The following email has just been received from Edward Buria, who oversees the Newfrontiers churches in Kenya & other parts of East Africa. This follows a series of texts in recent weeks describing how he has been burying people in his churches who have died of starvation. The situation is obviously extremely serious - he says the worst since 1994. The media report there are 10 million facing starvation.
 

Dear Friends,
 
A brief famine/drought update:
 
From Thursday last week when it became very clear that as a movement of churches our own people were actually dying from the famine/drought effects, we have been able to move so swiftly and have so far been able to supply 200 bags of Maize, 100 bags of  Beans and 6 Tons of Unimix.  We have been able to reach around 900 persons.  The supplies continue even this week in which we plan to reach an extra 1200 persons.
 
The badly affected areas are the entire (1) Samburu Region where we have 20 churches (2)  Meru North where around 43 of our churches need sustenance supplies (3) Tharaka Region we have around 24 churches very badly affected and in dire need of relief supplies (4) Mbeere Region where around 12 churches are in great need of relied supplies.
 
The famine / drought is so severe and very strange that even elephants and other wild animals are dying, something never seen before.  If rains appear as expected, the next harvest will be in February 2010 - This means the challenge of sustaining the around 3000 of the targeted people will be so much on us.  We therefore covet much prayers from all our friends.
 
I also take this opportunity to most sincerely thank all who have responded so quickly both locally and Internationally.
 
We will be forwarding some of the pictures and a DVD at some point.
 
With all our love,
 
Edward Buria
 

As you can appreciate we felt that we should let you know about the situation.
 
We are very aware of the amazing response to the appeal for Zimbabwe at the end of last year and also that many in your churches now face hardship due to the recession. However, we do feel it would be wrong to ignore the plight of those in Edward's care in the churches in Kenya and the communities around them. To assist once again demonstrates the practical reality of the compassion of the gospel.
 
With this in mind we feel that, while not wishing to launch a formal appeal, we should provide the opportunity for those churches who feel they would like to respond in some way to do so. Accordingly, if you wish to send a donation to Kenya to help with this crisis we shall be happy for this to be channelled through the Newfrontiers office in London. That obviously saves on bank charges. In the unlikely event that we receive greater funds than are needed for the current crisis then we would discuss with Edward where else he is able to put such funds to good use in Kenya and the surrounding countries.
 
Cheques payable to Newfrontiers and clearly marked Kenya Crisis Fund 09 should be sent to:
 
 The Finance Team
 Newfrontiers
 The Matrix Complex
 91 Peterborough Road
 London
 SW6 3BU
 UK
 
Please address any queries to finance@newfrontiers.xtn.org
 
Thank you once again for your fellowship in such situations. It is such a privilege to be part of a worldwide family and to be able to 'rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep'.
 
 
David Stroud
On behalf of the UK team