THE CHRISTMAS GIFT

There are days when I pat myself on the back and feel a little pride that Becky and I are spending our retirement years and retirement money to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the poorest of the poor in East Africa helping to provide for BOTH spiritual AND physical needs. I see people in America that give to help those in need and, like me, rightly feel good about their giving.

As for my possessions, my western way of thinking dominates. I worked for it. It’s mine. God has blessed me and so I willingly share a portion. But when is giving enough? Many of us wrestle with this question.

Jesus said “Inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me. And these will go away into everlasting punishment.” (Matthew 25:45-46 NASB)

Now I know that we are saved by the grace of God through our belief in the Lord Jesus Christ and his sacrifice on the cross and not by works. But this scripture tells us something about the heart of God and how He wants us to live our lives. Didn’t Jesus tell us that the greatest commandment is to love God and the second is like it which is to love our neighbor?

 

The people of the early church had no lack because those who had shared with those who did not (Acts 4:34). As Christians in America today, we really don’t live like that. But elsewhere in the world, they still do. 

 

This is a message that I received on December 19, 2013 from a Kenyan man that I work with.  Check out our previous blog “Someone We Won’t Forget” dated December 22, 2013 for more information about 13 year old Musembe (in photo) who has AIDS. Burning Plow Ministries and a Kenyan church work together to periodically supplement the family’s meager food supply.

 

 

[Please excuse the spelling and grammar. English is this man’s third language.]

 

“Hi Dad praise the lord? We are fine and doing good, Dad i had a need and when i was planing how to tolk to you Carol called me and told me Musembi is unwell, we had some money for Xmass and we have used the money to bring him to the hospital now is here.”

 

“we had some money for Xmass and we have used the money to bring him to the hospital”

 

This man spent his family’s Christmas money to help someone else who was in need.  He has very little himself. He has no car, no motorcycle, no bicycle and walks or takes public transportation wherever he goes.  His Christian beliefs are part of his very fiber in everything he does.

 

This makes me feel a little ashamed and inadequate.

 

“Lord, I know that I have not done enough.  Let me see your people through your eyes.  Help me learn to be quick to help those in need.“

 

And don’t forget to continue to pray for Musembe.

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

 

 

Don and Becky Cameron

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Someone We Won't Forget

In June, 2013 Don wrote the following about a very special young man.  I want to share it with you today and then post an update.

Musembe Massai is 13 years old.  He has AIDS as does his father,  Massai Kyusya.  His mother died of AIDS six years ago.  He lives out in the country many kilometers from the nearest village.  He is in 5th grade and walks to school each day. In this photo he is with my good friend and co-worker, Pastor Shadrack Maunda.

 

 

His family has no regular income and finding food is difficult. At times, Pastor Shadrack's church in Kibwezi is able to buy food for them.  Getting the food the 10 or so kilometers out to the family is usually an obstacle because the church also has to raise the funds for public transportation to get to the boy’s home.  Burning Plow Ministries is at times able to help with the food and transportation.  In fact when we are in that part of Kenya we have been able to buy food and take it to them in our car.

 

The father’s bicycle is their only transportation other than walking.  The bike was well worn and needed tires, brakes, pedals, a new seat and a new carrier on the back.  In other words, he needed a new bike.  When we were back in the area in August we bought a new bike and took it out to the family.

 

This is some of the opportunities God gives us to help those who can not help themselves.

 

Thank you for helping us help people like Musembi and his family.

 

In HIS service.

 

Don & Becky Cameron

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHANGING LIVES ONE BIKE AT A TIME!

BEFORE

 

While we were in a very small, very remote village called Kikumini, we came across a man they called “Matata”.  Matata means “trouble” in Swahili. His mother gave him this name because his legs were crippled from birth.  He had a very heavy and slow bike that limited his mobility.  We shared Matata’s story on Facebook and a friend in the US gave the funds to purchase a new lighter weight hand cranked tricycle.

 

AFTER

 

When we presented the bike to Mata I remembered a man in a wheelchair we had met in March 2012 while distributing food and clothing in a drought stricken region.  We didn’t get the man’s name. 

 

 BEFORE

 

When I mentioned this man in a class I was teaching one of the pastors there said “I know that man.”   Wow! I love the way God puts things together.  The pastor took us to Munyao Mweu and we got re-acquainted.  I was very flattered that Munyao remembered me.  He got very excited when I asked him if he would like to have a tricycle that would significantly increase his mobility from the homemade contraption that he had been using.

