news from kenya
BONDO
Thanks to God, this year Sisters and youths from all corners of North Nyanza held their separate convention here at Tsondo Ecclesia. The sessions were entertaining as well as morally uplifting. We are planning that even Sunday School children should be given a chance to interact so as to enhance their social skills. What we are lacking are funds to make it a success, but we hope God will pave the way. Please send us more Sunday School materials if possible.
Bro. Vincent Odhiambo
BULIMBO
I encourage you to carry on sending me Gospel News and other pamphlets to help me understand the Bible because our beliefs are quite different from other denominations. We believe that when we die we must wait for the coming of Messiah and the resurrection. Other people think that after death they go to heaven, which is not even written in the Bible. How can we proclaim the good news through the gospel? Let all of us read our Bibles every day and refer to what we have read and make use of those readings. I ask others to take this opportunity to spread the Word of God to local people in their areas in order to work for the free gift of eternal life in the coming Kingdom of God, which will be set up on earth very soon.
Bro. Emmanuel and Sis. Sarah Joumer
BUNGOMA
I am very grateful for the books I received which will be very helpful. We are sorry that because of inflation and rising prices you are not able to do all that you would like for us. We have the same conditions here in Kenya and it seems they are worldwide. We realise that the things that Jesus prophesied, are happening in our times and when war arises the outcome is famine and hardship. I have baptised two candidates, one brother and one sister, and they have joined us this year in our fellowship with our Lord Jesus Christ through the Youth Camp that our Bro. Philip Mundey from U.K. and others helped to make successful. May God bless the work that they are doing, especially in Western Kenya.
Bro. Boniface Juma
I was very pleased to receive the Bible. I thank God that He has led us through our hardships during the last year. Some of our family members have passed away but we are still breathing in and out as usual. May God, through His power, assist us in our hardships, temptations and any illness, so that we may become more pleasing in His sight.
Bro. Aggrey Muyila
Gospel News IS influencing me and helping me to grow in the faith, so it is my wish that if you can positively support me in this way my faith and knowledge will continue to develop. I was baptised last year and am still a student at High School.
Bro. Gabriel Wamalwa Werunga
I have received two books, “Woman’s Place” and “Christendom Astray”. Here in Kenya we are well apart from various problems and I am looking forward to the Kingdom of God. You have assisted me spiritually through books and prayers so that I have been able to help more people. In April, God Willing, we are goping to baptise three peoples so that they can share with us the Lord’s table, breaking of bread and partaking of the wine. I pray that our Almighty God will help us so that we direct people in the right channel.
Bro. Anasetus Khaemba
Members of Luuya Ecclelsia while in Bible Study led by Bro. Anasetus Khaemba
CHWELE
It is true that most of us do not have many books to help us in our studies. Thank you for the book on the daily readings for April to June. It is a very good book for the family when doing daily readings and I would be very pleased if there is another book available for the whole year.
Sis. Florence Wafula
ELDORET
I am confident that our Lord Jesus Christ will come to rescue this disturbed world. Thank you for coming to my aid in times of crisis. It is now a year ago since we lost our things and household goods in the political chaos in Kenya. Please pass my best regards to Colin and Margaret Quaaife for sending me a Holy Bible. Praise to the Lord, O Lord you are my God, I will exalt you, I will praise your Name, for you have done wonderful things. I do need some copies of Bible Basics in both Kiswahili and English. My prayer is to put up a building for the worship of God in ElDoret City.
Bro. Jacob Okoth
HOMA BAY
It cannot go without saying that last year we saw the hand of the Lord, because we received six contacts who passed the interview well and were baptised, therefore the number has increased in our Ecclesia. I would like to request a copy of “Bible Basics 5th edition 2008” and also “Preparation for Baptism”. Once more may I remind you of my Sunday School children and pray that they may be considered.
Bro. Mike Juma
KATITO
Many thanks for your letter and the book, udgement to Come which I find very good and stimulating. I am not well and am in dire need of help. Our Master is still away and the world has seen some remarkable events, like the new President in the U.S., P.M. Ehud Olmert flushed out in the Middle East and warfare preparations in Iran and Russia. Inflation is so high that the cost of living is unbearable, e.g. a 2kg packet of flour costs Ksh 120here in Kenya. I do agree with your comment that Armageddon is to take place after Christ’s return. I receive Present Day Events from Australia so you do not need to send it to me. It is nice of having Gospel News in a new format – short and clear type.
In Eph 4:11-16, we find that Christ divided to his flock some of the gifts. These he gave for some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, in that order; “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”. It meant that we are still immature and movable in our fullness as a body.
