May Madness

Swimming, track and rugby… those are the words that dominated this week in the Tipton family.

Mary Shea swam in the first swim meet that Rosslyn has had since the completion of the new pool. She did quite well in her competition. The most difficult part of the day was the butterflies she was experiencing before the meet. They were swimming against ISK (International School of Kenya). The competition was fierce. Our new swim coach was formerly at ISK, so it was an interesting day.

Mary Shea also competed in the U13 track events this past Friday. Mary Shea is a natural in track, and she makes it all look so easy. She won 3rd place ribbons in the 400 meter and the 800 meter races, and she won first place in the long jump – 9’3 ½ “! They competed against ISK and children from several local children’s homes.

Horace had a big rugby week – four games! If you are at all familiar with rugby, you can appreciate what effect that had on him physically. And, if you know Horace, you know that he was determined to be in the thick of things for the entire game each time. He did quite well – without injury (which pleased Mom). The climax of the week, and even the season, was winning against Rift Valley Academy on Saturday morning – the final score was Rosslyn 36 – RVA 0. RVA is about an hour away, but it is over 7000 feet in elevation there. Not only was the sport a challenge, the elevation makes endurance a challenge. Needless to say, the boys were quite happy with the result. RVA and Rosslyn are fierce rivals in every sport, and the victory was especially sweet.

Next week is music week as we wrap up with performances and recitals. The end of the school year is never calm, but we do enjoy seeing all the results of the hard work the children have done all year long in lessons and practice. Thankfully, both children are maintaining academic success as well as extracurricular success.

We hope you all have a blessed week!

Anne

May Planting Faith E-News

…Spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ by elevating subsistence farmers to sustainability.


May 1, 2008


Dear Friends in Christ,

Greetings from Kenya,

If you have not seen our blog, please check out http://plantingfaith.blogspot.com/. We try to update it weekly with news of our work here.

Things seem to have settled here in the past few weeks. While there are still occasional accounts of trouble within different parts of Kenya, these incidents appear to be isolated and more of a crime issue than an issue of post-election violence. We do pray that peace and reconciliation will continue among all of the people of Kenya. We believe that it will take quite a while for the process of healing here, as there are many who have felt the effects of the tragedy of late December and early January.

The international news here lately has placed quite a bit of emphasis on the issue of a global food crisis. Indeed, the media is finally looking at a problem that has been in existence worldwide for some time. The inputs necessary for agricultural production make it quite difficult to profit from farming in many parts of the world. In a country like Kenya, where such a large percentage of the population depends on agriculture as a way to earn a living, this has a tremendous effect on the economy. Coupled with the economic troubles from the recent election troubles, it is quite a challenge to continue in agriculture. However, now more than ever, the farmers here need the encouragement and knowledge of how to build upon their successes to move from subsistence to sustainable farming. Our projects provide a way for these farmers to earn cash income in addition to providing food for their families; these projects do not take away from the provision of food for these families. The projects also provide cash to that will be reinvested in agriculture within each community for many years to come.

Our work continues to progress, and we are entering quite a busy time. All four groups have now planted and are eagerly anticipating harvest. In all groups, we are looking for methods to contain costs in the present market of inflated prices of inputs.

The two passion fruit projects are roughly at the same point on the time line. Business classes are completed in Mang’u. This group is now working toward installation of the posts and wires necessary for trellising of the plants. They are now into month 6 of their passion fruit crop. The Murang’a group has had a few complications along the way, but they are now also working toward installation of posts and wires for trellises. Their business classes are near completion.

There are two groups that are growing flowers for export. The Ngarendare group is growing Moby Dick flowers, which they should be harvesting by July. Their business classes are also near completion. They will be hosting a short term mission team in mid to late June, and we are looking forward to that experience. The Kabete group planted their Bird of Paradise flower seeds Easter Monday. This group has only recently been formed, and their business seminars are still being scheduled. The flowers take a bit longer to harvest than passion fruit, but the plants produce for several years.

