rempel-dean-1972-kenya.pdf

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AFR-

CasbAJe29 72Chr IsirlaTiA\l^^ion

De a r F r i e n d s :

P.O. Box 5250Nairobi, Kenya

DEAN F . REMPEL MISS IONARY

Fo rwa r d i n g Agen t fo r DeanP .O .Box 306Florence, Oregon 97439

LIVING LINK CHURCHES IN :Florence, OregonWest Covina, Calif .

February 1972

Happy New Year! We had a good Christmas here in Nairobi. The week was quiteactive a t the new church in Westlands as programs fo r the young people and adultswere held. We showed a movie on the bi r th of Christ , had speeches, songs and refreshments. The people a l l join me in sending you the i r best wishes and want tothank you once again fo r your prayers and fa i th fu l support of the East AfricaCh r i s t i a n Mis s i on .

Most of the people re turned to t h ^ i r t r i b a l l oca t ions fo r both Chr is tmas andNew Year's Day. I spent Christmas eve a t the home of an American family. Theirk id s and I went to Woodstock schoo l back in I n d i a , He is wi th UNESCO which madeth e company very in terest ing as there were people there from a l l different partso f the world . Each d id a b i t on how Chr is tmas is remembered i n th ei r coun t r i e s .

Christmas day was in terest ing, also. A Mexican couple invi ted me over fo rbreakfast and then la te r I invi ted everyone over to my house for supper. They a l lbrought food and shared. What a group. We had five Americans, one Indisan lady, aMexican couple, one Jew, two I tal ians, two Kenyans, one Danish woman, etc .Twenty-five in a l l . We played games, sang carols and a te and ate. We decorateda t ree with popcorn and paper and I outdid myself on a s i lve r s t a r made of g i f twrapping paper, A Peace Corps couple, Richard and (Jail Boulwane, spent the res tof the week here, I had met them while on a t r ip inland near the Mflgn-i t r iball o c a t i o n .

Janiiary has brought several guests to Nairobi . Don and Wmmft Sto l l fromIndiana spent three days in my home while on the i r way back to Rhodesia to servethe i r th i rd teim on the mission f ie ld a t Mashoko. They brou^t with them JeffSchaffer (no relation to Harry Schaefer). Jeff is going to be tetiching with Don.It was a r ea l privi lege to have Don speak a t on of our Bible classes and to v i s i tothers.

The work has rea l ly grown. We have muv^d into -in apartment where three ofour leadera l ive . We also have c lo se s there fo r people i n tha t area. The chiirchhas grown, praise the Lord, and with this new apartment as a center, I am prayingthat these classes wil l bring many more. We have started a leadership night inWestlands where I am training five men in both Church Leadership and in Evangelism. This also gives us an opportunity to d is cu ss the weekly programs, go overany mistakes made and l e am where to improve.


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We have an active group of people now and, as a result, a new Tuesday nightclass has been started for those who know nothing about Christianity, the Churchor our goals. I t i s here where we give basic background, Christian doctrine andinformation. Prom this class we move on into various levels depending on interest, background and understanding. Both Ernest and Dismas teach full time withme.

How small the world is. After spending a we^k -In the city of Mombasa, onthe coast of Kenya, I returned to Nairobi to find that my house keys were miss-The Peace Corps couple, who were staying in my house while I was gone, hadleft with my keys, so I decided to go to a movie v^le waiting for them to re -

^ down, an Asian leaned over and asked i f I was Dean Eempel. Iaid, Yes," and asked his name. As soon as he told me I knew that I knew himfrom somewhere. And then I remembered^he had been in boarding school with meseven years ago in India. Through him I have been able to meet quite a number ofAsians. He is a Sikh. However, I did find nine Indian Christians. They hadbeen converted by a Baptist Missionary who has left for the U.S. They have introduced me to a number of Asians here. I t is indeed "hard times" for them.Just last month twelve thousand were asked to leave Uganda. Each day hundredsare losing their work pemits due to the "Africanization" policy. I would lilce^ remember them in your prayers. Witii this continual "upset" i t isd i f f i c u l t to work with them on a s p i ri t u al basis,^ Homrd Crowl and Larry Doggett came to Kenya from the Congo, recently, tozijag eir children back to school. I invited them to speak at our new church.It s great having these Christian brothers come wnd share their time, experiencesand love for the Lord and His people with us .

My cousin, liuth Rempel, visited with me in January also. She been inJerusalem and is now working in Athens.Had to have the engine replaced in my little yellow VW Bug. Transportationover here is a big item at best without these emergencies. The warranty, however, covered a ll but 1200 shillings ($169) of the 5000 ($705) that i t coaU 'Thank you a ll so much for your many cards and thoughtful gifts. We continn-

to rememlier all of you in prayer, knowing that by our sharing together in theLord s work, i t c a n' t help bu t grow here i n East Afidca.Love in Chi ds t ,Dean

MOTE MOM IHE POEmBDUJG AQEtnT: If you want to deduct your gifts to Dean Eempel,give through your local church, or make checks payable to Florence ChristianChurch, Florence, Oregon, designated for Dean Eempel, Canadian friends may sendtheir gifts to the Avondale Church of Christ, Grand Prairie, Alberta, Thank you.Numerous pictures and display items are available for your missionary pro-graios. Contact th e Forwarding Agent fo r da te s .


