Some
thoughts from David on this trip are after this report from
Richard at the bottom of this page or click
here.
Dear Friends,
Praise the Lord for a good start to this trip! David
arrived safely on Sunday and found himself in the middle of
a very exciting crusade in Dandora. Large crowds were
gathered and many were giving their lives to Christ.
Monday: Brothers from Kisumu, Mombasa and Eldoret
arrived and Johnny left the UK for the conference with
Kenyan brothers.
Tuesday: We gathered all the brothers we had hoped to
see and had an encouraging day sharing from 2 Corinthians
and praying for each one. We successfully negotiated a LHM
KENYA Annual General Meeting (a requirement by Kenyan law
for registered ministries) with the minimum of legalities
and maintained the spirit of fellowship. We also were able
to distribute 60 bibles and some study books, purchased from
Margarita at the Keswick bookshop. She always looks after
us very well and is a great blessing to the ministry.
It was good to have separate time with the brothers from
Mombasa and then we praised God that our brother Isaiah from
Eldoret agreed to work with the Kisumu brothers, headed up
by James. This will make things a lot easier and already
James has promoted the Roving Video Ministry, which enables
people to be taught regularly even if we cannot get there.
Praise God for David and Carole whose work means these
videos are readily available!
Wednesday: We had very good fellowship with Bishop
Stephen and some of his friends. We were able to pay Family
TV, collect my Kisumu air ticket and then make our way to
Uganda. Peter and Rose were there to meet us and we were
very happy to see them.
Thursday: David invigilated examinations in the Bible
school, Johnny did some teaching in Peter’s school and I
gathered leaders from Kampala, Matembe and Jinja. By the
end of the day it was very clear that these brothers and
some sisters had really appreciated the purpose of the
time. It was to refresh and encourage them away from their
flocks and amounted again to an unofficial LHM Uganda AGM.
I also shared the concept of the International Ministers’
Fellowship – whereby pastors receive a prayer bulletin once
a month (to which they can contribute by making their prayer
requests known) and also a monthly emailed Bible study. One
pastor who heads a fellowship of pastors took 20 forms, with
the intention of getting the whole fellowship to sign up.
Praise the Lord! (There had also been a good response in
Kenya). As we were drawing to a close, it was great to see
the Leaders’ book “Master Builder” supplied by Sovereign
World in Uganda. Peter had collected them that afternoon.
The timing was perfect and the students were eager to
receive their copy.
Thank you to those who gave me mobile phones. It was a real
joy to pass them on and each one was a blessing.
At the end of the day Pastor John from Bushenyi arrived.
Although late, it was good to see him and to know that
arrangements for Bushenyi were well in hand and that our
transport needs to get there, had been met.
Friday: I taught in the Bible school. The students
appreciate having the school although they provide a wide
range of abilities to try and teach. Also, as they are not
full time students, it is again a challenge to get them all
together. However, we must try to do the best for them and
hopefully in time, a good study pattern will emerge. In the
afternoon it was good to visit Lighthouse TV. Gary
Everett’s wife had just given birth to a baby boy so we
rejoiced with them. Paul Musisi gave us a visit and we were
saddened to hear of the very sudden home call of his wife.
She leaves Paul with two young children. Paul works for
Impact Radio and has always been very supportive in that
work for us.
Saturday: We took the long journey to Bushenyi. We
arrived in time to preach in the crusade where 15 adults
professed Christ as Saviour. A large number of children
also responded and the Lord, Who knows the heart, will work
that out. An hour’s drive after that, took us to Mbarara
where we shared in Pastor John’s radio hour. Another soul
professed faith in Christ and there was a good response to
the word. We have been given the chance to broadcast once a
week as part of John’s hour for less than £2 a programme PTL!
Sunday: Saw Johnny ministering in a Christian College
to 300+ students and I was with Pastor John in his church
with about 400 people. 4 people professed faith in Christ.
It was also good to see people saved at the crusade,
attending church. The evening crusade was quite a
challenge. The weather was looking threatening and a few
lightning flashes, with the odd roll of thunder, all added
to the occasion. The gospel was preached and 7 made their
way to the front to give their lives to Christ. The prayer
of commitment was a little briefer than on some occasions
but clear; then within seconds the rain fell very heavily.
Praise God the harvest was gathered in just in time! We
later went to the conference and had a good evening session
with the conference delegates.
Monday: The conference continued with 750 delegates.
The morning sessions were powerful, as people responded to
the challenge of holiness and preparing for revival. The
evening crusade saw 30 souls gathered in for salvation.
