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CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY FELLOWSHIP Prayer Newsletter

Eric and Melodic Perry

Ministry with the Narok Church
& LITERACY work AMONG THE
Maasai Tribe of Kenya

P.O.Box 501020

Indianapolis, IN 46250-6020
317-578-2700

THE

PERRY

POST

Some of the most dramatic and formational lessons of

weekly ministry schedule affirms the missions

presence at the church but, also, leaves freedom for
the leadership to operate without constant oversight.

Scripture occurred when God led His people on a

journey. The Israelites received the commandments

On The Trail From The Quarry

God Is On The Move!

for living as God s people on their way from Egypt to

Canaan. The disciples received a majority of their
teaching as they followed Jesus around Palestine.
In our ministries and in the lives of the people we
work with, we have seen that our God is a God on the

move, and that the call to follow can mean a trip

down a dusty road or a walk on a trail from a quarry

If you wander up the steep path that leads from

Narok town to the quarry, you will find a road that
skirts the edge of a hill and several corridors of gravel
piled high. If you ask anyone there, "Where is
Hesbon?,"one of the many people will lead you to one
of the main "building blocks" of the Narok Church of
Christ(NCC).

to a church.
On The Road To Ewaso Ng'iro

Hesbon Govoga is a Luya by tribe, born in Kakamega

District. He calls Narok home because he owns a plot

A few lingering remains of pavement mark the main

artery between Narok and the world-famous Maasai
Mara game park. About ten miles out of Narok lies a
line ofsmall shops and the barracks for the Kenya
Wildlife Service. The Ewaso Ng'iro River flows
between the town and CMF's Maasai Training Center,
where we moved last December and now make our
home.

The move was a pivotal one for both of our minis

tries. For Mel, it means a more central location for

the developing of materials in Maasai and overseeing

the Maasai literacy program. For Eric, moving offered

a visible sign that the leadership of the Narok church
was shifting from the mission to the local leaders. His

Hesbon Govoga: Laying thefoundation ofChristfor his neighbors in

Narok.

there. He has lived in Narok since 1963. Philip

Lemein, one of the other elders of NCC,served as

headmaster when Hesbon attended primary school.

He did! After he was taken to the hospital in Narok,

he continued to share his faith with family and
visitors. Even the nurse at the hospital worked on her
day off the morning he died. "What else couldIdo?"

The path for Hesbon did not always lead to the

church. There was a time when his jovial laugh could
be heard in a bar. When missionary Don Johnson
served at NCC,Hesbon began attending the Bible
studies Don taught. He accepted Jesus as his Lord in

she told Eric later. "I knew he was a Christian man."

1991 as a result of those studies. Because of his

On The Road To Reading

Praise God for Matayo's faithfulness! Pray that God

would bless the family as they comfort and provide
for Matayo's mother, wife, and children.

faithfulness, stability, and dedication to prayer, he has

served as an elder of NCC since 1995.

The gifts he brings to the group are administration,

thoughtfulness, and humor. It is not uncommon for a
deadlock at an elders' meeting to be broken with a
kind laugh and a nasal bass calling us to a sense of
order. Then Hesbon clearly describes a plan of action
presented in such a way that all feel they have been
heard.

He knows the town and its people. He can converse

in (at least) five languages. His care is evident every
Thursday afternoon during the elders' visits.

On Tuesday and Friday mornings, Mary enole

Nampaso makes her way across the Ewaso Ng'iro
plains from her village to the Maasai Training Center.
There, in one of the classrooms, she leads several

Maasai students down the path to adult literacy and

growth in God's Word.
Mary attended the literacy teacher training course that
Melodic taught for eight Maasai men and women in
January of this year.
.
The whole class

her laughter
and enthusiasm as

they studied together

Hesbon plans to begin a home Bible study as an
outreach to his neighborhood this month. The study
will meet at his house. Please, pray that as his life was
touched by such a study, that he, in turn, will guide
others to the path of God and His Church through
the Bible study at his home.

'

to become literacy

-^I^B

teachers. God has

blessed Mary with the

gift of teaching, and

-SI

it was exciting for

find a way to serve

Finishing The Race Of Faith

the Church and her

fellow Maasai

Our friend and fellow minister, Matayo Ole Nchoshoi,

died from complete renal failure on February 17,

believers.

1-996, in Narok. He was in his late 30s.

Matayo was a gifted pastor, a dynamic worship leader,

a contributor to the Maasai songbook, an adult
literacy teacher, a father, and a community leader.
Over two hundred people from all over Maasailand
attended the funeral at his home at Olombokishi.

Eric preached the sermon at the funeral. The text was

2 Timothy 4:6-8.

Matayo's last days were a remarkable testimony of

faith. In early February, we went with our teammates,
the Johnsons, to inform Matayo that he only had a
few weeks left to live. He confessed, "I have lived my
whole life by God's mercy. 1 will continue to live by His
mercy now."