 

Two months later, thanks to the help of a donor in America, we were able to deliver the new bike.  I can still remember Munyao’s words that even now bring tears to my eyes: “This gift will change my life!”

 

AFTER

 

Thank you Jesus that He puts things together for us to be able to deliver the Matthew, Chapter 25 gospel (verses 31-46) to this remote region in Africa that is almost always overlooked.

 

We would love to do the same for Matolo Mbithi, Mutua Muine, and Kenedy Muli shown below.  Your gift of $300 will change the live of one of these men.



 



MATOLO MBITHI

MUTUA MUINE

KENEDY MULI 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for helping us minister to the needs we see in Kenya.

 

In His service,

 

Don and Becky

We Have Stories to Tell…

As we prepare to return to the US in October our minds and hearts are full of the things God has done in and through Burning Plow Ministries in 2013! We want to share the accomplishments and the heart aches that are moving us to expand our work here in Kenya in 2014!

We want to reach more people in some of the more remote regions of Kenya. God is able and we are willing, we just need the means to go!

We are asking our friends and relatives to consider letting us share what we are doing with your friends, neighbors, church group or civic groups. We want to share our experiences so others can join us in blessing the people of Kenya.

We will be in the US and available from October 25th until Christmas. You can message me on Facebook. Take a look at our blog at: cameronsinkenya.blogspot.com to see just some of what we have been able to do with the help of partners over the last two years.

We would love to meet one on one with anyone who wants to listen! Helping the people in Kenya is our passion and we never get tired of talking about it! We are also looking forward to some good Texas food! 

Hope to hear from you soon!

 

Don & Becky

 

IN THE BEAN FIELD

It was such a privilege for me to be able to preach in the village of Mtito Andei in the church pastored by Shadrack Mkau. Several years ago, Shadrack went to the country of Burundi to plant churches. There he was imprisoned for more than 1 year because of his zeal for God. His accusers even tried to take his life deliberately exposing him to malaria and then withholding treatment once he got ill. Because of the prayers of God’s people in Kenya, he was miraculously released from prison. Back in Kenya, Shadrack was offered a high position in his church denomination but he refused so that he could remain with his congregation in Mtito Andei where God had called him. 

 

It was hard to contain the excitement that I had in being able to speak at his church but something happened that overshadowed everything else.

  

We arrived early and so Shadrach took us for a walk to see the school he had under construction.  As we passed on the edge of a bean field we saw 4 young men sitting in a circle.  On the ground between them were playing cards and money.  It was obvious that they were doing a little gambling.

 

 

The Holy Spirit spoke to me. He told me that I should greet them and share the good news of Jesus Christ, which I did. All of them prayed with me the prayer of faith to become followers of Jesus. 

 

I thank God that by the power of the Holy Spirit our ministry in Kenya has brought many to new life in Christ.  I have seen many in whose lives the seed of faith has sprouted and then they became full of the cares of this life and hence they did not mature.  I have seen others in which their new found faith did not take root because:

 

1.   They don’t read and study the scriptures

2.   They don’t meet with other believers
3.   They don’t pray or talk to God regularly

I have also seen others whose faith takes root in their lives, changing their lives and producing fruit. When Jesus healed the 10 lepers, only one returned to give thanks. 

Later that morning, one of the men came to the church service, stood in front of the congregation, and testified of what God had done for him.  

I rejoice with all of heaven with these men that have found faith in Christ, but my rejoicing is even greater with the one who gave public testimony of his new life in Christ.

Don

IT IS ONLY THE BEGINNING...

In January we were introduced to a young man we know as Emmanuel.  I wrote about him in the January 31st blog “Sufferer” to “God With Us”.  See cameronsinkenya.blogspot.com.  

When we visited Emmanuel’s home in April.  School was in recess and Emmanuel had left home to visit family in another village.  Their living conditions were sparse.  There were no beds, they sleep on the concrete floor of a storage building.   We delivered beds for the family and before leaving we arranged for a chicken coop to be built and delivered along with chickens and feed. 

 

We are glad to report that when we returned in August we found the chickens alive and well and providing eggs for the family.

 

We check on the family each time we are in Kibwezi and Pastor Shadrack and his church continue to assist.  Unfortunately, Emmanuel has returned to living on the streets of Kibwezi.  We don't see this as a failure, as we continue to help his family.  Please continue to pray for Emmanuel. 

 

We will continue to bless those who God show us need our help.  Pray we will have funds to continue to bless the less fortunate here in Kenya.

