When I first came to Chungni as a Missionary one of the first things that God told me to do was seek the face of God with the church up the Mountain. This started when I used to live in Homa Bay with the first Ministry I served with, were they would climb Asago Mountain. It was here that George had a vision of my coming with many people behind me and Joshua the leader of the Ministry prophesied that I would be a missionary in Suna.
The first time I climbed that mountain people thought I would never reach the top as I was overweight and white and they made a big issue out of my size and mocked me even to the point of taking photographs. But with faith and the encouragement of George who is now my host and Mary the wife of Pastor Moses, plus listening to Godfrey Birtill worship music, I got to the top. I really couldn’t help but jump up and down clapping my hands with such an achievement and prayed. What man didn’t think I would ever do with God I did it.
In the Bible many Old Testament Characters especially leaders like Moses would seek the face of God up the mountain. Not that God isn’t everywhere it’s just the sense of you making the effort to seek the face of God and sometimes as for me in the early days it was a struggle but I did this in faith, its not so much about the the mountain but the fact you stopped work, stopped everything to go to the mountain and seek Him. This is why I always read Psalm 24 every time we go there.
Anyway it was at the mountain in Suna that God told me that we needed a big church building and after sharing this with Makongeni church we had a special day of prayer and praise over the Egypt church. Makongeni Church first began under a tree then progressed to a small mud hut and now it was time to move again. We sang and prayed and I took four pegs and placed them in the ground where God had told me to put them and when we measured it was exactly 100 by 50. I got four groups of church members to pray at each corner where the peg was placed and speak out in faith that God would provide and read Psalm 24.
In the ground were many huge stones in the way however we had planned another day to dig the foundation of this new church and remove all the stones. This we did with hard work singing and praising the living God. It brought great hope and faith, but still the thought of a brick church costing a million and a half Kenyan Shillings was just a vision I don’t think that they ever thought it would come to pass.
I did tell them the next stage was to knock down the old mud church ( Egypt ) and move to the site of the new church (canan ) but they didn’t listen. Therefore one day I took a jemby with Cyprian ( Georges Brother ) and we began to knock it down, wondering what the leaders would do I was surprised that they joined in and we completely knocked the mud house down even Patrick helped us. Patrick’s faith was dwindling at that point but since he has realised that God was doing a new thing faith has arised in not just him but many others. Some members were shocked but this is what God told me to do and we soon built another bigger mud hut next to the new church foundation.
We began raising funds and God would provide money miraculously. On the way back to Kenya in November 2012 I had two heavy cases filled with football kit and medicine clothes and tambourines. I should have paid excess baggage but the lady at the desk told me to even the weight in both cases and let me through. The money I had saved from not paying excess I used for the church building. After a long procedure of making bricks using donkey s for the sand and bull and cart for the stones and women carrying water on their head, we made the foundation. After more visits to the mountain praying and praising God plus fund raising , we began the work of building the brick church and very quickly we had the the first part of the church raised .
However at the mountain we also have been praying for two years for instruments and sound system because without them the only alternative was clapping which for me sometimes is a nightmare. I had bought a key board for £14.00 but it didn’t project the sound powerfully enough and so it’s been left in the corner of my house unused. I had brought tambourines and marakers which was a start, but how we longed for a powerful key board and sound system so that the choir and the youth could really praise God and encourage people to come. Also Morris Georges brother is a skilled musician and a key board player but he used to go to REJOICE another church and said he would only come to Makongeni if and when he could play keyboard.
Another prayer at the mountain was God to provide BIBLES in Lou and Swahili because how can people get to know the word of God without Bibles and especially the changa men who had come to Christ which also started from a prayer at the mountain my first New Years Eve in Suna in 2011.. I have bought English Bibles and have been given Gideon’s Bibles but that was pointless as most people can’t read and they can’t read English. My prayer is that the Gideon’s Publish Bibles in all tribal languages in Africa and give them away free, as the people really desire the Word of God
The hotel we stayed at was beautiful the reason why I say this was because for two year I have been living mostly in a mud hut. No carpets, no wallpaper, no running water you have to either collect rain water or go to the river and carry it on your head, and for a year and a half we had no electric just a tilly lamp. The toilet was just a hole in the floor outside. When you squat over the hole, bats come out underneath you and armies of marching ants would cover you and really bite. One time there was a snake in the CHO as they call toilets here, so it was very unpleasant and when we have no money for toilet paper we have to use leaves.
