NEWS FROM KENYA
BUNGOMA | Bro Edward Kunikina
I thank you very much for the Gospel News you send me, which I get in good time, and I pray that God will bless those for the work they are doing in these last days. Many things are being done in our country which are not usual for people of good health and mind to do. The Word of God is good and I pray that we continue encouraging each other so that when our Lord Jesus comes we may have a chance of entering the Kingdom of God.
BUTALI | Bro Gibson Amesa Azere
I would like to inform you that I have moved from Kambi-Mwanja to Butali where we have established an ecclesia. We are 25 in number with about 18 Sunday School children. About seven of our members have no Bibles and I ask if you could send me some, if available, and especially NIV or New King James Version or any which are available.
I am interested in evangelism in this area and am requesting if you could consider providing me with a means of transport. I have saved some money and would like someone to help me by topping up what I have. It is better to have a new motorbike as cheap is expensive long term.
CHWELE | Bro Jacob and Sis Fedeliah Walioula
We are grateful for the letter you sent us, which was full of love, comfort and encouragement and we have also received the Holy Bibles, etc. We thank you for the sickle cell anaemia treatment notes that we requested. They are indeed helpful to our children, not forgetting the help you offered through Bro Philip Lawrence, the welfare brother in Kenya. I received good news from the Welfare and Secretary Brothers in Western Kenya that they will present health notebooks and the names of children with the problem of sickle cell. As an ecclesia and a family (Makhonge) we have been spiritually built up, therefore everything you are doing for us, just the same as Jesus did, signifies God’s love by washing the disciples’ feet and wiping them with a towel he was girded with. He is a servant for all and we as brothers and sisters have to do the same; although it is hard, Christ challenges us. We pray to God that through our Lord Jesus we may love one another as it is our Lord’s command.
Recently I took my son Bob to hospital and he was also found to have sickle cell positive, therefore in my family and at the moment three children have the same case. In Kenya at the moment some doctors are resigning, while others are going to private hospitals, striking or leaving Kenya because of low pay or delay in salary. All these things can happen and the only hope is in the Gospel. Our Master, Jesus, will soon come so let us preach the true Gospel to encourage brothers and sisters to grow spiritually to attain the coming Kingdom.
Bro Jacob and Sis Fedeliah Walioula and the family – Job in red, Wendy in the middle and Nelly – despite being victims of sickle cell anaemia this is a happy picture for Gospel News
KITALE | Bro Anthony Wafula
We are all watching and waiting for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are hoping that you are all fine in the presence of our Almighty God. I would like to express our thanks to you and to tell you that the family are very happy to receive the Bibles and calendar, because the Bible tells us that we always have to be watchful by reading the Scriptures daily and prayer so that we will be saved in the coming Day of our Master.
In our ecclesia we have many challenges and difficulties such as many brothers, sisters and children living with HIV AIDS. Many people think that is a curse, so refuse to live with them or help them in any way. These brothers and sisters are suffering from lack of food, medicine and other necessities. I and Brethren Herman and Christopher spend time trying to assist them with food, medicine and to comfort them. Please let me know if you know of any brother or sister who will stand by us with this work and I will send photos and details of those affected and there are more in the Rift Valley area.
Please could you also help me with a copy of “Beyond Bible Basics” which is very good for teaching and will assist me to understand some more difficult matters.
Holding Bibles received – Lindah, Sisters Esther, Marrow, Shiron and Sunday School scholars ~ Melissa, Esther, Magdalene, Venezor, Naomi, Millie and Lineth
Sis Rhoda Wafula with her children, Mercy, Vivian and Bill enjoying looking at the Bibles and calendar
KITALE | Bro Martin W Chemiati
Much greeting in the hope we share. I am happy all the time when I read the magazines in our country and outside I always feel very joyful when brothers worldwide write about the signs concerning the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. Also when we have our weekly Bible Study in our ecclesia brothers and sisters always ask questions about the signs and the return of our Lord. The NEV has helped us very much in our Bible Study and enabled us to baptise nine good friends last year and we are hoping to baptise seven who we think will be ready this year.
The number of youths in our ecclesia is increasing rapidly because they understand English well, (NEV) and its commentaries. We are praying that our Lord God may bring Jesus Christ to this earth and establish God’s Kingdom to all mankind. It is a true understanding that these are the last days. All world governments and societies are corrupt, people are lovers of money and true Christianity is in danger. As we know, our Lord’s return is very near and because there is too much violence love has been totally lost in humans and the Governments are unable to solve the problems in their lower subjects.
