December 6
Attended church conference at Resurrection Temple in Nairobi.
December 7
I am finally getting some rest before my trip to Kitale in the morning I was thankful that I was to go out to dinner with one of two bishops that I met with earlier in the day. We begin to talk about how the church should look like the early church, and how Jesus was our model for ministry. Shortly after that, a young man came up trying to sell us something. He said he had the best offer. I looked at him and told him what I thought was the best offer, and that was Jesus. I asked him if he knew about Jesus and he did. He said Jesus was his Savior. I asked if I could pray, and I was interrupted by four Young Ethiopians who heard me talk about Jesus, and they said they love Jesus too. All six of us prayed and God gave me a word of knowledge about the young man who is Ethiopian, and that he preached the gospel. I asked if this was so and he said that yes it was so. We had a glorious time. I was able to share what happened with a young man at the hotel. He told me sadly that many young people in Kenya need Jesus because they are involved in many bad things. He said that without Jesus they had no hope. He agreed that we could pray together in the morning.
I was praying three quick prayer requests for today. Healing from these huge welts and protection from whatever has been biting me the last couple of days, release and healing from these cold symptoms, and finally safe passage, and especially that the Holy Spirit shows up. If God doesn’t have his way while I’m here, I have no desire or purpose for being here. I want His best for these precious saints. I am missing my ministry school graduation, so shout out to my other fellow grads and classmates.
December 8
My ability to communicate may be spotty. I am in Webuye, staying with a wonderful pastor and his family. God had put on his heart the desire to do outreach on the community but he was not sure how. Some of you that know me are probably chuckling right now. Anyway, please pray for God’s wisdom and His kingdom to come in power.
I had an 8-hour ride in the back of a 10 passenger van from Nairobi to Webuye. I sat next to a young lady and had a word that she was 22 or 23 and that she had two boyfriends from different locations. I sensed strongly I was supposed to tell her God would help her choose if she brought it to Him. I had feared that if I was wrong that it would be awkward for hours sitting next to her. I was getting a strong urge from God that I needed to trust Him in order to grow. I shared, she was 23, and yes it was correct. When we arrived I told her Jesus loved her very much. She had a big smile and thanked me.
Two more things to consider and pray for. First, most people in Kenya are awesome. Unfortunately, there are some crooked people who try to raise money, taking pictures from other ministries and using other deceptive means. Also, there has been some division among some ministries in the past. Please pray for discernment about giving and also for unity among the churches with these wonderful people.
December 9
Went to a lunch hour meeting at my host’s church today. When I arrived Holy Spirit gave me a sermon from John 3 using flesh vs Spirit with examples of Abraham, Peter, and Saul/Paul. I had misunderstood and thought I was just attending a meeting. After worship, they introduced me to preach. God is good, providing what was needed.
After the meeting, my host took me to lunch. I had shared outreach testimonies during my sermon, so I modeled giving prophetic words to our server. Thankfully the words were accurate and given in love. She received them well, and I introduced her to the pastor. We had a good discussion about using gifts for outreach. Please pray for our ministry teams to be fruitful and for people to move in signs and wonders.
I appreciate and even thrive off the prayers of some of my FB friends. Thank you. Data has not been reliable, so I will give a quick praise report while I can over a couple of posts.
December 10
I was set to preach on something but God changed the topic. Instead, I preached on unity. The pastor told me that was from God. There are 100 churches in the area but they need to be in unity. Please pray for them.
At the end of the message, I had people come forward who had pain. Instead of me praying for them I had other believers volunteer to minister. I taught them a simple model. God took the pain and the believers saw that they could move in the power of the Spirit.
Our teams traveled by van and then by motorcycle to a rural area in Mikuva. We went different ways, mostly to homes. I tried to let the Kenyans lead since I am here to support what God is doing through them; however, I did help. We saw people saved, healed, and ministered to prophetically. We go out again today, and your prayers are appreciated. I am burdened for the hearts of the numerous lost men and young people.