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The Christian Mission, Vol. 16, No. 2, February 1972 Page 3

INFORMATION PAGE

The Christian Mission, Vol. 16, No. 2, "Congo and Kenya" contains:1. T it le Page3. Information Page4 . Devo t i ona l5. East African Christian Mission, Kenya7. Map of Kenya9. African Christian Mission, Congo13 . Scripture and Songs in Swahili15 . P i c t u r e Sec t i on


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Page 4ihl F-H-Ke'vVYii> iVV.g,

The Christian Mission, Vol. 16, No. 2, February 1972

DEVOTIONAL" TH E Sff lELD O F FAITH"

I Timothy 1:18-2:8 n Cor. 10:3-5In the n Corinthian letter, the greatapos tle Paul emphasized the relationship

o f the Chris t i an to th e w o rl d a ro un d h im .As we read the passage we should ask ourselves if we are taking God at His Word.Yes, it is true. We are in a fight!The enemy is extremely capable. In somany ways he seems to hold t he upperhand. Yet, let us never forget that theBib le t e l l s us he c an b e d e fe a te d . We a reoften told in the pages of God's Word thatHe gives us th e power to break the mightiest holds and victory is assured. It ist ru ly p as t t ime that the Christian warr iortakes God at His Word and gets in the fight.We must be making war against that whichis a t enmity wi th God and His people.

The fight is against s in . For so manyyears we have pussyfooted aroimd on thissubject that we have turned sin into just anintellectual concept with which we think wecan reason, discuss, argue and even shadow box. We play with i t like a cat hanginga garter snake over th e rung of a ladder topaw at and goad with each movement. Thedifference is clear; we are dealing with adeadly venomous serpent. We can' t affordto play around or we will surely die! Sinis powerful. It is not in agreement withGod and His will. Yet we try to make peacewith it. Sin is supernatural in i t 's power.We are not going to defeat i t by ta lking big,or waving our arm s, o r even fighting in th eway t he world p lays th e game.

Dear f ri ends in Jesus , don't we remember? Sin is the power which has been controlling us. We have been slaves with nowills strong enough to rebel. Look aroundand it is easy to see that sin's power has thewhole world following it 's pulsating beat.Why, even when we accepted Christ and werewashed and cleansed in bap ti sm , s in didn'tgive up. The master strategist, Satan, usessin as his greatest weapon. He uses i t well.He knows every weak spot in our lives. Hecan exploit every fear, every emotion, everydesire with such a surge of strength that wefeel r e s i s t ance i s use le s s . We even makeall kinds of resolutions no t to give in; yet whenthe temptation gets strong, we fail again inthat re so lv e. F rie nd s, if we think we can fight

Satan's power by using the world's methods,we are doomed to disappoinetment and failu r e !

How then can we make war? God hasthe answer for victory in the fight againstsin! He has promised His help in overcomi ng evi l and in His power we are enabled toclaim the victory. That helper is the Holyl^ i r i t . He is with us now for He dwel ls wi thin each Christian. He gives us power towithstand the cosmic forces of evi l and bevictorious in the fight. The Father, according to the wealth of His glory , makes mestrong with power through His ^ i r i t in theinner self (Eph. 3:16). Put it all toghetherand accept His promise. Even though ou rstruggle be against "unseen rulers and powers , against tiie lords of the darkness o f thisworld, against the spiri tual forces of wickedness in the heavenly world," we have th epromise and power of victory! There is noreason to even tremble. "I will fear no evil,for thou a r t with m e . " Did we catch i t? Noevi l !

What are we waiting for? There is noneed to fear, so let 's get in the fight and seethe promises of God fulfil led by "bringing intocaptivity every thought to th e obedience ofC h r i s t . "

Let us pray: "Our wonderful and powerfulGk)d. When we think of al l you have promised,the power you bestow on each one of us, wesee clear ly today why we are weak and needy.How sorry we are that we haven't believed you.Thank you, God, fo r your patience with us.Help each one of us here today to renew ourco mmi t men t to o u r t a sk a s wa r r i o r s fo r J e s u s 'sake. Lord, make us tough, seasoned veterans in th e fight against s in . For th e assured victory, we thank you in advance and ini t all, we will give you th e praise. In JesusNam e, we pray. Amen"

Dean Rempel, Kenya, Africa


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EAST AFRICA CHRISTIAN MISSION

The M i s s i o n a r yDean Rempel grew up in India wherehis father and mother, Frank and MarieRempel, served 20 years a s missionaries.He spent mos t o f the first 18 years o f h islife on the mission field in Kulpahar andKanpur , Ind ia . He speaks th e Hindi andOrdu languages fluently, as well as English.Dean graduated f rom Pacif ic Christian College, Long Beach, Calif, in June 1970. Hehas also attended universities in Los Angelesand Seattle, Wash.Dean is now involved in organizing Biblech ^ses, promoting adult education and churchpl cing in Nairobi, Kenya. He works bothamong th e people of Asian decent and th e Afric an s i n t h a t a r e a .T h e W o r kWestlands. Since arriving in Kenya inFeb. 1971, Dean has been busy organizingand teaching Bible s tudy groups in Nairobi .As a result, a new church has begun in the

W e s t l a n d s a r e a w h e r e Dean s ta r te d h i s m i nistry with a small Bible class. This grouphas grown and become the Maguga GreenChurch of'Christ. Many are coming to theL o r d a s a r e s u l t o f t h e w o r k t h e r e . C l a s s e sfo r young men, older people and new Christians are being held throughout the week. Thework of God is spreading rapidly in that areaand plans tor extension classes, which wi lltake the form of cottage study groups, willget underway in January 1972.

