Tabitha Kenya

A long obedience...

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Half-way through our second term at Tenwek, we are still relatively new here. The joy of seeing some people come to Christ continues. But even more challenging, in some ways, is walking alongside friends who have come to Christ and are learning to trust Him as they are faced with the daily challenges of life. I am often reminded these days of Eugene Peterson's book, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, as I long for the problems of their lives to be solved quickly so they can move on. But they are moving on, at the speed and in the direction God has for them.

Five and a half years ago I began a Bible study in our home with two women, Anna and Rachel, with Peris as my co-leader and translator. Betty came to our door shortly after, asking if we had a Bible study she could attend, so she joined us, as well as others. These three women had been in Dora Wesche's Bible studies before, and Anna and Rachel had put their faith in Christ. Betty came to Christ several months after starting the study, and was immediately freed from the grip alcoholism had had on her life for years. God has done amazing things in these women's lives, but the battle goes on.

After winning many to the Lord through her changed life and testimony, and after battling AIDS for some time, Anna went to be with the Lord last August. Walking through those last months and weeks with her was one of the toughest things I have done. Sadly, her kids remain far from Christ. We are in contact with them, praying for them to come to the Light.

Rachel remains firm in her faith, caring for her family and her deceased sister's kids. Dealing with an alcoholic husband, striving to provide food for her family, and the ups and downs of living with diabetes are some of Rachel's constant battles. But she moves steadily on...

Betty is currently struggling the most. Jealous relatives and neighbors are harassing her and her family, causing fear and discouragement. In the last two months, they have stolen her crop, killed her cow which was about to give birth, (another was killed 2 years ago in the same way) and have been banging on the house at night. They have succeeded in scaring Betty and making her want to flee all she has. She knows that God is greater than any earthly power, but she has been near despair these days.

Peris, Linda, Rachel, Betty

Recently, Peris, Rachel, Betty and I gathered at Rachel's house and we reminisced about God's faithfulness over the past years. He has been with us through the floods. He will not abandon us. The smile returned to Betty's face as she heard the Word, and was comforted by her friend, Rachel, who knew her and loved her and prayed for her since before she knew the Lord. God's Word and His people give strength to keep pressing on. Pray that Betty, Rachel, Peris and I will know God better and grow in strength as we continue in this journey together.

Please Pray!

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Pray for the 1000 women involved in weekly studies in the Book of Ephesians. Pray Eph.1:16-20 and Eph. 3:16-21 for the leaders and members of the studies.

Pray for a leaders’ seminar to be held July 28. Bible teacher Mary Whelchel from Moody Church will be speaking to over 200 women leaders on relationships, and thought life. She had an effective ministry with these women last year and we are anticipating God’s moving among us again.

Pray for needed funding for Tabitha Ministries. We have been thrilled to be able to place nearly two gift cows per month this year, and to help two local churches per month get homes built for needy women or families. We have purchased hundreds of Bibles and distributed them to women eager to read God’s Word for themselves. God is at work! But we are depleting our resources. Each cow costs about $300 and each roof we help with costs about $250. The Bibles cost $8 each. Pray for the Lord to continue to provide the needed resources so these ministries can continue.

Gift Cows

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Milk is a key component of a healthy diet for the Kipsigis people, who traditionally have raised cattle. They drink it in their tea once or twice a day, in a 1 to 3 proportion, milk to water. They drink it in a soured form, called “mursik”, each day if they have it available. But many people have no cows. Working with our Bible study leaders, local churches identify a needy family that they want to help. They commit to doing what they can to help the family, such as buying a sprayer, building a fence, or providing medicine. Church leaders are responsible for finding a good cow, and a celebration is planned to present it to the family, praising God for his compassion on the needy, and praying for His blessing on the cow and the family. As of July 2011, 35 cows have been given through Tabitha Ministry. One cow costs $300.

Earn a Bible Program

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A few months into our original study, it became apparent that very few women owned their own Bibles. We developed a program where women who attended a Bible study could earn a free Bible by learning 17 key Bible verses, and reciting them all at once. This program has mushroomed and over 4,500 Bibles were given out between January 2006 and July of 2011. The local language is Kipsigis, one of several Kalenjin languages in western Kenya. The studies are all carried out in Kipsigis, and the ladies earn their own Kipsigis Bible, walking for miles for the chance to recite their verses and get their names recorded for their gift Bible.

We purchase the Bibles from a local bookstore in Bomet, who gets them from the International Bible Society branch in Nairoibi, Kenya. They cost us $8/Bible, and the eternal investment is well worth it.

