Dear family, brethren, and friends,

By God’s loving providence, my Wednesday-Thursday flights from Louisville to Atlanta to Amsterdam to Nairobi, Kenya were unremarkable – which is always the best way to fly.  I got a lot of work done on the laptop related to the trip and got some good sleep.

I arrived at 10:00 PM Thursday but could not exit the airport until midnight because a government official wanted to collect “taxes” on the six boxes of Bibles and study materials I bought to distribute.  I explained these items were donated and would be donated to Kenyans, but the official insisted on collecting “taxes.”  After paying $200, I was allowed to leave.  Paul Coffman and Joseph Warui were waiting for me.  Paul knows the President and other officials – he quickly researched the issue and assured me no taxes or fees were due. He sent a copy of my receipt to an official in the hope of getting a refund, so, we shall see what we shall see!  International travel can be an adventure in unpredictable ways.

Because we were so late leaving the airport, the gate at our hotel in Nairobi was locked when we arrived and no one could be roused.  So, Joseph scouted for another one and we finally got to bed about 2:00 AM Friday.  Malaria has mostly been eradicated in the Philippines, so this is the first time in many years I have slept under mosquito netting because malaria is still prevalent in Kenya.

After a late breakfast, we traveled north from Nairobi half a day to Nyahururu, which will be our base.  About 30 minutes from here, we crossed the equator and got out of the car to take pictures of the sign marking the equator.  A vendor had a demonstration prepared.  A toothpick in a pan of water sits perfectly still on the equator.  A few steps north, the magnetic field of the North Pole turns the toothpick clockwise – and a few steps south, counterclockwise due to the magnetic field of Antarctica.

We traveled over some mountains, crossed a plateau, and arrived at Nyahururu at an elevation of 7,556 feet above sea level.  The name means waterfall and stormy place.  Th elevation makes breathing a little harder when I exercise.  It is springtime here and quite cool at night.  I have been wearing a jacket during part of the day.

The Saturday appointment to preach was rescheduled because Joseph rightly judged we needed a day of rest after the trials of travel.  The day was not wasted.  Paul and I spent over 5 hours getting acquainted with each other, learning about our past journeys in life, and studying the institutional issues in detail.

Both of us came from the institutional background and had to learn the truth little by little.  Since he just found his way out of these errors in recent years, he still works on clarifying a few things here and there, but his safety rope is his longtime commitment to the principle that we must follow the authority of Christ’s teaching in all things.  That is the commitment we all must maintain, and it guides us in correcting our course as we journey through life.  Paul spent a lot of time studying with Leon Goff at the Southside church of Christ in Mt. Pleasant, Texas and placed his membership there.
Meanwhile, he continues to labor in Africa.  Though he struggles to replace the support he lost because he is not well-known among our brethren, he has no intention of going back to institutionalism.

I worked until 1:15 AM but cannot keep current on email when traveling like this.   We are blessed to have a strong internet connection at the hotel here.

Our Lord’s Day service was at Maili Sabas in Laikipia County about 30-40 minutes from Nyahururu.  This church usually has 30-40 souls in attendance, but today’s attendance was about 150.  The Lord’s work in this region started here by the initiative of Paul four years ago with 11 souls, and now there are 30 churches meeting.

A large tent was erected a few yards from the small church building made of G.I. sheets, but the crowd still overflowed beside and behind the tent.  The back and one side were left open to accommodate the overflow, and pleasant temperatures made the weather bearable as we worshiped and studied from 11:30 AM to 5:00 PM (there was a lunch break).

I spoke with the aid of a translator on “The Lord’s Supper: Memorial to Jesus” and “God Is Our Shepherd-King (Ps. 23)” to a very attentive audience of people of all ages.  Paul also admonished them from John 16:33, and also taught them a new song.  And, these brethren can really sing!  There were only a couple of songbooks, but part of the time a caller sang a few words, quickly followed by the assembly in cooperation with the song leader.

I hope the lessons presented will help someone go to heaven, but such occasions always bring things to my attention which will help me get to heaven.  I met Tabitha and her two daughters.  She was so desperate without food a couple of years ago that she prepared nooses to hang herself and her children. A friendly voice taught her the gospel and she planted a congregation in her community which has grown.  At first there were only ladies, but now the church includes Christian men.

I met two former Anglican priests who obeyed the gospel and have been preaching it to others.  They were warned not to displease “the Bishop,” but they were more concerned about pleasing God than men.  Of course, they lost their financial support but did so gladly to lay up treasures in heaven.

Yes, I can be a better Christian and a better preacher as a result of worshiping with these saints today!  Visitors were present who commented on what they learned and indicated an interest in learning more – God will give the increase!

A beautiful moon is shining over Kenya tonight.  I hope you can see it where you are as it reminds us of God’s love for all of us, and of our love for each other.

In Christian love,
Ron Halbrook

To see good Bible study material, go to:
https://www.hebronlanechurchofchrist.com
https://biblework.congregateclients.com
https://truthbooks.com
https://www.truthmagazine.com