K a b e t e . D e a n h as a l s o s t a r t e d a n e wwork in the Kabete area and around 80 peopleare meeting weekly to worship and study theBible. In January a church is to open here,also. It is a great area in which to work asthere is such a wide r ange o f age groups attending. The children's class is growing sorapidly, i t will soon need to be divided. Theadult group is very active and really interestedin studying th e Word of God.University of Nairobi Each TuesdayDean teaches a class at the University of Nairobi. This group of college students gets together each week to discuss Christianity andto s tudy the Word of God in Modem Africa.Twenty s tudent s, each active in learning moreabout God, and each interested in presentingthe wonderful message of Christ to their Univ.friends, meet to pray, to study and to encourageeach other in thei r minis try on campus.

The Coun tr yHarambee (Hah-rahm-bay) "Let us pulltogether. " Jomo Kenratta is Kenya's firstP r i m e Minister and now i t ' s f i r s t P r e s i d e n the leads his nation of 70 tribes along th e pattoward self-help, hard work and racial goodwill. He calls all people t o forge t g rudgesand imi te for future greatness. After fiveyears of independence from th e British, thedrums of nationalism b eat h ard in Kenya.Jom Kenyatta is in the 70th year, long apolitical leader in his own Kikuyu tr ibe. Heis well educated in Kenya and in England.He lived in London many years. In 1952when th e Brit ish declared th e Mau Mau uprising, he was seized, tried and convictedas leader of th e murderous secret society.After nine years in cus tody , h e returned tothe pol it ical scene as a martyr in th e eyesof th e people. The question whether o r notKenyatta directed th e Mau Mau , he steadfasd e n i e s .

Kenya gained it 's independence in Dec. o1963. It i s a land a little larger than Francand Belgium combined, with a population ofabout ten m illion. M ore than 97% a r e Africans, th e r e s t Europeans, As ians and ArabsKenyat ta obtained a constitution guaranteeinequal rights with the Africans fo r all citizenfrom minority groups.Through the stabili ty of Kenya, i t has beh a i l e d a s a m o d e l f o r o t h e r n a t i o n s o f b l a c kAfrica, but Kenya is no Utopia. Beneath th esur face , s trong racial antagonisms do existNearly all t he 185 ,000 Asians and 42,000Europeans had their choice of British orKenya citizenship at independence. Largemajor it ie s o f both groups chose British. Nothe Kenya government, amid cha rges o fracial bias, i s forcing these noncitizens outof the ir jobs and often out o f the country in along range plan of "Kenyanization."While Kenyatta's top government officialare well educated and very able, there islittle talent beneath them. Most Kenyansa r e i l l i t e r a t e , and the est imate i s some 30to 45% of th e nation's children never attendschool. Although th e government gives financ ia l aid to primary schools, all secondaryand primary schools charge heavy fees.Costs may run as high as $97 a year , whichis very high for the average family.Much of Kenya's varied terrain, ranging

(continued on next page)


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6 The Christian Mission, Vol. la , No. 2, February 1972

from previous page)om tropic seashore and high mountains toplains and th e deep c le ft o f th e GreatValley, seems ordained by nature as a

hab ita t . M ore than ha l f the land i sor semi-ar id . About 80% of the humanlives in only 15% of the land area;in the Lake Victor ia basin and thewhere enough rain falls for a rich

d varied agriculture. Elsewhere wildmore adapt ive than man, roame arid lands left mainly to the Masai herfor grazing land. The main crops are.coffee, wheat, cattle, sheep, sugarand sisal plant.

fo r Chr i st ia n Mi s s iona r ie sTwo major forces which influenceddecision to become a missionaryhaving worked with his father, Frankand having been raised in India on

he mis s ion f ie ld .Howeve r, the ne ed for t he people to hearh e Wo rd of God and the need fo r t he ir s alv awere th e major motivat ions for his miso n to Ea s t Afr i c a . Dean f ee l s tha t both

and education are "keys" whichmay use through him to open doorsthese people. While Dean was in I nd ia ,e helped in both these fields and was a witto the joy, the grace of Gtod, and th e

^e non-Christians had when Jesuswas presented to them and they acceped Him .I t is Dean's goal to save sou ls . He beeves this should be the primary goal of a ll

both a t home and abroad. Hes helping to educa te the Ind ians and Africansf East Africa in th e teachings of Christ into bring them to an understanding ofChristianity is all about. He is alsoto build their own work among theirn people by helping to prepare leaders.The evangelistic outreach in Kenya isgreat promise. A strong preaching

is carried out by the East AfricaMiss ion f rom four cen te r s in Nai ri , and a similar program is beginning in ain western Kenya. Classes are heldthroughout the city. B aptism s intohave become frequent and all signsre that there will be a great harvest.There are p lans f or a permanent Chris

