Kingdom Driven Ministries

A GREAT START TO 2015

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Charlton

“He, therefore, is the devout man who lives no longer to his own will, or the way and spirit of the world, but to the sole will of God; who considers God in everything, who serves God in everything, who makes all the parts of his common life parts of piety, by doing everything in the Name of God and under such rules as are conformable to His glory.” -William Law

We strive daily to work for the Lord with all of our heart, soul, and mind. Doing everything in the Name of Jesus, desperately trying to conform to His image. Glory to God in the Highest. What an honor and privilege it is, to be the ambassadors of Christ.

This new year has certainly started out with a bang. Since the beginning of the year, ten people have surrendered, repented, and have been baptized! Six out of those ten people live in Saboti, where a new home fellowship has been established. Last week alone, this brand new home fellowship had 23 people in attendance, with several people who wanted to know more about the Kingdom of God, and are receiving further teachings. The home fellowship in Bidii baptized three people, and our last baptism was a newly converted Imam (http://kingdomdriven.org/every-tongue-will-confess) who we are now working on relocating.

After people are baptized, they are strongly encouraged to walk closely with the brethren. One-on-one discipleship is key, but we also have various mid-week meetings: the mama’s meeting, youth meeting, and wazee (Wa-zay) meeting. Let’s start with the wazee meeting. You may be asking yourself, what is a wazee!? Basically, a wazee is just an elderly man. But around here, age is relative; once you hit your forties you can be a part of the wazees. The wazee meeting is like a very interactive home fellowship. They come together to pray, sing, and encourage one another. Currently, the wazees have been keeping busy with various livestock ministries. With the money received from an outside charity, cows, chickens, and a pig have been purchased. The livestock have been a tool in teaching the wazee about kingdom finances, through what we would call a “merry-go-round.” Basically, its a way of everyone chipping in some money so when there is a need or issue with one of the animals, the funds are there to lend a helping hand to anyone that may need it.

On average the youth meeting has about 15-20 people, ranging in age from 15 years old to about 35 years old. These guys are hard workers, and a number of them are employed by KDM. Recently they have been working on building the KDM discipleship housing. One of our youth named Sam, his wife Sarah, and their three month old son just moved into this building this past week. Sam just started translating books for us, and he is also a gifted teacher. Another project the youth are working on is a fish pond. They are hoping to use the fish pond to generate some income to not only assist one another, but the needy.

Last but not least, the mamas in our fellowship have been growing not just in numbers, but in spiritual maturity. We are hoping to get another mamas meeting started in Maroki, where another one of our home fellowships is located, in the near future.

Not only have we been teaching and discipling people locally, but we recently had a Women’s Conference where 52 mamas came together from various home fellowships and were taught about biblical womanhood. Also, a group of four men from Nabiswa, Kiungani, Toll Station, and Saboti are being trained as field evangelists.

In other news, we have some updates on the various Great Commandment work that is going on. The jigger clinic has been a huge success. To date we have treated roughly 700 people, and handed out over 500 pairs of shoes to people who have desperately needed them. This past month we have really been trying to get these shoes moving, sometimes going out several times per week. We’ve also been distributing SAW (Support A Widow) parcels. These parcels are a one-time gift that contain food and household supplies, as well as a little money. This is a CAM (Christian Aid Ministries) program that is administered through some of our dear brothers and sisters in Kisumu. This year we have already distributed about 40 parcels. Here is a short testimony from one of the recent recipients:

“I had been without food, caring for a few of my grandchildren. I woke up one morning, not having any idea how we would feed ourselves. I prayed to God, and that same day you came with the SAW parcel. I was so happy, and I continuously thank God for this help.”

Some of you may be familiar with the story of our local brother named Victor. He has received various cancer treatments, but we are sad to report that treatment has not helped his condition. He is a very sick man, and only God knows how much time he has left. For quite some time, Victor has been wanting to get his driver’s license. Because of his cancer, he is limited on job options. So, we have put him through driving school, and he has joyously received his driver’s license. But, just because someone goes through driving school, does not mean that they know how to drive. So, we will be giving him one-on-one driving lessons starting this weekend. Please remember to keep Victor in your prayers.