Many have been moved by false doctrine so they have not reached the unity of faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to grow to the stature of the fullness of Christ. It is clearly evident that each body part needs each other to make the whole body one, and we can only be ‘functional’ parts if we have deeper understanding of the Truth and are united, so that we cannot be deceived.
I am here talking with great concern the rise of Christendom. For many people, the search for scriptural truth is a constant pursuit in tandem with the rise of numerous denominations, and the need to gain divine guidance has become more pertinent than ever before. There are publications pitched on spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, which remains one of the most fulfilling endeavours the Messiah vested upon Christians. The emergence of false religions with their false teaching has also spawned the rise of occults and cults, which serve as the centre of evil deceptions.
One of the greatest and most important pursuits in life is thirst for scriptural truth, be it temporal or eternal, in the form of information, knowledge or understanding. Therefore one needs to be emphatic on how important it is to recognise genuine truth, which is right, accurate, factual, real, consistent and reliable. There are many religious books ‘out there’ that claim to be truthful but they cannot stand the test of proof of truth, reliability, accuracy and Divine authorship like the Holy Bible.
Bro. Lawrence K’Owiti
KISUMU
It is my pleasure to inform my fellow brethren that Kisumu Ecclesia is existing. On behalf of the ecclesia I welcome any isolated brother or sister across Kisumu Town to join us at Jomo Kenyatta Grounds.
Bro. Richard Oduma, c/o T. Oduma, P.O.Box 2330, Kisumu, Kenya
KISUMU CITY
Warmest greetings to you. I am very happy for your encouraging effort. There are always newer pastures to work on. I was unable to find the address of the linkman for Kenya so there is a delay in getting those books and also I managed some photos, which will be ready later. I have built a new house and a nice home and took some photos beside it and one day will get them printed. I have no good job yet, only tarmacking and I go home twice a month, which leaves me with very little time for anything else but my Bible reading and writing notes. It seems I will be dying in isolation and I keep asking myself why this should be, but God is always with me.
Bro. Nelson Anyal
KITALE
Sis. Veronica Fuchaka
KOBUJOI
The notes on the signs of the times are really exciting. I do receive Present Day Events from Australia but most often, because of postage costs which are currently high, I miss out confirming. I receive the printed sheets through the post.
Thank you very much for “The Death of the Cross” by Bro. Duncan, and the other interesting literature. Thanks also for the news on the gospel work in Latvia. It is very encouraging to see brethren and sisters from various nations pooling their resources in order to enable a Bible Conference Centre there.
I managed to attend a Bible School at Songhor. It was great meeting up with several brethren and sisters from the Nyanza area and sharing together, lovingly, memories of the Truth dating back to our day of baptism up to the present time. We all seemed to have grown in the faith. It was a time to encourage each other to continue in THE WAY as we all see the approach of the coming of our Lord and Saviour.
Bro. Geoffrey Chirchir
LUBOKHA
Gospel News is very interesting and encouraging in my study. Now I am happy with my family as we improve our living standard through your effort and we also learn more from others throughout the world. Secondly, it is my great pleasure to inform you that I have an interested friend, who is very much moved, and having borrowed some of my copies would also like to receive Gospel News, if possible.
Bro. Patrick Wekesa
MBITA
Please keep on sending me books about Bible study. I found the book written about judgement very interesting. I know that the book you sent me was not my choice, but thank you and try to keep the promise.
Hello brothers and sisters worldwide, which means that we are together in the Name of Jesus Christ through baptism.
Bro. Jared Oketch
MISAKA
The eclipse of the sun, we read in Luke 23:44, “And it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.” It was a miraculous eclipse. This event is also recorded in Mark 15:33 and Matthew 27:45. Jesus Christ died on the 14th day of the lunar month of Nisan. The first day of Nisan is fixed by the appearance of the new moon.
Bro. Costa Mwape
MIWANI
True Christians must preach about God’s Kingdom. Our Lord Jesus always talked about the Kingdom of God, (Luke 8:1). The Lord commanded his disciples to preach this same message in all the earth, (Matt. 24:14; 28:19-20). True Christians believe that only God’s Kingdom will bring true peace and security to this world. (Psalm 146:3-5). Every disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ must have no part in this wicked world (John 17:16); they do not get involved in the world’s political affairs and social controversies and they avoid the harmful conduct, practices and attitudes that are common in the world (James 1:27; 4:4). In conclusion, true Christians love one another, respect the Bible and preach about the Kingdom of God.
Bro. Peter and Sis. Jane Omuny
MOMBASA
I am surrounded by Moslems in Ukunda, so if you can get me a good book concerning Moslems or any brother’s writing about Moslems changing to true Christianity, I think I could see and know the difference in their faith and in the Truth more clearly.
