto, Julius Sinke, Wilson Dapash, Edward Ololchoki, Simon Muya Olokumum (standing) (not pictured): Thomas Pesi”

L-R (bottom): Joseph Sosio, Paul Shuel, Elia Nkilapus, Sammy Pesi, Stephen Kereto
(middle): Jacson Mereru, Philip Sitayo Kobaay, Johnson Ntadia, Peter Kiopiro, Peter Tamoo, Jackson Pareyio, Stephen Kutingala
(top): Joshua, Paul Karia, John Sosio, Daniel Meipuki (standing), Daniel Kereto, Julius Sinke, Wilson Dapash, Edward Ololchoki, Simon Muya Olokumum (standing)
(not pictured): Thomas Pesi

See the photo albums page for more pictures.

Where in the World are the Barrons?

We have NOT just returned to Kenya …

Click here to download PDF of our February 2010 newsletter.

When people are interested in learning about our life as missionaries, my favorite question is “Describe a typical day.”  That request always makes me smile, because sometimes we would really like to have the predictability of having “typical” days.  The Scottish poet Robert Burns pessimistically observed that “the best laid plans of mice and men / often go astray.”  But biblically, we know that “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps” (Proverbs 33:11).  In other words, thank God that his planning is best!

The question of character

For those of you who haven’t signed up for our email updates, it has been a while since we last wrote.  Much has happened since then with meetings, teaching classes, curriculum research and writing, and family life.  Scattered throughout has been a lot of questioning and learning. …

… It was the right question, and they had much to say on the issue of character.   …

Click here to download a PDF of our August 2008 newsletter.