This is Pastor Nickolas Wafula. He left his home at 4:00 am this morning and rode 6 hours here to the mission house to pick up the Bibles for the churches he oversees. He visited with me about 30 minutes and then he was off back toward home for another 6 hour ride. He didn’t stay long because he didn’t want the Bibles to get wet and he knew the rains would surely come as they do every day now. Before he arrived, I had been feeling badly with the Malaria and having a pity party. Then, Pastor Nickolas rides 6 hours on an old bicycle on a dirt road to come for a 30 minute stay, then another 6 hours back down that same dirt road home. Needless to say, I quit complaining about having Malaria..I had been truly blessed by this Pastor’s desire for his pastors to have a copy of Gods Word.

I’m still not up to speed with this round of Malaria…still running a fever today. Hoping this is the last rough day, I am ready to get it behind me. I came here this year on medicine to keep me from getting Malaria and still God saw a reason I still needed to get it again. Pastor Moses told me yesterday that so many children will die in the next few weeks as this rainy season is the worst time for the mosquito’s who carry the malaria parasite. Having malaria again has brought the illness to the front of my mind and now I will be more aware of the little children who need me to help them get the medicine where they won’t die. Would you please pray that God will send me word of those who will need help. It is a devastating feeling to hear of a child who has died and I didn’t know they needed help.

I’m excited about this upcoming Saturday. I have 26 Pastors registered to begin our new Bible Skills Institute courses. This past Saturday they came for registration and what a joy it was to give them their Bibles. As you can see in this picture,

these are some happy…happy men of God. I should be all better by Saturday….and am looking forward to our first class beginning. The youngest pastor is 26 and the oldest pastor is 95. Pastor Michael who is 95 years old walked here on Saturday to register. Wow… what an encouragement to know this 95 year old man of God is starting Bible college classes. I know I will have lots of stories to share about him as our classes begin. Please pray for these pastors, they have such a deep desire to know more of Gods Word. How blessed we are to have been given these courses for our pastors. Please pray for me as I facilitate the DVD lectures for the classes. Pray that I will be a good encourager for them.

This is one of my guards…Geoffrey.

Yesterday, while he was off duty, he brought his boys over to visit me and cheer me up. Geoffrey’s wife drown just a few months ago in Lake Victoria. She and their smallest child, who was just a couple of months old were in a boat with 8 other people. The boat turned over and she could not be rescued. Little Rafael here was pulled to safety, but the Momma drowned. Geoffrey was home with their oldest boy Dominic when the news came that she had perished. This is Geoffrey’s Momma in the picture with them….she is helping him raise his sons. The middle sized boy belongs to Geoffrey’s younger brother who was hit by a car and is now unable to walk. So, Geoffrey and his Momma are raising his son. Stories such as these are so common here….yet, when you have the opportunity to grow close to a family that such tragedy’s happen to, it just breaks your heart. Geoffrey is by far the best guard I’ve had…sometimes I’m a little overwhelmed at his protective nature of me….but then I realize he takes his responsibility of protecting me and our teams who visit very serious. Please join me and Geoffrey’s Momma as we are praying for God to send Geoffrey a new wife who will first and foremost love the Lord, and also love his boys. 27 years old with two toddlers to raise is a hard task, so we are trusting God to send the one He knows they need.

Love to all,

Joy Breedlove

Missionary – East Africa