October 2010 Prayer Letter

October Kuwaa Prayer Letter

“AND A CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM,” prophesied Isaiah. (Is. 11:6) These words slammed into my consciousness yesterday after I spoke about the Kuwaa Mission at River of Life Lutheran Church. I could not but praise God for what I experienced. The congregational president interrupted the service when I was finished. He came forward and reminded the group that last January they changed their constitution to include a special mission project that they would be involved in. He emphatically stated that the Kuwaa Mission should be it and that they would become a part of the Mission’s sending group. I said to myself, “Thank you, God. All I can do is praise you!” Little did I know that the best was yet to come.

AND A CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM!

Little Brooke, a 10 year old girl, came up to me. Being very bashful, her mom accompanied her to speak with me. Little Brooke’s mother told me that Brooke wanted to give her $15 allowance to the Kuwaa Mission. She continued that her daughter was very touched by the message. After handing me the $15, Brooke became comfortable enough to begin talking to me. She and her mom asked what Brooke could do to help the Kuwaa Mission even more. Brooke wanted to set a goal for herself to work toward to help the mission. I gave her the list of things for which people can dedicate funds, like pencils for school children, tool to work with, etc. While people filled their plates and began eating a Liberian meal, a man asked me how much it would cost to go over to Liberia as a volunteer. As I talked to him about it, I noticed Brooke standing there with him. He is her grandpa. She asked her gramps to take her to Liberia as a volunteer in 2011. I gave them an approximate price, adding that congregations are encouraged to help pay for the trip. I said to myself, “Thank you, God. All I can do is praise you!”

AND A CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM!

While eating the meal, a wonderful question and answer session about the Mission and the Kuwaa people pursued. As people began to leave, Brooke and her mother came back to me saying that Brooke decided on a project. She wanted to save and raise money for one potable water system. Her mom shared that Brooke was very taken to help the children because she heard that 50% were still dying before 10 years of age, mostly because of bad drinking water. I said, “Thank you,” and something like, “WOW!” Her mother explained that Brooke wanted to raise the money for a medical clinic but that she was dissuaded from taking on that one due to the cost of the project. But little 10 year old Brooke was determined if not a medical clinic then she would save and raise the amount to provide one potable water system. Again I said, “Thank you,” and “WOW!” while I encouraged her in her big thinking. I told her about noisy offerings and suggested that she could get a couple of one gallon metal buckets so that the congregation could help her raise the money by throwing their coins into the bucket each Sunday. I told her she could put a scale in the entrance way for everyone to see each week on how the project is doing. I shared with her about Lord of Life Lutheran Church in North Pole Alaska. They already raised money to pay for one potable water system with the noisy offering. At that moment Brooke could have climbed Mt Denali all by herself in one day.

“AND A CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM!

Let us pray for all children. Let us pray that each Kuwaa town can have potable water systems so that 50% of their children won’t die by the age of 10. Let us pray for children who shall lead us! And let us praise God for them.

“AND A CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM!

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE KUWAA MISSION, HOW YOU CAN HELP, AND HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED, SEE www.kuwaamission.org.

Your partner in Mission,

Dick Thompson, Kuwaa Mission CEO

revdrthompson@kuwaamission.org

June Prayer Letter

JUNE 2010 KUWAA MISSION PRAYER LETTER

I worshipped at Trinity Lutheran Church in Park Forest, IL on June 6, 2010. It happened to have been the same day that the congregation launched its $12.00 Club. The volunteer couple that heads the Kuwaa Mission Project at this church walked up with the only child at church that Sunday. They placed the replica of a well on the baptismal font for all to see. Then they asked the child and the congregation to name things for which we are thankful. We named several things but not once did it occur to any of us to name portable water.

It got me thinking about the times I lived in and visited villages in Kuwaa land. I remember there were times when the source of water dried up the villagers performed rituals for the rains to come. The entire village waited in great anticipation for the heavens to open and pour down rain. I remember times when such rains came and we were provided immediate relief, but then the creeks were so polluted from human and animal waste that over half of the village would get sick from drinking the water – this would delay the farming process. I remember having to walk at least half a mile one way to bring home a pail of water. I remember watching my mother and sisters, after an entire day of back-breaking work on the farm, come home and spend their evenings putting tin buckets on their heads and walking that half mile to and fro in order to supply the home with drinking, cooking, and bath water. I remember how mothers unintentionally increased their children’s sicknesses by providing those children the same water that made them sick in the first place. I remember the shrill cry of mothers in the middle of the night because they lost their children to the high concentration of waterborne diseases in those little bodies.

So I wonder how many in those villages would take portable water for granted. I am aware that people in those        villages would be no different from us after they have had access to portable water for some time. What a day it will be when that day comes! We are hopeful that that day will come.

That is why we, members of the Kuwaa Mission, celebrate the digging of the two new wells and the remodeling of the four old ones among the Kuwaa people since January this year. We celebrate the generosity of our partners around the US who have made this possible. We are still a long way off. But we believe we can do all things through Christ – even this.

