Back from Kenya!
I’m back from Kenya – it was an adventure for sure! The Lord was faithful to me as I rarely go on a mission without Luther, my mainstay. As I reflect on what happened, some of the events reminded me of stories in the book of Acts. God bless you for praying for me and the MVGB team! Below are only a few highlights from my two weeks there.
• Though Kenya boasts to be 83% Christian, there is much false teaching and corruption within churches. Staying three days with Brad & Camie Matlack (MV missionaries in Nairobi) in the middle of a very impovished area, I saw firsthand genuine discipleship and leadership training along with evangelism with effective Kids’ Clubs andother community projects. To read the Matlack’s interesting blog click here. I was blessed to teach on the topics of marriage and forgiveness quickly arranged for Monday evening with a group of local church ladies.
Bible bookmarks given out with tea and cake. They have to contend with mud & sewage in the streets when flooding comes.
• Most of my time was spent with MV missionary Deb Deren and the MVGB team, ministering in a remote area of the Rift Valley. There many Masai and other tribes have been saved, coming together as new believers in a new church plant. With the diversity of the team, events were planned such as youth football contests on church property, all kitt
ed out with new uniforms, setting up a barber shop as a church community project, registering forms for 100 birth certificates so Masai children could attend school, and vision planning/prayer walking with Deb.
My main part was to bring teaching about the baptism of the Holy Spirit which added up to about 10 hours over the week. To begin with, I taught for 2 days with the church leaders attending only. The second day concluded with them receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit with power as Jesus promised. The atmosphere was electric as they received from the Lord. One commented that “The Holy Spirit will be our leader.” Another Masai warrior said that he felt very light and though he was very tired from working long hours, he was not now and his body felt hot. An older Masai warrior said that he felt free and at peace walking home. Another said they saw in the spiritual realm the Holy Spirit standing on the table, touching every head. Another was filled but then was attacked by a demon who paralysed him in his neck and shoulder. He called me over for help, describing what was happening. When I commanded the demon to leave in Jesus’ name, he was completely delivered and slumped to the floor. Afterwards, he said, “I am in a good place.”
The next teaching was during the Sunday morning service. With the leaders ready to minister, I taught again about Jesus’ desire to fill them all with the power of the Holy Spirit. At the end of the meeting, the leaders stood at the front and this time, they laid their hands on the people to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And they did! Some fell to the floor or in the arms of the leaders as the strong presence of the Lord made it impossible to stand. Others were freely speaking in tongues. Two unbelievers were standing in the doorway mocking and soon afterwards, began spreading gossip how the church was going crazy. But God will not be mocked and on Monday, one of those men was taken to the hospital with pneumonia and the other’s man’s baby was critically ill. Three cars broke down trying to get the father with his baby to the hospital. Finally one of the church leaders who was driving said to him, “Stop! Can’t you see the evil you are doing in mocking God?” The man began to shake and said “What must I do?” News spread about these events, and the church prayed. The man with pneumonia and the father’s baby were both healed the following day.
• A dramatic healing. The whole team was invited to visit one of the church leader’s mud/dung walled home. In the very dimly lit, smoke-filled room, we talked, sang together, drank sodas, and laid hands on the visiting grandmother who was scheduled to be hospitalized the following day for chronic joint pain. We learned later that the woman woke up the next day without any pain and proceeded to milk one of the cows and do other chores. The hospital appointment was canceled and the grandmother walked to the next Sunday morning church meeting to testify what God had done for her, jumping up and down to demonstrate her joy and healing.
For all you nature lovers, Kenya had it all where we stayed from breath-taking sunsets to elephants from our veranda at the mission house. Also creepy crawlers! During my first night at the mission house, we had to dispose of a poisonous spider in my room. Another night, our security guards dealt with a snake on the stone paved landing. Nearby resident hyaenas frequently woke me up. Daily thunderstorms with heavy rain made roads and paths muddy and slick. Flooding displaced thousands of people. But through it all, God showed himself strong, faithful, and powerful! Click here for some incredible photos from our 1-day safari and other ministry events.
Again, we thank you for your prayers and financial giving, enabling us to continue our ministry in many parts of the world. God continues to move in hearts that are willing to come to him unconditionally and enter into a covenant relationship that is truly beyond this world!
During the summer months, we are working and ministering in the UK.
May the blessing and the love of God continue to spur you on!
Luther and Sandy
P.S. A new name. All the team were honored by the Masai believers by giving us individually a Masai name. After some collaboration, I was given the name Nayauesupat which means ‘someone who brings something good’. By God’s grace, I only brought to them what God gave me, the promise of the Holy Spirit.
Would you like togo on a short term mission trip? get in touch….
