Tomorrow, Pierre Alexis, director of Maison des Enfants de Dieu, is speaking at River Stone Community Church. He has an amazing love, passion and vision of the gospel that he lives each and every day. Join us at 10:30am, or watch online at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/river-stone-church.

At Breathe International, we endeavor to partner with local churches and host ministries with one purpose…care for the poor, the widows and the orphans in their affliction. According to James 1:27, “this is pure and undefiled before God”.

The past 2 years Becky and I have just been bombarded with the Kingdom. Our missions last year took us to China, Haiti, Uganda and Kenya. We were exposed to poverty, disease, brokenness, destitution, corruption, hopelessness and even death. The pictures of God’s people, especially widows and orphans, remain permanently etched in the forefront of our minds, where they had been nothing more than fleeting glimpses of a world that we couldn’t believe really existed outside our comfort and safety in San Marcos, TX. Our cry has often been Lord do something or give us what is needed so we can do it! Even though we traveled and saw first hand the need for not only the Savior, but the Healer, Deliverer, Comforter and Provider too, we somehow managed to find contentment in the fact that we have done our part, or enough by going.

This year, we have made some Kingdom decisions that we have no idea how they will be accomplished, but GOD! I keep hearing “What is in your hand?” We no longer have the luxury of waiting until the conditions and resources are perfectly aligned. Each moment we delay…a life, physically and spiritually, hangs in the balance. It is not up to me to provide for the Kingdom, that’s the Lords, but it is up to me to go and be an ambassador of His Kingdom. Having said that, we have agreed to provide spiritual oversight to several pastors and churches in Kenya, distribute bibles translated in the native tongue of these pastors, and provide care for 5 widows and 14 orphans.

This morning as I was sending the funds we have raised so far to our host, this is what I was praying and hope you will agree with us:

• as the pastors read and teach from these bibles, God’s word will come alive in the hearers; conviction will convert them from sin to light; children will be healed, families restored and communities changed for the glory of God
• the food purchased to feed the widows and orphans will be abundant, nourishing and even healing; lack and poverty will begin to diminish; disease and fear will flee; the light of Christ will restore hope and reveal His promises

I pray you will continue to stand with us in prayer and support.

In Christ,

James

Meet ELISEBA YEGO (a widow). 3 of these children are her grandchildren and the other 3 are orphans she cares for.

First of all, let me start this post by saying we really hate showing pictures; however, we also know people associate better through visual interaction. Having said that, we share these pictures not to stir emotion, but challenge us into action. We recently have engaged with the care of 5 widows and 14 orphans in the country of Kenya. Currently, the widows have their own biological children and grandchildren they care for, as well as several orphans. The cost to provide these women and children daily food is roughly $300 per month, or $0.50 per day, per person. I know my grocery bill for a family of 5, including 3 teenagers, is at least that much bi-monthly. Currently, Pastor Lawrence (pictured with James below), assist with the care of these widows & orphans. He raises barely enough to provide a single meal per day for each. Many days, he goes without himself to insure they are provided for.

Meet Golvin Kipchumba. He is one of the orphans we are endeavoring to care for. This adorable little boy, along with his brother (not pictured) is HIV positive. Golvin lost another brother recently to AIDS

We have partnered with Pastor Lawrence in other endeavors since 2005. James was in Uganda & Kenya last year, December 2010, providing leadership training to pastors and ministers. We are standing with him not only in caring for these, but in spiritual and ministry oversight as well. Please pray for these women and children in their affliction, and consider supporting them in their daily fight for survival. As we are endeavoring to care for them physically, we are providing spiritual enrichment as well. Visit our Donate page to give now, or Contact us if you would like more information concerning this effort.

Pastor Lawrence & James at the Bujagali Falls on the River Nile, Uganda.

While planning to raise funds to purchase bibles for these men and women, I realized many pastors in these rural villages can’t afford a bible, especially one translated in his or her native tribal language. Some have pages of a bible they preach from, and others preach from memory of what they may have read or heard. Looking around my own house, I have a KJV, NIV, ESV, Message, Amplified, etc., not to mention commentaries, dictionaries and parallel references, as well as exhaustive electronic and online resources are my finger tips. These only account for my personal library, and not what my wife and children have. I’m sure you can count the plethora of biblical resources at your disposal too. Frankly, it’s pretty disgusting.

