The Paul Young Family Drawing Others to Christ
57 Windermere Rd. Muizenberg 7945 SOUTH AFRICA
101 Rollingreen Rd. Greenville, SC 29615 USA
smallpaul@mweb.co.za www.drawingotherstochrist.com
www.drawingotherstochrist.blogspot.com
December 2008
Dear Friends,
We’ve certainly had a fruitful, happy year so far—with trips to: Peru, USA, Zambia, and throughout South Africa. Monday I (Paul) am scheduled to fly to Nigeria for a 12 day preaching trip.
We had a good trip in November to Mokopane in a northern province of South Africa. Usually I preached three times a day. The needed rainy season opened, but none of our open air meetings were rained out. I preached several places very close to the place my sister Grace was twice robbed back in May on the way to Zambia. We had more great opportunities to preach in the schools, and we all had really nice fellowship with other Christian families.
One service was really cool! The owner of the local Fruit and Veg City had me preach and draw for all his workers—in the refrigerated storage room! People were all bundled up, but were not too cool to respond to the Gospel!
At the end of October we lost our web site (through our oversight), but Charles Bordner got it back for us! Who is Charles Bordner? He used to come to one of our Bible clubs in Newberry, SC, as a boy, 25 or 30 years ago. A few weeks ago he said, “I googled your name and actually found your sermon on 9-14 of this year on the internet. I was happy to listen to it and considering that it was my birthday, it was for me like opening a birthday gift.” When he found our web service had expired, he contacted the owner of the server and had it reinstated. We were so relieved and happy! He said, “Thank You for leading me to Christ.” See our updated web site at www.drawingotherstochrist.com including What God Says about Prosperity, published also this year.
Our family got ourselves a special Christmas gift already this year, a new puppy! Go to our blog www.drawingotherstochrist.blogspot.com to see what a cutie she is. Her name is Berwick, named after the town where Vicki and I met. She was a pest for a few days, but she’s learning quickly to obey. Eventually she should be a guard dog; they’re important here with so much crime. She’s a German shepherd.
THANK YOU so much for your gifts and prayers that support our family and promote this soul winning and Bible teaching ministry!
In His service and loving it!
Paul, Vicki, Evangel, Timothy, and Joshua, also James, Gloria, and Daniel
The Paul Young Family Drawing Others to Christ
57 Windermere Rd. Muizenberg 7945 SOUTH AFRICA
101 Rollingreen Rd. Greenville, SC 29615 USA
smallpaul@mweb.co.za www.drawingotherstochrist.com
November 2008
Dear Praying Friends,
This weekend we’re scheduled to drive over 1000 miles north to work with the David Frew family, who have scheduled us in a lot of new schools and churches. Please pray that God will greatly prosper that trip, including preaching on the way up and back, also for God’s mercy and blessing on Paul’s trip to Nigeria in December. “Herein is My Father glorified that ye bear much fruit” (John 15:8). THANKS for your prayers and gifts! We know that God will bless you for them.
We have a teenager in the house now! October 9th, Evangel turned 13! She has been especially helpful to organize the little girls that come with their moms to our Ladies’ Bible Study. She teaches lessons and crafts and generally keeps them quiet. During the last Bible study, I was reveling in how quiet it was—quite a change from other years, when suddenly there was a loud banging sound! The girls had locked the boys in the garage. After that was sorted out, all sounded peaceful again, and then pink smoke was seen out the window! The boys were retaliating with a smoke bomb! So we haven’t quite arrived at perfection! J
October will be remembered for Aunt Grace’s visit and the many schools where she and Paul were able to bring the Gospel. For other family news I’m trying to keep our blog up to date, www.drawingotherstochrist.blogspot.com. In it we put a little memorial to our dog Cuddles who was killed on the 18th.
We have a possible opening on a new TV station with a potential of reaching most of Africa and much of Europe. Please pray for God’s guidance and blessing on this opportunity. DVD’s of our chalk talks continue to be in demand. A lady encouraged us recently by telling us they are circulating in the UK! A friend in the USA is selling them on his website www.eternityarts.com, and we heard about a Hindu here who is watching them a lot.
We enjoyed a thank you letter from one of the schools where Paul preached, “Mrs. Brady’s class was so noisy this morning that she took one of your tapes and played it for the children. Immediately they were quiet, just as they are now in the hall, listening to your message.”
In His service and loving it!
