Updates From
David Kayando
for Kager Village, Kenya Africa
12th May, 2021
Dear RBC Family,
Lovely greetings to you in the most Holy Name of our Lord Jesus Christ! It is my prayer and hopes that you are all doing well and kept safe and secure in the loving arms of God. I would like to take this opportunity to thank God for you, for keeping in step with your commitment born out of love to stand with me in the work I do here in Kager Village, Kenya. The last four months since the start of 2021, God has been so good and faithful to us in many ways. Despite the raging global pandemic of Covid-19, the goodness of the Lord and His mercies has been experienced. The Medical Clinic which you are earnestly and lovingly supporting plays a great role in helping families here. With the virus shuttering hopes, destroying economies and inflicting fear in many families, God has allowed our Clinic to be a beacon of hope through its education and awareness campaign.
The campaign and awareness, which has resulted in people taking the necessary precaution has worked well for many families within the Clinic’s service area. The work of the Clinic has also moved on uninterrupted because of the always available staff and essential medicines. The workload at the Clinic has also gone up with so many people seeking medical help from the facility. As I shared with you sometimes back, Kenya’s health system has suffered from many challenges, and hence there has been severed services to the public. We continue to pray that there will be stability. The medical workers strike ended sometimes ago, but you can still hear the bickering and complaints.
Due to our stable management and availability, the County government’s ministry of health, considers us a worthy partner, and in this last four months, some of our Staffs have benefitted from their ongoing periodic trainings on quality delivery of service and refresher courses. We had our Lab technician and Nurse, benefits from the same on Malaria management.
This last week, our Clinic was one of the centres for distribution of mosquito nets to the families in our region. This was a government program for free mosquito nets in the Country. About 1550 treated mosquito nets were given to families to combat the mosquito bite which causes malaria. Thank you for your support, as this makes it possible for the Clinic to help many families and become a strategic partner with the government in delivering quality and affordable healthcare services to the communities.
I also want to thank you for standing with me in my Pastoral work here at Kager Vision Centre. Our scripture for this year is Psalms 85:6-7 “Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Show us your unfailing love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation. I believe this text has been alive in our fellowships, Sunday worship services and in the day to day lives of the saints. There have been testimonies of hope, healing, breakthroughs and joy. At the end of last year, we had many families going through much difficulty which really affected us as a Church. So many people were really down with ailments and family strife, but God’s joy is now been experienced. This is because as RBC, you have gone out of your way to offer help through the famine program and also stand with me in seeing that my own needs are also provided for while I reach out to the body of Christ.
It was so much encouraging, that you also stood with me in supporting our Church expansion building Campaign. We managed to raise $5,010 out of the $15,400 we needed and trust God to provide until we will finish the project. Please as the Lord may put it in your hearts, will you continue standing with us in this project? We are seeing growth in the Church and coupled with the new normal brought about by the Pandemic, our seating space is so limited, we need to expand. I know God will work this out.
As a family, we are doing well. The children have been home for holidays for the last 7 weeks and reported back to school and College this week. I and Carolyne deeply appreciate your “Sharing of lives” with us as a special sacrifice and count it as honor. We continue to lift you in our prayers and best wishes. We have other family projects we trust God to complete, especially our house which is threatened by seasonal rainfalls for the last 10yrs due to incompletion. We would appreciate your prayers too.
We truly thank God for everything. I am so eager to meet you again face to face and share the glorious things God has done here through your prayers, love and support. I am praying that God opening up doors and making global traveling back to normal, next year can be a good year to celebrate Christ with at RBC, God providing for Visa and air ticket. Many thanks to Pastor Jim and my dear brother Pastor Richard, for taking me as one of their own in the vineyard of the Lord.
RBC family, May the Lord truly bless you.
Yours In the Lord’s Service,
Pastor David Kayando.
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March 2021
Hello Richard,
Greetings to you and JoAnn in Jesus Name! It was so nice catching up with you a few weeks ago. The greatest moment was the time I got to talk to your Mom whom we continue to pray for due to her sick health. It was touching to hear her say that she looks forward to seeing me some day. Those words inspired me and increased my faith and hope in life so much. I have really been blessed and encouraged by our fellowship.
I trust that all of you continue to do well and the Church is also doing great. I found out that there were no services this last Sunday due to extreme weather conditions. While you have extreme cold and icy ground, we are struggling with extreme heat due to the dry weather condition. It is one of those seasons where people who live in tin roof houses with no ceiling under the roof like myself, are struggling with excessive heat both in the day and the night. But in all things we thank God.
