CMS Ireland Ronnie and Maggie Briggs

Full Circle

2017-10-21T00:00:00Z

Sadly, food distribution during drought and famine has become a more regular feature for the Diocese of Kajiado. It seems that every three or four years, another drought looms ahead for the Maasai people – and every now and then a particularly severe one brings untold suffering and hardship. 2017 has proved to be one of those years.

Thankfully we have a number of partners across the world who are willing and able to support us with this difficult work – and we are always grateful to CMSI for its continued support in prayer and in practical help. Our Bishop – Gaddiel Lenini – is conscious that food distribution should not be carried out just because we can do it. Rather, it’s part of the mission of the Church to reach out to all those who are in need – both physically and spiritually.

The most difficult part of our distribution process is how to actually decide who receives the food aid and who doesn’t. Making these arbitrary decisions can have a huge impact on many people’s lives – and we are not necessarily aware of it. Often we carry out a restocking programme as well so that the herds of sheep and goats that have been devastated by drought can begin to be replaced.

So, in 2012 there was a drought and a food distribution and restocking process was in place. The Development Team – led by Ven Naftaly – went to a place near Oltiasika called Olbili to give out some food. As part of the preparation process we visited all the distribution sites beforehand to hold discussions with the local church leaders and elders, so that when the day arrived we had a list of names of those to be helped. By calling people out by their names gives them a sense of dignity at a time when they are in severe need. Treating people with respect is a major part of how we go about this process.

So, the distribution was going along well in Olbili when one of the local leaders came up to Naftaly and told him about a certain lady who lived nearby, but wasn’t on the list for the day. However, she was HIV positive, lived alone and was very sick – could she be helped with at least one goat and a little food? The team decided to go and see her themselves and finally they did help her with some food and three goats. She was called Mariamu (Miriam) Sabore and needless to say she was very thankful.

Scroll forward to 2017 and here we are again in a severe drought situation and a distribution was being set up within the Oltiasika Centre for more than 100 families. And who was standing in the background – Mariamu! We called her forward to ask her how come she was here – and this is what she said:

When I received my support in 2012 I was very sick and didn’t expect to live for very much longer. When I received the food and the goats I couldn’t believe it. These people preached to me by their actions!

The three goats soon multiplied and Mariamu was able to sell some, allowing her to buy food and pay for the necessary medicines to keep her alive. When she began to feel a bit better she moved up to Oltiasika with her sister when she married. On arrival in Oltiasika she looked for a church to attend and insisted on going to the Anglican Church (ACK) because of her experiences in 2012.

Mariamu is not completely better, she is still sick. Her life was made better by what happened to her – and she is still alive today to testify to a very practical Gospel.

Someone once said, ‘Preach the Gospel at all times – and if necessary use words.’ This just hits the nail on the head!

How do you know when you're home?

2017-08-29T00:00:00Z

We returned back home to Kenya last week. Our journey began in Banbridge at 3.30am and ended in Isinya at 12 midnight the same day. When we arrived, we greatly appreciated the bed which was already made up and food in the cupboard, so ours was just to have some tea and toast and fall into bed, which we managed without delay!

In the compound where we live, we are immediately immersed in the rural sounds of the nocturnal bushbabies shrieking in the trees, the early morning cock crowing and the bleats of sheep on our veranda. The familiar smells of a charcoal fire burning; the dust constantly swirling in the wind and the freshness of cutting into a ripe mango… and so, life goes on – everything is different and nothing has changed!

Even though we have gone through this transition many times between Ireland and Kenya, it still takes time to process the changes. Yet on arrival at either destination, one thing is always constant and that is the warmth of welcome that awaits us, which helps us to feel at home very quickly.

Our challenge is to match the pace of life where we find ourselves and travel at the same speed as everyone else, so we are living life together and making the most of it. This is possible because of the depth of the friendships that we have with the people amongst whom we live and work. It’s not the fact that we have made the transition many times before that makes it easier, but rather it’s relationships that make it easier. Developing deep relationships over the long term is what makes Mission Partner service such a privilege.

Yet ours is a life of two very different halves and we are indeed privileged to have two countries where we feel so much at home and able to live within two cultures. It has taken some adjustment this time to come from N Ireland where it has been so wet and green and people are asking where the summer went to. Whereas here in Kenya there has been no rain for many months, there is not a blade of grass to be seen, so all the animals are very thin and people are really struggling for food.

