I'd like to meet:
I WANT TO MEET PEOPLE WHO LOVE "THE LEAST OF THESE"
Music:
Oden Fong! Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Pat Terry! Dion!Randy Stonehill! Beautiful Day, Doors
Movies:
Greetings!
We return from Kenya to the USA tomorrow.
I am looking forward to being home and returning to my friends and family!
Yesterday we were taken at dusk to a far interior Massai "Little House on the Prairie".
DALE IS TAKEN BY A BROTHER TO HIS HERD OF CATTLE AND GOATS, AND THE SHEPERD CALLS THEM BY NAME AS HE STANDS IN THE GATE, AND ONE BY ONE THEY PASS INTO THE PLACE OF SAFETY FOR THE NIGHT.
THERE ARE WILD ANIMALS THAT WILL KILL AND EAT THE CATTLE AT NIGHT TIME. DALE HAS READ OF SHEPHERD'S CARE AND THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CATTLE, BUT IS SUPER BLESSED TO ACTUALLY SEE IT.
THE MASSAI ARE THE CLOSEST PEOPLE TO WHAT WE MIGHT READ ABOUT KING DAVID AND HIS SHEPERDING.
MASSAI CHILDREN BEGIN AT AN EARLY AGE TO WATCH AND GUARD THE FLOCK/HERD FROM WILD BEASTS.
SLINGS AND A SPECIAL ROD JUST FOR PROTECTION.
As we are told this is where we will have our gathering I was thinking ..."yeah sure". It was getting dark and there were 5 people there, and not a home for miles.
We just drove here and believe me I could hardly get there in our Rav 4.
In fact getting stuck in a 4 wheel drive is usual here. The main roads here are like off-roading.
So in case you want to test how good a vehicle can hold up, come here.
MY MISGIVINGS ABOUT COMING HERE ARE CLOSE TO MY HEART. I HAVE TO ADMIT I THOUGHT WE MADE A MISTAKE SEEING WHERE WE WERE AND HOW HARD IT WAS TO GET THERE.
PLUS I THOUGHT WE WOULD GET STUCK FOR SURE ON THE WAY OUT. BUT AS USUAL I AM WRONG, AND THE LORD WAS RIGHT.
As the sun goes down we are told that the Massai in the country need to put away their cattle and feed their families and then they will come. We put on the Jesus Movie in Massai as we wait for the Massai to arrive.
Cattle are walking around us and seem to not be bothered by us at all. Big cows!
CATTLE ARE THE LIFE OF THE MASSAI, AND AS LONG AS IT RAINS THEY DO VERY WELL.THE HORNS ON THE COWS HERE SEEM TO BE TOO BIG FOR THE COWS.
THE MASSAI RUN THEIR DAY ON SUNLIGHT. WHEN THE SUN COMES UP THEY START THEIR WORK DAY, AND WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN THEY STOP THEIR WORK DAY.
MASSAI WOMEN ARE VERY KIND AND SMART, AND ALSO ARE HARD WORKERS AT HOME AND IN THE FIELDS. RESPONSIBILITIES AT HOME ARE FIRST PRIORITY, BUT AS SOON AS THEIR TASKS ARE DONE, THEY WILL GLADLY GIVE UP SLEEP TO LEARN SOMETHING ABOUT GOD.
THE MASSAI ARE ALWAYS AMAZED TO HEAR THEIR LANGUAGE ON TAPE OR MOVIE.
LAST YEAR I GAVE A MASSAI PASTOR NAMED SAMPSON A CASSETTE PLAYER AND A NEW TESTAMENT IN THE MASSAI LANGUAGE.
SAMPSON TELLS ME THAT MANY MASSAI HAVE RECEIVED CHRIST AS HE TRAVELS TO A MASSAI HOME IN THE BUSH AND THEY WANT TO HEAR THE NEW TESTAMENT IN MASSAI.
SAMPSON MAY SPEND AN ENTIRE DAY WITH THE FAMILY AS THEY LISTEN TO THE TAPES. HE SAYS USUALLY THEY WILL BECOME BELIEVERS BY THE END ON THE DAY.
SAMPSON SINCE LAST YEAR HAS STARTED TWO OTHER CHURCHES, AND HIS OWN HAS DOUBLED.