Bro. Edward Kunikina
MUHORONI
I thank God for the care and protection that He has shown us and for your lives and the hard work that you have been doing in ensuring that the gospel reaches all parts of the world. Our God is alive and will reward the labourers on Jesus’ return. The work needs a lot of commitment both physical and material and I pray for your lives and for the Word of God to continue. I received the New English Bible (NT) that you sent to me with a lot of joy and appreciation, I just wish it were both Old and New Testaments.
Bro. Sylvester Ariri
Thank you very much for the box of Kiswahili Bible Basics. As you have mentioned in your letter that you have a stock available, I am requesting that you kindly send them over for us, should time allow please. I wish you the very best for the work in Latvia. I would very much like to visit this wonderful Bible Study Centre one day should the Lord remain away and God willing.
Bro. Alex Abuya
MWEIGA
I received with great rejoicing the 9.90kg parcel containing “SLA-TO-MA” MYSTERY:- DELPHIAN”, for which I cannot thank you enough. More than 75 volumes of the SLA-TO-MA are now ready to reach readers for the purpose of exhortation to brethren and sisters and preaching to unbelievers to bring many to Christ in this area. All this work is done in our Lord’s Name.
According to the instruction, ‘tis in union’, which binds all the message of exhortation in our Christadelphian Hymn Book, to us as Christians; I guess you understand my point of view. Not because I want to trade, gain or benefit by this chance of writing books as some unbelieving writers do, for gain. No, no brethren. From the bottom of my heart, I fear to sin against God, I fear to risk my life.
But it is not a sin to look on both sides. The Gospel is a “gift freely given” by God, and “you give freely.” Matt.10:8. That means that every God-fearing man cannot be a gospel-gainer in any way at all. But what should we say? I guess that Bro. Paul had more foresight when he commented to the church at Corinth over this aspect, 1 Cor. 9:8-14.
In a case like this he did not intend to make a trap, which pseudo-Christians have fallen into in our day before our eyes, in the case of “Serve not our Lord, but their own belly.” Rom.16:18. Therefore, obstacles are now all over the world: the bouncing crisis of world economy, the food relief crisis and other things. This is the danger; as faithful Christians we do not like to jeopardise our lives against God or put to shame the gospel of our Lord in case that we err in rushing to the world because we must table for our everyday meals.
Bro. Lawrence Gitonga
NAIROBI
Jesus has been my reason for living and without him in my daily life I would lose the meaning and purpose of staying in this world. Jesus has a purpose and a mission for me that I have to fulfil before he comes back. The mission he has given his elect is to speak the Gospel to all creatures and teach sound doctrine. This is what you have been doing and I tell you that, as a servant of God, you will never fail to fulfil your mission and plans. Though things seem hard in England, brothers, God is bigger than your situation; when He comes in like a storm against the plains, God is raising a standard to overtake the enemy. Be still in the Lord; all the setbacks, difficulties and hardships you have been seeing, or you are encountering, the Bible clearly says in Exodus 14:13-14, “The Lord will fight for you, just be still in him.”
I have discovered something about God, it is that I do not need to struggle to make things work for me, but 2009 is the year of just trusting and obeying God and knowing and understanding Him and His mind and heart, Jer.9:23-24.
You are going to move into higher levels in ministry and preaching the gospel. You may see darkness today but I want to tell you that God is working out things behind the scenes, light is coming; where you think there is no way, that is where God is going to make a way. Your work is not in vain. You may think this is impossible but I tell you, God is watching your steps and monitoring your work. I thank God for you because you have been of great support to me in my spiritual growth and my understanding of the Word of God has improved greatly. I am not really troubled by what happens around me; what I usually say to God is to let His will be done according to His Word.
Bro. Jared Kidiga
NAKURU
Bro Samuel Wanga and a workmate at the Supermarket where he works
NDALI
May the God of heaven bless the work of your hands and those who are supporting you. I received the book entitled, Judgement to come. I have read through a quarter of the book and it has opened up new thoughts to me.
Bro. Johnstone Kaliwanga
NDHIWA
At midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a violent earthquake, which shook the prison to its foundation. At once all the doors opened and the chains fell off all the prisoners. The jailor woke up and when he saw the prison doors open he thought that the prisoners had escaped, so he pulled out his sword and was about to kill himself, but Paul shouted at the top of his voice, “Don’t harm yourself, we are all here!”
God can use you. God used Saul and changed his name to Paul (Acts13v9). So Paul wrote many letters to the believers to cheer and encourage them. His purpose was to tell them about the power of God in a believer’s life.