Discipleship training has been an important part of our ministry focus. We are most thankful to have had the assistance of Dave Chaves, an Anglican missionary here in Nairobi, assisting us in this aspect of training. With his assistance, we have been able to cover the business training, discipleship training and technical assistance simultaneously. Dave has a real gift of establishing relationships with the farmers, and we have all enjoyed his presence.

We have also recently had the exciting prospect of a new employee for Planting Faith. Michael Rhodes is graduating this weekend from Covenant College and is planning to join us for a one year internship beginning in August 2008. He is presently in the process of raising his support for next year, so please keep that process in your prayers. We have received the most glowing reports about him, and we feel blessed to have him joining us next year.

The Lord has certainly blessed Planting Faith with plenty of work to do and funding to make it all happen. But, most of all, we feel that the prayer support we have been receiving has been what really keeps us going. Thank you for all of your prayers. The past few months have been stressful to say the least, not only for us, but also for our family and friends at home. Your encouragement in words and prayers has been a lifeline many times.

Family life is going well. Both of our children are at transition points in school as Mary Shea moves from Elementary to Middle School and Horace moves from Middle School to High School. They are both looking forward to the changes, and we feel that they are both ready for the changes and challenges in the coming year.

Please continue to pray for this ministry and our family as we wrap up the school year and continue our work. The month of May always seems to bring a hectic schedule whenever schooling is involved, and it is no exception here. We also continue to pray for you at home, and thank God for giving us the blessing of your support.

In Christ’s Service,



Horace, Anne, Horace, Jr. & Mary Shea

Last Update for an April Monday

April 28, 2008


This has been a relatively uneventful week as far as the political scene in Kenya is concerned. The President and the Prime Minister have been touring IDP (Internally Displaced People) camps around Kenya. The goal is for them to witness the magnitude of the problem and the conditions in which these people are living, but the news coverage has mostly been about controversy surrounding the order in which the various politicians speak. Apparently, that order signifies their relative importance. The current national crisis is how to get these people back to their homes and if that is even possible. We continue to pray for healing and reconciliation among people groups here. There will be much work to be done for quite a while.

Our work continues to go well. Horace traveled to Ngarendare last week to visit the group there. This was a trip that we had scheduled the previous week but had to cancel due to uncertainty about safety on the roads. Last week, there was rioting by a gang called Mungiki in some parts of Nairobi and surrounding towns. No one was quite sure what it all meant by the evening before our scheduled trip, so we chose to cancel. He had a good overnight trip on Thursday, and returned Friday afternoon. The farmers there are currently working toward lowering their input costs. Here, as in most parts of the world, we are watching prices soar which makes it very difficult for struggling farmers. We are taking steps to address this problem with all of the farmers.

Next week, we will be back in Mang’u. Though our business seminars are complete in that location, we will still maintain regular contact with them regarding the technical aspects of farming as well as finances. Particular loan repayment schedules are being recorded, and the work is tedious. Soon, we will see the fruit of their work being harvested. That is always an exciting time for all of us.

Family life is going well with the exception of a rugby injury. Horace, Jr. has injured his knee and has had to take a break. We return to the doctor tomorrow to re-evaluate. The doctor took a very conservative approach of a week’s rest before recommending further testing. If he feels there is still trouble, we will do testing this week to determine the problem. It has been very difficult for him to sit on the sidelines this past week. He really loves the game. Please pray that his knee heals and that he can return to normal activity. Thankfully, Mary Shea has been without injury although her routine of track and swimming has taken quite a bit of energy these past few weeks.

It is difficult to believe that the month of May is upon us. Thursday and Friday will be school holidays this week. Thursday is Labor Day here as it is in many parts of the world. The school has blessed us with the additional day which makes for a nice long weekend. We have no plans except rest and maybe a bit of spring (or fall as it is here) cleaning. After this break, begins the mad rush for the last month of school of sporting events, music concerts and recitals as well as scouting ceremonies.