Paul and Vicki Young, with Evangel (13), Timothy (10), and Joshua (7), also
James and Gloria Young with two-month-old Daniel
The Paul Young Family Drawing Others to Christ
57 Windermere Rd. Muizenberg 7945 SOUTH AFRICA
101 Rollingreen Rd. Greenville, SC 29615 USA
smallpaul@mweb.co.za www.drawingotherstochrist.com
October, 2008
Dear Praying Friends,
We are happy to be back home in South Africa, and happy to have had a smooth trip and that all of our luggage arrived with us. We’re not taking that for granted now because we got stuck for two extra nights on the way to the States, and some of our luggage only caught up with us a few days before we flew back. We had such a wonderful month in the USA, trying to cram in as much as we could. For Paul that meant preaching in schools and churches, while I focused more on family time. We didn’t get to see half the people we wanted to, but we enjoyed the ones we did see.
Naturally, as we seek to reach as many as we can with the Good News, there are trials and attacks from the enemy. One evening we were shocked to see a poisonous copperhead snake on the steps right outside our room. Paul whacked it to death with his chalk board easel, much to my delight and the children’s delight! Killing the snake reminded us of the victory God gives us over Satan. (The only snake we’ve ever killed here in Africa was a puff adder I ran over with the car.)
The delights of home include baby Daniel, son of James and Gloria, who help us here! He’s now a month old, and is an adorable, cuddly, alert little person. Paul and I feel like grandparents, but he’s really our great-nephew. See pictures of him (as well as the snake) on our blog, www.drawingotherstochrist.blogspot.com.
The month of October has us mostly at home, with preaching in Polsmoor Prison and the local schools as we can. Please pray about those schools. Some have closed to preaching recently due to an unfortunate incident with another preacher. Paul’s sister Grace is scheduled to come later this month.
We arrived back in South Africa to find a number of requests for Paul’s books and chalk talk DVDs. They continue to be read and watched even when we are away.
The first day back, while still groggy with jet lag, we were thrilled to have our Ladies Bible Study meet, and then in the afternoon Paul preached to a Bible club Gloria and I have been helping with in Ocean View. It was exciting to see some of these kids, who we know and have been working with for months, make decisions.
God bless you in your ministries! THANKS for all your help in our ministries!
In His service and loving it!
Paul, Vicki, Evangel, Timothy, and Joshua Young
The Paul Young Family Drawing Others to Christ
57 Windermere Rd. Muizenberg 7945 SOUTH AFRICA
101 Rollingreen Rd. Greenville, SC 29615 USA
www.drawingotherstochrist.blogspot.com www.drawingotherstochrist.com
September, 2008
Dear Praying Friends,
We have had quite a month! First, we had to recuperate from an unusually busy July. It reminded us of God’s Word, “It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so He giveth His beloved sleep” (Ps. 127:2).
However, there are emergencies. This month James had to go to the hospital in the middle of the night to have his appendix removed. Then, just two nights ago, Gloria went into labor. We’re all filled with joy and relief over the safe arrival of James and Gloria’s new baby, Daniel John Young, yesterday, two days before we are scheduled to fly to South Carolina for a month. We are so thankful to see him safely landed, after a long, hard night and day of labor! It was finally determined that he was just too big for his petite mommy; he was born by Cesarean and weighed 8.1 lbs. (3.7 kg). James’ sister Louise flew over to help, and will be staying several weeks which gives us more peace in leaving. Please pray for our health; there are some sore throats. We plan to fly out Friday.
Paul did most of his preaching in Pollsmoor Prison this month here in Cape Town. He came home day after day with stories of enthusiastic prisoners making decisions for the Lord. As he entered one cell of about 40 inmates and went around greeting each one, one of them went around getting others out of bed and telling them they had one minute to gather for the service. They came!
As Paul entered the prison and gave a guard a tract, another guard said, “I wish I could have one.” At the U.S. Consulate after he gave a guard a tract, another guard said, “Would you issue me one of those books?” When Paul asked a lady who works there if he had given her one previously, she said yes, and she had every single person there read it! After we gave out tracts on a train, we noticed most of the people reading them. God is at work here.
The visa application for James and Gloria to stay in South Africa has been denied. They are appealing the decision. We’re not sure how long they can remain here. It would be hard to see them leave this ministry they have helped to grow so much. James does the DVD work in taping, editing, copying, producing the TV programs, plus many other things. Please pray God will open the door for them in the place they can be most effective for His kingdom.
THANKS for every prayer and gift for us as we serve the Lord with gladness!
