" <p priestCHRISTIAN MISSIONARY FELLOWSHIP. P.O.BOX 2630e. INDtANAPOLIS. INDIANA 46226

February/March 1979

Melili is the name of an area, 8500 feet in elevation, to the west ofNairobi, which is rather windy and cool, but at the same time quite dry. Theinhabitants of the Melili area are Masai who have herds of cattle, goats andsheep. However, unlike other Masai groups, they also raise corn, potatoes,and wheat.

During the first part of February,

ers come from this church and school.

A group from the Masai

Our home is modest but comfortable. We catch any rain water we can fromthe roof and use it for cooking and washing. Other water is brought to us byour fellow missionary, Garry Brock. There is no electricity or paved roads,although we do utilize a local "taxi" service when we need to leave the immediate area. Our floor is hard-packed dirt, and we have cardboard over woodenplank walls.

Every day we spend a couple of hours with a helper, a Masai speaker whoalso knows some English. After this period of instruction, we memorize whatwe have heard through mimicry and then go out into the community and practice,;Our daily motto is "Learn a little; use it a lot." We spend a lot of timewalking since only a few people live close to us.

Three and a half miles to the north of us is the Melili village where wecan purchase soda pop, flour, corn meal, lanterns, blankets, sugar, tea, coffee,

etc. We try to visit this market at leasmany people there.

once a week in order to talk with the

For five weeks this summer, in July apd August, we will be taking some orientation courses at Daystar Communications in Nairobi. Our entry permits into Kenyawere obtained through Daystar, which is a research and training institution formissions throughout Africa. After that tipe we hope to return to Melili for severalmore months in order to become more proficon surveys and locating a place to work.

We want to thank you for your prayersother missionaries. Both of us are well,measles at the end of January. A source oWe hope that it also speaks to you:

Lent in Masai. Then we will concentrate

on our behalf and on the behalf of our

although Robyn did have a bad case off inspiration to us is Revelations 14:6.

-^'ThenHt iBtidai^^j—andth - to every nation, tribe, languageto proclaim to those who live on ea

and people."

In His love,

0OU^ OtMiDoug and Robyn Priest

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MR RICHARD L BOURMEBOX 177

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Prayer Newsletter, July/August, 1979

Taken from Doug's journal, June 3, 1979

I have a lot to do this afternoon. It is time to *write an evaluation report on our first "term" of iHlanguage and culture learning. We've been work- to- n-TrawiaBlMiWW^MEwVing on the language for four months now so it isreasonable to check and report on our progress.There is also the job of completing our monthlyexpenditures report. We need to know how much wehave^spent and where. The funds we use here in Kenya are not ours; they are theLord s, graciously given by His people. Responsibility is important. And myjournal is about one week behind.

Taken from Robyn's letter^ Aprils 1979

I mstopping to wvite this tetter after tunch and the morning grammar lessons andtest. _It has rained every day and our water barrels are full and overflowing. Itts qutte cold and raining this afternoon and, because of our "capacity" watersztuatvon, ^t ^s a pleasure^ to fix chai (tea) for two of our warHor friends whohave stopped by, replete with spears, braided ochred hair and other meaninofuldecorations.

With all of this to do I am sitting here, listening to the radio. The Voice ofKenya radio station has just finished an informative program; 1979 marks the 50thanniversary of the Kenya National Museum, the largest museum in all of Africa.This museum got started by Louis Leakey, the famous scientist who was also theson of missionary parents here in East Africa. The Kenya National Museum is famous around the world for their work in archeology and prehistory, much of whichI had the chance to study back in college days in Oregon. Many historical artifacts can be seen. There are also large collections of plants and animals. Theinsect collection, for example, has millions of specimens.

Monday, Doug and I walked up to Orgose, which took us an hour and a quarter (forthe 3 rmles). We were invited to tea at the proprietor's, a big Maasai woman,who has to children and a kind face. After we bought some coffee, rice and astrc^ bag she gave us several pounds of potatoes, as a gift. As we thanked herprofusely and resumed our walk, it began to hail.

Our task as missionaries here in Kenya is to come to know about our adoptedcountry and her people. Though we have b^en here for almost six months we reallyknow only a little of Kenya. Our learning of the Maasai language and culture isgoing well but we know precious little about the many other tribes, let alonebirds, reptiles or mammalsI And this knowledge is important as our Gospel communication has to be clothed in relevant and human language and illustrations.