We continue to be blessed by your prayers and encouragement. They mean so much to our family. Although, we do not anticipate violence here in Kenya, we do continue to request prayers for healing and reconciliation here. There are so many people affected by all that has happened since the December 27th election. It is very difficult to imagine healthy relationships between the different people groups here. We do know that all things are possible through the love of Jesus Christ, so please pray with us that He will touch lives here each and every day.

Have a blessed week!

Anne

Ups and Downs in the New Kenya

April 21, 2008


Things are improving on the political front. The new cabinet – though bloated in size with 40 new ministers and 52 assistant ministers – has an interesting composition. For each minister, the assistant minister was selected from the opposing political party. The hope is that they will be working together to fix some of the problems that brought us turmoil after the recent election. Please keep them in your prayers as they take on that task.

As one man commented to me last week, you sleep happy and then you may wake up to chaos. That is what happened last Monday morning. Though we were in no danger, the first thing that I heard was that school was having issues with buses because of protests around town. Of course, I was thinking, “What could they be protesting? The cabinet has been named, and things appear to be improving.” Well, the trouble came from a group of thugs that has been outlawed called the “Mungiki”. They are somewhere between an inner city gang and the mafia. They are allegedly part of the paid criminals that were causing some of the unrest in the country after the election. Two politicians were recently arrested for funding their escapades. Last Monday, they declared a week of mass protest because their leader has been held in jail on a weapons charge. The leader’s wife was murdered last week, and the group is blaming the police. However, it is speculated that she was probably killed as a result of fighting within the organization. At the end of the week, the government announced that they wanted to “dialogue” with the Mungiki, and the protests were called off. I guess we will have to wait and see what happens with that.

While we did not witness any trouble, we did cancel one of our classes due to uncertainty of safety on the roads. The school that our children attend had to cancel after school activities that Monday, but otherwise, it seemed to be a normal week. Thika did have quite a bit of trouble as businesses were threatened not to open because of the protest. Murang’a also experienced the troubles with businesses being forced to close. All reports are that things are back to normal now.

This week, we will try to get back on track with a make-up class. We are also beginning the task of sorting out the loan particulars for the groups in the different areas. Lots of number crunching is ahead in the next few weeks as we sort it all out.

We will write more later to update you on our groups. For now, please pray for continued peace and a willingness to let the healing process continue in this country. As always, we appreciate your prayers.

Blessings,
Anne

Nairobi News

April 14, 2008

Today, Anne and I were running errands in Nairobi, and as we drove around from location to location, we couldn’t help remarking on how much potential this country has. Compared to other developing nations, Kenya is industrious and resourceful in spite of its extreme poverty and multiple infrastructure problems.

It appears the government is slowly working its way out of the election controversies. Yesterday, a new cabinet was named, whereby both parties are represented equally, achieving the first in a series of challenges for reconciliation in the upcoming years. I believe Kenyans are up to the task.

It is for some of these reasons that we believe so strongly in working here. We see the potential for change, and we really want to honor God by being a part of it in some small way. Our four new groups are progressing nicely. In Kabete, we have 50 farmers who have recently planted bird of paradise seedlings. These plants will generate a healthy income for all of them for many years.

In Mang’u and Murang’a, we have nearly 100 farmers planting growing passion fruit. Recently, a representative of an international NGO, the Horticultural Development Corporation, told me we need to be planting more passion fruit because currently farmers cannot meet the demand for the export market here in Kenya.

In Ngarendare 60 farmers are planting mobydick flowers for export. Most of them are new growers of this particular flower, but they are eager to learn. We recently went on a tour of some larger flower farms in nearby Naro Moro to learn about the production and grading of this particular flower. The tour had the desired effect: all came away with a sense of optimism, seeing how others were growing the plant successfully.

Unfortunately, there are those here who don’t seem to want their country to succeed. Crime here is rampant, and there are those who still wish to stir up civil unrest. Consequently, we are on our guard always. We are not traveling in areas that may be potentially dangerous, and this unfortunately slows our progress at times.