In January, our fellowship also hosted a marriage ceremony. A disciple named Patrice got married to Joan. Patrice had been previously baptized but was re-baptized into the Kingdom along with Joan about a month before their wedding. Thanks to everyone who financially supported Patrice and Joan in making this joyous day happen!

We are very happy to announce that Tim and Rebekah Nafziger and their three (plus one on the way) children have finally joined us here on the ground in Kenya. Karibu!

Looking ahead, we have some great missions planned for February. Next week we will be hosting a week-long Swahili language class. A man who has lived in Kenya for 30 years has made it his mission to help missionaries learn the local language. Glenn Roseberry will also be joining us from Tanzania for this event.

Charlton and Nashon (a local disciple) will be making a trip to Uganda to do some follow-up discipleship, as well as following up with a Christian disabled group, who they have taught the Gospel of the Kingdom to. They plan on assisting with equipment repair, such as paraplegic cycles and sewing machines. They will also be working on the building that they meet in, since it is falling apart around them.

I will close by sharing some photos of a recent Carrier/Sweazy Family Day trip to Mount Elgon. Thank you for all the love and support. Enjoy!

The War On Jiggers

Posted on January 21, 2015 by Charlton

Every week, for the last few months, we have been going out to alleviate suffering by removing jiggers, spraying homes, and giving out shoes. All of this has been made possible by the generosity of Heavens Family, and some wonderful kingdom saints from America. Many women, children, and men have been helped, and this is forever going to change their lives. All glory and praise to our heavenly Father.

The chigoe flea or jigger (Tunga penetrans) is a parasitic arthropod found in most tropical and sub-tropical climates, not to be confused with the larval form of Trombiculidae (called chiggers) found in more temperate climates. It is native to Central and South America, and has been inadvertently introduced by humans to sub-Saharan Africa. At 1 mm long, the chigoe flea is the smallest known flea. Breeding female chigoes burrow into exposed skin on the feet of mammals and remain there for two weeks while developing eggs, during which time they swell dramatically, sometimes causing intense irritation (condition called tungiasis). After this point, the skin lesion looks like a 5- to 10-mm blister with a central black dot, which are the flea’s exposed hind legs, respiratory spiracles and reproductive organs. If the flea is left within the skin, dangerous complications can occur including secondary infections, loss of nails, and toe deformation. These are relatively rare, but heavy infestations combined with unsanitary conditions greatly increases the likelihood of complications. (Source Wikipedia)

These sand fleas are absolutely debilitating if not properly cared for, and the removal process is painful. I actually got a jigger in my foot the day I helped distribute shoes. Let me tell you, it felt like a severe ingrown toenail, and it was not easy to remove. So, with the help of local brothers here on the ground, and visitors who have come to stay with us, we have been working to KICK JIGGERS OUT!

There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land. Deuteronomy 15:11

Every Tongue Will Confess

Posted on January 21, 2015 by Charlton

This week, we’ve had the honor to be a part of a pretty amazing story.

But this amazing story did not begin this week, it began over a year ago in a mosque…

Marc had the opportunity to teach an Imam (an Islamic leader) and his family about the kingdom of God. During this teaching he prayed for the Imam’s daughter, who was seriously sick with a long term illness. Unknown to Marc, she was miraculously healed in the name of Jesus! Amen!

Now fast forward a year. Through an astounding set of circumstances the Imam was able to reconnect with Marc, through Charlton. They set up a meeting at a local disciples home. At this meeting, the Imam was recounting the events of his daughters healing. He admitted that he felt God’s presents that day, and he even later borrowed a bible to look into what Marc had taught them at the mosque. It was all true. The only problem was, he did not know how to get back in touch with Marc.

