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FINDING THE MISSING PEACE
Nairobi's 2002 Women's Day

Sisters On the afternoon of Sunday October 27th 2002, the Kenyatta International Conference Centre was a kaleidoscope of clour and culture as women from every corner of not only of Nairobi but of East Africa converged on the venue for the Nairobi Christian Church’s Women’s Day hosted under the theme "The Missing Peace".

The event served to strengthen the faith of the church’s 650 sisters as they saw their prayers and hard work blessed by God with great results and an attendance of 3318. "It is great to see glory – a sea of women streaming in," said Mary Nyawade, a sister from the Metro Region. Many also looked forward to the impact that the day would have on their friends and relatives.

By the time the evening rolled in, as the event approached its conclusion, the place was abuzz with lively conversation as many talked about the impact that the presentations had on them and the decisions they would make as they were now clearly directed about how to find their Missing Peace.

On the program, several sisters spoke candidly about painfully trying situations in their lives, from which they have learned to trust God and to find peace. Mary Mwanza, a mother of three, spoke of her near-death experience when caught in the building next to the American Embassy on August 7th 1998, when the embassy, in downtown Nairobi, was bombed by terrorists. Her injuries, trauma, a miscarriage two months later, resultant high blood pressure and other struggles led to incredible feelings of insecurity. But she got great support from her husband and friends and found peace.

Anne Irungu, a Women’s ministry Leader in the church, shared about a stillbirth she experienced followed months later by another, and the devastation she felt, accompanied by a great hardening of her heart, as she saw God take away from her that which she desired most at the time. As her discipler and others helped her to find peace, Anne learned to be surrendered and was blessed with a baby girl. She learned to more intimately and personally relate to women in hardship.

Judy Awino, a Region Leader in the church, shared about the anguish of losing her brother, just a few weeks earlier. Though nothing could bring back her brother, of course, the dedication of disciples around her helped her get through thew whole experience. Disciples from Nairobi made the 11-hour journey to Judy’s rural home, where the burial was taking place, and offered her constant spiritual guidance as well as helping with cooking of food and washing of clothes.

Nancy Jebet, a single campus Leader in the church, shared how, before she became a disciple, she had to fight through the agony of seeing her brother, her best friend, jailed for a crime of which he was not guilty. Her efforts to take him food in prison were in vain as guards would eat the food themselves. Court appearances would follow, one after the other, but all along, Nancy’s brother remained languishing in confinement. He was eventually released from jail, and Nancy, for her part, learned to win freedom of her own – freedom from bitterness and questioning God.

Carol Mukenya, a Women’s Ministry Leader in the congregation, wrapped it up by sharing from Scripture that trials will come in each of our lives, and that in face of them, the choice is ours as to how we react. At these times, as she also made clear, we need to have spiritual friends. The bottom line is that there is a God and we need to trust him.

The guest speaker for the occasion was Deysi Oguagha, Women’s Ministry Leader for the Johannesburg Church of Christ campus ministry, who, together with her husband Onyechi, was a member of the team that planted the Nairobi church from New York back in 1989.
Deysi
Speaking passionately and powerfully from the biblical account of the woman who bled for 12 years before being healed by Jesus, Deysi pointed out how we look for happiness in so many places and things like relationships, having children, losing weight and being trendy, when true happiness is found only in Christ. This heroic woman kept up her faith through twelve years of suffering, Deysi pointed out challenging all with the question, "Are you faithful even after twelve minutes of suffering?"

"Peace is not the absence of problems," Deysi reminded the women, "but freedom of the mind from anxiety and turmoil. Peace will come from God because he is consistent; he doesn’t have good and bad days." Seri
After the speeches, Seri Murdock from the New York City Church of Christ sang a powerful song entitled, "Running Back to You". This was followed by the challenging and moving KNN video, "The Last Call", which tells the story of five people trapped in a ground level-jewelry store when an earthquake collapses their high-rise building. Staring a slow death in the face, these very different people are forced to evaluate the foundation of their lives – solid rock or shifting sand. Through the whole afternoon’s presentations, the women present were called to do the same thing – to evaluate the foundations of their lives and make personal decisions in oredr to fing the missing peace in their lives.
The afternoon was closed out by the MC, Georgeanne Rayola, after an inspiring dance performed by sisters from the campus ministry.

One of the visitors to Women’s Day said afterwards that "The Last Call" was especially touching. "There are many things I have been postponing, " she elaborated, "and I have finally come to the realization that I have to face the realities of life as they are and have correct priorities."

Another lady who attended the Women’s Day had been contemplating suicide. Her husband died recently and soon after that she discovered that she was pregnant.
Dance
Above all that, she struggles with alcoholism. With these pressures crushing her, a few weeks before the Women’s Day she sent a message to one of the sisters saying that she had no reason to keep on living and was going to take her life. But a day after the Women’s Day she sent another message to the sister, this time saying, "Now I have hope. Thank you so much for inviting me."

Prayerfully, many women will ultimately be thankful not only for the privilege of attending the Women’s Day, but for seeing their lives eternally changed by the word of God and the love of the sisters in the Nairobi church.