December 11
I preached on obedience vs sacrifice, sharing that God did not want Isaac. He wanted Abraham’s heart. I also tied in the parable of talents, and Elijah and the widow, showing that we can trust the heart of the Father and give Him what He wants rather than hiding what we have.
Teams traveled to the village of Maraka. My team consisted of James, Jon, and Paul. A precious Christian lady and her sister greeted us and invited us in as most Kenyans do. She did not ask for anything specific for prayer but God gave me words of knowledge that opened the door. He also showed me the sister had prophetic gifts. She acknowledged that but she did not know what to do so we prayed for mentors and wisdom.
Encouraged other saints house to house, even if they went to different churches. I am thankful Pastor Samuel and his wife Jane have hearts like Jesus and a heart for unity in the church. When the church in Kenya is unified there will be a powerful revival that will touch Africa and other nations.
We talked with two young ladies who attended church but had not yet professed Christ. Team members skillfully presented the gospel but they were not ready. God was giving me words of knowledge about their lives. When I shared I told them the same God who knew the details of their lives loves them and they can trust Him with their hearts and lives. They accepted Christ not because of me but because God showed Himself powerfully on their behalf.
We went to pray for healing for a woman in Makara, and I noticed we were surrounded by 15 to 20 children. I asked the children if they wanted to pray for healing and they enthusiastically said “yes”. They prayed loudly after me and then followed our team to the road. One of the team wondered if that was how it was with Jesus.
December 12
Tony, Jonah, and I went around the neighborhood in Webuye today. We had around seven encounters. People were gracious and welcomed us into their homes. I encouraged my Kenyan friends to take the lead. God graciously allowed us to welcome a lady into the kingdom, see a couple of people healed, use words of knowledge to open new opportunities for prayer, and love people.
Tonight shared at a youth meeting. The meeting started around 9:30 PM and ended around 1:30 AM but we left close to 1:00 AM. I shared how David was being prepared while he was watching his father’s sheep. I also shared how Paul told Timothy not to let people despise his youth. I encouraged them to move in the power of the Spirit, shared testimonies, and prayed impartation over them.
December 13
On Sunday two of Pastor Samuel’s children took me by the hand and walked me from home into my seat in the church. Kenyans know how to praise! I preached about passing down a revival and issues of the heart. Rest of the day was spent enjoying the family.
December 14
On Monday I said goodbye to Jane and the four children and traveled with Pastor Samuel and Pastor Susan by shuttle to Kimilili. After dropping my things at Pastor Susan’s house, Samuel and I walked into Kimilili and visited with his mother-in-law. She is a delightful lady and a member of Susan’s church. We had tea, and she told me I was the first Caucasian to enter her home. I was also the first foreigner to stay in Samuel’s home or preach in his church. They told me they were blessed. I am glad I represented Christ well.
December 15
Tuesday I traveled to Kitale by shuttle. Left 90 minutes late and worshipped and praised God on the way. I was in the very back, and the road was very rough in spots. A young man introduced me to his pastor who was traveling with his youth group to a youth conference. I shared the dream God gave me for Kenya, and the pastor said it was no accident we were on that shuttle together.
Pictures do not do Kitale justice. You have to be there to experience the traffic jams with large numbers of vehicles and people jammed into small spaces. Pastor Isaac picked me up at the shuttle station and took me to his church, where I spoke to a conference of children’s ministry workers about the importance of young people, how children are kingdom workers, how the children can heal the sick and prophecy, and how children get the same Holy Spirit as the adults receive.
Pastor Isaac showed me the schools, athletic field and program, and some of the other facilities he has developed. I did not have time to visit the orphanage, but I saw young men playing soccer. The kids swarmed around Isaac. Afterward, we had lunch at his house and discussed the possibility of starting a prophetic school in Kitale.
Other than in a couple I saw in a restaurant in a big hotel in Nairobi, I am the only Caucasian (mzungu) I have seen the whole time in Kenya. Most of the Kenyans are very gracious and friendly people, but I have evoked several looks of shock as well as a curiosity at times. Children sometimes feel my arm or hair. Often I use this as an advantage to start a conversation or share the gospel. People are often amazed I know some Kiswahili.
