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CasbAj^rLcaChrLsbLanAVu^ion
THE REMPEL REPORT
Frank & Marie Rempel
Box 45250

Sairobi, Kenya

/\FR1CA
Mrs. Sharon KuykendaU
Box 455 Grande Prairie Alta T8V

Forwarding Agents: Central Christian Church

Box 8

Clevis, New Mexico 88101

September, 1975
May 9, 1977

At the time of writing Frank and Marie are at about the halfway point in their three month's swing through the U.S.A. to report to the East Africa Mission support groups.
The tour has taken them down the west coast, eastward then via El Paso, Texas to Clovis,

New Mexico where they are participating in a great missions emphasis week with the Central Christian Church. Following this they will be proceeding eastward by stages till they reach Painesville, Ohio where a great Lordsday is planned with the First Church of Christ, on June 5th. It will be time then to hurry westward back to Grande Prairie, Alberta if they are to keep the date tentatively set for their departure for Africa: June'28., Rempels are travelling "in style" in a camper outfit loaned to them by Gene KuykendaU, a brother-in-law like no one else has ever had the privilege of having, A self-contained unit like this gives them the feeling of being at home anywhere they happen to be. Many
many thanks to Gene and Anne!

It is the purpose of the tour not only to report, and to set before the backers of the work the prospects and plans for its expansion in Kenya, but to interest new workers for the field which at this stage seems set for a great advance. They are therefore contacting likely recruits and have already interviewed a considerable number of such individuals. A special mailing list of these interested people is being established so that necessary information can be passed on to them to help them in the decisions that must of necessity
be made.

As you may know, the entrance of new workers into Kenya requires the issuance by the government of '*work permits" for each individual. This permit can only be procured through the sponsorship of a duly registered society. Such registration has been secured on the behalf of the "Independent Church of Christ of Kenya" which now stands ready to -give every possible assistance to new workers wishing to enter the country. As also you may know, this service has already been rendered for the Richard Hamilton family who are now working in western Kenya among the Pokot tribespeople.

A reorganization of this registered body is presently in progress. The general plan for its restructure has been submitted to and has been approved by the committee, based at Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada, which sponsors and supervises the work of the Rempels in Africa. In briefest terms, the new organizational structure will consist of representatives from each of the groups working in Kenya who have requested affiliation. In addition th^re aTre to be at least an equal number of dedicated African Christians, plus a certain number

of persons appointed by the support groups in America and Canada. Thus organized, the I. C. C.K. will serve as an umbrella organization representing the affiliated groups to the
Kenya government and providing a vehicle for the mutual help of the various missions now working in the country and of those who we hope and pray will shortly be doing so. Anyone

interested in knowing more details may write to either of the forwarding agents whose addresses we are listing in this bulletin. Many readers of this newsletter may wish to know who the Rempel/Africa committee
members are. For the most part they are persons from the Avondale Church of Christ of Grande Prairie, Alberta. The current chairman is Vernon Miller, an elder of this local

congregation and a well-known business man and farmer. Elders Glenn Mulligan, Lawrence Dunn, Dr. Barry Norris, and the Avondale preacher, Don Hardenbrook also serve on the committee. Two other members are from the King Edward Park Church of Christ in
Edmonton, Alberta: Owen MacKenzie. and Gordon Weir,

Mrs. Lyle Kaykendall (Sharon) is the Canadian forwarding agent and the committee's
treasurer. Her address is P.O. Box 455, Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada T8V 3A7.

In the U.S.A. Rempels are represented by Mrs. Harold Hecht (Mary), Central Christian
Church, Pf,0. Box 8, Clovis, New Mexico, 88101.
.

The Rempels take this occasion, when in a special way they have been made aware of how hard th^ftse people all work in support of the Kenya mission, to offer their gratitude
both to God and to these whom He so inspires ! The committee and all the supporters have fully endorsed Frank and Marie's return to

Kenya following the present tour. We urge sincere and believing prayer on the part of all who are interested that God will bless this return to Kenya and through it will enlarge and
enrich His work there.

A number of matters that are vital need to be publicized: 1. Frank and Marie will need funds with which to purchase air tickets back to Nairobi,

actually only from Canada to London. From London they already hold the return portion of charter tickets purchased for the flight home last December. The amount needed is $1000, 2. It will be necessary to provide a motor vehicle for their use on return to Nairobi, A nine passenger van such as those manufactured by Volkswagen or Toyota will cost in Kenya about $6000. 3. Rempels have need to procure some kind of medical insurance coverage. Several schemes are available through very through very reputable firms (Lloyds of London)

with adequate coverage costing approximately $85 per person per year.
4. Evangelists serving the two Nairobi congregations need full time support of not less than $100 each per month. These would be exciting projects which smaller groups could undertake on a regular basis. Supporters would be supplied with a direct
contact with the field and with those being supported.