The Development Dept where we work is responsible for sourcing and distributing emergency food aid within the diocese. So that is the first challenge we will tackle as there is no time to lose. Please pray for us all as we try to prioritize the most needy areas and carry out this heart breaking work amongst people who are very vulnerable. More importantly, please pray for rain…and loads of it!

Blessed and Privileged

2017-05-15T00:00:00Z

It may be an unusual way of working, but the pattern we follow as Mission Partners is two years in Kajiado and then four months in Ireland for Home Assignment. It takes about two months of preparation with all the staff in Kajiado to ensure that our various roles will continue while we’re away, Sometimes, only the promise of a phone call or an email will actually make it possible. All Mission Partners face the same issues when ‘leave’ finally comes around.

Of course, Home Assignment is an invaluable part of the Mission Partner role. There are many churches across Ireland that have invested considerable resources – both prayers and finances. It’s important for them to hear the stories of what is happening in Kajiado and how God is using and blessing the work that we do.

Our life and work in Kenya sees challenges and blessings in equal measure, with frustrations thrown in as well. But knowing that there are churches across Ireland praying for us on any given Sunday makes it much easier to cope with. Thank you to everyone who has participated in this partnership in any way.

We have really enjoyed meeting up with old friends and developing new friendships – with people who have a real interest in what is going on in Kajiado. It is humbling to hear how people support us in our work. It makes us realise that if it weren’t for people like these, we would not be able to live and work in Kajiado.

I have concluded that it is the fact that we are long-term Mission Partners that enables us to leave our work for four months and leave others to get on with it. There really is an important role for Mission Partners – in particular circumstances and with certain Global Partners – and we should continue to celebrate this aspect of mission involvement.

Long-term involvement in Kajiado has brought an incredible level of shared experience and respect for each other. Building up the necessary of trust with one another can take years of consistent involvement – but the results bring significant transformation and change to both partners.

We are blessed and privileged to be working as Mission Partners in Kajiado and are looking forward to getting back again in July to see what the Lord has in store for us for the next two years. Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us that ‘There is a time for everything’ and in verse 14, we read:

I know that everything God does will endure for ever, nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it.

Thankfully our God knows best!

Who is my neighbour?

2016-12-20T00:00:00Z

Let me introduce you to the three people in the photo. Standing beside the tractor is Nchukut – he works with us in Oltiasika and especially helps with looking after all our visitors. Sitting on the driver’s seat is Juma – he is our recently employed driver for our very old tractor. Sitting on the mud guard is David – he looks after our livestock in Oltiasika. Both David and Nchukut have worked in Oltiasika for many years and are trusted members of the local community here, while Juma is new to us.

One Sunday afternoon Nchukut – who lives at Oltiasika – went to visit David in his village: a place called Lemasusu, which is about 11kms from Oltiasika along the line of the Chyulu hills. Normally people walk along a well trodden path from Oltiasika to Lemasusu, but for some reason Nchukut followed a different path which went up into the hills and circled round and then down to Lemasusu. Afterwards, when we asked him why he took that path he simply shrugged his shoulders and said that God led him that way!

Anyway, as Nchukut travelled along this path, he became aware of sounds of someone groaning just off the path, but hidden in the thick bush. He stopped to investigate and came across a man lying amongst the leaves and barely conscious. The man was Juma and his leg was very badly swollen just above the ankle and had obviously become badly infected during the time he had been lying there.

David and Nchukut are Maasai born and raised here in Oltiasika. Juma is an Mkamba, which is a neighbouring tribe living on the other side of the hills from the Maasai. There is a history between the Maasai and the Wakamba which goes back for generations and the relationship between them has not always been cordial, let’s say! There has always been a distinct mistrust between the two tribes.

However, Nchukut immediately took control of the situation. He picked Juma up and they both hobbled back to his small village. They found Juma’s wife in terrible distress as she didn’t know where he was nor what had happened to him.

Juma had been out cutting firewood and fallen onto a sharp branch which cut deeply into his leg and trapped him where he fell. He was unconscious for some time and when he came too he was in such pain he couldn’t move. As he tried to rest, the wound began to swell and he was unable to stand. He thought to just stay where he was until he regained sufficient strength to try and make it back to his village. However, he just became weaker and weaker and finally fell into a semi-unconscious state. And so he stayed that way until Nchukut found him three days later – so weak he was almost dead.

