Ok, this is a bit long for my usual blog but the following is an email from Isaac, a missionary in Kenya that some of you out there have met before. Praise God no one was hurt and please pray for their ministry.

GOD SPARED OUR LIFE - A group from Fellowship Bible Church Atlanta arrived on 21st June with two main objectives; one to train two team on “Redemeer Drama” which has proved to be a very effective evangelistic tool and second to help us reach student for Christ in as many schools Nairobi and Nakuru as possible. Mike and Terry cordinated the team to do intense trainning in the first 4 days (23 to 25), sure enough the first Kenyan team was ready to perform by Saturday 26th. The team also performed every evening in different schools and God’s Spirit moved in a very powerful way to convict the student to give their life to Christ.

Sunday the 26th of June was a day that we had prepared to have the main Student Venture day. We invited all the schools that are involved in our discipleship program and over 1000 students from diffrent schools gathered in Lenana High School for this major event. The Atlanta team was to be our guest in speaking and the drama performance. Sunday morning I took the team to Worship at HUDUMA Church in KAWANGWARE which is also supported by FBC Church in Atlanta. On our way to the schools rally in the afternoon at around 2.00pm I decided to add some gas in the van that we were using. After fueling the van somebody pushed me alittle to the side and as I looked a gunman ordered me to give the van keys and get to into the van. 3 other men with guns had already strategised their move and in seconds all were inside the van, I was pushed to the back and their driver took over.

I do not know whether anyone could have an idea what was going on my mind and with awareness of different stories and news I have atimes watched in Kenyan media I had a reason to be worried. The worst of all they took the differection of the worst forest that has a record of many that has been murdered in the past. By the power of God I pleaded with the thugs to take whatever they needed and not to hurt any of us, I requested the team not to resist. They thretened to kill us several time as they took money, cameras cell phones and watches. I could not hold my peace to tell them about Jesus though it costed me a big slap that almost broke my eye glasses into two pieces.

Eventually we were in a thick of forest and the van could not move any further, the team members were calling on Jesus!!! we did not know the attackers next move. By God,s intervention they returned some of crucial documents like Terry’s passport, they stoped any further search of money and other valuable. They jumped out of the van and commanded me to get back to the drivers seat and take the team out of the forest. They took away cash worth $ 3500, 3 degital cameras, 3 rings, cell phone and a number of several other items. All this happened in less than 20 minutes.

I managed to get the van out of the forest and we made a stop on sight of the police who had received a call from a person who witnessed the carjarking. The team thopugh tramatersed found strength in God. Police took up the case and the effort to truck down the offenders is on the way.

The team could not make it to the big Rally after such a difficult experience but I had to find some strength to speak in the higly attended and long awaited meeting. I realised how desparete the devil was to stop us from the meeting and cried for God to strengthen me. God used the Kenyan team that had been trained to present the Redemeer skit, to be honest that was the most powerful perfomance that I have watched so far, student were moved so much that all I did after the skit was to give a short terstimony of how God spared our life in Ngong Forest, read Psalms 46:1 ” God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in danger.” The 1000 plus students hall was dead silent as I made an altercall, more than 30 students received Christ.

PRAYER REQUEST

1. Pray that God will strengthen the Atlanta team to be able to continue the remaing 9 days of mission.
2. Pray for protection and safety of the team and especially after such an incident.
3. Pray that God will renew my and my family strenth, we feel at times insecure as we travel every evening back to house from different schools, sometimes we have to do evening meeting.
4. Please ask God to honor our effort by giving us thousands and thousands of students souls in kenya and the world.

Thanks so much for standing with us at all times, the Bible has not assured us that difficulties will not come on our way but He has promised to be with us.

Isaac kanyingi - Student Venture Director Kenya