Praise the Lord, because after this meeting the Imam surrendered, repented, and then Marc and Charlton took him down to the river to be baptized.

“For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Phillipians 2:9-11

Women’s Conference

Posted on January 15, 2015 by Charlton

This past weekend KDMK had our very first women conference! It was a wonderful event. We had 52 women in attendance, from near and far. Every lady who was a baptized member in one of our home fellowships was invited. But in true Kenya fashion, we had a few random visitors show up as well. 🙂

Marc actually came up with the idea for this event, and organized the entire thing. One of his objectives for wanting to get all of the women together, was just that. It was so encouraging and uplifting knowing that other women from around the country are on this kingdom journey with us. Being able to share together, sing together, eat together, laugh together, and simply look into each others eyes brought a beautiful unity between all of us. The only negative that I think we all experienced, was not being able to communicate as freely as we all would have liked due to the language barrier that we still experience. However, we have a very intelligent local sister in Christ that speaks excellent English, named Linda. She translated the entire conference. We definitely needed her help because Wanda, Cindy, and I (Natasha) did all the teachings for the day. The reason that the three of us did the teachings for the conference was simply because we all live in the same compound. We were able to collaborate and organize what we were going to share in a short amount of time. And Cindy made a great point to encourage all the ladies to continue sharing, and teaching one another.

So, after a worship song, prayer, and short introductions I was the first one to share. My main focus was seeking the favor of God. I really tried to encourage the youth, that they are not to young to serve God in big ways. (1 Timothy 4:12) I find Mary’s life to be a perfect example of that. Out of all the woman in the world, God chose this young Jewish women to be mother of His only son. She was the “favored one.” (Luke Chapter 1) So I used scripture to shed some light on her character as well giving a detailed breakdown on the fruit of the spirit. (Galatians 5:22-25) Those characteristics are suppose to define us as followers of Christ.

Next, Cindy gave a detailed teaching on biblical womanhood. Sharing scriptures on how to become the wife and mother that God calls us to be. She started in Genesis and worked her way through the New Testament, really focusing on God’s order of headship and submission. One point that I really appreciated that she made was pointing out that older women are instructed by scripture to teach younger women the practical aspects of running a household; on how to love our husbands and raise godly children. These teachings are not something that women in this area are used to hearing. So it gave many mama’s plenty of things to think about, and a great opportunity for self evaluation.

Wanda closed the conference by weaving portions of her testimony in conjunctions with 1 Corinithians 6:18-7:40. She wanted to share the areas in which she fell short of the proper roles in marriage. Her transparency, and honesty was really refreshing, and I think many women could relate with what she had to say. She ended with sharing the joy she has experienced by being able to serve the kingdom of God as a single person. Now she is able to be totally devoted to our King without any distractions.

The three of us are at three different places in life. We have three different experience levels, and three different backgrounds. But God intertwined us together beautifully to share the message that He wanted His daughters to hear.

Intentional church split

Posted on January 4, 2015 by KDM Admin

A major PRAISE GOD! We have many dozens of churches in our mission now. But today was a major milestone for the mission. A successful intentional church split!

A couple weeks back we had 98 people in attendance in the fellowship that meets in our home; 22 people had to sit outside on planks, motorbikes or the grass and listen in. That prompted immediate action. I discussed the situation with key leaders and we agreed to split the fellowship into three immediately, announcing it the following Sunday and implementing it the next which was today. Done. Well—this report is how it went.

The most disctant disciples from three villages (Kiungani, Toll Station, and Kiminini) met at Sam’s in Kiminini. For this one time I gave Nashon a motobike and he collected the brethren. They had the smallest fellowship of only seven but said it went very perfect.
The second fellowship was in Matunda and included saints from Milele. They had 19 in attendance and said it likewise went excellent. Then the fellowship that meets in our home still had at least 55 to 60 people and was quite awesome.

