SERV Ministries International is a Christian organization that receives emergency food from USAID and ships it in containers to Kenya. It is estimated that a third of all Kenyans are currently experiencing famine and I had been bugging the Kenya Baptists who receive this food to disburse it to the critical areas. USAID food is dehydrated and requires a short lesson in how to prepare it without waste. It is a great reminder of how Jesus fed people after blessing and multiplying the food. So after plans were made suddenly, I and several others left Saturday morning with the “Big Blue” Baptist Mission truck on a six stop, 17 hour drive throughout Lower Eastern Province known as Ukambani, the home of the Wakamba People. As we left food at each of the Associations, I could not help but thank God for many things:
1) To be here at this time with these resources (food, truck, people).2) For cell phones that allowed all of this work to happen like clock work! Every Baptist leader was on time, his people prepared and waiting.
3) For those IMB Kamba missionaries who worked so hard to establish churches in such remote areas in every location.
4) For safety especially on the three hour drive from Ikutha to Wamunya at midnight!
5) For my car to continue going for 100 kilometres after the fuel light had come on! A modern-day Biblical Miracle - There was a petrol shortage in Kenya this past weekend leaving many places without gas, including where I needed to refuel.
6) The 1,000 hungry families who were touched by God’s love as they received food.
Jack explains well why – other than just now catching up on his sleep from getting to bed at three last Sunday morning – this was such a great experience. My disappointment came from not being able to go as I had developed a really bad cough. We weren’t sure if I was contagious, so I stayed home, not for my sake, but for the sake of others – hungry people are weak people who can catch illnesses easily. I am also praising God for cell phones – which meant I wasn’t surprised when Jack arrived home so late – and for the safe travel Saturday evening of the group in our RAV and the Big Blue Truck. We rarely drive late at night – it simply isn’t wise in Kenya between bad roads (one stretch was under construction with 50 metres completed followed by 
50 metres of no road, and of course with NO notice boards!), bad drivers, broken down vehicles, bandits and animals on the road, plus this trip was definitely not on the beaten or well marked paths! I also have a praise for SERV based on a memory of when I met many of those involved with this program – over half based their love for missions on having WMU Moms!To help you experience all we’ve shared, you can find pictures from last Saturday at: http://picasaweb.google.com/omba4kenya/UkambaniRelief?feat=directlink
To view larger pictures, simply click slideshow. And thank you also for your love of missions and your desire to be a part of God’s work as you pray and are involved! Bert Yates
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