Monday, October 27, 2008

Newsletter October 27, 2008

Dear Prayer Partner,
 
Praise the Lord
1) Praise the Lord for the prayer partners who responded with donations that allowed us be able to pay the fee for our work permit.
2) We have completed the paper work for North Carolina Adoption Services and our application for adoption will be resubmitted this week.
Life in Kenya
Shopping for fruits & vegetables in the local market can be a challenge.  Market days are Wed. & Sat. The market can be muddy, & trashy.  There are always many young boys there who want to carry things for us so they can make a little money.  We usually hire one of them, sometimes two.  They will carry our bags of produce around while we shop & then carry the bags to our car.  We usually pay them about 30 cents & then give them a piece of fruit.  The fruit is a rare treat for them & always brings a smile.  There is one boy who recognizes us as "his customers" & we usually barely get out of the car before he is there asking us if he can carry things for us.  His picture is below (photo on the left foreground). For more photos and information on shopping in Kenya, go to www.byhisgrace.cc/flemingfamily/shoppinginkenya.html
Prayer Requests
1) Pray that we will actually be able to get our work permit stamp this week.  It has been approved, so it is just a matter of processing the payment. 
2) Pray for the people at North Carolina Adoption Services.  They will be receiving our updated employment and financial information this week.  Pray that they will process our papers quickly so we can proceed with the adoption process here in Kenya.
3) Pray for us as we are now meeting with Evangelical Victory Church and discussing the work that we will be doing with them. Pray for God's guidance that we will develop a common vision for how we will win the Borana People to Christ.  Coming soon a web site for some of the ministries at E.V. Church. 
4) In two months the car we are borrowing has to be returned and in 2 to 4 months the house we are borrowing has to be returned.  Please pray for us that God will provide these 2 very big needs for our family.
5) We have set a goal of having 1000 prayer partners by the end of this year.  Previously, when we worked up north, we faced many physical, emotional and spiritual challenges.  We feel like we need this prayer support to be able to Reach the Borana People for Christ.
6) We also have financial goals in order to support of our family and the ministry among the Borana People.  Join our financial support team with a commitment of $15, $25 or $50 a month.  Thank you to all of those who have already joined the financial support team. If you wish to donate please follow the link at the bottom of the page.
 
Thank you for all of your Prayers. The Fleming Family

THANK YOU for your continued PRAYERS and SUPPORT
Alan, Leah, Abbey, Connor and Ross Fleming
 
NEW BLOG FOR OUR PRAYER REQUESTS
http://www.byhisgrace.cc/flemingfamily/prayer.html
 
To DONATE  to our ministry with the Borana People go here
http://www.byhisgrace.cc/flemingfamily/donations.html
 
To FIND OUT more about us and our Ministry to the Borana People go here
http://www.byhisgrace.cc/flemingfamily/

posted by The Fleming Family @ 9:17 AM   0 Comments

Friday, October 10, 2008

Newsletter October 8, 2008

Dear Prayer Partner,
 
Praise the Lord
1)  WORK PERMIT HAS BEEN APPROVED--Thank you so much for praying for our work permit.  After a long wait, it has finally been approved and will allow us to stay in Kenya for 3 years for the purpose of doing missionary work.  This is a big relief to us.
2)  PROCEEDING WITH THE ADOPTION--We have finally reached the required level of income to resubmit our papers to the US adoption agency
3) It has been an incredible week for us.  We have prayed for these two items for a long time. Their answer coming in the same week is almost overwhelming.  Great is the Lord and worthy of Glory, Great is the Lord and worthy of praise. We lift up our voice, we lift up our voice. Great is the Lord. Great is the Lord.
The Borana People: 
This week we are featuring the sedentary Borana housing.  Below you will see 3 different styles of housing for the Borana People.  The type of housing that they build has been influenced by the area where they live.  The third house pictured would be considered the closest to the traditional sedentary Borana house.  The photo may look like there are 4 houses in the center.  This is not the case.  This is one house that has 4 rooms.  Traditionally you would have a room for receiving visitors, a room for cooking, a room for the children to sleep in and a room for the parents, assuming he can afford a house this big.  These rooms are circular and are about 8 feet across.  Many of the Borana live in smaller houses, one or two rooms.
How is life in Kenya different from America?
Last week we focused on a somewhat negative aspect of Kenya life, having to pasteurize your own milk.  This week we are going to focus on one of the better parts of life in Kenya.  This week was Ross' birthday and we took him to the water park in Nairobi.  It cost $1.40 for Ross to get in.  Abbey and Connor each had to pay $3.50.  Alan and Leah had to pay $0.70 each for the privilege of watching their children play.  We packed a lunch, invited friends and we spent a total of $10.00 on a fabulous birthday party.  What would it cost you in the USA to take 3 children to the water park?  AND you probably would not be allowed to bring in outside food and beverages.  Pictures below, 1) Birthday cake and song.  Ross is the one in the Spiderman goggles (a gift he would not take off all day).  2) The water slide (pretty impressive for a third world country). 3) Ross and Abbey coming down the slide.  It was a fun day! ! !
Prayer Requests
1) Our work permit has been renewed and now we need the funds to pay for it.  $357.  Pray that God will bring this in by the end of October, which is when our current 3 month visa expires.
2) We have been unable to resume our Borana Language Study.  Please pray diligently that God will remove all the obstacles that have kept us from being able to resume.  Though our income has reached an above US poverty level income, we still do not have enough funds to resume our ministry to the Borana People.  The first item in resuming the ministry is Language Learning.  Pray that we will receive the finances we need to resume our ministry. 
3) Continue to pray for new believers, Steven, Joseph and Nancy.
4) Now that we can demonstrate that we have the necessary level of income pray that we will get all our paper work and documentation ready to send to North Carolina Adoption Agency so that we can proceed with adoption.
5) We greatly appreciate your prayer support.  Please pray about whether or not God is leading you to become one of our financial supporters. 
 
