NEWS FROM KENYA

BUNGOMA | Bro Martin Sibolo Situma

I was pleased to receive the current Gospel News and of course also the Logos magazine. In our ecclesia we have six students who are preparing for baptism and other Sunday School readers who are quite familiar or acquainted with reading Swahili. So we shall be happy if you will send us Swahili New Testaments and if possible include two copies of the whole Bible either in Swahili or English and also a copy of the Christadelphian hymn book if available.

The Lord Jesus said that the harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few and that is the situation we are in. It is of course the Lord himself that gives the increase to our labours. So it is appropriate for us to pray always for help from the Lord and the Lord will one day say, “Well done, faithful servant, since you have been faithful in the small things, I will make you ruler over many” and so the Lord will give us finally the required recompense.

Many people are disturbed at the troubles in the world at the moment but we do believe that these are just indications of the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to the earth. He is soon coming in order to establish the Kingdom of God as predicted by the prophets of God.

SANGALO MARKET | Bro Fred Comfort Namunju

The church I started at Sangalo Market is continuing and we have started to raise a meeting place for we have been worshipping our God under the tree. Pictured above: The Church meeting under a tree

BUNGOMA | Bro Laban Kisaka

Much greetings in the name of our Master soon to reign on earth. I am very much grateful for the Gospel News that you keep on sending to me, actually I lack words to express my deep sense of gratitude. I am looking for a way of sending you some photos that were recently taken during the Bible Class at The Progressive Centre in Nairobi.

Sisters’ Camp at North Nyanza

DAGO | Bro Raphael Joni Aimo

Jesus told his followers in John 16:16, “A little while you will see me no more and then a little while and you will see me.” It does not matter how many years the Lord has been absent, to God a thousand years is the same as one day and we know that Jesus will return one day to establish God’s Kingdom.

So our discipleship is a journey which we must undertake for us to reach our destination safely. Paul told the Galatians not to grow weary of doing good as in due course they would reap rewards if they did not give up. It is applicable to us as well as the Galatians, Gal. 6:9-10.

So let us be steadfast and obedient to God’s Word without murmuring, and show our faith which we have attained in Christ, our Lord, to others too.

The Bible tells us that the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil (1 Peter 3:12).

Our Lord’s coming is near indeed as we see events unfolding now. Rev. 3:20 tells us, “Behold, I am standing at the door and knock.” May He find us worthy of the Kingdom when He returns. May God bless us all as we journey towards the Kingdom.

A group of brethren after the Memorial Service. Bro Joshua Ooma Ayul, one of their oldest brothers and a great defender of the Scriptures, in the centre with open Bible

ELDORET | Bro Jacob O’Koth

It is our earnest expectation and cherished hope that through our Lord’s victory on the cross we may, through repentance and baptism, obtain salvation in the Kingdom.

I would congratulate CAT on the good work it does, its stand and hope in reflecting the great certainty about the coming Kingdom. May our Lord lead you to understand our situation economically in Kenya, especially our work in the vineyard. I pray and am still eager, that I may be able to run a rabbit and chicken project as I have told you before.

KISUMU | Bro Richard Oduma

Gospel News is really enjoyable. Thank you for the hard work of CAT making sure that the Word reaches every corner of this world. In Kisumu Ecclesia we have a number of contacts who are not able to read or understand English, mostly the street boys who are getting instruction and some are nearing baptism. I hope that these translated Kiswahili Bibles will be of great help to them. Please send 20 copies of Kiswahili and 10 copies of English if possible.

My brother there has no way opened up to us to assist helping these needy kids who are attending our services and their number is increasing following the interest they have to know the truth. We still seek your prayers and advice to help solve the little we can do.

Bro Richard Oduma

North Nyanza Youth Camp

North Nyanza Elders Forum

MADIANY | Bro Gordon Ochieng

My spirit is still with those in Riga, Latvia. Even though I might not be able to join them in person, I do remember them in my prayers. I would have joined them to teach, cook and clean but resources are unavailable. Pass my warm regards to the entire team in the Lord’s Name.

My wife, Sis Mary Ochieng and our daughter Macrine

The North Nyanza area has 14 ecclesias – 214 brethren, 186 sisters, 110 friends and 347 Sunday School children. I am writing to you voluntarily after the elders pleaded to me that most of their members don’t get Gospel literature. They asked me to take this up and communicate with the Trust over this. Of late they have benefited from NEV Bibles, leaflets and books like The Real Devil and The Real Christ, but only a few ecclesias have received a copy of these books. Please take this into consideration since my aim is to let the Spirit Word concerning God’s promise of eternal life in the soon coming Kingdom reach as many as possible. In this area (North Nyanza) we speak three different mother tongues – Luo, Maragoli, Kalenjin. The two unifying languages are Kiswahili and English, so there is need for more Kiswahili Bibles since we do conduct our fraternals, Sisters’ Conferences and Bible Schools together.

