Sunday March 13 Nairobi Kenya
We began our first day in Kenya by visiting Elevation Church. The most articulate summation of our day was uttered by Matt Jensen in one word: “Wow”! Words fail when trying to describe worship in an exuberant Kenyan Church. It’s just pure passion expressed in “surround-sound”. It’s always the same on the first day– we begin in the throws of jet-lag exhaustion and then we are lifted into heaven through powerful worship.
There’s an amazing God story behind Elevation Church. It began when Pastor Ben Stercuic of Elevation Church Kirkland, whispered in the ear of Meshek Lwenya, one of our WorldComp Staff. “I wonder if you would consider helping us start a new church in Nairobi?” Ben asked. He was thinking down the road a year or two, but no one was prepared for what happened next. Meshek whispered in the ear of Pastor Sammy Chacha and within a week they took a step of faith and started a church in the parking garage of a local hotel. Now, after one year, the church is 400 strong and worshiping in a great building that they have constructed in just a few months. The Lord has showered one blessing after another on them. This morning, on their first anniversary, the church celebrated its first communion. It was an honor to be there with them. We will be partnering with this church throughout the years to help the poor and the needy in East Nairobi.
Home of grace orphanage:
After church our entire team pitched in to prepare some gift bags for the children at the Home of Grace orphanage. We thought we were just going to have dinner with the orphans, but we were surprise when the event turned into a Worldcomp Family Reunion. Literally all of our Worldcomp leaders turned up for the event. More than 50 of our leaders came with their families to bless the children and to welcome us. The most moving moment of the night was when two of the children courageously stood up to tell their story of life before Home of Grace. They told of the death of their parents, of being cruelly mistreated by some relatives and finally discarded to the streets of Nairobi. Both of them praised the Lord that our workers found them on the streets and brought them to the Home of Grace where they have been loved and cared for in a most excellent manner. Not a dry eye in the house!
Monday will be a very busy day! We will visit the Kara Kibera Children’s Center in the morning, Lenana School in the afternoon, and then catch the 6pm flight to Kakamega.
Thank your dear friends for keeping us in your prayers. Pray especially that our health will hold up during this first few days of jetlag and that our sensitive American stomachs will be guarded against the microbes of Kenya.
Richard