Hospitality Notes

By: Laney Grosswiler

The Man Who Came to Dinner…he came on African time and shared his heart, and found the same Jesus whom he served in his native land was the same Jesus here in America. I had invited a few people that had supported me both financially and in prayer during my recent trip to Kenya and we spent an enjoyable evening getting to know Pastor John.

Pastor John Lodinyo has a wife, Ruth, and three daughters: Elizabeth age 7, Agnus age 4, and Deborah age 8 months. When asked about the possibility of staying here in the states to live, Pastor John replied, “It’s very tempting to stay, but it will bring judgment upon myself. I must identify myself with my people. Moses faced the same challenges. I will not transform them, but I am clearing the way.”

John serves on a committee that is translating the Old Testament into Pokot (his native language). They presently have the New Testament completed. He also heads up a district that contains 26 pastors that he shepherds. Of those 26, one is blind and he alone personally cares for four churches.

The Pokot is one of the last un-reached people groups in the world. (“Pokot” is the name of the tribe of people, the name of their language, and also the name of the region of land on which they live.) Pastor John said there are four mountains of un-reached people in the Pokot region. “We are delaying the Lord’s coming…we must reach these people with the gospel. We are called to reach the unreachable,” said John.

Pastor John has also written a Peace Initiative that was adopted by both the Kenyan Government and also the government of Uganda. It is based upon Scriptural principals to try and bring peace to the Pokot Region. They are faced with cattle raiding and violence on a daily basis with neighboring tribes both in Kenya and Uganda. Christmas is normally a time of great blood bath. However, since the Peace Initiative has been in place, Christmas 1998 was the first bloodless Christmas in many, many years.

Part of our evening was spent in the Music Room gathered around the piano worshipping God. During this time prayer was offered for the concerns and prayer requests Pastor John had made earlier. He concluded the evening by reminding us, “Don’t take God for granted.”

09/1999