Weekly Update for Tom and Cheryl Rees in Thika , Kenya                               5-15-11

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a

living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And so not be

conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Rom. 12:1-2

Calvary Thika Update

Yesterday Tom and I went to the church and anointed it with oil and prayed for God to pour our His Spirit and be glorified in this place. We had a time of worship and teaching

in the book of Galatians. We had a wonderful time in the presence of the Lord. We are asking the Lord to hopefully open the doors next week. We talked to Isaac last week and the situation with our permit is that we have it, but 3 more signatures are necessary. Isaac asked us to wait until we hear from him. We know that all is in the Lord’s hands and we trust that God will work everything according to His perfect will.

Discipleship with Amos and Margaret

Tom will be spending time with Amos, as Amos wants to show Tom his workshop and what he has been doing lately. Tom will be spending a good part of the day with him, pray for a wonderful time of fellowship and discipleship. Also I will be spending time with Margaret, she has found a new church in her village. We are going over scriptures together from Self- Confrontation manual for discipleship.

Doctor Visit on Wednesday

On Wednesday I (Cheryl) will be visiting a tropical doctor and having some lab tests done to try and diagnose exactly what is going on physically. I have improved as I am able to eat more now and not be on medications for acid all the time. God is using this time to teach me to trust Him physically. This has been a difficult issue for me because I am not usually sick. The Lord is challenging me to grow in dependence on Him, being a living sacrifice, trusting that He is in control and leading me according to His will.

Prayer Requests: Healing for my mother who fainted and hit her head, she is doing ok.

Pray for strength as she continues driving and working several miles from home.

Pray for my brother, Craig, for wisdom and strength in the days ahead and as he helps my mother with car repairs and replacement of items in her home.

Pray for Margaret’s husband to return to the family.

Pray for Candice who needs to commit her life to Christ and walk away from the sin of this world. And for her ex-husband, Dan, as he cares for their children. Pray for a beautiful life in Jesus for all.

May this week find you in service as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.

Tom & Cheryl

Weekly Update for Tom and Cheryl Rees in Thika , Kenya                                  5-8-11

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; talk of all His wondrous works! Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord! Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face evermore! Psalm 105:1-4

Putting on the Full Armor

This week I was praying through Ephesians 6:10-18 once again when we ran into a couple at the store whom we know, but had not seen for a while and they recommended we read some books on spiritual warfare. They said they would loan them to us and they would stop by later in the week. I remembered reading one of the books several years ago. As I began reading we started coming under spiritual attack, in one incident Tom came close to being severely injured. The reason they recommended the books is because people who will be coming to the church will be involved in witchcraft. They said for many of the tribes in Kenya witchcraft is like a game they have always played, even some of the Kenyan pastors continue in their traditional witchcraft. We are asking the Lord to cover us and give us the necessary discernment in ministering to people here in Thika.

Prayer for Margaret

When Eric and Sheila were staying in our place, Margaret worked for them and Sheila shared with her about the cult she is involved in. Margaret now understands and has come under great spiritual attack. After her husband’s mother died, he left her for another woman and has refused financial support of the family. Margaret’s children love him and believe he will return to them. Margaret has moved back to where they lived up country and her husband has threatened her not to return to town. Pray for the Lord bind the enemy and heal the hearts and lives of all family members.

Happy Mother’s Day

Blessings to all the mothers who receive this update, I am greatly blessed to have a mother who has always encouraged me, prayed for me and been available at any time.

I have been able to pattern my life after hers in loving my own children. May God bless her each day with every spiritual blessing and may she receive double for all the blessings she has brought into my life. Proverbs 31

Prayer Requests: We will begin prayer at the church on Tuesdays. Prayer for our neighborhood to be covered with the blood of Christ and deliverance from all evil.

May the song in your heart this week be filled with the joy of knowing Him,

Tom and Cheryl

Weekly Update for Tom and Cheryl Rees in Thika, Kenya                                                          5-1-11

“But also for this reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ” II Peter 1:5-8

Margaret’s Family

Margaret’s husband committed himself to her and her children many years ago, but is currently rejecting her children and distancing himself from her. Margaret and her son were coming under demonic attack. Her husband’s mother was into witchcraft. Recently her mother-in-law died, but before her death said evil things about Margaret’s son and this has caused a continuing division in the family. Margaret is very grieved and left with the financial responsibilities of her children. I shared with Margaret about believing in the truth of God’s word. Her and her husband are involved in a cult. Pray for truth and healing in this family.

Devotions

Tom did devotions for the staff working at Gilbert’s restaurant. He read Psalm 23 and shared about what it means to be saved. We pray that God will move in their hearts this week. Tom will also do a devotion next week. I just read a devotion from Beth Moore’s book, “Voices of the Faithful.” In Mandarin Chinese devotion (ling xiu) means spirit repair. The missionary in this devotion says that it is this time of daily repair that keeps them sharing the gospel.

Mubeen Moves to Canada

Next weekend Mubeen will be leaving with his family to move to Canada. His mother who usually takes care of the children while he and his wife work, will not be able to go until she has filed the necessary paperwork. His mother will be moving in with her sister in Nairobi. Habina, Mubeen’s wife, will not be working when they arrive in Canada so she will care for the children. They have rented a small apartment, but are very concerned about the high prices. I was able to pray with them about their situation. Pray for God to move in their lives in a special way and that Mubeen will be able to find a job.

Prayer Requests

Pray for Fatima who has been experiencing the same health problems I am having, she is currently under treatment.  I will see a tropical doctor on May 18^th in Nairobi.

God be with you this week as you add to your faith: virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love, Tom & Cheryl  

Weekly Update for Tom and Cheryl Rees in Thika , Kenya                              4-24-11

“He is not here, but has risen! Remember how He told you while He was still in Galilee  

that the Son of Man must be given over into the hands of sinful men ( men whose way or nature is to act in opposition to God) and be crucified and on the third day rise from death. And they remembered His words.” Luke 24:6-8 Amp.

Safe Return

Thank you to everyone who prayed for my trip back to Thika. The Lord was very gracious to cause everything to go smoothly. I had a 24 hour layover and enjoyed the visit in London . I walked around the neighborhood of the hotel where I was staying to observe the surroundings. It is always a blessing to see the English houses, the old churches and listen to the English accents. May God bless the people of England with His love and grace.

Greeting the Neighbors

It was such a blessing to see familiar faces again. Tom and I go for walks in the evening, as do many of our neighbors, so it is a great time for greeting everyone. We will be going to see Mubeen and his family tomorrow. One of our neighbors had to move out because of problems the husband was causing at the apartments. I was sad to hear that, as I had plans to visit with his wife when I returned. Pray for this family to come to know Jesus and that the man would be kind to his family and those around him.

Isaac and Jehosaphat

Pray for favor and wisdom as we meet with Isaac and Jehoshaphat. Isaac will be keeping Tom’s passport for a time to get stamped for the permit. My permit will be done separately because I will be under Tom’s permit as a dependant and we need to find out how to do that. Jehoshaphat will be the one helping with registration, which will be another process. We want to confirm with them that we can start the church with the permit while we wait for registration. Pray that we can meet in Nairobi this week to finish up with Tom’s permit.

Happy Resurrection Day! May you know more of the resurrection life that God has for you this week. Tom & Cheryl