August 26, 2026
I just love this story about a Maasai warrior who became a missionary. What an incredible testimony of how God is working at Neema Village. It’s a picture of how God can take one life and use it to impact so many others.
I can’t wait to share more of this story with you!
Meet Moses Lazier a Maasai traditonal dancer and warrior!
Our son Rob was at Neema two years ago when Moses came forward to accept Jesus and be baptized. It was a beautiful day filled with singing, dancing, and rejoicing—but it wasn’t the end of the story!
In fact, it was just the beginning.
Now, two years later, Moses came back—and this time, he brought his whole boma! A boma is a Maasai family living together inside a thorn-bush fence.
Dr. Sarun, who is also Maasai and speaks the Maasai language, along with Kim, welcomed the family to Neema —mothers, grandmothers, children, old men, and young women. Moses led them all!
And look who was helping!
Maria is eleven years old now, but she came to Neema as a tiny baby after losing her own Maasai mother. We have watched her grow from that precious baby into a beautiful young lady—and on Sunday, she was right there welcoming others into God’s family.
Maria was hugging the women and children, handing them towels, and wrapping her arms around them as they came up out of the water. And somehow, it felt like such a beautiful picture of God’s redemption.
A little Maasai baby who came to Neema because she had lost her mother was now standing there, eleven years later, helping welcome her own Maasai people into the family of God.
This Bibi’s heart was crying tears of joy.
There is very little water in Maasailand outside of the water wells, so going down into deep water can be a little scary! For many of these Maasai, being baptized meant stepping into something completely unknown.
Ngongosinyai is the name of their village, and it means “Sand.” And we can tell you firsthand—there is plenty of sand out there! We’ve been stuck there before, and it took a while to dig ourselves out!
But last Sunday, it wasn’t the sand that mattered. They were willing to step into deep water because they had decided to follow Jesus.
One of the old men who came with them was blind. I can’t imagine what kind of faith it took for him to trust Pastor Paul to lead him into the water, take him under, and bring him safely back up again.
But what struck me even more was the picture of faith behind it. He trusted Pastor Paul to bring him up out of the water—and he was putting his faith in Jesus, trusting that one day Jesus will raise him up again, too.
What sweet joy on their faces!
As they came up out of the water, I couldn’t help but think of the picture Paul gives us in Romans 6:4–10—dying to our old selves and being raised to new life in Christ.
They went down into the water as their old selves and came up as new creations, ready to live new lives through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Praying blessings over this whole new family of Christ followers.
Each new Christian was given a Bible in their own language and a certificate of baptism. Many of the older Maasai cannot read or write, but their grandchildren can. What a specisl way for God’s Word to be passed from one generation to the next.
We have been praying and talking about a helper for Pastor Paul—someone who can help care for our large Neema church family and also go out into the villages teaching Bible classes and discipling the followers. Many Maasai live far from any church, so having someone who can take God’s Word to them is so important.
At Neema, a celebration is not complete without food!
Hayley Anderson, our current volunteer helper, is serving alongside Caroline, Kim, and Nuru. On the menu: watermelon, mixed veggies, cabbage with carrots (most of which was grown in our big gardens!), and rice pilau.
Mmmmmm…delicious!
We are always cooking up something at Neema Village! The new Rehab Center is going up and should be finished in about a month. Then we’ll remodel the old Rehab Center into a new medical center for Neema’s babies and moms. Our way-too-small volunteer kitchen will also be enlarged and remodeled in honor of Arnis and Connie Pape and their many years of service to the Westport Road Church of Christ and Neema Village.
And one last note: our yearly banquet has been cancelled this year. After losing Michael, there has simply been too much to process and too much going on. We’re giving ourselves a little breathing room this year.
So save those auction items for next year—we’ll be ready to celebrate together!
Through all the changes, the celebrations, the hard days, and the new beginnings, one thing remains the same: God is faithful. He is at work at Neema Village, in Maasailand, and in the lives of His people. We are grateful to be a small part of what He is doing.
To God be the glory.
Kim, Kelle, and Dorris