A fellow Anglican missionary friend of mine recently told me he thought it would take a full generation to fully heal the bitter animosity that exists amongst two of the major tribes in Kenya. I must admit that I agree, regardless of my optimism, but I will close by saying that I believe the vast majority of Kenyans do want genuine peace and reconciliation among all people of this land. Please pray that the few who don’t want peace do not get their way.

All God’s Blessings,

Horace

Happy Easter from The Tiptons

We pray that you and your family
have had a Wonderful Easter!

We are headed for the coast for a vacation. This next week is Spring Break from school.

We are looking forward to spending the week relaxing. The children will have many friends around at the same hotel.

We will update you on our work progress when we return.

Blessings,
The Tipton Family

March Newsletter

Dear Friends,

If you have not seen our blog, please check out http://plantingfaith.blogspot.com. We try to update it weekly with news of our work here.

Now that peace has come across Kenya, there seems to be a wave of optimism amongst the people here, who desperately long for sources of hope. In this case, government and opposition leaders have signed a power sharing agreement that has brought an end to the violence that wracked the country in January and February. Everyone is now praying that the peace is indeed lasting, and it appears that this will be the case, as the international community is doing everything possible to make sure both sides keep up their ends of the deal.

Our work is now going well. We just started a new farmer group in an area outside Nairobi called Kabete. This group will be growing the bird of paradise flower for export. This is truly a long-term investment, as they won’t harvest for 12 months, but once they begin, the plant will live and produce income for them for years to come. In Mang’u and Murang’a, the passion fruit farmers are doing well. Their plants are growing taller and will need trellising very soon. In Ngarendare, the flower farmers are preparing themselves for harvest. Because most of them are new to the crop they are growing – Mobydick – they are going to visit a farm in the village of Naro Moro this week where they can witness firsthand the harvest and grading of these flowers.

Because life came to a standstill in many parts of the country during January and part of February, most everyone will tell you now they are working double-time to catch up because of all the lost time. Anne and I are no exceptions. We’ve been holding two farmer meetings per week, teaching, checking crops, holding discipleship lessons and just managing the general welfare of the groups, since the signing of the peace agreement.

The question remains, however, is how did a country which professes to be 85% Christian let this happen. In a number of sermons and talks we have heard, this question is posed by Kenyans to Kenyans. While the answers vary, one common theme amongst everyone is that renewal in Jesus Christ is truly needed here. Only He can bring about the true reconciliation that is needed amongst warring people groups, and that of course, is reconciliation through Him in truth. Maybe in some small way we too can be a part of this process. Only the Lord knows.

Life on the home front is pretty normal. Mary Shea broke her arm last month, but now has her cast off and appears to be fully healed, as she has gone back to swim team practice. Horace has just wound up his basketball season. His team made it to the semi-finals of their tournament play. Everyone on the team was pleased with how they played this year, even though the season was interrupted because of the violence early on. Rugby season is coming up soon.

We recently sold all but one of our Labrador puppies…yahoo! We have one left who is unfortunately very sickly and must get well before we can even think about selling her. However, as easily as the others sold, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Spring break is coming soon, and all of us are happy for the much needed break. We are going on a short trip to the Kenyan coast (thanks to the sale of the puppies) and the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. Everyone is very excited, especially the kids because a lot of their friends will be there as well.

As Easter approaches, one can’t help but be reflective on all Christ has done for us. In times such as we have had in the last couple of months, the message of the Cross truly brings it all home. Had Jesus not died and rose again for our sins, life would truly be chaotic all the time, but because of His grace, we can see glimpses of His glory shining through even in times of despair. We once heard that one cannot truly experience Easter unless he experiences Lent as well. We cannot agree more emphatically. This will truly be a Lenten season that we never, ever forget.

Yours in Christ,

Horace, Anne, Horace, Jr. and Mary Shea