Vie had met the owner of the Green Label Hotel on several ooQasi.onSy most recentlyat the openi/ng ceremony for the new tpcat dispensary a few days previous. AMaasai man^ Isack ole Katamoke, knows no ^ngtish but has conveyed real friendshipand personality to us. We told him we would come to his hotel for lunch and whenwe arrived^ it was to a mutually warm greeting. As it rained outside so that wewere unable to hear ourselves speakj at timesy we ate fried scrambled eggs^ chai^and chapatis, Wtile we ate several Maasai- men and boys found shelter and we hadgood company* When Doug tried to pay for the meal^ they stoutly refused andthere was no refusing them. They made it known that it was their gift to us. Andbefore our departure Isack disappeared into the back room only to reappear withseveral more pounds of potatoes for our already full bag. Anol^er gift.' We haveso moDh more than they do^ yet Chey give s

There is so much to learn in this our firs

the dayI I am glad that our major respondt year. How we could use more hours inLbility for this year is just learning.

I think we received much more than potatoes and a free meal that day. We reallybelieve that not only are we getting a good foundation in the language but thechance to know people^ learn their ways \\pnd leam a lot about ourselves in themeantime.

"Oh God, help us to learn more and more about the people and their way of lifehere in Kenya. We want to share the (b<5od News of Jesus with them but we wantthem to understand what we shall share. Give us patience to not try to teach orevangelize right now until we know how to communicate Your truths so that theMaasai speakers can understand what we are trying to say. Jesus talked of fishing and farming so that His hearers cou!Ld understand. Help us to do the samerather than talking abour our irrelevant backgrounds of elevators or Easterdresses or bus ministries or seminars, good as they were back in the U.S. Thankyou, God."

6/79

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In His love,

A P. 0. Box 44400

Nairobi, Kenya

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MR RICHARD L BOURNEBOX !i77KEMPTON in 46049

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<P priestCHRISTIAN MISSIONARY FELLOWSHIP. P C 80x 2M06. INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA 46226

November/December, 1979

Dear Friends:

Because the apostle Paul spent most of his Christian life sharing the gospel withthe Gentiles it is very helpful for missionaries to observe his methods of communication. In the book of Acts, chapter 17, we have a clue to some of Paul'stechniques. He was speaking to pagan scholars and philosophers and he proceededto quote from some of their poets (vs. 28).

And then in I Corinthians 9, we can read, "While working with the Jews I livelike a Jew in order to win them," and "I become all things to all men that I maysave some of them by any means possible," (vs. 20, 22 TEV). Missionaries mustexhibit the same characteristics that the apostle Paul did to the Gentiles. Itis the task of the missionary to know his people so well that he can identifywith them.

Missionary identification takes placeat many levels: physical identifica-^i^qn; such as Robyn bowing her headwhen she greets a Maasai who is olderthan she is; language identification;the reason we have spent nearly ayear working on the Maasai language; and thought identification, orcoming to know the way the Maasaimind works.

For the past few weeks we have been collecting and trying to master forms of unwritten Maasai literature so that we shall be able to identify more closely withour neighbors. We have gathered stories, wise sayings, songs, children's sayings,-riddles and proverbs. As we look forward to sharing the gospel with the Maasai,it will be important t6 know and use these forms of speaking.

The collection of proverbs has been most rewarding. We were happy to find someproverbs that shall become excellent starting points for establishing trust inthe Bible. See if these Maasai proverbs sound familiar: use a stick in raisinga child; the tongue causes a fire; and a man who has a good wife is as fortunateas a man with a precious stone.

In the next months we shall be busy surveying various sections of Maasai land andSamburu land (the Samburu are "cousins" of the Maasai). After these surveys weshall secure permission to locate in one of these areas and begin evangelizing.

✓

As the year draws to a close pleas^pray:\ 1) that God will guide us in locating the area here he wants us to serve,

I 2) that our knowledge of the Maasai people will continue to grow,3) in thanksgiving to our loving Heavenly Father for His guidance through

a year of language study and culture learning.

r-

We thank you for your concern and love for us here in Kenya,mas and a Happy New Year.

In His love.

Have a Merry Christ-

11/79

0Oii^ O/mIChristian Missionary FellowshipP. 0. Box 44400

Nairobi, Kenya

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(&)oODfitSS C:iCIRtCTiW =E'OUESTeo

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y\R RICHA?.D L:!0X 177<e^pton

N h6049

i t I97i

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