Missionaries to the MAASAI

Ron Linda
Sevenns
P.O. Box 110
Narok, Kenya
AFRICA
April, 1987
Dear Friends, ~ ~ ~
I just realized that it has been nine months since we have sent a newsletter.
While those who write to us or contribute to our financial support have had
more regular correspondence, others may be wondering what's happening to the
Severns.
Last May
Ron taught a church growth at a local "course" with 15 Maasai church
leaders in attendance, then Linda and I went to Turkana for a few days to
visit our Christian Missionary Fellowship colleagues there.
June
Saw the beginning of two weekly Bible study classes at Oltiani and
Oloombokokishi.
Late in July
We received word that Linda's father had passed away and we returned to
the States for seven weeks to attend the funeral, help Linda's mother.
While we were there, we shared with five of our supporting churches.
In October - -
Ron resumed the Bible studies that had been disrupted by our return to the
States. We also installed a solar electric system that gives us electric
lights, and finished a water system that allows the rainwater we trap from
our roof to run into the house. So now we have (almost) all the
conveniences of home.
My parents came to visit us in November
Mom and dad enjoyed meeting both our co-workers and the Maasai people we
are working with. And, it was a real joy for us to have our friends meet
my parents and vice versa.
The first week in December
I taught a class on church leadership at our big annual course for all
Maasai men in Narok. Then, of course, there was Christmas. We had a
traditional American Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve with some fellow
missionaries, then spent Christmas Day with the Maasai Christians, as they
celebrated our Lord's birthday.
January
Seemed to be a month of preparation. I prepared a wedding ceremony and
lessons for a course, both of which were held in February. I worked on a
teacher's manual to go with the new believer's lessons that have been
taped in Maasai, and spent time editing the ILOMON, a newsletter the
Christian Missionary Fellowship/Maasai missionaries are putting out. And
most importantly, I talked with church leaders about plans for the growth
of the church in 1987.
February
Saw completion of many of the plans and preparations begun in January.
I taught my first course completely in Maasai with lessons on Jesus the
Great Revealer of God, our Great High Priest, and the Great Sacrifice for
our sins.
CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY FELLOWSHIP
I performed the first two Christian Maasai weddings in our area; the
ILOMON was completed and sent off; and the English manual for the first
two sets of the new believer's lessons was completed. February also saw
the plans for the church that we had made in January begin to be fulfilled
as we started regular studies at Oletukat, another one of the churches in
our area.
It has been a busy and fulfilling nine months. We have seen progress and
growth in the Maasai churches. Thank you for your prayers and financial
support that have undergirded us in this work.
Yours because HE LIVESl
f
Ron and Linda Severns
Please pray for: 01e Sangiriaki, Ololchoki, and Die Sukantet; leaders of the
new age set that I hope will come to Christ and lead many of
their peers to Christ.
Die Nchoei and Die Sina; young Christians, but leaders of the
newest churches we are working with.
Leaders of all the churches we work with.
Our continued health and strength to do the work that God has
called us to do.
June 7th (Pentecost Sunday) has been designated a "Day of Prayer for World
Evangelism."
Please pray with us on that day for people who will tell others the Good News
of forgiveness and salvation in Christ (harvesters as Jesus called them in
Luke 10:2), anrd for those in our wono wh^'ave^not^et heard tnat megiving
message.
4/87
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Missionaries to the MAASAi
Ron Linda
Sevenns
P.O. Box 110
Narok, Kenya
AFRICA
November, 1987
Dear Friends,
Scripture has taken on new meaning as
we live and work here among the Maasai
in Kenya.
Matthew 5:42 "Give to the one who asks
you, and do not turn away from the one
who wants to borrow from you."
There Is a knock at the door. The vyoman
who greets me when I answer the door is
all too familiar. She and her four small
children live just a stone's throw from our
house. We sit and visit. She has a prob
lem, she says. Her husband hasn't come
to bring money for them to buy food
again. The children are hungry; their thin
arms and legs look almost comical
against their swollen stomachs. Again, I
give them potatoes and carrots and sug
ar and tea. "Oh, Lord, give me a
thankful and wiiiing spirit to give to
those in need."
Philippians 4:18-19 7 have received full
payment and even more; I am amply sup
plied, now that I have received... the gifts
you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an
acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.
And my God will meet all your needs ac
cording to His glorious riches in Christ
Jesus."
"Oh, look," I exclaim, as I open our sup
port giving report. "Isn't God good? Our
supporters have been so faithful in their
giving. You know, it humbies me to think
how many of them are sacrificing so that
the Maasai can hear the wonderful news
of Jesus Christ. I appreciate them and
hope and pray that they know we
couldn't be here without them."
