The last day was good all round. We has a good prayer meeting in the morning and I preached on something I hadn't even written down fully in sermon form. I had some notes scribbled down but it worked very well. I had the concept very much in my mind anyway and managed to find time between sessions to write it down more fully.
Both the groups at the morning prayer and lunchtime meetings took what is called a love offering. Basically they take up a special offering as a mark of appreciation for the minister. They keep telling me they want me to come back. I had it in mind to return next year. Anyway, we shall see. I hope so.
The evening meeting in Ukunda was good as well. We had a time of prayer ministry at the end but there were so many who came forward there was no time to pray individually however I did have the chance to pray for one woman who was suffering from leg and chest pains who was healed.
So now it's time to return home which will involve waiting for hours at the airports in Mombasa and Nairobi.{yawn} Perhaps getting back in time for the Sunday morning service to see everyone. {very good}. Eating Sunday lunch with the Gheorghe family. {very, very good} and going back into work on Monday {hmmmm? Could I extend my stay another week?} Also Fran has promised to beat me up if I come back to England with a tan! {now where's that long sleeve shirt and ski mask?}. Ah, and I also remember a promise of a game of football with a certain Mr Kelly. {I think I'll comeback to England after all}
See you all soon.....steve
Saturday, 7 May 2011
Friday, 6 May 2011
Final full day of ministry.
Well this is it. The final full day of my schedule. I want to make the most of it now as I begin to look forward to making the trip home. Last night in Ukunda was good again. The church is almost full and the people are very responsive to the word of God.
One of the things I look forward to is the trip on the ferry. Because central Mombasa is an island, in order to get to the south coast where Ukunda is you have to take the ferry across the 1km or so of the shallow inlet of the Indian ocean. It's quite an experience. Hundreds of people are waiting at the gate for the ferry to dock {which is usualy once every 15 minutes. Then the gate is opened and hundreds of people flock forward onto the ferry. There are usually a number of hawkers and traders trying to sell everything from soap to pencils. The ferry area is notorious for pickpocketing as people are crammed together and for snatch robberies. I keep all my valuables ect in my zip up folder which I keep my notes and bible in and keep it 'very' close to me.
On one occassion I saw out of the corner of my eye a man waving a couple of knives but he was only trying to sell them. There are people who try to carry their persoanl goods through to the ferry including a man who was carrying a couple of car tyres and Swahili women who carry large parcels balanced on their heads without using their hands to steady them. There are also the preachers. Often their is someone who takes advantage of the captive audience to preach to them. There are also the empty talkers. People who want to give a speach but have nothing to say. It's times like this I wish I could speak Kiswahili. One man went on and on and the word I recognised was 'Osama'{he must have mentioned that name about 20 times}. Quite a few people were laughing at him including a number of Muslims. People generally either ignore him or find him ridiculous. Occassionaly with Swahili speakers they will give a sentence in English which is useful if only to relise what everyone else is laughing at.
I wish I could take pictures or film of the ferry trip. The view is excellent but apart from my reticence about taking anything of value on board there is also a ban on filming. {You'll just have to use your imagination}
This morning's prayer meeting went well again. I spoke on something God showed me recently and I had only scribbled down some general notes. Not even a proper sermon but I went for it anyway and it went down really well. I hope to complete the full message while I have a few hours spare this morning.
Here's to a good final day...
Mungu Akibariki {God bless you}
One of the things I look forward to is the trip on the ferry. Because central Mombasa is an island, in order to get to the south coast where Ukunda is you have to take the ferry across the 1km or so of the shallow inlet of the Indian ocean. It's quite an experience. Hundreds of people are waiting at the gate for the ferry to dock {which is usualy once every 15 minutes. Then the gate is opened and hundreds of people flock forward onto the ferry. There are usually a number of hawkers and traders trying to sell everything from soap to pencils. The ferry area is notorious for pickpocketing as people are crammed together and for snatch robberies. I keep all my valuables ect in my zip up folder which I keep my notes and bible in and keep it 'very' close to me.