When Nchukut brought him back to his village, he gave Juma’s wife Ksh100/- (about 80p – which was all he had) to buy some food and help him to get some medical treatment. Nchukut them went on to get David and between them they carried Juma back to our Centre in Oltiasika, to find the local Doctor and to begin administering some first aid. Juma was very sick for some weeks but in the end he came back to full health – although he still has a limp.

When we needed a driver for our tractor, Nchukut mentioned that Juma was a driver and that he needed work to help care for his family – and so here he is.

In Luke 10, Jesus shares the Parable of the Good Samaritan in response to the question: ‘Who is my neighbour?’ The answer is quite clear – ‘whoever needs my help is my neighbour.’ The challenge in v37 is also clear: _‘Jesus replied, “Go, then, and do likewise.”’

Nchukut and David have lived out these words in a very practical way. It is my hope that I would do the same in similar circumstances. Maybe we should all try to do something practical over this Christmas season…

M & M on the Training Trail!

2016-06-03T00:00:00Z

It was a bright Monday morning in Oltiasika as seven local Maasai ladies made their way up the hill to the Retreat Centre called Osinoni Hideaway, for a training seminar.
It looked like the first day of school as they were somewhat shy and awkward. However, for some of them, they had not experienced a first school day, as they had never set foot in school in their lives. For others, they had only been educated for a few years at Primary level, before dropping out of the system. Consequently most of them could neither read nor write.
They were welcomed by Maria and myself. Maria had been recruited in 2004 to Osinoni Hideaway and trained up and after we returned to N.Ireland, she moved on to another job. She is presently employed by a Lion Conservation Project where our son Philip also works. She had now returned to her original home area to train these new ladies how to work in the Retreat Centre. She saw this as a way to say thank you for the chance she had received in life as a result of her training and also to help encourage the women of her own community.
Our family has known Maria since she was a little girl as she used to play with our eldest daughter, Susie when we lived at Oltiasika from 1987 – 90. Twenty years later, when Susie was studying Social Anthropology in Queens University, she returned to Oltiasika to complete her dissertation on the effects of education on Maasai girls, and Maria helped her obtain her information as they both travelled around the villages, interviewing the girls. Now, here was the same Maria helping me many years later…….
It was challenging to teach these women without anything being written down, so it was all practical learning. However, within a short time they had all gelled together as they made beds, prepared rooms and cooked some ‘strange’ food, like pasta and mincemeat which they had never even seen before! It was such a joy to watch them find something in themselves that they never knew existed.
In our final session, we shared the verse with them from Proverbs 3v5,6. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.”
They felt this verse was very relevant as they had so little understanding of what they were doing at first. However, as we prayed at the beginning and end of each day, so God did direct their paths and lead them to better understanding.
After 3 days, they left as a group of happily chattering ladies, with new-found knowledge and Maria had also been greatly blessed through her teaching. Now, as we await our first group of visitors – a team of 30+ from Limavady Grammar School – I have no doubt these women will give of their best to make them feel welcome. May God bless all their efforts and give them a real sense of being valued.

Real forgiveness

2016-03-12T00:00:00Z

In traditional Maasai culture to forgive is to really forgive. The Maasai believe that, as we are human, we are likely to fall into sin at some time or other – almost as if it is inevitable. There is therefore, a well-defined structure to deal with this when it arises. If someone commits a crime it is difficult to hide and eventually that person will be caught. The Maasai are still very much an oral community and everything is talked about at great length, and when a crime is committed it becomes a very hot topic.

So, the person who committed the crime will soon be found out. When this happens then the Elders meet to discuss the issue. The family of the person who has committed the crime is called, along with the family of the victim of the crime.

When a crime is committed amongst the Maasai community it is a crime against the whole family and not just to an individual, so it is the families that face each other in front of the Elders. As the details of the crime unfold the person who committed it will be asked if he is indeed the guilty one. Then in front of his family, the family of the victim and the gathered Elders, he will admit to the crime, beg forgiveness for it, explain that it is not something that he would normally do and promise not to do it again.

The Elders will then discuss what the penalty should be – usually in terms of giving the victim’s family a number of goats or cattle, depending on the severity of the crime. Once this is agreed then another meeting will be held and the agreed payment will be made to the victim’s family and then the person who committed the crime will be forgiven in this public setting.

