SAMBURU INTERNSHIP MISSION

“For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

But how are they to call on him on whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach without being sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news”

The last school session, which normally comes in October of the last year of every class at DPTC is dedicated to cross cultural missions. During the mission trip, the class goes to one of the unreached or least reached people groups in Kenya to take the good news of Christ.

The class of 2016 went to Samburu for their internship mission. They reported to school on the 2^nd October 2016. After the night’s rest, the following day is spent sorting out donations like clothes, food stuffs, medicine, and making sure everything that needs to go with us is available and packed. The day starts with briefing on the expectations in the mission field, assignment to be compiled on the field, time for questions regarding the mission internship, and prayers.

After the briefs, the class together with the Director released a team of seven to go ahead of the rest of the team. This team consisted of Steve, Samuel the driver, William the chef, Samuel Githii, Daniel New the class president, Ruth Makena the class treasurer and Samuel Kimiti of the class of 2014. The team was to make sure the tents are erected for the rest of the team, prepare dinner for the team, make shower rooms, warm water for showering by the time the rest of the group arrives the following day, explore whether bathrooms are in good conditions or make some, and whatever else that needed preparation for the comfort of the team. This team left at around 11am on Monday the 3^rd.  The team got to Lorukoti, Samburu County at around 9pm. They rested over the night and woke up to the tasks of the day.

Lorukoti is where Meshack Lenaisimoi, a DPTC alumnus of 2012 pastors a GGFAN church. The church is on a flat area almost in the middle of the village. The homesteads (called Manyatta) though, are wide apart. Meshack and two more DPTC alumni,  Lenarum Simeon of the class of 2012 and Isaya Letoiya of the class of 2010 plus two

pastors of the current class hosted the mission internship. They also involved other pastors from the area.

The rest of the team left on Tuesday 4^th for the mission field. The team got to Lorukoti around 4pm safely. There was a heavy downpour immediately they arrived, soaking the camping tents. The first night was not very exciting especially because some mattresses got wet. Nevertheless, we got through the night and we were happy to see the sun the following morning because everything would now dry up.

Early the next day we had a meeting to make the timetable, know who does what and when.

We also got to meet the different pastors and church members we would work along. Everybody was to wash dishes at least once through the internship, some were to warm water early at 4am for the rest to bathe, and some would help in food preparation. Everyone did something to make life as comfortable as it could get during the internship and so the internship could make as much impact as possible in the community.

 

This time with us was Chef William. He did an exemplary work in cooking for the team. The meals were on time and that made the missions internship easier.

After the meeting, we left to collect firewood. The forest is not far from the camping ground. Everyone brought as much firewood as they were able to. Later that afternoon, we went out to the Manyattas to witness to people of the love of Christ.

In the evenings we would show a movie, which would be highly attended. We had Pastor Samuel Kimiti of the 2014 class with us for the first day to help show the movie. Later Boniface Kiama took on the role of explaining the movies to the community. This was a major crowd puller. After the movie we would pray with the people and then send them home. This went on from Wednesday till Saturday, but on Sunday we had a revival meeting where we sang songs and the word of God was preached.

On Thursday in the morning we did some more Manyatta to Manyatta evangelism where many came to faith in Christ. We started by visiting Mr. Losenge, an elder in Meshack’s church. This man, with another member of the same church slept in the kitchen through the days we were there to keep our things safe. This particular morning, we visited with him to pray over his flock, that God will keep them safe. He had experienced some loss of the flock and trusted that when the ministers of the Gospel of Christ pray over his flock, God would heal them. We also prayed over the flock of his neighbour, who also came to faith in Christ. After this we went round sharing the gospel and bringing in the sheaves.

In the afternoon we split into three groups to visit two primary schools and one high school. The different groups preached the gospel wherever they went and did some counselling with both ladies and gentlemen in their respective groups. There was still a harvest in the schools.

 

The following day, which was a Friday, we did an open market preaching in the nearby market called Loormorok. We had Catherine Maake share with the community from John 3:16. The community is very responsive to the gospel and they highly regard sharing of God’s word. Later that afternoon we visited with a primary school called Lolkunono Primary School. Lenarum Simeon is the chairman of the school. God did an amazing work in the school. There was a heavy outpouring of God’s presence and children called on the name of the lord. Was there a Jacob or Abraham of old there, they would have named the school “JEHOVAH IS THERE.” The whole school turned to Christ, something that does not happen often.

Later that evening we visited with the Lenarums’ family. God has increased him since we last visited him. His testimony of how God raised him after he was rejected by all is encouraging. From the undesignated gift he received from “following the call award” by Mike Long, God has increased the flock he bought with what he received. He asked us to pick a goat from the flock, of our choice, to go eat. This was a thanks giving for our visit and to God for prospering him.

