YOU DID IT FOR ME!

The King will reply, "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."

 Matthew 25:40

Last November we were confronted with the needs of the hungry in Kenya. Many advised us not to worry; there are always going to be hungry people in Africa. It is true there will always be people hungry around the world. The difference is that when God tells you personally to feed the hungry, his Word says it is the same as feeding The King himself!

While in the US last November - January, we shared about the needs we had seen and our desire to feed people in remote areas that normally do not get assistance. God touched hearts and we were given over $1,000 to help feed people. We contacted trusted pastors and worked with them to find those who needed our help. On March 16-17 we took food, Bibles, blankets and clothes where they were needed most.

The Rented Truck

This is the truck we rented for 2 days loaded with maize (corn), beans, salt and oil. (There was no way we could carry such a heavy load in our car!) When we gave away all of this the first day, we had to order more to meet the needs of 2 other churches as well as a school.

Bags of food

By the time we left the Kibweize area on March 19th, we had distributed 2.5 tons of food - over 300 families had received much needed food.  We also provided for orphans and school children to help supplement their diet.

Before distributing the food we met with the pastors and the church members and encouraged them to use this additional food to share with their unsaved neighbors. We urged them to give others a blessing and let them know that God had provided it for them.  The great news is that the next week we received word that the day we were there in one of the churches 3 people were saved!  

Also, for the first time ever, the members of the church were giving to others and to the church! 

We had brought the Word of God, fed the people, and even clothed some of them.  Next time I'll share that story.

We thank all of you who read our blog and follow what God is doing!  It amazes us what He is doing in Kenya!

Blessings,

Don & Becky

NEW MINISTRY OPPORTUNITY

On March 15th Don, Silas Odinga and I left for Kibwezi, Kenya, for four days of ministry. We carried with us Bibles, clothing, and blankets. We had sent money ahead to purchase maize (corn), beans, cooking oil and salt. Our destination was remote villages far from the main roads. We had contacts with pastors faced with the needs of their community daily. These remote villages do not normally receive assistance.

When we shared in the US about our work in Kenya, many people responded to the fact that the poor Christians in Kenya often times don't have a Bible of their own. We have had many people beg us for a Bible. This touched the hearts of many people and they were very generous. Therefore, we were able to take 106 Bibles on this trip and give them all away. We came back with requests for more.

As we teach and speak in churches here in Kenya, we emphasise that everyone must search the Scripture for themselves to prevent the spread of false teaching that is so prevalent throughout Africa. The best prevention against false teaching is the truth found only in the Word of God.

God's Word is for everyone and we want to say "THANK YOU" from the believers in Kenya for giving them His Word!

These are just a few of the people who now have their own copy of the Word of God!  As you can see on their faces, they are blessed.

We brought food for their souls - next time I'll share about the food for their bellies.

In His service,

Don & Becky Cameron

WHY BURNING PLOW?

The story of Burning Plow Ministries (BPM) begins with the call of Elisha as told in the Bible in 1 Kings 19:19-20.

In 2009, Don and Becky Cameron of Rockwall, Texas, felt a strong calling from God to get more involved with mission work. They made plans to travel to Kenya for a period of 3 months to further explore this call on their lives.

In March of 2010, Don was finishing teaching a series about the lives and ministries of Elijah and Elisha. He had just completed the lesson on the call of Elisha when a missionary friend from Romania, who was attending a mission conference at the Cameron’s home church, told Don that he had been praying for him the day before and God had given him a message that he did not understand. The message was . . . “Just like Elisha you are to kill the cow and burn the plow.” Don knew immediately that this was a message from God confirming what he and Becky were already feeling about leaving home and family to go to a foreign mission field. This message, however, took them a step further. Elisha did not just follow Elijah when he was called: he severed his work ties; he sacrificed the oxen; he burned the plowing equipment. All these actions were a way of saying, “I am making a life changing commitment and there is no turning back.”  Now, it seemed as if God was telling the Camerons  to sever ties in Rockwall sufficiently as to make plans to become missionaries for much more than 3 months.

In May of that same year, the young man from India whom the Camerons had been supporting during his studies at Dallas Baptist University was graduating. His brother and father came from India to attend the ceremony. They brought Don a gift which shocked everyone as it was taken out of the bag. It was a figure of a man plowing behind two oxen. They told Don that the Holy Spirit had urged them to deliver the message that the man represented Elisha and Don and that the oxen represented Kenya and India. The father and brother knew nothing about what had happened with the man from Romania.

Biblical Life Ministries gave the Camerons their start in Kenya.  After a time, it became clear that God was moving them into a ministry that did not entirely fit into the vision of BLM and plans were made to expand the work into a new ministry. Thus in March of 2012, the Camerons appropriately named their new organization Burning Plow Ministries.  God has called. They have responded.

Borrowing from Isaiah, Don and Becky each said “Here am I, send me.”  Then, like Elisha, they disposed of their cattle, left their family and home and moved to Africa.

NEW MINISTRY...NEW NAME...SAME CALLING

Sometimes you set out to change your direction and other times God changes your direction for you! That is what has happened with our ministry work here in Kenya.

Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
   but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.

Proverbs 19:21 (NIV)

As you may have noticed from our blogs over the last 18 months, we have been led by the Lord to move beyond the focus and scope of Biblical Life Ministries.  So, as of March 31, we will officially launch BURNING PLOW MINISTRIES, INC.!!!

Before coming to Kenya we were asked many, many times if we were starting our own ministry. We always answered, “No!!!”. However, God had other plans that we never anticipated. He showed us areas where He wanted us to help, and He gave us the funds and the abilities to make a difference.