AS YOU WILL SEE LATER IN THIS EMAIL THE MASSAI ARE VERY PASSIONATE BELIEVERS.
ONE MISSIONARY TOLD ME THAT IN THE 60'S THE MASSAI TOLD EACH OTHER THAT CHRISTIANS WOULD EAT ANY MASSAI WHO BELIEVED IN CHRIST.
THIS MISSIONARY LADY HAD BEEN IN KENYA FOR 50 YEARS. SHE SAID THEY USED TO HAVE TO TIE STUDENTS TO THEIR DESKS TO KEEP THEM IN SCHOOL.
THINGS HAVE REALLY CHANGED FOR THE MASSAI. ALTHOUGH MANY DO NOT GO TO SCHOOL AT ALL, MANY DO, AND THE ONES THAT DO ARE EXTREMELY BRIGHT!
As the stars come out brightly I look to the distance and see lights everywhere walking in our direction, and they look miles away, but get closer and closer until we have 200 Massai with us.
LOOKING OUT ACROSS THE PLAIN AND SEEING SO MANY COMING FROM MILES AWAY IN THE PITCH DARK IS AN EXPERIENCE I WILL NOT SOON FORGET. AS I REMEMBER BACK IT SEEMED THAT IT TOOK AT LEAST AN HOUR FOR ANY ONE OF THE TORCHES TO ARRIVE AFTER I HAD SPOTTED THE PERSON COMING. NOT ONLY DID THEY COME LIKE THIS, BUT THEY WANTED TO STAY LATE.
WHEN WE FINALLY ENDED AND SENT A HAPPY GROUP OF MASSAI HOME AROUND 10:45 OR SO THEY PROBABLY GOT HOME IN THEIR BEDS WELL AFTER MIDNIGHT.
I AM CONTINUALLY MOVED BY THE RESPONSE TO INVITATIONS TO HEAR THE GOSPEL! NO LAME EXCUSES FROM ANYONE I MEET! LIKE THE INVITATION TO THE FEAST PARABLE, BUT THE OPPOSITE RESPONSE (EVERYBODY COMES!) DON'T YOU THINK THAT IS WHAT THE LORD IS AFTER?
As we put on the "Passion of Christ" with our Pastor friend "Davis" speaking the words in Maa (Massai language) the entire 200 people begging to sob and wail....about half of the crowd is not believers.
AS WE SHOW EITHER "THE PASSION OF CHRIST" OR THE" JESUS MOVIE" PEOPLE EVERYWHERE ARE MOVED BY THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST AND SEE IT AS HOW MUCH GOD LOVES THEM.
THEY ALSO SEE CLEARER THAN ANY MAN COULD TELL THEM THAT IT IS FOR THEIR SIN JESUS SUFFERED AND DIED. HUMAN HEARTS THAN ARE NOT HARDENED LIKE THE MASSAI'S JUST BREAK AS THEY CONSIDER THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST.
MY OWN HEART IS BREAKING EVEN AS I AM WITH THESE PEOPLE. IT IS ALMOST TOO MUCH TO BEAR TO BE IN THE MIDST OF 200 WEEPING AND WAILING MASSAI!
All through the movie there is movement of emotion that I have not even seen so far. Stars are so bright, the night is cool and fresh, and even through the movie you see lights coming in our direction.
The Passion is quite a movie in itself, but when mixed with people that God is touching by His Spirit, it is an experience I will NEVER FORGET! At the end of the film Dale preaches, and all unsaved Massai receive Jesus and believe in Him. (About 100)
I am so moved by what is going on I fall to my knees, and just worship God and am not paying attention to what else is happening.15 minutes later I open my eyes to see 200 plus people laying prostrate on the ground, and worshiping God for His Salvation.
The Lord showed His face to these Massai in a way that they just fell flat on the ground.
THIS EXPERIENCE HAS CHANGED MY LIFE! IN THE BIBLE THERE ARE MANY ACCOUNTS OF PEOPLE FALLING ON THE GROUND BEFORE GOD, BUT IN THE USA IT DOES NOT HAPPEN OR AT LEAST IN MY 37 YEARS AS A BELIEVER IT HAS NOT HAPPENED.
