Update from Kenya 01-14-08
Hello,
We thank God for all your prayers and your genuine care for us. In the midst of all the skirmishes taking place here in Kenya, we’re comforted by the very fact God is our protector, and the encouraging fact that disciples there have passionately been praying for us.
This week is very crucial for this country for the former UN boss Koffi Annan will be arriving here with a team of other respected world leaders to help facilitate peaceful negotiations between our two main leaders. At the same time, the opposition group has organized three days of mass action for three consecutive days (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week). We need more specific prayers for the negotiations to be successful and these destructive mass actions to end.
However, for the last one week or so, the country has been relatively peaceful Not much violence has been reported across the country though there are still some pockets of disgruntled groups of people that keep burning people’s properties upcountry. Unfortunately, there are thugs who’ve taken advantage of the situation and are actively using the mayhem in some parts of the country to carry out their evil schemes. We continue praying that the government’s efforts to arrest the security situation will yield great success.
The effects of this turmoil have been overwhelming. The country has reported about 500,000 people displaced while hundreds have died. In church, Eldoret church is the most affected mainly because most people who’ve been displaced and killed were from that region. The majority tribe in Eldoret, the Kalenjine, attacked and destroyed the properties and lives of people from the Kikuyu tribe. It’s the same area when a group of women and children who had gone to take refuge in a church were burnt to ashes.
Subsequently, the Eldoret church has not been able to meet due to insecurity and their worship venue has been taken by many displaced people. There are 6 disciple’s families displaced from there homes and are currently living in the evangelist’s house while 4 others are living with one of the sector leaders in the church there; 1 disciple has had not only his house burned down but also his business and his two cars; 12 disciples need to get out of town because they are being targeted by a rival ethnic group – we’re trying to work out ways to get them out safely.
In Nairobi, we have 2 brothers whose businesses were completely destroyed; 18 disciples have lost their job’s due to the chaos; 12 are living with a church staff member due to displacement; 20 people (disciples and their children) in the East ministries including 1 widow have fled their homes; 2 sisters are currently missing while numerous are in need of food and transport.
Despite all this, we had a wonderful time worshipping God yesterday. The services were upbeat and quite glorious for church is the only place for many where they feel at home with other disciples and very safe. All the regions in Nairobi met though we still have many people still trapped in troublesome regions upcountry. In the East service alone, we had an attendance of 736 people who came to worship and commit our country to God in prayer. One of the main issues in the church now that needs continuous attention is tribalism. The country is already divided alone ethnic lines and this is posing as a threat to the growth and stability of our intertribal churches within Kenya. I did a message entitled, “An Enemy Called Tribalism” and the disciples responded very well. At the moment the disciples are solidly together though we believe this may be one of the weapons Satan will attempt to use to derail and frustrate the growth of the churches here. We’re doing all we can to equip the disciples spiritually to withstand this kind of attack from Satan.
This mid-week service will be done in prayer groups within bibletalks due to grave insecurity in some parts of Nairobi at night.
Otherwise, thanks again for your love and support.
Regards to all,
George Irungu