I am sorry if you are feeling overwhelmed by the number of e-mail prayer requests from us. These are troubled times here in Kenya. Here are some urgent items to bring before the Lord today, if you will:

Daniel Okello, our tall Luo Harvest Compassion coordinator, was rescued yesterday by God’s hand just at the entrance to Kibera. He was coming to work and alighted from his matatu at his normal stop at the entrance to Kibera, but yesterday, there were armed Mungiki thugs right there with pangas and knives, killing all the Luos they could find. Daniel is very obviously Luo. The gang saw him, but he just kept on walking toward our house, and none of them followed him!–around the corner there was a vanload of policemen parked and waiting–as soon as he was in sight of the police van Daniel knew he was probably safe–but the incident really shook him….and us! Lawrence, our shamba man, also had to take another route to work yesterday. At least 3 Luos were hacked to death just a minute’s walk or less from our house yesterday–and more inside Kibera. We saw the smoke from Soweto where houses of Luos and Luhyas are being torched–and heard more gun fire from Kibera yesterday afternoon. It is such a evil time here in Kenya–revenge killings sweeping the nation. Praise God with us for Daniel’s safety yesterday–ask Him for wisdom about how to handle security issues for our Harvest staff.

It is getting harder and harder to carry on with “life as normal”. We went out to Kiambu yesterday to welcome some church friends’ new baby. Kiambu has been a low-security zone and trouble spot–but it was peaceful yesterday, and especially in the little oasis where our friends live side-by-side with people of all ethnic backgrounds in peace. But, just a few miles away in the same Kiambu area, Nebert Mtange (Harvest Impact Ministries director) and his wife Jane have been threatened with eviction letters–they have until today to leave their house (they are Luhya/Kalenjin by tribe, living in a prodominately Kikuyu area). We hope that they move into the Harvest office, but Nebert, though he is afraid for his family, is reluctant to leave because he knows once he does all of his belongings will be torched. Please pray for wisdom for Nebert as he makes decisions about whether or not to flee.

Thank you for standing by us in these troubled times. Your prayers are accomplishing more than you (or we) know! From Larry and Judy Niemeyer…