Your Servants,
Alan, Leah, Abbey, Connor and Ross Fleming

THANK YOU for your continued PRAYERS and SUPPORT
Alan, Leah, Abbey, Connor and Ross Fleming
 
NEW BLOG FOR OUR PRAYER REQUESTS
http://www.byhisgrace.cc/flemingfamily/prayer.html
 
To DONATE  to our ministry with the Borana People go here
http://www.byhisgrace.cc/flemingfamily/donations.html
 
To FIND OUT more about us and our Ministry to the Borana People go here
http://www.byhisgrace.cc/flemingfamily/

posted by The Fleming Family @ 4:02 AM   0 Comments

Newsletter Sept 29, 2008

Dear Prayer Partner,
 
Praise the Lord
1)  We asked prayer last time for Nancy and her family. Nancy made a commitment to follow Jesus as her Savior this week.  Leah and Abbey had a chance to walk to her home in the tea fields and pray with Nancy's mom. They still might lose their home, but they have not been pushed out yet.
2) September was our anniversary with Ross. He has now been living with us for 2 whole years.  What a blessing he has been.
3) THANK YOU for praying ! ! !
The Borana People: Pastoralist Nomads
The traditional Borana still travel from place to place with their cattle, camels, and goats.  They use the camels as pack animals; they do not ride them.  They move 3 to 4 times per year.  When it is time to move they pack up everything they own and put it on the back of their camel and go in search of grass and water.  The middle photo is a camel carrying a traditional Borana House.
How is life in Kenya different from America?
We buy fresh milk from a local farmer and we have to pasteurize it ourselves before we can use it.  "Store Bought Milk" is available, but it is about $3.50 a gallon.  Our "farm fresh" milk is about $1.70 a gallon.  The photos below are of Alan and Ross on their way to pick up our milk.  Note the overloaded truck on the road in the second picture.  It is literally piled higher on top, than the height of the vehicle itself.  This is VERY common in Kenya.  Ross is carrying our milk jug.  We have a standing order for milk.  We take our empty jug to a local shop.  When we arrive our milk is there waiting for us.  We take the full jug and leave the empty jug for the next time.
Prayer Requests
1) We are still waiting for our work permit.  Please keep praying it will be approved.
2) We have been unable to resume our Borana Language Study.  Please pray diligently that God will remove all the obstacles that have kept us from being able to resume.
3) Continue to pray for new believers, Steven, Joseph and Nancy.
4) We ask that you pray that we will receive the financial support we need to be able to resume the adoption.  North Carolina requires us to make a minimum of $2100 per month.
5) We greatly appreciate your prayer support.  Please pray about whether or not God is leading you to become one of our financial supporters. 
 
Your Servants,
Alan, Leah, Abbey, Connor and Ross Fleming
To DONATE to our ministry with the Borana People go here
http://www.byhisgrace.cc/flemingfamily/donations.html
 
 
To FIND OUT more about us and our Ministry to the BORANA PEOPLE go here
http://www.byhisgrace.cc/flemingfamily/
 
 

posted by The Fleming Family @ 4:02 AM   0 Comments