I wake up at 1:00 am. I’m wide awake so I write things for my blog. I finally go back to sleep at around 4:00 am and sleep until seven.
This will be my last full day at Isaac’s home in Kimaeti. His wife Immaculate (I call her Imma; many call her “Mom”) explains to me that she will be traveling to the mountains for a 2-week fast. She does this four times a year, when her children are out of school. The kids take care of the housework while she is gone. The purpose of her fast is to have quality fellowship time with God.
Her spiritual walk with God is very sound. She is very keen to what is spiritually going on around her. Imma is the wife of a bishop and provides him with great spiritual support. I have seen many times during my interactions with the two of them where she has provided him with Godly wisdom and direction. And when she does, he listens to her, respecting and honoring every word she says.
I ask her if God shows her things while she is fasting. “Many, many things,” she replies. I am not surprised by her answer. In 1 John 1:3 we are told about the koinonia fellowship we are to have with God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. We are to have an intimate, joint fellowship with them, where both sides have active conversation back and forth.
When we spend quiet time in prayer to God, it is very important for us to remember that it should be a 2-way conversation. We need to have our ears open as well as our mouth, with an expectation to hear God’s voice inside of our head. In this manner, our Lord can direct our plans toward the specific things that He would like us to do, the specific places He would like us to go and the people he would like us to meet.
This morning is an example of Isaac listening to his wife. He had planned for us to visit his mother church on the way to our conference at Siloba church. But Imma convinces him that it would be better if he took me to visit the mother church on a separate trip, early this morning.
Isaac listens to her and changes his plans. He calls for me, I hop in the car and we are off to visit the mother church. This is the church that started it all for his ministry in this area. Or the tree, I should say. Before they had funds to build a church, approximately 40 people would congregate underneath a large tree every Sunday morning for fellowship. That was in 2009. A year later, a man from the USA donated the money for a church to be built on that same property.
On the way, I see a child playing with a wheel being pushed along with a stick. 
Then I see a man tilling a field with a small plow being pulled by two cows. I find out that these cows have been trained. They know their name and understand commands such as ‘turn right’ or ‘turn left.’ You can give a specific command to a specific animal and they will obey. I never realized cows were that smart.
When we arrive, I am first shown the special 
tree. Then I walk inside the church which is located a short distance to the right of the tree. It is the normal size for a church in Kenya. And like most churches here, does not have electricity. I look around and do not see chairs for people to sit on. Isaac explains to me that the chairs are used for other things 
during the week and brought back here for church services. That’s typical of Kenya. Maximizing available resources.
Then we go on another short drive to visit the current church pastor. He is a very friendly man and briefly shows me his property. As we say our goodbyes, he invites me to spend a full day with him on my next visit so he can show me what a normal day is like living on his farm. “Sounds good to me,” I think, “This will give me a great opportunity to learn more about Kenyan culture.”
I return to Isaac’s house. Then, just after 10:00 am, we travel to the Siloba church. It is a small church and today it is packed. There is an open door leading to the back of the church. Around 20 chairs are placed behind the church to allow 
for overflow. I teach for about two hours before lunch. We eat and then I teach for another 45 minutes. Afterwards, we go up the street to the market where a stage has been set up for a crusade.
We are unable to start the crusade on time because the power has gone out. Someone goes to fetch a generator. Once it arrives, we are ready to start the crusade, but now it is pouring down rain! I am ushered into a very small home close by.
I have never seen people more hospitable than those in Kenya. I have been welcomed everywhere I have went. I don’t know who lives in this small house. But they have been gracious in allowing me to come into their home, out of the rain.
I wait inside as the rain continues to pour down. I am thinking that the crusade will be canceled. After all, it is an outdoor event. As it turns out, I still have a lot to learn about Kenyans!
Suddenly I hear music playing. Someone hands me an umbrella. I go outside and… everyone is out there!!! The rain hasn’t bothered them in the least. They 
placed a tarp over the electronic equipment and are good to go. The pastors, the dancers… everything is in full swing.
I look around. I see a large crowd around me. The music has drawn in many people from the surrounding area. The people have the same smiles on their faces, just like they did at the previous crusades. The rain hasn’t dampened their spirit at all. It’s like when the Grinch stole all of the toys and food on Christmas Eve and yet everyone still gathers around with smiles on their faces to hold hands and sing. This Kenya crowd has completely ignored any effects of the rain. And, embarrassingly, I am the only one carrying an umbrella.
By the time the praise team has finished, along with Peter’s skit, the rain has stopped. I toss away my umbrella and climb up the ladder to the stage. This will be my last opportunity to publicly share the need for a savior, and I put a lot of heart and passion into it. As always, my focus is on Jesus Christ and the love of God. As I wrap it up, I ask those who 
would like Jesus Christ to be their Lord to raise their hand. Twenty or more hands shoot up. Praise God! That is one of the great reasons I am here.
It has been another very successful day in Kenya. We drive back to my hosts home and I visit for a while with Isaac’s 104-year old mother, Cyrillah. Her 
grandson Robert serves as my translator. He is 24 years old, and I can already see that he will be a great man of God. He understands the love of God, which is central to the foundation we need to have in order to carry on a life of ministry for God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Robert’s first child was born on April 1st. In Kenya culture, the grandparents get to give the name to the children. Isaac and Imma chose to name him after me. I am so blessed. This child has great, Godly 
parents, grandparents and a very Godly 104-year old great grandmother! I can only imagine the ministry God has in store for this young fella.
I spend my last evening hanging out in the living room with the Siundu family. I am going to miss them very much and I know they will miss me as well. They have become like a second family to me. I have never felt so at home while visiting someone. They have treated me like I am from the same blood.
Vionah and Davis are two of Isaac’s children who are currently in the last years of high school. They both are very friendly, with quiet and warm personalities. I always enjoyed being around them. Vionah is such a hard worker. She moves from one chore to the next all day long, while also carrying a smile on her face. I am praying for God to open a door for both Davis and Vionah to receive a scholarship to attend Liberty University in the USA once they graduate from high school.
I show two of my host’s daughters how to play Sudoku. I give them the Sudoku book I had brought with me from the USA as a gift. Then finally head off to sleep. Tomorrow I will get up early and fly back to Nairobi. There I will teach at one last church fellowship before flying back to the USA.
that which we have seen and heard we also declare to you, so that you also may have fellowship with us; and indeed, our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
1 John 1:3 REV
These words that I command you this day are to be on your heart,
and you are to teach them diligently to your children and are to talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, and when you lie down and when you rise up.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 REV