Angie's Aunt and Uncle Kindly made This Video
for us

Where we stand

How did we get involved? I, Steve, grew up in Africa and saw the toll African roads took on vehicles. During college, friends and I restored two trucks and drove them down to Honduras to deliver them to a mission group and an orphanage.  Afterwards, I heard how the the trucks were used and problems they had; I wished we could have been there to help or had trained them in automotive maintenance basics.  Angie, during mission trips beginning in her college years as well, watched God kindle and unceasingly stoke a fire in her heart for enjoying working hand in hand with Jesus while doing vocational missions (Romans 11:29).

What's the practical need? Missionaries use their vehicles continually; their vehicles double as moving vans, ambulances, Church buses, theaters for showing “The Jesus Film,” mobile health clinics, tow trucks and links to the modern world. Their extensive, multifaceted use makes automotive maintenance critical to the sustainability of missions in remote areas. Often it seems like African roads seek to destroy or eat vehicles, dismantling them bit by bit. Most missionaries have less mechanical knowledge than a generation before, and vehicles have become more complex.

What's the spiritual need? An unexpected group of unreached people live in Nairobi, Kenya; they're business people & have not been open to conventional evangelists. This group are Kenyan citizens of South Asian decent. They run most of the auto parts stores and frequently do sales transactions at their homes while chatting over a meal.

How do we, with God's help, hope to meet the needs? Missionaries need training & help to solve vehicle problems, as well as a way to source parts. We will be based in Nairobi, buy parts, and advise missionaries with vehicle repair. During purchasing, we will interact with this unreached people group; as friendships grow, we look forward to sharing hope through Jesus Christ. We will also be able to teach automotive basics to missionaries in Africa and travel to their ministry locations to repair vehicles in the bush, in remote African villages.

Problem: We have to raise the necessary funds to go to Kenya to help meet these needs. God has raised up generous supporters, bringing in 68% of our monthly support. The Nairobi team we will be working with is starting now, presenting the imminent need to finish fund raising.

Solution: We need people praying and, if the Lord leads, supporting us to go. If you would like to join with us through financial support, we would be grateful for any amount. There is an African proverb that says, “If you want to remove a mountain, start with one stone at a time.” We have $1,725 left to raise. This amount feels like a mountain, but the stones are less daunting. One example of breaking it down looks like this: 50 people giving $34.50 monthly would put us at 100%. Practically speaking though, just as stones come in various sizes and shapes, we can use support of any amount. We know that as people help us move these “stones,” it will mean that some will want to do less or more, as God leads. All size stones are equally important to removing this mountain!  To financially support this effort, go here:    Harding Support

 Thanks so much, Steve and Angie

Decoding the Financial Side

People have asked for our financial information.

We thought we would give the breakdown of where our support goes and what is needed as of 2014
the Monthly support target for a married couple with 3 kids not yet in school in Kenya is $5,249
from that figure comes out
-our combined monthly Salary is $1,801 ($900 for Steve and $900 for Angie)
-Social Security tax 6% (or $304)
-funding for AIM's international council 2.1% (or $110)
     (Decision making body)
-funding for AIM's home (US) administration 11.4% (or $583)              
    (Helps missionaries on home assignment and recruiting)
-funding for AIM's field(Kenya) administration 8.5% (or $435)
     (Helps us with visas, entry permits, housing....)
-funding to help pay for plane tickets, home assignment 5.2% (or $273)
- emergency retiree assistance 1.0% (or $52)
-Medical insurance $682
-401K $520
-Funds for ministry projects $360 

currently we are at $3575 or 68%
 
Please pray for us. If there are any questions please ask us.
If you are interested in supporting us this link should help support options

What does unreached mean?

What does unreached mean?  According to Joshua Project, the "original Joshua Project editorial committee selected the criteria less than 2% Evangelical Christian and less than 5% Christian Adherents."  More of their definitions can be found here.  To see the groups of unreached living in Nairobi click here and zoom in on Nairobi (It has a cluster of red dots).  Zoom in till the red dots separate enough to click on individually.  When you click on them one by one, you will be able to view info about each group.  Really fascinating!

Music and gypsy life

Jesus Loves Me in English, Swahili and Gabbra

Angie is learning dulcimer from a friend.  Angie is excited to be able to use this as an outreach tool during travel.   So she is learning songs in English, Swahili and Gabbra. 

Zebedee is interested in the dulcimer too

Packing up the chicken coop and the wife and kids:)  The boys are happy to get to drive in the yard with the coop.  Now we are out of our trailer and living as gypsies with kind family members.  Pray for us as we try and step out in faith.

'Surprised by Joy'

Angie's grandfather, Opa, passed away; Zeb's 3rd birthday was on the day we were traveling.  We were thankful to be able to join family in honoring Opa as a grandfather and decorated solider,  and God even gave us a fun way to make Zeb's birthday special.  In Altus, Oklahoma, someone had turned an old 1953 (I think) Ford truck into Mater from the movie, Cars.  The boys were thrilled.

Now Ezekiel says he wants to see one for his birthday, so cardboard and an old land rover?

The begining of packing for Kenya -The first load of stuff to go

The first load of all our stuff that we took to get rid of.  It is amazing to me that stuff seems to multiply. And always seems to look smaller in a room rather than in the back of a truck!