Here we go again! No... not another famine, just another article on the desperate situation in Turkana.

In the current issue of Chrisitanity Today (May 2007), you will find an article titled, "Famine Again?" This article highlights the work of large food aid organizations in Turkana. I was disappointed (to say the least) that there was no mention of the Church or christians in Turkana.

What follows is our letter to the editor of Christianity Today. We will see if any of it is included in the next issue of Christianity Today:

Dear Editor,

Tim Stafford’s May 2007 article, Famine Again? misses a vital part of the transformation that is happening in Turkana, Kenya: the Church. As missionaries who have lived among the Turkana for eight years (our team has been here for 30 years), we have the joy of working alongside nearly 40 village churches that are transforming their Turkana communities through the love and faith of Jesus Christ.

We take offense to the conclusion that “only NGO’s have offered anything tangible—water, medicine, and development schemes—to help people.” The Church has offered exponentially more. Turkana Christian communities are finding solutions to solve their problems in practical ways. Without Christ in their lives, traditional greed, deceit, and fear of the ancestors and diviners will continue to work toward the destruction of the Turkana—rain or no rain.

In many ways, the work of large NGO’s in Turkana works against the powerful transformation that could occur all over Turkana through Christ. The Turkana have been receiving free food, off and on (mostly on), for 20 years now. Why change your ways if free food is just around the corner? In years past, the Turkana would dry goat and camel milk to store for difficult times. The current generation doesn’t even know how to dry milk, but they do know how to make alcohol out of free corn.

Of course, living among the Turkana and speaking the Turkana language gives us a different view than Mr. Stafford. Last year’s famine was not the worst that people can remember in Turkana. It was fairly typical for that time of year. Other areas of Kenya were much more severely affected by the famine. But over the years we’ve become accustomed to seeing caravans of wide-eyed visitors being transported by large NGO’s out to see the villages (often not more than 3 kilometers from our house where we live with our 2 boys), to hear yet another tale of all the animals dying. Food distribution is big business.

I agree it is our responsibility to give food to those who are hungry and starving… but for 20 years? Maybe an indigenous church could offer some better solutions. While Christians in America consider sending another $20 to groups like World Vision to feed the Turkana, I would encourage them to get involved and support the work of missionaries and local churches who are feeding them with the Bread of Life. The people here are starving for it.

It is only through Turkana communities of Christ followers that authentic transformation will take place. Come back and visit Mr. Stafford; that’s the real story.

Kip and Katy Lines
CMF International Missionaries to the Turkana
PO Box 381, Lodwar 30500, KENYA
www.ejoka.com

Clarifications for Tim Stafford:
The airstrip in Lodwar is not dirt, it is paved tarmac.
There are multiple rivers other than the Turkwel in the Turkana district that provide water; including the Kerio River, the Kakuma River, the Lokichar River, the Kalemungorok River and others.