I’m not trying to judge us; merely putting in perspective what we have an abundance and take for granted, they have little to nothing. These men and women of faith are on the front lines of the gospel. They face cultural, political, religious and demonic opposition, oppression and persecution every day. They truly know what it means to pray, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” I don’t believe it’s too much to ask they have the fullness of God’s Word in their hands.

We are kicking off a “Mile Long Dollar Bible Campaign”. To anyone in youth ministry this may look familiar. I admit, I am tapping into the archives. Here is an explanation for those who don’t understand: 10,320 dollar bills laid end to end = one (1) mile. Our goal for 2011 is to purchase and distribute 1500 bibles to the rural pastors in western Kenya. To accomplish this, we need to raise about $10,500. So to make it fun, I figured we could start with a mile of dollar bills.

We would love for you to partner with us on this project. Although this is ongoing project, we wanted to start out small with a target. Remember, no donation is too small or insignificant, that’s why it’s called the mile long DOLLAR.

Our mission here is done for the moment, but far from complete. The pastors and minister in both of these East African nations are so hungry for “TRUTH”. We poured our hearts and spirits as unto Christ into theirs. There is still so much to do.

Training ministers is only part of the mission. We have yet to address widows and orphan care. I am thankful to have made contacts and acquired information on the orphan projects available for us to engage with. There will be more to come in the future, but for now seeds have been planted.

This picture is with some of the ministers at the conference. I am excited to see where they and their churches will be in a year or my return. God’s been faithful to His Word, Christ in His grace and mercy, and the Holy Spirit is His wisdom and power.

Thank you for your prayers. We are not home yet, so please continue to cover us as we complete our journey home.

Humbly,

James

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Today was our first day of teaching in the bush. The pastors and ministers here are often forgotten. They are unable to travel to the larger cities and attend leadership training. So we brought it to them.

There were between 35-40 in attendance today. They were like sponges, soaking every word we spoke. To insure we bridged any language and translation barriers, we had post session question and answer time. Surprisingly, they were very hungry to unpack more of the truth and provided us with very good questions. It was refreshing to see such innocence and purity in these men and women. They have not been polluted by the latest false western gospel.

In spite of some bumps alng the way, I see so clearly God’s Divine Appointment here. It is no accident I met Lawrence 5 years ago. God was preparing us for this moment and it is only the beginning of what is to come. We have 2 more days with these amazing people. Please continue to pray for us here.

James

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Today we went to the home village of our host, Lawrence Radin. We took a matatu 15 minutes to the small town of Sidindi, then jumped on a “border border”, aka small motorcycle, that took us into the bush where Lawrence was born. This is also the place where we will be ministering to the pastors and ministers this week. After getting off the “border border”, we walked into the bush down paths like this one. As we were walking, I reminded of Robert Frost’s poem, The Road Not Taken.

It made my journey here so very clear. I have traveled down many roads not many were willing to travel. I have embraced the pioneer spirit and set out into uncharted waters. However, in all my endeavors, nothing compares to what I experienced today in Lawrence’s village. I met his family, walked his homeland and listened to stories of the Luo tribes migration from Canaan, through Egypt, Sudan, down the Nile River through Kenya, Uganda to what is now Lake Victoria, the source of the Nile.

We heard how the slave trade originated in city of Mumbasa by the Arabs and was opposed by the “Mzungu”, white man, missionaries like John G. Lake, who is one of my heroes and inspiration. It was great to here the wisdom and intellect of his father and uncle. At over 88 years old, his uncles was speaking of coming to the U.S. I was encouraged at the vision of this man at his age.

This is my third journey to Kenya and I am already so blessed that we have come here, where many have never seen a Mzungu. I have once again taken the road less traveled and it is making all the difference.

Tomorrow, we begin teaching the pastors and ministers in the bush. We have already encountered some religious spiritual opposition, but God is glorified in spite if it. Christ is sovereign and we have taken joy to be in His dwelling place here. Please continue to pray for us. God’s will be done, through power of the Holy Spirit and in the name of Jesus, the Christ. Amen!

From the bush,

James

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