It’s been a little while since our last post and we have had much transpire since we last wrote a blog. In this edition we are going to highlight some of the major events of the last 2 months.

On the last day of November we were robbed at gunpoint.  We had our good camera stolen and I was physically attacked.  It was a really tough few days there, while we processed the incident, and considered all the different angles.  Through the generosity of some very good friends in Canada we were able to replace the camera immediately. The incident was really a tough thing to experience. We were in Kibera, the largest slum in Kenya, when it happened as we were delivering food hampers to hungry families.  This made the whole thing seem all the worse. 

Pat and Larry with one of the needy Masai families we were
able to help because of your generosity.  You would not
believe the roads and fields we had to drive to get here!

On December 12th Jennifer’s Mom and Dad, Pat and Larry arrived for a visit from Canada.  That was a really nice treat. They were here with us for six weeks.  We had a great time with them as we toured Kenya and they got to know this great country their daughters family now calls home.  We traveled throughout much of Kenya while they were here. It was refreshing to experience Kenya again for the first time through their eyes, and this really gave us a renewed sense of our strong calling to be here, and it really gave Pat and Larry a greater understanding of the huge needs that have brought us here.  While they were here we were able to include them in the last few days of the Christmas Hamper Campaign.  This was a real eye opening experience for them and a really special opportunity for Jennifer and I.  All in all the entire visit with Pat and Larry was really, really great! We Can't wait to host some of you someday in the same way!

Our Toyota before the accident. One TOUGH truck!

The Toyota on the tow truck.  The really costly damage you
can't see is underneath, to the brakes, the suspension, and the
 now bent drive shaft and axle. This is what makes the vehicle a write-off. 

One negative experience while we had Pat and Larry here was our first major motor vehicle accident which happened while we were on our way out to dinner on one of their last nights in Kenya.  We bought a 4x4 Toyota for our work up-country.  We searched hard for a great deal and we purchased a 1997 Toyota Hilux Surf.  We were lucky to find a 4x4 for under $10,000 Canadian dollars.    The vehicle will be a write off and we are now faced with the reality that we can’t replace the vehicle with the money from the insurance.  Add to that the fact that we are getting nearly 20 cents less for our dollar than we were when we bought the Hilux, and it’s a rough break. We need around $7,000.00 Canadian on top of what we will get from the insurance to be able to replace the 4x4.  It is essential we have a tough off road vehicle for the places we have to travel.   We really need financial help to replace our vehicle. 

Since our last update, we have also had to move from one side of town to another.  I won’t go into too much detail here but because we were misled by the property manager who lied to us about the home we rented 8 months ago, we had to move.   Unfortunately we weren’t able to find a suitable home within our budget, so our housing expenses have gone up by nearly $500.00 per month.

Its been a really eventful few weeks, yet after saying all that let me say we are more excited than ever to be here in Kenya!  We know we are supposed to be here, and we know God has big plans in store for this ministry, as we push forward to help these people, the most needy and vulnerable, the widows and the orphans.

We are so grateful for all the support we receive from all of you back home in Canada.  Your encouraging emails and Facebook messages, your prayers, and your financial contributions make it possible to do this work.  We are literally partnering with you to make this ministry happen.

In light of recent events and all these unexpected extra expenses, can I ask you to consider making an extra contribution? We have had some real setbacks and the added expenses are stretching the budget way too thin.  If you could consider making a contribution towards replacing our vehicle it would really help us!

You can donate through PAYPAL on the link on this page, through either debit or credit card.  Or, if you have not already signed up for monthly pledged giving, and that is something you would consider, please send me an email at jason@mission180.ca and I will contact you to let you know how to proceed with that.

Thanks so much for reading our blog, and thanks for your support!

Sincerely,
Jason, Jennifer and Joshua Sheppard
Mission:180, Nairobi Kenya.