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NEWSLETTERS>
Summer Newsletter
October 28, 2009
Here is a long awaited update with more to come soon!
Greetings To All The Friends of Nehemiah
Again we thank you for your awesome support in all that NCM is able to do. First, we need to be thankful to our Lord, but we also remember to give credit where credit is due, and it is certainly due to our great team of behind the scene players. ( You Know Who You Are) Through your commitment and dedication you have enabled the NCM Team to travel to Kenya and make a great impact on the lives of the Turkana people. This was the biggest team we have taken, so I wanted to let the other team members put down some of their thoughts on how they saw the trip. Our Team consisted of Garry and Steve Lemire, Jonathan Penner, Pastor Jim Church, Dave and Dan Nelson, and myself.
Steve Lemire(18yrs)
This trip had quite a bit of planning behind it in order to make it a success. There was a lot of fundraising involved to get all seven of us over to Kenya. The purpose and dream of this ministry motivated a lot more hard work than I usually see in Canada, we get caught up in our own lives. We are motivated by the money we make and forget that God has given us everything that we have; we rarely seem to be content. In Africa, we gave away clothes, we had fun with everyone around us, and the people were overwhelmingly thankful and joyful for the pair of shorts and t-shirt that they will be wearing for the next few years of their lives.
It was a very humbling experience, I have grown up quite a bit since last time I went to Kenya and this experience was probably the most powerful because I know more and understood more of what was going on with the whole cultural aspect, but God had his eyes on us and his angels surrounding and protecting us the whole time.
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Dan Nelson ( 22 )
This trip was one that is sometimes difficult to talk about for me. Since my return many people have asked me the generic question:"How was your trip?". Many people expect in return a one word answer. "Good", and don't get me wrong, it was "Good". But it's hard to stop there. So many emotions come to mind after that question is asked that I have to face this decision of really opening up and sharing some of the horrific and amazing things I saw or was a part of, or shut those feelings off and reply with the standard generic answer:"Good". My faith was shaken at times, and strengthened in leaps and bounds at others. Having the group of guys we did have over there made all the difference too. They really made the trip a success with their work ethic, humor, experience and openness. To have
such guys as my dad (David), Dave, Garry, Pastor Jim, Jonathan and Steven helped tremendously. The people we met over there from the group of American missionaries, Pastor Wilson and his family, the entire drilling team, and the local workers hired to help us with daily tasks around the compound; there is a sense from all of them of determination and drive to accomplish something greater than us. It is frustrating at times to see the little we could get done at a time, but there was a real sense of awe and respect for the things God did allow us to accomplish, and the potential for disaster we faced a great deal of the time (i.e.: the trailer springs, road conditions, flat tires, heat, water issues...)need I say more? I hate to use such a cliché line, but it really was a life changing experience, a real 'eye opener'. It helped to show me how little we really have to worry about, and the great blessings we do have here in Canada.
Thanks again to Dave, my parents, and our entire group for everything.It
was incredible to share it all with you.
Jonathan Penner ( 28 )
WOW! I’ve never experienced anything like it. Would I do it again? Absolutely! I had a pretty good idea what it would be like over there, as I was prepared by my father in law Garry. Some things cannot be explained and are very difficult to deal with. The children were amazing, the people were amazing and the culture is amazing! I’ve come home and have a whole different outlook on life, I seem to appreciate everything in life. Certain events that happened made me appreciate but yet aggravated me about their culture. From times when you're riding into town in the back of the Tata & every child waves & smiles & says “How are you?”, that alone made me feel like I’m doing something very important, from another time when we witnessed & saved a young lady from being beaten. It’s all really overwhelming & wonderful. At first I felt that I wasn’t really doing anything to help these people, but then after talking to some of the locals, they are so happy that there is someone who actually cares & wants to help. We’ve been told from the locals that they have NEVER seen any white man work before. Any white men who go there are usually giving money & food which isn’t bad at all, but you really see the appreciation in the people & children when they see us working for them! The Turkana Region is very dry & very hot. It is almost impossible to grow any kind of food there unless you have an abundance of water, which they do not. So knowing this and knowing that I’m over there helping them improve on the lifestyle they have is incredible! I’ve been to Cuba, Dominican Republic & Mexico and have seen how they live. The Cubans, Mexicans & Republicans have means to feed & provide for themselves, the Turkana people do not! They don’t have flowing rivers or growing crops to help them. The Turkana know this & they live life, loving life, doing what ever they can to survive. I could go on and on about what my experience was like, I loved it. Giving clothes to the children & the naked, that is an emotion that is difficult to share. I thought the experience was awesome & I can’t wait to go back.