MBITA | Bro Daniel Ogembo

I was born in a family who were Pentecostal and was baptized when I was 5 years old. When I was old enough I joined a Spiritual Church (Roho-Roho Israel) and I was crowned a bishop and I was called a prophet. In 1996 I visited Bro Samuel Matete Masawa and he started teaching me the gospel and I found that the things that I had believed were not the true gospel. So Samuel introduced me to a tutor who was the late Sis Julia Mebey. She taught me and I was baptized in 2000 at Kabubu Ecclesia by Bro Oderi from Kiagware Ecclesia and interviewed by Sis Tania. Now I am waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to give us eternal life.

NAITIRI | Bro Masong’o Harron

Brothers, CAT is doing a great job, especially bringing light to people who had not known the true gospel. I am grateful for the book you sent to me “Teach Me Thy Way”, which is great and I know it is going to be helpful to us as an ecclesia. I have begun reading it and I know it is going to help others too.

TARBO | Sis Beatrice Wanjala

Thank you for the book “Teach Me Thy Way” which is a very good book. Please send 18 more copies which will help our youth and friends.

Sis Beatrice Wanjala (in white suit) with some of the young people of the Tarbo Ecclesia.

SINDO | Bro John Owalo Onani

I am happy that what God required from us is not money but being faithful, obedient to the truth, listening to His voice, to have a good relationship with the Heavenly Father, to love Him with all our mind and heart, and to love our fellow human beings, walking with the word every day (Micah 6:8; Deuteronomy 10:12-13; Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

God wants us to fear Him and keep His commandments, because whatever good or bad we do is written in the book of life. Why are we weak to respond to what our Father in heaven wants? The Bible reveals that our mind, thoughts and heart are evil, corrupt and deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9). I therefore exhort my brothers/sisters in the world to be strong and courageous and read the Word daily for spiritual growth (Joshua 1:8).

Every minute, hour, second, day, week and year, whatever you do is what makes your entry in the book of life. If you relax, you might think of a murderer like Cain, but it is much better to concentrate and for your thoughts to be of love, like Abel, then the righteous God will accept you into the kingdom (Genesis 4; 1 John 3:11-12).

TURBO | Bro Emmanuel Milimo

Firstly, I would like to thank you for your family’s photo. It was received with both hands by my family, and the whole ecclesia. The work you are working is very great in these last days to spread the true gospel. Much thanks, particularly for the Swahili New Testament edition. My ecclesia is very happy, especially as the aged brothers and sisters can read only Kiswahili, for it is the national communication language in our society. These Swahili Bibles will help them to study well and understand what they can tell their families and friends.

We pray that our Almighty Father in heaven may give you blessings so that the whole Bible can be translated. In Kenya, the Bible is very expensive so many brothers and sisters cannot afford them. Those who are in need are 8 brothers and 14 sisters, making 22 in total.

I enclose photos of our recent activities. We had a Youth Camp in our R/Valley area, with 460 youths from all our ecclesias. On the closing day, brothers and sisters joined them, making 1150 in total. It was something that had never been done in Kenya before. I would like to thank all.

Photos of the Youth Camp are on the front and back covers and page 22.

TONGAREN | Bro Isaac Kapa

In one way or another we can all relate to Psalm 86:1 when David says “I am poor and needy.” Even the richest among us should understand that poverty needs relate more to spirit than to the wallet. Even millionaires should often say, “I am just a sinner saved by grace.” Psalm 86 tells us that the help God provides is not measured by money. When we acknowledge that we are poor and needy it is not so that God will lavish material riches on us, we do so to open the doors to other, more valuable treasures.

Here is what God does for the poor and needy; “He will preserve our lives and save all those who trust Him.” (v.2). He will be merciful and ready to forgive, (v.3,5). He will listen to and answer our prayers, (v.6-7). We ought to take God’s blessing with giving back. We have responsibility to learn God’s ways, walk in His Truth, fear God’s Name “praise the Lord and glorify His Name” (v.1112).

Do you consider yourself among the “poor and needy”? If so, welcome to Tongaren where the poor and needy are many. Let’s not forget the spiritual blessings God has for us and the godly response we should have toward his generosity.

The poorest man is he who lacks God’s words in his mind.

Bro Isaac Kapa with Agape sponsored children