Houses for Widows

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It has been wonderful to come alongside local churches who have a burden for helping the widows in their midst. Once the local church identifies a needy family, and the area church leaders choose the project as the priority one, the church leaders come up with a budget for the proposed house. They present their proposal of two parts – what they will do, and what they are asking Tabitha to do. Usually, the church prepares the plot of land, builds the lower framework for the house, and is responsible for the walls, doors and windows. Once the framework is completed, Tabitha will provide the money for material and labor for the rafters and tin roofing. This amounts to about $250. Since April 2006 Tabitha Ministry has worked with churches, studies and families to help provide 45 houses for needy families.

Ways you can help

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Tabitha needs your help! Here are some ways you can help out:

Please Pray! See the link by that name for current prayer requests.

Please underwrite our outreach activities.

$200 will buy a carton of 24 Bibles.
$250 will put a roof on a widow's home.
$300 will buy a cow for a widow.
Our greatest financial need is for money to buy Bibles.

Donations to the Tabitha Ministry are received and receipted by World Gospel Mission. Donations can be mailed to World Gospel Mission, 3783 East State Road 18, Marion, Indiana 46952-0948. Attach a note indicating that the donation should support the work of the Tabitha Ministry in Kenya.

You may also give on-line at www.wgm.org/spriegel (select “donate” on the sidebar to select the project of your choice).

Contact Us

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Linda Spriegel can be contacted by e-mail at: john.spriegel@wgm.org.

In Kenya, her mailing address is: P.O. Box 39, Bomet - 20400, Kenya.

World Gospel Mission, which receives and receipts donations on behalf of the Tabitha Ministry is located at 3783 East State Road 18, Marion, Indiana 46952-0948.

Thanksgiving Visit in Kenya

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Before you saw our faces, you sent the Word to us! Thank you so much for bringing Bible studies to our area. - Regina

Now our church is growing strong because of what we are learning in the Bible studies. - Jane

Regina and Jane shared these heartfelt words this week with us when they came to visit, along with four other women leaders and the church district pastors' leader. The group arrived three

hours late, because of the difficulty finding transportation on market day. Some came by taxis, some by motorcycle taxis, from Changina, a six-hour walk from Tenwek. Their purpose? Expressing thanks for the Word of God that is burning in their hearts from women's Bible studies started in their area this year.

It all started a few years ago when Betty was chased away from her home by her husband. In the village to which she fled, far from her home, a Tabitha women's Bible study was meeting. She joined it and found much encouragement and nourishment in the fellowship and in the Word. So when she returned to her husband's village last year, she started a Bible study. Now that study has grown to three studies in three villages, and the excitement is growing. Betty walks six hours each Friday to meet with Center Leader Gladys, to study the Word with leaders from other places, and then returns home to teach her leaders, who then teach their own studies.

Pastor Joel Rop, the district leader in her area, thanks God for Betty and her passion for the Word of God. He had long prayed for God to do a big work in his area, and he sees that these Bible studies are lighting people on fire for God.

You or I would not probably pick Betty to start a new outreach. She is one of the poorest leaders we have, not even having money for a taxi. But you don't notice her humble attire, because of the joy she radiates as she speaks about the Lord. She truly loves Jesus and His Word and wants other women to love Him like she does. Pastor Joel has worked with her local church to find a place for Betty to live, and land to farm. In God's grace, the unheard of has happened. Although Betty's husband is not around, when church leaders approached her husband's unsaved father, he agreed to give up one acre for Betty to farm and to live on. Tabitha Ministry is working with the local church to get corn planted, and a house built for Betty. And Betty came to say "thank-you."

Of course the real thanks goes to God, who sees the needs of his people and hears their cries. Cries for spiritual nourishment and revival. Cries for a home to live in and food to eat. And thanks also goes to you who are partnering in the Tabitha ministry. To God be the glory!

God's Word gives HOPE

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After two years in Acts, we have completed this series of Bible studies in our village Bible studies. Eighty-nine lessons, and 89 memory verses later, many women have been encouraged by studying the early church and the life of Paul. Jane, a new contact from a Bible study about an hour away, visited me recently, to express her thanks to God for these studies. She has experienced a lot of hardship in her life, including two bad marriages, a daughter with a brain tumor, other illnesses, and on-going poverty. She said she had not imagined there ever existed someone with problems as bad as hers, until she read about Paul's life and ministry. Through these studies she has found great encouragement in the Lord. In her words, "Now I have found hope. I am so thankful." This is just one testimony among hundreds of women feeding on God's Word each week.

(Side note: Last month the second most frequent cause for admission on Tenwek's medical ward was suicide attempts. These people really need to know the HOPE in Jesus!)

The God of ENCOURAGEMENT

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Joyce is a young widow with five children. She and her son Immanuel have HIV and are taking medication for it. After many years of loose living, she came to know the Lord three years ago. She now loves the Lord, and is trying to teach her children to follow Him. She visits us each week and we like to visit her, too. Julia and Immanuel, the son holding the Frisbee, are especially good friends and play soccer together whenever they have a chance.

