Letter from the Front Lines

I just visited loveforkenya.org and there are stories of Pastors from Kenya  during this genocide. 

I was also forwarded this note from a friend whose aunt and uncle are missionaries in Kenya.  

Greetings, dear friends and prayer partners.  You will remember that
we are some hours ahead of you in time, so I am writing this at 7 p.m.
on our Thursday.  It has been and still is a very tense day.  Your
messages that you were standing with us in prayer were so appreciated.

The verse I have been meditating on is Ps.112:7  He shall not be
afraid of evil tidings; his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.
  Considering that we continue to get horrific news of events all around us, it
has been important to fix our thoughts and trust in the Lord.

Today the opposition party had called for mass action.  Their party
headquarters are within easy walking distance of our apartment and
Bishop Tutu was meeting with them.  Police had banned the march and rally (1 million were expected to attend) and were trying to prevent people from taking to the streets.  By noon we
had reports that marchers were just a few blocks away at Yaya Centre,
and we were grateful for all of you standing with us in prayer.  They
actually passed on our street and came to our gate asking the guard
“what kind of people are here?”  Our guard is of the right tribe and
political party, so they  passed by. 

Our night guard, Paul, has just arrived and says that last night he
had moved his family to their tiny street kiosk where his wife normally
sells vegetables.  While they slept there, people burned the block of
13 rooms where they had been renting, so they lost all their clothes,
tv, cooking pots, etc. and are left with just their one mattress and two
chairs they had crammed into the tiny kiosk.  They have nothing left
for her to sell.

Our great disappointment is that President Kibaki has finally come on
tv but not said anything really helpful.  He is just calling for more
military and police, not agreeing to a re-tally of the votes to show
who the real winner should be.  Unfortunatey another mass action is
planned for next Tuesday.

One of our churches burned today:  We were greatly saddened to watch on tv the burning of one of our
Africa Inland Churches in Kibera.  Your hearts would have broken if you
had seen the people with cups and little pitchers of water trying to put
out the fire.  We watched the burning embers falling from the roof all
around the lovely wooden cross and then the hot embers striking the
wooden pews.  there is little water in Kibera and certainly no fire truck
to save anything.  You will remember that many of our friends and
students live in Kibera and this is a sister church to our own.

We survive from hour to hour by the grace of God and are much
encouraged by your prayers.  Pray that the international community can bring
pressure on the president to allow another tally of the votes and bring
in mediation to quell the tensions.  Thank you for standing with us.

In His hands,
LeRoy and Joann Judd, Africa Inland Mission