Blessings,

Don and Becky 

Five Shillings

Five Kenyan shillings is currently worth about 5.9 U.S. cents.  It’s not much.  But it brought tears to my eyes in a rural church here in Kenya.

We realize that when a typical Kenyan makes less than $5 per day, have to feed and clothe their family, buy water, pay rent, and pay school fees and buy uniforms to send their children to “free” public education, there’s very little left.  Being able to own a Bible in circumstances like these is a real luxury.

Thanks to the generous contributions from our ministry partners in America, we purchase Bibles for distribution here in Kenya.  We delivered a few Bibles to a pastor in the village of Chuluni to share with his people.  During the church service, the first man to ask for a Bible was a visitor from another area.  The pastor decided to give the man one of the Swahili Bibles.  After accepting the Bible and with tears in his eyes, the man said he had been praying for years for a Bible.  He was so grateful that he told the congregation that he wanted to participate in buying a Bible for someone else.  He didn’t have much, only 5 shillings, but he marched right down to the front of the church and placed the coin on the table in front of me.

Five shillings.  A sacrificial gift from the heart of a man in a remote village in Africa.  What a blessing.

We have distributed all the Bibles we have.  Bibles bring life to the believers and new converts.  Let us know if you would like to partner with this man in getting more Bibles for Kenyans. 

Blessings, 

Don & Becky

Foundations of Our Faith

We take Jesus’ command seriously: “Go therefore and MAKE DISCIPLES…” I have written a 50 page teacher’s guide designed to aid in getting new Christians established in the faith. We have recently completed translating it into the Swahili language. The book contains 14 lesson plans for teachers intended to give new converts a firm foundation for their continuing walk with Christ.

 

Within the next 2 months we will be showing “The Jesus Film” on three separate coffee and tea plantations. Before each showing of the film, we will conduct a class at that farm for volunteers who share our vision and zeal for making disciples. The people in the class that you see here live and work on one of these farms.

As people respond to the film and pray to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior, these workers will each welcome a new believer and immediately make an appointment with each one of them individually for follow-up the next day and for as often as possible for at least the following two weeks, then weekly thereafter for the purpose of getting them established in their new faith. To get them in the habit of regular fellowship with a local congregation, they will not just invite them to church but will literally “take” them to church.

 



Silas Odinga and James Oduor, are assisting me with the teaching. I have been mentoring them and training them to conduct this class.They are now ready for me to release them toconduct the entire training themselves.

This particular class was conducted on March 16-17, 2013. For the second half of the training on Sunday afternoon, we had several additional students, but only those that attended both days received the certificate.

This Maasai man, Simon Itinga, heard about the meeting to be held on Saturday at the plantation where he worked and asked if he could attend. We agreed and welcomed him into the class. He is not in the picture on the previous page because he had to leave for work before the photo was taken. He also attended the Sunday afternoon session and received his completion certificate. As I was teaching how to share your personal testimony, I called on him. He did not readily speak up and so I asked him if he was saved. He said “No, but I’m ready.” Praise God! He became a follower of Christ right there in the class. The teaching is at work already because one of the men in the class volunteered to disciple him.

 
We have held two more classes in other areas since then.  On May 30th we are taking it to Kalambia, a new location for us.  

 

Don Cameron

 

COINS FOR A CAUSE!!!

 

 

 

We want to brag on our daughter in law, Stacy Cameron, for mobilizing the students at Pioneer Heritage Middle School in Frisco, Texas to provide readers for the students of Kawaida Primary School in Kenya.  Stacy is the librarian at PHMS and she visited Kawaida Primary in July.  When she returned to Texas she organized COINS FOR A CAUSE to help the Kawaida students.  The staff and students of PHMS raised $105!

On February 28th we delivered 48 approved readers to the school.  They will be available to the students to improve their English reading skills.

We continue to be encouraged and motivated by how God moves on the hearts of people to help the people of Kenya.  We believe that providing education is a huge part of helping Kenyans live and thrive. 

Thanks so much to the students and staff of Pioneer Heritage!  You have made a difference in the future of Kenya!

Becky & Don Cameron

 

Revelation Seminar, September 2012

I want to share about our last outreach in Kenya in 2012.  It took two months of hard work to prepare for, but it was great. We spent a total of 10 days this past September deep in the interior of rural Kenya on our most challenging event since we first moved to Kenya more than 2 years ago.

 

Our Revelation Seminar in the village of Chuluni was the best ever. Don taught for 5 full days. Everyone that attended took away a much better understanding of one of the most difficult books in the Bible.