The following day, a Saturday, we had a medical camp. On 19^th September, the Director, together with Steve, Elizabeth of the class of 2016 and Samuel the driver had visited with the local dispensary nurse in Samburu on a pre-visit. In the meeting with the doctor and the pastors who hosted the mission internship, they had asked what medicine we would need to bring. This was of great help since it kept us from carrying drugs that the community does not need. The local dispensary also agreed to help us on the material day in diagnosis and treatment plus prescriptions. We had two medical professionals from the local health care and our very own Grace Omwa, who is a community health worker helping in this work. There was tremendous work done that day. On the previous days, the “clinic” was also open for emergencies. Grace administered treatments with the help of one of the local medical practitioners in the afternoons. On Saturday, they treated over one hundred.

Alongside the medical treatments, we had pastors praying with every patient that got treated. They would encourage them and show them that their physical condition was not the worst thing that could happen to them. And that the doctors treat but it is God that heals. Many came to meet with Christ as their saviour through this ministry.

On the same day, we had supplies distribution alongside the medical camp. We started with

the pastors and their families, and their churches, especially those that came from far. Some pastors had come from as far as 25 kilometres to join us. Then the community got the chance to choose some clothes for themselves and their families.

While the medical camp and the distribution of supplies was happening, the Director and Ruth Makena had a time with the local pastors and their spouses. Close to ten pastors spend time talking family and ministry issues, especially on the place of their wives in ministry.

In the Maasai and Samburu cultures, a woman has little place in the family and in the society. Theirs is to serve their husbands and give birth. This culture has left even the pastors’ wives with little if any place in the husband’s ministry. She most of the time is like any other member

of the congregation. Having a lady like Catherine Maake rise to the position of a pastor in the Maasai community, it has taken the hand of God and a lot of endurance.

The Director and Ruth encouraged the husbands to give more room to their wives to help them serve, to give them respect and help the congregation and the community respect them. The pastors were challenged to invite their wives to their meetings and let them support them, and to create forums for them like pastor’s wives breakfasts and meetings.

The following day, Sunday, we sent Pastors to different churches around Lorukoti, to the churches of the pastors who partnered with us through the mission internship. We sent pastors to eight churches and the big number was left at the camp to fellowship with the host church under pastor Lenaisimoi. The good news was spread wide, and the effect of DPTC was spread abroad. The word of God was rightly divided in many congregations and the members were left asking for more. The pastors from the churches, those that have not gone through DPTC, confessed as to having not heard the word thus divided. Those that are going through or have gone through DPTC were encouraged by some of their own. At the church under pastor Meshack, Kennedy Ouko shared in the morning, and later the director preached in the main service.

That Sunday evening we had a great meeting where the community flocked to hear the word of God preached. Under the open skies the gospel was proclaimed, in the cold open field for there is not a hall big enough to accommodate the crowd. And the spirit of God was present to save and revive. There really is an awakening among these people.

Monday was a relaxed day, where we visited Maralal town, for many have not been there and it was a chance like no other. We had our lunch at town then headed back to the camp. We fetched more firewood and water upon getting to the camp. That evening we would have a fellowship around a bonfire, over two goats and ugali. Together with the pastors from the local churches that had been with us. We reviewed our interactions with the community and challenged the pastors to take good care of the flock over which God has set them as overseers.

 

We had also brought with us some Swahili Bibles, which we gave to the pastors to give to their congregations. Each pastor got a share of Bibles, and some members of their churches who had attended the evening meeting got one each. There is a great need for Bibles in the local Dialect and in Swahili in the community.

We packed everything after the bonfire ready to leave for Chemichemi the next morning.

We left at 6am the following day for Nairobi. It had been an exhausting week, but the grace of God was sufficient for all of us. He did see us through. But even more amazing was the joy of seeing God bring his sons to himself through us. That alone is enough joy to live by. We got to the camp and had dinner. Everyone was tired and so we rested till 10am the following day.

We all assembled and cleaned up everything, the tents and everything we had carried with us. We aerated the mattresses and blankets and dusted the P.A. system. In the afternoon we did a review of the internship, the highlights, the things that need improvement next time and we thanked God together for a successful internship and two years of school. We also did a bit of graduation planning and communications.

With that, the pastors were ready to leave for home on Thursday. This being the last session with the pastors before graduation, we can say God has been faithful through it all.

Next comes their graduation and the God that brought them to us has enabled us to do his work. May the lord bless all He used to meet the need of training the ministers of the Gospel.