Hungry Kenyans

The day before my birthday I received an e-mail from a man in Kenya by the name of Eric. He told me that he had visited our web site and found what is posted there to be inspiring and encouraging and therefore was contacting me to teach them the Word of God.

The little congregation is hungry, very hungry. They are hungry to be fed the Word of God for their salvation and comfort. They have encountered the pretense of the many churches, the hypocrisy of one thing being professed as official doctrine, but another thing being practiced in the various congregations. So they are gathered together in the hope of hearing the Truth and walking in Him.

Money is an issue for them. Their pastor, Eric, earns $1.00 per day digging for people. He walks 15 kilometers to town to rent computer and Internet time at the cyber café and then walks home again. He checks his e-mail every day to see what new information I have sent to him. If I miss a day or two he wonders whether I am OK. It makes my heart hurt to realize that I failed him. I think of these dear people continually, but sometimes I have no new things to send and fail to take into account that they are looking for daily communication.

How many people in America would walk 15 km, that is, 9.32 miles, in order to receive little bits of new teaching concerning the Gospel? How many Americans would take from their grocery money in order to pay to download such bits of teaching concerning the Gospel?

Stephanie and I can relate somewhat. Yet I am amazed at the desire of these dear people for the Word. And they are indeed in need. They have no Bibles. They have no hymnals. Moreover, what they receive from me is in English, which is not their native tongue. Yet they say that they rejoice to receive what I send them. Pastor Eric downloads my sermon each week, pays to print it, and then delivers it the following Sunday to the congregation. Some of the older people do not know English, so he has to translate and explain parts of it for them.

I am amazed that they say that they understand the sermons. People in America have criticized me for being too deep for them. Yet these people in another land and of another tongue say that they are benefitting. All that I can say to this is: Thanks be to God!

Thus far I have been able to print the Enchiridion from the Concordia Triglot for them and have sent them some copies. I also received from the Lutheran Heritage foundation a copy of the Enchiridion in Swahili, which they graciously gave me permission to reprint freely. I have scanned it and formatted it for a larger print booklet and have printed it and sent some copies as well. Through Biblica in Nairobi I have been able to purchase and send 3 copies of a Kiswahili Reference Bible along with 3 paperback KJV Bibles. None of these have yet arrived, but they are eagerly awaiting their delivery.

This is all that Stephanie and I have been able to do so far. We would like to do more. Perhaps in time we will have some more funds available. Sadly, the bills and debts must be paid. But at least the dear people will now have the Scriptures available to share in together, and copies of the Enchiridion (the Small Catechism) for their growth in understanding the Faith.

Much of my free time has gone toward these efforts. It is exciting to be a part in such an opportunity for the Gospel. It is a great joy to observe people who are hungry for the Gospel.