Mombasa 20-24th. August

By God’s grace I recently completed my first week long ministry outside Nairobi since my operation. I went with Dominic Ndung’u one of our two interns. It is a 500 km. drive to Mombasa on the main highway through Kenya. It is a busy road with up to a few thousand lorries/trucks daily taking imports from the port throughout East and Central Africa. So much has Kenya been developing that when we got near Mombasa the traffic crawled for two hours until we reached our destination in the north of the town. [http://panoramicdon.wordpress.com/2013/11/26/how-construction-of-the-mombasa-malaba-railway-will-transform-kenya/]

Gospel Missions Agency

The Pastor of this church in Mombasa is Barnabas Olare. He is a fellow student with Dominic in our PTC in Nairobi, and will be completing lectures at the end of this year, Lord willing. It is only 3 years ago, at the start of the studies, that the Lord opened his eyes to the truth when he was deep in the Word of Faith teachings. It has been so encouraging to see him go through the 3 years of study as the Lord has been teaching him. He is now a strong opponent of the doctrines he once espoused.

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Reformation Conference

This is an annual event in both Mombasa and Mumias (2014, No. 6). I was the speaker together with Barnabas’ brother, Elly Achok. It was basically the same Conference as in Mumias in April, on the theme of ‘Rediscovering Biblical Religion’. Their very open and forceful proclamation of the truth as it is in the Lord has earned them a lot of opposition as the Word of Faith doctrines are very prevalent. So the numbers were much lower than in the few previous years since the Conference began. Yet we rejoice that there were up to 50 who came, about half of them pastors.

Please PRAY for these two brothers as the Lord has opened up many opportunities for them. They have a training school (see below) and recently returned from a preaching tour in the DRC (Congo).

The facilities of the GMA, Mombasa, like so many, are rudimentary. It is in a relatively poor section of Mombasa. The walls are of corrugated iron sheets, and the floor is dirt. The ‘modern’ thing is the rows of plastic chairs, not forgetting the PA system which is the first thing every church goes for! But their whole way of worship has been drastically reformed so the staple diet is now hymnody.

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Wisdom Training School Graduation (23rd. August)

Elly and Barnabas run a one year theological training programme which is basically a study of systematic theology. It is thoroughly reformed. Those who do really well and who feel called to the preaching ministry are beginning to be recommended to our training in Nairobi. Well, I was the ‘chief guest’ for the graduation of 10 students who had done the course through email. It included the wives of our two brothers. You can see them at the front of the building, suitably donned in gowns and mortar boards (picture above right). Kenyans take any educational achievement very seriously. Many people came to rejoice at the graduation of their loved ones. Before presenting the certificates I preached on the Parable of the Sower, applying it both to graduands and congregation. What a joyful occasion it was and I thank God for what these brethren are doing and the privilege I have had in training them in the PTC. They have been a real encouragement to me.

Pokot North (26th. June–3rd. July)

My fellow pastor, Murungi Igweta, had his first extended trip to North Pokot. 3 of the young people accompanied him. Just recently public transport has been introduced into the area making it possible to more easily go the last 100 kms. There was a ‘Weekend’ ministry with the 200+ boys at the Kasei Secondary School that we sponsor. What an opportunity to minister to all these boys from all over Pokot North and beyond for more than 2 full days!

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The above photo is of boys of Kasei Secondary School listening to the ministry of the Word. There continue to be great opportunities in educational establishments we have had a hand in starting.