A typical day during the seminar began about 9am with prayer and worship followed by class, then tea, then more classes, then lunch and then more classes until about 4pm. Our generator provided power for our sound system and the PowerPoint presentations.

 

As part of our training on giving, we provided our Revelation Study Guide only to those who would contribute to help feed the poor. Some of those attending the class were so poor that their only meal was the hot lunch we provided each day, but our understanding of Jesus’ teaching on giving did not exclude anyone from needing to give. One man handed to Don two lions that he had carved out of wood saying that he had no money to give, but wanted to bless him with the work of his hands. By the end of the week, we had collected enough money to purchase three 200 pound sacks of corn. This we distributed to people in the class instructing them to use some of the corn for themselves if they had need but reserve some to give to someone they might know who is hungry also, sharing the love and message of Christ as they go.

 

In the evenings, our Burning Plow evangelism team, James, Pastor Maunda, Silas, and Pastor Mokaya, took our generator, big screen, and sound equipment to different villages. They showed the Jesus Film (in the Swahili language) outdoors in the market places. Many, many people responded to the call to come to Christ because of their work.

James Odour, Shadrack Maunda, Silas Odinga, Vincent Mokaya 

This outreach was expensive and took a lot of hard work from a lot of people, but God moved on the hearts of many. That makes it all worthwhile.

Asante Bwana Yesu (Thank you Lord Jesus).

 

Don and Becky Cameron

 



"Sufferer" to "God With Us"!

Pastor Shadrack Maunda noticed him first. He was sitting beneath the sign that was his home during the day. Nights found him sleeping in the bushes. When it rained, a kind watchman at a nearby school allowed him shelter. His food was whatever he could find that was thrown out by others.

He was born into the Kamba tribe and was given a name which translated into English means “Sufferer”.  He is about 16 years old now and for the last several years his mind has not been clear. People considered him “mad”. The last time he was in school he was in Standard 1 (First grade). For some reason unknown to us he left his father and mother and went to live with an uncle who would beat him. When he ran away from his uncle, he did not return to his parents but instead began living on the streets of Kibwezi where he has been for at least the past 6 months. The timing is not clear because his memory has not been good. In fact, he seemed to be only vaguely aware of his surroundings.

 

The boy called "Sufferer" on Wednesday at the crusade

Shadrack saw that he was “not right” and went to his house to find some food to share with the boy. When he returned, the boy was gone. “Sufferer” then showed up the first night of our crusade in the village center. He was surrounded by small children and did not speak. He left before the end of the program. The next night he was back at the crusade and the speaker that night, Evangelist Ghiorghi Cazacu from Romania spoke directly to him sharing the love of Christ. Again he left before the altar call.

 

 

Thursday, after the visitors from America and Romania had departed, he returned to listen to the singing and preaching from Pastor Shadrack. At the altar call, Shadrack called him to come down to the front. As he came, Satan released his hold on him, he came to his right mind and began to speak, asking for Jesus to save him. He also prayed the he might be able to return to school and also be able to return home to his parents.

Pastor Shadrack took him home to his family. “Sufferer” was so filthy they immediately removed his clothes and bathed him. Amani, Shadrack’s 12 year old son, took the dirty clothes, doused them with kerosene and burned them. Amani then gave him some of his own clothes to wear. The next morning, Shadrack took him to a local fish hatchery, baptized him in an unused pond and gave him a new name. Amani said that he name is no longer “Sufferer” but he is from now on to be called “Emmanuel”.

 

"Emmanuel" today
 

Today marks one week from the day Emmanuel began his new life in Christ. His mind is still clear and he now has hope.

Emmanuel still has many challenges. His parents live in a house with no bed, no mattress and no food. His mother is ill, but has been sent to the hospital for treatment. His father is recovering from a broken leg and cannot work. We want to get Emmanuel away from the conditions that led to his previous problems, get him into school, and assign someone from the church to nurture him and disciple him. However he has to choose to do this. Please pray with us.

 

Pastor Shadrack’s church took an offering to buy him clothes (Amani’s clothes are too small) and enough food for his family for a few days.

 

We need to be able to provide beds for his parents and small sibling and also food for them until his father is able to return to work. We need to purchase more clothes for Emmanuel and a school uniform. We need to be able to pay his fees for school and buy food for him. Pastor Shadrack has offered to let him live in his home until he is more able to take care of himself.

 

Thanks be to God for leading Emmanuel to us. Please pray with us for God’s guidance, wisdom, and provision as we care for our new son/brother in Christ.

 

In HIS service in Kenya,

 

Don and Becky Cameron