May 2008 Victory for Kadija

Victory!
One in our ministry family has just graduated to the next level! Kadija
and all 7 of her children are now physically healthy, no longer
malnourished and all taking vitamins, and all the children are now in
school. Praise God for His faithfulness! Kadija, a former Muslim from
northern Kenya, has grown quickly in the Lord, in His understanding of the
Word, and of His Ways.

She recently visited northern Kenya for her son's circumcision (the
grandfather must be present to tie the removed foreskin with a piece of
the boy's hair) – a three-day journey, by the way, with one full day
sitting in the back of a truck. We prayed for wisdom before she left.
(Kadija was not afraid but I was! I was afraid she might be so passionate
for Jesus that she would be harmed!) But the grace of the Lord was with
her. A fully-covered Muslim woman (only her eyes showing behind her black
garment) ran up to her saying she knew Kadija was now a Christian and that
she, too, wanted to give her life to Jesus. This woman bravely said she
didn't care what her husband did to her – she just wanted Jesus in her
heart.

What a victory! Here Kadija has become whole enough that now her light for
Christ is shining to her own people, the Borana. Praise be to God!

We found a safe apartment in Bul-Bul (between Karen and Ngong town with a
picturesque view of Ngong Hills) for about $140/month. This town was
completely free of violence during the December, January, and February
killings and destruction, so the family will live in peace and security.
For now, we are continuing to pay for rent, food, school fees, and bus
fare until her business of selling second-hand clothes becomes
established. We're also teaching her about tithing 10%, saving 10%, and
using the remainder for necessary expenses. Next week we'll consider
helping her open a bank account.

We've moved our Wednesday Women's Prayer group to Kadija's new home and
already three new women join us.

"House of Hope" in Lodwar
The Lord has SERV Ministries International with 33 acres, primary school,
and living quarters for Turkana orphans. Don or Laura will be traveling
frequently to check on the building progress and orphans, as well as
training staff. SERV Ministries is leading a team in August.

Bible Study and Teaching
On Friday mornings, we've started studying Experiencing God: Knowing and
Doing the Will of God. Now that we've been here 2.5 years, we understand
more of the culture to adapt this study to a Kenyan perspective. Everyone
has commented how this Bible study is impacting their life and they are
eager to learn more.

Laura continues teaching in churches on Sundays and in Women's conferences
organized by Kenyan pastors.

Peace and Restoration
We've been blessed with pastors, prophets, and intercessors from over East
Africa come to our home for rest and renewal of their spirits. We continue
to provide our home for such servants of God. We've had three
pastors/prophets from Uganda and three pastors from Tanzania stay six days
for prayers, reflection, and rest after a mission in Tanzania. They also
began preparing for a mission to DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo). We've
also had a Kenyan pastor and intercessor stay for five days praying and
fasting.

Furlough
We are in the States June 2nd through August 12th, the longest time we've
spent in the States since living in Kenya! We're looking forward to
resting, spending time with family, and visiting churches and friends.

While we're gone, we're leaving our ministry in the very capable hands of
our ministry partners here in Kenya -- an administrator, community health
nurse, and a pastor. We'll be in constant contact with them through email
should problems arise.

If you'd like us to visit you or your church, email us at
don@dickersonmissions.com or laura@dickersonmissions.com.

Move to SERV - March 2008 Update

OFFICIAL TRANSITION to SERV Ministries International

Though we have officially transitioned from The Mission Society to SERV
Ministries International, our ministry will continue as planned.

The Dickerson family has been working with The Mission Society for four
years, two going through their excellent training and evaluation programs
and another two on the field. We thank them greatly for acting as a bridge
to our mission field, the advice to take time and learn the language and
to explore the culture before delving too deeply into ministry. May the
Lord continue to guide you in the right direction for His sake and the
sake of His people.

After several discussions with The Mission Society over the last 6 months
and with their blessings, we have officially transitioned as full-time or
career missionaries with SERV Ministries International. The scope of our
ministry has evolved over the last two years focusing to a greater extent
on mercy and compassion to the hopeless and to the very poor, something
that fits well with the vision of SERV Ministries.

SERV Ministries International has been working in the USA, Mexico, and the
Dominican Republic through food relief, orphanages, and building churches.
They¡¦ve been in Kenya since 2006 working with several indigenous churches
and para-church organizations providing food relief for the very poor.