Paul, Vicki, Evangel, Timothy, and Joshua Young
The Paul Young Family Drawing Others to Christ
57 Windermere Rd. Muizenberg 7945 SOUTH AFRICA
101 Rollingreen Rd. Greenville, SC 29615 USA
smallpaul@mweb.co.za www.drawingotherstochrist.com
August 2008
Dear Praying Friends,
Thank you, our dear friends, for your gifts and prayers, especially for our health and safety. We’ve had a wild and adventurous month! Can you believe? We got stoned! But we’re thankful we were inside a Land Cruiser, so we survived, though the window of missionary Ken Loveall’s vehicle did not. That was our “welcome” to the mountains of Peru. There was a national strike the day we arrived, and the strikers had blocked the mountain roads in dozens of places with rocks which we had to weave around, and we got ambushed as we went by. It was a relief to make it to Urubamba and the safety of the walls of the seminary there!
We had only three weeks in Peru, but they were jam packed full, especially for Paul! He preached over 60 times! He enjoyed preaching in the open air night and day in town squares, markets, schools, and universities. We saw many decisions.
We got a little gaspy for air up in the high altitude. The gorgeous mountain peaks of the Andes reminded us of the great Creator who made them. I loved the ruins everywhere in the “Sacred Valley of the Inca”, and was thankful we got one day to really explore some of them. We all enjoyed the markets and the Peruvian foods. Paul even ate Guinea pig! He says it’s good. We saw lots of old friends, and made lots of new ones. I had way too much to tell to put it all in a prayer letter this time, so I finally made a family blog, www.drawingotherstochrist.blogspot.com. It has pictures and many more details of the Peru trip.
While we were in Peru we got reports of blessing back in Africa from the chalk talks on TV there. Also a family who takes care of eight orphans said two of them made professions of faith watching Paul preach on DVD. Another man walked about 600 miles trying to raise support for his prison ministry and when he got to the mission, Frontline Fellowship in Cape Town, the first thing he asked for was Paul Young’s books. He said they are very useful. Also the chalk talk DVDs James translated into Spanish were much appreciated in Peru!
August 29 is our 16th wedding anniversary and we plan to fly to the USA that day for a month of ministry, mostly in SC. Josh and Evangel are each nearing the end of their grades in school (1 and 7, respectively), so we’ll be busy with school, too, until the next trip.
Hopefully our next month’s letter will be on pink or blue paper to announce the arrival of our new little niece or nephew, James’ and Gloria’s firstborn (after 11 years!) God bless you in the field where God has placed you and make you a blessing to MANY OTHERS!
In His service & (tired for a while but) loving it!
Paul & Vicki Young & Youngsters: Evangel, Tim, & Josh
The Paul Young Family Drawing Others to Christ
57 Windermere Rd. Muizenberg 7945 SOUTH AFRICA
101 Rollingreen Rd. Greenville, SC 29615 USA
smallpaul@mweb.co.za www.drawingotherstochrist.com
July 2008
Dear Praying Friends,
Thank you for following along in prayer for our journeys. Paul, his sister Grace, and our daughter Evangel, made it safely back from Zambia this month. They were robbed twice, had two flat tires from very rough roads, saw elephants, giraffes, wart hogs, a crocodile, some buck, and one morning, a four foot long lizard by their outdoor breakfast table. Evangel was passing out tracts as they crossed the Zambezi River on a ferry, and the people wanted more tracts than she had. One man who got a tract said, “Thank you too much!”
They also enjoyed Victoria Falls. The Africans told David Livingston it was “the smoke that thunders.” Mainly they had good teaching and preaching opportunities in schools and churches and distributed some much appreciated books and DVDs. If you complain about the price of gasoline (petrol), it costs over $8 per gallon in Zambia, where the average income is about one hundredth the average American income.
Arriving home, Paul was able to focus on preaching at our local Polsmoor prison. He was also able to preach to some refugees, (from the recent violence here) mostly from the Congo.
Next trip: PERU, SOUTH AMERICA! On the 4th of July, we plan to drag ourselves out of bed very early (3:00 AM-ugh!) to get to the airport to fly to Lima, Peru, via Sao Paulo, Brazil. After a few days in Lima, the plan is to go on to Cuzco, up in the Andes, to be with missionary Ken Loveall and his family for a couple of weeks.