In fo rmat ion Cen t e r in Nai rob i . Bro .Schaefer hopes to inc lude in such aa l ibrary with ready room, a chapel,nd classrooms for a continuous training

program designed to reach downtown Nairobi. Audio-visual equipment needed forthis project has been donated by a dedicatedcouple in California, but service supportfor rent and supplies is still needed.The Need sAn additional $300 a month i s needed inorder to adequately maintain th e mission development that Dean ha s begun with suchpromise in r each ing sou ls for Christ.Transportation also remains a real prob lem fo r Dean as he continues the paymentson a VW bug and undertakes the proper careand feeding of this vehicle. Kenya has longbeen known fo r its highway system, or lackof i t , that provides severe wear and tear oncars . Tire companies regularly test theirproducts on the terrain in Kenya. If theypass th e test there, they will stand up anywhere ! S ev er al o f th em fai led the t e s t onDean ' s c a r !

You can sha r e in th i s se rv i c e . The m ission to Kenya is a channel through which everyChristian can serve. Unity in th e service totrue New Testament Christ ianity wil l help winthe world to Christ, (John 17:21) and set apatte rn of life fo r our religious neighbors.(I Tim. 4:12) .You can share as a praye r pa rtner .Prayer is th e one i tem needed by any Christian who is engaged in Christian missionarywork both at home and on th e foreign field.We need your prayers fo r a work which willbecome a stronghold for Christ in East Africa.You can share s teadfast ly . Regular giftswill enable Dean to maintain a budget. Pleaseconsider a regular p la ce in you r giving forthis work and help t o bui ld up th e needed mis

s ion to Ea s t Afr i c aDean F. RempelBox 45250Nairobi, Kenya, East AfricaLiving Link Church

Wes t Covi na Ch u r ch o f Chr i s tWest Covina, CaliforniaCanadian Representatives:Mr. and Mrs. Frank Rempel

4931 Richmond Ave .Grand Pra ir ie , Alberta, CanadaForwarding Agent:

F lo r e n c e Ch r is ti an Ch u r chBox 306Florence, Oregon 97439


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The Christian Mission, Vol. 16, No. 2 , F eb ru ary 1972

fA^rAFIflCAKBNX^

eh


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ught by D ism


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EAST af:

Five o f th e l e a d e r sChurch o f Ch r i s t .

) \

A class to teach the importance of baptism. Some have alreadybeen emmersed and help when the group is divided into smallergroups for study.


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The Christian Mission, Vol. 16, No. 2, February 1972

EAST AFRICA CHRISTIAN MISSION

A Bible class l istens to a Bible story. New Christ ians areencouraged to lead out in this manner.

p

As

After Bible s tudy at th e Maguga Green Churchof Christ , which meets in a schocl building.


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CasbAfrIcdChr1$tIanA\ ion" *n^^vnu#3 S VIr? Af?OV^+Forwarding Agent:

Christian ChiJirchP.O. Box 306Florence, Oregon 97459

D e a r Friends:

DEAN F . REMPELP.O. Box 45250Ifairobi , Kenya

Apr i l , 1972

We have jus t had a color fu l Easter week here in Nairobi . The ci ty wasbeautiful ly decorated with f lags and flowers, not in honor of our Savior, howeve r , bu t in prepa r a t ion fo r a world famous c a r r ace . The E a st A fr ic an Sa f a r iRacers came from a l l over the world to par t ic ipa te , and thousands swarmed thes t r e e t s to watch th e spe c t a cu l a r .

The church i n Westlands, which meets a t the Maguga Green School , hasgrown. We have had 30 baptisms s ince th e new year , e igh t of them on March 12and s ix on Eas te r Sunday, from th e Park lands area .

The Tuesday night class fo r beginners, which I spoke of in my l a s t l e t t e r ,has grown un t i l it was necessary to divide it in to th ree c lasses . We have hada good response among the people of Kabete and are working towards a new churchi n t ha t area . We plan to hold th e f i r s t services on Apr i l 15. Please rememberus in p ray er a s we s t a r t new in t h i s a r e a .NEW SCHEDUIE: Sunday:

Monday:Tuesday:

6 : 0 0 a .m . L owe r K a be te C hu rch of Chris t10:30 a.m. Maguga Green Church of Christ (Westlands)7:30 p.m. Evening serv ices in Westlands7:00 p.m. Leadership c l a s s6:00 p.m.7:30 p.m.

Wednesday: 7:30 p.m.

New Peoples ' c lass in WestlandsTwo c lasses fo r New People i n KabeteBible s tudy i n Kabete fo r sidults and asepa r a t e s t udy fo r ch i ld renBible s tudy in WestlandsOpenWomen's c l a s s in Wes t l andsMovie n igh t

in Kabete and a Sunday school to s t a r t ine have p lansMay.GUESTS: We have had several vis i to rs . The most recent were Larry JudyNeimeyer, who stopped by on the i r way to serve as mi ss ionar ie s in Zambia, Judywas in my graduat ing c lass a t Pacif ic Chris t ian College in Long Beach. It wasg r e a t having them he re fo r tw o days .

