UPDATE - John & Wendy Bovard, Missionary, Kenya 6/11/10

MINISTRY NEWS:
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the work with our churches has been going well. John was able to be there two times this year already, working with the pastors and the churches. He was able to reach all the churches this time, even though we were told it’s not safe. It was worth it when we saw several come to know the Lord. God is good, all the time. John was able to get the churches to start literacy classes to be able to read French and English, and “Bearing Precious Seeds” is helping us get a container of Bibles to be sent to Kenya, Uganda and DRC.

The work in Uganda went very well. John has been preaching in the prison and school. It has been wonderful. He gives Bibles out to the prisoners when they finish 5 study book lessons and memorize around 60 verses. It is a real privilege to see these men give their lives to the Lord. One man, after he received Christ as Lord and Saviour, gave his testimony about being raised in a Christian home but never wanting to listen to his parents. He said he always stole from them, but his parents continued to beg him to turn to Christ. This one time he was caught and his parents refused to come and help him. He was all alone with nobody to bail him out. When he heard the preaching he realized this might be his last time, so he came to Jesus. He said, “Thank you for coming to me here in prison, I know the Lord heard my mother’s prayers.”

FAMILY NEWS:
Wendy in Haiti:
January 12, 2010, at 4:40 pm, a young man was driving from work like every other day. Then the earth shook and it changed his life forever. A young mother was across town picking up supplies for her family business, another young wife was attending classes in the local university when buildings began to collapse all around them. That is the day of one of the worst natural disasters of our time, as the earth shook for 30 seconds with such force that buildings all over the city and beyond came crashing down, crushing almost 250,000 people to death in Port au Prince, Haiti. Much of the city is reduced to rubble mixed with human bones and body parts. Moving from one side of the city to the other takes hours and there are still over a million people living in tents without access to the basic necessities of life. The earthquake left thousands of children vulnerable, and Wendy was sent to Haiti to help them put the pieces of their lives back together. Her first trip to Port au Prince was almost 30 years ago with a group of Bible college students for a musical evangelism mission with IGM over the Christmas holidays. This time she traveled into Haiti by bus, crossing the border from the Dominican Republic, because the airport was still shut down. Thank you so much for your prayers for the people of Haiti and for her as she serves here.

Family in the US:
Davey and Stanley are finally American citizens. It was certainly a long time coming, but we are all very happy for them. John and the boys are traveling around the States visiting the churches and have already met many of you. The boys are enjoying their first horse rides, their first baseball games and they are both gaining weight from all the great food you are all cooking for them. They love to fish and play games and they can’t figure out why the sun stays up so long!

Ryan and Beka and our two beautiful granddaughters, Savanna and Serafina, along with Reah and baby Sandra, are also in the States for a few months. Reah came to the US in February to finalize Sandra's citizenship and get her passport. Sandra has been getting the medical treatment that she needs before they return to Kenya and she is growing well. We are so proud of Reah and really appreciate her testimony for the Lord even in the most difficult times. Ryan and Beka are on furlough, reporting to the churches and raising needed funds. They will return to Kenya this month. It has been so good for Stanley and Davey to have their sisters and family with them in the States.

Reah continues to serve the Lord in Nairobi at the Morning Star Children’s Ministry and has 60 children in her Children’s Home. This is one of the homes that her husband opened as he served the Lord and ministered to children in the Nairobi area. Philip died one year ago this month and we continue to thank God for his life and ministry. Please help Reah minister to these children by sending your gifts to  IGM marked for Reah Githaiga, Morning Star Children’s Ministry.

Ryan and Beka have accepted a position at IGM as the FMI Orphan Coordinators to East Africa. We are so proud of them and know that God will use them to minister to children all over the East and Central Africa region.

Family in Africa:
Jonathan, Christine and Jimmy continue to live and work in Kenya. Jonathan continues to drill water wells and has begun driving in the Land Rover competition called the Rhino Charge. He is enjoying the driving and working on the cars as his hobby. Little Jimmy is growing and is now 2 years old and thinks he is ready to start driving his daddy’s big cars and trucks!

Ruth will graduate from Rift Valley Academy in Kenya in July. We thank God for such a wonderful Christian school for her to have attended. It has been an amazing experience for her. They just completed their Senior interim trip and she had quite a bicycle crash, but has fully recovered after some stitches and spending a night in the Nanyuki hospital. She will come back to the States to get a job and start college. She will need your prayers as she adjusts to college in America.

Thank you for your continued prayers and love. May God bless you all so much.

Special Needs:
• Monthly support and prayer for Reah Bovard Githaiga and her children’s ministry.
• Continue praying for the Congo Outreach. Monthly support needed is $750 US.
• Health and strength for David and Stanley.
• We need a TEAM of prayer partners.
• Support for Naro Moru Baptist Children’s home.
• Pray for funds to bring the Bibles from Nairobi to DRC.
• We need a covered trailer to pull behind our truck to take the Bibles into rough areas, and funds for fuel. Please mark Delivery Funds for Bibles.
• We need a new LCD projector and generator to show Bible films and do teaching.
• Pray for us while in the States that we will be renewed with Spiritual strength and rest.
• Pray for Wendy as she continues to help n Haiti
• Pray for us as we continue to Fulfill the Matt.2 8:19-20: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen”
• Pray that God will give us the right pastors to accompany us on our evangelistic outreaches into Africa and beyond.

If you would like John and the boys to come to your church to present the work, please call him on 850-461-4891 or Email bravodad1958@yahoo.com so he can make a schedule.