Let Christadelphian believers keep separate from the world because Our Lord is coming and those siding with the world will suffer and will not be rewarded and rule with Christ. Christadelphians know very well of the judgement and punishments that will fall on the unfaithful who do not believe the things concerning the Kingdom of our Lord, which was first with our father Abraham. May our Lord guide us and bless us too.
MADIANY | Bro Gordon Ochieng
I have adopted an orphan baby boy with HIV who was abandoned by an unknown person a few metres from my house. In the early hours one morning I was awakened by a child’s cry and rushed out to find an infant wrapped in a towel. I reported it to the authorities and the Children’s Department, and the Police Department has requested me to care for the baby while they look for a Children’s Home to take him in.
Bro Gordon Ochieng with the baby boy
Brethren Gordon, Vincent and James conducting baptism interview
MANYUANDA | Bro Gordon Ochieng
Above: Brothers and Sisters at Manyuanda Ecclesia
Centre: Baptism of Sis A at Obenga beach in Lake Victoria
I send warmest greetings from myself, family and the entire ecclesia. Day by day life is becoming unbearable. The cost of living is exorbitantly high and the Third World and countries like ours barely survive from hand to mouth. My Bible reassures me to be calm for these rudimentary problems that cannot be solved by legislation are soon coming to an end.
I appreciate the work of CAT and those contributing towards its support, may God bless both hands abundantly. Thanks for your fatherly advice. Right now all local correspondence is addressed to me, mark and send such with concerned notes where appropriate. We cannot get everything from the U.K., but having the capacity we can devote our time and energy in season and out of season.
Recently I visited Siaga G.K. Prison and was granted permission for 2 hours to share with the inmates the glorious and wonderful hope we have. It was spiritually uplifting and even though they refused photos being taken I arranged another visit before I left. Seven interested friends were eager to learn the Biblical truth.
I have already volunteered at the Latvia Riga Bible Centre but due to resources I may not make it, but spiritually I am with them through their effort to spread the gospel. The same goes for missionary work in Syria and China. Pass my warm greetings to Carelinks Missionaries in Latvia and please include my e-mail in your weekly highlights and updates. My camera has developed problems but I am praying that God will provide a replacement as it has been my source of livelihood and support in local missionary endeavours.
I had a tutor, father figure and friend in the Lord in Torquay Ecclesia – Bro Ellis Price and Sister Marjorie Price. In Gospel News I saw an article from another brother at Torquay, Bro Ralph Green. Can you send him my email address so that I can follow up the whereabouts of Bro and Sis Price? Bro Price was my correspondence tutor for over 15 years and I am also grateful to Bro Bill and Sis Carol Rawson, being close to them in their missionary work in Kenya in the early 1990’s as interpreter made me learn and grow spiritually.
Thank you for the books so far received and please bear me in mind for any future publications worthy of serious reading. I am now about to have my daytime meal of Ugali (flour and water) and Omena (small fish), prepared by my beloved sister/wife, Mary.
NDHIWA | Bro Allan
We have different gifts in our churches (Eph.4:11-12) and you and I may feel more regarded than others, but it comes to remembering our sins – the body and blood of our Lord Jesus. The apostle Paul reminds us to always humble ourselves and feel the least and most unworthy of us all because we have all sinned. 1 Cor.15:9 – “For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle because I persecuted the church.” – SIN.
Brothers and sisters, the gifts given to us by God are meant to help us to attain the unity of the faith that we attained at our baptism (Eph.4:13) with an ultimate aim to help the church grow itself in love. (Eph.4:16).
You and I need to be humbled before one another today. It only means that we shall for ever in the Kingdom be humbled before our Master!!
Taken at Youth Conference with two brothers seated from Kakuma Refugee Camp Ecclesia. Bro Allan is standing.
NAKURU | Bro Wanga Samuel
There was a time when my tutor, Sis Yvonne Salisbury of Stroud, U.K. sent for me three pairs of socks made in the U.K. Imagine, it took 5 years to wear out the last pair! The ones available here are from China and cheap but don’t last. Please send me a few pairs if possible. I will let you know when my visa is ready from the Australian Embassy, Nairobi. I still need a few copies of the Bible in Leo, Luhya, French and Kiswahili. You know, most of our members in rural parts of Kenya are elderly and they understand their mother tongues best.
On 29th July I took a 12 hrs drive from Nakuru to Mombasa on gospel mission, I spent a week with Bros and Sis in the coastal region of Kenya, then on 3rd August broke bread with the Likoni ecclesia. We had a very good time and we felt the presence of the Almighty within us. The area has more than 100 ecclesia’s, they lack Bibles and other gospel books, I promised to send more as I ran out of Bibles and tracts.
