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<p priest

CHRISTIAN 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 of

Nairobi, which is rather windy and cool, but at the same time quite dry. The
inhabitants of the Melili area are Masai who have herds of cattle, goats and
sheep. 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 from
the roof and use it for cooking and washing. Other water is brought to us by
our 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 immedi
ate area.

Our floor is hard-packed dirt, and we have cardboard over wooden

plank walls.

Every day we spend a couple of hours with a helper, a Masai speaker who
also knows some English. After this period of instruction, we memorize what
we 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 time

walking since only a few people live close to us.

Three and a half miles to the north of us is the Melili village where we

can purchase soda pop, flour, corn meal, lanterns, blankets, sugar, tea, coffee,

etc.

We try to visit this market at leas

once a

week in order to talk with the

many people there.

For five weeks this summer, in July apd August, we will be taking some orienta
tion courses at Daystar Communications in Nairobi. Our entry permits into Kenya
were obtained through Daystar, which is a research and training institution for
missions throughout Africa. After that tipe we hope to return to Melili for several
more months in order to become more profic Lent in Masai.

Then we will concentrate

on surveys and locating a place to work.

We want to thank you for your prayers on our behalf and on the behalf of our
Both of us are well, although Robyn did have a bad case of
measles at the end of January. A source o f inspiration to us is Revelations 14:6.
other missionaries.

We hope that it also speaks to you:

iBtid ai^^jand

-^'ThenHt

to proclaim to those who live on ea th - to every nation, tribe, language

and people."
In His love,

0OU^ OtMi
Doug and Robyn Priest

CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY FCLLO^HIP

Nonprofit Organization
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P.O.BOX 26306, INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA 46226

PAID

Permit No. 2975

Indianapolis, Indiana

12

MR RICHARD L BOURME
BOX

177

KEMPTON
ADDRESS CORRtCTlON REQUESTED

IN 46049

Christian missionary fellowship - east africa

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

language and culture learning.

ing on the language for

reasonable to check and

We've been work-

to-

iH
n-TrawiaBlMiWW^MEwV

four months now so it is

report on our progress.

There is also the job of completing our monthly

expenditures report.

We need to know how much we

have^spent and where. The funds we use here in Kenya are not ours; they are the

Lord s, graciously given by His people. Responsibility is important. And my

journal 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 and
test. _It has rained every day and our water barrels are full and overflowing. It
ts qutte cold and raining this afternoon and, because of our "capacity" water
sztuatvon, ^t ^s a pleasure^ to fix chai (tea) for two of our warHor friends who
have stopped by, replete with spears, braided ochred hair and other meaninoful
decorations.

With all of this to do I am sitting here, listening to the radio. The Voice of
Kenya radio station has just finished an informative program; 1979 marks the 50th
anniversary 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 the

son of missionary parents here in East Africa. The Kenya National Museum is fa
mous around the world for their work in archeology and prehistory, much of which

I had the chance to study back in college days in Oregon. Many historical arti
There are also large collections of plants and animals. The

facts can be seen.

insect collection, for example, has millions of specimens.

Monday, Doug and I walked up to Orgose, which took us an hour and a quarter (for
the 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 a
strc^ bag she gave us several pounds of potatoes, as a gift. As we thanked her
profusely and resumed our walk, it began to hail.

Our task as missionaries

here

in

is

Kenya

to

come to know about our adopted

country and her people. Though we have b^en here for almost six months we really
know only a little of Kenya.
Our learning of the Maasai language and culture is
going well but we know precious little about the many other tribes, let alone
birds, reptiles or mammalsI And this knowledge is important as our Gospel com
munication 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 recently
at the openi/ng ceremony for the new tpcat dispensary a few days previous. A

