Below is a report from David Kayando, Village Lead Champion, on the already felt impact from the JVP Bible distribution outreach program. Through this program, JVP provided the financial resources to purchase 400 Bibles in the villagers native language (Luo), enough Bibles for every family in the village (total cost = $2400).
Joshua Malela Family and LuoBible
This purely makes me cherish what the kind of vision the Lord has given the Jubilee Village Project, and it is only our calling to follow. From my experience and service in the Kingdom, one may have a vision and a desire to serve God in some way. The vision may not be clear right from the beginning, but the burden will continue to increase. The clarity of the vision may not be clear on what structures to use, the pattern, the way and the challenges to expect, but simply obedience to follow God’s call in our lives, becomes the pillar of security as one moves along the path, that otherwise could be unknown.
JVP’s vision to do an holistic ministry, by considering both the physical and spiritul lives of the people, makes it distinctive in its work, and I believe the simple obedience of faith and willingness to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit is vital and a major driving force in any success seen in any sector.
Why do I talk like this? Because the idea of Bible distribution was not an important project to undertake looking at the magnitude of the poverty index in the community, but the Lord wanted it to be done in good time. I am so grateful to the Team Indiana Partners for accepting to follow God and allow the will of God to be done in their lives as they remain obedient to walk with God in every step. During Mummy Linn’s first visit to Kager (Sept 2009), the desire to have a copy of a Luo Bible was shared when she met the women leaders of the village church, She took this seriously and shared this great burden with the Team Indiana Partners, who moved more quickly than I expected to secure 50 copies of the Bible. These Bibles were then delivered and distributed when Ned, Tony, Doug and John McK visited in the next month.
This simple act of faith exposed the earnest desire of the people of Kager and beyond to begin their frequent visit to Kager Center to ask for a copy of the Bible. I realized that, as much as many people may look rebellious when it comes to public call to accept Christ or learn from Him in meetings, inside their heart there is a longing and a thirst to know who God is and what He wants mankind to do. From that first distribution which went to the JOY Kitchens women and Vision Centre (church) women leaders, many people have confronted me with the request to own a copy of God’s word.
At the end of last year, the Lord increased this into the heart of brother Ned, who shared with me a deep burden to see a Bible placed in every home in Kager during the Easter Holidays in April 2010. I knew it was the Lord who spoke, and I wanted this to be given some level of importance and urgency. We have followed God in leading us and by doing so, the Lord has had His will alone be done in the lives of the people of Kager and beyond.
On the 1st of June, 2010, the Lord gave us His grace as Champions and and as members of the Body of Christ of all Kager village to come together as a family and go out to share God’s Word with the people of Kager. As is the same in the USA and other countries around the world, Kenya and Kager are also victims of denominational discrimination. The boundaries created by different denominations is a virus that haunts the Church worldwide, and continues to fringe the freedom of fellowship among the entire body. This is one thing the Lord would like us to be free from, as much as there could be doctrinal issues that warrants the difference, I pray the Lord should help us realize that we are one family.
Apart from the Champions, we had four representatives from five Churches in Kager. Each team that went out consisted member of different churches along with one or two Champions. I am glad to report that this was a family serving their Father in heaven in unison, with love and with clarity of mind, considering each one as a brother or sister in the Lord.
We went out and distributed so far 122 Luo Bibles in the village. The reports from team members indicates the great enthusiasm by which they were received into the homes. They found chance to pray with the sick, encourage the weak and lead people to Christ. In my team we went to 21 houses and shared about the saving grace of Christ to those who have not believed, and prayed with sick and on different needs. One family (see picture) was a man in Kager whom we found sick and on bed, but when he saw us, his face brightened and began to share with us so openly about his quest and earnest esire to come to the Lord. He said for 12 years he served God faithfully but then he backslided, and since then, he has led a very pathetic life, with nothing good to count on. He is a very energetic man, a hardworker, but from his own lips, he bares the brand of shame, poor, and defeated which should not the case. His family is fragmented, and he had no hope in what the fuure has for him.
Thank God for the opportunity we had to share God’s love with this family. He called his available children and gave them the chance to make their own decision about Christ, of which three of them accepted the Lord along witheir Father. Praise God the next surprise was for them was a Bible in their Luo tongue. We both left the house with the peace of Christ and our ”mission accomplished”. As the Bible says that heaven is moved when one sinner repents, I believe it was much more moved with four people coming to the Lord. May the Lord help this man called Joshua Malela and his family to love Christ and learn to grow from Him. I also ask us all to pray with him, as he has struggles in getting out of smoking both cigarrete and bang, which have become very strong addictions to him, and keeps him in bondage and for his general health.
We continue to receive requests for the Bible beyond the village, and I feel we cannot deny giving anyone God’s Word if we have it. ‘Freely you have received, freely give.”
The Lord bless,
David
