Terrible Terrorist Attack In Kenya

I'm writing today with some very sad news and a personal request for assistance for a friend in Kenya.

Some of you know that Revival Harvest Ministry has been committed to feeding starving Kids in Kenya now for years (our orphans), but many are unaware of a precious servant of God named Melisa.  This is Pastor Dan from Africa's sister for those of you who know of him.  I've known Melisa personally for six years.  She has a huge heart for helping widows and orphans.  She is very poor herself but has such a heart that for three years now she has been volunteering to help us feed orphans, often times using her own scarce resources to help out.  Melisa often goes from dwelling to dwelling, asking other Kenya's to donate items to help cloth the kids.  It's not uncommon for her to sell some of her own things (her shoes for example) to help feed starving widows and orphans, going hungry herself.  I'm not exaggerating folks, she is the real deal.  Some of you who have been to Kenya and have met her know what I'm talking about.

But a tragic thing has happened and I'm making an appeal to the Body of Christ for help.  What I'm about to tell you is tough for me to say, and will be hard to hear.

Five days ago Melisa was traveling by bus from Mumbasa to Nakuru when the bus was pulled over by a police blockade (not uncommon), but they soon found out that they were not the police and the bus was hi-jacked and taken into the forest. It was a terrorist group that I will not name here.  

What I'm about to tell you is horrible.  Some of the men on the bus tried to stop them and Melisa says they were shot to death in front of the others.  Some of the woman were raped. Melisa was taken out and severely beaten.  As this was going on she started doubting God in her mind saying, "God, why are you allowing this"?  She kept hearing over and over, ":Ps 34...Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all."  

The terrorists started holding guns to people, telling them to renounce their faith and declare their allegence to allah. Some of the Christians did renounce Jesus, thinking to save their life.  When they came to Melisa they told her to renounce Jesus but here is what she said, "you can shoot me, or do whatever you want to me, but I will not renounce the name of my God".  

The man with the gun turned away from her and under his breath she heard him say, "you better thank your God for just now saving you".  After the terrorists finished robbing the people they left them there in the forest. I was able to get some money to Melisa yesterday to get her back home.  Although she was not raped she was beaten badly and is shaken up.  She is going to the hospital to be checked for internal injuries today. 

I prayed with her over the phone for healing, forgiving and praying for the terrorists, and praying for the people and family effected by this.  I somehow knew something was wrong in my spirit four days ago and tried to reach Melisa before I knew about any of this.  I wept when I heard the story.  She is a woman of great faith, a kind heart,  a dear friend, and I know God protected her.

Please keep Melisa in your prayers.  Please pray for the victims and their families. I truly believe in my heart that some of the terrorists consciences are bothering them today for what they did and I ask you to pray for conviction, repentance and salvation for them.

I seldom do this but I want to ask for financial assistance to help out our dear sister.  There is going to be a hospital bill and other expenses, and I'm asking you to donate.  I'm donating $100 from my personal account and I'm praying for a total of $1200 to be donated to help lift her up.

Here is a link to the Revival Harvest Ministry Donation Page.  We are an approved 501C3 Tax deductible Organization.  Please click on the "General Funds" tab and put in the notes that this donation is for Melisa.  I assure you that 100% of what Revival Harvest Ministry receives will get to Melisa to help her out.  She has served the Body of Christ now for three years with no salary, donating her time to feed and cloth orphans and widows in Kenya.  It's time for us to step up and bless this servant of God.

Thanks so much to all of you who follow and support what we do.  For more information on our efforts to feed starving children and to bring Revival to Africa and the USA, please visit our website at RevivalHarvest.Org.

Thank You and God bless you,
Reverend Jim Thornton