On a ¡§chance meeting¡¨ in 2006, I (Laura) met Steve Kasha, Executive
Director, and Lee Johnson, Chair of Leadership Team, after a Sunday
service at Glory Outreach Assembly in Nairobi. Don eventually became
Co-Director of SERV Ministries Kenya along with a Kenyan, Shem Okello, who
works with The Baptist Mission of Kenya. We thus found ourselves working
more and more with SERV Ministries and it was a natural progression to
move with them full-time.

SERV Ministries International (www.servintl.org) has applied for a USAID
grant to ship approximately 4 million meals to Kenya. We just found out
the grant was approved! More details will follow in the coming weeks. In
2007, SERV Ministries distributed approximately one million meals to three
orphanages, two schools in Kibera slum, to many churches and schools
throughout Kenya, and to hurting individual pastors.

Also, SERV is planning ¡§House of Hope¡¨, the fulfillment of a vision of a
Turkana missionary for an orphanage in Lodwar (north-western Kenya). This
missionary grew up as an orphan, was schooled by World Vision, and now
wants to return that gift to other orphans. Twenty children have already
been identified in the community, some with physical and/or neurological
disabilities. The buildings will initially hold these twenty and then be
able to expand to perhaps fifty in the future.

We are also grateful that 100% of your donations will get to our family or
any of SERV Ministries¡¦ projects.

Please send your support of us or any of SERV¡¦s ministries to:
SERV Ministries International
500 Arnold Mill Way
Suite B
Woodstock, Georgia 30188
Attn: Brenda Sherer, Director of Communications

Latest in Politics

Now that the peace accord has been signed and leaders are moving into
their new positions, the country, for the most part, has gotten back to
normal. I¡¦ve noticed the ¡§sigh of relief¡¨ in our own home as well as on
the streets and in businesses. But I say ¡§for the most part¡¨ because
there are still people in camps who are afraid to go home and others
express optimism hesitantly, waiting for Parliament to follow up with
appropriate laws.

Light-hearted Satire

With so much stress in the past two months in Kenya, we thought you would
enjoy the following political satire involving the monkeys, dogs, cats,
and cows on our property. Anything you find humorous can be credited to
revisions by Donƒº. Should you be offended, Don says it¡¦s not his fault.
Otherwise, the responsibility for the article rests entirely on the
shoulders of one capable Amos Mirera, a journalist here in Kenya.

No Political Settlement After All

The rivalry between the Dickersons¡¦ dogs and a group of monkeys calling
themselves, ¡¥The Hope of Our Race¡¦, is far from over.

There were some rumors alleging a political settlement between the two
warring camps, but the monkeys have since dismissed the reports as mere
propaganda aimed at frustrating their cause for justice.

The Monkey group has now renewed their call for mass action across the
Dickersons¡¦ residence on coming Tuesday, hoping to evict the missionaries
from what they call, ¡¥the sweat of our forefathers¡¦. And, they claim,
any food grown on this residence in the meantime, it rightfully theirs.
The Monkey group has vowed continued mass actions until the humans vacate.

But barking to the press later, the Dogs declared the land out of bounds
for the Monkeys and threatened to use their ¡§bite to kill¡¨ order if the
monkey family makes good their threat. They say the real reason the Monkey
group has planned mass action is that the crops are almost ready.

And in an obvious reference to the residential cows and cats, the Dogs
swore dire consequences for those deemed to sympathize with outsiders.

The warning follows allegations that Mother Cow had used innuendos aimed
at invoking barnyard civil disobedience in the compound, which tended to
undermine the Head of Estate in the estimation of right thinking
residents. This same mother cow has been seen gladly accepting gifts of
banana peels from the Head of Estate, but then promptly trying to gore
him.

However, the cow later withdrew the supposedly seditious statements after
the Head of Estate threatened her with extinction, claiming he would
barbeque her for the Dickersons¡¦ 21st wedding anniversary in May, per
Executive Order OICU812. The message scared her enough that she could not
give milk the following three days.

She is now working with dogs in preparation of what is expected to be a
battle of titans this Tuesday. The cats have remained unusually quiet and
their loyalties at the time of this writing are unknown.

Feruary 2008 Update

February 2008

"We've had our heads in the sand."
-- A Kenyan seminary professor

The days after Kenya's national election have been unlike anything Kenyans
have endured since the Mau Mau uprising against Great Britain, in the
1950s. Since the controversial re-election of President of Mwai Kibaki on
December 30, 2007, over 1,000 Kenyans have been killed, including the
assassinations of two Members of Parliament (MP) from the opposition
party. Another half-million have fled their homelands fearing loss of
their lives from the ethnic cleansing.

