Thu 29 Oct 2009
Africa 2009
by: Teryl Hebert
On September 10th Danny Allen and I flew to
Pete Kingoro
After a quick nap in the guest house we went to visit a widow named Suzanne and her three children who live in an 8’x 9’ tin shed. She has also taken in another lady who was homeless and now five people live in a total of 72 square feet! Brother David Servant and Heaven’s Family are giving her a business grant that will allow her to generate an income for her family. This was the first of many acts of compassion that we witnessed through Brother David’s ministry; we can’t say enough to commend the fine work that Heaven’s Family does not only in Africa but all over the world.
Suzanne in her 7 sq ft house
Next we were off to see the orphanage where Brother Peter Kingoro houses 22 orphans many of which are HIV positive. The house has four rooms including the office at the main entrance, two 10×10 bedrooms, and a 6×12 kitchen. The conditions are so cramped there in the limited amount of space as 11 children are forced to sleep in each 10×10 room.
Oikos Ministries was able to give $1000.00 to Brother Peter to allow them to move into a more spacious house that will greatly improve the living conditions there.
Peter’s Orphans assembled in courtyard outside
After visiting the orphanage we walked just a short distance from the house where Brother John Carey would be conducting an outdoor evangelistic campaign. I did not get many pictures of the crusade meeting itself but I did get a few shots of the children there. It seems there is plenty of religion in Nairobi the need there goes past religion to relationships. The neighborhood seemed very gospel hardened and we didn’t see much response to John’s preaching there. The children seem receptive but the adults seem to have heard it all before. One of the outstanding memories I have of the crusade on the first night as I was walking into the crusade grounds a man asked me if Africa was cursed because of the race of the people. I looked at all of the children who possess a genuine joy that I rarely see on the faces of American children and I told him to look at those smiling faces and compare them to the frowning faces of America’s affluent children and tell me who is cursed!
Genuine Joy of African Children!
That ended day one in Kenya. It was good to get to bed but I was awakened by a pack of howling dogs outside my window at 2:00 a.m. followed by a chanting Imam at 2:30 a.m.
Day Two
We were up early and David, John, Danny, and I were each given assignments to preach in various churches in the city. I was elected to go first to Peter Kingoro’s house church celebration where 7 house churches were assembled to worship. We were treated to singing and dancing and celebration as each of the house churches brought their worship gifts to the celebration. One of the orphans whose parents were killed in Rwanda serves the Lord with his gift of dancing. He is a true delight to watch as he dances before the Lord. Another treat was the wonderful singing of Sister Grace Keverenge. Also, it seems that every church has its own dance team and many of them did special worship dances. I taught on the “Fruit of Friendship” and the need to be relational in the house church and not religious.
Dancing Machine
Grace Keverenge
Dancers
Worshippers
Next Peter and I rushed off to Pastor Dennis and Sister Rhoda’s church (I apologize for not knowing their last name). They have a traditional congregational church and were not sure what to make of the message as I taught from Colossians 2:8 “Cheated by Traditions”. I was glad that they attended the conference because they were eventually won over as I fully taught on the Biblical structure of the New Testament church.
Pastor Dennis and Sister Rhoda
After the worship services we met back at the guest house which became the center of all of our fellowship while in Kenya. Eating African cuisine while getting to know the saints in Nairobi is forever etched in our memories.
Day Three
After another hard night’s sleep we had breakfast and were off for the first day of the conference.
Day Four
It got very hot in my room that night and I opened a window (big mistake). The night air gets very chilly and I woke up with almost no voice and a very sore throat. But God gave grace and I was able to preach for about eight hours on Tuesday.
Day Five
After saying good-bye to all of our friends in Kenya we flew out to Bujumbura, Burundi to rejoin David and John and our host Bienvenu Bizimana.
Bienvenu Bizimana with his family
Bienvenu was a traditional pastor for about five years until the Lord gave him a revelation concerning the house church. He resigned his church and began church in the house and now has 700 house churches in Burundi. As I heard his testimony I was really wondering what I had to offer these guys. I learned more from them than they did from me. But both of us were encouraged as we felt confirmation from the Holy Spirit because He had led both of us in the exact same path.