As usual, James and Gloria will be holding the fort here in Cape Town, but now Gloria is “great with child.” New baby Young is due the 9th September, but we suspect an earlier arrival. Please join us in praying for a safe, happy, healthy delivery of this important little person. James and Gloria have been married over 11 years, and this is their first blessing of this kind. Gloria’s been helping teach a children’s class and the Spanish ladies in the prison. James continues to upgrade Paul’s sermon DVDs and keeps the TV station supplied with high quality films of Paul’s preaching. We get mail from Kenya and Zambia, where the films are aired, often asking for books or DVDs.
June 29th was a special day: My parents, Wendell and Hilda Clough, celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary! We are so thankful for that steady rock of a good marriage. They have blessed us with help, money, and lots of encouragement in our own family and ministry. Mom is the one who handles our USA mail and banking. We thank God for them.
THANKS for every prayer and gift!
In His service and loving it!
Paul and Vicki Young, with Evangel, Timothy, and Joshua
The Paul Young Family Drawing Others to Christ
57 Windermere Rd. Muizenberg 7945 SOUTH AFRICA
101 Rollingreen Rd. Greenville, SC 29615 USA
smallpaul@mweb.co.za www.drawingotherstochrist.com
May 2008
Dear Praying Friends,
We have so much to be thankful for right now! We are just finished the Port Elizabeth section of a trip in South Africa and Zambia, and are moving on to Johannesburg. This trip had a few rough things happen at the beginning such as a trip to an emergency room in the middle of the night before we left (Paul’s nephew James had a painful virus, but he’s OK now), and my planned packing day turned to chaos when I got backed into by a BMW in a parking lot involving two unscheduled trips to the police station. We hoped it would be a situation like Psalm 126:5, “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.”
It has turned out that way. We as a family have had a peaceful time staying in a little round thatched roof house by the sea. (This is the place where the monkeys invaded us before, but the kids chased them away this time, and they haven’t given us any more trouble.) Paul has gone into two schools each day last week and seen such a good response!
As Paul has time, he is scheduling the month of September in South Carolina and towns nearby. We are scheduled to be there that month, and want to reach as many schools and churches as we can in that short time. If you would like Paul to preach in your school, there are still several dates left, and for churches there are a couple of Wednesdays. Also we are on the lookout for a dependable vehicle that we can borrow for that month. The Kidder family has loaned us vehicles for years, but they are in New Hampshire, and we don’t plan to go north on this shorter trip.
We received a very encouraging bit of feedback from a doctor friend in Georgia about Paul’s new book, What God Says about Prosperity, and his first book, Saving Faith, Does It Involve a Change of Behavior?
I am thoroughly enjoying this Bible study & plan to purchase some as gifts. I need to order more Saving Faith booklets this week, so I will do it then. I enjoy having the Saving Faith booklets. It is more clear than most tracts. I can trust my patients can walk away w/ a more perfect understanding of their relationship or lack of w/ Christ.
And here’s a letter from an African teacher.
What an honour and privilege it has been to have had you visit our school!! You truly reached out to our kids today, in a most meaningful and entertaining manner. In fact, it would be remiss of me not to mention the fact that your message touched many adult hearts as well, mine included. Through your message we are able to renew our commitment to God and His kingdom.
Thank you so much for your love, prayers, and gifts!
In His service and loving it!
Paul and Vicki Young, and missionaries-in-training, Evangel, Timothy, and Joshua
State of Emergency Sunday’s newspaper declared that we are in a state of emergency here in South Africa. Forty-two people have been killed in the Black townships, and more then 30,000 have been driven from their homes. The violence has been mostly Black South Africans rising up against Black foreigners from Somalia, Mozambique, and especially Zimbabwe, but also including attacks on other foreign Blacks as well as Chinese. South Africa has been described as lawless.
As for us, we have been working from a seminary east of Pretoria for these past two weeks, with Paul going into town each day to preach one, two, or three times. We continue to feel that change needs to come from the inside out, people turning their hearts and lives over to the Lord Jesus Christ, and that is where we are focusing our energies.
Feeding the 5000 Paul is having the time of his life preaching to 3000-5000 students a week in both Johannesburg and Pretoria. At a high school of over 1700 students, the students sat out in the cold on the concrete court yard as Paul preached; they were very responsive, with hundreds professing to turn from sin to Jesus! At another high school a teacher told Paul he had made 1000 copies of Paul’s DVD with 16 chalk talks on it! In another school the principal closed the office so the office workers could come to the assembly. That principal said her daughter prays for us even though she has only seen Paul preach on DVD.
