Friday 6/26 -Mountaintop experience

Hi again everyone

I just talked to Jon for awhile and he said that last night was probably one of the neatest things he's ever experienced in Africa. They had been busy all day hiking out to different villages and evangelizing and so finally around sunset, they left to hike to one last remote Masaii village with their guides to meet with a group of Masaii that had been expecting them since around noon. They weren't sure exactly how far it was, but it turns out it was 4 or 5 miles up a very remote mountain - so remote there were zebra and gazelle wandering around everywhere.

They said when they finally got up there, the group was so ecstatic to see them. None of them had ever seen Americans before, and apparently don't get a lot of visitors. It was a typical Masaii village with just a few small huts and a tree as their church. One of the women had become a christian long ago and had spent years praying for a pastor. A former student of James Ndungu has been working in that area and evangelizing and organizing so now they get frequent contact with a pastor. Jon said while many of them now claim to be christians, some are definitely still confused and still make animal sacrifices and pray to the rain god, etc. But they were extremely welcoming and receptive and eager to hear what they came to say.

Anyway, Jon said James Ndungu was on fire and gave a great message to them in their "church" under the tree. They were all invited to go into the huts and look around the village afterward. When it was time to leave, they hiked back down the mountain with a few flashlights, but mostly by starlight and didn't get back until after midnight. They had a late supper and then went to bed. I'm sure I didn't do this story justice so you will want to ask them all about it when they get back.

Today they went to another remote Masaii village (the whole town and surrounding villages are ALL Masaii people) and Jon said Jill did a fantastic job with a VBS program for them. There were about 30 schoolchildren that came. He said that the whole town and villages are almost all women and children right now because all the men (who are farmers) have all taken the livestock into Tanzania looking for grass. And for all you who tend to worry like me - he said they feel extremely safe and welcome in this area.

When I talked to Jon, they were at a gas station because the bus had a flat tire. And our son had just wandered by with a 2 liter bottle of Coca Cola...so I don't think they minded the stop. :) They will be doing another open-air service tonight in the town and they are showing either the Jesus film or the Passion. Please continue to keep them in your prayers as they reach the home stretch of the trip.

Sickie updates:
Natalie and Catherine M. are "sort of mostly" better
KJ Johnson and Hamilton L and Haleigh M are now/still sick

He said he's really not sure if it's a virus or just a result of eating strange things and traveling because everyone has had it to varying degrees but it doesn't seem to be too bad.

That's all for now. I will post any new updates as I hear them.

- Jenni Millet