Too often, couples of various ages decide that having a “conventional” wedding is too expensive, what with dowery to be paid by the young man to the bride’s family, hiring of vehicles, cake, all the brides-maids and groomsmen not to mention the wedding gown, they opt for living together as husband and wife until such a time as they can afford a “real wedding”.  From the start, when Pamela and William expressed their desire to legalize their marriage, they said we want it to be simple. 

The wedding was part of the Sunday service on October 18 at the Leberio Free Methodist Church.  The couple worshipped with the rest of the congregation and when it came time for William and Pamela to exchange vows,  Rev. Martin  Anami called them forward with the witnesses to the front of the church.   William couldn’t stop smiling and Pamela was shy, or so it seemed.   Many people were literally squeezed into the little mud church building to witness the event.  There was a sense of anticipation throughout the service and ceremony even as Bishop Nixon Dingili preached on Christian marriage. 

The service ended with cutting the cake and giving of gifts.  My prayer is that others will learn that a wedding can be beautiful and meaningful without all the fanfare and expense — William and Pamela’s is a testimonry to that.                                                                       

                               

Twenty-four pastors and church leaders met in Nairobi to attend the Urban Church Planting Consultation facilitated by Dan Sheffield and Kim Henderson, both members of the National Leadership Team of the Free Methodist Church in Canada.

      The consultation highlighted the need to target cities because of the increasing rate of urbanization, especially in developing countries.  Most   churches in Kenya are in the rural areas particularly in the western part of the country.  Participants also learned of the unique characteristics of the city and the challenges of urban ministry.  They were divided into annual conference groups to strategize how they would reach the cities in their respective conferences. 

Kim Henderson led the participants in sharing their ministry setting, challenges and joys.  This was a valuable experience as everyone had opportunity to share and learned that they were not alone but many were experiencing the same things.

Pray for Bishop Dingili as he leads the Free Methodist Church Kenya to be more effective in urban ministry.  Pray for churches in the urban centers of Nairobi, Eldoret, Kericho, Kakamega, Mombasa and Nakuru.

 Last week I witnessed firsthand the effects of the drought as I travelled from Eldoret to Nairobi.  Wheat fields are golden brown but the wheat has grown to only one foot high while stocks of corn have dried up before reaching maturity.  

The local news reports that thousands of cattle are being taken to abbatoirs to sell at very cheap prices before they die of thirst and hunger. 

A woman fainted from hunger in front of a government minister who was making a speech before a food distribution effort in one of the more drought stricken areas.

Power is being rationed in most of the country because the rivers where power is generated are so depleted of water.  Many parts of Nairobi have had no water for a month or more.

This is the 2nd harvest this year that has been devastated by drought — Millions of people are hungry.  One of our pastors said that in their area the last time they saw rain was 2004! 

Whose shoes?

There are two reasons to write this – one for encouragement, one for warning. 

 When I was in Canada for my last home assignment, I was greatly encouraged by the appreciation expressed particularly by 2 young women who I had the privilege of teaching during my early years in ministry.  When I think back on those days, I wasn’t thinking that I was doing anything “out of the ordinary”.  In fact, I might have been tempted to dismiss altogether the “worth of what I was doing”.  It just all seemed “so routine”.  And no one ever thought that Sunday School and children’s ministry was particularly significant or important. 

 A few months ago, one of the young women who took the time to tell me of the impact I had had on her life was received as a Ministerial Candidate.  Now, I am not patting myself on the back but, imagine, I had influenced her young life when I taught her in CLC.  I remember those days and I tell you the truth, I didn’t always look forward to the rigours of my Tuesday night classes with those very lively, even rowdy children.  Emily was the quiet one in the group but I do remember her in my classes.  So Emily spoke to me about how my creativity in teaching and concern for the children spoke to her about Jesus.  She told me she “wanted to be like me”  I didn’t realize how she was watching and perhaps there were also others in the class.  God used me even “when no one was looking”!

 Another young woman that I met at a Women’s retreat shared with me about the songs she learned in junior choir and what I taught her in Junior Church.  She was one of the younger children but is now a young wife and mother and through me she was challenged as a child to put her trust in Jesus and to live for him.  Now she is raising her children to follow Jesus.  Her commitment to Christ happened “when no one was looking.”