On one occassion I saw out of the corner of my eye a man waving a couple of knives but he was only trying to sell them. There are people who try to carry their persoanl goods through to the ferry including a man who was carrying a couple of car tyres and Swahili women who carry large parcels balanced on their heads without using their hands to steady them. There are also the preachers. Often their is someone who takes advantage of the captive audience to preach to them. There are also the empty talkers. People who want to give a speach but have nothing to say. It's times like this I wish I could speak Kiswahili. One man went on and on and the word I recognised was 'Osama'{he must have mentioned that name about 20 times}. Quite a few people were laughing at him including a number of Muslims. People generally either ignore him or find him ridiculous. Occassionaly with Swahili speakers they will give a sentence in English which is useful if only to relise what everyone else is laughing at.
I wish I could take pictures or film of the ferry trip. The view is excellent but apart from my reticence about taking anything of value on board there is also a ban on filming. {You'll just have to use your imagination}
This morning's prayer meeting went well again. I spoke on something God showed me recently and I had only scribbled down some general notes. Not even a proper sermon but I went for it anyway and it went down really well. I hope to complete the full message while I have a few hours spare this morning.
Here's to a good final day...
Mungu Akibariki {God bless you}
Thursday, 5 May 2011
Ukunda
Some amusing signs I've seen recently.
I saw a boat by the Mombasa beach a few days ago with the sign,'Don't jump in the water if you can't swim' Not sure if this is Swahili humour or a reflection on the intellectual level of the average tourist they get round here.
I also saw a sign which read something like 'Makawezi silent bar'. A silent bar in Kenya?! That's a likely as a vegetarian lion. If it really is silent then I bet it's a very empty bar. People love their music over here. It's a bit like setting up a bar in Rio and advertising it as a football free zone!
The meetings in Ukunda are going very well. Last night a man came in and gave his life to Jesus. The church are greatly stirred and so am I. The prayer meetings are going well as well. I noticed that the 'bag' Man utd had the title in has now become a bag with a hole. {come on Chelsea!}
see you all soon...steve
I saw a boat by the Mombasa beach a few days ago with the sign,'Don't jump in the water if you can't swim' Not sure if this is Swahili humour or a reflection on the intellectual level of the average tourist they get round here.
I also saw a sign which read something like 'Makawezi silent bar'. A silent bar in Kenya?! That's a likely as a vegetarian lion. If it really is silent then I bet it's a very empty bar. People love their music over here. It's a bit like setting up a bar in Rio and advertising it as a football free zone!
The meetings in Ukunda are going very well. Last night a man came in and gave his life to Jesus. The church are greatly stirred and so am I. The prayer meetings are going well as well. I noticed that the 'bag' Man utd had the title in has now become a bag with a hole. {come on Chelsea!}
see you all soon...steve
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
Very busy final week
I now have a full schedule for the final week. Every day I get to minister for around 20 minutes at a morning prayer meeting in the city centre Then I attend and preach at a lunchtime meeting {different from the one on the first week} In the evenings we go to Ukunda.
Well, where do I start. I sat in a restaurant the other day about an hour after hearing the Osama Bin Laden is dead and tried to pick up on an intense political debate between a table of Muslims. Most christians I speak to are very happy. Bin Ladens death may save many other lives. The bible says God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked but at the same time it also says when the wicked perish the righteous rejoice. Kenya has suffered horribly at the hands of terrorists. Hopefully Bin Ladens demise will spare the lives of many, many others.
The meetings are going well with the messages very well received. Ukunda is an excellent young church. The saints are stirred up and passionate for Jesus. They are opposed in the area by some of the Muslims and the local witch doctor who is demanding their removal because while they are their none of his magic is working and he is losing a lot of money. Hallelujah!! The church only have a temporary accommodation but are very responsive, open to the word of God and it is great to preach here.