Please continue to pray for:

  • The Kuwaa people
  • The Roads to open
  • Yamaha AG100 Trail bikes for our two field leaders
  • Transportation for carrying supplies up country
  • More funds for wells, schools, & churches
  • The speedy recovery of our CEO

Make checks out to: Bethany Lutheran

Address:

Bethany Lutheran Church
1340 8th Street
Slidell, La 70458

Earmark:            Kuwaa Mission & other projects Volunteers

Your Brother in Christ

Rev. Dr. D. Jensen Seyenkulo – Board of Directors Chairman

Website: www.kuwaamission.org

For information contact:               Jensen Seyenkulo (jensen.seyenkulo@elca.org)

Richard Thompson (revdrthompson@gmail.com)

Volunteer Information:                 Diane Stelling (kuwaa5diane@sbcglobal.net)

Work Program Manager:               Stan Olsen (stan1olsen@yahoo.com)

July Prayer Letter

THE JULY 2010 PRAYER LETTER

THE KUWAA MISSION/KIDS4KUWAAKLUB

Projects for Lutheran Churches, Schools, Sunday Schools, and VBSes

The Kuwaa children in Liberia, West Africa need our help.  We are trying to help them and their older relatives.  So we established a “Kids4Kuwaa club which allows our children to become personally involved in helping them by praying and raising or collecting funds to help them.  The club was established to provide our kids the opportunity to reach across the ocean and help their Kuwaa brothers and sisters in Christ in Liberia.  The Kuwaa children need our help.

The Kids4KuwaaKlub enlists children and youth to get involved by praying for the mission and the Kuwaa people.  We are in the process of raising funds to purchase school supplies (pencils, crayons, rulers, pencil sharpeners, erasers, scissors, notebook paper, chalk, and chalkboards) so that the Kuwaa children might have the opportunity for an education.  Funds are also being raised for clean drinking water for the people because 50% of the children die before the age of 10, most of them because of dirty drinking water.  We also are trying to help them rebuild their schools, medical clinics, and churches as most of them were destroyed of left in an unsuitable condition.

Lutheran Sunday Schools and VBS programs have already adopted KIDS4KUWAA as their mission project along with a children’s “noisy offering” collection during the church services.  They have caught the vision of sharing the Gospel with the Kuwaa children in Liberia, West Africa.

For further information and promotional materials for your Church, Parochial School/Preschool, Sunday School, Bible Class, VBS or adult/youth church organizations please contact:

Ed Stelling

kuwaa5@aol.com

Thank you, on behalf of the Kuwaa children, for considering this project.

www.kuwaamission.org

Donations for the mission and Kids4Kuwaa may be sent to:

Bethany Lutheran Church, 1340 8th Street, Slidell, LA 70458

Designate:  Kuwaa Mission/Kids4Kuwaa

April 2010 Prayer Letter

APRIL 2010 KUWAA MISSION PRAYER LETTER

Dear Friends of the Kuwaa Mission,

My name is Lolitha Shepard I am delighted to serve on the Board of Directors the Kuwaa Mission.  I am a member of Faith Lutheran Church in Shreveport, Louisiana.  I have never served on a foreign Mission Board before, and I have never been out of the USA on a Mission trip.  Yet I have always had a desire to do so.  I have worked in many ways mission projects here in the USA.  I am married to Eddie Shepard, and together we have two daughters in college, and two married sons with families.  I work in a high school counselor’s office in East Texas as the Registrar.  When asked by Dr. Thompson to serve on the Kuwaa Mission Board I got excited and accepted the opportunity.  It is a joy to listen and work and learn alongside such caring and dedicated Christians who work without complaining no matter the obstacles that come their way.  Thank you all for the privilege to serve the Lord on the Kuwaa Mission Board.  I am sending out materials about the Kuwaa Mission to my family and friends while challenging them to join the $12 club and to ask at least 12 people to join.  I am also encouraging my congregation to adopt the Kuwaa Mission as one of our very own mission projects. I am encouraging Faith Lutheran Sunday school & VBS to participate in the Kids4Kuwaa program.  I am working with the ladies’ group in my congregation to write a grant for the women in the Kuwaa Chiefdom  I pray continually for the Mission and hope to one day meet members of the Board and experience a mission trip to the Kuwaa Chiefdom.

SPECIAL THANKS FOR A JOB WELL DONE

Thanks be to god for Cindy and Bekki Ellis & for their safe return.  Thank you Cindy and Bekki, Chris and Stan for your labor of love and dedication to the mission field bringing hope and clean water to our brothers and sisters of the Kuwaa Chiefdom.  Praise God as Cindy became the newest board member for the Kuwaa Mission.  It is truly a blessing to have her on the board.  Thank you Rod for all your hard work and contributions to the Kuwaa Mission and may you continue to receive God’s blessing as you remain committed in his service.

May all of you enjoy this Easter Season for Jesus has risen!  He has risen indeed!

Please keep the Kuwaa Mission in your prayers for:

v  INSTALLATION OF ANOTHER WELL OR MORE YET THIS YEAR

v  SAFE TRIP FOR DR. SEYENKULO TO LIBERIA  APRIL 15TH

v  THE KUWAA PEOPLE & THAT THEIR HOPE CONTINUES TO INCREASE

v  FOR ADDITIONAL CHURCHES ,CONGREGATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, COMPANIES, AND INDIVIDUALS TO JOIN US IN HELPING MEET THE NEEDS OF THE KUWAA PEOPLE

v  THE MANY VOLUNTEERS ACROSS AMERICA WHO KEEP THE KUWAA MISSION ALIVE.

DONATIONS CAN BE MADE AND SENT TO:

BETHANY LUTHERAN CHURCH, EARMARKED KUWAA MISSION

1340 8TH STREET

Slidell, LA 70458

Please visit www.kuwaamission.org

Your Sister in Christ

Lolitha Shepard, Board of Directors