The significant part of all of this is that once this happens the crime will be forgotten completely by all concerned – as if it never happened in the first place. I found that part to be the most intriguing. How can you actually forget that it never happened? I have even heard of situations where the person who committed the crime, and the victim, have become firm friends through the process and remained life-long friends afterwards. I found that quite amazing. When I reflect back over the years I found that in many cases, even after I have either been forgiven or have forgiven someone, it has been hard to forget, and the perceived wrong would still impact the quality of the relationship – for years afterwards.

After considering this for some time I was struck quite forcefully by the words of Isaiah 43:25:

I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.

When God says our sins are forgiven He actually means they will be ‘remembered no more.’ This is different from just ‘forgetting’. If I forget something then there is a possibility that in some circumstances, I may remember again, and that indeed has been my experience. However, ‘remembering no more’ is something much different – it is a conscious decision to remove the issue from my mind as if it had never happened. Understanding how this works in the Maasai community has helped me to understand a great biblical truth.

For the first time, I have truly come to understand the depth of God’s forgiveness – and therefore the depth of his love.

As Easter approaches, the theme of forgiveness is a priority for many and will certainly be part of our reflections here in Kajiado.

Over the hills and far away...

2016-02-20T00:00:00Z

After our ‘big day’ of prayers for the new work that is going on in our Centre at Oltiasika (17th February), Bishop Gaddiel gave us the challenge that if we could be thankful for the little we have been given, then God would bless us with abundance. The water tanks were blessed and prayed for and the new livestock pen was carefully prayed for as well. The challenge now was where to get 50 goats so that the new goat breeding programme could begin?

This was a commitment we made back in June 2015 when we had a big community meeting with all the local leaders, including the area MP and the Chiefs.

So, on a Friday morning, Luka and David started the journey. Off they went walking up the Chyulu Hills at the beginning of a 60km hike through tropical rain forest and savannah grasslands before coming to a dirt road where they would ride on a motorbike to the tarmac road. From here they would get into a Matatu (local taxi van that stops anywhere for anyone at anytime) to take them to the market at a place called Kaambo.

Exhausted, they stayed overnight in a small hotel and then awoke on Saturday morning to the colourful and noisy market that sells all kinds of livestock. After scrutinizing the available goats, they settled on a particular breed called Galla and selected 24 of them for purchase. After completing all the necessary paperwork they then started back on the same route but this time going the whole way on foot, herding the goats before them. They had to sleep in the bush on the way back to rest the goats but had to fight off an interested Hyena who thought to have an easy meal of fresh goat meat!

At about 5am on Sunday morning they started off again for the last leg back to the Centre and eventually arrived at about 10am. They were both completely exhausted and as soon as they stopped at our house all the goats lay down as if to say ‘enough is enough!’

We needed 50 goats but only managed 24 on the first visit to the market – so that means we will have to do the whole thing over again next week…

In community development activities, it is very important that any commitments made are fulfilled – this brings confidence to the community that is being served and so it was critical that we were able to fulfill our commitment to the goat breeding programme.

Not only is this important in community development terms but it is also important in terms of living out a Christian lifestyle. Both Luka and David are committed Christians and work hard in our local church Sunday by Sunday and they saw this very difficult and challenging safari on foot as part of their service to God. After it was all over they had this to say ‘Even though we are tired and sore after so many hours of walking, we are even more thankful that the trip was a success and we thank God that He was faithful to us from the beginning to the end.’

That was a challenge to me – how thankful am I to God when I see His hand in the difficult things in life, and to acknowledge the fact that God is concerned about me in even the smallest things that are going on in my life? Maybe I need to take a walk to the market…

A blessing...but not in disguise!

2016-01-27T00:00:00Z

Sunday 17th January 2016 began very early with the buzz of many people busying themselves to prepare a feast. Goats were slaughtered, buckets of potatoes and carrots were peeled, mountains of onions and tomatoes were prepared. Outside, massive saucepans you could bath a baby in, were sitting over open fires in readiness for the cooking to begin. 50kg of rice was bubbling away and the aroma of chapatis frying was tantalising!

Bishop Lenini had come to visit Oltiasika and there was much excitement as people began to arrive for a service with a difference. It began at the farm on the Centre, where a pen had been built to receive a new batch of goats. This was blessed by the bishop. He then moved on to a water tank, one of many which had just been repaired and now, following the heavy rain, was full to the brim with much needed water. He thanked God for the blessing of so much rain and prayed that these water tanks would provide many people with the precious gift of water.

