The plan in a nutshell

Here is an overall description and history of our mission written by Ann's son Ryan in May.

Warm greetings from the Wards & Turners!

 

The Wards and Turners are heading to Kenya this summer from June 27 to August 6.  How did this come about?  Sit back, relax, and get ready for a good story.  It’s not really about us at all.  It’s about a guy named Silas, and it’s about the BIG God we all serve.  Silas came to the United States from Kenya to attend Montana State University, and in a beautiful twist of God’s providence, landed at Montana Bible College.  He paid his way through school by working at Wal-Mart on the night shift.  As Silas progressed through Bible college, a vision began forming in his heart.  He came to believe that his people back in Kenya needed the discipleship and training he was getting at Montana Bible College.

 But Silas isn’t one to wait around!  He threw himself into the planting of a bible college in Kenya, even though he was still in the United States!  He leased a building back in Kenya.  He started a printing business in it to try earning money to make the school self-sustaining.  He began acquiring all sorts of DVD resources and sending them over.  Students began watching them informally.  Then a fellow-student with Silas at Montana Bible College traveled to Kenya and did his internship there, teaching Greek and computer literacy.   Silas still hadn’t set foot back in Kenya!

But Silas wasn’t idle here in the USA.  He continued studying at Montana Bible College, seeking to earn not one, but two bachelor’s degrees.  Ryan remembers one day when Silas asked him a question after class.  Ryan referred back to the previous semester and something he had taught in class when Silas said, “You don’t have to tell me.  I remember EVERYTHING you say.”  In addition to studies, Silas had more ideas to prepare his school to be self-sustaining.  He coached his mother through planting an orange orchard.  He also collaborated with some Kenyan friends in the agriculture department at MSU and researched why bananas hadn’t grown well in his area, coached his mother through the soil tests, made the right soil adjustments, and now has flourishing banana trees to show for it.  He has plans to raise poultry as well.  With funds earned at Wal-Mart, he helped his home church start the construction of a new church building, which will house the Bible college when it’s complete (hopefully by July).  He also oversaw from a distance the construction of a new home which would accommodate the Western teachers he envisioned coming to help his school.  It would also be the home he would live in upon getting married (yes, he was engaged for seven years while in the United States).

After graduating with his two bachelor’s degrees in May 2012, Silas wasn’t quite ready to return to Kenya.  Instead, he flew to Texas to take an intensive course in well-drilling in the third world.  He also took a welding class.  Next, he learned how to build wind mills to generate electricity and about solar power.  He said to Ryan, “My people think they are poor because they don’t have money.  But I need to show them that with just the things that an average Kenyan can buy, they can greatly improve their way of living.” 

Silas flew home to Kenya in December of 2012, and in typical Silas fashion, he has not put his feet up to relax.  He married Gladys only a few weeks after being home.  Then, he guided Ziwa Bible College to its official opening in March 2013 with 15 full-time students.  And we just heard the report a couple of weeks ago that he was completing his third well!

So, how do the Wards and Turners enter into this story?  Well, Silas approached us and asked if we would be willing to come to Kenya and help teach, and we’ve agreed to do so.  Ryan will teach Biblical Peacemaking and Interpreting and Preaching Biblical Narrative Literature.  Ann will teach a course on Teaching Children.  Art will do some computer literacy training.  Andrea, Gracie, and Caleb will be along as well, helping with the Teaching Children course and serving in every way they can.

 Both Montana Bible College and Manhattan Bible Church (where Silas did his pastoral internship) recognized that Silas is a special man and that the hand of God is with him.  Both the school and the church are excited about what is happening and want to be behind it.  Since we’re a part of both, it seems to be a good fit.  There are lots of unknowns for us, but we believe God is doing things through Silas, and we want to be part of it. 

 God has allowed us to acquire passports, get shots, purchase plane tickets, and have course preparation underway.  We’re scheduled to fly out of Bozeman on June 27^th and return on August 6^th. 

Now, I (Ryan) wasn’t going to write this letter.  I didn’t want to bother anyone or inundate them with yet another letter like they’ve received so many times.  Then I was gently but firmly reminded by a good friend that God is opening up a new kingdom work to train pastors in a place where nothing like this has ever been done.  Shall we expect resistance from the forces of evil?  Should we pray?  And God is sending our family half way around the world into an unfamiliar culture where there will be stresses and pressures we aren’t used to.  Should we not ask others to join us in prayer?  And both our church family and Montana Bible College have hearts for this ministry and a desire to see it flourish.  Should we not give them the opportunity to join in this ministry by praying, as Paul said in Romans 15:30. In fact, we hope that this trip will simply be the beginning of God’s call for many others to be involved with Silas too.  So, should we not ask others to pray with us?  Of course, my friend was right!  My reasons for not sending a letter seemed suddenly silly.  So, I stand happily corrected, and you are receiving this letter!

So, we’re asking you to pray with us!  As we write this, we’re down to just 60 days before departure, and we have MUCH to do.  Art and Ann have to travel back to Montana from New Jersey, reconnect there, take care of all the spring work, and prepare to teach.  Ryan and Andrea have finals week at Montana Bible College, Servant Song tour, two weddings to perform, and much teaching preparation to do.  Please pray also for Silas and Gladys, and pray for Ziwa Bible College and its students.  Thank you so much!

Finally, if you want to stay connected to us through the process, we’ll post some updates via Facebook and e-mail.

 With our love,

 Art, Ann, Ryan, Andrea, Gracie, and Caleb