East Africa Missions Report
I salute you in the Name of Jesus Christ.This is a testimony that I would like to share with you brother of your ministry.
I was in Butere last week and as I was there I met bishop Harison O. preaching at the open market .To say the truth I was challenged with the vision of presenting Jesus to the public.
It is my desire to move forward and reach the unreached.Brother,may the Lord bless you mightily for the re-directing me to the Open Air Proclamation many are not doing as we always run for the already fished people in the basket.This brings alot of bikerrying amonst the churches and ends up by mentoring wrong pastors who are out for money instead of reaching out the people Jesus wants to touch there lives.I look forward in networking with you through co-operating Bishop Harrison.
Yours In His Divine Purpose.
Bishop Omunyala A.
Testimonies:
Bro Geofrey and Bro James Kisumu-Nyawipa Market
REPORT- KENYA 2009
By Bro Renier - So Africa FBF Centre
Sunday- 8 February: Above: Bro Renier and Bro Geofrey
{With the Kenya FBF Team for only 2 weeks}–An unforgettable 2 week long mission to the people of Kenya started this morning for me as I took a flight from Cape Town to Johannesburg and from Johannesburg to Nairobi. I arrived in Nairobi at 7:30PM and “slept” at the airport so that I can take an early flight the following morning to Kisumu.
Monday – 9 February:
I took an early flight to Kisumu and arrived there around 7:45AM. Brother Ben, the brother with whom I stayed for the 2 weeks, picked me up in Kisumu. I appreciated brother Ben and his family very much. I have never experienced such wonderful hospitality in my entire life. Brother Ben and his wife, Marilyn, really treated me as if I were an angel of God! Marilyn went out of her way to make me feel at home. She washed and ironed my clothes, polished my shoes and did many other things for me without me asking for it! This was Hebrews 13:1-2 in action! I am so grateful for their hospitality. Brother Ben and I took a “matato” (a mini-bus taxi) from Kisumu to Bungoma. It was a two-hour (very bumpy) ride. I enjoyed bro Ben’s company very much. I met bro Robert and the team at Ben’s place in Bungoma. They just returned from preaching at a certain market-place when I met them. Each one of the preachers shared with me their testimonies on how they experienced the preach that morning. There they’ve preached for the first time with banners and Christian T-shirts. They were sooo excited about the experience. It was wonderful to listen to them. Two preachers that stood out to me above the rest was Abiud and Faris. They sounded very zealous and excited about the public proclamation. We walked around in town for the rest of the afternoon. That helped me to get familiar with my new surroundings.
Tuesday – 10 February:
We preached at a certain marketplace from most of the day. It was here where I’ve met Bro Harrison for the first time. Bro Harrison is almost 60 years old. He was a muslim for the first 25 years or so of his life before he became a Christian. What a testimony he has! While he was a muslim, Jesus Christ appeared to him in a vision and, as a result of that, Bro Harrison surrendered his life to Jesus. After his conversion he immediately began to preach Christ (Acts 9:20) in the open-air for the next 35 years. Bro Robert asked him to share with us his testimony while I filmed him on camera. Everyone should listen to his testimony! It is really touching. And wow, bro Harrison CAN PREACH too! I’ve listened to his preaching and was impressed. In the afternoon, bro Robert and I and 2 other brothers went to Bishop Steven’s church at Malakisi. Bro Robert taught on the Kingdom of God. Towards the evening I developed a severe headache due to dehydration. I drank only one 500ml bottle of water today instead of two. I went to bed early in the evening and decided to never make this mistake again. I should make sure that I drink at least one litre of water each day from now on.
Wednesday – 11 February:
We preached at Myanga-market. I preached a little bit myself here too. During our preaching at the marketplaces I carried a banner most of the time and took a lot of movie-clips and pictures. I was content with that as I would like the other preachers to spend as much time as possible preaching so that they can get the experience and get accustomed to it as soon as possible. Besides, I have more than enough opportunities to preach in South Africa and so in Kenya I was content to stay a bit in the background for the sake of the other preachers. It was very refreshing to me to watch bro Robert preach. Wow, I learn new things from him each time I see him minister. At every preach he started out with preaching about the Ten Commandments and when it were the other preachers’ turn to preach, they would build upon this foundation. Bro Robert reminded us (though I knew this already) that we should always go back and forth between law and grace in our preaching. This was one of the first lessons that bro Robert taught me back in 2006 when he visited me in South Africa for the 1st time.