We entered the church at around 12pm and the service began with just a handful of people. By the time it finished four hours later, there were about 400! It was an amazing experience to be part of such praise and worship with everyone singing, dancing and praying together. The bishop preached so fervently that many people were openly touched and it felt like the windows of heaven had opened and poured down a blessing on this tiny forgotten place in the Kenyan bush! His message was from Matthew 25:21

Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. (ESV)

For many years, this Centre at Oltiasika has had little attention or support. However, the few remaining staff have continued to be faithful with what little they had and now it is evident that God has plans to build it up and improve the quality of people’s lives and bring blessing to many in the area. This was a timely reminder to all of us that we should be thankful for the little we have and not always be looking for something bigger or better.

Everyone then trekked up the hill from the church to our new house. At this moment, the heavens did literally open and poured down rain! The bishop used his crook to knock on the door three times and we opened it to welcome him in. He then walked around the rooms sprinkling oil to bless our home and prayed that all who enter in would find a haven of rest. Then the feasting began and all went home to their villages well filled both physically and spiritually.

In the days after, the phrase we heard used the most was “we have never heard the gospel proclaimed so fervently, we couldn’t help but be blessed!”

Praise God for the opportunity to be involved in such an experience!

That moving feeling - again!

2015-11-22T00:00:00Z

At long last we have moved to Oltiasika! They say that after moving a number of times, it gets easier. I don’t know who ‘they’ are, but they clearly haven’t moved as many times as we have – we’ve lost count!

We didn’t have a removal lorry – the road is too bad for it to travel on. So, we loaded up the Land Cruiser – 5 times – and moved ourselves.

We are privileged to be able to live and work at Oltiasika as that is where we feel our calling to be. The local community has been very welcoming and on the day the final loaded Land Cruiser arrived, the women of the church called us to the church for prayer and thanksgiving. They then led us up to the veranda of the house and held more prayer for us and for the house, and for all those who will pass through its doors.

And then it rained! Rain is always a blessing here in Kenya – even though it causes severe disruption with the roads. We have an underground tank to catch the rain water from the roof and it was completely filled in one day’s rain. We also have solar for hot water and for electricity and for this we offer our grateful thanks.

For us to reach this point it has been an effort from a large number of people across Ireland and to you all we say a huge ‘thank you’. Without your help this would not have been possible and we pray that the Lord will bless all of you for your help and support. However, we do not have access to phone network so our mobile phones, and of course email, do not work. We can drive for about 10 minutes to a certain village and there we will find a weak signal to keep us in touch with family and friends.

We are living amongst a mainly Maasai population who are still very traditional in their lifestyle. They have much to teach us in terms of how to live as a supportive community and we look forward to being amongst them as we share our lives together.

To sit where they sit

2015-10-06T00:00:00Z

‘Four hundred people – how on earth will we feed them?’

We sat down together, with the local community leaders from Oltiasika and our church leaders, to plan a meeting where we would announce the diocese’s intentions for the Maasai Rural Training Centre (MRTC) at Oltiasika. This is the base where Maggie and I hope to work from for the next number of years.

Of course in Maasai culture, the women and men do not eat together! So, we had to set up three outdoor kitchens – one for the local women, one for the local men and one for the invited guests. Three sets of plates and cutlery, three sets of cooking utensils and all at a sufficient distance that they were not visible to one another.

This was the first time that anyone could remember the church and the community coming together to celebrate and plan for the future, to share ideas and to establish agreed objectives for the development of the whole community.

In Maasai culture people are very respectful of their leaders: what they say in a public setting will be how it works out. We were very thankful for the support all the leaders gave us – including the local Member of Parliament, who was born in the area and grew up knowing about the work of the centre. A new phase has been started now in Oltiasika and Bishop Gaddiel has been very influential in helping this process along.

In the end everybody was well fed and went away happy with the day’s work. So, how did we get to this stage of enjoying the support of all the local community?

• It has been a matter of prayer over the past number of years.
• Bishop Gaddiel was willing to take the risk to place us there.
• The local community has a real desire to move forward with their development and they see the church as the best way to do this.

For us, we have been challenged by the words in Ezekiel 3:15 (KJV)…

Then I came to the captives at Tel Aviv, who lived by the River Kebar, and I sat there where they sat seven days, causing consternation among them.

‘To sit where they sit’ has been a real key for us. To take the time to talk to a wide range of people in the community, to listen to their concerns and to share ideas on how we can go about dealing with these issues – not just throwing money at the problems in order to fix them. To make time for people, no matter who they are, has been a wonderful lesson for us.

May God give us the grace to be able to sit where they sit.