Over the course of this year, we have been able to lay a good foundation for a further program of study and bless our dear pastors and leaders in the service of holy Scripture and Christian books. Getting a Bible in places far from the big cities can be a big problem. Mainly, due to the ratio of income and price. In many places, the monthly income of a person is equal to the price of the Bible. Many cannot afford it.
That is why we were looking for ways to bless the pastors and their assistants. This year, with sponsorship from Russia and the United States, we were able to help more than 80 people to get hold of the Scriptures in their native language.
I would especially like to note the cooperation with Trans World Radio Kenya. In partnership with them, we were able to buy forty (40) Bibles with a significant discount for the churches of Mount Elgon.
This was my first trip to Kenya, and Africa itself. The topic with which I came to the local churches of Mount Elgon concerned family relations: among the spouses and their relations with children. From the first minutes of meeting with local ministers, it was clear that this is a vital issue and one visit here will not be enough. The apparent inequality and domination of husbands over wives are too obvious and the corresponding reaction of wives; also, evident tough attitude to children, both from fathers and mothers; complete lack of understanding of the need for caress, tenderness and words of love…
The goal was to lay the foundation for such an important and extensive topic as Family Relationships.
The first task – so that both husband and wife were present at the seminars, and that from the beginning they would decide to attend to the third lesson. I had to bring convincing arguments so that the wives would seat close to their husbands. It turns out that of all the ministers present, only two were aware that God created only two people and, moreover, a man and a woman. Well, other seemingly elementary things became a revelation for local Christians. Therefore, we talked about the At the Beginning: creation, how God created man, what goals He set for the first people. We talked about how a person changed after the sin in the spirit, soul and body, and how it affected relationships with God, reflected in relationships between people and, especially in the family. We touched upon several fundamental principles in the area of relationships that the Word of God teaches. From the first meetings my Kenyan students practically applied this knowledge.
The results were amazing. Majority of my students were women. They prayfully made decisions and went home, changing their attitude to their husbands from inside, in the heart. They started talking about love, showing their feelings, satisfying the needs of their husbands and children. As a result – husbands began to come to church and turned to God…
The men also changed their attitudes towards their wives, children and took responsibility for their families. Families began to heal in relationships, parents tried on children, asked for forgiveness from each other…
If someone would take a “before and after” photo, he can immediately find the difference in happy eyes and smiles in the “after” images. Evidence of change expressed the next day. I see a great blessing and advantage of local Africans – they are open for God to accept the Word, ready to fulfill what they heard, and change. They are open and ready. Of course, this is only the beginning, the basics, laying the foundation. Now we need to build. Build beautiful “buildings” – families. Take valuable material from the Word of God and build. To build, “restore” families that will manifest Christ and bring fruit to the Kingdom of God. Of course, I give all the glory to God, for His mercy, for the love and strength shown among these Kenyans – the Elgonians. Also, I was immensely pleased to meet and make friends in the person with missionaries Guntars and Olga. If I were asked to briefly describe this married couple, I would say: THEY ARE REAL!
I am not saying that they are ideal, but REAL, which is so lacking today in the midst of modern Christianity. REAL means: not fake, not hypocritical, not “stretching masks” when meeting people… They rejoice at every very important or very insignificant success in the lives of others, they cry when they see the needy, and completely selfless, with pure and open-heart, to hurry to do everything possible to meet the needs of these people … THEY ARE REAL.
Without the slightest flattery I write about them, God knows.
And being REAL in Guntars and Olga could not help but affect the local Africans. Sincere, open, sacrificial Bishop Nixon with his wife Alice, Cleophas with his wife and other brothers-pastor with wives also present themselves to the Lord and serve their people.
Thank God!!! For missionaries, for ministers and residents of Mount Elgon !!!
P.S. I believe that any Co-working brings CO-blessing.
My small participation in the Go With Christ mission brought a blessing to my family. In our case, this affected the spiritual renewal of both my wife and I and the children.
Join us !!! You can come to Kenya, you can participate financially or prayerfully … and I am sure that by becoming a CO-working you will share with us blessings … and that’s because we are Go With Christ !!!
In December, my good friend and brother in Christ, a minister from the Good News Church of Moscow – Yuri Shcheglov, visited Mount Elgon.
On Elgone, we spent with Yuri three very productive weeks. We covered 9 points, and conducted 25 services that were visited by more than 80 pastors.
The focus was to support local churches on the mount. We called these pastor’s retreats “Agents of Change”. Yuri said that the church is intended to be the source of change in the standard of living and the quality of service in society. He spoke about the fundamental importance of renewing thinking and gaining knowledge, both in spiritual disciplines and professionally and on the clarity and purity of knowledge of the fundamental questions of the New Testament doctrine on the fact, that the main revelation for all Christians should be the answer to the question: “Who is God and who am I in Christ?”.
In Global vision
Maturation or formation.Of all the internal processes, this is one of the most uncomfortable. At this time, God is working on us from within. The most surprising thing is, as it turns out, that we know ourselves very poorly. The Lord, however, knows everything about us — our secret desires, goals, motives, etc. That’s why He works on everyone who have started on the path of ministry.
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