I want to thank you and the Church for praying with me. Carolyne is now healed. The cough is gone and she is getting back her joy and energy. We only did wish to find some time away to relax and recoup, but that is not possible due to financial challenges, as what we have now is channeled to the education and upkeep of the children, which is our priority.
All the other programs here are doing well. Just as I shared with you, the Medical Clinic continues to serve many more people and we thank God that two days ago we received essential drugs supply from the ministry of health to boost our stock. With the dedicated team of staff we currently have, courtesy of RBC ongoing support to the Clinic, everyone who visits the medical Clinic is well served. Hallelujah!
The Church is also doing well and God continues to add people to our flock. This is good as heaven rejoices and also adds to us the work of discipleship. Please see attached the plan of our Church expansion project. With the growing trend we are experiencing now, and that which we are trusting God to continue happening as we seek God for revival, our Church building has become small even as we speak. The desire to expand the building has been on my heart for a while now, and so we came up with the design plan attached way back in December 2017. We have been praying for guidance and the leading of the Holy Spirit, and this year our Church leadership and the Congregation have all confirmed that this is the year to step out in faith and do the expansion.
The expansion will include an office, a store and meeting room which is very necessary for some administrative functions. Honestly this is a work of faith because the budget for the expansion, finishing of both interior and exterior and furnishing the expanded area and the additional rooms is $15,400. As the local Church, we have began raising funds and each of our members have pledged to donate money. When you hear that from a rural community like ours where the poverty index is still high, then it moves my heart. We have also involved friends outside our Church fellowship, some local leaders and extended our nets even to the political leaders of our region. Our target is to bring all our contributions on April 25th, 2021 as a day of doing the major funds drive.
Whatever, the Lord will provide that day, we plan to begin the work and see how far we can go. Will you join us in prayer brother? Just as the Lord has used you in the past, could you advocate for some support on our behalf from RBC family and your network of friends who may want to be part of this Kingdom ministry? I appeal to you for the same.
I remain knowing that God will watch over His word, to bring it to completion. May the Lord give you the favor and the grace to stand in the gap for us here.
Thank you again for your love and for all the family at RBC. They are all bathed in my prayers with tears.
Blessings.
David O. Kayando
May 14th, 2020
Dear Friends,
Christian greetings to you in Jesus most Holy Name! I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers, for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your continued partnership in the gospel. We are doing well here in Kager, and in everything we give thanks to God.
Despite the ongoing global challenge with the Covid-19, God has truly remained faithful to us as a family, Church and community. Honestly we have missed our Church fellowship now for two months. We lack the technology to have an online service, but thank God that I have enjoyed every Sunday service with my Richland family through YouTube posts. May God bless you for making this available?
We have also enjoyed family worship in my house nightly with a song, reading of God’s word and prayer. I have several young men who are peers to my children, who come to my house and we have a fellowship. It has also given me an opportunity to speak into their lives, along with my Son and Daughter, and also see them do God’s work by reading a scripture and leading a prayer. This is something we have not had for many years, and so on the other side, I thank God for the opportunity.
On Sundays, I and my wife have been leading prayers in the Church with a few bold people who come in. As much as it is currently against the law to gather, we have found a special grace, for being in the rural village. The village elder who is the nearest government administrator, though not a believer, has not interfered with that time of prayer. This equally has been some unique thing happening here. We get enough time to seek God in intercession and pray for the body of Christ globally and current challenge.
The word is going around that we are praying and many people would really want to come, but we have restricted this to just a few, to avoid any conflict that may arise. Spending this time with Carolyne in prayer has been a huge blessing to our lives as a couple. We have been able to mention you regularly, the pastoral team, the administrative team, the school, the different departments at Richland, and we believe that God is doing something in your lives.
I want to thank God that within our Country, the rate of Covid-19 infection is still very low, and we pray it remains so. I want to believe so even though the Country is struggling with testing people. But the impact of the virus has been huge. Coupled with the ongoing rains which has caused serious flooding and deaths in many parts of the Country, families are struggling. As a Church, we had stored about six sacks of corn grains that were given out as tithes from the last season of harvesting. These we have given out to the suffering families. With the stay at home order, closure of business and other, the rural folks here depend largely on the farm and casual labor. When that is not there, then you can imagine the difficulty. But in all things we give God glory.
The medical Clinic truly plays a major role at this time, when much focus is on healthcare. With our ability to offer services, we remain pivotal in advocating for better lifestyle to keep at bay the infection. Our staff is serving around the clock to help every patient that comes to our doors and also conduct proper referrals where and when necessary.
I want to thank you for making this a possibility through your support. With the recent support from Richland, the salaries for our Staff are assured through June 2020. This is special and heartwarming, to know that the Clinic can serve the communities around. What a joy!!
