David and Evelyn

Part two

David and Evelyn live in the center down below us. They started out in a tin house just to the left of this mud hut in the photo. Unfortunately during a wind and rain storm the roof lifted up. The wood support had rotted as had the trusses. As the wind blew the roof folded up just like it had a hinge in the middle. Travis and I were called to come down and help pull it back. After about a half hour of work we reattached the roof to the wall and the rain started again. The roof keeps most of the rain out, but the house is not very livable so they have built this temporary mud house to live in and work out of while they complete their stone house.

Moses was born in this house at the beginning of August. He was at least 4 weeks early and maybe as much as 8 weeks. He is the smallest baby that I ever saw. He was just over two pounds when he was born. He is improving and doing very well. He has beautiful eyes that open really wide when he is interested. He has passed 10 lbs and is gain strength rapidly.

Evelyn is also doing well. She was sick with Typhod and Malaria during her pregnancy and fought with morning sickness continuously. She is also back to normal weight levels and enjoying her baby. She has asked us to pass on her thanks to all of you that prayed for her.

David Lesaloi

David and Evelyn: Part 1
David and Evelyn Lesaloi are friends of ours in the church. (This is the family that we are asking prayer for as he is on medication for schizophrenic disorder.) I have known David for 12 years. When we first came to Sekenani, David had one of the strongest testimonies in the community. He was infamous with his age mates as he refused to sponsor the beer for the warriors and had withdrawn from many of the cultural requirements.

Shayne and Tari as well as Almi and I helped him look for a wife. After searching for a Christian girl at several of our northern mission stations, he tried the Transmara area where he met Evelyn. She was a new Christian of only 6 months, but a sweet girl of 16. She was living with her mother a widow.

She was a good match, David felt, as neither of them had much schooling. Evelyn had three years to Davids one. Evelyn is a little ahead in being able to speak better Swahili and closer to reading.

On a day in Dec. 1999, I travel with David to Transmara to receive his bride. We spent two nights living at the local church as we made arrangement for transportation of his bride and family for the wedding service in Sekenani.

We left at 4 AM to return to Sekenani and be in time for the 1 o'clock wedding. After arriving, we found that an uncle who had traveled with us, would not allow the wedding to go forward without another cow being added to the brides price. This brought Evelyn's price up to 11 cows, a very high price. (About $2,000.00) We also had the Maasia Warriors blockade the school yard as they refused guests entrance due to Davids stand against their drinking and partying. After five hours of talks, a visit by the police, and lots of tears, David married Evelyn at 4:30 pm.

Why We Came

The photo is of Laura Sawyer and Savanna. Savanna is one and is being greeted by Naditari. Naditari is one of only a hand full of local Christian here in Sekenani. She excepted the Lord as her personal Savior back in the late 1980's. Since then her life has been a roller coaster as her husband remarried, then died in the nineties. She has almost died twice with Malaria and Typhoid. She remains a testimony of what God whats to do and can do. Uneducated, she has worked for years to see that every one of her children has had a chance to go to school and has told each one about the Lord. Currently there are two open unbelievers and 4 that attend church regularly. There is reason to question if some of them know the Lord, but this mama keep on praying. I am sure that, she is one of the reasons why God lead us to the Mara to start a church. She remain one of our closest friends. Please keep her in your prayers as well as her family. I know she regularly spends time in prayer for the churches in America that support us and is always interested in praying for the needs of people we know. She might have prayed for you!