Ken Hale Request for Weldon's Parents

3 emails are attached here describing the need and more info. If you'd like to help, note the church address in Email 2. I met Weldon when I was on the FBC Plano mission trip to New Hampshire in July. Our whole team attended Trinity Baptist Church and did repair work there. We met Weldon at the Sunday morning worship service, and Tom Manning and I took him back to campus in the rain. He gave me his Kenyan church address and I mailed some Bibles there.

Also, there is a new post about Weldon's family on this blog. Check the label "Weldon" to find all posts about him.

Paul
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Email 1
>Date: 01 Nov 2008 12:41:43 -0400
>From: Sandra R. Hale
>Subject: Hi from Ken Hale
>To: Paul W Gray
>
>Dear Paul,
>
>I hope you are doing well and that you are having some
>decent fall weather out your way. All is well here and we >remain grateful for all you did on our behalf this past >summer at Trinity Baptist Church >
>I wanted to give you an update on Weldon, the student from >Kenya, to whose home church you sent some Bibles. Weldon >has undertaken to find a permanent place for his family >(there are 5 remaining at home) to live in Kenya. They >are currently in a tiny house that belongs to one of >Weldon's friends and they can remain there until December >23rd. Weldon, earlier this week, negotiated a price of >$4,200 to purchase this house and the land on which it >sits. Actually the purchase price was $5,500 but he has >already satisfied $1,300 of this with a personal loan he >took out. We are attempting to help him raise the balance >needed and thus we are casting a wide net to see if there >are those among our contacts who would like to participate >at any level of contribution. Apparently Weldon's family >lost a previous house due to some tribal strife in his >home region of Trans-Mara. >We are proposing that anyone who would like to contribute >send funds to Trinty Baptist Church designated for the >Kenya Project. >I know that you would have questions about this project.>I have had questions as well and Weldon has been very >forthcoming in addressing concerns and sharing details. I >am communicating with a woman in British Columbia who >knows Weldon and who visited Weldon's village last year. >She is in a good position to corroborate his family's >need. >If you or any of your contacts would like to participate >at any level of contribution and have any questions, >please communicate with me or even directly with Weldon.>We cannot help all the homeless of the world, but here is >an affordable opportunity to help one family if we can >involve wide participation.
>Thank you for your consideration of this request.
>Blessings,
>Ken
>
>Ken Hale, Pastor, Trinity Baptist Church of Hanover >Sandy Hale, Baptist Campus Minister, Dartmouth College
>...snip
>www.trinitybaptisthanover.org

Email 2
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Date: 05 Nov 2008 21:36:23 -0500
From: Sandra R. Hale
Subject: Re: Hi from Ken Hale
To: Paul W Gray

Hi Paul,

Thank you for your response and your interest in helping
Weldon's family. The church address is Trinity Baptist
Church, PO Box 5079, Hanover, NH 03755. Any contributions should be made out to Trinity Baptist Church and designated for the "Kenya Project". Sorry about the bad "Contact" on our website.

I am definitely interested in your posting the information on your blog. However, let me ask you to hold up a bit while I collect some additional information.

Blessings,

Ken

---Paul W Gray <> wrote ---
Ken, I will pass this on to my friends, and, with your permission, post it on my "Gray Matters" blog . I would like to have your church mailing address (for contributions) to add; the "Contact" link on your website is bad, so I can't get it there.

...snip

I hope you and your family are well. I enjoyed meeting you and working with you too!

God bless, Paul

PS Fall weather has been great here!

Email 3
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Date: 14 Nov 2008 11:53:49 -0500
From: Sandra R. Hale
Subject: Re: Hi from Ken Hale
To: Paul W Gray

Hi Paul,

Thanks for your message.

I have been waiting to get further helpful information from Violaine
Mitchell in British Columbia who knows Weldon from his 2 year time of
study in Victoria, BC. Violaine, an Anglo, was raised in Kenya, and
has been to Weldon's village and has met his family and has first hand awareness of their dire need. I have asked her to compose a few paragraphs which describe the need and situation there. She apparently is a busy person with her job and thus has not yet gotten that information to me. So I would suggest going ahead and receiving any contributions from your FBC people on the basis of the initial information I sent. Ideally, we would like to receive contributions by the middle of December as Weldon's family can stay in the landlord's (the man who has agreed to sell the property for $4200) house until December 23rd. Weldon assures me that if we have raised a reasonable portion of the $4200 by December 23rd, the landlord will let his family continue to remain in the house until the balance has been raised.

Violaine has a friend in Kenya who she is asking to attend the eventual transfer of property ceremony (which involves tribal elders, and surveyor and others) to corroborate that everything proceeded correctly and legally. He will additionally take pictures of the event.

To date, we have raised $600. Violaine is trying to raise a portion
of the $4200 in Canada. Also Weldon is in contact with his former
pastor in Canada to see what he might be able to do to help. Additionally there might be some help from some folks at FBC Temple, Texas.

As soon as I do have further information from Violaine, I will forward that to you.

Blessings,

Ken