Thursday – 12 February:
We preached at a very big market this day - Kimilili. This was one of the biggest markets I have seen on the trip. There is just people everywhere! Bro Robert had to preach at bro Steven’s church in the afternoon so he left us young guys around 3PM to preach alone on the markets until about 6PM. Later in the afternoon a big green truck came by with DJ’s on the back of the truck speaking over loudspeakers. A very large crowd of people followed on the heels of the truck. The truck turned out to be one of the local radio-stations. They broadcasted live from their truck. The radio-station parked their truck right across the street … directly opposite from where we were preaching. They stole our crowds and I realized that this was the devil’s work. The radio-station diverted the crowds’ attention away from the preaching and so I decided it’s time to act. I took over the megaphone and preached a bit myself. I told the crowds that it’s not good to turn their backs upon the preachers. They should rather ignore the DJ’s and pay attention to the Word of God since in the end the Word of God is what matters for eternity. Not too long after this the truck left the scene and the crowds came back and surrounded us. I gave the megaphone back to one of the other preachers and they preached to a captive audience! Bro Robert arrived on the scene shortly after this to pick us up.
Friday – 13 February:
We preached the whole morning at a market until after noon. In the evening we ate at James Wafula’s place. Little did we know then what would happen the following day!
Saturday – 14 February:
We planned to go to Uganda this day. We drove until we got close to the border and walked across the border after we’ve checked in with the authorities. While we were driving on our way to the border the police followed us. They thought that we would try to get across the border illegally. We were told afterwards that they would have arrested us, but when they saw us getting out of our car with our banners and bullhorns they realized what we were about to do and so they turned around and left us alone. 50 US Dollars later I moved across the border legally. We stood at a busy corner in Malaba-town and bro Robert began to set-up the big bull-horn to face a certain direction. James Wafula then came and turned the bull-horn to face a different direction.
Bro Robert asked James why he turned the bull-horn away and he replied that there was police on that side. After he and James exchanged a couple of words bro Robert turned around and asked a stander by if there is police on that side and he said that there is no police there at all. At this James Wafula just turned around and left us! He just walked away from the preach! He left the rest of the brothers to battle alone in a foreign country. We felt betrayed. I just stood there speechless and shocked! I couldn’t believe my eyes! I was absolutely shocked that a “brother” could just walk away in the middle of a preach. I have never seen such a thing as an open-air preacher!
James apparently took a “matato” (taxi) back to his home in Bungoma. The rest of us continued on preaching for the rest of the afternoon. Anyway, to not bore the reader with all the details … James Wafula ended up stealing a motorbike from bro Robert (which bro Robert bought for the FBF-centre in Kenya). James robbed bro Robert of a camera and a laptop too and a couple of hundred US Dollars as well. With his actions … James Wafula dismissed himself from FBF-Africa and left like the John Mark from Acts 15:38. This was the devil’s way of saying “thank you” for the productive week of Open Air preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom… that through the Grace of God revival broke out with all the biblical signs, wonders, miracles healings, and deliverance… and many many got saved!
We learned a lot about times of revival Power during this event… and that is the Holy Spirit not only brings in new converts… but, HE also makes it impossible for those who do not have a right heart to stay in the Church! This apostate dismissed himself in a blaze of sin, wickedness, deception, lying, stealing, dishonor and anger… that those who have known him for years could not believe it was the same man! Revival Power will bring out the best… and the worst in you!
We also found out that of all the brothers in Bungoma, only Bro Abiud and Bro Pharis were the faithful ones that were preaching all this time! These two mighty men were the only ones doing translations! This apostate preacher had used these men and lied to the memebers of FBF. But… the bible says your sin shall find you out! And W0w… did it ever.
As I look back, it is no wonder that Abiud and Pharis were the ones that impressed me from the start! Bro Robert moved away from James’ place and went to stay with bro Clapperton (a very good brother whom bro Robert met on the internet just before his trip to Kenya) for the rest of the mission. Bro Clapperton is a very commited and busy pastor of 21 Churches in Bungoma… work in Uganda as well. Bro Robert and Bro Clapperton worked very well together… the prophet and the pastor! I was very impressed with him the first day I met him. He is very humble and teachable for a pastor. He latched onto the open-air preach and stepped right up to the demands of Revival in his own town! He has never been the same since! People that know him are stunned! Amen. He was a Baptist! Now… he is more of a John the Baptist! FBF is his cup of Chai!