We are excited and thrilled with God’s expanded vision for our work here in Kenya. We covet your prayers as we add humanitarian aid to our work in evangelism, Bible teaching and Bible distribution. 

We have drafted my sister, Joyce Cocanower, as our US office manager. She has kindly agreed to serve as a volunteer. She will handle all US correspondence and banking. This is a huge blessing!

Our new contact information is:

Don & Becky Cameron

BURNING PLOW MINISTRIESS

PO Box 642

Lancaster, Texas 75146-0642

Phone: 972-352-8932
Email: burningplow@gmail.com

I’ll explain the reason we named our new ministry Burning Plow in an upcoming blog post. 

We have so much to share about our ministry outreach held March 15-18! This outreach included distributing food, clothing, Bibles, and blankets along with teaching in the interior of Kenya. It was wonderful to see God’s hand in helping the poor.

Again, thank you for your prayers!!  We couldn’t do nearly as much work here without the prayer and financial support of our friends and family!

In His Service,

Becky & Don Cameron

WE ARE OPENING OUR DOORS……

I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to update this blog!  I promise it isn’t because we have been idle!  I’m glad to report that we are back in Kenya and have resumed our ministry!

February 24, I begin hosting Beth Moore’s DVD series on the book of James.  So far there are three other missionaries from our neighborhood attending the study; from Iceland, Australia and the US.  I’m looking forward to the fellowship and to studying God’s Word together.  A big thanks to our friends that provided the funds for the DVDs and our workbooks.

We plan to resume our home Bible study in March.  Many of the people at New Song Church (our Nairobi home church) are very anxious to study the Bible with us. God has truly given us plenty to do and we rejoice in that.

A special thanks to all our family and friends in the US that made our time in the States a blessing in so many ways.  We truly thank God for your love and support.  We say it so often, but it is true “We could not do what we do here in Kenya without the love, prayers and support of our partners!”

I promise I will update you soon on some of the great things God orchestrated for us while in the US!  Don also will be writing about his time in Watamu.  We do serve an awesome God!

In His service,

Don and Becky Cameron

LEAD BY THE SPIRIT…

The one who shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will himself also call out and not be answered. 

 PROVERBS 21:13

As we have traveled in India, Romania and South Africa we have seen the poor. Here in Nairobi each time we go into the city we are confronted with beggars, some blind, some lame, all needy, surrounding our car. It is so very easy to “shut your ears”.

During the Daniel Seminar in Chuluni we came face-to-face with “the poor” of Kenya. A woman who had been in the service on Sunday where Don preached approached Don before the seminar began on Monday. She told him her story: her husband could not find work and she and the entire family had not eaten in two days. Those of you who know Don know his heart was touched with compassion. Don counseled with Pastor Wingi (our host) and Pastor Mbiti (her pastor) about how best to help. We gave a few shillings to the pastors and they purchased beans and meal for her. This in no way “fixed” her problem, yet it helped that day.

Don began to hear the cry of the poor in the night. As we were leaving to return to Nairobi, Don purchased 12 bags of maise meal, a staple of the Kenyan diet. He called one of the BLM graduates who lives in a remote village to meet us on the main road. We asked to be taken to those in the area that were the neediest. We gave 2 bags each to a recently widowed man, a single mom, and a family with young children with parents in their 90s.

When we left we knew we had not “fixed” the problem of the hungry in the area. We had, however, given something. In the last month the rains have come to the area. Each family in the area around Chuluni and Kitui have planted maise (corn) and it is growing fast. However, the people we met were hungry and needed food that day.

I believe that frequently we as Americans think we have to have a “program” in place before we give anything. We are afraid the need is too great; so we can’t do anything. Frankly that is how I tend to react. God has altered my thinking.

I sense that from now on as we go about our work here in Kenya, we will be listening to the cry of the poor. We will use Godly wisdom; but we will act as the Spirit leads. 

Our prayer is that we will always listen to the cry of the poor, in Kenya and wherever God leads us. It is an honor to serve a God that hears our cries!


In HIS service,
Don & Becky Cameron    

DANIEL COMES TO CHULUNI...

One of the main reasons we are working with Biblical Life Ministries is to follow up with the graduates of the Bible School in a Briefcase.  We have spent the last seven months developing resources,  holding seminars and showing The Jesus Film in the areas where the BSIB training has been held. 

The Daniel Seminar is a three day in-depth study of the book of Daniel that Don wrote.  He also developed a study manual to go along with the teaching.  We strongly believe that the only way to prevent false teaching from invading the church is to teach what the BIBLE says.  This is extremely important in the area of Biblical prophesies and the study of “end times”.  

 

The Daniel seminar in Kibwezi (October 3rd-5th) went so well that we decided to offer it to the BISB graduates and local pastors in the Kitui area.  We held it in Chuluni because we had been well received in this outlying area earlier this year, and also because they do not normally have teachers come to this area.  We had 34 students register; 13 of those were BSIB graduates.  It was a great three days of learning and interaction.  Our numbers were not large, but the Word of God was mighty!

It is so rewarding to see pastors and church leaders grow as they study the Bible.  This seminar equips them to stand strong against false teaching.  It reinforces what they were taught in Bible School and gives them material to teach others.

In 2012, we plan to hold the Daniel Seminar in Malindi and Kilifi.  We need to raise funds for food, transport, lodging and materials.  Thankfully the cost of the seminar averages only around $1,500 US each.  The benefits are PRICELESS! 

Blessings,

Don & Becky