Hello from NYC,
The cooler mornings tell us that seasons are changing. We have very few trees in our neighborhood in Queens, and I miss seeing the beautiful fall foliage. I planted some mums in our window box, and little things like that bring us much joy.
We have some updates on what God is allowing us to be part of!
This summer NYSUM hosted many short term missions teams from across the country and also a couple teams from Canada. Currently we have a team from Buenos Aires. This, along with trying to meet the needs of our friends unhoused and on the streets, keeps Naomi and I quite busy.
We also had some speaking opportunities over the summer. Naomi was able to spend time with her family and speak at her home church while visiting North Carolina. She was only supposed to speak briefly, but the Pastor lost his voice and she had the entire service to share how God has been working through us. God helped her, and people were moved to tears. Thank you to Heath Church for your support. I was in Kenya at the time, speaking at the church that we partner with, so I didn’t get to see her. A lightning strike had damaged the AV system so it wasn’t recorded, but Pastor Dan shared that she did a great job, and I believe him. We also spoke recently at Restore Church in Meadville and are grateful for their support.
Due to continuing health challenges, Naomi stayed in America, while I was back in Kenya from August 24 to September 23. It was good to be back! Everyone missed “Mum Naomi,” but the tailoring classes were most grateful for the gifts and resources she sent. That program continues to grow.
This trip, I divided my time visiting Kenya’s western border with Uganda and its southern border with Tanzania. This involved much travel, but it was good to follow up on all the projects and people that we are investing in.
In Amagoro, we were grateful to be in the apartment made available to us. It makes living there much more like home. It’s also more convenient, since I can do my own cooking, cleaning, and laundry (bucket method). The carpentry and tailoring programs are moving forward and doing well. BLIP has provided tools that carpentry students can borrow to work on their own projects. It’s great to see them again and to hear about the projects in their communities using the tool program.
We have also been helping several other communities/villages in this area. A church there had been meeting without a single printed Bible. We were able to supply thirty copies. From NYC, Naomi just sent funds to provide sixty more Bibles to the congregation.
Bitobo is the village in the bush where we did a water project a few years ago. It brought me much joy when I visited this time and saw the children filling up their water containers. The village elders have taken ownership of the well, maintaining the pump with the tools we provided for them.
In Kodedema village, we have been building a church and a house for the pastor. Neither of these are completely done: floor tiles are currently being installed in the house, and the windows are almost finished in the church. I spoke there on a Sunday morning, and we provided thirty food relief packages for the church families. We continue to send money monthly to support widows and orphans there. Weekly, we provide food for about forty Sunday school children who arrive hungry. The needs are many, and this time we also helped with school fees, medical needs, and resources for some former students who are now starting their own businesses in carpentry and farming. In this part of the world providing the funding for thirty baby chicks is life changing.
We have also been helping in Namanga, a village on the Tanzania border. The construction of a Life Center there continues. This facility has a clinic to meet medical needs and can provide vocational training in this Muslim-majority community. The borehole project we did here provided all the water for this concrete structure. This is amazing, considering how arid this area is! This time in Namanga, I spent several days going through the facility room-by-room, working on a list of things that still need to be completed, and getting estimates for the final finishes. I also interviewed seven candidates for leadership positions at the Life Center, and I even had time to build a cabinet for the pastor’s office.
God has allowed us to experience much more than we could have imagined when we stepped away from our careers. Boredom is not one of those new experiences! In one week’s time, I slept in five different places for my final days in Kenya, my return to NYC, and a quick trip to Pennsylvania. While trying to sleep in various places, familiar and unfamiliar, I heard hyenas, Muslim calls to prayer, crying children, sirens, falling acorns and leaves, but not much silence.
We are grateful for everyone who believes in us and helps us through this journey. As we approach November and December, we will be focusing on NYSUM’s Operation Drumstick and Christmas Compassion Outreach here in NYC. Thousands of turkey dinners will be served and many children will receive a Christmas gift. We will also be spending time with family and getting ready for what God has for us in 2025.
We appreciate your prayers!
Blessings,
Paul and Naomi
BLIP 