Welcome to the Neighborhood

Images:

(images of animals and nature)

The jeep bumps along the road as Kenyan church leaders make their way to visit a Global Mission pioneer. Driving across Kenya can be a beautiful journey. The wildlife, the people, and the landscape all contribute to a fascinating experience, although there’s always a chance of running into a problem.

But the best part of this journey is meeting people like Pioneer Linus [Lee-nus]. He prayed for God to use him and was assigned to work in a town where there were no Adventists. In time, Linus helped start a small congregation of believers who are now in the process of constructing a church of their own! Everyone takes part in the construction, eager to see the building finished.

Today’s visit with local church leaders includes a Bible study and member testimonies.

David is a dedicated church member who was part of the Mau Mau Uprising decades ago. Between 1952 and 1964, there was conflict between the British and a group of Kenyans. Before he became an Adventist, David fought in this conflict. As he recalls that time, many negative memories resurface, but he has since found hope in Jesus.

He shares how God transformed him and brought peace into his life. Pioneer Linus studied with him and welcomed him into the budding congregation.

Other members share both the burdens and the joys in their lives. As they close the meeting, they pray for God to use each person in the room for His glory.

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The church’s central location in town makes it easy for people to see what the church is about.

“Our church here is in the middle of the community. If you look around, it’s surrounded by houses where people live. The idea why we thought we would have a church here is because all the people who are around here would associate with the church. I know it will bear some fruits.”

As the church was being built, one neighbor named Karumera saw the congregation’s construction challenges and offered to store equipment in her home to keep it safe. She’s happy to help her Adventist neighbors. She soon became friends with pioneer Linus and has started Bible studies with him.

During their visit, the Kenyan church leaders get to know the other community members. The neighbors share that they like getting to know their Adventist neighbors, and some would like to visit the church on a future Sabbath.

Let’s pray for this small congregation in Kenya. Pray that their example reflects Jesus to their community. As Global Mission pioneers around the world continue planting churches, let’s also pray for the challenges they may face. Thank you for supporting Global Mission, making testimonies like these possible.