|
 Dr.
Elijah's Story
My wife and I and our three children had a memorable experience
during the summer of 1999. I took them to see where I was born and was a
shepherd for my first 16 years of life. We experienced the shock of our
lives. The valley has not changed since the 60's. Death, sickness and
starvation still roam the valley. We saw much suffering and were
burdened, but did not know what to do. We promised to pray for the
people as we left the valley. By November 1999, the news and pictures
about famine I learned of through the Internet intensified my burden. We
could no longer sit and watch people in great despair. I called and
shared with a few friends including Mr. and Mrs. Price. We had our first
official meeting on February 18th, 2000. Since then, as you can read in
his story, things have progressed rapidly and many concerned friends
have joined the task. We sure need more hands. The task is too great and
much help is needed.
Dr. Elijah Korich (originally from Kenya) is a practicing
psychologist in Philadelphia, PA. There are many pastors there who
received leadership training seminar by Dr. Korich who left Kenya
as a pastor. Dr. Korich was a shepherd for the first 16 years of his
life (father's cows). His father died enroute to a medical facility
15 miles away as he was carried on the shoulders of several men—no
medical vehicle in the valley...His mother almost died this way as
well. She
was abandoned from a car when sick and left half way in the road
when she didn't have enough money to pay the driver!
John's Story
Keiyo Valley is located north of Nairobi and the equator in an area
known as the Great Rift Valley. Keiyo region is a valley deep within
Rift Valley. This area has not had rain for over three years. Before
going to Kenya , we contacted several organizations which agreed to
help us with well drilling equipment but wanted to know exactly what
area we were going into. When we told them, they said they couldn't
help us because we were too deep in the bush. Regardless of this, we
went anyway. I wanted to see the region for myself. Upon arriving in
Keiyo Valley we found that the last several wells drilled in that
area came up salt water. This is not unusual as there are many salt
lakes in that area of Kenya. Dr. Elijah and I brought many books for
the pastors. We also held a seminar in the valley for the local
pastors. At the end of the Seminar, the local pastors elected a
committee to serve as the National Branch of the Keiyo Soy
Ministries. This committee will be responsible for overseeing all
projects of the ministry in Kenya and will work under the leadership
for the International Committee of KSM.
The pastors decided to take us on a tour of Keiyo Valley where we
had an opportunity to preach in many churches and schools. We saw
the results of the drought on the people and animals in that area.
Without water the people are unable to grow crops and now have very
little to feed their animals. As a result, they are cutting the
limbs off the trees to feed the animals. Then they burn the rest of
the tree for charcoal to sell for money, because they can no longer
grow the corn they used to sell for cash. The people are very hard
working and friendly and willing to share what little they have with
others. While on this trip, one of the men of the valley brought to
us a government document, which was a study on how to take the
water that comes from the mountain and flows into the ground and is
lost. This is a gravity based distribution system with breaker tanks
and pipelines into most of the valley. The report was very detailed
as to how much pipe, concrete and other materials would be needed,
the rate of the water flow, population growth of both people and
livestock, cost of materials and maintenance of the water project.
The maintenance cost is low because there are no pumps or working
parts to maintain. The people of the area collected their money to
pay the government to do this report. After they finished the
report, the government gave it back to the people and told them to
find someone to pay for this project. A couple days later we
received a message that the Minister (equivalent to a Senator}
wanted to see us. When we got to see the Minister, he asked me if I
had been to the place where the water comes out of the mountain. I
said "Yes, sir." Then he asked me if this water was only for
Christians. I said "No, sir. It is for all the people of the valley."
He then turned to Dr. Elijah saying " Do not get political." Holding
the water report in his hand he said, "Stick to your purpose and I
will support you 100%." This is a blessing because nothing can be
done in his district without his approval. And with his approval
people will go out of their way to help.
Some of the saddest things I saw during my time in Kenya, were
rivers with just a trickle of water in them, and many creeks with no
water whatsoever. I saw a woman with a burro that had four tubs tied
to it. She was standing in a muddy puddle scooping the dirty water
into the tubs to take home for her family to use for cooking,
bathing, drinking and all the other things water is used for. I was
completely changed by my trip to Kenya through seeing God's hand
involved in every aspect of the trip.
John Price is a retired postal employee, living in Plymouth
Township, a suburb of Philadelphia. Until the Keiyo Soy project, Mr.
Price maintained his missionary work stateside. But, through Dr.
Korich, he now understands that there are other people to be helped.
He believes that God has touched his heart and opened up his eyes.
During his visit to Kenya, he found the people to be the most
genuine, loving, and caring people that he has ever met. |