Matthew19:29 "And everyone who has
left houses or brothers or sisters or father
or mother or children or fields for my sake
will receive a hundred times as much
and will inherit eternal life."
"I'm so lonely 1think I am going to die," I
hurl at Ron as he walks in from his week
end teaching. "I need to talk to someone
who can understand what I am saying.
I want to go to a mall and shop. I want a
diet Pepsi. I miss my family. I want to
see my nieces and nephews before
they are grown up. I am sick of these
awful roads and the flies and dirt and
the loneliness." "Please be patient
with me, Lord."
Luke 15:10 "In the same way, I tell you,
there is rejoicing in the presence of the
angels of God over one sinner who re
pents. "
There is excitement in the air. Today,
we are having a big osirua
(celebration). As we climb the steep
bank down to the river for the baptisms,
we sing. Mytongue stumbles over the
words, but my heart is singing freely.
There is rejoicing in heaven today be
cause of these people who are giving
their lives to our Lord and Savior.
"Thank you, Lord, for working
among these people. Thank you
for the awesome and rewarding
task of bringing your Good News
to the lost among the Maasai.
Isaiah 41:10 "Fear not for I am with you,
be not dismayed for I am your God...."
I wake up, my heart racing for some un
known reason. But then I hear it, the
strange noise outside. Something is
trying to get in, my mind screams as I
fumble for the flashlight. There is a
scraping and digging noise outside the
bedroom window. Why do these
strange noises always have to happen
in the middle of the night when Ron is
gone? Suddenly, I come to my senses
and realize that it is just a smail noctur
nal animal foraging for food. Sleep
comes again after quoting Scripture.
Matthew 10:42 "And if anyone gives
even a cup of cold water to one of these
little ones because he is my discipie, I
tell you the truth, he will certainly not
lose his reward."
CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY FELLOWSHIP
I can tell by the small hesitant knock who
will be there when I answer the door. The
three, small, ragged, dirty children bow
their heads in a proper Maasai greeting.
Almost daily they come by to get a drink of
water. They seem so small to have the re
sponsibility of watching the goats and
sheep. The cool, clean cup of water and a
slice of bread I sometimes give them is all
that these children will have to eat or drink
until they return to their village in the
evening.
Matthew 10:32 "Whoever acknowledges
me before men, I will also acknowledge
him before my Father in heaven."
Leseyo is excited. He has been witness
ing to his neighbors since his baptism a
month ago, and four of them want to be
come Christians. Would Ron please
come to his village to do some more
teaching?
Philippians 4:13 7 can do everything
through Him who gives me strength."
I don't have Ron this time; I am all on my
own. The cup of sour milk in my hand
looks innocent enough, but I know that it
wiil take the power of God for me to get it
down without throwing it back up. These
people are so gracious. They are my
friends. I pray and God is so good that I
am able to get it down without even one
gag I For someone who even refused reg-
uiar milk as a small child, it is truly a mira
cle. Myfaith and trust in God is streng
thened.
Matthew 9:37-38 "Then He said to His
disciples. The harvest is plentiful but the
workers are few. Ask the Lord of the har
vest, therefore, to send out workers into
his harvest field.'"
"Please come to our village and teach us
the Words of God," the woman says. "We
have no one to teach us. We meet togeth
er to pray and sing, but no one can read
and we want to hear more."
11/87
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mis
The two men stop by again to ask Ron
when he will be able to begin having
regular weekly lessons in their villages
like he does at Oloombokishi, Oltiani,
Oletukat, and Olenkomeei. They are
new Christians, and because they don't
read they need to have teaching in or
der to grow.
"It is too far for us to walk to church eve
ry Sunday. Please come and start a
church in our area," the old man asks.
Truly the harvest is white. Please pray
for workers.
God is faithful. His Word is alive and
living and working in our lives. Please
continue to pray that we will be open
and sensitive to God's Spirit; that His
Word will become more and more an in
tegral part of our lives so that together
on that day of judgment we can stand
before the throne of Grace and hear our
Lord and Master's words, "Well done,
thou good and faithful servant"
Here because you care,
C^LTlc/cu
Linda Sevems
PLEASE PRAY FOR
The 14 new Christians who were bap
tized in July;
Continued spiritual growth among the
eight lldamat churches we work with;
A Maasai-wide awakening and realiza
tion of their need for Jesus Christ;
Good health for us both;
Men's course in December and January
that Ron will be teaching;
Darrel and Sharlene Hoffmaster who
will be taking over our work here and for
us as we prepare for furlough.
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