Bro Wanga’s daughter with her last born baby Jeremy
NATIRI | Bro Masongo Harron
I am grateful to be able to write to you again and our postal address is now P.O.Box 42-50211 Natiri, and this is also for the use for the ecclesia.
I have been ill with a kidney disorder which has brought down my strength. I could not work, least of all properly. I have been using over the counter medicines but seeing no improvement. I have been bedridden for four months and trying to survive as the days passed has been through prayer. I could have gone to hospital but the amount of money they recommended for treatment was more than the family could raise.
I am grateful that now I can do something although my energy is not back yet. It is in the Lord’s mercy that I am alive today and I try to give myself hope of tomorrow. I see the way Job was tempted in my life too but God is great. These have been some of the challenges that have been facing me recently.
Migwena Ecclesia, Kenya
SUNA MIGORI | Bro Joseph Onyango
It is true that God is searching for men and women to come to the Truth. The search reaches its climax when they meet at the waters of baptism. The Christian’s journey to the Kingdom starts at baptism. From Bible history the walk has never been without obstacles even for the patriarchs, prophets and apostles who preceded us. Remember Joseph, Moses and Paul just to name a few. Their lives were clouded with obstacles which they overcame simply because the God of Israel was their stronghold. Let me ask a question – where are our strongholds today? Is it in our wallets, jobs, family members, ecclesias, political parties? Where do we get our refuge when the winds blow? John 17:3 “And this is everlasting life, that they should know you, the only true God and Him whom you sent, Jesus Christ.”
In my house we usually take turns in prayers every night. Sometimes it is my wife, Sis Lucy, sometimes the children, Kevin, Jaqueline, Marvin respectively. And, of course, myself, the father, I take the lead most times.
There is a point here I want to bring home. Yesterday I asked my daughter to pray and after the prayer she began to recite the GRACE, which is not bad, but it compelled me to tell her that we are different from other churches because their children go to schools managed by missionaries from other denominations and if we don’t tell them the truth we might end up without future sisters and brothers in our ecclesias. In fact, these churches believe that their god only provides the good and the bad comes from another cosmic being they call Satan. I have used the small letter “g” because I know that “Yahweh” has no other rival as is categorically stated in Isaiah 45:1-5 and 1 Sam.2:8-9. Christadelphians are unique and we ought to let these little fellows toe the line. We are unique. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you now
and for evermore. TONGAREN | Bro Isaac Kapa
One of the highlights of my work as a college director in my Tailoring School is commencement. While my candidates worked for the government Trade Test I was excited by the thought that our graduates were ready to go out and implement their skills to the people nearby, as some do attain the knowledge of the Bible about things concerning the Kingdom of God and the Name of Jesus, Our Saviour. On the way to the Examination Centre I noticed some industrious ants busily going about their routine and I thought, “There are much greater things happening than the building of sand piles.”
Bro Isaac Kapa, the Ecclesial elder with those attending the Bible School held in April 2014
Tongaren Tailoring School graduates who are now working in their enterprises to earn their living
It is easy for us to get lost in ant world – to be so busy with our routines that we miss the joy of personally embracing the bigger picture of God’s great work around the world. The work of CHRISTADELPHIANS is to preach the Good News concerning the Kingdom of God on earth throughout the world. Paul reports that “Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world.” 2 Timothy 4:10. I wonder if Demas regretted abandoning the Gospel for the ‘piles’ of this world? Let’s get out of ‘ant world’ and engage our hearts and lives in spreading the gospel of the coming Kingdom. Don’t let smaller things distract you from the bigger work of God around the world. God bless you.
YATTA | Bro Lazarus Kingoo
The Gospel News magazine has been very helpful not only to me but also to other brothers and sisters in Yatta Ecclesia, to which if possible you can be sending some extra copies to meet the big demand in the ecclesia. I also very much appreciate the Bibles and copies of Bible Basics you have been sending to me to supply to others. This has been a very big boost to all who had a copy of these. I want to tell you that now there is a big demand for Bible Basics and Bibles not only in our ecclesia but in the area around. God is great, for the outcome of this supply was in February this year when we were blessed with 13 new converts via the true baptism. At the moment we are preparing almost the same number – most of them being youth, for baptism. Remember this is only in Yatta ecclesia, but in ecclesias in other areas we also have new converts. So this confirms that what you are doing has an impact.
I have opportunities to visit many ecclesias on different ecclesial occasions and am praying for a digital camera to capture all activities that I can share with other Gospel News readers.
