To the farthest reaches: Nakakono

10/23/2011 Sunday in Nakakono

I preached in a place called Nakakono today. Nakakono is WAY out in the country side. The road there was a foot path for at least two miles. I think Davis enjoys sending me to these remoter outposts. It is also a good way to encourage more Nexus students (if the visitors are willing to go to the remote places it shows a depth and willingness in the program). We signed up seven or eight more potential students by the end of the day. We drove through the center of Satanic worship in this region. Pastors and other Christian men in this area (including my friend Naphtal) have been holding prayer and fasting vigils in this area -- praying down the strongholds. They are reporting some success in this effort.

Pastor Lamech and his family were most gracious in welcoming me. There were 3 other Nexus graduates here and a large crowd with many children. I was planning to preach on Acts -- the aftermath of Paul's conversion and the anonymous people who helped him get started. But as I looked around and was praying I felt that the story of the women who cries on Jesus feet and dries them with her hair from Luke 8 would fit the congregation better. So I preached that. One man became a Christian today, it turned out that he was Lamach's younger brother.

I prayed for many people for a wide and various reasons. I found myself trusting the Holy Spirit more and more to lead how I should pray and to bring help for many diseases and needs and issues.

Nakakono is way out there and I was the first white to preach in this church. The children came and sang their welcome song and some other songs as well and I was given a purple and gold prayer mat as a welcome gift. Then I had lunch with the family and we headed back to Kikyusa.

The congregation felt the need to give me a "love offering" for coming and preaching. I felt very awkward in taking their gift but knew there was no gracious or nonoffensive way of refusing it. It is good for them to be generous and it is good for me to be gracious and generous as well. Fortunately, I had been told by Pastor Lamech that they were trying to build a school there and that the children were deeply in need of supplies and school materials. I made the love offering a gift to the children of the school for supplies and other materials.

We returned to Kirimandagi where Davis and Linda were waiting for us. Linda preached at Grace's church. They were hiding from us and Grace was encouraging them by telling us that Davis and Linda had gone to sleep and had gone home. Quite fun.

On the way back to Davis' home we stopped at the church plant at Seeta. It has come a long way. The Latrines were working, the first floor and columns were in place for the new assembly hall and the second floor was scheduled to go up in the near future. Davis is planning to have the opening worship service here on Christmas Day.

When we returned Barb and Kathy were at Davis' home and they had preached at Samalie's church in the morning and then had spent the day with her. They were talking about the great day they had at Ronald's school (Gayaza Girls School) and the entrepreneurial exercises the students had been undergoing.

Clair returned later and was all fire up about the youth rally and the good meeting he had Sunday afternoon with youth workers from around the area. He reported that many youth came to Christ and the the youth workers were also greatly encouraged and challenged to do better work. He is starting a foundation to help youth in this areas through Pastor Richard's church.

tomorrow is an open day starting with breakfast with Davis' pastor (Bonyme). We are going to do some shopping, have lunch in town.

drbj