Richland has lived Proverbs 3:27 “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act”. Therefore, I pray that as the Lord is a sun shield, may He bestow favor and honor, and provide every good thing for you as you walk before Him blameless.
Please keep us as a Kager community in your prayers. The Church is longing to come back together and fellowship. It is our prayer that this spirit of the virus will go in Jesus Name. The Schools are likely to open back next Month (Which is my prayer), so that the children will be able to go back. We pray that this will be done with great wisdom to avoid anxiety and fear associated with the virus. As a family, our daughter should be joining College but not all is in place.
May the good Lord be with you and keep you safe.
January 21st, 2020.
Dear Friends at Richland Baptist Church (RBC),
RE: ANNUAL REPORT.
Greetings to you in Jesus’ most Holy Name! I am so grateful to God for the opportunity to share with you some of my highlights in 2019 and how you have been so used by God to bring smile, hope and encouragement to me and my family, the Church and the community of Kager Village.
As I was nearing the end of 2019, I sought God in prayer for direction in 2020 and the lord gave me Psalms 16:11 “You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand”. This has become our scripture as a Church for the year. I have been speaking from this verse the last two Sunday worship services and will complete my series this coming Sunday with part (d) “With eternal pleasures at your right hand”. Without doubt in my heart, RBC truly made our year unique in experiencing the sovereign love of God at a time when all hope was almost lost in our very time of need.
I believe Psalms 16:11 has come to light to progress what God began to do in 2019, to expand and become the river that many will drink from as the joy of the Lord fills our hearts.
As a family, we were able to have our needs met on what we drink and eat and our children going to school because of the RBC regular and ongoing support of $800 quarterly. Yes there are many needs that we were not able to meet even as a family, but God has given us the grace to be content and faithful to Him with what we have and in that sense, He has supplied all we need according to His riches in Christ Jesus. I was able to clear all school fees for my children by the end of the year. This year our Son Williams is in his 11th grade of Secondary School, our little Son Jostein is in 1st grade, while our daughter Christine finished her 12th grade and will be joining College this year in May 2020. I am also grateful that I will be finishing my BA in Theology this April 2020 and trusting God to begin Masters in Christian Leadership.
My wife has remained a strong pillar to our family in ways beyond words to describe with her prayers, encouragement and support to me in ministry and making our home rich with Love. I know it is in her heart that one day she can also have some formal training, but she considers others better that her, and right now, our children are our very first priority to see them get good education and serve in their areas of calling and interests.
The Church is doing well and through the Famine Relief Program which RBC supported with a total of $500 in 2019, our Church family experienced God’s love and care. It does a lot of impact when you share love with some practicality like what we did in 2019. We did reach out to the members of our congregation and beyond. The act of love demonstrated through your act of giving allowed us to reach out to people beyond the walls of our Church into the community. We had 10 new people join our congregation and they have stayed with us until now. Our church is enjoying some special grace simply due to the act of love we have encouraged the congregation to live out. At the end of the year when we had so many people home for Christmas and New Year celebrations, I found out that our building is so small. We have community members who work and live in the cities, but when they come home, they worship with us as their home Church. This is now a reality we are praying about on how we can expand our Church building to be able to effectively accommodate the growing congregation. We were also able to have a Church family get together on December 22nd, 2019 which became another great time of bonding and fellowship with one another. I did bring in all our Old (senior) citizens who because of their age cannot make it to Church each week. The joy in their faces to meet other members and recline together was an amazing experience as stated in Psalms 133:1-3. Friends, thank you for supporting me to serve God in our Church. It was an amazing year for me, and I truly honor God for the connection and partnership I enjoy with RBC.
At the end of our get together, we had our young people share talents in songs and dance and poems, with our children Sunday school recite Scriptures. This I believe is a great sign of a growing Church and that which has the future as the young generation become part and parcel of the body of Christ. Thank you again for praying and standing with us.
It was a river and a way in the desert when RBC came in to stand with our Medical Clinic, when the doors were practically closing as a result of loss of support to pay the staff. When I shared this news with Pastor Richard in June, it was all hope gone for me. The sad thing was the many families who depended on the Clinic for health care. The Clinic has remained a strong ministry of outreach to the communities even beyond Kager. Our staff demonstrates the Love of God to the vulnerable and poor families who cannot afford the cost of medical care, but when they come to the Clinic, they are treated even without a penny. Loosing funding for the staff meant that we had to close our doors. But I want to thank God for RBC who has supported the Clinic with $ 4100 to cover paying of staff from August 2019 to February 2020, less $ 450 only.
