Newsletter April 2015

The farm

We have continued to try various different crops; onions doing well, tomatoes, cucumbers, egg plants. One of our problems is the very strong sun, which necesitates the use of blanket or mulch which is hard to come by. No new crops are to be planted without it as it holds the moisture. We are still nowhere near to breaking even. The crops are all organic and no poison used. Much local produce tastes of the poison they use. We use neem tree leaves and seeds and chillies to spray on as an insectiside, which only kills the insects from outside. We probably need more expert advice especially in the local conditions, as I am not a farmer/agriculturalist. We have a major problem in the whole area. The main long rains normally come from mid March till the end of May. In the area of the farm it is like a dust bowl, with basically no rain. This is serious and has the potential for being a famine unless the Lord sends rain late. Please pray about this. The dam is at least half empty and there is little water in the river to refill it. We need the water. There is still considerable evaporation/leakage, but a liner would cost $5,000 and a cover even more. The five workers; Oswaldi, Rafa, Jafet, Halima and Grace are doing well with Baraka opting in when the others are away. Abraham is doing well. His help on the farm is invaluable.
Please pray for Samweli who has a serious drink problem and has forgotten all that happened to him and was done for him. We were only able to fill one of the maize stores last year, and the priice of maize has increased 50% in the last few weeks in the face of the prospect of a poor harvest. It will be hard for the poor next year.


Church

We are having a problem on the church property. Theives are breaking onto the plot at at night (breaking padlocks, cutting down planted hedges and removing fence posts,) in order to steal grass for their animals. No one around has grass, just dust. The whole area is seriously overgrazed.. If people had asked they would have been given some!!! We still need to see a breakthrough as many, especially the Maasai, are still bound by their traditions of tribalism and the many aspects of what that means.
Anne continues with the Bible study group on Tuesdays which she much enjoys and now there are two Maasai ladies in the church also leading groups and one in the village and another at Abraham's house. The Lord has wonderfully supplied money to repair the Kimashuku bridge which Reines organised and managed to get done before the rains. Also we have been given money to provide food for two primary schools; Sanya Station and Mlima Shabaha. This is a big relief both to parents and children, and it looks like we will be able to get help to repair the roof of a primary school which blew off in strong winds, and hopefully there will also be provision for the building of a kitchen for the school.





Auszug aus Newsletter Ehepaar Street