Tuesday: After breakfast we had a wonderful
opportunity to lead two people to Christ in the Guest house.
We preached a final session in the conference then began the
journey back to Kampala. Having driven for six hours, we
then had to go back through the traffic in the city to meet
Peter, Rose and David. It was good to meet Pastor Ronald
and share a meal together before heading for some rest.
Wednesday: we joined the Mympere conference. David
had enjoyed two good days of ministry and we arrived for a
session before heading to Entebbe and then Nairobi. Scott
and Julie had by now arrived and we joined together for a
very good evening of fellowship before heading to Kisumu.
Thursday: the flight to Kisumu was preceded by a
fleeting reunion with a brother called Teepenny, we had met
in Clarendon, Brighton days, and we hope to have a longer
chat next year. Rushed from the airport I found myself
greeting the Mayor of Kisumu. Together we handed out
certificates to the students of the Bible school. A number
of leaders gathered and we had a very good seminar. In the
evening a crusade in a very poor part of the city took place
and 11 gave their lives to Christ. It was a good surprise
to see Joseph Omollo’s widow Joyce. She is a brave
Christian lady walking with the Lord. Scott and Julie were
serving in another crusade which saw blessing and back in
Nairobi, John Obayo had done an excellent job, gathering 84+
leaders and people for David and Johnny to minister to. It
was good to meet Leonard, with whom I hope to encourage a
link, through a church in Scotland.
Friday: A conference in Mathare was in good progress
and we finished the day fellowshipping with leaders, hungry
for God’s word. Mathare is one of the poorest areas of
Nairobi. The need of this area was obvious and it was a big
privilege to gather pastors from such a tough place.
Sad news came through that Leonard had collapsed in Nairobi
and was in hospital diagnosed with heart disease.
We arrived at the airport to meet more friends and enjoyed
good fellowship before coming home.
News from Augustine in Rwanda is good and I spoke to Stephen
who was enjoying a good response to his ministry.
News from Scott and Julie is encouraging as they serve in
Kisumu and see the orphanage which their church has
sponsored, officially opened.
God bless and thank you for praying
Sept/Oct trip some
thoughts from David
Landing at Nairobi
at 6.30am I went to Dandora in time to
speak at the Sunday morning service. After a late lunch
visited a crusade in this township sponsored by an
evangelist from USA. 1000’s attended! The next day I
prepared and welcome the pastors for the following day’s
‘Key Leaders Seminar.’ This was good day led by Richard
Brunton (Living Hope Ministries) who arrived from UK
that morning with Jonny Fernandez (from Holy Nation
Church, London).
On the Wednesday, after a
meeting with leaders from the Full Gospel Church, we
visited Family TV before the three of us flew to
Uganda. The next 2 days were spent in the Rock
Bible School teaching and invigilating exams! Richard
and Jonny left on the Saturday for 4 days in Bushennee
while I spent another day in the Bible School,
ministered in Rock Church on the Sunday and then spoke
for 2 days at the Mypere Leaders Conference. On the
third day Richard and Jonny returned for the third day
at Mympere before we all flew back to Kenya.
Arriving at the Guest House in
Nairobi at 5pm and had an evening with Julie
Shimizu and Scott Carr (Life Community Church, Horsham),
who arrived on Monday and had taught two 2-day
conferences in Dandora and Kwarangare. Richard, Julie
and Scott left early for Kisumu and Jonny and myself
went to a 1-day conference in Kibera slum. It was my
first visit to this place, which has a population of 1.5
million. 84 leaders attended and we had an excellent
time. I spent the evening with Samuel Muriguh, the
General Secretary of the Presbyterian Church of Kenya,
and his wife, Rebecca whom I meant on the plane from
Mombasa in July.
Our last day was spent at a 1-day
conference in Mathare, a notorious slum area. On walking
to the corrugated iron church we passed wasteland full
of rubbish. “We had a crusade here last week’ a pastor
said,’ It was good except that a policeman was shot
dead!” However, it was so good to teach 54 hungry
leaders. They were so grateful we had come into their
slum. Richard joined us from Kisumu at noon and late
afternoon we left Mathare and met 4 leaders from Full
Gospel Church at the airport to sign papers and enjoy a
time of fellowship before flying home
Here is a text received that makes these
trips so worthwhile. ‘Your visit to our local church
was again a real blessing. Your kindness, love and
teaching have helped change my personal life, and
ministry and my church. When we first met I had 30 in my
church and now its nearly 200. God bless you.’
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