During the year 2019, our Clinic registered 303 clients on Comprehensive Clinic Care and until now we have 226 people who are active on care. The difference is because others have relocated to other places hence transferred, others once registered get lost due to trauma or stigma so they are being sought out and unfortunately others have died. These are people who receive ARVs drugs due to infection of HIV /AIDS. They are on regular monitoring and must come for the drugs so as to survive. I want to thank God that our Counselors and Peer educators have managed to retain majority on care.
We had a total of 3,956 patients attended at the Clinic in 2019. Out of this, 2,435 were females and 1,521 were males. We also had 443 under 5yr olds attended to in the facility for various health issues. One of those sad moments at the Clinic was when we lost a mother while on treatment who left a three day old baby. This was sad indeed. One of my great highlights was when we had to save a young girl who was hit by a fellow pupil at school with a sharp object that stuck on her head. It all happened, because you did support us. It is my prayer that God will see the hearts of these great men and women of RBC and replenish their stores with abundance, that even in 2020, you will continue offering your support to the Medical Clinic.
The Community of Kager has experienced great harvest from their farms. This has reduced significantly the pain of famine and hunger. I cannot forget to thank you for concentrated and dedicated prayers which RBC offered on our behalf that we would experience enough rains to bring up good harvest. The rains went beyond and right now people are busy harvesting maize (corn). Prayers of righteous men avail much. God has done it and we pray all our two seasons this year will remain fruitful.
Finally, our ministry programs are set to go on, with this month being our month of prayer. We are meeting each Wednesday for a whole day prayer and fasting. From next month, we shall have our weekly house meetings begin, Men’s fellowship and the SAFE In Christ Women’s ministry. Currently one of the members of our congregation went to be with the Lord one week ago. Her funeral will be on February 7th.
PRAYER ITEMS FOR 2020.
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Pray for me and Carolyne that we would be able to take Christine to College in May. She is going to do a diploma course on International Relations and Diplomacy for two years. With the support from RBC to our family, we plan to budget so that we can pay for her tuition fees every quarter at $ 600 per semester for six semesters. But the biggest challenge we are facing is the cost of her housing and accommodation which will be $250 monthly for 18 months. This is a big transition with huge financial responsibility. Your prayers will always see us through. In the middle of the increasing financial needs and changing of priorities, we also need to have our house complete. Please keep trusting God with us.
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Pray with our Church leadership on the direction and the need we have to expand our Church building. We would like to be certain if this could be the year to begin the project and how. I would really want hear from the Lord.
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I would like to begin teaching some Bible study with leaders when I am through in April with my BA studies. I have been praying that we need to have a ministry training class where we can train upcoming leaders on Bible literacy. This is a vision I have been brooding over in my life for many years and it is like I want to leap out in faith and use the meager resources available to begin what could be a future school. I would like to appeal for resource support and ideas. Along with this, pray with me that God will open for me the door to move on with my studies for Masters in Christian Leadership.
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Pray for our entire ministry network. The ministry is praying for expansion through church planting and also to bring up the next generation to its leadership council.
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Continued prayers for the work of the Medical Clinic.
FINANCIAL REPORT.
A. I am pleased to report that Richland Baptist Church supported me as follows in 2019.
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Personal Support $ 3,200
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Famine Relief $ 500
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Clinic (August, 19 – Feb. 20) $ 4,100
Total $ 7,800
B. It is also my joy to share that out of this support from RBC, I spent everything with the relief and famine allocation, while the expenses for the allocation of the Clinic remains at $ 650 monthly. I still have funds for the month of January and February less $ 450. I know the Lord will make away for the balance.
C. The Clinic managed to collect $ 1,029 as user fee from our patients. This amount has been used in bringing supplies majorly drugs and medicines, laboratory reagents and supplies, non-pharmaceuticals, paying of utility bills such as electricity and general administrative costs.
D. From my support, I dedicated $500 towards my family needs, $ 200 to my other ministry needs which included office internet and supplies, meetings / helps and communications. And $ 100 towards my studies.
It is a joy having you by our side and I am praying that at the Lord’s divine time and arrangement we can find time to fellowship round table either in Kager or at Richland. May the Lord of grace and who knows what we need and what is good for us, bring to the entire congregation of Richland His divine abundance for the year 2020.
I pray that the Lord will reward richly the leadership of RBC as led by Pastor Jim and Pastor Richard. I pray for their energy, wisdom and counsel to the body of Christ. I also pray for the global work of Richland and the next steps you could be taking as the Lord directs you in 2020.
In conclusion, as the Lord increases your resources, I pray you will always consider encouraging us here with the same. “WHAT A MIGHY GOD WE SERVE”
Every Blessing to you.
