June 22, 2005
Dear Friends:
Please continue to pray for the short-term team currently serving in
Ghana. This unselfish group is helping to construct a much-needed school
for handicapped adults near Accra and are scheduled to return soon.
Our nine-member Kenya team returned on June 9th. Praise the Lord they were able to help finish a good size building for a large congregation near Siaya Town in Western Kenya! This project was a tremendous answer to prayer and a wonderful privilege for all of us who have been with it from the beginning. We will continue to monitor their progress over the coming year since the congregation would like to begin a nursery school, grade school, and a day school for High School. I won't take up the space here for a picture but if you'd like one, please write back and request it. I'd be happy to comply!
The Kenya team also spent over a week building life-long relationships and managed to do a great deal of work at the Mugomari Secondary School near Kakamega. This group dug the footers for the very large laboratory building and were able to build up the walls to about two or three feet above ground. The building project proved to be a logistical and physical challenge for the group but thanks largely to Elmo Black (age 82!), many of the problems were overcome. It truly was a great trip for everyone but especially for me since the last time I was at Mugomari (ten months ago), we were standing in a corn field for a "ground breaking" ceremony. Now, there are two large buildings serving as classrooms for nearly 160 students and a third building well under way! In addition to the laboratory, there are five more buildings that need to be constructed so there is no shortage of need here. If God is leading you to be part of one of our upcoming Kenya teams, please click the link, "Trips I Can Go On," on the left and then take a look at the short term trips being offered in February and May of next year. By the way, if your church or organization would care to organize your own trip, let us know. We truly welcome your help!
The team was also able to pay a short visit to meet up with our Maasai friends near the Tanzania border. COMMIT will be helping them with their school and medical clinic construction needs in one of the neighboring communities in the coming year or two. We also spent time with the leadership in the area to help with some community economic development projects which should begin bearing fruit within the next twelve months, we hope! In addition, COMMIT is also seeking property near Kajiado in
order to build an office and lodging area for our future short term teams. The property and proposed facilities will also serve as a retreat center for churches in Kenya, Northern Tanzania, and Uganda. It is our hope and prayer that you will catch the vision God has laid upon our hearts for these upcoming projects and the tribal people they will serve!
Our ten-member China team leaves on Sunday, June 26 and is scheduled for a return on July 11th. They will be spending a great deal of time in southern China working with many of the house churches that have been started as a result of our network there. Another China team leaves on July 13 and will be teaching English near Tai Yuan until their return on August 11.
In addition, our eleven-member Sri Lanka team will be leaving for projects in Koddai Kollar on July 25 and will return on August 9. They will be building a multipurpose, two level building for a church in this community to help replace several buildings that were destroyed in the tsunami last December. Another team leaves in September and yet another is scheduled for January. I pray you will wish to help too!
We are also recruiting a team to help construct an orphan home near Rosarita Beach in Baja Mexico, August 15-20. At the present time there are 15 registered for this trip but there is room for 35 more, if you'd care to join. More information is available here or check our trip listings at www.shorttermmissions.com.
I would ask that you please consider offering prayer for the short term teams mentioned above. By the way, should you wish to register for one of our teams, please reply to this email or contact our office at 808-668-8481.
May God continue to bless you!
Greg Crawford
Director
COMMIT Ministries International
Waianae Hawaii USA - Nairobi Kenya
808-668-8481