Now I know for many this all seems foreign to most married to traditional institutional church. Taking a vibrant growing church and instead of encouraging additional growth and simply constructing a building or adding services, we are splitting the church up into manageable “home-sized” chunks and dispersing our gifted leaders among the groups. Yup, organic kingdom expansion is different.

What are the benefits? By so doing, we are setting beacons of light into two additional communities. The Matunda fellowship boasted three visitors whom we will soon teach and add to our numbers who would not have attended had we met in Mwananchi (our home) this week. We are planting the kingdom within communities rather than extracting people from communities to trek to our “church.”

Also, in Mwananchi this week Geoffrey and Ben took a lead role. Patrick in Matunda. They did excellent. These are second tier disciples. You see, under normal circumstances the first tier teachers and leaders facilitate the meetings and provide most of the teaching. By splitting up the gifted leaders it allows the Holy Spirit to go deeper into the discipleship and expand our talent pool. Amazing and encouraging to watch.

Praise the Lord!

One Month to Go!

Posted on December 27, 2014 by Nafzigers

One month from today is the day we’ll be landing in Nairobi, Kenya! It’s amazing how these past few months have flown.

Today, as I write this post, Rebekah’s parents are visiting from Sisters, OR. What a great surprise for the kids—they had no idea they were coming. In fact, they didn’t know if they’d ever see their Bumpa (grandpa) again before leaving. What a blessing to see screams and hugs as he sat in the driver seat! They wouldn’t even let him out before loving on him.

This Christmas season was a great time with family. Though Rebekah and I don’t personally celebrate Christmas, we gathered with family, and exchanged gifts one last time in our family gatherings. It’s very humbling to think that this may be our very last full-gathering before leaving.

It seems that every season, meeting, greeting, and meal with family and friends are cherished in a much deeper way. And you know, this has made me thing—why does it take a major move around the world to make one value friendships, view others in a different way, and love more earnestly?

If we are to love our neighbors as ourselves, maybe THIS is the way we should live all the time. But reality is, we never thing “this is the last time I may ever see you.” Instead, we live for tomorrow. Even though scripture says that tomorrow has enough concerns for itself. Really, we should love God and others as if TODAY is the last day.

When it comes out our home; we are getting really close. Nearly everything has been sold. We have bikes, kitchen items, and other odd-n-ends. I maybe minimizing it a little, but considering what we started with only 4 months ago, we’ve made HUGE strides! In the end, I’m certain that we’ll end up giving a bunch of stuff to Goodwill.

Marc and Charlton have been sharing their successes and amazing things God is going in Kiminini, Kenya. It’s so exciting…and in some ways, I wonder if there will be ANYTHING left for us to help with! They are doing such great things for the community and the brothers/sisters there, it’s SO exciting to be jumping right into the amazing things at work.

Please continue to pray for us as we pack and sell. We continue to trust the Lord in our lives, our work, and our finances as we wrap things up here. We are on the last leg of our move…and we’re sprinting full speed…and we’re getting exhausted! May the Lord bless you during the last week of this year.

Be Still & Know

Posted on October 21, 2014 by Nafzigers

Wow, the distractions that come. I’m so distracted right now. Ebola, work, selling stuff, new job, house projects, packing,…oh, that’s right, family, children, wife.

I have been consumed with Facebook lately. I am realizing that this has been a great distraction from that which is truly important! We read in Luke 12:22 that we are not to be distracted by the cares of this world. If we love the things of this world, the love of the Father isn’t in us. (1 John 2:15)

But the confusion comes to “the love of this world.” Really…do I love this world more than Him? I do spend a few hours (off and on) throughout my day with my face in Facebook. I am on a computer all day—as I do computer and server/networking repair—so it’s easy to stay on it. The news is another big one. I feel the need to stay up with the times; be as wise as a serpent but as gentle as a dove. Oh, the balance of life! But do I really love it more than Him?

When do we stop? I’m not talking about the Nafziger’s—I’m talking about believers in Christ. When do we sit still…and know…that He is God? I find I don’t have time. WHAT?! Don’t have time for my Maker!? Sadly, it’s such an easy thing to say. This is why we must sacrifice our lives, crucify them for Him!