Yours Fellow Servant in Christ,
Pastor David and Carolyne Kayando.
July 2019
Hello, My Brother Richard & Richland Baptist Church,
Greetings in the wonderful name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. On behalf of Kager Vision Centre Church, which has a congregation from families far and wide within the community, I would like to pass my sincere gratitude and thanks for your recent support to help with severe famine being experienced this time of the season.
Sunday, June 9, 2019, was another unique one for the children of God. With the financial support of $300 from Richland towards getting food supplies, we were able to distribute 180 packets of 2kg of maize (corn flour) and 72 packets of 1kg of the same.
Our first line of distribution was done to the children's Sunday school program, who normally begin their services from 8:00AM to 10:00AM. These children went back home with joy and gladness carrying a packet of 1kg maize flour. Believe me, many of these children come for the service without a breakfast, especially right now with the famine going on. So, carrying a packet of flour was an answered prayer to many of them who took the flour back home and were able to have porridge for the breakfast. Some of them do not have their parents worship with us at Church, so I am watching in the coming weeks to see if some of their parents will visit the Church. You will see from the attached pictures, our children's Sunday school receiving the supplies with big smiles.
We then had the second line of distribution at the end of our main service which begins at 10:30AM to 1:00PM. This was another moment of a joyful noise to the Lord with many hearts leaping with thanksgiving. It was in this service that my wife who led the program along with our Cell group leaders, made sure that every person went home with 2 packets of flour. Please see the pictures attached.
We had a bail preserved for some of our senior citizens who cannot make it to Church, due to their old age, and our cell group leaders will be visiting with them and passing out the flour to them and praying with them.
I want to say God works things in His own divine timing and plan. There would have been no better time or day to have this special gift from the Richland saints to us than Sunday. The majority of our Church members made it to Church and we know that as the Lord continues to make provision, we will be reaching out to others as well. I have received heartfelt appreciation from many of our congregation and even outside for how they have seen the Church stand with them, and really care not only for their spiritual needs but also their physical needs.
The financial support from Richland directed to the same came to be Kshs. 28,500. We bought 15 bales of 2kg at Kshs. 19,500 and 3 bales of 1kg at Ksh. 4,410. We spent Kshs. 3,000 for transporting the supplies bringing our totals expenses to Kshs. 26,910. The balance of Kshs. 1,590 is saved for future use as the Lord may add to this kitty.
Please allow me to share my heart briefly on what I have seen and believe will continue to be an effective method of reaching out and growing the body of Christ in my area and can as well in other parts of rural Africa.
If the Church here would be open to reach out to others without being selfish, we will truly be effective in our evangelism efforts. This is one area many Pentecostal churches have brushed aside, and leaders have only campaigned for what would help them, which goes as far as impoverishing others. The congregations have either remained poor or suffer need, while their leaders enjoy plenty. The Church of Kager, where I currently Pastor, have majority as women and currently we have a large number of young people in high school and primary school. When I visit with them and fellowship with them, I see a community who are living their lives for Christ, passionate and committed to grow and become effective, but many of them lack empowerment so as to stand on their feet. For the young team, most of them need to be encouraged in their education.
I want to thank you so much, for your great love and quick response during this time of need, it has lightened the eyes of us here, that we are not ALONE, but there are friends, who would be willing to go an extra mile, and share their lives with us. As we manage this emergency of famine, my eyes are looking to the long term solution, that will make the Church strong and speak on behalf of the weak. I believe seeing my current young team pursue education, will be a long-term solution to developing responsible leaders in our community. Empowering our people will make them be diverse in the need to get economic stability. I am starting a kitty, and this is where I will be keeping the balance, to help us as a Church be able to reach out both in a small or big way, as the Lord will add into this resource.
Our Church as much as is seeing as big within the community, our financial strength is too low. Our monthly income from offerings is an average of $70. From this we support our Bishop with $40 per month and then spend the rest on other Church programs. You can therefore see how I truly appreciate your support, which goes a long way in supplementing the Church programs and also helps with my own needs.
I want to continue asking for your support, because the famine situation in the Country and in our village is still a long way to go. The possibility of a poor harvest is with us, which only leaves us with the next farming season which begins late September, with a harvest in December / January. So please do not hold back if the Lord has made any provision. Richland Baptist Church is a true Partner to the work I do here in Kager Village through the Church, I know the Lord has destined great things into the future. I look forward to another day of being with you either in Kager or in the USA before Christ's return.
May the Lord richly bless you.
David O. Kayando
To God be the Glory (John 15:12-14)
