In four
districts of Kenya, several thousand of our church
members have been scattered throughout the country.
This is all the members of 60 of our churches. We
still do not know what has become of some of them.
Many are living in camps. Three of our church
buildings were looted and demolished.
Those
of us who mercifully escaped the violence and
destruction are sheltering the pastors of these
churches in our homes. One of these pastors was
severely beaten and is now recovering. Continuing
clashes throughout Kenya displaced several of our
missionaries earlier this month.
Our
president and prime minister are now visiting the
affected areas in the Rift Valley and encouraging
people to return to their homelands. Yet so many are
afraid to return to their homelands because of
continuing ethnic violence. They also wonder how
they will survive if they return, since their homes
were destroyed and livestock killed. They have been
left penniless, without any belongings. Their
children cannot even return to school, because most
of the school buildings were demolished.
But even in
the camps, these displaced people are living in
extreme hardship. It is now the rainy season, and
water is flooding these camps. Many have contracted
malaria, typhoid and other diseases.
It will
take many years for people to recover all that they
have lost. We request your support to help us build
small houses for these homeless victims.