5. A building fund is being started that will seek to provide worship facilities for both of the Nairobi congregations as well as.a base for the Kenya wide work. It is hard to fix an amount as values change there as they do here from time to time - and

generally in an upward direction.

We have set a goal of $50, 000 to be raised

eventually. These funds will be kept for the time being in a special account by our forwarding agents under the control of the committee till actually required in Kenya. God willing, we will issue another bulletin just before Rempels departure for Kenya, It is perhaps needless to say that the help of Almighty God, which we can secure through your prayers, will be most vitally needed as Frank and Marie return to the field for what will in all probability be their final term of such service. They have learned, when making plans, always to add the proviso: "if God wills*'.

Frank Rempel
Central Christian Church
Box 8

Non-Profit Org.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID

Clovis, New Mexico 88101

Clovis, NM 88101
Permit No. 49

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CnshAfricaChrLsblanA\is^ion
THE REMPEL REPORT
Frank & Marie Rnpel
Box 45250

Nairobi, Kenya

AFRICA
Mrs. ^aron Kiqicendall
Box 455 Grande Prairie Alta T8V 387

Forwarding Agents: Central Christian Church

Box 8

Clevis, New Mezloo 88101

September, 1975

July,

1977

Plans for our return to Kenya have now firmed up, and Marie and I will leave Grande Prairie for Nairobi on July 5 reaching there on July 8, God willing.
Time in the U.S. A, and Canada has been limited but we have managed to

report to all of our regular support groups.

In addition and perhaps equally

importantly, we have been in touch with a number of very promising persons

who are interested in making Kenya the field of their labors for Christ, They are in varying stages of pi*eparations and we hope and pray that God will pro
vide those whom He chooses with the necessary financial backing. Travel funds for the return to Kenya are provided to us through a couple who
are God's servants in Canada,
function as before.

Vernon and Norma Miller. Vernon also acts as the chairman of our Canada based committee, which will continue to

The "new automobile fund" also received a good boost when Marie's mother,

Mrs, Shada Dunbar, donated $300 to get it started.

to this.

Others may wish to add

Mr. and Mrs. Geoff Bray, of the Cambrian Heights Church of Christ in Calgary, Alberta, are undertaking to provide us with medical insurance on the field - a very thoughtful and reassuring provision for us !

Our friends of many years whose home has always been our home in Carthage, Mo., Byron and Lavera Replogle, replaced a very much needed cassette recorder which we'd lost to thieves in Nairobi last year. In addition to thanking these partners in our endeavors for Christ we want once again to mention how marvellously we are helped by the work of our forwarding agents of which we have two: Mary Hecht in Clovis, New Mexico and Sharon Kuykendall in Grande Prairie, Alberta. We truly feel we have a "team" and you can't imagine how comforting that is !
We have a really special thank you as v/e teave for our brotheT-in-letw and Frank's
sister. Gene and Anne, who shared with us their home, their motor vehicles and
the love of their hearts.

We claim a share in the intercessory prayers of all of you. Of this we have a very deep need both for our own steadfastness and for the effectiveness of our helping and equipping ministeries as we now return to the field.
Frank and Marie Rempel

CnshAfHcdChrLsblanAVis^ion
THE REMPEL HEPORT
Frank & Marie Rnpl
Bcoc 45250 Nairobi, Kenya

AFRICA
Mrs. ^aron Kuykendall
Box 455 Grande Prairie Alta T8V 387

Forwarding Agents: Central Christian Church

Box 8

CloTia, New Mexico SdlOl

November, 1977

Greetings in Christ from all of us associated with the East Africa Christian Mission to
our friends and fellow-workers in the U. S.
SUCCESSFUL HOUSE HUNTING

The search for suitable housing on Frank and Marie*s part started immediately upon their
arrival back in Nairobi and involved not only a street-by-street search for "To Let" signsi
but the services of a host of friends who were alerted to be on the lookout. Numerous ads

and other prospects were checked out and discarded for several reasons: wrong location, rent too high (in some cases astronomical) or premises unsuited to our particular purposes.
We believe that surely the Lord led us to the house we finally secured. An old structure, it was offered at a reasonable (for Nairobi) rent: a mere $360 per month. The house has ample room and allows us to offer some accomodation to visitors to Nairobi of whom there are many - fellow missionaries, prospective recruits and Christian "tourists".
We like the location. It is approximately half-way between the two congregations with-whom we work. There is a small shopping area next door which has a self-service grocery, a

green grocers, and a butchery.