 If North American culture is anything like it is here in Africa, we somehow think that ministry is meaningful only when it is directed to the “masses” and there is something remarkable or at least noticeable about what we are doing.  We just might be surprised to learn that God works “when it seems no one is looking”. 

 Last week again I met a young woman who was working in a shop as a saleslady.  She was very excited when she saw me and bragged to everyone how I encouraged her as a girl in Sunday School.  I had an impact on her young life –  “when no one was looking”.   Pray for Lydia that she will not only remember her early days in Sunday School but that she would seriously consider her relationship with the Lord now. 

 Be encouraged in whatever ministry you might be doing – God is using you even “when no one is looking”.

Satanic forces have been making themselves manifest these past few days at the Bible School.  Students (and teachers staying on the premises) have experienced unusual “activity” including sounds and physical aggression in the night.  One student wanted to leave because of the direct attack that he experienced.  Pray with the students that God’s power and presence will give peace to the students.  This evening the students met with the pastor of the local church to pray that Satan would be defeated and the power of God would reign in the church compound and in the surrounding community.

                                                                                          July 19 was a day of celebration as Rev. Nixon Dingili was consecrated as the first Kenyan Bishop of the Free Methodist Church Kenya. This day also marked the initiation of the Kenya Provisional General Conference. Bishop of the Burundi General Conference, Dr. Elie Buconyori officiated in the proceedings of the day and remarked that Kenya was now on its way to autonomy and challenged the congregation to allow themselves to be led by their bishop, to pray for him and to support him.

The service began with a procession led by annual conference and district superintendents followed by Bishop Dingili and his wife, Neddy then Bishop Elie Buconyori with his wife, Joy.

 There was much joyful singing led by a group of youth from the Nairobi/Central District. (No one wanted to stop singing). Words of congratulations were brought from representatives of Burundian and Rwandan delegation and Free Methodist World Missions.

Kenya had been an Annual Conference of the Burundi General Conference. A large delegation, including the members of the BOA, showed by their attendance their support of the steps that Kenya was taking toward self-governance.

  Bishop Dr. Elie Buconyori of Burundi assisted by Bishop Samuel Kainamura of Rwanda consecrated Bishop Dingili and pronounced him as the new Bishop of the Kenya Provisional Conference amid cheers from the congregation. No Kenyan celebration is complete without a cake which was cut and passed to the joyful crowd. Then processions of well wishers danced and sang their way in African style to the podium to make their presentations of gifts to the new bishop.

At the Board of Administration of the Burundi General Conference meeting held on May 29, the election of Rev. Nixon Dingili as Bishop of the Kenya General Conference was officially recognized. The inaugeration of the first bishop of Kenya and the launching of the Kenya Free Methodist Church as a General Conference will take place on July 19.

On March 31, Rev. Nixon Dingili was elected as the nominee for Bishop of the Kenya Provisional General Conference. On May 19, this election is to be ratified by the Board of Administration of the Burundi General Conference of which Kenya has been an Annual Conference until it gained Provisional General Conference status.

Rev. Dingili earned a BA degree in Christian education at Kenya Highlands Bible College and is currently working on an MA in Theological Studies at Hope Africa University in Burundi. He has served the Kenya FMC in the past 4 years as national superintendent and previously as Director of Youth, Director of Christian education, South Rift Valley District Superintendent and currently as Central District Superintendent.

Bishop Elect, Rev. Nixon Dingili’s earnest prayer is for transformation of hearts and lives in his church in Kenya.

Many people literally around the world have been praying since the beginning of this year for the transformation of hearts and lives. I believe that God is answering these prayers. I continuously am hearing of how God is, in fact, changing lives. Praise the Lord! The battle is not over but we can be encouraged that “the battle is the Lord’s”.

On March 30-31, Kenyan Free Methodist pastors and delegates will meet to establish the Kenya General Conference and two Annual Conferences. At this time a bishop will be elected as well as 2 Annual Conference Superintendents. I believe that the outcome of these days will determine the direction that the Free Methodist Church in Kenya will take in the days ahead. God has laid it on the hearts of many to pray diligently for the leadership of the Kenya Church. The present national superintendent, whose office will be discontinued at the time of the election of the bishop, has called for a day of prayer and fasting for March 29. Many Kenyan Free Methodists are rallying to pray for the events of March 30 and 31. If God should lay it on your heart, join us in prayer.

Debbie