Part 1 African Shepherds Alliance (ASA) conference

This post is part one of a two part pictorial post about our wonderful trip to Kitali, Kenya for our ASA conference. Because of the large number of pictures… this is part one.

James, his wife Beatrice, Thomas, Vincent, Jeroge, his wife Ann, Cynthia and I were up and raring to get started early in the morning. Jeroge (J-rowgee) is a professional Matatoo driver and the only one I know that actually drives like a Christian. We felt very safe with him behind the wheel.

We were all so excited that our Nakuru team was finally headed for our first ASA (African Shepherd’s Alliance) conference with the ‘bush’ pastors of Kitali! The drive was so incredibly beautiful the six hours went by very quickly.

Kitali, Kenya is called the ‘bread basket’ of Kenya and there is nothing but farmland as far as the eye can see. The Christian leaders out in the rural areas are called ‘bush pastors’ because they live out in the boonies.

When we arrived in the evening midst the bustling city of Kitali we had to weave our way through the multitudes of people rushing home. There were hundreds of Matatoos (twelve to fifteen passenger vans) and Piki pikis (motorcycles) busily bringing their customers to their appointed destinations.

We have witnessed an entire family of four being transported on just one piki piki. There were hundreds of people trying to get home from their jobs and school before dark. Notice this particular piki driver was almost sitting on the handlebars to deliver a heavy bag of charcole.

Jeroge drove James, and I with our wives straight to our Wazungu missionary friend’s house, Rita and Louie at Restoration Ministries International and had a wonderful dinner, great fellowship and a good night’s sleep.

We were warned by Louie that the rain had been excessive and that it had rained the entire two days before we arrived, so we might want to be prepared to get wet.

Early next morning we drove through Kitali’s hectic morning traffic and headed out toward the country and the spiritually hungry people of the rural farmland of Kitali. The landscape around Kitali is very beautiful, and the sun would shine for the next two days. Behind these mountains  and hidden by the clouds lie Mt. Elgorn, Kenya’s second highest mountain, and the country of Uganda.

Finally we descended down a beautiful country road to the shamba (Farm) of our host and the small tent that we would be spending the next two days teaching the ‘bush’ pastors.

We immediately began teaching and preaching the message of the abundant corporate life of Christ as revealed in the scriptures and demonstrated by the early church. People were eagerly awaiting the good news that the church was supposed to be the family of God. Some had never ever even heard that the church was to reveal the family of God in their entire Christian life.  

 

After two and a half hours of teaching it was time for lunch and introductions to our host’s family. Our host, whose name was Aggrey Masika, turned out to be a very gracious and hospitable man.

After meeting his wife and seeing where his children lived Cynthia got a little ‘porch time’ with Aggrey’s wife.

Then Aggrey began the tour of his 3 acre shamba (farm). The tour was both interesting and informative.

Lastly he brought us to his mother. She was very sick with Asthma and you could easily hear her wheezing three feet away. She had suffered a long time and was confined to her bed. Amma instantly felt the need to pray for her healing and so she did. The next day Aggrey’s mother’s lungs were completely clear and she rejoiced with us in the tent. God is so good!

Then we sat down to a great lunch of lintels and beans. The next day they served a killer chicken soup with rice. Ummm… so good.

After lunch it was back to teaching. After hours of sharing no one wanted to leave. It was amazing how well these people responded. We felt a kindred spirit with Andrew Strom and his recent newsletter.

Sometimes we just taught the men…

And sometimes Cynthia and Beatrice just taught the women.

Teaching after teaching everyone grew more and more excited. One dear saint asked me after the teaching … "Is this really what the bible teaches? My God… this is so wonderful."

Part 2 of the ASA Kintali conference will come in a couple of days...

Our Gatherings...

We wanted to tell you about a most wonderful change happening with the members of StoneHouse Fellowship. It is the evolution in our Gathering of praise and worship. The change has been from stoic to startling, from emotional to spiritual. 

