God calls us to Go Nearer

With somewhat heavy hearts, we want to let you know of a transition for our family. This weekend we moved out of our Rafiki village. This was not an easy decision, but one agonized over with much prayer and wise counsel from those close to us. While it seems sudden, it comes after weeks of private discussions with Rafiki leadership and concerns we have had. We are very sad to leave these children and the mamas who care for them but we trust that God is in control and He is committed to work all things for good as we all submit to Him.

With your prayers and support we will move forward as Go Near Ministry – Kenya outpost. God led us to start this non-profit organization two years ago with a mission to be advocates for orphans at home and abroad. Founding board members David Watson and Terrence Zeurlein(sp) along with Flip Whitner will oversee our efforts. A strong advisory team of Lee and Karen Smith, Bill and Linda O’Donnell, Nick and Dana Adams, Jack and Carolyn Ciak, Darryl and Leslie Harpool will give leadership and manage communications from our home base. A Kenya advisory board is forming now and will be announced soon.

God calls us to come closer, and in faith, we have. Our passion has grown stronger than ever and we are exhilarated by new opportunities He is presenting here in Kenya. We will fill you in on these opportunities in the days to come as we launch, “Go Near, Kenya!”

God’s word is our guiding light as we step out, again, in faith.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Heb. 11:1

He is calling us to take even bigger steps of faith trusting him as we go even nearer to the needs that surround us. And let us assure you that He is more than able. We have learned to take Mt 6:33 literally as we seek His will first, trust God that all our needs will be met …and more. Join us in expecting great things from our mighty God who is committed to care for His precious orphans and widows.

As God leads you, please direct your tax-deductible donations;

GO NEAR MINISTRY
LEWIS & MELODY TAYLOR
17200 CHENAL PARKWAY STE 300
PMB 227
LITTLE ROCK AR 72223

Our email remains the same, as does our passion for orphans.

Rebellion from the BLOG editor!!

Happy Birthday Lewis.... I hear your 50!!!!

Taylor's New Address

Lewis Taylor
P.O. Box 64590-00620
Mobil Plaza, Nairobi Kenya
EAST AFRICA

God's Invisible Hand

It is so hard to put into words all that we see and experience here in Africa. It is so different than any other place. There is breathtaking beauty in the plant life and scenery. The sky is so blue and expansive, the colors so vivid, birds and wildlife surround us. The terrain is so rugged. We are reminded of that daily as we travel on unbelievable bumpy roads. When Lewis drives, we are silently looking out our windows. We see old women hunched over carrying heavy loads of sticks and firewood. We see people so poor . We see children of all ages in dirty clothes working and playing. We see large groups of uniformed children walking long distances home from school in the afternoons. You are very priviledged to get to go to school here. As we engage with the world around us, God's invisible hand is working in our hearts. I (Melody) reach out to these people and feel such receptivity and warmth from them. He has written a new love in my heart for these people that I couldn't have mustered up on my own that motivates me. Lewis is also experiencing the same intense care and concern for the people here. Last night, John shared some insightful words as we finished our day. He said that he wanted to be in ministry when he grew up. He wanted to help people who are in need. He believes God will take care of him as he serves Him. He sees now how much he has and how little others have and how hard life can be. He wants to use his life to helpl. That is God's invisible hand writing on my 10 year old boy's heart. I am so grateful.

John's soccer team in Kenya

Have we shared there are more than 30 different nationalities at Rosslyn, the school our children attend? John plays on an elementary intramural soccer team. You will see by the following pictures how diverse his team is. I am quite challenged in grasping all the different names of his friends and teammates. Here is a sampling.

John wouldn't let me post an action shot. The best I can do is John sitting with his teammates waiting to go in. Next to John is Jin Wo.

The teams are coed. The players here are Kema, Ezra, YeJeonj, and Kinzea.

The players here are Ithiel, Mugo and Chun Wo.

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and guess what!!!!

They played in the championship today. They won !

Older Students

Let us introduce you to our older students. Each arrive daily for school in our village. Some travel far by Matatu(van) , walking or riding a bike to get to school. One young man rides an undescribable distance up and down hills through traffic and remote areas every day. Others board near by with friends or relatives in order to be close enough to walk in . Each morning begins with devotion and bible class followed by academics until lunch. In the afternoon, Lewis enjoys overseeing the vocational arts program with the young men. They work outside with saws making puzzles that are sold through Rafiki. He works with Mr. Kagiri, a national who is gifted artistically and really cares about the students. Mr. Kagiri oversees the production of painted cards and a new line of jewelry designed by our girls. Melody teaches in the primary school but often grabs a visit with them. They are so open to hugs and embraces from her.

Joel and Sammy





Curtis and Jane



Joel, Brian,Salim,Curtis,Sammy

A look beyond

Lewis and I traveled for a one night stay "up country". It was great to have one evening alone together. I can't remember when we last had an evening alone. I tend to be a workaholic and have to be pried away from the work at hand. Lewis, however, is such a good husband in making sure that we don't drift apart and live seperate, busy lives.

After getting a recommendation from a fellow missionary, we drove up country. I am always speechless when we travel beyond our village. There is so much to see. Africa is such a different world. It was amazing how different the terrain and lives are in the country compared to city life in Nairobi. We saw lots of green gardens and people herding sheep and donkeys along the way. But, like our area, people live in such humble conditions. People work so hard to survive.

We arrived at the road that would lead us to our cottage for the night. It was only driveable by a 4-wheel drive. After heavy rains and in the dark, we went on the scarriest ride of our lives. We went up this muddy, pothole filled road, sometimes sliding sideways as we tried to continue. We drove through narrow places, barely missing trees and rocks. We continued on and up in to nowhere. There were no markings. No lights to show us our way. We finally reached the top and a Zebra ran across the road in the darkness!! As we reached the crest of the hill, 4 bulls were glaring at us, not wanting us to go further. Just moments later, we see a dark form walking toward us with a flashlight. It was someone to escort us to our cottage.

We were exhausted after the long treacherous drive and after dinner slept well. We woke up to the munching sound of cows grazing under our windows and a breath taking view. AMAZING! We went on a walking tour of the forest to learn about jungle life. Our guide was so informative. It was a great time to marvel at God's creation.

Here is a view with our cottage in the background. Melody is standing with our nature guide. He is trained and knowledgeable about the plant life in Africa. We learned a lot.

We stopped at a natural hot tub deep in the woods. It was too cold to take a dip. Notice the plant life that surrounds us. AMAZING.

These pictures are of the children who came to us on our return home. They are so beautiful to me. I love looking into their faces more than the beautiful scenery.

These were the children in charge of the little ones. They have a beauty of their own.

These were the children in charge of the little ones. They have a beauty of their own.

LOOK AT THESE KIDS!! We LOVE THEM

Melody and one of her students. She is in our oldest class of students who live on site.

Our family loves this boy. He and Anna have really connected. She has a way of making others feel loved.

John and boys his age who live in Nazareth cottage.

Children on their way to the dining hall. The older children help with the younger children. Notice the warm clothing. We were surprised at how cool the weather has been since we arrived, much cooler than we expected. It is beginning to warm up now.

These three are preschoolers on their way to the dining hall. Several cottages where the mammas and children live are in the background.

Claire, Clint and Kevin hanging out.