When I had a wash for most of the first year I had one bucket to use as over night to pee and poo in and then you would have to wash in it and wash your clothes by hand and with no light you wouldn’t see what you were doing and got in mess when you were sick with malaria and typhoid. My hair gets matted with red dust and my feet are all cracked walking on the floor with no shoes. I even went to bed with muddy feet as there’s no water to wash them in the dry season.
One day at the mountain when we were praying for the church building and for a visitor who was coming to our Convention in December, God really spoke to me in Micah 7 how God will visit us. There were only five of us there and yet how awesome it was for God to tell us such a proclamation.
My testimony of Gods saving grace and answers to prayer is that I had been under a lot of spiritual warfare, incredible struggles and I wondered where God was. On the way to a hotel where I had been invited to a dance I heard a preacher saying “Don’t you think I know your needs before I ask you? Don’t you trust me? “and it was as though God were speaking to me directly. That night I went to a dance with some hotel staff and had my drink spiked and was robbed and badly treated. A terrible experience that made me realise that I wanted Jesus in my life and didn’t want to end up being back slidden like I had been for twenty years previously and I knew that I wanted to live my life for Jesus and God was about to really show me that yes he did know what we needed even before creation as God planned it even way back then.
God told me to ask Mike if he could come to visit us before December to help and advise us and expose him to what God is doing here in Suna. Surprisingly he said yes so we began to plaster Georges Mud hut and I spent a long time painting it and we put a toilet in my new brick house in his honour. I also preached on giving as here in Africa because people have a dependency syndrome where they rely and expect money from whites but God teaches us in the Bible we must give and receive. We had wanted to have some conventions in various places and so we organised three teams Malera and Ruberry and Kihoru to have Conventions and provide food for Mike. This was a miracle because these people are starving with little to eat themselves having many children and struggle to pay school fees so for them to cook a chicken was a sacrifice. Normally these people only eat vegetables.
He on the other hand had been given a lot of important work yet he was faithful and said he would still come to that and that’s what you call sacrifice for God.
Back to the Transline after all the worry over getting a seat as we got on the bus and I felt a hand in my bag. As I turned round and there was man staring at me, had I have made a noise he would have been stoned to death or had a tyre put round his neck and set alight on the spot so I remained silent even though he stole a large amount of money which was to send ay Elaine to hospital and have shoes fitted after treatment of club feet , as well as surgery for a mans tumours to be removed from his face. Even baby Elaine’s medical cards were stolen.. but what can you do ? I just praised God that he hadn’t taken my bank card and other money.
The airport arrivals was chaotic because a while ago Nairobi Arrival Lounge was burned down and there were tents in different arrears according to the airways, but we had got to the right place of Kenyan Airways arrival so it wasn’t as confusing as we had imagined and we soon greeted Mike and was so nice to meet him a miracle infact.
The hotel we stayed at was beautiful the reason why I say this was because for two year I have been living for most in a mud hut. No carpets, no wallpaper, no running water you have to either collect rain water or go to the river and carry it on your head, and for a year and a half we had no electric just a tilly lamp. The toilet was just a hole in the floor outside. When you squat over the hole, bats come out underneath you and armies of marching ants would cover you and really bite. One time there was a snake in the CHO as they call toilets here, so it was very unpleasant and when we have no money for toilet paper we have to use leaves.
When I had a wash for most of the first year I had one bucket to use as over night to pee and poo in and then you would have to wash in it and wash your clothes by hand and with no light you wouldn’t see what you were doing and got in mess when you were sick with malaria and typhoid. My hair gets matted with red dust and my feet are all cracked walking on the floor with no shoes. I even went to bed with muddy feet as there’s no water to wash them in the dry season.
`My worst night in Chungni was when marching ants were on the war path and there were hundreds of spiders in my bedroom and flies everything you could possibly imagine. I could describe it as “ I am celebrity get me out of here” your worst nightmare but with God and some oil I put at the door and bottom of the bed I was fine. So sleeping in a nice bed and having a bath with light without bugs and flies was WOW a miracle. Everything I used to take for granted was now a luxury.
Even at breakfast I cried the tears were really pouring down my face, there was salmon and cheese and bread sticks, coffee, juice and butter etc things I had never seen or tasted for a year. Most of the food on the menu was just the normal run of the mill in UK, but here in Chungni our food is very bland and inedible things for me like chickens heads and feet, the chicken is so rubbery, if you don’t cook the meat well you get tape worms and when we have no money we have maize bread and local vegetables and typhoid water. Sometimes my urine is so dark through lack of water and dehydration … which is why Mike bought me several big bottles of water and a pump. Wow another miracle and truly appreciated.