December 16
Wednesday I went with a young man named Abel to do outreach (after tea, of course). As we left the gate of Pastor Susan’s home we encountered two boys. They knew about Jesus but were not saved. I shared a word of knowledge for one of the boys and he acknowledged it was true and prayed along with the other young boy to receive Christ.
My young Kenyan friend Abel felt the Spirit leading us toward the watering hole, and we encountered and ministered to around 30 people total, probably 2/3 of whom were children. We would meet them in groups of 3 or 4 at a time. All of them at least knew about Jesus. Those who did not have a personal relationship prayed to receive Christ. Those who stated they had a relationship but were not aware of Holy Spirit prayed to be filled with Holy Spirit. (I shared that God is generous and that they could go back for as much as they wanted, and I shared briefly about Holy Spirit.) We also prayed for other needs, including having groups of children praying for the sick.
At the end of outreach, we were invited to the home of a young Kenyan we met who had just returned from Texas. We enjoyed a brief visit and prayed with him and his mother.
Wednesday evening I had the privilege of speaking at the church of wonderful believers who know how to pray! I shared how the works Jesus did testified about Him and the Father. I shared how Jesus was the representation of the Father, and how Jesus stated we would do the works He did, thereby testifying of Him. I share that we fully represent Jesus when we both walk in His character and do what He did. Afterward, I ministered prophetically to each person for a total of 45 minutes. I am humbled to have had this opportunity. Only God could make this happen.
December 17
Thursday has been powerful. Abel and I got permission to go into a local hospital and pray for all the patients. At first, I was overwhelmed because I want to represent Christ and not leave people with less than He gave them. I like to see results. I estimate we prayed for at least 70 people there. I saw nothing discernable, but as I went to reach each person, I began to be tired of illnesses and began to be bolder. We saw relief in measurables like pain. The doctors applauded us for what we were doing.
At the end of our ministry time, we had to pray over two large groups. I told them we had no power of our own, but Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. I asked a Muslim lady if we could pray in the name of Jesus and she said yes. I told her Jesus loved her and released the kingdom of God against the works of the enemy, inviting Holy Spirit to come. On the way out we prayed for an elderly lady who had fallen and broken a pelvic bone. We prayed and she stood up out of her wheelchair, saying she had not been able to stand.
Abel was excited and decided it was fun to do what Jesus did. We encountered two young men walking along the road, one with a bandaged arm. He said he had been cut by someone. He agreed to let us pray. He was in a lot of pain so we commanded the pain go, and it went from 10 down to 7. His friend was a believer and I tried to get him to pray, but he seemed shy to do so. We prayed and the pain left. I told them they had that same Holy Spirit, that I had no special power.
We went to a clinic and prayed for several people. An elderly man was in a lot of pain. We prayed for quite a while until we saw some results. We encouraged the family of believers that they could do ministry as well, and we ministered prophetically. Another lady had eye problems and pain on one side. We prayed for her eyes and one improved immediately. The other eye had a mass in the surface and it started to go after 2 or 3 times of ministry. I had her young granddaughter come to lay her hand on the painful side and command the body to be made whole. After 2 times the pain went mostly away. I told the rest of the family they could minister whenever the lady was sick.
Went to church. Abel gave testimonies about what happened and I preached on being like Jesus. Herod heard the stories about Jesus (Matt. 14). I told the people we need to abide in Jesus, be filled with Holy Spirit, and see what the Father it’s doing. I told them I have regrets for not looking enough like Jesus. We are the only Jesus some people will see. I had people who had pain in their bodies come forward and had other believers come to pray for them. Those people were healed by the other believers. It is so great to see God work through them.
Two other young men joined me in praying at another hospital. I don’t think I have ever seen so many casts in my life. Many patients had been operated on, so we do not know the effects of our ministry. I made sure we rotated praying for people. You realize how powerless in ourselves we are when you come face to face with so many needs. One of the young men told me that he learned from me to take ministry outside the church building. I pray God uses these Kenyans mightily for His glory.