Thursday:Fr iday :Satu rday :

8 :00 p.m.

6:00 p.m.8:00 p.m.

for a women ' s class

Donna Disdale , a sec re ta ryDonna is f rom O regon,

fo r USAID, was here on tou r of East Afr ica .


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General and Mrs. Dass, from New Delhi, came through Nairobi and looked meup. I t was great to visit with such good friends from "back home" in India,There is so much to see iji Kenya and I have enjoyed sight-seeing with thesefriends who have dropped by to vis i t our work.PEOM THE FORWAEDING AGEWO): The following is a portion of a letter from DonStoll, followiiig their visit in January: "Dear Dean, Just a note to saythanks so much for a great visit to Nairobi, I t was a very profitable time forus. I feel I have seen a new side to evangelism in Africa. I really admireyou for the work you are doing. Your enthusiasm and sincere faith make a goodcombi^tion and I pray that the work will continue to go forward. Give mygreetings to all the church and express my thanks for the excellent specialprayer service we had that night. I t was well planned."MEEDS: $1000. still remains to be paid on the car, and because of extra rent,the addition of equipment for our mission development and the car expenses weare continually hampered by the shrinking dollar. Please pray that our needswill be met and that we might also be able to build up a film library and addcouple" of~~desks," chairs and some" blackboards, etc.TIMK YOU: To West Covina Church of Christ for the fine job on the specialnewsletter.

To Fairview Christian Church in Carthage, Missouri for the extra gift of$100. fo r a tape recorder .To the follo\^lng groups for their response to the February Mission StudyPacket on Kenya and Congo:Women's Auxiliary, First Church of Christ, Eustis, FloridaMissionary Society, Poplar Springs Church of Christ, King, N.C.Missionary Society, First Christian, Eldorado, IllinoisParkview Missionary Group, Springfield, MissouriBrandon Church of Christ, Brandon, Iowalamplighters, Central Church of Christ, Portsmouth, OhioFirst Christian Church, Knox, IndianaW.M.S., Horsepasture Christian, Eidgeway, VirginiaTo the several individuals who have sent special donations that havemeant so much and I am so very grateful for the love and prayers behind each

and every one.And to the church at West Covina for planning a special Eempel emphasison June 25. Glenn TeVault, from West Covina, has donated a number of rolls offxlm and I am busily snapping pictures for this. These slides may be obtainedfrom my Forwarding Agent after this date.Thank you all for the touching of lives through your prayers continued support of the work here in Kenya.

Love in Christ ,

Dean Eempel


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AF R - K Etjy/ l iCa^bAjtrLcaChrLsbLaTiA\lS5ion

THr^^trttQ - I v-l r* AtT*iaV\4"*Forwarding Agent :Christian Chu r c hDEAN F. REMPEL P.O. Box 306

P0. Box 45250Nai rob i , Kenya

Florence, Oregon 9743

June 1972De a r Friends;

Today my desk i s cluttered with paper s, books, l et te rs , b il ls and variousthings that I should have taken care of long ago. Let me sha re with you a fewthings tha t I have run across as I clean off my desk.Here is a stack of newsletters that my parents sent out over the years wespent in India. I t is a great feeling to r eread these le t ters printed as fa rback as 1950, and now in 1972 to be able to see tiie resu l ts of t he i r work fo rthe Lord. As I r ead about the i r needs then, you know, they're not too differe n t f r om mine now .This is what Lad wrote in 1951"sitting here trying to t.h-iriv of anapproach for expressing the most pressing needs of the Kulpahar work, we suddenly rea l ize tha t the grea tes t needTBSScalls fo r no fu rth er h es ita tio n.I f each of the s ix missionaries here were cal led on to close the fa i th door ofhis or her mind, and to open the "worry room," we shudder to think of the results. Str ipped thus of fai th and standing in the s tr ength o f sel^, we wouldsoon be in the depths of despair. However, knowledge of God's goodness and th ebrethren's faithfulness in the past gives us cause for nothing but praise as welook at current needs about us." And then ^ the needs tha t Dad l i s ted are sosimilar to mine here in Kenya. But as I look back over the years at thesemissionaries and a t the needs they had, I fee l less "panic" and know that th eLord has indeed done great things for them and wil l do the same fo r me. Herea re my most press ing needs;

Car Fund; I still owe $900.00 on the bank loan f o r the car .Service Fx^: We now have two new churches and the added expenses ofrent ^$147.00) for the school building where we meet, housing for two evangelists and the new center in Parklands (a place for an office, a reading room,and classes).There is also need for mission materials such as books, a film library,tracts and lesson materials, paper and postage. And m^y other things forvisits to th e va r i o u s tribal l o c a t i o n s .G-as and car upkeep continue to mount as visitation is carried out throughout the c i ty and vi l l ages ., We have been trying to do this on only $490.00 in regular monthly supportplus special gif ts from individuals, but the expenses have been $600.00 or moree a c h mon t h .Furlough Fund: As I continue to look at Dad's .newsletters I see somethingelse which I am now beginning to faceTravel Funds for the return trip. I t isnot too soon to begin looking ahead to my f irs t furlough, even though i t is al i t t le way off yet. I intend to stay in the States less than a year so that mypro jec t s here may not su f f e r .