After a delouse breakfast we went to town and Mike bought some medical equipment for our clinic another answer to two years of prayer, and I bought 17 bibles in Luo and Swahili language and a few English Bibles for Makongeni church. In UK we have Gideon’s who give Bibles away for free and yet here were people are getting saved in rural areas by the dozen to buy a Bible is so expensive and many never and I mean NEVER get to read the word of God. Why the Gideon’s don’t blitz the rural areas of Kenya is beyond me so Dad hear our hearts cry.
To actually have a white person for company who could speak my language was awesome as most of the day people speak in Luo and so I end up talking to the wall and the floor and the table. People can speak English but they tend to revert back to their natural mother tongue. Even during preaching even I can’t help but speak a few words here and there in the Luo. I also spend long periods of time on my own so to have company was definitely a miracle.
On the way back from Nairobi to Migori I really prayed that God will provide an International Airport near to Migori as its eight hours away to Nairobi a long ardours journey for guests and even us it just makes you stressed and tired.. Especially at the end when the bus makes so many stops you think to yourself will this journey never ever end.
`My worst night in Chungni was when marching ants were on the war path and there were hundreds of spiders in my bedroom and flies everything you could possibly imagine. I could describe it as “ I am celebrity get me out of here” your worst nightmare but with God and some oil I put at the door and bottom of the bed I was fine. So sleeping in a nice bed and having a bath with light without bugs and flies was WOW a miracle. Everything I used to take for granted was now a luxury.
Even at breakfast I cried the tears were really pouring down my face, there was salmon and cheese and bread sticks, coffee, juice and butter etc things I had never seen or tasted for a yearOur first chokruwok was in my house and the church was so pleased to see Mike. In the past so many people had said that they would come but they never came and its totally let the community down very badly and but most of all they lose hope. However Mikes coming brought hope and answers to so many prayers that we had prayed up the mountain. The meeting went really well and everyone was in awe that our visitor Mike had come and brought an anointing and a powerful word of God.
In the morning we went to the mountain it’s a wonderful experience as you look over the valley of Suna West. There was George, myself Mike, Pastor Sani, Margret, Jane, janes, Uma, Nelson, John, Rose, Tobias, Neto, Prisca, and another lady. To watch Mike teach the Word of God sitting on the rock reminded me of Jesus preaching to his disciples.. we read out Psalm 24 and Ezekiel 37 about the valley of the dry bones, we sang and also prayed for school fees so that their children could go to school and be educated to a point of being able to have a better life than their parents,.
In UK Education is free up an until you go to College or University unless your parents can afford private education and then there are grants if you have no funds. Here in Kenya school fees cripple poor families and last year four boys committed suicide because of school fee related issues. Also Girls prostitute themselves for school fees, sanitary towels and pants which leads to early pregnancy HIV/AIDS, plus early marriage and so they remain illiterate and ignorant, carrying on the cycle of poverty.
They also prayed abut small businesses, through poverty people get out loans that they can’t pay back causing them to steal. If caught they can be stoned to death set alight with a tyre and petrol or being given drugs by the witch doctor that causes confusion and erratic behaviour like eating grass. Without the antidote they will die but that is only given if they confess to the theft. Another problem is that the only alternative for paying off loans is making Changa which then leads them to alcoholism. If these people had small loans to generate income in better businesses like selling chickens, second hand clothes, small fish and vegetables then they would be in the position of sending their children to school and sustaining the family. Small businesses also creates the community to grow, irradiating ,illiteracy and poverty.
We also prayed for the church building to e developed as so many moré people are coming to the Lord and being saved and we want a living church one that’s opening and functioning everyday in prayer praise, groups, conferences and food clothes bank, courses like alpha, freedom in Christ, marriage, and the 12 step programme for addicts for example.
We also prayed against sickness because in Chungni and in Suna as a whole everyone has HIV /AIDS and its only a handful of people who are free from the sickness. Because of HIV / Aids we see so many people dying from malaria and typhoid enhanced with them going to the witch doctor and using traditional medicine. Of late we have seen so many young children dying daily. We have funeral every week but seldom, seldom, do you see a wedding. Just after Mike left John Okuku’s Grandson baby Paul died of HIV having taken him to a Traditional Doctor rather than the hospital. I just thank God that that day we had given John a Luo Bible. John was a change drinker until Jesus brought him from the Miry Clay and set his feet upon a rock..the Rock of Jesus Christ.
After an awesome experience up the mountain we went then to Malera Primary school, to show Mike the trophies the girls have won at the several football tournaments we have had for girls in Education to raise the profile of Girl Child Education and bring to light the problems that girls face and why so many girls never get any further than class 8.. lack of sanitary towels, lack of light to study, child labour, early pregnancy and marriage as young as 9 to get a dowry, lack of school fee and parents who don’t encourage or value education because of ignorance, children especially orphans are abused by their families both sexually and as farm why we are in the early stages as a ministry of building a ten classroom orphanage school to enable the children of the village to be educated and given basic human rights.
