| If you would like to get my Mission updates please send a message to me at: dkoehler@slm-zm.org God bless you, Daniel Koehler |
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Shining Light Ministries Update |
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The end of this month is Resurrection Sunday, we are planning to visit our churches, where we will hold a four-day meeting starting on Friday. Life in the village is undeniably challenging, and our mission extends to aiding these new Christians both spiritually and physically. Much of their daily existence resembles that of centuries past, devoid of modern conveniences such as electricity, tractors, and vehicles. Cornmeal remains their primary staple food, which they painstakingly prepare by pounding corn with a mortar and pestle. |
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Even the children are compelled to contribute to the household's survival, by doing many jobs like pounding corn, sifting corn, fetching water, cooking and working on the farm, as there are no schools within hours of their villages. |
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This year, a drought has exacerbated their struggles, causing their crops to wither, and the water table going down. In Sikuyu, the village where we held our meeting earlier this month, villagers rely on a hand-dug well approximately 50 feet deep for their water needs. |
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Kennedy Namushi, our pastor of the Sikuyu church, bravely descends into the well on a rope, diligently excavating the dirt while someone above pulls it out using a plastic container. During our recent meeting, we encountered a challenge: due to the lowered water table this year, the well could only yield about 80 liters of water per day. With over 200 attendees at the meeting, additional water had to be transported by ox cart from a neighboring village miles away for drinking and cooking purposes. Therefore, we like to drill a well for the village of Sikuyu when the funds will be available, to alleviate this hardship. Over the past two months, we have been providing food aid to seven villages, primarily utilizing my income and resources from our garden, including chickens and produce. When we do the meeting in the villages over several days, I am often sleeping on the ground next to the vehicle. Because there is nowhere to stay. |
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I hope you have a blessed resurrection weekend. As we approach Resurrection Weekend, I encourage you to keep your focus on Jesus and the sacrifice He made for us. In light of His immense sacrifice, the small sacrifices we make here on earth pale in comparison. God Bless You. Pastor Daniel Koehler |