“The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.” (Psalm 126:3)
While soul winning in a town called Kilgoris, a young man named Wright Jobson approached us and introduced himself to us as a Bible teacher, but he did not know how to be saved. He welcomed us into his home, where he and 2 of his friends called on Christ. He was so glad to be saved that, as the principal of a school, he invited us to share the Gospel with his students. and over 40 called on Christ. Wright then proposed that we use his school building to start a new church so that his town would have a place teaching salvation by grace through faith. Through this God-ordained meeting on a sewage- contaminated dirt road, we saw a church started, his school evangelized, several of his family members saved, 2 of his friends saved, several of their family members saved, and the opportunity to start a Bible study in Nairobi University! When Wright Jobson and his friends Erik and Geoffrey accepted Christ, they clearly became “new creatures” and wanted everyone they could influence to know about the gift of salvation by grace through faith through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus. There is no doubt that the Holy Ghost was working. These 3 young men were saved and then spent about a week traveling with us as we taught, preached, and ministered in other churches, soaking up all that we could impart unto them. As of this writing, they will have had 6 weeks of services, with as many as 25 in attendance. These men are working faithfully to share the Gospel and build this new church.
We also held two pastors’ conferences in which Peter Morris, Mshama Kinyonga, and I preached and taught sessions on church planting, growing and discipling their church members, false doctrines, and much more. God does have a sense of humor (if you have ever heard me sing, you understand); He had me to teach the pastors about proper music and the dangers of worldly music creeping into the church. The first conference covered 3 days, with 75 in attendance, and each day saw an altar full of pastors asking God to help them apply the things they learned! The second pastors’ conference was not planned by us but was clearly ordained by the Holy Spirit. One pastor we know set up a day of teaching with over 25 pastors and then informed us that we needed to come help them do the work of God. How could we say no? In East Africa it is not uncommon for a man to declare himself a pastor just because he has a Bible and wants to have others follow him (blind leading the blind). One “pastor” was saved at the close of this conference. Amen!
A ladies’ conference was held to help the ladies in the Olorupa area strengthen their families, husbands, and churches. Connie and Melody spoke to the ladies. There were 65 ladies attendance, and10 were saved! It was a blessed time, and all in attendance where beaming with joy at the end of the day for the help through biblical principles they had been taught.
Your servant for lost souls across East Africa,
Andy Richey