Some of the Elders in Burundi, we were comforted to have Obama watching over us!
Day Six
Some of the crowd (none of my pictures do it justice)
John Carey
John Preaching
John preached an excellent message from John 3 “You must be born again”. Then Bienvenu followed him with an exhortation in the Kirundi language then he invited the people to enter into covenant with Jesus and become His disciples.
About 75 people entering covenant with Jesus
After the crusade we went back to the hotel and had a wonderful supper. David, John, Danny and I enjoyed a time of fellowshipping together. End day six.
Day Seven
Bienvenu, David, John, and Danny went to visit some homeless and handicap saints that Bienvenu ministers to. I stayed behind because I wasn’t feeling very well and got a much needed rest. I slept then worked out at the hotel gym but still feel very bad.
David Servant entertains the kids with the old pull your thumb off trick
Jean-Pierre Baptizing new convert
While Jean-Pierre was baptizing we were given some bad news that his daughter Shekinah had been in an accident and had a severe head injury. She was playing and ran into a bicycle loaded with rebar and the rebar struck the center of her forehead and cracked her skull. The first hospital refused her because they had no surgeon. The second hospital was refusing her because they had no money but one of the brothers put his car up as collateral and the surgery was done. I’ll say more about this on day eight.
Innocent a new disciple of Christ
That night as we fellowshipped together at supper a man came over and asked if he could join us, his name is Nigel Harding. Soon after he sat down Brother David excused himself to go back to his room. As we continued to talk to Nigel he asked who David was and we told him David Servant. He looked surprised and said I have 400 of his books that I am delivering for a pastor’s conference in Uganda! Come to find out the overseer of his work in Uganda sits on Heaven’s Family’s board in London! What a Divine Appointment. Nigel is a missionary in Kampala, Uganda where we were heading to our next conference. Needless to say we had a wonderful time with Nigel for the rest of our stay in Bujumbura. End day seven.
Day Eight
I woke up in the night terribly ill and was sick all day. We went early to visit Jean-Pierre’s daughter in the hospital. She had a tube inserted to relieve fluid from her brain. Brother David inquired of the cost of the surgery, medications, and her stay in the hospital and the grand total was $400.00. David paid the cost and the people were overwhelmed with joy.
Bienvenu and David visit with the handicapped brother
Once again we returned to the hotel for another marathon meal and good fellowship with Nigel. End day eight.
Day Nine
Danny and I went to minister to some guys who were formerly drug addicts. Only one showed up a young man named Eric and we were able to instruct and encourage him.
Danny Allen inspects Bienvenu’s house
After that we returned to the hotel got our luggage and Bienvenu brought us to the airport. In all of my years of travelling to foreign countries and meeting many wonderful people I have to say that Bienvenu Bizimana is one of the most outstanding men I have ever met! I will remember him forever.
Entebbe to Kampala road rage on steroids!
Day Ten
Dawson and Elizabeth Mudenyo
Our hearts were stirred as we shared together with them. Two years ago when we first came to Africa we were with them in Katalie. Since our conference with them Dawson has planted about 70 house churches in Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania, and Rwanda. God is using him mightily. Whenever I think of Africa I think of Brother Dawson he is a mighty man of God.
Day Eleven
I spoke briefly to open the conference then turned it over to Danny and he taught on what happens when the house church meets out of I Corinthians 14:26. He was well received and it was obvious by this time that they were on our side now.
Danny Allen teaching on the house church meeting. The man seated in front wearing the red shirt is Kenneth Wafula.
After Danny was done I fielded their questions until lunch time. After lunch we were in for a surprise. Brother Kenneth said that he needed about twenty minutes to speak. He told us that sometime back the Baptist association that these men are affiliated with became heavy handed and controlling. When the pastors protested the control the association threatened them that they would take their buildings from them. The pastors decided to all pull out and leave their church buildings and take the people. So they did and left the association with a whole lot of empty buildings and that they were already meeting in houses out of necessity but now they were ready to stay their because of revelation. Kenneth then told the men that he was going to operate under this new structure and invited them all to walk with him in it. They all agreed!!!
Teryl Hebert