Pastor Margaret Maheri ministering to the children in Langas

Today the morning started off with a couple of hours of conversation with Pastor Nimrod and his wife Priscilla.  We spent time discussing where the Lord has been leading each of us individually and we recognized that we have many shared experiences.  We also believe that the Lord is connecting for a greater purpose than just providing me a place to stay while I am in Eldoret.   For so many I meet and myself, this seems to be a time of transition.  This past Monday I felt the Lord speaking very clearly to me that 2013 was a year of transformation.

Pastor Margaret was going to pick me up at 11AM, but as is often the case with African time 11AM became 12:30.  Pastor Margaret is currently going through driving school so she hopes to become more punctual once she is able to drive.

After picking up Pastor Meshack and Apostle Adams we went to Pastor Maheri’s for lunch and spent the afternoon discussing the challenges in the African church.  We also spent time discussing how the “grey” areas of scripture are addressed here in Kenya.  This included conversation about alcohol, dress and worship styles.  This was a great conversation and very insightful into the mindsets of different groups of people.

This evening we returned to Langas once again, stopping first at Pastor Meschack’s home and then proceeding to the church.  There were about 10 children who came into the church this evening, so I told the story of David and Goliath.   Most of these children are very disheveled and one of them did not even have pants to wear.  Pastor Margaret gathered them around as they listened.

When the meeting was over, Pastor Margaret began to hand out candy to the children and they eagerly gathered around her.  She asked about their memory verses and encouraged them to learn those verses well.  As we were leaving I asked Pastor Margaret if most of these children had families or if they were abandoned.  She said the majority are abandoned and are left in the slums to fend for themselves.

From there Pastor Margaret took me to the home of one of the church members.  This mud house is the home of a mother with 5 children including one infant and a drunkard father who disappears for months at a time.  This home was so small that I could stand in the main room and stretch out my arms touching all of the walls.   When this mother had her baby she was having complications and Pastor Margaret had taken her to the hospital.  The bill was 8,000 shillings which the woman could not afford, so Pastor Margaret has been paying the bill a small portion at a time.

Even in the midst of such poverty, I marvel at the joy some of these people have.  At the same time I am saddened that their poverty is generational and few of them will every know anything else.