James and Gloria have been busy in Cape Town where Gloria has begun teaching a children’s class in Ocean View, one of the areas affected by the violence. James is focusing on translating sermons into Spanish for our trip to Peru in July.
Splitting Up This is the first time we’ve done this as a family, but Evangel and Paul are driving north into Zambia with Paul’s sister Grace, while the boys and I fly back to Cape Town, since there just isn’t room for all of us in the car. We have had our car in the shop for 6 days trying to get it in good running order, as it will be loaded to the roof with books and DVDs to distribute in Zambia. People say not to drive after dark going through Botswana as you might hit an elephant or a giraffe, and that could be disastrous, not so much for an elephant as for the people in a car.
So we would especially appreciate your prayers for safety right now, for those of us in South Africa, and for our three travelers who need to go about 5000 or 6000 kilometers in the next few days. Please pray for many to be saved and laborers equipped and sent into the harvest. THANKS for all your prayers and gifts! We know that God will bless you for your kindness.
In His service and loving it,
Paul and Vicki Young, and missionaries-in-training, Evangel, Timothy, and Joshua
The Paul Young Family Drawing Others to Christ
57 Windermere Rd. Muizenberg 7945 SOUTH AFRICA
101 Rollingreen Rd. Greenville, SC 29615 USA
smallpaul@mweb.co.za www.drawingotherstochrist.com
April 2008
Dear Friends,
I have been amazed at the preaching opportunities I’ve been having! (Paul writing this time) So many new schools! Such attentive and responsive children and teens! Such enthusiastic teachers and principals! At I preached at a new school twice, they called a third, impromptu chapel for more of the high school! They gave me the phone numbers of four other schools they wanted me to preach at. By the time I got back to the bed and breakfast to the family, Vicki told me another school had called wanting an appointment!
At another school the chalk pictures I drew on three previous times were framed in front of the auditorium. At another school where I preached on repentance and drew a narrow road to heaven and a wide road to hell, the principal said that he was going to use the picture again when he has the next chapel. The principal in another school said she would try to arrange for me to preach in the two schools where her own children go. A man in the bank told us the DVDs of the chalk talks were really in demand at his high school where I had recently been. In another school they sent the Muslim and Jehovah Witness children to the rear of the auditorium and told them not to listen. :)
Of course, not all schools would want us to preach like this, but God has guided us into some that do—20 schools in March! He has sent us into a harvest!
On April 15 we’re scheduled to leave on another preaching trip to Port Elizabeth, Johannesburg, and Pretoria. THANK YOU for your PRAYERS!! It’s been a busy schedule, but God has blessed our health.
God has been preparing me for this all my life. As Mom was having a hard time at my birth, Dad prayed, not only that Mom and I would live, but that I would grow up to preach the Gospel and bring thousands into the Kingdom. When I was about five I remember waiting out in the car or back stage while Dad preached in black schools in South Carolina. I started preaching and drawing in the schools there in 1967.
We’re thoroughly enjoying the ministry God has given us here in South Africa. Also we are getting encouraging reports of the weekly TV broadcasting in Zambia and Kenya. Also we just got word of a pastor in Nigeria trying to get us on TV there.
Vicki is making a fun home for us all! Besides, she hosts a ladies’ Bible study so they can learn to do the same for their husbands and children.
In His service and loving it!
Paul and Vicki Young, also Evangel (12), Timothy (10), and Joshua (6)
The Paul Young Family Drawing Others to Christ
57 Windermere Rd. Muizenberg 7945 SOUTH AFRICA
101 Rollingreen Rd. Greenville, SC 29615 USA
smallpaul@mweb.co.za www.drawingotherstochrist.com
March 2008
Recent headline: “South African schools rated most dangerous in the world.” People’s Post, p. 4, Feb. 12, ’08 The article went on to say something is “urgently needed to curb the chaos and violence that drowns South African schools in a cesspool.” Yet God has opened doors for Paul to preach with his chalk talks in many of these public schools!
Paul had just preached to over 1500 high school students in the school court yard and was beginning the invitation, and wouldn’t you know it, when he said, “Bow your heads,” the wind blew his whole chalk stand down! What a disturbance—right at the crucial time! But Paul chuckled and said, “Look at there! Even the chalk board bowed down to Jesus!” All things work together for good. The students settled down, and the invitation went well.