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There are many positive factors in the East Africa Christian Mission.There is an unlimited field for direct evangelism. Bible classes are in highdemand and classes are being held every night of the week in some part ofUairobi. The Christian message is readily received and the church is highlyrespected. ^ I am certain that the investment the American chiirches are makingin East Africa is well placed and very effective. aod bless you all for yourfinancial support and the prayers that sustain us.We have much to be thankful for in having you in West Covina, Florence,Carthage, Los Gatos, Plainfield, and the many individuals praying for us andsupplying our needs. How good God has been to this land! What beauty of sightand sound and smell He has lavished upon i t and its people,

"Oh, the sweet scents of nature!They in toxicate my bra in.I lift my head and sn i f f the a i rAgainand yet again!"The Psalmist felt all this when he said, "Oh, that men would praise the Lord!"I t is the whole intent and purpose of the East Africa Christian Mission tobring the people of Kenya, not only to the knowledge of the Creator of these-beautiful things, but to the surrender-of their hearts to Him.As a result of your support we now have 125 baptized believers from fivedifferent tribal backgrounds including Abaluhya, Luo, Kikuya, Masai andBagishm. We baptized seven women on June 4. It was raining but the peoplesaid that since this is the rainy season and we had put i t off twice already,that they would like to be baptized in spite of the weather. So we took raincoats , hats , e tc , and went down to the r iver .I recently returned from a ten day tour of 12 tribal locations near LakeVictoria, visiting the homes and families of oux Christians back in Nairobi.We have baptized 46 from the Western Provinces so far. A sad note 50,000people have been killed in Burundi, which is not far from the Luya tribal location near Lake Victoria, where I just viisited. It is such a tragedy, thatthese killings go on. Thousands of people were along the road heading into

Kisumu and towards Nai rob i .We just had a DYES with 150 school age children in the Bungoma district.It was a great four days. We visited many homes in the area presenting theGood News." The parents came on the third and fourth days and five acceptedChnst as their Savior and were baptized.Attendance has doubled at both the Maguga Green Church of Christ and atLower Kabete. About 150 are attending now,A special thank you to Mrs. Winifred Mullis for preparing a presentationof my work at the Plaiitfield Christian Church on July 4, and to Mrs. Mary E.Benoit for her presentation of my work at the area Mission Fellowship in-JLewion,-A-l-berta, Canada on June 25.In 1970, when my folks retired, Dad told me a great deal about the Lord'swork, be i t in India, America, or Africa. He said, "Love of people is absolutely essential for anyone who wishes to be happy in the. Lord's Work.Christians must have a feeling for people, and the greater their needs thegreater should be our concern." Jesus said, "By this shall all men know thatye are My disc ip les , i f you have love fo r one another."And then, last of a ll I discovered, as I filed the last of the letters onmy desk, that I had written a total of 533 letters since arriving in Kenya.T^s may seem like a lot, but it 's really not. Two or three letters everynight before going to bed is all it takes to answer the letters from myfriends. Please continue to write to me, I think of you often and rememberyou i n da i ly prayer .

Love in Christ ,Dean Eempel


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Ca^bA jirLcaChr LstLamW i^^lonPorwarding Agent:Christian C h i u ? c hP . O . Box 306P l o r e n o e , Oregon

DEAN F . REMl-ELP.O. Box 45250Nairobi , Kenya

9 7 4 3

August 1972

D e a r F r i e n d s :

Once again the i,, A. G. M. sends their greetings to you as our winter comesto an end and the rains are finally replaced by sijnshine. I would l ike for yout o meet some o f our l e a d e r s i n t h e work h e r e .MJEST MULOKOTO AMBOSO: Ernest comes from Kakamega, the capital of the WesternProvince of Kenya. He is vice-chairman of-our planning committee and is activein teaching and preaching Christ at the Maguga Green Church of Christ and is alsoresponsible for the choir we have started. He is of the Abuluya tribe. Unlikehis grandfather, who had 100 wives, Ernest has chosen to marry only one, thesecond week in October. Her name is Leah, also an Abuluya. I spent several daysin her home in the Kakamega District this spring. She is an active Christian andi s instrumental i n helping me i n the women's work.

Ernest's grandfather was a famous warrior and wrestler. Likewise, Ernest isa great warrior for Christ and through him many have come to know our Lord. Hisfather, a farmer, has helped us in many ways by introducing us to the people ofh is v i l la g e .DAVID KARENGO: David first came to the Maguga Green Church through the influenceof Ernest, last November. He was baptized into Christ and immediately became active among the brethren in Lower Kabete, who are mostly of his tribe ^Kikuyu.