We also visited Malera Secondary School which is my favourite school with my favourite Principle Mr Singe as he has a real heart for the orphans especially the bright students, he really supports them even paying for their school fees himself and allowing their caretakers to pay for fees with maize and fire wood. He now wants to build a dormitory for girls and boys studying in form 4 so that they get every opportunity to study in safety why I gave him an award for his outstanding efforts.
Then late afternoon we picked up the many things that Mike had sent via courier, the sound system etc and wow that was so exciting a real answer to the churches prayers. Gods miracles are just so normal and easy and natural that if you don’t have a mind open for the Lord you could miss it. When we do things in our strength it’s such a big deal.
The chokruwok that night was in Neto’s Fathers house; both father and son were once drunkards and only a few months ago. His wife Vumi had called George and myself out to their home as she was so upset with the behaviour of Neto and how he once had accidentally cut his child with the panger. It was at this time that we led him to the Lord with my testimony of being once an alcoholic and now I am born again followed by his baptism with a bucket of water. He was a fisherman at one time and a notorious drinker in Lake Victoria, once he was home he would beat his wife and children but since his salvation he has become a disciple and on fire for the Lord. What was so humbling was that he had cooked chicken for Mike’s meal and normally the family starve and have little to eat but it gave them pleasure to give to Mike and it humbled me as I had been preaching on giving. Mikes message was we need to do good as Christians…
Saturday we met at the Migori Prison and I love prison ministry as it’s my calling. We had been there several times before and each time we take a member of Transformed Chungni ex criminals and Chang’a men. We have already taken Challis, Nelson, Uma and now we have taken Neto, he and I gave testimonies and Dominicous sang, Pastor Sani Prayed and George led the meeting whilst Mike brought the word of the prodigal son. The main thought was that God was training many of these men for their calling in prison and that even those who were going to be there forever God would give them grace to be there and use them. Many of the men were like the prodigal son, in greed wanting wealth NOW and squandering the money on sin and pleasure then it all went. They end up in the gutter and there’s no way out so they know when they come to their senses that they need to go back home to the Father (even as father God) and go back seeking forgiveness and being humble, but God welcomes you back home even stinking in pig swill and gets out the best the very best clothes and has a celebration through forgiveness and show it.. Some have to learn kit physically some just believe..
The Chaplain is a wonderful man he looks after the children whose mothers are in the women’s prison and they surely need help, we also commented that they need to have a chapel in the prison rather than have it in a room somewhere that’s more special and holy.
After lunch we went to a shop in Migori and mike bought a keyboard which is a part of his ministry and he had exactly the right money in his pocket. I said to the man that he should give his life to Jesus and let us have the keyboard cheaper as he will be blessed, he gave us the keyboard at a cheaper rate but didn’t make that commitment, so I must go back and see if the God has blessed the man and use it to preach to him again.
Whilst in Migori, Mike and I prayed for an alcoholic who fell to the ground by the power of God and we told him to go home and give the money Mike gave him to his wife and children and he walked off looking touched by God.
Then as we drove back to Chungni we stopped at Makuru to visit a drunkard called Vincent. Vincent was married to a teacher and in his day he was a teacher in a secondary school plus his father is a missionaire, but now he has been a drinker for many a year and has just come out of rehab. He didn’t want me to give a testimony just the help and power from God to stop this addiction. I led him to the Lord through the sinners’ prayer and baptising Vincent. The sinners prayer isn’t a ritual its just a guide line as what to say and how to pray to the Lord for precious unbelievers. Mike got Vincent to smash the bottle of alcohol that was empty on the wall, and as he prayed for him it was ,like a demon came from him. We have been back sonce but haven’t found Vincent there, his sisters said that he was still drinking but I know that God has a plan for his life and he is at work… so watch this space.
The evening was amazing because Mike wanted to put up the sound system and the keyboard in the church and as he did it and Morris played the key board we all danced and praised God for his miracles which were just pouring out and he was visiting us as Micah 7 had said.. Mike was just praising the Lord and we were all dancing and singing even the older men were dancing and so, so, so pleased and amazed at what God had done and all the answered prayers. We all laughed and truly had an amazing time.