Dave Nelson ( Old and Wise)
This trip (my 3rd) was interesting to say the least. Being sent around Nairobi, basically on my own, was somewhat intimidating. Being able to say at the end of the day "I did it" (by the grace of God) was fulfilling.
The use of the word 'road' in Kenya is very suspect. People talk aboutdriving on the road, but a lot of places on the trip up to Turkana was NOT a road. We drove for more than a full day in the ditch. Thevariations in the country were amazing.
The team we had (and I'm sure Dave has introduced them)was terrific. We prayed together, ate, worked and roomed together. The co-operation was great. Taking my son with me was a thrill and meant more to me than
words can say. I know the culture issues were difficult for some of the guys at times. But we worked thru it all. The temp was 43-45 almost every day. People here don't understand how anyone can work in that kind of heat, and looking back neither can I, except again to say by the grace of God. It was difficult, but everyone supported each other and we accomplished quite a lot.
Thanks to all the members of the team. It was truly a memorable experience.
Pastor Jim Church ( Oldest and Wisest )
In early March of 2009 I had the privilege to attend a work project at Kakuma, Kenya. Specifically we were there to help erect a fence around a proposed compound for a training centre which Pastor Wilson Kariuki has dreamed of for helping people of the Turkana Tribe. Four of us met in Calgary and flew to Lokichogio, Kenya and were met by Pastor Wilson in a borrowed station wagon. He drove us the two hours further down the road to Kakuma. The next day we went to a small collection of huts where we were able to distribute a large suitcase full of children's clothing to some very grateful children and families. (We were able to repeat this a couple of more times before we left 2.5 weeks later.)
The next day we went to the site where the training centre is to be eventually built and began clearing it of thorn bushes and ascertaining the boundaries. The following day Dave McElhinney and 2 more Albertans arrived with the materials we needed to begin our work.
I was very impressed with the obvious love and concern both Dave and Gary Lemire of Nehemiah Construction Ministries have for the Turkana people and the work of the Lord amongst them. Through blistering heat (and I mean BLISTERING!) they encouraged and directed the rest of us as we slowly erected the fence, a shelter, dug a latrine, and partnered with Drill for Life to drill a water well on site. (the drilling crew, consisting of Kenyan church leaders was amazing!)
God says that when we 'do for the least of these' we are doing it to Him. The work of Nehemiah and Pastor Wilson fits perfectly into this injunction by our Lord.
I was humbled and privileged to speak both to the small Turkana congregation at Lokore and the somewhat larger congregation at Elim Church in Kakuma. What moved me so much was when the Turkana congregation at Lokore prayed for us! We, the 'Westerners', who come from the land of plenty, were so blessed when these dear children of God who have 'nothing' when it comes to material things, but who are 'rich' in the things of God, when they lifted us up to our heavenly Father. All I can say is "Wow!" My heart was overwhelmed and deeply humbled. I know I have learned much from their simple, yet profound, faith in our Lord.
I want to thank Nehemiah Construction Ministries and my own church for making this working trip possible. My heart has been blessed immeasurably in the Lord.
It is amazing to see everything through as they say, different colored glasses. For myself this was also quite a stretch being the biggest team yet, but the all the guys worked tirelessly to make the trip a complete success! They are certainly welcome to come and help any time. Hopefully some will be leading teams!
On a sad note I need to report that even as our trip was a complete success, our flight home was marred with a report as we were waiting for our flight. There had been a terrible crash involving the NCM Land Rover. It took a long time to find out what had happened and we are still trying to sort out the aftermath of the accident. One of our workers, Wilson's youngest brother Daniel died in the crash, Samuel one of the young men that help to translate and take care of our teams, was paralyzed from the chest down. He has had surgery and is recovering ever so slowly. At last report he could move his arms and sit up in bed but still has no feeling in his legs. Also Alice, Pastor Wilson's wife was injured very badly. She had a very deep gash on her leg and a compound facture of her jaw. Alice was not able to have surgery to repair her jaw because she was 5 months pregnant with their second child. The good news was the baby was alright and on July 17/09 Alice gave birth to a second son.
I do wish I had more encouraging news, but at this time that is all we know. Garry and I will be traveling back to lead a team of young adults from Medicine Hat, but most of all we need to meet with all those involved in the accident to find out why this happened and how it can be prevented from happening again.
As for the Drill For Life project, the team is still moving forward, not without difficulities of their own. We are Truly blessed to have such dedicated workers bringing the Gospel message to the Turkana people along with clean drinking water. The team has recently finished the 8th well and will be moving to the next site to begin drilling this week.
Again NCM would like to say thank you for all your support over the past years. It means so much to us to know we have partners with us in the trenches.
Thank you
Blessings To All
Dave and The NCM Team
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