Missionary Trip to Kenya, Africa Part II

by Victoria L. Krynock

"…Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved…"
Mark 16:15 & 16

"The devil is a liar!…That is why we are here today; to take back what the devil stole," Pastor Julius emphatically declared to the Luya people gathered in the village market for the crusade. Thousands stood in rapt attention as he preached to the people the good news of Jesus Christ. He uncovered the lies of the devil by giving vivid illustrations of the ways the lies had come. "What do you believe?" he would ask. "Do you believe in the power of the snakes (the witchdoctors used)?" At the end of the crusade, many destroyed their artifacts having received the truth of the power of God in Jesus Christ.

A miraculous event that occurred the second night of the crusade helped the people believe the power of God was real. The sky began to darken off in the distance as a tremendous storm started to build. As the first drops of rain began to fall, the people ran. Julius stopped his preaching, pointed at the graying blue sky and declared, "Rain! Rain, I command you in Jesus’ name be held back! Be held back until the gospel can be preached."… He looks at the people, "Okay, come on back. The rain will not hurt you."

I watched with a smile as the light rain dried up, a blue sky remained fixed overhead, and the people hurried back to crowd around the platform once again. The power of God was displayed as blackness encircled the blue patch of sky overhead and the temperature dropped, yet no rain was released until after the call for those who desired to receive Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior came forward and had prayer.

Immediately after the ministry time, the sky opened and a great deluge of rain fell upon the village market. The wind tore angrily at the tarps tied to the rough-hewn poles on the platform. Huge pockets of water quickly formed on the tarps protecting the generator-powered equipment and then collapsed, drenching those scrambling to protect the precious electronic pieces. It was a first-hand account of the war we fight in the heavenlies being manifested on the earth.

That night after the equipment had been safely stored, our team piled into a compact station wagon to travel to the Kakemega National Forest. The night before we had traveled in the back of a rented pickup truck, so we were grateful for the roof on the car this night. Cliff had become quite soaked during the storm and our immediate concern upon arrival was to get him warm and dry.

We were assigned the same mud houses as the previous night. Laney and Immaculate (our female interpreter) in one hut, Mike and Ron another, Julius and Chrisantus, (a precious brother who became our guide for most of our stay in the bush) took another hut, and Cliff and I a fourth one. Ours became "Mamma’s house".

In the African culture Mamma’s house is always where you find food and mamma always does the serving of the food. Men rarely assist; they are usually served. Because of the intense storm earlier, dinner plans were abandoned and we once again found ourselves without a dinner meal. The night before we ate the Power Bars the Holy Spirit had told me back in the states to pack. This night we were able to dine on fresh pineapple and water because we had just "happened" to stop at a market earlier in the day during our hike to the bush and had purchased a couple. Once again, Jehovah Jireh!

It was necessary for our team to hike part way to the bush from the Kakemega Forest because the tire on the pickup truck was flat, damaged by the condition of the roads. While Julius tracked down a way to repair it, to save time we got a head start to the village on foot. We joined many other Africans walking alongside the road as we traveled.

Coming upon an open market on trade day, we ventured among the vendors to observe the goods displayed. Everything from radios to spears, dried fish, spices, soap and shoes were available. The large variety of wares were laid out on the ground on sheets or displayed on wooden booths.

Trying to be resourceful, we purchased several pineapples and sat down to eat one for lunch. Mike had a pocketknife so we were able to peel it. A sweet, juicy lunch of pineapple chunks was enjoyed as we waited under a tree for the pickup truck. It was these pineapples that also proved to be our dinner later. Just as we finished, the truck arrived and we again piled into the back of the truck for the remainder of our trip back to the bush. Upon our arrival, we were treated to a hot meal of cooked dried beans and maize.

Some of the soundest advice we received in Africa was, "When you see food, eat it." This is true because you truly never know when your next meal will be. In Kenya, when you are given food, you must eat all of it and then you must go back for seconds or you have greatly insulted your host. And they never ask you if you are finished. Because there is no electricity in most of Kenya, there are no refrigerators, which means there is no way to store leftovers. So all food from every meal must be consumed. You are instead asked, "Have you finished the food?" meaning, "Is it gone?" It does not matter if you are full, no food is wasted.

When we were not visiting somewhere as honored guests, time was given for ministry to pastors, pastors’ wives and women, and new believers. All of this was made possible because of the favor granted to us by the Chief.

Never before in the history of the village was there a ceremony like the one given when we arrived. Never before had white people traveled there.

We did not understand how traumatic this would be for the small children to see "mzungu" (white person) until we heard their screams of terror. Several times our hearts just ached because of their fear. We wanted to reach and comfort them and offer reassurances, but knew if we took a step toward them they might actually pass out. One little boy asked his mother if we were going to eat him! They had heard stories of white people and knew we existed, but had never seen one before. Julius told us that if we do not return to their village, thirty years from now they will speak of the time white people came.

While there we also met with the Chief’s assistant and his advisors and were shown their need for a vehicle-accessible bridge. We later visited a home for widows and children the assistant chief provides for and prayed with them. This is a unique situation because culturally husbands and male family members provide for widows. However, because there are no male family members left and all of the widows were married to brothers or father and sons, he has chosen to provide for them rather than seeing them destitute.

That particular afternoon our team had lunch with Chrisantus’ family. Here we observed the process for making brown sugar out of sugar cane and were given samples to taste. A delightful experience! When we were ready to leave, Chrisantus’ father presented Cliff with a knife in a leather sheath as a gift.

Our last afternoon the team was divided up. Cliff and I taught a seminar to pastors out under a tree behind the village market while the rest of the team traveled with the Chief to area schools. Supplies for these schools were purchased with funds donated to G. O. Serve! It is our way of showing honor to the Chief and thanking him once again for allowing us to hold a crusade in his village marketplace.

"So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men…" Galatians 6:10

As we were leaving the bush, Chief Mwalati insisted we stop by his home. There he presented us with a live lamb as a gift. This was a tremendous honor as a lamb is equivalent to about six month’s wages. So, it was lifted into the back of the pickup truck and it rode with us back to Kitale. Both our team and the team from Kitale Lighthouse Ministries that we labored with in the bush enjoyed a wonderful lamb roast feast Sunday after church!

It was indeed a privilege to labor among such fine brothers and sisters. The love God placed in our hearts upon meeting them deepened as the weeks passed. Our hearts are full and I am glad to have this opportunity to share these wondrous happenings!

05/1999