BUT I KNOW FROM THE WORD OF GOD THAT WHEN PEOPLE TRULY SEE GOD THEY FALL DOWN (EVEN TO THE POINT THAT THEY LOOK DEAD).
I KNOW GOD'S WORD IS TRUE, AND I HAVE SEEN WITH MY OWN EYES A PEOPLE WHO WITH ONE HEART SAW GOD AND FELT THE NEED TO FALL DOWN BEFORE HIM! HE IS GOD! HE IS GOD!
After a half an hour people rise to their knees and are led in singing. The only way I can describe it is that I felt like I was with and American Indian Tribe from the 1700s. Don't know if that makes sense to you, but is was so other culture, even to what we have experienced so far in Africa.
THE SONGS THAT ROSE FROM THIS GROUP OF MASSAI WERE UNLIKE ANY SONGS I HAD EVER HEARD (EVEN IN A MASSAI CHURCH). WORDS LIKE "JESUS" IN MASSAI WERE REPEATED, AND BY THE ATMOSPHERE THERE WAS MUCH GRATITUDE AND LOVE RISING FROM THE MIDST. THE BEST THING IS THAT I CANNOT COPY THIS EXPERIENCE, NOR DO I WANT TOO.
SOMETIMES I THINK WE LIKE TO COPY THE SUPER EXPERIENCES WE HAVE AND THUS EXCLUDE AND NEW SUPER EXPERIENCES WE MIGHT HAVE WITH OUR GOD. FRESH EVERY DAY! RIVERS OF LIVING WATER! I PRAY I LEARN....I PRAY I LEARN....I PRAY I LEARN.
The Massai just stayed for a long time and worshiped God. Many people came forward for prayer for healing.Every one was healed,many of them were healed during the time before (prostrate before The Lord),in particular there was a lady who could not see and had much pain in her eyes.
The pain left and her sight returned, and she spent the rest of her time crying before The Lord with great joy. Others with much pain in the stomach found Jesus to touch them and take all their pain away.
AS I CONSIDER THE HEALINGS THE LORD DID TONIGHT, AND OTHERS THAT HE HAS DONE....... I DO NOTICE A DIFFERENCE IN EACH PLACE. SOME ARE MUCH LESS EFFORT THAN OTHERS. SOME YOU DON'T EVEN NEED TO TOUCH THE PERSON BECAUSE FAITH IN GOD IS SO THICK YOU COULD CUT IT WITH A KNIFE.
OTHERS YOU JUST BARELY TOUCH THE SICK AND THEY ARE WELL. AND THERE ARE PLACES WHERE IT IS HARDER, AND STILL OTHERS WHERE IT SEEMS DARN NEAR IMPOSSIBLE! JESUS HIMSELF COULDN'T HEAL OR DO MIRACLES IN HIS HOME TOWN BECAUSE OF UNBELIEF!
WHAT DOES UNBELIEF REALLY LOOK LIKE? JESUS SAID WHAT WOULD HAPPEN WHEN WE BELIEVE IN HIM??????
Finally around midnight we start traveling back to the Hotel and that takes about 1 and a quarter hour. My head hits the pillow and I am out. I like to go to bed early at home and get up early.
Here I still get up early, but it seems I never get to bed till after Midnight because to do these market place Gospel Meetings we need to wait for people to be through their day and for it to get really dark.
BY THE WAY WE DO HAVE TROUBLE GETTING OUT OF THE AREA AND MANY MEN HELP US GET GOING. BUT AFTER TONIGHT I REALLY DON'T CARE HOW HARD IT IS TO GET HOME. SEEMS LIKE A SMALL PRICE TO PAY FOR WHAT I HAVE SEEN AND HEARD TONIGHT! ACTUALLY EVERY NIGHT HAS its HARDSHIPS, BUT THE HARDSHIPS THAT LOOK BIG AT THE BEGINNING OF THE NIGHT, LOOK ALOT SMALLER AT THE END!
Thanks for your care! And your encouragement! PS when I talk about demons in my emails, it is just to let you know that these do exist and we have to deal with them as they manifest. We are not looking for them!
In Christ, Jack Fliehmann
This is the next day after......
We love the Massai in so many ways, of all the locations in Kenya we feel very safe here, the Massai are very bright and fun to talk too and they are what you see ...there is not more than one face to a person. We also see among the believers here very happy marriages.