Encouraging Words: Today a principal was enthusiastic about the message and encouraged the students to come to Jesus. He then announced that he is planning to show the DVDs “Small Paul” had left with 16 chalk talks on them during their Friday assemblies. He also plans to read to the students Paul’s book Answers to Prayer for Our Family. May the Lord bless His faithful servants in public schools! Thanks to those of you who pray, and to those who give gifts that make this African ministry possible!
Looking ahead: The trip we’re on now is scheduled to take about 3 weeks, then we are to be home in Cape Town for about 3 weeks. Then
April 15-30....Port Elizabeth,
May....Johannesburg and Pretoria.
June 1-8... Zambia
July 4-25... Peru, South America! (where I taught before meeting Paul)
August 31-Sept 30....USA, especially South Carolina
November...northern South Africa
In His service and loving it!
Paul and Vicki Young, also Evangel, Timothy, and Joshua
Paul and Vicki Young and Family
Drawing Others to Christ
57 Windermere Rd. Muizenberg 7945 SOUTH AFRICA
101 Rollingreen Rd. Greenville, SC 29615 USA
smallpaul@mweb.co.za www.drawingotherstochrist.com
February 7, 2008
Dear Praying Friends,
Thank you for praying for us! The Lord continues to bless here, to lead, and to give us lots to do!
Thanks also for the greetings to Paul as he turned 60 on January 27th. His USA driver’s license expired that day, and getting a South African license is a long process! So James and I have been chauffeuring him around. But he had a good birthday, with his sister Joy joining us from America. Joy inspired us to go hiking, mountain climbing, and exploring. We enjoyed her visit at this most beautiful time of the year.
Paul is preaching in schools nearly every school day. The Lord has begun to open doors for us here in schools where Paul has never before preached. Lizelle, our “secretary’’ has been a huge blessing with her scheduling diligence and talent, but even she commented that Cape Town was “a tough cookie.” She was getting discouraged and took time out to pray. The Lord heard and doors are opening! Pray that God will rebuke the enemy and that many will turn to the Lord! We plan to leave on February 27 for the first trip of the year to Bloemfontein and the Three Rivers area. Lizelle is also scheduling that, and the three weeks are filling up well with a good many new schools.
We got an email from a TV station in Uganda that would like to broadcast Paul’s chalk art sermons—but at a huge cost. We’re going to try negotiating and praying the Lord would open those doors, too. Paul is still on TV in Zambia and in Kenya. Please join us in prayer for Kenya. People there are writing to us about the lack of food as this crisis continues, and the brother of our Kenyan friend, Mary, has been missing for over a month.
The first Ladies’ Bible Study of the year went well with 3 new ladies, all from Germany. One is actually an American, from California, married to a German. Add that to our people from Korea, Holland, Guatemala, and South Africa, and it continues to be a very international group, and also very productive. Someone is always expecting! We praise the Lord for new babies.
In His service and loving it!
Paul and Vicki, also Evangel, Timothy, and Joshua Young
Here is an assessment of the crisis in Kenya, by Dr. Peter Hammond, of Frontline Fellowship. (Paul broadcasts on TV in Kenya each week and was preaching and teaching there just before the violence erupted.)
PRAY FOR KENYA
Numerous friends have asked for my assessment of the violence in Kenya. I’ve travelled frequently in Kenya since 1995 and conducted meetings, seminars and conferences there. Kenya has never been a Frontline mission field, but more a forward base for our ministry into Sudan. So I’m by no means any kind of authority on Kenya, but as a frequent traveler to that country I have a few observations.
The Kikuyu Connection
It would seem that the fighting is primarily tribal. The Kikuyu tribe has dominated politics in Kenya since Mau Mau leader Jomo Kenyatta became the first President in the 1963. There is tremendous resentment of the Kikuyu dominance politically, and the inevitable nepotism and corruption surrounding the ruling party/tribe.
A Stolen Election
The present outbreak of violence since the disputed election results of 27 December seems to be a result of a blatantly rigged election process. As the votes were being counted it was clear that the existing government was being voted out of office. Three days after the vote, on live television, the population saw para-military police storm the Kenyatta International Conference Centre where the votes were being counted. Minutes later the Head of the Election Commission declared the incumbent President Kibaki (a Kikuyu) the winner!
Mob Violence
Supporters of the challenger, Odinga, who previously had been reported to have a substantial lead, poured onto the streets in an explosion of violence against Kibaki’s tribe, the Kikuyu. Although the Kikuyu’s only make up 22% of the population, they dominate both the government and business.
