Door-to-door Evangelism

Issued a pretty blue umbrella to protect my pale face from the midday sun, the ladies and I left home and headed for a hidden village path. A few months ago they told me the story of how God showed them this place in a very specific way and instructed them to build relationships with these forgotten people.

I tend to have a mental image of neighboring doors in an apartment complex when I think of door-to-door evangelism, but in Marikebuni, Kenya door-to-door means something entirely different. Long sandy paths separate one group of structures from another. Covering perhaps four to five kilometers we found about six families and their extensions. And we didn’t have to knock as everyone was outside reclining in what shade they could find.

Offered a seat on a log or a rock at each homestead, these ladies were obviously known and welcome. There would be no fly-bys today. One family was excited to show us the machine they use to remove corn from the cob. Another family pressed itself up against the wall for the half meter of shade the structure offered. We prayed for these families before heading to the next home, thankful their needs were few.

Then we came to the old man who said his wife prays for him and that’s good enough. He showed me the Bible she uses before we explained that Jesus died and rose again for him as an individual and that his wife’s salvation didn’t assure his salvation. Okay, fine. He accepted Jesus and we prayed. He promised to come to church on Sunday but we didn’t see him. Sometimes it takes an outsider (me) to encourage people to move, but overcoming the “kindness over truth” culture still needs some work.

  

 Then we met a group of ladies preparing their beans for supper. Each one shelled while huddled against the wall of their goat pen to avoid the blazing sun. The maama of the group said that she doesn’t believe in Jesus, but she wanted us to pray blessings on her anyhow. I asked her who she wanted us to pray to for that blessing and she said Jesus. Ha! We tried to help her see the problem in her logic but this woman wasn’t budging. We prayed anyhow.

At the next house I found a boy who’d creatively made animals from clay, which I’d never seen done before (and am now wondering why given the composition of the earth all over this continent. The kids were pounding the bean husks off the beans. The old woman told us about her grandson who needed surgery (something to do with kidneys) and was refusing. We laid hands on him and prayed and believe God for total healing.

Finally we passed by three babies sleeping in the shade. Two children maybe two years and three years older than these were in the house…thingy…cooking their scrawny lot of food. Maama was out working in the garden and dad was home with feet so covered with open sores from jiggers that he couldn’t even walk. The children were filthy but if mom stopped to haul water the several kilometers it would take then the food wouldn’t be harvested. I can honestly say the dad couldn’t possibly do anything to help his family anymore with those sores. You see how easily a bad situation can get worse very quickly. We prayed healing for the father so that the children can be clean and healthy again.

Wow, this ministry approach took on a whole new meaning for me. Thank you Jesus and please continue to pray for these families with us.

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Marathon Primary School Preaching

Mary’s School, Bomani Primary School, and Majahazini Primary School received a visitor today. Me! Pastor Njuguna learned that government run schools in Kenya offer what’s called PPI to their students. PPI is an opportunity for pastors to teach students about the Gospel. These three schools have been receiving Pr Njuguna favorably for a few years now and knowing that I was coming to be with him in Marikebuni, Kenya (near the Watamu coast) he planned our time accordingly.

The principal at Mary’s School had invited Pastor a while ago, but schedules seemed to conflict until now. The 100 +/- young students at this school were SHARP! They really knew their stuff. Well disciplined, obedient, and very knowledgeable about the Bible. Their principle obviously does well with them. Wow! This school would be something like a charter or private school in America.

The 800 +/- students at Bomani Primary School were a bit less confident but you could see they had come far under Pastor’s teaching. This school would be like an inner city school in America with teachers who loved the students dearly but with funds lacking.

The 300 +/- students at Majahazini Primary School were a bit older – given that this school is way out in the village…a country school by American standards – they started school at an older age. These kids were also very sharp. I was admittedly a bit surprised given the very village location of the school.

Each group of students learned about the Jesus Feeds 5,000 story but with a few insights relevant to their culture that I pray will influence their mindset as they become adults. When asked if the students were hungry for Jesus the way the crowd was hungry for him – willing to follow him for three days with the hope of healing and without the promise of food – they were invited to give their lives to him if they hadn’t already. As is pretty standard here, either no one raises their hand or everyone raises their hand. No matter, the silent one…the one afraid to go against the group…would still get his or her salvation gift and pastor would return to follow up with those children.

The marathon day of preaching ended well. We went home to relax and here I am…telling you about the amazing way God’s gift of friendship and fellowship has been used for his Kingdom simply because two people were obedient.

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Neighborhood Ministry Surprise

So this is what pressed down, shaken together, running over can look like. Wow, TWO boxes arrived full to the brim with gifts collected by New Life Christian Fellowship specifically for my little neighborhood children (and there’s almost another full box waiting for me still). Time was short between receiving the gifts and leaving for Kenya but I managed to organize and give away everything you sent. To each girl her dress, and to each boy his shorts. To each family its soap, and school supplies. To each child toothbrush, toothpaste, crayons, and coloring books.

But the other children in the neighborhood, the ones who visit occasionally and live further away, learned about the gifts and came with hopeful hearts. Your generosity enabled me to share crayons, toothbrushes, and toothpaste with them. They went away satisfied for having received the love of Jesus through you.

Sheffar refused to release her bag full of goodies until well after I left home. Farida called to tell me she wanted to talk on the computer so I could see her dress. I’ll show pictures of the kids all dressed up when I return to Namulanda.

Thank you so very much for your generosity. I am truly blessed!

Sherit receives her goodies with a quizzical look.

Sheffar wears a baby-size onsie until she tries on her new dress.

Siada loves her new sparkly dress.

Even baby Sheeba gets something special.

Sabila is so happy!

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Life in Africa Graduation

The ladies anxiously awaited our arrival. The big day finally came when Vickie (from VKids Trust Uganda) and I would celebrate their graduation from tailoring and entrepreneurship classes. Though two of the graduates were unable to attend as they were caring for sick children and the tailoring teacher was in the hospital as she developed an infection post c-section delivery. Lots of prayers were sent their way before we moved on to recapping our learning time together.

Encouraging these ladies was and will continue to be an integral part of this group’s needs. Ugandan women, particularly women from the village, are culturally mandated to have a lower place in society and so encouraging them – not to have a place higher than their husbands, but to see themselves as precious daughters of their heavenly Father – will be an ongoing need. Once they realize their position with the Father, they will have the confidence they need to boldly build their businesses and contribute to their families, communities, and to the body of Christ.

We reviewed the entrepreneurship materials along with the documents I left behind for them to study and use for refreshing later. We answered questions and I did all I could to impart last bits of knowledge to them. Now we all need to pray for them…daily. This group is a bit different than any other I’ve worked with and so they warrant special prayers from the 100 Christmas Dollies sponsors.

Each woman was given fabric and notions from which to make her first dress. That dress will be worn when she moves around the community to talk about and display her new tailoring skills. The ladies are walking marketing products. They were asked to wear their new dresses to graduation and as you can see they are looking beautiful!

After handing out certificates of completion, we joined hands and prayed for one another and for those who were missing. We called down God’s abundant blessing on their efforts to establish themselves and to hone their skills. Closure…sniffle. Of course I’ll return to visit and refresh with these ladies and I love to send them out of the nest, but I’ll miss our twice weekly teaching and fellowship time together.

Thank you to every one of the 100 Christmas Dolly MAKERS and SPONSORS for making this almost year-long project possible. And thank you Jesus for loving us all enough to join our hearts together in glorifying you with the work of our hands.

One of the practice dresses walking around the village.
Lots more around this place, great way to practice!

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