David has a long history of leadership. His great-grandfather was a chiefof the Kikuyu and ruled over 8,000. His grandfather and uncle were also chiefs,each ruling in different locations and over seven to nine thousand people. Howwith Independence we have the close of tribal rule but not of leadership, forDavid's s is ter i s married to the mayor of Nakuru, a town 100 miles K, W. ofNairobi. David has taken on the whole responsibility of th e Lower Kabete workwhere he is teaching and preaching Christ. Through his efforts many have beenbrought i n t o t h e C h r i s t i a n f o l d .DISMA.S JACOB: Dismas was the first African friend I made when I arrived in Kenyaand is perhaps the most important leader of all. He has introduced me to manypeople and i t is through him that we were able to start this work. Dismas, likeErnest, is an Abuluya. He is the son of a sub-chief in the Mt. Elgon region ofKenya near the Uganda border. Dismas has spent a great deal of t ime v/ith me inestablishing the Lord's work in Kenya. I t was vflth Dismas that I made my firstinland trip into the Lake Victoria region in Western Kenya. Not long ago we madea third trip inland and held a very successful DVBS in Dismas' home village,which I mentioned i n my l a s t newslet ter .


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PIUS WAKJIiM MAHTIN: Pius is another of our key men in the work here. He ischairman of our planning committee and a real leader. Pius, along with Dismas,Ernest and Dismas' brother, Johnston, have seen the work grow from the originalfour to congregations in Westlands, Kabete, Parklands and the newest area, NgongRoad. Pius is of Mluhya tribal background. He is employed by the East AfricanRailways as an accomtant/auditor and travels extensively in the three partnerstates of East Africa and haa opportunity to witness to many friends over a widearea.

We have had fifteen additions dirrlng the past six weeks, and, as a result ofan ^.vitation to come to the ITgong area of Nairobi ana meet with a group ofChristians and conduct a Bible class, a small congregation of several familiesnov/ meets there each lord 's Day to worship.At the end of August our wamen's class is having a Bible Pestival. We havemade preparations to have seventy-five women attend a soul-winning three nightsin Westlands for group Bible study, movies, gue^t speakers and refreshments. Weare praying that many of these women will become a part of that great Family of-eh^ist-as-a-resuit-of this" festi-val.-^ 'Jhi-s-rs-me- first ofit's "Mnd amohg^'^ghe"women of our two churches and I have had a great time helping them to prepare forthe meetings.I v/as asked to teach a class in philosophy, religion and English at theKenya Polytechhic Institute in Nairobi and feel i t would be an excellent opportunity to teach Chnst to University students again. The classes would meetthree times a week in the morain^-s for two and one-half hours. The students,many^ who had attended our University of Nairobi Bible study last teim, are allv'orking towards a degree in Humanities. They seem rsally interested in learningabout Christ and talking about religion and its effect on a changing Africa.Afight broke out recently between Kisii and Kipsigi tribesmen at Hamasha,near Lake "Victoria, The fight started when Kisii tribesmen were leading hometheir cattle which had been stolen by the Klpsigis. Not long after this a gangof Kisii cattle raiders armed with spears, bows and arrows had another fight with

the Masai over ca t t l e the f t .The Asians are not without their problems too. Last week Uganda shockedeveryone by announcing that 50,000 Asians are to leave the country within threemonths. This included professional persons and industrialists who earlier werethought to have been exempted from the expulsion decree.Special thanks to Mrs. Shirley Roberts of the Central Church of Christ inGrande Prairie for presenting the 3._ A. C. M. during their DVBS there t^s month.Also, a special thanks to my parents for presenting my ministry to the AvondaleChurch of Christ in G-rande Prairie and for their work as my Canadian ForwardingAgent. And to the Women's Missionary Group of the First Cnristian Chiu:ch in NewPort Eichey, Florida for the special presentation they have planned forSeptember. The new slides and lots of display material are available from my

Forwarding Agent in Plocence, Oregon. Contact them .for dates.I would like to thank you all once again for helping, through the EastAfrica Christian Mission, to spread the Word of God here in Africa. We pray thatGod will continue to bless you in your ministries there in Canada and America.Chris t ian love,

Dean RempelADDED NOTE: The la test word from Dean brought the information that he has had anunexpected $500.00 expense concerning the registration permit of the East AfricaChris t ian Mission in Kenya. This has caused an added f inanc ia l burden.


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Dea r P r i e n d s :

r e nvT ^tasbA jtr IcuChr Lsb tanA\ ion

Forwarding AgentCh r i s t i a n Chii rchP.O. Box 306Florence, Oregon

ufiAN F . REMPELP.O. Box 45250Nairobi , Kenya

97439'

Nov embe r 1 97 2

I t was q-uite a surprise on October 11 when I received a cable from my father,i^ank Eempel, stating that he was arriving on the midnight flight from Canada tolook over the work I had begun here nearly two years ago and to see if there mightbe a place for the senior Rempels in building this mission,I had written to my parents asking them to consider coming to Africa to helpme in the mission as the work is increasing so rapidly that I am finding i t diff i cu l t to manage alone.I ' l l let Dad tell you about his two week information gathering visit to theE.A.G.M. through excerpts from the daily diary he kept while here.