International reports, such as the 2005 Report by the Society for International Development, a civil society monitoring group, catalogued how Kibaki had packed his cabinet, state corporations, the judiciary and provincial administrations with his tribesmen. Tribal animosities have been festering since at least 1963 when the British handed over to Kenyatta and granted the country independence.
The epi-centre of the violence in Nairobi has been Africa’s largest slum, Kibera, where over a million people live in tin shacks and clapboard houses, without plumbing, electricity, hospitals or jobs, (just a few minutes from some of the most luxurious homes imaginable.) Starting on New Years Eve, tens of thousands of Kalenjin and Luo tribesmen tore through the Kikuyu sections of Kibera. Some Kikiyu gangs struck back, but tens of thousands fled to the central highlands. Most recent report I have seen puts the death toll at 900, so far.
Tribalism and Corruption
Observers blame corruption and tribalism as the root of Kenya’s woes. Kenya ranks 8th from the bottom of the list of the worlds most corrupt countries, as compiled by Transparency International. Kibaki’s government has followed the example of it’s predecessor Daniel Arap Moi with allegations of dirty deals running into many hundreds of millions of dollars. The former prosecutor to deal with corruption, John Githongo fled into exile in Britain in 2005 because of death threats against him. He reported that the President had no commitment to fight corruption, and that Kibaki had failed to honour promises to share power and economic opportunities, to reform the constitution and fight corruption.
The Most Corrupt Continent
He described fixing the election results as “like throwing a match into a fuel drum.” Africa is reported to be the world’s most corrupt continent with 36 out of 52 counties affected by rampant corruption. In Nigeria, the Economical Financial Crimes Commission reported that the country’s rulers from 1960-1999 stole $400 billion.
In South Africa, barely a week has gone by without new corruption scandals among the ANC business and political leaders being reported. A week after being elected leader of the ruling African National Congress, Jacob Zuma was indicted on charges of racketeering, money laundering, corruption and fraud.
Opportunism
However, as with any riots, opportunists are using the opportunity to settle old debts, and to enrich themselves with loot.
Church Burned
On New Years Day, a mob of several hundred people armed with machetes, clubs and bows and arrows surrounded a church in Kiambaa in the Northern Rift Valley. 200 men, woman and children were praying in the church. Those who willing gave up mobile phones, or money, were allowed to go, the rest were trapped in the church which was then set alight. An estimated 35 people were killed in the blaze.
Shops Looted
Hundreds of shops have been looted and destroyed, hundreds of thousands of people have fled from their homes. Much of the fighting seems to be between the Kikuyus and the rival Kalenjin, Luhya and Luo tribes.
The Poster Child of “The African Renaissance”
What has been particularly disturbing to many about the violence is that Kenya was considered the Poster Child of the “African Renaissance” and it has received literally billions of dollars in aid from the US government. Kenya is the headquarters for most mission organizations and non-governmental organizations in Africa, and it has been considered the most stable country in Africa.
Beneath the Surface
Officially over 70% of Kenya are Christians. Most of the American missionaries in Africa are based in Kenya. The wholesale corruption, tribal violence and cruel mob savagery seen in the last month in Kenya is a warning of what lies just beneath the surface of even one of the most popular tourist destinations in Africa.
A Challenge to the Churches
Evidently much of the missionary work that has been done in Africa has been superficial. Plainly Africa’s greatest need is Discipleship. From our mission’s perspective this is a challenge to do a more thorough job in Leadership Training, preaching and teaching of repentance and restitution, and laying solid foundations for a true Biblical Reformation and Spiritual Revival in Africa.
Dr Peter Hammond
Frontline Fellowship
P.O. Box 74
Newlands, 7725
Cape Town, South Africa
Tel: (021) 689-4480
Fax: (021) 685-5884
Email: admin@frontline.org.za
January, 2008
Dear Praying Friends,
Happy New Year!
Our New Year in Cape Town, South Africa, started with a bang! First thing in the morning, Gloria announced (in a whisper) that she had a positive pregnancy test! Perhaps if you realize that she and Paul’s nephew James have been married for more then 11 years without ever having a pregnancy, you will realize how excited we are! Paul is calling James “Pops”, and we all just can’t quit smiling over this blessed event. Their email address is james@drawingotherstochrist.com in case you want to send congratulations. Snail mail would be the same address as ours above.
