Mzungu tells of Ngai Gary Glahn, Assistant Field Manager, East Africa Newsletter #7 September 2010

First Fruits of Labor A Congo Connection In a remote Maasai area where we are preparing for an at-risk-child spon- The internet is flush with news sorship program, we are beginning to see results from our evangelism and describing the corruption, poverty, atrocities, and illegal mining of church-planting training last January. In the heat of an August day my conflict minerals in the Democratic coworker Brian sat on a pile of dried cow ma- Republic of Congo. nure to visit with an elderly Maasai woman in her boma (living compound). He asked, “Have For several years Sandi and I have communicated with a pastor and you ever heard a story about Ngai?” Brian was his wife on the east edge of the using the Maasai word for “God” just as the DRC. Pastor Fred rode twenty apostle Paul used the altar to the unknown god hours each way on busses to attend in Athens to share about salvation in Christ. To our recent church-planting training Brian’s amazement she said, “No, never.” So in Nairobi. He went home with her permission he told of Ngai’s creation, equipped and excited to advance humanity’s rebellion, and of Christ’s sacrifice God’s work in the DRC. to bring peace between Ngai and people. The woman eagerly trusted in Christ and His sacri- fice for her.

Brian thought he was speaking only to one person, but as he turned, he saw Meteine, a young pregnant woman (left). She was sit- ting in the dirt behind him listening. She wanted to know what this mzungu (white man) was saying to the elderly woman in her boma. Having heard the story of Ngai, she Pastor Fred practices memory aids. too wanted Christ to be her savior from sin. He ministers where tribal militias raid remote villages to kill, rape, The next day, and destroy. He cares for those desiring to show physically, emotionally, and spirit- outwardly what ually wounded by the events. Christ had done for her inwardly, the older Pastor Fred also trains those in the woman was baptized in a way accommodated 19 churches he’s planted, and he for an area with hardly enough water to drink. now uses the principles and meth- ods we provided for multiplying maturing churches.

“For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you” (Acts 17:23).

You can extend your reach of mercy and compassion to children, women, and men in remote Kenya by donating at eastwest.org/GlahnDonate or by check to the address on page two. See my videos at vimeo.com/10533701 Question Answered All Facebook members can see my Kenya photo albums and videos there. What do I do when I’m not traveling? It is understandable that one might wonder what I can do as a missionary for peo- Glahn Family Life ple in Africa when I am living in Texas and visiting only periodically. The way Sandi is near- missions has been done for decades is having the missionary live among the peo- ing the time of ple for whose benefit he/she is in the country. her pre- dissertation Yet with the world shrinking because of examinations technology and the global market, some for her PhD at aspects of mission work can best be done UTD. from afar with only periodic visits to the field for observation, direction, inspection, We bought Alexandra a “real” guitar encouragement, training, and personal pres- since she has been playing her old toy ence. Once the nationals can minister to guitar frequently. She played in public their own people group, it is often best if for the first time at a friend’s birthday party as others sang American Pie. That Westerners can step back and let them take was a big step for our sometimes shy girl. ownership of the work. Our part is to equip them and assist from a distance to meet physical and spiritual needs.

What I do from my house and the East-West office is manage all the details for on -going projects and provisions in four remote and otherwise un-serviced locations in Kenya, while also planning, researching, and networking for future initiatives in existing and new locations. I am a project manager, project planner, and assis- tant in casting the vision for East Africa. My involvement ranges from finding organizations that drill water wells in our remote locations to providing financial accountability. Praise  Salvation of two Maasai women and The at-risk-child sponsorships, widow provisions, and housing starts in various a Swahili man in August locations take constant communication with the Kenyan nationals on our team. I  Gift of 30 backpacks with school match donor with child, control costs for provisions, determine method of assis- supplies for Maasai children by First tance, negotiate with merchants, wire funds, confirm expenditures, and reconcile Chinese Baptist Church of Dallas all accounts. I also facilitate the forwarding of quarterly letters written by the chil-  A church planted by my interpreter dren to their sponsors. It is similar to running a small not-for-profit business. at our June training in Nairobi  Continued provision for my family Between trips to Kenya during which we have accomplished a variety of objec- tives in more than one location, I wrap up details from the past trip while prepar- Prayer Requests ing for the next one. Logistically, humanitarian aid is time-consuming as it takes  A donation for a dormitory at a Maa- the partnership of at least two organizations to successfully complete a locally self sai school for distant children to be -sustaining project, and it is much more difficult to get anything done in develop- able to attend ing countries than in the U.S. As the territory where we are working expands, we  Growth of those in new churches on Mt. Elgon and continued protection need more workers, so I am always scouting new recruits. Interested? and provision for the pastors  Completion of my goal to raise $350 Send donations for my support to this address: more monthly for my work East-West Ministries International  Pastor Fred in the DR Congo, who P.O. Box 868050 meets many needs of the suffering Plano, TX 75086-8050  Success of our trip in Oct/Nov for Memo on check: Glahn account # 9259 training Pokot and Samburu, and www.eastwest.org/glahndonate investigating sites for water wells Give online at: All contributions are tax deductible. Thank you for your partnership with me in this work. Your participation is critical for success.