Jambo from Nairobi, Kenya (again)! 🙂 My team came back yesterday from our three-week assignment in Kitale, Kenya. We stayed with Pastor Gef and his family and ate delicious Kenyan food, cooked by a young man named Kenu that Pastor Gef hired as our “chef”. Kenu hopes to go to a cooking school and get certified so he can start his own restaurant. Pastor Gef hired three other young people to help with chores around the house. Ken helps take care of the cows, the gardening, and pastures. Emma and Sheila helps with household chores and laundry. I was encouraged to see what an incredible heart Pastor Gef. I loved to see how he believed in the youths of his church and how he gave opportunity for the youth to grow in their skillsets.
Pastor Gef pastors Kitale Growth Church where we had many opportunities to minister. We helped build a classroom and ministered to the kids through song and games during their school recess. During Sunday service, after an incredible worship and prayer service lead by Pastor John and the KGC Choir, we followed-up with a special offeratory song and then Austin, our team leader, or I gave the sermon. Yes. I had an opportunity to give a sermon before the church. It was an honor and I enjoyed doing so!
There were still many other ministry opportunities we partook of: we visited and prayed healing over sick children and their mothers in a local hospital; we ministered to 7.2 million people via Imani Radio airwaves when we were invited by Pastor Martin (a friend of Pastor Gef who pastors a church in Motosiet, Chenigani Hills) to participate on his prayer hour program; we experienced an African wedding (a 5 hour long ordeal), but I enjoyed seeing the dancing procession for both the groom and bride as they entered the church (it was a celebration!); we witnessed 30 students at Tabani Secondary School make a decision to follow Christ after we shared our testimony of faith with them; we visited two other secondary schools and shared with them God’s success stories in our lives; we witnessed 12 baptisms in a rural village one hour away from where we stayed; we visited Pastor Martin’s church in Motosiet and shared two offeratory songs and sermons for the youth service, main service, and the leadership meeting; Sam and I gave guitar lessons to a couple of Kenyans who were interested in learning; and finally, we built friendships with so many people there….it was hard leaving Kitale!
I was amazed by the generosity and hospitality of the Kenyans. One of my Kenyan friends, Sister Margaret, prayed for me everyday, gave us guavas and sugarcane to eat, and had an African dress made for me. Wow! What a blessing! Also, several families from church invited us to their houses for dinner and/or Kenyan chai. With all the delicious meals we ate, I have consolidated my favorite Kenyan food list to four favorite food groups: mandazis, chapatis, ugali, and Kenyan chai. 🙂
It has been a great month, and I thank our Heavenly Father for such wonderful provisions. The Kenyan culture challenged me to not stop doing good, to continually be generous, and dress the part of being an Ambassador of Christ (Kenyans, although they do not have a lot of money, dress very presentable and that was the first thing I admired about them).