Well, I’m making time! Facebook is going to have to be set on the back burner. The news is going to have to be told without me. The world is going to have to end around me taking time to be with my Lord, to worship Him, and to listen to His voice. I see myself in this “fog-of-war” mentality—the world might be falling apart all around me, but my mind is quieted, my ear is listening, and my focus is not here…it’s there, on Him.

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10

“Be still.” NASB says to “Cease.” When I look into my concordance, I like this word used as a definition: to sink down. Ah…sink back, relax, stop thinking and clear your mind of the noise.

“And know.” To perceive, to know by experience, to recognize, admit. I want to KNOW my God by perceiving and knowing Him from experience! I can’t experience Him without…uh…experiencing Him!

“That I am God”. I love the concordance definition that says “the (true) God”.

Let’s look at this again: “Cease, know by your experience with God, that He is the true God.” – TNT (Tim Nafziger’s Translation)

I want to know my God, in such a way, that I know from experiencing Him, that He is the true God. I mean, I know this already from the Word, but to know something from experiencing it only solidifies the truth.

This verse ends by saying, “I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” This is the Lord speaking to us. He WILL be exalted in the nations. He WILL be exalted in the earth. This isn’t optional—our God, which we know from our experience with Him, WILL be exalted throughout the earth, in all nations! This is a fact that we can stand on. If this is truth, why don’t we take time to rest, rest in Him, stop and spend time with our God?

You know, even more, as I reread this entire chapter, it’s amazing to see how our worlds might be turned upside down, wars and rumors of war, Christians being killed, sickness and famine…yet, through it all, HE IS GOD!

I believe that we are living in the end times, yet, only time will truly tell. Our world seems to be in such turmoil so, take a moment, through the craziness of your day, sit back, take a deep breath (yes, even now as you read), stop to read this entire chapter. It flows from worship of our Lord, seeing the craziness of our world, and how He will come and reign again.

God is our refuge and strength,

   a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,

   though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam,

   though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

   the holy habitation of the Most High.

God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;

   God will help her when morning dawns.

The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;

   he utters his voice, the earth melts.

The Lord of hosts is with us;

   the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Come, behold the works of the Lord,

   how he has brought desolations on the earth.

He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;

   he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

   he burns the chariots with fire.

“Be still, and know that I am God.

   I will be exalted among the nations,

   I will be exalted in the earth!”

The Lord of hosts is with us;

   the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

                                   Psalm 46 (ESV)

The Saved Deception

Posted on October 8, 2014 by Nafzigers

What is Satan’s greatest deception? I know, there are many, but what do you think is his greatest?

You can be like God?

You are God?

You aren’t saved?

This past Sunday, Bekah had the privilege of teaching the local Sunday school class. This question came up. How does Satan deceive us? What is his greatest deception that we must face?

As Bekah and I shared our morning’s thoughts, she recounted this class and their discussion. I was excited when I heard, what I feel, is the greatest deception that Satan throws at us.

“You are saved!”

Just think about it! What if what we believe as salvation, protection from damnation, and our image of Jesus isn’t right? This is a hard one to process. We all believe that our view of Jesus and our view of salvation is spot on. But, if Satan is the master deceiver, how might he deceive the church the most? I believe by telling them they are saved, even in the midst of their ongoing sin!

1 John is full of if/then statements. You’ve probably heard of them before. But if not, I encourage you to go through 1 John and read all the if/then statements as a good starter to seeing if you are saved. Let’s look at a few, as well as others throughout scripture.

1 John 1:6 “If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice truth.” ESV

What’s hard about this one is, seldom do we feel that we walk in darkness. But we must remember, Satan is the master deceiver, he comes as an angel of light, so might it also be possible that things we think are innocent and without issue possibly something that Jesus doesn’t want us involved with? Ouija boards, water dousing, palm reading, and séance’s are all things (for most Christians) that are obvious “no-no’s”.