Sunday was an awesome day the first time Makongeni Messianic, church had a keyboard and a sound system and it completely transformed the church no more silly clapping and instead we have beautiful music and the Sunday School choir came alive as did the youth choir, we sang river of Gold and God of this city and the Sunday school sang Delilah, plus nikki dot com both with powerful messages. I gave a word about what God has been doing since I came to Suna and brought all the men up who had come from Chang’a Challis a murderer who lived like and animal and now a farmer a father and a husband and born again, John his brother was a drunkard and now he has been set free and born again, Nelson was a drunk and a cripple and now born again and walks without a stick Morris another drunk now a driver, there was Moses and Lahkim both drunkards and now born again and living a new life, plus Eve and baby Elaine the child with club feet and now they are straight after going to the hospital but this has caused the mother Rose top stop drinking after seeing the hand of God in their lives.
Sadly the following week that’s when John’s grandson died Baby Paul and also Lahkim’s daughter Mary died of HIV plus the eldest lady in the community George’s Grandmother who was 102. All deaths were really terrible but atleast they had hope in Jesus when all else has gone we have Jesus Christ.
God came to visit us and knew what we needed before we even asked but it’s the faith and the asking that God requires.
Faith without works is dead and works without faith is dead...
Mike spoke again on the same subject and it was just so exciting and new as in Isaiah 43 it talks about how God is doing a new thing and he is and all those prayers were answered and are being answered. The following week we used the new equipment for a service in malaria and it was so powerful that even those who didn’t come to the service heard it and people are coming to the Lord.
I did say though that these are Gods instruments for spiritual warfare not a lovely time of worship but we need to use it to win Suna for God and go into the enemies camp and bring back souls that have been in prison for years in Satan.
God came to visit us and knew what we needed before we even asked but it’s the faith and the asking that God requires.Faith without works is dead and works without faith is dead..
We also thank God for Mike coming he was and is such a blessing and an encouragement and all the praise goes to God amen and may God bless and prosper Mike in his ministry too and we are praying he will come back in December for the conference…….
GIVING NOTES...Chris Welch
Finances are needed as direct gifts.
Or you may want to be a FINANCIAL ANGEL, where you are either giving or loaning money to a central fund to be administered by trustworthy people locally in Suna area, as revolving loans for establishing new enterprises.
Kingdom Giving is a revelation like everything in the Kingdom. If you think you understand something, you probably don't.
If you have a need or desire for something that you feel has come from God, then unlike most Brits reacting to a fleshy version of Seed faith practiced in the States, IT IS PERFECTLY FINE to sow money into the Kingdom then believe God to answer the need that is on your heart. We ARE to test God in this. Most Brits have this inner fear lest God doesn't show up, so like the servant who buries his talent in the ground...because " I thought you were a hard master"....they flunk out and say religiously.....
Oh well I'll give to Elaine, but because I'm righteous I don't expect God to give anything back because that would be selfish.
If God is in you, and He is expressing His desires and wants in you, then those things on your heart are precious and not selfish....but like all things we receive by faith...BUT FIRST AND FOREMOST we give for the expansion of the Kingdom.
Tithing is crap, not because giving is crap, but it feeds your stupid belief that God hasn't nailed all demands of the Old Covenant to the Cross. We don't "do" anything for Jesus to get righteousness....we are so superawed that God invaded our lives at all and GAVE us His Righteousness that we want everyone to know about it...and it's helpful if they are still alive first to hear it !!!! We LOVE because He first loved us.
The people DOING the Kingdom stuff don't get supported. The people NOT doing the Kingdom stuff get put into leadership positions in costly buildings that drain all the saints' finances. Who do you think Jewishbusinessmen derive their shrewdness and business acumen from? GOD DEMANDS FRUITFULNESS, because HIS SON IN US is fruitful. If it was up to us, God would let us off. But He has invested Jesus inside us, and demands Jesus sized fruit. Call it the Father's JESUS BANK......US.
And He demands THIRTY, SIXTY AND HUNDRED FOLD FRUITFULNESS...because His Son really is that fruitful!!!!
....Some food for pondering as a detached friend of Elaine Waterfield (who they call Nya Suna, daughter of their Suna District).
ACTION
*DIRECT
If you are in the UK send money to
Elaine Waterfield
sort code 20 49 11
acc no 73486850
* VIA CHRISTIAN SUPPLIES (UK registered charity 1028509)
If outside the UK and you have a Paypal Account (And if you haven't it's really easy to sign up)
1.Log In to Your Account
2.Press The Second Tab - Send Money
3.in email put 07000intune@googlemail.com
4.Put amount in your local money
5. Choose Personal Tab (it's NOT a Purchase) and click on GIFTS. This is a lower rate.
6. REFERENCE : ELAINE W.