Sis. Dorine A. Mboya
Loving and warm greetings in the Lord Jesus, our Master. It was nice to hear from you and I am pleased to hear that you are getting others interested in helping the children. I have been struggling in my life in Christ, as it has many ups and downs, but God still tells me not to despair, so I hope that one day my efforts and objectives will be fulfilled before the coming of our Lord Jesus.
Thank you for the book on crop production. I am planning to call an officer concerned with agriculture and hold a seminar to create awareness of modern food production with the parents, to enable them to know how to care for my pupils (children). I am glad of the effort you make to pass on my cry for help to the linkman and it is my prayer that his suggestions and conclusion will pave the way for the funding of the project somehow. Many people have now heard of Christadelphians in this area through the materials you send and the project activity.
The food situation in Kenya is worsening and most children only have the porridge I supply and feed them with and when they do not have anything left to eat they look at me sorrowfully and it is very hard. That forces me to cry to my God who knows more than man. I welcome any brother or sister from anywhere in the world to fulfil my dream to give me a helping hand to produce enough for these children as it is beyond my resources. The Acocks Green Ecclesia Ndhiwa is small but active enough through God’s revelation and most of our members are young men between 24-30. We hold our Bible classes every Wednesday in each member’s house in turn.
Sis. Emmy Aseyo
SINDO
I was happy to receive the book you sent, “The Death of the Cross”. I took time to go through the topic of taking up the cross. Matt.11:29, “Come to me and I will give you rest”. Luke 14:27, “Whosoever does not bear his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple.” Luke 9:23, “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Matt.10:38, “And whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” Phil.2:8, Christ is an example of humility, “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself to become obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” 2 Tim.2:5 tells us that an athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.
In conclusion, Rev.2:7 refers to the one who conquers, “I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” Rev.22:14, “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city”.
We learn through God’s message that our Saviour, Jesus Christ, died on the cross in order to conquer sin and death and win victory by his resurrection, to be the first to get immortality. We must follow his example of humility, he who is the author of our salvation. We also look forward to being given the reward of eternal life – salvation - when he comes the second time to reign on this earth.
Bro. John Owalo Onani
SUNA MIGORI
Is it really possible that names of people once written in the book of life can be blotted out? Yes, it is possible. These are those who have received the Lord and been united with him in baptism, but at a later stage have not read his Word or had fellowship with him in prayer. Daily commitments and activities, as well as aspirations of success in this world, have choked the spiritual life and eventually they are like branches that yield no fruit and so have to be cut down and thrown into the fire to be burnt. In Rev.20:15 we read, “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
Brethren and sisters, we need to live in daily repentance and in the grace of forgiveness of sin. It is only the blood of Jesus our Saviour that provides for the daily cleansing of our sins and this ‘applied’ blood that reinforces the names written in the book of life. If we have no use for this cleansing blood our names will be obliterated from the book of life and at the last day we shall be separated from the Lord.
I received the book, How we got our Bible, which is an interesting book. I wish you could send some more books, especially How To Grow a Balanced Diet or Where There is No Doctor. These two books could really assist me very much. On the other hand I am doing well with my forty-lesson course. There was a delay in receiving some lessons but thank you for your efforts to write to Rachel who connected me to my personal tutor called Roy Delve, who wrote to me recently. I was to have been baptised on 6 December 2008, but James, our Chairman had an accident on his motorcycle and the Secretary, Bro. Samuel Masswa had lost his brother in a different motorcycle accident. So as you can see motorcycle accidents are very common in Kenya.
Bro. Benjamin Mwatu
Bro. Joshua Masswa, Bro. Bernard Ochotha and the father of Bro. James, our chairman, taken at a Bible Seminar at Kababu while having breakfast.
TONGAREN
Warmest greetings in the saving name of Jesus our Master and King. Thank you for your letter and all the books and documents you send to me; may God bless you in all that you do. In brief Tongaren Ecclesia has started the project for the families of MOST VULNERABLE CHILDREN. The object of the project is to help the most defenceless children living in Tongaren. Our purpose is to help elevate these children from their current economic, emotional and spiritual status and to encourage them to acknowledge and honour the God of creation. This project is a Biblical response to those in need. We need donors who can supply learning aids, such as children’s Bible learning materials, Bibles and Bible lessons. Through this project we may get future Christadelphians by teaching them the truth of the Bible. By the grace of God, children need never be denied an opportunity to learn God’s Word and the grace of the gospel message.
Bro. Isaac Kapa
Photos: 1. Bro. Isaac Kapa with the Sunday School children who have been registered in the project of MOST VULNERABLE CHILDREN.
2. Bro. Daniel Simiyo with the Most Vulnerable Children of Tongaren Ecclesia, consisting of more than 100 children, inside the Ecclesial building.