Wives are happy and husbands really love their wives and give them attention.
It is quite a joy to see women who are married smiling and exchanging loving glances with their husband.On the sadder note when a woman's husband dies (that is more common than you might think) and some times that is in their 20s and have 5 children their life is over in any form of covering and protection.
Many good women turn to become prostitutes just to feed their children, because many people only want to employ married women and men.
The women who have had a husband who has died when they do get a job are treated harshly (as if they are cursed), and are always under the pressure that they could lose their job at any moment.
Very sad to see these women walking around with their eyes moist with tears as they work. I am hoping to be helping at least a few single mothers as this coming year goes on.
Last night we had our last gospel meeting in Narok Township (for this trip).....we found a wall 40ft by 40 ft painted white, and got a great sound system. Only 50-75 people there, but many street children and street people, and at the end of the night 2 street kids three hardened young men came to Christ....they were connected to a local Pastor who was with us.
The Pastor, Job told us that two of the men were dealing in a local drug and were planning on being with the Church this week.
ONE THING THAT HAS ME AMAZED IS THAT MOST PASTORS REALLY WANT US TO DO THE GOSPEL MEETINGS IN THEIR CHURCHES, AND SEEM RELUCTANT TO DO A MARKETPLACE MEETING. EVERY PASTOR IS SURPRISED BY THE PEOPLE WE REACH AT THE MARKETPLACE! ALMOST ALL OF THEM TELL US THE PEOPLE WE REACH IN THE MARKET PLACE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT RESPONDED IN ANYWAY BEFORE. WE REALLY LOVE MARKETPLACE MEETINGS!
One of the Massai women, who we had showed the films too, heard that we were doing this in Narok and traveled a great distance to be with us. (Probably 50 miles) She came from the interior to be with us. The cost alone to her in inconvenience, money, time, was very high, and I think she brought the blessing with her.
THIS LADY NAMED "MARY" WHO CAME FROM THE INTERIOR TO BE WITH US WAS THE ONLY LADY THERE THE WHOLE TIME, THE REST WERE STREET PEOPLE. SHE WAS A GREAT BLESSING TO US! IT WAS AS IF CHRIST HIMSELF WAS IN HER AND SITTING IN OUR MIDST! ONE PERSON CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE! SHE WAS JUST QUIET, BUT SHE BROUGHT A GREAT PEACE INTO THE SITUATION, AND SHE LEFT AFTERWARD WITHOUT ANY FANFARE.
OF ANY INDIVIDUAL WHO CAME TO ANY MEETING DURING THE ENTIRE MONTH, "MARY" TOUCHED ME THE MOST, NOT JUST THE COST OF HER CHOICE TO BE THERE, BUT THE SPIRIT IN WHICH SHE CAME AND LEFT REALLY AFFECTED ME.
Today we leave for Nairobi, and tonight at 11:40 our flight leaves for London and then the USA. We have almost had every varied experience you could have in Africa, Dale and I are crying just think about leaving here. We have more invitations to Market Places than we could ever do, even if we stayed another month....every night we already have invites to interior Market Places.
We thank you all for your encouragement!-Jack Fliehmann
Television:
Star Trek (all) Court Shows, Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? CSI.
One of my biggest weaknesses is watching TV.
Like many of the children in my neighborhood TV was the babysitter,so when I get sick,tired and lonely; I often turn it on.
Books:
BIBLE! Actually I love to read many different books, but the Bible is so AWSOME! Extra info below!
I made this widget at MyFlashFetish.com .
Good News!
As of Dec 29,2007,all the walls and the roof are complete in the new Church building!
It will hold 300 when complete!
What is needed is a concrete floor, windows and doors.
Three years ago this was a group of 20 people meeting under a tree,and now is 200 strong!
Pastor Tom took the orphans on their first trip outside the village for Christmas!
~They had an awsome day!~
I will be buying (as the Lord wills) another piece of land to start another orphan project.
I hope to start a library for books and a library for toys for all the village children in Jera also.
Thanks for your love and support!
Heroes:
Jesus Christ,Charles Wesley, Martin Luther,John Calvin,Oden Fong,Oswald Chambers,Charles Finney,Fannie Crosby,all who have given their lives for the sake of the Gospel,maybe even you!
