October 29, 2007
We have begun our journey into full time missions in Africa, specifically Kenya. We had uneventful flights until arriving in Kenya – when we switched British airlines to go on Kenya airlines – we were informed our flight was cancelled but they were putting us on another airline; apparently that is normal in Africa. We had arguments with baggage allowances – they said we were way over & in the end I bartered my way on. They threatened to toss our luggage off if we didn’t pay, so I berated them asking if that’s how they treated people coming to help their countrymen. In the end, they settled for what I said I had on me & we actually got quite a deal. We arrived in Kisumu, Kenya at 8:30am on Monday the 22nd & spent the entire day shopping for mattresses, food & many necessities. We arrived in Butere by suppertime, extremely tired, but happy to be there.
Our team of Greg & Renee Plunkett, Geordie Milne & Nick Ellsay has been knit together in every way. The Lord has indeed done a very special work in all of us. We have quickly become a family & everyone is pitching in & doing all they can to serve at home & in Butere.
We arrived to find out our accommodations didn’t work out immediately, so had to stay at Eshimuli Guest House for a couple of days. Then we rented a large 3 bedroom, 3 INDOOR bathroom house – but it was twice as much as we anticipated. We only have to stay there for 3 weeks as a wonderful Anglican priest named Ben is giving up his 3 bedroom house as he will be moving to South Africa for 3 years. He wasn’t leaving until January but heard of our plight & graciously offered his home up for us. This is only one reason why we love the people here so much.
We spent a couple of days moving things & setting up our new home. Our first taste of ministry – of introducing the boys into African worship was a Praise & Worship Overnight they held at the Butere Miracle Church on the Friday night. We arrived at 9:30pm – pushed ourselves to stay awake till 11:30 & left. We got introduced & the boys had a great taste of African worship.
The boys are already in love with Africa & her people. We went to the Butere Girl’s School on Saturday afternoon & ministered. Each of the boys testified & shared scripture & was so effective & relaxed. The turnout wasn’t the usual 1200 students – about 1/10th of that – as girls were preparing for exams. In the end, about 15 girls received salvation in Jesus Christ. I heard later the Anglican chaplain was in the back of the church & was very blessed & ministered to.
Sunday, I (Greg) preached the early service & the later service was done by Jim Lindsay from Maryland. He asked me before the service to tag team minister with him & so I prayed in the spirit during his entire message – as he motioned me up at the end of his preach, the Holy Spirit led me to call the congregation to repentance & holiness, to clean up their temples for the glory of God to occupy them & that would be where revival would begin.
Church lasted from 8:30 till 2ish. The boys were now indoctrinated into church, African style.
Renee got a day off as the house mama as the church fed us lunch & then we dined later at Pastor Miheso’s home.
We’ve become fast friends with Jim & Cherie Lindsay from the States (here until December) – another lady from another area of the states named Deb Wolfe is staying in Butere for a year & we are all going into the city tomorrow to email & shop. I’ve already been cutting mzungu’s hair while here – 3 so far.
We will be getting set up with cell phone internet system so we’ll be able to have quicker communications with all our family & friends, praise God!
