Ramirez Family June 2010 Missions Update-Kenya

To whom I belong and whom I worship”~ Acts 27:23

It seems that as I draw closer with the Lord, my enjoyment and wonder grows when I consider who He is…His power and gentleness, love and wrath, His greatness and humility. The reality that I get to worship the true and living God by His mercy is equally amazing and humbling. I know who and what I am apart from Him, and yet He bids me to come near, serve and worship Him…

Arie and Ibra

Our Family:

We praise God for Dave, Twinkle and Natasha’s return back to Kenya to assume their ministries. The last four months have been a stretch to say the least, and yet I can joyfully say that because of my precious wife Nasiema’s God-glorifying testimony in the home, I was freed up to allow God to use me in the capacity that He alone has done and continues to do through my life. Even after laboring at the church, Bible College and in the home for quite an intense season, without hesitation Nasiema not only stood by me, but encouraged me to preach the everlasting Gospel in Congo alongside our brother Ibrahim in the beginning stages of CCN’s first church plant. Our boys are, by God’s grace, just as much a part of the ministries as they actively labor in prayer together for Daddy. I am grateful to God for the eternal perspective He has planted in the hearts of my family.

Our Ministry:

Nasiema… She has already begun the history and science portions of the upcoming years’ homeschool work with our boys, continues to serve in the Children’s Ministry on alternate Sundays and has been enjoying discipling and serving our Kenyan Women’s Ministry leaders in our home once a week…Normal Christianity seems to allow for opportunities to minister to the women God brings to her in our apartment complex between walking to a local “duka” (vegetable stand), hanging clothes on the line together or watching the children in the parking lot together…Recently she was able to explain the gospel to Anne our new female guard and share with Christine what the Word says about our salvation, dispelling the lies of man’s/church tradition that has “cheated her from walking in the victory and grace of her salvation”…More and more she is realizing how truly being a “missionary” is simply being available in our normal day-to-day activities, walking in “normal Christianity” simply in a different cultural context.

Somali Discipleship… A bitter-sweet praise: Two of the Somali brothers were resettled in Sweden and have gone to serve our King there. They called me last week to express their commitment to love and serve our Lord wherever they may be. *Please pray that our faithful Lord would quicken their minds to learn Swedish, adapt to a new culture and much colder temperatures than they are used to, that He would help them find a church to plug into where they can understand what is being taught and thereby grow in their faith, find fellowship, and opportunities for evangelism.

June Graduation

Bible College, by the grace of God, I have been able to direct and teach alongside three other teachers (2 of which are Kenyan nationals) and we have come to the end of another semester and another graduation! Our King is allowing us to invest in the nationals not only of Kenya, but also of surrounding nations of Africa.  We are seeing God raise men like Ibrahim who have a choice to resettle in the U.S. or Australia but choose to go back to his own war-torn country because the Word of God is lacking and the need is great. May God be magnified! (June Graduation)

Pastor/Leadership Conference in Congo…The goal of our trip to the Congo was two-fold: to share the Word of God with the Congolese leaders so they may also see our God as he describes Himself in scripture and equip them to minister to their sheep with sound doctrine. Secondly, to come along side Pastor Ibrahim as he establishes relationships through his first Bible study in Baraka, Congo and, Lord willing, establishes Calvary Chapel Nairobi’s first church plant…(Arie and Ibra)

We arrived in West Tanzania. Nothing was sure…trusting in God for the details, and God was opening up doors…arrangements were made for 9 hours on a hired 6 x 25 ft boat across Lake Tanganika into the Congo. God opened opportunities for Ibrahim and another translator that joined Pastor Dave, Brian and I, to share the gospel with the men navigating the boat in their native tongue.

Arie and Ibrahim teaching at the Congo Conference

Upon arrival, our first conference was held in a small town called Alundja to around 100 brothers and sisters. The second day we visited the plot where Ibrahim’s home used to stand before the war. The conference was held nearby in Baraka with around 260 people who attended with steadfast attentiveness and an incredible thirst. The following day we went door-to-door praying and ministering to the people of the community, inviting them to Ibrahim’s Bible Study and I had opportunity to share the gospel open-air where 2 men made a commitment to Christ. Praise the Lord! We were so blessed to watch Ibrahim build relationships with those in his former community. He was now finally “home” fulfilling part of the vision the Lord has been burning in his bones! A local government official sought us out and was trying to build relations with us! Lord willing he will be instrumental in helping bring favor in finding a location for Ibrahim to re-settle and for location for a church in the near future. After the last teaching all of us got miserably sick.

Baraka

The next morning we were a bit held up by the attempts for sordid gain at Immigration, yet again God faithfully worked it all out…we prayed and said our goodbyes’ to Ibrahim and back onto now an 11 hour boat ride, sick, Pastor Brian being the worst off, finally made it back to the Tanzania side without too much event. We give thanks to God for Calvary Chapel High Desert and Pastor Brian Du Pont for funding this venture of faith and catching vision of what God is doing in and through our brother Ibrahim. We also thank God for your partnering in prayer in our venture of faith…We know it was your prayers that carried us. (Arie and Ibrahim teaching at the Congo Confernce)

*Please pray for Ibrahim, his wife Masoka and 9 children that recently just joined him in the Congo, for a place to re-settle, for God’s divine intervention in leading him in his vision for a church plant, for all the logistics and support, against corruption, for health and protection physically and spiritually over his family

*Please pray for adequate translations of the Bible in Kiswahili that many at the conference were requesting to replace the many remaining JW translations

*Please pray for wisdom as I will be taking on the new role of “Missions Pastor”, encouraging and discipling our brothers, being the liaison between CCN and those starting church plants in Africa

Speaking/sharing engagements in the U.S.A… I will be available during the Months of August through mid November to guest speak in churches during our furlough to share what God is doing through our family here in Kenya. If you would like to have me speak at your church or Bible study, please contact me via e-mail as soon as possible so that I may schedule properly.

Extreme Missions Training Program…Our King has opened a door for me to be a part of Far Reaching Ministries EMT Program. I will be able to disciple individuals who desire to serve as missionaries. This will entail two months in the States teaching the practicals and theory of missions along with literal application as they return with me to Kenya for 6 months on the mission field. *Please pray for my time of preparation to minister to these missionaries-in-training, and for the preparation of their hearts to receive what the Lord has for them during this time.

Thank you again for co-laboring with us for the gospel’s sake. We are truly grateful for each sacrifice made so that our family may be here in Nairobi to serve our Lord. May His blessings be upon you all.

By His grace, for His glory,

The Ramirez Family, Psalm 73:25-26
Arie, Nasiema, Clay, Joram, and Ezra – slavebygrace@yahoo.com

Reaching The Nations…One Soul At A Time