She has received a house, cow, food, chickens, fencing, and field work from Tabitha Ministry. Her cow is now providing milk for her family, when it is well; Joyce has just harvested her beans, and she is caring for her family of four boys and one girl as best she can. But each week she struggles with health issues, a rebellious son, general poverty issues, and jealous family members.

Pray for encouragement from the Lord and other believers for Joyce.

Pray for Dennis, her oldest son, in 8th grade. He can be helpful, but he has a temper and gets into trouble because of it. Pray that he'll turn his whole heart to the Lord.

Pray for good health for Joyce and her children.

Pray for regular Christian fellowship for Joyce.

A Wife's Answered Prayer

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Anna is a vibrant woman of faith whom we met in 2007. She was part of one of our women’s Bible studies and had earned her own Bible, and came to us because of family and health problems. She was found to be HIV + and began medical treatment. At that time she was regularly visiting her husband in jail. Her neighbors couldn’t understand her commitment to him when he treated her so poorly. He was an alcoholic who never provided for his family, got in fights and womanized in the nearest town. She insisted that she loved him and was praying for him. We worked with her church to build her a house in 2008 and later she received a cow through our gift cow program. Her husband, Philip, recognized God’s love for his family, but didn’t change his ways. What a joy to return to Kenya in August and meet a new man! About a year ago Philip turned to the Lord and has found strength in Him to leave his old lifestyle. He has resurrected his carpenter skills and is providing for his family through this means. Praise God for the prayers of this faithful loving wife and for God’s work in their family.

Meet Betty

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Betty was one of the early members of Linda's Bible study which grew to become the Tabitha ministry. God gave her victory over alcohol and a changed life. Thinking about how to help her become independent, it became apparent she needed a home of her own. As we ventured out into helping her build a mud hut, we learned a lot about "mudding" and the housing for widows component of the Tabitha was launched.Betty has been a real inspiration to the Tabitha ministry. She has become a good family friend.

Bible Study Ministries

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Word of the Bible study spread, and by June 2006 fifty women were gathering for the weekly Bible study. At this time the study was divided into five village groups. The leaders and their assistants continued meeting with Linda, Peris and Sammary each week to study and pray together. Then they took the studies to their village groups. And these studies multiplied.

By June of the next year, fifty leaders were meeting with Linda, so another tier of leadership was added. “Overall leaders” were appointed from the various regions and currently fifteen areas send their leader and her assistant to Tenwek each week for the core Bible study. These ladies walk up to three hours one way to participate in the leaders’ study. These overall leaders each go teach their group of leaders, who then each teach their local groups. In this way, about one thousand women meet each week in eighty studies, to study God’s Word and pray together. Women are hungry for the Word of God!! Individuals, families and churches are being strengthened as God’s Word is studied and applied.

In June and July of 2008, short-termer Julie Ganey prepared Bible studies on the Book of Acts for the coming year. So during this year of Home Ministry Assignment in the US for the Spriegels, Peris is teaching the weekly overall leaders’ study. God continues to bless the ministry of His Word.

We work hard to connect these studies with the local churches. Each study must have a local pastor counselor. Each time a new leader is appointed, their pastor must affirm them. Local problems are resolved locally, with input from the pastors of the women involved. We meet periodically with pastors and Bible study leaders of the various areas, to fellowship and talk together. The pastors and Bible study leaders develop lists of needy people in their area and priorities for helping them, working with Tabitha. It is a joy to see them empowered and growing in working together for the good of God’s kingdom.

How Tabitha started

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In June 2005, John and Linda Spriegel moved to Tenwek, Kenya with their three children, Rebecca, Julia and Joel, following God’s call to join the ongoing ministry of compassion at Tenwek Hospital. Linda, loving to teach the Bible, had prayed for a small group of women with whom she could share her heart and God’s Word. In December 2005, she began a Bible study with three Kenyan women, studying the Gospel of Luke. Peris and Sammary, Linda’s househelpers, became invaluable partners and leaders in the ministry in the months that followed. We had no idea the plans God had for this Bible study.

The Church had been established on these hillsides around Tenwek years before. But the believers needed more in-depth teaching of the Word of God. Women who knew the Lord were hungry to study His Word. From the beginning, the study groups were open to women of any denomination who were seeking God, and this has been a strength of the movement.

Women with their new Bibles

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Ladies joyfully display their new Bibles which they earned by memorizing 17 verses and attending their local Bible study.

Welcome to Tabitha!

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Welcome to Tabitha Kenya! We are creating this blog to let people know about God's work in the Tabitha Ministry in western Kenya where thousands of women are learning God's word and reaching out to poor women in their communities. Please put up with our growing pains. This is the first blog we have ever posted.