For larger shopping excursions the Westlands shopping

centre is a mere 2 kilometers away.

Our African landlord is the member of Parliamant for the area in which the house is

located, known as Parklands,

number,

The street is Peponi Road, but as usual there is no house

God grant that this house, which serves now as residence, offices, guest house, and Christian meeting place will truly serve His cause in this land of great Christian opportunity,
WHY KENYA IS STABLE

A writer by the name of Michael Chege has given a very optomistic picture of Kenya, and its prospects. He points out that Kenya is surrounded by African states which are totally at variance with Kenyans capitalistic posture - and perhaps as the result of jealousies engendered by the sight of Kenya's rapid progress toward economic maturity, are some
times openly hostile,

-Capitalism attracts capital, Kjenya seems to be the only East African country in.which there appears to be no hesitation on the part of the large multi-national firms to invest

their money. Other African countries attract foreign funds too, but usually these are of the give-away kind (rich nations parading their humanitarianism) or else are the price paid for expanding influences in the field of international politics - a kind of extension of high level, big-power conflicts. Since this often takes the form of supplying military armciments to one side or the other in the growing African conflicts, the price Africa will
eventually have to pay for such "help'? is too horrible to bear thinking about. In Kenya this is not the case. The republic is capable of attracting true investment capital which does not have the implications just mentioned and which leaves the host country in full control of its destiny, NairobiU rapidly changing skyline is perhaps the most visible evidence of confidence the "money people" seem to have in the country. At present moment five or so buildings of the "high rise" variety are just readied for occup ancy, while four more are in varying stages of construction.

Another reason cited for Kenya's apparent stability is the fact that "tribalism", that destroyer of so many newly independent African states, has been kept to a minimum

in Kenya, The seeds of destructive sectionalism are certainly there in Kenya's many diverse peoples. It is probably true, as the writer mentioned has said, that "colonial authorities used African ethnicity to their own maximum advantage" (the old colonial "divide and rule" principle) but in Kenya wise leadership has taken the steps necessary
to minimize and overcome such a legacy, and to mold the people into a homogeneous force that drives continually toward mature nationhood, "VAien nextdoor Ida Amin laid

claim to a large section of Kenya territory not so long ago, one was thrilled to see just
how unified the nation stood in its opposition to such outrage.

Our own feeling is that a third factor contributes very strongly toward stability in Kenya.

Allowing for much that one finds deplorable in the life of the Kenya peoples (their absolute
addiction, for example, to beer drinking) it is still the fact that we know of no nation in the world, including our own, that so actively encourages the spread of the Christian
Gospel, and the practice of Christian principles, as does this one,

"Happy is the people whose God is Jehovah" observed the Psalmist.

be seeing, in Kenya, a vindication of this promise of God?
RESTRUCTURE

May we not perhaps

One of the goals before us during the next couple of years is to attract to Kenya and the Lord's vineyard here a corp of qualified and dedicated persons. There is work to be
done for which workers are needed. There is a harvest to be gathered, and we must pray the Lord of the Harvest for the necessary reapers.

The growth of any work depends initially upon the "missioners" sent from abroad. But
the stability of it and its continued growth demands that leadership be taken by workers
from the field itself, to whom has been imparted the principles of the Gospel and to whom has been committed the work of proclaiming the Gospel, We hope and we pray that a

qualified person will come forward to open and operate here a training institution that will help Kenyan young people to become the leaders of the church and its missioners to
their people.

As a part of the preparation for the coming of such a group of the Lord's bondservants
we are in process.here of re-organizing the registered society known presently as the Independent Church of Christ of Kenya, This is so as to permit the proposed expansion for which the old^organization was not properly set up. We want to be ready to offer the necessary assistance in procuring Kenya "work permits,** The process of taking the

proposed constitutional changes through channels and making them conformable to Kenya law is a painful and slow one, but one which will, we believe, greatly stabilize the work
in East Africa, A NOTE FROM MARY

Your unceasing, persistent praying is needed to undergird and strengthen the work of
East Africa Christian Mission, Will you join me in praying daily to the Lord of the Harvest for workers to go to Kenya now? Please write or call me that you will pray daily, and I'll acknowledge your prayer pledge and send your name on to Frank as one
of his prayer-supporters.
In Christian love,

Frank & Marie Rempel

Frank Rempel
Central Christian Church
Box 8

Non-Profit Org,
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID

Clovis, New Mexico 88101

DEC 5

17

Permit No. 49