"Cows are dying and many, many people are very hungry"

From the Maasai Team: “Cows are dying in Maasai area and many, many people are very hungry. This is true for many parts of Kenya but due to a faulty … report … Maasai areas have been excluded from the government food provisions … we have close to 200 pastors gathering and counting names of the ‘poorest of the poor’ in all areas of Maasai-land in Kenya. Unlike some other organizations, we give food to those who need it, whether or not they be church members or even believers … a Baptist feeding project of about 90,000 people (was completed) in 2006, this project will be much larger, currently estimating about 180,000 people to receive food … working hard on the getting prices of food and transport (arguing and haggling over the price would be more like it) in order to get request submitted. Please pray for God's will to be made known in this matter for if the entire project is approved, it would take over a month of daily sending out trucks to deliver food! Meanwhile, we ask you to pray with us for rain … Our pastors say that they need about two weeks of steady rain in order for the grass to grow sufficiently to feed their remaining animals. Meanwhile, the men are gone long distances from their bomas, searching for any grass whatsoever where ever they can find it.”

From the Samburu Team: “We plan to do a feeding project this month. Pray that the food will go miraculously far. The numbers being given to us are exceeding the amount we feel we can feed with the requested money. Pray that it will not only make an impact in people's physical lives, but in their spiritual life, as well.”

From missionaries in the Naivasha area: “The people of our area are desperate for food and water. There are some local efforts struggling to carry through. Please pray for these folk.”

Today, please do pray for the estimated 10.6 million Kenyans, a third of all Kenyans, who are hungry and thirsty. Praise God for His servants who are responding to the needs of those facing famine. Help is needed from missionaries and international relief groups, but throughout the country, the maturity and wisdom gained from last year’s post-election chaos is being expressed as Kenyans respond to the famine. Last year’s turmoil has also led to a new spiritual awareness of what God expects of His children and the importance of prayer. Many churches heard pleas such as I heard this morning at Parklands Baptist Church as a deacon challenged church members to give what they could – from a small bag of cornmeal to a sack of dried milk that costs 8,000KSH ($100) – so “We can feed our brothers and sister.” Pray for wisdom, sensitivity and strength for all those planning relief efforts. Pray also that ministering Christians will be strong ambassadors of their Father’s love and salvation to all those “who live on earth – to every nation, tribe, language and people” (Revelation 14:6). Bert Yates