PLANTING THE SEED
"...The seed is the word of God." (Luke 8:11)
The word of God continues to spread throughout Kenya, and in 2003 two seed plantings took root well outside the capital, Nairobi - in Kisii in Nyanza province, and in the Central Province town of Kianyaga. These towns are distant and are different in the story of how the gospel took root there, but in both cases, the outstanding thing is to see the power of the spoken word and the plan of our awesome God.
"...The seed is the word of God." (Luke 8:11)
The word of God continues to spread throughout Kenya, and in 2003 two seed plantings took root well outside the capital, Nairobi - in Kisii in Nyanza province, and in the Central Province town of Kianyaga. These towns are distant and are different in the story of how the gospel took root there, but in both cases, the outstanding thing is to see the power of the spoken word and the plan of our awesome God.
"But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by perseverance produce a crop." (Luke 8:15)
KISII TOWN
 Nestled in the hills of the fertile Kenyan highlands of South Nyanza, towards the border with neighbouring Tanzania, is the town of Kisii. In July of 2003, Edwine Omaya had to return there, his hometown, when Kenyatta University in Nairobi, where he is a student, was closed abruptly due to student unrest. There, he linked up with Bernard, a disciple from Nairobi's north region, who has a business in Kisii town, where he spends several days every week, and the two of them started a Bible Talk. Soon after that, they found a couple, Evans and Jackie, who are members of the Nirobi church, but had relocated when Evans was transferred to head the Kisii town branch of the drycleaner for whom he works.Soon after that Edwine met Abednego, who became a disciple, and that was followed, two months later, by the baptisms of two of Edwine's brothers, Jeff and Sam. Just before the year came to an end, Robert, to whom Bernard had reached out, also got baptized, after studying the Bible with the brothers. It is exciting to see what God has done in just five months. |
 Evans and Jackie are encouraged by the privilege of hosting the church for services in their house every Sunday. "I really feel fired up," Jackie says. "And I feel it's a big challenge to see the church grow from our house."
Edwine (left) shares, "It's with sincere joy that I say that God had a plan for the church to be here. Previously when I would come for holidays it would be tough, tempting and trying." |
 Now, instead, there is a family of disciples in town, and they are all a great source of help and encouragement to each other." Also, for Edwine, "It had been a dream of mine for my family members to become disciples and now I see that the dream is becoming a reality."
Abednego, the first of the Kisii town baptisms, says, "I need to be a good disciple and to believe that the Lord will come back and take us home." With that faith, the brothers and sister in Kisii continue to plant the seed and to hold out the word of truth in their little corner of the country. |
KIANYAGA
Ephantus Njogu was a member of the Nairobi congregation, and when, for reasons beyond his control, he was forced to relocate with his family to Kianyaga, about 200 kilometres from Nairobi, he did not let go of the convictions that he had. He ultimately reached out to Johnston Nyaga, who had been leading a church in the town and started studying the Bible with him. As members of the church became evangelistically active, one of them reached out to Godfrey Kamotho, a disciple form Nairobi, who was in town briefly as part of his job. Godfrey brought back a report once he returned to Nairobi. Following that, leaders from the Nairobi church got in touch with Ephantus and his new friends and embarked on sending ministers to Kianyaga to preach to the church where Johnston was pastoring and to study the Bible with members of the congregation.Even as Ephantus started sharing the Bible with Johnston, before the Nairobi leaders came in to help, Johnston, with great humility, conceded that he had never been a true disciple. Johnston shares, "As Ephantus showed me what he believed from the Scriptures, I realized that though I was a pastor, my life was not right according to the Bible and I was not teaching people correctly." It was much like Aquila and Apollos. Joyce shares, "I was eager to know what my husband was learning from Ephantus and I told him to share with me everything that Ephantus would show him after every meeting they would have."
Even as the Nairobi congregation got involved, Johnston and Joyce (left) opened up to the disciples so that they could be explained the way of God more adequately. They repented and were baptized into Christ in the nearby Thiba River. On the same day, Ephantus and his wife, Josephine, were restored. Several weeks following that auspicious weekend, Johnston and Joyce's daughter Philomena and son Jamleck, and Ephantus and Josephine's son, Patrick, were baptized into Christ. 
Ephantus (with Josephine, left) says, "I am so happy to see what God is doing in Kianyaga. It is so encouraging that Johnston and his family and our family too have become Christians. I feel such great excitement in my heart." Josephine adds, "I too feel so happy. It's great to be surrounded in Kinanyaga by brothers and sisters."The Kianyaga disciples all look forward to seeing the church grow and to its being a great light to that part of the country. Johnstone and Joyce say, "Our deeds and our life will be a light to attract others." "As long as we have love amongst us," says Joyce, "the church will grow." "And it won't take long," concludes Ephantus emphatically."
The Lord continues to do great things and to minister to many in Central Kenya through the Kianyaga church. The congregation now also includes Joshua and Lydia who have been in the Nairobi congregation until they moved when Joshua, a policeman, got transferred to work in a town near Kianyaga. The Kianyaga Christians have also benefited from the arrival of Charles Muiruri, a Bible Talk Leader, who has now secured employment in the town and helps greatly in the shepherding of the church. He also happens to be the one who first invited Joshua to church many years ago in Nairobi and helped study the Bible with him.
Elias Aketch and Ng'ang'a Gitau and their wives are the leaders from Nairobi who have been going to Kianyaga regularly to help the church there. "There are so many people who are willing to study the Bible," Elias says. "I am impressed by their determination and desire to learn the word of God. They ask a lot of questions." Ng'ang'a shares, "Their love for God inspires me. It is so pure. They are so thirsty to learn that they exhaust me with their questions." And as they continue to ask questions, we know that Jesus is, always has been and always will be the answer. Let us continue to praise God as we see the mustard seed of faith and the seed of his word produce much fruit in many places.