After giving his life to Jesus, Rompas, a Maasai teenager in Kenya, longed to read the Bible for himself. Despite strong opposition from his family, he pursued an education and eventually sought to study theology at Bugema University in Uganda. When he and his siblings prayed for money to travel, an unexpected knock at the door brought an answer far beyond what they had asked. Today, Rompas serves as a Seventh-day Adventist pastor sharing the gospel with the Maasai people.
Rompas, a 16-year-old Maasai boy in Kenya, decided to go to school after being baptized. More than anything, he wanted to read the Bible for himself.
He faced opposition from his father and many of his 82 siblings, who didn’t see any need for a Maasai boy to obtain an education. But he became the first person in his family to complete grade school and then high school. After that, he decided to study theology at Bugema University, a Seventh-day Adventist university in Uganda. But he needed money.
One evening, he summoned brothers and sisters who, like him, kept the Sabbath and asked them to pray for 7,000 Kenyan shillings so he could travel to Uganda to apply for admission at Bugema University. The siblings prayed as Rompas knelt on the floor. After the last “amen,” a knock sounded on the door. It was a politician named Alex who had come to see Rompas’ father. Politicians liked to visit because Rompas’ large family represented many votes at election time. This politician was not an Adventist, and he asked an unusual question. “Does this big family have a pastor?” he said.
Rompas was introduced to Alex as the boy nicknamed “Pastor” as a child.
“What’s your biggest need?” Alex asked.
“I need to earn a university degree at Bugema University in Uganda.”
Alex put a hand into his pocket and pulled out 15,000 Kenyan shillings. It was more than double the amount that Rompas had sought in prayer.
Rompas traveled to Uganda and was accepted into the theology program. Then he returned home to wait for the start of classes. On the same day that he arrived home, Alex came for another visit. Hearing that Rompas had been admitted, he handed over a wad of U.S. dollars. Rompas had never held U.S. dollars before. It was enough to pay for three years at the university.
Today, Rompas Josphat Lekishon is an Adventist pastor with a heart for mission. Through his efforts, six churches have become Seventh-day Adventist. He has also opened a church on a plot of his father’s land that he donated to the Adventist Church. Thirty-three family members worship there every Sabbath. He especially likes sharing the good news of Jesus’ coming with the Maasai people. He has distributed more than 500 Bibles in the Maasai language. “The thing I love the most is giving the Bible to the Maasai people,” he said. “It is giving hope to the hopeless.”
Part of this quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering, also known as the Quarterly Mission Project Offering, will support projects in Kenya and elsewhere in the East-Central Africa Division. Watch a YouTube video of Rompas at: bit.ly/Rompas-IS.
Gina Wahlen
is the editor of Adventist Mission’s Sabbath School mission quarterlies and Inside Stories