But what about harder ones? Covetousness. This is a HARD one to detect in ourselves. Another might be lying. Ok, I think most of us know when we lie. Sadly, you deceive everyone but God. Yet, some are addicted to lying and don’t know how to get out! How about this hard one: sports. Ok, I know, I’ve just crossed the line. The early church was clearly against sports, and their reasons are sound! One reason; “do to others as you’d want them to do to you.” Can you imagine a sports game where we applied this teaching? Or what about “give to those who ask.” Though humorous, sports don’t just teach good competition. Really? My 5 and 7 year olds know, good and well, how to compete…and they were never taught.

1 John 2:3 “And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.” ESV

I believe that most would say they keep His commandments. I often hear that Jesus knows my heart. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick who can understand it?” ESV. Answer—God. Yes, God DOES know our hearts, and they are deceitful and sick.

So, we must look and ask ourselves some basic questions. Do I love Him? Jesus says in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Do we keep His commandments? Listen what Jesus says next in verse 16, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever.” When we obey Him, He will give us a Helper, the Holy Spirit! But notice that we must first obey. This topic of obedience can get very deep as scripture, both Old and New Testaments, are full of commands to obey. I might address more of these in another post.

This statement condemned me, “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is no in him.” 1 John 2:15 ESV. I loved this world, money, my growing retirement, my car(s), camera, iPhone, etc. These things were “dear” to me. I mean…these things were important. I worked to achieve them. I studied them. I tried to build them. Often needing the next upgrade or model. Honestly, this is covetousness! But even more, these things took my time from Him. Studying Him. Learning about Him. Talking with Him. And striving towards Him.

We are told in Matthew 6:33 to, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.” Do you do that? What is seeking His Kingdom mean? I had never thought about that before. God’s Kingdom. Really? Seek Heaven? Seek His “home” above all things?

No, when Jesus is speaking about His Kingdom, he’s talking about a way of living. Jesus’ Kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). He says this two times in this one verse! He means it quite seriously. His Kingdom transforms us. Being born again is like saying your earthly parents and upraising is all erased. All you habits, poor training, awful life experiences, and everything associated to this world is no longer part of you! You have a new Father!

But this is where many stop. We “get born again” but forget that we must change our ways. Yes, we are spiritually removed from the kingdoms of this world and the darkness of it, and transplanted into His Kingdom. Jesus talks about this in John 15 and how we are put onto His vine.

When we are born again, we have the power of His Spirit working in us! But, as mentioned above, we must be in obedience to receive this Spirit. This Spirit of power enables us, empowers us, to overcome sin and temptation. Hebrews 12:4 asks, “In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” Yes, we are to resist to the point of shedding blood.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 ESV

Did you see the key statement first? We must first submit ourselves to God. This doesn’t mean a simple “Hey, ya, God….uh, well, I believe. I said this prayer…so now I’m submitted.” It means a devotion, a dedication, a full surrender of your life, all that you have, all that you own, your home, your car, your wife, children, father, mother, and yes, even your own life! Matthew 19:29 says that if we do these things, we will receive 100 fold and will inherit eternal life. You’ll see it again in Mark 10:29-30.

But, praise God, if we have submitted ourselves to Him, we can resist the devil and HE WILL FLEE from you! No, not “he might” or “he could”, but “he will flee from you.” AMEN!

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV

“Let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.” 1 John 3:7 ESV

You can be set free from sin. You don’t have to carry that yoke of bondage any longer! You can be righteous. You can be set free. And, yes, you can live “just one day” without sin! I didn’t think this would ever be possible. But it is! AMEN! Jesus is coming back for a bride without spot or wrinkle! He will not allow sinners into heaven who have not repented, turned from their evil ways, and received Christ with their whole heart, in surrender to Him.

If you have found this topic stirring and you want more information, I’d welcome a personal message from you! You can contact us through the Contact Us link above. Just include in the body of the message “Message for Tim and Rebekah” and we’ll get it.

