So I’ve been in Africa
two weeks now and I have several observations to share. First of all this place
is beautiful and the Lord is here. The genuiness that the Kenyans here Bungoma
worship Him with is and they say “evidence that God exists.” I have never been
so moved by worship and felt the Lord so tangibly in a church service than I do
here.
They are
also hungry here for God. Those who don’t know Him are very eager to hear about
Him from us and we have already seen several people give their lives to Christ
in our time with them. It is interesting to me why we humans are for some
reason more ready to hear the gospel and respond to God when He is brought to
us by people from some other place from our own. “A prophet is never accepted
in his own country” Christ said and that seems to be true across the board.
Though the work here is growing under the hard labor of the Christians here,
like some churches in the States, they tell us that the people even at regular
Sunday service are much more interested when Muzungus (Swahili word for the
British that they now have attributed to all white people) are here. I have
talked with several Kenyans who have a desire to go to the United States as missionaries and I have told
them that we really need that in America. It is powerful to me when
I think of the way God orchestrates His body of believers to work and spread
the gospel in all nations, even my own.
It has also
really been awesome to be here and work along side the Kenyan Christians doing
anything and everything that the church here needs. This has by far been the
busiest month on the race so far as far as practical ministry goes. We have
gone house to house to share our testimonies and the gospel, preached in
church, organized youth activities and discussions, painted school rooms,
repaired rotted termite eaten walls at the church, and most recently moved
large rocks all day to build the foundation for the new all purpose building at
the church. I have to say that I am very thankful for the physical work right now
and also that we have a variety in our ministry because each thing has proven
immensely rewarding and the Lord has built me up in all of it.
I am looking forward with
excitement towards Sunday when I am supposed to have my first opportunity to
preach in a church nearby. The Lord has been speaking to me, meeting me and
laying things on my heart to share with the people here and I am ready to step
into this new area of ministry and follow in the footstep of my pastors,
including my Dad, and deliver the word for the congregation on the Lord’s day.
I know the prayers of my supporters, family, and friends is behind me as I
prepare to be preaching in the remaining months of the Race and these prayers
are powerful, effective, and much appreciated.
P.S. Another impactful thing is an African dish called
Simosa. Its like the casing to an egg roll in the shape of a triangle but it is
packed full of meat (beef) with onions spices. Yeah, I just finished eating
about 8 of them.