Wednesday . Octobe r 11With Dean to meet me at the Kairobi airport were Martin Wafulla and ErnestMulokoto, two of the yoimg men who have associated themselves in the Kenya work.The drive through city center to Dean's house on the northern edge revealed a verymodem and very beautiful African metropolis.. .We dined at Martin's house on typically Afracan food and were entertained by the Wafixlla children who sang songs.Thur sday , O c t ob e r 12A tour of a nearby shopping area took part of the morning. I t seems that asomewhat uneasy group of people of Asian origin own most of the retail businesses,as well as much of the country 's industry - for how long this will last is a constant subject for speculation. At a Rotary luncheon in the New Stanley Hotel I metthree men who seem to be representative of the international make-up of Kenyanlife: Mr. Bernard Hinga, Commissioner of Police for all Kenya; Shankar Das,Indian and a wealthy businessman of Nairobi; and Jack Block, of English origin butAfrican by choice and one of the wealthiest men in Kenya...In tije afternoon Deanand I-drove to Kijabe, in the Great Rift, site of one of the largest mission stations in Africa. I t is an Africa Inland Mission undertaking and encompasses theentire range of mission institutions, staffed by around 70 foreign missionaries.Missionaries are, i t seems, a class of foreigners still very welcome in Kenya,since they contribute to the educational and even economic welfare of the countryrather than draining off i ts wealth. I had particularly wanted to get an "outside-ers" answer to the question of indigenization, and learned from a Mr. Arenson therethat the institutions only are presently under foreign control, the African churchbeing entirely under African leadership...Bible study this evening at Evan Omollo'shouse in Westlands, Nairobi, where about 55 men and women were present. I wasasked to speak and Martin Wafulla translated to Swahilij though only a few needed

th e t r a n s l a t i o n .Fr i d ay , October 13David Karengo accompanied Dean and me to Nyeri, in the heart of Kikuyu country, on the slopes of Mt. Kenya, about 60 miles north of Nairobi. David's .grandfather was Kikaya chief over a fairly large territory, encompassing about 8000people. He is looked up to in the area as a kind of "prince" and tells interesting


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stories about the Kenyan fight for independence in which Kiicuya, more than an;yother tribe, were involved. Dean has been offered the management of the former"St. Dominiq-ue Secondary School" and is to taJce over its .operation in November.Actual administration will be ^ American couple who were here looking for ajob. Dean was able to hire them throtgh the government. They will be directlyresponsible to-him. There are about 300 students and the school is funded fromtuitions with government grants malcing up the deficits in operation... Mr.Wamuthenia, fomer M.P. and assistant to the Vice President in the Ministry of HomeAffairs, .was a Roman Catholic but has taken an undenominational stand. He has notyet submitted to immersion into Christ, however. I t is he who approached Dean withthe school proposition, which will be known as the "East Africa Christian MissionSecondary School."Sunday, October 15The church service was at the Ma^a Green School at 10:30 a.m. I t i s a combined service of two congregations, which however hold weekday services separately.There were about 150 persons present in a room quite inadequate fo r such a crowd.A choir of about 20 sang several numbers a cappella after which I spoke on thetext. I give you the Kingdom"...A sizable group of 15 Africans ranging in agesfrom 17 "feo 50 were baptized into Christ. Ernest Mulokoto did the baptizing. Lack-both for mee-tingand-fer perfortuing baptisms easily, are a- serioushandicap, I am afraid...We joined Mrs. Martin Wafulla and David Karengo and-Johnstone Chevolio for the 250 mile drive to Eldoret in Western Kenya, where we areto see the work at Bungoma.Monday, October 16The meeting at the Chevolio home in Bungoma was attended by about 20 adtxltsand perhaps 50 children. Held out of doors, i t was highlighted by a special numberin song by the six wives of Mr. Chevolio, sung in harmony. Other groups, nsany ofthem children of this one man, also sang.,.Tuesday. October 17Alan Pike, fonner Peace Corpsman in Masai country of South Kenya, airplanepilot and a friend of Dean's offered to take us on a short f l i^t over the area sofamliar to him from his Peace Corp days. This proved to be a great experience,not only for the insights gained into the life styles of this very important ethnicgroup as we talked to Alan over the lunch that followed the flight...Evening meet-Dean's house, which is situated in the midst of a coffee plantation,

^th about 34 attending. Lots of singing, after which I spoke and David Karengot ransla ted to the predominantly Kikuya people.Wednesday, October 18At a meeting at a hospital staff compound in North Nairobi an overflow crowdof about 140 jammed their community hall. After I spoke, there was a question andanswer period - the Africans, I discovered, are not in the least backward aboutputti^ questions, sometimes naive, sometimes penetrating.^hui-aday^ October 19 ' ~about noon on "safari" to the Ambolseli Game Preserve, a trip by carthat proved to be an outstanding camping experience.Sunday , October 22The service at Itlaguga Green was also a sort of farewell to me as I am to leavein the early part of this week. Ernest Mulokoto brought the message and I presidedat the Lord's Supper. The usual crowded classroom again emphasized the need for amore spacipus meeting place...Dean and I had lunch with Pius N'ganga at his UnitedKenya Club, after which we did some calling.It was a great two weeks for me. The Christians enjoyed Dad's visit, the sermons, the teaching and the fellowship, I feel that there is a place here for myparents to serve and to help in building the Lord's work in East Africa, We "havegrown in many ways and there are now 600 people with whom we are directly involved

in our dai ly mini s t r i es .I would like to thank you all for your continued support of this ministry andfo r your prayers on our behalf .

In Christ ian love .

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