In trying to grasp motives behind this violent behavior, we've been
talking to people of different tribes and economic class. Some like the
above-quoted professor say Kenyans have known about the potential for
murderous outbreaks but say it's acknowledgement has been largely
suppressed. Others said they knew resentment lurked beneath a nationwide
veneer of calm, but had no idea until now how much anger had been
repressed. Some claim the root of the violence is tribal, but others argue
that the conflict is really about differences in economic class and
long-standing land disputes.

For us, we've been reflecting on our past two years in Kenya. We, too, did
not recognize the depth of resentment, hatred, and lust for vengeance
between rival tribes and the 'haves' and 'have nots'.

Over the last two years, we have heard many charges of tribalism from
those not in power. We've heard many comments stereotyping one tribe or
another. Prior to the crisis, we even experienced on our own compound a
war of words between two men of rival tribes. One claimed the other was
uncircumcised, which is one of the worst accusations imaginable in this
country. By God's grace we were able to prevent a physical conflict.

Those suffering from abject poverty blame wealthy employers who exploit
the desperation of day laborers by paying them shamelessly meager wages..
(How about working 12 hours, 7 days a week, without any breaks, for only
$45/month? If you refuse, the employer can always find some else who is
desperate.)

It's been hard to write these past few weeks. We, who are foreigners, are
riding an emotional rollercoaster. I can't imagine the horror facing the
native-born.

Our hope is building that maybe the immediate crisis is waning, even as a
few acts of violence are still being reported. The whole country is hoping
and praying that Kofi Annan can garner peace.

At Our Home

The Lord has blessed with safety and peace at our current home which now
serves as temporary sanctuary for the internally displaced. Zack and Drew
have moved to our bedroom, sleeping on mattresses on the floor. Thanks to
SERV Ministries International (www.servintl.org) and individuals, we were
able to buy these mattresses and extra food.

We've taken in that Borana widow we've written about, along with six of
her eight children. Her oldest two sons (19 & 20 years old) were beaten in
Dagoretti and their business destroyed. They had been supporting their mom
and younger brothers and sisters when possible, but now can't feed
themselves. The oldest will stay for at least a few days at our house to
recover from the wounds of his beating.

We also have taken in a young woman living alone who had been hiding under
her bed each night, in fear of her life. Now we have 16 people living
here.

Zack asked if people would try to kill our family. Of course, we reassured
him this violence is just between Kenyans themselves. But I can only
imagine what mothers of the Kikuyu, Luo, and Kalenjin tribes have to tell
their children each night. It breaks our hearts.

Currently, we have members of the Kikuyu, Borana, Akamba, and Luyah tribes
at our home. In addition, the wrecked truck (long story) of a Luo
tribesman is at our house, dating from the time we received our gift cow
from the future wedding of a Luo and an American. The Luo truck owner
hopes to return to pick his truck after the violence has subsided. For
now, he is holed up in the Luoland of West Kenya, waiting for more
peaceful roads and bus fares to come down.

At our latest Friday Bible study, we taught about conflict and what might
a God-centered response be. We talked too, about how conflict can actually
be an opportunity to glorify God, and create stronger, more genuine
relationships.

Only Through Christ

Thank you for praying! Many have prophesied that Kenya will be the
epicenter of a worldwide revival for Christ. Perhaps the 'thorns' of the
past few weeks will later manifest the 'rose' of that prophecy.

Please continue praying, because revival cannot take lasting hold of a
people hiding their hatred or resentment for one another. And if the
prophesies are true, the rest of the world needs Kenya to spark a revival!

1 Corinthians 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait
till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and
will expose the motives of people's hearts. At that time each will receive
his praise from God.

Only Christ Jesus can purify our motives. We are thankful that what has
been hidden in the hearts and minds of Kenyans has now brought to light to
be dealt with, so that hearts can return to the Lord and motives become
pure again.

We ask also that you pray for Christ to grant us discretion and
discernment. We need Him to help us in discerning between cultural
differences that do not impinge the Gospel, from those that clearly
dishonor God and require our boldness to speak as His salt and light.

Pray too that our home continues to be a safe haven in the midst of this
storm. Pray, finally, that our home can be a God-centered and peaceful
example of what the Kingdom of God will be one day when "every people,
tribe, language, and nation" will worship Christ our King!

May God bless Kenya and you, dear friends in Christ.

Kenyan Crisis - January 8, 2008

Kenyan crisis – January 8, 2008

May God bless all those who prayed for our beloved Kenya!

The intense violence has stopped, though there are still very isolated
incidences. More and more civic groups, churches, and private citizens are
speaking out against the violence. Some are publicly giving very strong
political opinions, which could never happen in a place where democracy
was not valued by some degree by the government. There is an attitude now
that most Kenyans are fed-up and are not going to tolerate such violent
acts anymore. Praise God!

