December 2011/January 2012

Dear Prayer Partners,

We pray the Lord will richly blelss you in the new year.  3 John 2 

We arrived home to Kenya on November 18 to a warm reception.  We were greeted at the airport by seven of our church members.  The greatest surprise was to return to our house at midnight to hear singing inside.  Our entire home fellowship group was awaiting us with hymns, prayers and a traditional African meal!

The first week home Mike taught a modular class at Independent Baptist College of Ministry on the Ministry of Prayer.  The second week was Kids' Bible Camp (V.B.S.) at Zion Road Independent Baptist Church, where we had a record year with 200 children attending and about 32 children counseled for salvation.  For a week early in December we enjoyed hosting Pastor Robert Shaw and his wife Karen from Grace Baptist Church, Kettering, Ohio; Dr. Shaw was the commencement speaker at the second graduation of our Bible college.

The third week home we traveled out to Western Kenya to our "baby" church for their first Kids' Bible Camp at Raganga Independent Baptist Church and the Kegogi village fellowship.  The fourth week Mike taught a Bible Institute class at Raganga on the Book of Romans.  We were ready for a short rest over the Christmas holiday!

The new year begins with our annual Spiritual Life Retreat of the Bible College January 3-6.  Evangelist Ken Lynch will be our preacher.  The first college term Mike will be teaching Public Speaking.  Gail plans to resume her studies at the college the second term. 

Our youth pastor, Julius Juma, graduated from the Bible college in December.  He plans to continue full time as the youth leader at Zion Road Independent Baptist Church while he begins his Master of Arts program in January.  He is developing into an effective preacher and will be in the pulpit at least once a month.

We are busy but also very happy in our ministry here in Kenya.  Thank you for your part in making it possible to serve the Lord and plant independent Baptist churches here.

                                       PRAISE  for ...

• Safe return home to Nairobi,
• Good attendance and response of children at three vacation Bible schools,
• Improved health of Mike's mother.

PLEASE PRAY FOR ...

• The approval of our building permit by Nairobi City Council,
• Adjustment of new college students, Luke and Jane,
• Numerical and spiritual growth of our youth under the leadership of Pastor Julius Juma.                                               

Yours for Christ in Kenya, 

Mike and Gail Mestler