'..jB

'

Mary began weekly

literacy classes at the

Maasai Training

^ teacher
adult literacy and learns more about

Center in February,

servant leadership.

and her students are

now about halfway through the first Maasai reading

primer. God is on the move in Mary's life and in the
lives of her students as they seek to know Him better
through His Word! Pray for Mary's class as they
travel the road to reading it takes commitment,
prayer, and energy!
On The Move Again!

We want to share with you some of the ways God is

"on the move" in our lives ...

Our African "safari" continues ... In March, the

CMF-Maasai team had extensive discussions

concerning our team--wide strategy for empowering

the Maasai churches to grow without missionary
assistance. The meeting was, in many ways, a difficult
one, but resulted in a deep sense of unity and
purpose.

As a result of the meeting and similar discussions Eric

had with the Narok elders, all agreed that the Narok
church could be standing without missionary
assistance by June 1997. However, it would not be
standing as well as we had projected. We have now
committed to two more years of ministry. All felt that
this was a more realistic timetable for equipping the
Narok church to operate without missionary
assistance. The plan also works well with some
broader team goals.
Our new term ofservice will look a little different

because Eric will be in a two-year process of "phasing

out" of his work with the church. Our first step in
this plan was accomplished with our move to Ewaso
Ng'iro. We have already seen growth in the leadership
as a result of the move. As different areas of ministry
continue to be transferred to national leadership, Eric
will spend time in two other tasks: teaching Maasai
leadership courses at the Training Center, and
working with Maasai church leaders from the Ildamat
area.

A FURLOUGH JOURNEY ... On Junc 4, we will once

again be at Jomo Kenyatta Airport in Nairobi, but this

time it won't be to meet visitors or drop off one of
our teammates! As a result of our new ministry plans,
we'll be making the journey to the Pacific Northwest
for a seven-month furlough. We plan to return to
Kenya and our new term ofservice in January 1997.

The team and the CMF home office thought this year
marked an excellent breaking point to report on what
we have done and to foster a united vision for what

remains. We are thankful for the opportunity to be

with you again and to renew ties of friendship, prayer,
and ministry vision.
Please pray that our furlough will be a time of
renewal and preparation for our new term of service.
Pray for us as we share with our ministry partners
about the Narok Church and the Maasai literacy
work. Pray also for the national leaders and teachers
who will continue in ministry while we are away.

At our home in Ewaso Ng'iro. We'llsee you on your side ofthe ocean

Beginning the wild ride of parenthood! We

are expecting our first child in late summer! Pray for

the safety and health of mother and baby as we
travel. Pray that our Father will grant us wisdom as
we toddle into the realm of parenthood, and as we
attempt to make a home on two continents. Also,
pray for us as we teach of God s love to a new soul.
Praise God for the gift of children!

5*^ic ^ Ud.
Eric and Melodic Perry

CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY FELLOWSHIP Prayer Newsletter

Eric and Melodic Perry

Ministry with the Narok Church

O^}

& Literacy work among the

Maasai Tribe of Kenya

1232 Woodside Drive

Eugene, OR 97401
phone: 541-686-5482

THE

PERRY

POST

July 1996
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As Melodic and I moved into our furlough house in

Eugene, Oregon, the temperature dropped, the sky
darkened, and it rained. We truly feel we are back in
the Pacific Northwest again.
On June 11, we arrived safely at Portland International
Airport. We were greeted by my parents and sister.
Both my parents and Melodie's mom have been
housing us and assisting us until we finally settled into
our home In Eugene. Our address until December of
this year is:

Second, we will return to Kenya in January 1997 to

complete the final two years of this term. I will
continue my work with the Narok church, as well as
increase my activity with the Maasai churches in the
Ildamat area. Melodie will continue her work with the

Maasai literacy program. We both will be adjusting to

our new roles as parents.
Right now, the work at the Narok church and Ildamat
are in the capable {and somewhat overextended) hands
of Greg Johnson. Please pray that God grants Greg
additional energy, wisdom, and insight as he adds these
churches to the work he already does at the Maasai
Training Center and the Ewaso Ng'iro church.

Eric & Melodic Perry

1232 Woodside Drive

Eugene, OR 97401
phone: 541-686-5482

We have visited with people from various supporting

churches and discovered some common questions we

Also, pray for us as we continue to visit with friends,

family, and supporters and share the vision of the work
that awaits us in Kenya when we return there in

January. Pray that God will grant us safety as we travel

across the country visiting our supporting churches in
the west, Indiana, Virginia, and Florida.

need to answer.

First, our baby is due September 4, 1996. We do not

know the child's gender. The Johnsons, our neighbors
and teammates in Kenya, have nicknamed him "Otto."
So, we refer to the baby as a him and trust God for a
healthy baby, no matter the gender. Melodie is doing
well, but the rib kicking and fatigue of the third
trimester have arrived. Please pray that she will receive
the rest she needs and stay healthy as we count down
to September.

Pray that this furlough will be a time of refreshment,

renewal, and unity of vision among all of us as we
complete this term of ministry together.
The slogan for Kenya's Olympic team is ''Pamoja
Tutashinda!"-- Together, we will win! By the power of
the name ofJesus, the unity we have in our faith and
his Spirit, we can win the race offaith!

Brie
Eric