Today I ministered at a pastors meeting as well so thats four meetings I am at today.I'm enjoying every minute of it.
regards...steve
Well, where do I start. I sat in a restaurant the other day about an hour after hearing the Osama Bin Laden is dead and tried to pick up on an intense political debate between a table of Muslims. Most christians I speak to are very happy. Bin Ladens death may save many other lives. The bible says God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked but at the same time it also says when the wicked perish the righteous rejoice. Kenya has suffered horribly at the hands of terrorists. Hopefully Bin Ladens demise will spare the lives of many, many others.
The meetings are going well with the messages very well received. Ukunda is an excellent young church. The saints are stirred up and passionate for Jesus. They are opposed in the area by some of the Muslims and the local witch doctor who is demanding their removal because while they are their none of his magic is working and he is losing a lot of money. Hallelujah!! The church only have a temporary accommodation but are very responsive, open to the word of God and it is great to preach here.
Today I ministered at a pastors meeting as well so thats four meetings I am at today.I'm enjoying every minute of it.
regards...steve
Jomvu.
The internet has been down for a few days here in Mombasa thus the lack of reports for a few days.
We've completed our time in Jomvu with a couple of evenings of open air meetings. Although people are reticent about coming forward they are hanging around to listen to the preaching. The area we were preaching in has very good views of the valleys on 2 sides {if you ignore the electricity pylons running right through the middle of the area}. The area we are in is among the poorest of the poor, mainly mud huts, animals wandering everywhere. I though to myself, this is reaaly grass roots stuff only to look down at a dusty floor and not a blade of grass in sight! This area is good for outreach for one good reason. I'm told it is the only place in Jomvu you can do an open air meeting and not have a gang of muslims coming to stop the meeting.
The meetings themselves started with some of the most awful music you ever heard. It was like discovering a really old cassette tape that barely works of a live practice demo recorded on really poor equipment. Amazingly people still stood there listening. Then the power went out and the singers were left with just their voices and it was beautiful. Right near the end of the preaching the rains came but people just found somewhere close to shelter and carried on listening. Although their were no clear conversions many will have had the chance to hear a clear gospel presentation for the first time.
Sunday morning I had the chance to revisit the Maweni church for their Sunday morning service. They are trying to purchase land so they can build their own church but it is very complicated. Pray that God would clear a way for this to come to pass.
I have now moved into a bed and breakfast in Mombasa. I will miss Mariakani. Perhaps not the three mile traffic jams of lorries waiting to get onto the weighbridge that leads to Nairobi but definitely the creative ways the taxi drivers would get me back to the hotel. Lets just say normal rules of the highway go out the window.
God bless you...steve
We've completed our time in Jomvu with a couple of evenings of open air meetings. Although people are reticent about coming forward they are hanging around to listen to the preaching. The area we were preaching in has very good views of the valleys on 2 sides {if you ignore the electricity pylons running right through the middle of the area}. The area we are in is among the poorest of the poor, mainly mud huts, animals wandering everywhere. I though to myself, this is reaaly grass roots stuff only to look down at a dusty floor and not a blade of grass in sight! This area is good for outreach for one good reason. I'm told it is the only place in Jomvu you can do an open air meeting and not have a gang of muslims coming to stop the meeting.
The meetings themselves started with some of the most awful music you ever heard. It was like discovering a really old cassette tape that barely works of a live practice demo recorded on really poor equipment. Amazingly people still stood there listening. Then the power went out and the singers were left with just their voices and it was beautiful. Right near the end of the preaching the rains came but people just found somewhere close to shelter and carried on listening. Although their were no clear conversions many will have had the chance to hear a clear gospel presentation for the first time.
Sunday morning I had the chance to revisit the Maweni church for their Sunday morning service. They are trying to purchase land so they can build their own church but it is very complicated. Pray that God would clear a way for this to come to pass.
I have now moved into a bed and breakfast in Mombasa. I will miss Mariakani. Perhaps not the three mile traffic jams of lorries waiting to get onto the weighbridge that leads to Nairobi but definitely the creative ways the taxi drivers would get me back to the hotel. Lets just say normal rules of the highway go out the window.
God bless you...steve
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