On May 20th at LBF Church, we raised over $15,000 in order to support the translation of the New Testament for an unreached people group in Kenya called the Ilchamus. From June 7th to June 15th, Troy Spilman and I were privileged to get to go on a trip to Kenya.
Our primary purposes were (1) to visit with the translation team for the Ilchamus people, and (2) to visit with the Kiprops, some of our long-term missionaries in Kenya. The trip was a blessing and a wonderful opportunity for gospel partnership.
After two days in Nairobi with members of Seed Company (through whom we have supported the Ilchamus people), we flew to Eldoret and then drove about four hours to the area where the Ilchamus people live. It was deeply moving to visit a marketplace where fruits and vegetables were being sold and to take in the fact that these were the very people we had been praying for.
We had the privilege of meeting with the six members of the translation team for the Ilchamus people. The men involved are all passionate about the project and passionate about the gospel of Jesus (most of them are pastors in addition to being Bible translators). They love the Ilchamus people, and they anticipate a great harvest of people coming to faith in Christ as the Bible becomes translated into their language.
It was stirring to hear one of the translators say with great conviction, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God!” Many of us know those words, but they were brought to new life when thinking of the life-giving Word of God coming to a people who have previously not had access to it.
It was a privilege to speak with, eat with, and pray with the translators. They are our family, even though they live across the world. And they were deeply warm in their gratitude and affection for our church because of the role we are playing in this project.
They currently are nearing the end of translating the New Testament, and they are praying that they will be completely finished by the end of 2019. Please pray along with them for the success and impact of this project.
After our visit with the translation team, we drove back to Eldoret and met up with William and Michelle Kiprop, who are long-term missionaries from LBF Church. In Kip Karon, Michelle runs a medical clinic for low-income people. We got to meet those who work at the clinic, as well as getting to meet a couple of patients who have benefited from the ministry.
One especially moving moment was when we did a home visit for a single mother of a child who needs heart surgery. Without Michelle’s compassion and without the ministry of the clinic, this young man would likely have gone undiagnosed. His name is Ivan and he is awaiting heart surgery in September. Please be in prayer for his health and for God’s impact on this family.
We also got to visit the site for the hospital that is currently being built for the ministry. The plan is to move from their tiny clinic into a full-service hospital, in order to serve the poor in the area. It was wonderful to see the progress and to pray about its progress. It was wonderful also to see how integral the Kiprops are to their community, and how many people are impacted by them on a daily basis.
As you consider your relationship with Jesus, remember that God is a global God. He cares deeply for all people in all nations, and he does powerful work in our lives when we follow him across borders of race, language, socio-economics, and location. Join others of us at LBF Church in partnering through prayer and giving for both the Ilchamus people and for the Kiprops.