I pray that you continue to seek after Him, His Kingdom, and resist the devil! You are promised, by God, that if you resist him, you will find freedom! But, this can only be done through the power of the Spirit to those that obey Him.

May the Lord richly bless you!

Tim

September Review

Posted on October 2, 2014 by Nafzigers

What a rush.

We’ve gone from not knowing the exact date that we should leave…to getting word the NGO (non-Government Organization) had been created and we need to get working on our work visa. Oh wow…work visa? That means we need to figure out a date! YIKES! This is becoming very real!!

We received word from Marc on September 8 that we need to start working on this work visa. The NGO was created and it was “go time” for the Nafzigers! “No problem,” you might say, “just fill out the paperwork.” Uh, yes….partly.

Fortunately for us, Marc sent along a sample work visa to help know how to fill in the blanks. He’s working with an attorney on that end (within Kenya) to confirm that we have everything we need before filing the paperwork. College diploma, marriage certificate, visa pictures, letters, and pages to complete. But, most of all: A4. What is A4?

The U.S. uses a few sizes of paper: letter (8.5 x 11), legal (8.5 x 14), and tabloid (11 x 17). Visits to several copy centers proved that, in our area, there is no A4 paper. A4 dimensions are 8.267 inches x 11.692 inches. Ya, a little different. Our initial thoughts were to purchase a ream (500 sheets) from Amazon…but we really didn’t know what we’d do with that many pages; all we needed were, max, 20 sheets.

In the end, after much running, Marc said he’d print things there as we can get around much mailing if he’d just print.

I did my best to get the first draft to Marc within a week. We went a little long, but it was in the attorney’s hands…and we wait…

and wait…

…and wait…

September 30, 2014 – word from Marc is that the attorney took two minutes to review it. It was exactly what was needed. So…all documents loaded to Dropbox and the work visa is on it’s way…officially!

Time to pray. We welcome your prayers!! Please pray with us that we are given favor with the officials, that we are supernaturally bumped to the front of the line, and that everything is beyond what they’d need or expect!

We’ve been told we have plenty of time. But the wait is what can drive you mad.

Oh…so you ask about our departure date? Ya, that was a HUGE one to tackle! One of Marc’s notes to us said to purchase tickets ASAP! Wow…thousands of dollars paid NOW! This means we are truly GOING!

After much debate, wrestling with dates, calls and emails with Marc and Charlton (both in Kenya), we decided on our date:

January 26, 2015 at 2:05PM out of Seattle, WA

We did it! Tickets purchased! Here’s where a miracle has occurred. Our tickets, for the entire family, are CHEAPER than our tickets when only Bekah, Owen, and I went in May! Yes, CHEAPER for the entire family!! Praise God!

As we continue to on this journey. Please continue to follow us! You can join our Facebook Group: Nafzigers on Mission and continue to check back in here.

If you wish to be a part of our mission, financially, you can donate at the top of the page; recurring or one time. Just be sure to earmark it “Nafzigers”.

May the Lord bless you.

“I shined the light, and the man fell down”

Posted on September 3, 2014 by KDM Admin

This is David, along with his wife, Violet, and four of their six children. David is a pretty big guy. Our two oldest boys were testing his strength this morning, and they found it amusing that he could pick up 13 year-old Jonah with one arm and hold him in a seated position on his bicep.

I’m not sure how long David has been a part of our fellowship…maybe six months? He and Isaiah somehow became fast friends when Isaiah was overseeing a bunch of guys (including David) as they dug a local fish pond. In fact, the effort to communicate with David (who speaks very little English) was what made Isaiah functionally fluent in Swahili.