Sunday – 15 February:
Brother Ben invited me to his church of which he is the pastor. He asked me to preach a sermon to his flock and so I shared a couple of things with the church on the Kingdom of God.
Monday – 16 February:
Today was our “off-day”. We hit the markets really hard the past week and so we thought it well to take this day off… as we were also doing damage control from the apostate thief. The Lord had blessed us in spite of it all… with the sweetest fellowship. We went to town and just enjoyed each other’s company for the rest of the day. We had a wonderful time of praising the Lord as we were walking through town. To be part of a walking society presents many opportunities the western world does not see anymore.
Tuesday – 17 February:
Brother Robert was invited to preach at the Siyombe-church which was almost an hour’s drive from Bungoma. Revival broke out this afternoon there too! The whole church was so touched by everything that bro Robert said that the owner of the church-building decided right there and then to give the building and the church over to FBF-Bungoma!
As we were singing and worshiping the Lord a thunder-storm broke out and it rained heavily for quite a time. In this country, it is considered a BIG BLESSING during the droubt here! Especially as it came down at the very moment that Bro Robert finished his teaching! The Church Praised and danced in the Spirit for good long while! It was the infetious Holy Spirit raining down revival power! Everyone is touched in some way! It cleared up just before we were about to leave the meeting-place. In the evening, I had the only opportunity alone with bro Robert — who suggested that we go to a hotel for dinner … where we continued our fellowship and rejoiced with the revival power that was ‘cleaning house’ in the churches… and bringing real and vital holiness!
Wednesday – 18 February:
Bro Robert was teaching at Bro Clapperton’s church the whole afternoon for a Pastors conference from 1-6PM. Many pastors from the surrounding areas attended the meetings. I met a young man, called Daniel, who really impressed me with the love that he has for God. I think that this Daniel, like the one in the Bible, is a man greatly beloved by the LORD (Daniel 10:19).
Thursday – 19 February:
We visited 2 schools this day – one junior and one senior school. To minister at a school was something new to me. There is wisdom in this as these children will be the future leaders of the country! This is the same reason why bro Robert and I preach on the college-campuses back in our own respective countries. Bro Robert preached to a large assembly of children in the open air while bro Clapperton interpreted for him. It was a real blessing to minister to these children. In the afternoon we visited a home-church which reminded us of how the saints gathered together in the book of Acts. Informal, intimate and personal. This is the way that all the saints assembled together up until our age of “mega-churches”! It was standing room only… flowing out the front door and into the front yard… and the whole neighborhood was listening in too. Praise the Lord!
Friday – 20 February:
We preached for the last time open-air at the local market in Bungoma. Bro Clapperton preached open-air with us too as well as 2 other brothers who preached for the first time. I was the last one to preach and after I was finished preaching we all took a “boda-boda” (bicycle) back to town. As we entered town bro Robert surprised the rest of us by preaching over the megaphone right there on the “boda-boda”! I smiled when I noticed bro Robert pulling out his megaphone! I knew what was coming – some driveby preaching! I loved every minute of it! I even took a picture of it! The people along the roads were absolutely shocked. Many people came out of their shops to see where this big voice comes from. We could even hear some people say as we drove by: “Please stop here and finish the rest of your message! We want to hear it all!” This was great! When we stopped before the hotel where we were supposed to eat I told one brother: “Now, I’ve seen it all! You can even preach from a ‘boda-boda’ too!” We visited another school in the afternoon.
Saturday – 21 February:
This was the last day of my stay in Kenya. Brother Robert and I traveled to Kisumu together where I took a flight back to Nairobi in the evening. Bro Robert was met by the team in Kisumu, where things had been brewing for 2 years. He continued with the revival fires… that spread into this huge Nyanza province with over 200 districts. These are the reports we have been getting, along with Bro Robert’s testimony.
I arrived in Cape Town the following day at 4PM. The past 2 weeks really went by too fast. It was an unforgettable mission! This was my first mission to a 3rd world nation. I would gladly go to Kenya again! I could really see the Hand of the LORD upon us all the way! The LORD blessed us with a very profitable and productive mission, that still goes on to this day! All the glory, all the praise, all the thanks belongs to our beloved LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen.
How Blessed are the Feet that bring the Good News of the Kingdom
Isaiah 52.7-8 Romans 10.15
Following in the Footsteps of the Master…
JESUS walked those many dusty roads too…
The Teams of FBF Ministry
~ Your comments and questions are always welcome. ~