 

For over four straight years my wife and I tried unsuccessfully to help Kenyans see how incredible a spiritual gathering of praise and worship could be if people came to give and not just receive. The opposition was formidable and quite discouraging.

But this year, in less than four months… the people of StoneHouse Fellowship have seen all things become new... and alive! Every meeting is filled with spontaneous sharing and joy. It just gets better and better. Here is a short pictorial description of our typical Sunday Gatherings.

 

First on the list is getting everyone at our house up and in the car. We take the kids while Patrick, Christine take a piki piki (motorcycle) to the Gathering. There’s not enough room in our small car for the whole family… so we make do. We are hoping to get a van sometime soon so all of us can ride together.

As we round the corner and drive up into our little church compound…the  first thing we see is a smiling single sister called Wangoe with her two children Ann (10) and Sara (8). Wangoe and her two daughters live in a room that’s part of the church building and serves as the caretaker. We gave her that job because she had no other place to live in Nakuru and wanted her children to be able to go to school. The church takes care of Wangoe and Wangoe and her two sweet daughters take care of the church. It’s a sweet deal that works out great for everyone and we love them a lot.

The next people we encounter are the other leaders, who always arrive early enough to greet everyone else. These men from left to right are James who serves as a shepherd preacher and evangelist, Vincent who serves as an administrator and conference coordinator, preacher, record keeper, deacon etc. and Thomas who also serves as a preacher, shepherd and home group overseer. We currently have seven home groups with ninety percent of the church attending throughout the week.

 

As soon as the youth (teens and twenties) begin arriving they go into the kids room and practice the music they want to bring us that day.

When our people begin to arrive we encourage them to spend the first half hour fellowshipping and telling each other what God has been doing in each other’s lives. 

Then everyone comes together and begins sharing some of the things they heard from one another. This can go on from thirty to sixty minutes.

When we are good and full of hearing the wonderful things our Father has been doing we begin to praise and worship Him. This our favorite part. As the youth begin to sing… all the children flood into our main room, led by Sara (our incarnation of Miriam sister of Moses) dancing up and down the isles. Sara leads the children in complete abandonment in praising God.

These are a few pictures of her and the children ‘kicking up their heels’ in joyful praise.

When we are done singing, the children head back to the kid’s room and are then taught by one of the sisters.

That’s when the drama’s, poems, special song arrangements, and children presentations begin.

This presentation of Job by two of our young men was awesome. Both these young men danced last week at the national fairgrounds for thousands of Kenyan spectators. And Abraham, the one kneeling, was chosen to represent Nakuru High school by reciting a poem in front of the newly elected president of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta. Quite an honor for this very talented young man.

A side note … the three single sisters (you know who you are) that helped pay Abraham’s tuition fees through the L.E.A.R.N. program are largely responsible for making this happen. Thank you dear sisters.

 

As our time together rolls on you never know what you might see in the field next door. There are always herds of sheep, goats and cows in the field next door… two weeks ago, a camel dropped by for lunch.

 

After the presentations (if there’s still time) James and I or Thomas and Vincent will either teach or preach. One talks the other translates (except for me I only talk ;-) ).

 

Towards the end of our time together we sing a song and let people worship by bringing their offerings. This is usually preceded by a warning that we only allow certain people to give in our church. There are three requirements before you can participate in the worship of giving at our church.

The first is… There must be no un-confessed sin in your life.

The second… That you are right with your brothers and sisters.

And the third… That your heart rejoices when you drop it in the basket.  

All the visitor’s eyes always bug out when we share this. Although our offerings have increased since we began sharing these three rules of acceptable giving.

Lastly, through prayer we commit the coming week into the Lord’s hands and then hang around for some more fellowship. Well that’s about it… we hope you enjoyed hearing and seeing some of what happens with us on Sunday morning  … I know we sure do!

StoneHouse Ministries International

S.M.I