David had been living somewhat far away when he responded to the message of the Kingdom and was baptized. That, combined with the fact that he struggles with reading (as far as we know), made for a slow process of discipleship. At one point, the church elders had to address a significant issue with him, but he showed sincere repentance and one of the next steps was a willing move to a location closer to the fellowship so that he could grow stronger spiritually. He lived right across the path from us for a while, was forced to move, and then found another place across the main road. There are several brothers who live near each other there, so it’s a great way for them all to mutually encourage one another. The accountability has also been good for David.

One thing we’ve all noticed about David is that he’s a really good Dad. His children obviously love and respect him and he’s cared for them well as his wife has recently struggled with illness. However, Isaiah (who spends a lot of time at David’s house) did report that David has a bit of a temper when the children misbehave.

Sunday at our communion meal, a large group of about 20 adults ate together and then were encouraged by our brother Sam to examine ourselves in preparation for sharing in the body and blood of Christ. This is always a quiet and introspective time and although public confessions are encouraged, they are somewhat rare. Such a thing is just not a part of African culture. This week, however, was an exception. Many stood to confess and share their struggles and ask for prayer. David was one of them–the first time he’s publicly shared during our fellowship meal.

The night before, he had been sleeping at his home farm some distance away. He still has a house there, which has a sleeping mat and a few other things in it because he stays there when it’s time to plant or harvest beans or maize. Although a vacant house is usually an invitation for robbery or vandalism, David’s brothers live close by so there have thus far been no problems. However, on this particular Saturday night as David was sleeping, he reported that he was awakened by some unusual noises outside the house. He went out with his spotlight and found nothing, so returned to bed.

Some time later, he was abruptly awakened by some more noises. Though nothing obvious, he knew it meant trouble. He said that he got out of bed and stood by the window. (His house is a mud-and-stick construction with one window and one door, which is typical in our area.) Soon, water began to seep in around the window and he guessed that there were three men outside trying to break through the wall and enter the house. He simply waited quietly in the dark with a fimbo (a straight club with a large round ball on one end, which can easily finish someone) and a flashlight in his hands.

Eventually, one of the men worked his way in, leaving his two friends outside. David reported that he struggled internally; his strong reaction was to beat the man and cause the robbers to leave. (You must understand that here, robbers don’t just come to steal and then quietly leave. In the face of any opposition, they typically have and use machetes or knives to defend themselves. It’s kill-or-be-killed, since any robbers caught in the act are typically subject to vigilante justice, often having petrol poured on them and a match lit.)

However, David said, he had “another voice” telling him not to follow his natural reaction. Instead, he quickly positioned himself in front of the broken-through wall and shined his spotlight in the face of the intruder. In his own words, he “shined his light, and the man fell down!” He told the man, “You will not get out of here!” and tied his hands together. He then called his brothers, and the men all stood watch until morning, when it was determined that the man was a neighbor and should be freed without repercussions. His friends had already fled.

I wondered, if David had not sinned against the man, why was he standing to confess? And then he admitted that he felt that his feelings of anger were sin and he was asking for forgiveness and prayer.

After the Communion meal, we talked as a family. Marc wondered aloud if, when David said, “he shined his light and the man fell down!,” that was an African way of confessing that he had turned on his flashlight and then beamed the guy in the head with the club. (This is not a big stretch if you understand the differences between our Western-style of communication and their Eastern style.) So he sent Isaiah to David’s house to “confirm.” As it turned out, David did, indeed, refrain from doing harm to the man, choosing instead to “love his enemies” and “not resist an evildoer,” as Jesus had commanded. The intruder, expecting to break through the wall into an empty house, was probably just greatly surprised to find that he was not alone. Given David’s size, I can understand his reaction.

With the struggles we sometimes face in the lengthy and difficult process of discipleship, David’s testimony of this weekend stands as a great encouragement not only to us, but to our entire fellowship. It demonstrates the work of the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth of Jesus’ teachings and God’s upside-down Kingdom, and the power of the Holy Spirit to help us walk in that truth, even when our flesh would prompt us to do otherwise. Join me in praising God and in praying for David and others in our fellowship here who are striving to enter the narrow gate and follow the path that leads to eternal life.