An example of Romans 8:28 When Paul left for Kenya the lines were so long at the airport he could see that he would not even make it to the first counter before flight time, and he might miss his preaching appointment in the large church in Nairobi! When he got to the counter the clerk saw how much overweight he was carrying—3 boxes of books, chalk equipment, plus his suitcase—and all the impatient people waiting behind him. So, instead of sending him off to the place to pay for overweight, she just gave him a new ticket with no overweight charge, saving us about $500! The big crowds and the stress worked together for our good! Also he got the flight.
Paul was in Kenya 17 days preaching at a leadership conference and a few other places. Pastors had come from several countries, and Paul was so pleased with their receptive response to God’s Word, even when the Bible contradicted some of their traditions. Many told of how hearing God’s Word at the conference was correcting and helping them.
The most shocking thing he saw in Kenya was a robber who had just been caught, stoned to death, and burned. I think that gruesome sight will affect the way he preaches the Achan story from now on.
He enjoyed preaching to about 3000 one Sunday morning. He had to use a translator sometimes. His favorite meeting was probably a youth meeting with about 300 young people who were very responsive! Thanks for praying!
We were delighted to get him home, where he had several special Christmas messages to preach, as well as preparation for our big Christmas outreach in Polsmoor Prison to those 22 and under.
I can tell we’re slowing down in our old age, as it took us 3 days to get around to the nearly 2000 prisoners instead of just 2 as we have some years. But we had the best attention ever this year, as well as the best response! Thanks for praying for this event, too!
There is always some attempted stealing by the inmates, and this year the motherly instinct just took over, and I poked one inmate in the tummy and snapped at him to “put it back” after he had stolen 2 bags of peanuts.
We still have one more big prison service we plan to go to on Jan. 3, in Brandvlei. Also Gloria has a weekly Bible study with the Spanish ladies in prison, plus Paul goes often when we are in Cape Town.
Tally Up
Paul preached 547 times this past year, 102 of them in new places in South Africa, USA, Kenya, and Germany. Paul thinks 2007 was our most fruitful year yet.
He’s nearly finished writing the book, What God Says about Prosperity. You can read it on our website.
New Year’s Day
This is a family favorite outreach, when many thousands flood to the beach area just a few blocks from our doorstep. We went at about 2 PM, and stayed nearly 3 hours, because things get pretty violent after that. There is an incredible amount of drinking, but Paul gathered his biggest crowd with an object lesson on liquor.
Paul preached with chalk drawing at the steps of the Pavilion. The rest of us passed out tracts and talked to people. One guy asked me, “What are they doing over there?” and I got to tell him nearly the whole story of Judas which Paul was preaching on at the other side of the parking lot.
We had 3 others join our family this year, Gloria’s Korean friend Sook was a sweet help in passing out tracts, and our friend Peter Hammond, who heads Frontline Fellowship, and his young son Calvin. Peter Hammond loved it, but thought we had a gold mine of unsaved people that we had been hoarding for ourselves. He brought literature, but was out of Xhosa tracts in just a few minutes. He's already planning to come again next year, with more people and more tracts. His enthusiasm was a good boost to the rest of us.
Family News:
Vicki My “book of the year” for 2007 was What Do I Know about My God by Mardi Collier. It is a great help to me in Bible study, and encouragement.
Evangel finished her video she was making called “Esther, Queen of Persia”! We’ve had great fun sharing that with others, and are pleased with Evangel’s initiative in doing this. She rested a little, and now is in the midst of her next production: The Nativity.
Timothy turned 10 in December, and received the game Axis and Allies from his grandparents. He’s really enjoying it, and we’re pleased with all the history he is learning, as well as watching him take a new interest in reading.
One of Joshua’s hamsters died last month, and he was very sad about that. He thinks the best thing to do when you’re sad, is call people to come visit, so it helped that we had lots of company in December.
We enjoyed Lizelle and her parents staying with us for a few days. Lizelle has been scheduling Paul in many of the schools and churches.
We also enjoyed 2 American girls, missionary teachers named Lorrie and Manning who stayed for a few days.
It’s so fun to share with you how the Lord has blessed us. Of course, not everyone is happy with us when we point out what God’s Word says about different issues. But Jesus said, “Woe unto you when all men speak well of you,” and “Blessed are ye, when men shall... say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven....” Some people are seeing that we will have more reward in heaven! :) I’m sure that’s not their purpose!
May God bless you richly! May you bring forth much fruit for Him in 2008. “Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it” (Ps. 81:10).
In His service and loving it!
Paul and Vicki Young
Evangel, Tim, and Josh