Now, as Christians who have been called to be the salt and light of the
world, we must deal with the results of such hatred and violence. The UN
reports around 250,000 Kenyans are now like refugees within their own
country. Though for several days after the violence had nearly ceased, the
original count of dead was reported to be 300; but apparently after closer
investigations, more truthful reporting, or both, the count has now jumped
to 500. Friends in Kisumu say that the city mortuary is packed full with
the dead, and homes are filled with the grief-stricken. People who have
sought refuge at police stations and friends' houses are now facing food
shortages and disease. The UN reported 2 days ago that over 100,000
Kenyans are in danger of starvation!

Mama Methenge said the rioters did not come back to her weekend home of
Bahati like they had promised. Also Pastor Margaret said that in Soweto
slum near Kayole, though there was still violence the next night, they
remained hidden by the blood of Christ and today there is an uneasy peace.

Kadija, a widow who became our friend 18 months ago, as well as her eight
children, had to sleep in the woods for two nights, because of the
violence. Because she is from the unreached tribe known as the Borana,
some assumed she was pro-opposition and threatened to kill her and her
children. Her husband was murdered 2 years ago, so she knows it's a real
possibility.

We've been giving her food over the last two weeks, but she's still
afraid, especially for her children, ranging from 2 to 14 years old.
Tomorrow, we go with her back to her home. She fears her things have been
stolen since she has been away. (We invited her to come and stay at our
home, but she thought it was too far away from where she lives.)

Judy, a single woman who grew up as an orphan and sleeps on the hard
ground at a school compound, had to run from the violence. She's now at
our home, safe but troubled by what she saw. She said she her mind "went
blank" for some period of time after seeing something horrible. She
remembers smelling gun smoke.

The memories of abuses seen and experienced by so many will last for years.

Kadija and Judy are just two of the thousands upon thousands in crisis.
Please join us financially and spiritually under God in adhering to James
1:27, as we endeavor along with you to "look after orphans and widows in
their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
Contact us at Laura@DickersonMissions.com or Don@DickersonMissions.com.
God bless you.

Crisis in Kenya - January 3, 2008

Kenya update January 3, 2008

We are still very safe. Leaders now from around the world are calling for
peace. President Kibaki and the opposition leader, Raila Odinga, have
agreed to meet, although President Kibaki said he will meet only once the
violence has ended. The media here have joined forces calling for leaders
to "save our beloved Kenya".

We've heard all the banks are closed as well as grocers. Violence has
rocked many parts of the country. The police are showing a strong
presence. Most are still staying inside if it is possible – many homes
have been burned as well as businesses. Theft and rape is also occurring.
It's heart-wrenching to see mothers on TV weeping for their children. Over
300 have been killed; over 70,000 have been displaced from their homes. On
the west side of Kenya, some are escaping into Uganda.

In Eldoret, women and children are taking refuge at police stations. The
Kenyan Red Cross is trying to help with food in the most crisis-hit areas.

Mama Methenge heard from her adult children just outside Nairobi city
center. The older men in their estate gathered all the men and boys over
the age of 15 and stood around their neighborhood to protect the lives of
women and children as well as property for the whole night. Even her
daughter and granddaughter kept large knives next to them inside their
home. She heard that two would-be attackers were killed last night. The
large group of attackers has vowed to return tonight.

Pastor Margaret, a friend in Soweto slums, says the Mungiki distributed
letters two days ago saying they were coming to kill. The Mungiki are a
violent religious cult with tribal origins. Don and I prayed for many
hours. Last night, she reports hearing screams, cries, and people running
all last night. She said people were killed and raped, but she doesn't
know how many. The Mungiki have vowed to return tonight.

Per BBC News, the today's planned opposition rally in Nairobi was
postponed until Tuesday. The para-military units arrived early and
surrounded the Uhuru Park, preventing anyone from entering. Also, units
were sent to Kibera slums, where many opposition supporters live, and
prevented anyone from leaving. There, the police used tear gas and water
cannons to contain the crowd.

Our hearts are so heavy. People have lost family members and they've lost
their livelihood (and there is no insurance to re-build). A friend in
western Kenya has called telling us they've run out of food and phone
credits. "We have phones and we have money, but we can't use them. There's
no food and there's no phone credit."

We thank you for continuing to pray. We remain in this world, but not of
it. As one Catholic bishop said, "We [as Christians] are prisoners of
hope," and so our hearts steadfast by the knowledge that Christ reigns
eternally supreme despite these temporal concerns.