December 18
Friday we drove to a remote area for a youth conference. The roads were very difficult, but traveling about 5mph allowed me to exchange greetings with the friendly people. Once when we were stopped I got out of the car and ran over to greet some people.
The bishop talked with me and we discovered God had spoken the same thing to both of us about a certain part of Kenya. There about 250 youths at the conference. I spoke about being sons and daughters, the relationship between Jesus and the Father. We talked about identity and doing what Jesus did. Prayed and ministered prophetically with others at the end of the sessions.
Stopped for tea on the way back to Kimilili. Picked up a dear sister from the church and stopped by a pre-wedding dinner at a house to deliver a present. There were about 30 people there. They were very gracious and had me eat.
December 19
Arose after 5 AM to shower and get my things together to be in town for the 6 AM shuttle to Nairobi. Pastor Susan always fed me and made sure I had tea. If she did not think I ate enough she made more food the next time. She said I needed to eat enough because I was delivering the word. She had two young ladies who helped with the cooking and cleaning.
I learned the previous evening that she and her husband had moved from the Democratic Republic of Congo to plant the church. Her husband had been killed 11 years earlier in a car accident, but she continued pastoring the church, and the community all knew who she was.
After 6 AM I said goodbye to Pastor Susan and started my shuttle ride to Nairobi. Before we reached Eldoret the driver noticed he was having a problem with coolant, so we switched shuttles in Eldoret.
I saw zebras, antelope, and a monkey on the trip back. I got to know the passengers on the shuttle. One young man next to me was an interior designer. He was encouraged when he learned why I had come to Kenya.
When we were close to Nairobi I phoned my friend John to let him know I was almost there. When we arrived in Nairobi the traffic was almost at a standstill. When we finally reached the road by the shuttle office the remaining passengers exited the van and carried their luggage. I struggled with three bags to make my way through a street crowded with vehicles, carts, and people. John picked me up and drove me slowly through crowded streets, taking me to the Bishop and pastor of Resurrection Temple for a debriefing of my trip.
December 20
I attended church at Resurrection Temple and then off to the airport. I traveled to Johannesburg but missed my connecting flight to Atlanta. (If you have connecting international flights allow more than one hour in between flights.) The flight was late and they closed the plane 15 minutes before it had been scheduled to take off. There were no speed elevators, so I had to run a half-mile with my carry on and personal bags. We had to go through customs screening again with two people trying to check in a hundred or more people.
There were six of us who missed our connecting flight, and they booked five of us on a different airline and told us we had to go through customs into South Africa to get our bags. t We were not allowed to check in to our next flight without our bags, and it took us three hours to get our bags. I was trying to praise and trust God through this, and I was able to comfort some of our group who was stranded. I am thankful for the many friends on social media praying for us.
We made our connecting flight to Amsterdam, although it took off 90 minutes late at 1:30 AM. In spite of delays, God allowed an opportunity to touch a man next to me when we reached Amsterdam He said his shoulder was frozen and I asked to pray. God touched his shoulder.
December 21
The six of us missed our connecting flight in Johannesburg bonded together and looked out for each other. I told a few people why I was in Kenya, and one man took an interest. He said that he was not a good person, but that I was a good person. I tried to share that God was the one who was good and that we needed a savior. (I tried to be Christ-like in spite of all the circumstances.) We probably had four different conversations over the course of a couple of flights. He was in business class and got me the line to board with him to Atlanta. I went to my economy class seat, but later during the flight, he appeared at my seat with a flight attendant watching. He told me “If you want to come to business class, come with me now and leave your bags here.” I decided to follow him and he took me to the flight attendants up front and introduced me. He had told them about the work I was doing (one of them later shared how she had heard our conversation and that she thought it was wonderful for me to be a witness to him). They upgraded me to first class, where my seat turned into a bed, the food was better, etc. As I sat there I thought about being brought to the King’s table and how prophetic this was, seeing that I did not deserve this. I sensed Holy Spirit telling me to go talk to the man, so I went and thanked him, saying I did not deserve this. I shared how because of Jesus we did not get what we deserved, but rather he gave us something much better than what we deserved. He understood the metaphor and said that was a good way of looking at it.