Maasai man^ Isack ole Katamoke, knows no ^ngtish but has conveyed real friendship
and personality to us. We told him we would come to his hotel for lunch and when
we arrived^ it was to a mutually warm greeting. As it rained outside so that we

were 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 had

good company* When Doug tried to pay for the meal^ they stoutly refused and
there was no refusing them. They made it known that it was their gift to us. And
before our departure Isack disappeared into the back room only to reappear with

several more pounds of potatoes for our already full bag. Anol^er gift.' We have
so moDh more than they do^ yet Chey give s

t year. How we could use more hours in

Lbility
for this year is just learning.
respond

There is so much to learn in this our firs

the dayI I am glad that our major

I think we received much more than potatoes and a free meal that day. We really
believe that not only are we getting a good foundation in the language but the

chance to know people^

learn their ways \\pnd leam a lot about ourselves in the

meantime.

"Oh God,

help us to learn more

and

more about the people and their way of life

here in Kenya. We want to share the (b<5od News of Jesus with them but we want
them to understand what we shall share.

Give us patience

to not try to teach or

evangelize right now until we know how to communicate Your truths so that the
Maasai speakers can understand what we are trying to say.
Jesus talked of fish
ing and farming so that His hearers cou!Ld understand. Help us to do the same
rather than talking abour our irrelevant backgrounds of elevators or Easter
dresses or bus ministries or seminars, good as they were back in the U.S. Thank
you, God."
In His love,

6/79

P. 0. Box 44400
Nairobi, Kenya

Nonprofit OrgMiization

CHWSTIAN MISSIONARY FLLOW5HIP

U. S. Pofliag*

P.'J.UOX TbiOfc. INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA 46226

PAID
PwmH No. 2975

Indianapolis, Indiana

ADURL'j'j COHRtCTION REQUESTED

12

MR RICHARD L BOURNE

BOX !i77
KEMPTON

in 46049

<P priest
CHRISTIAN 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 with
the Gentiles it is very helpful for missionaries to observe his methods of com

munication.
In the book of Acts, chapter 17, we have a clue to some of Paul's
techniques. He was speaking to pagan scholars and philosophers and he proceeded
to quote from some of their poets (vs. 28).
And then in I Corinthians 9, we can read, "While working with the Jews I live
like a Jew in order to win them," and "I become all things to all men that I may
save some of them by any means possible," (vs. 20, 22 TEV).
Missionaries
must
exhibit the same characteristics

is

the

task

of

the

that the apostle Paul

did

to the Gentiles.

It

missionary to know his people so well that he can identify

with them.

Missionary identification takes place

at many levels: physical identifica-

^i^qn; such as

Robyn bowing

her head

when she greets a Maasai who is older

than she is; language identification;
the reason we have spent nearly a
year working on the
Maasai lang
uage; and thought identification,
or
coming to know the way the Maasai
mind works.

For the past few weeks we have been collecting and trying to master forms of un
written Maasai literature so that we shall be able to identify more closely with

our 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,

i t will be important t6 know and use these forms of speaking.

The collection of proverbs has been most

proverbs that shall become excellent
the Bible. See if these Maasai proverbs
a child; the tongue causes a fire; and a

rewarding.
We were happy to find some
starting points for establishing trust in
sound familiar:
use a stick in raising
man who has a good wife is as fortunate

as a man with a precious stone.

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

r-

As the year draws to a close pleas^pray:

\
I

1)
2)

that God will guide us in locating

the area here he wants us to serve,
that our knowledge of the Maasai people will continue to grow,

3)

in thanksgiving to our loving Heavenly

Father

for

His guidance through

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

Have a Merry Christ-

a year of language study and culture learning.

In His love.

0Oii^ O/mI
Christian Missionary Fellowship

11/79

P.

0. Box 44400

Nairobi, Kenya

CHRISTIAN MISSONAPY FaOWSHIP

Nonprofit Organization
U. S. Postage

P.O.BOX leJOt. iNQiiNAPOLfS, INDIANA 4622f

PAID

12

Permit No. 2975

y\R RICHA?.D L

(&)
oODfitSS C:iCIRtCTiW =E'OUESTeo

:!0X

Indianaooiis, I'^diana

177
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