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We are now in the second Week of a government ban on church services. The police are going around in some areas and arresting and tear-gassing church goers who are not obeying the orders. We have told all of our churches to not hold services at church but to stay home.
We heard a report today that a couple of our churches went to church as early as 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. to have a short service before going back to their homes. I discouraged them from doing that again. But they are so eager to pray and meet together under the teaching of the Word of God.
Our Pastors and members are struggling with not being able to attend services. Something that they never thought could ever happen here in Kenya. But as each church is locally led by their national Pastor, they are finding ways to meet in their neighborhoods and villages.
Since we don’t have the ability for online services due to the lack of internet availability in their homes, they are making a strategy to be faithful to the fundamentals of church ministry and using this great opportunity for witnessing.
Each person that knows how to ‘rightly divide the word of truth’ (especially the 70+ pastors and graduates from our Bible college) and others have been given authority to share the Word of God with others that live around them and that cannot go to their churches either. Many neighbors are lost, and they are listening to the truth. They are meeting under trees, on porches, or anywhere in their compound where they can sit and share the Word of God.
There were a few who did not know what to do, but we have discussed with them how they can do something in their own home and still give God the glory.
More than 25 groups have already shared with me, by the end of the day on Sunday, that they held meetings in small groups of 5-8 people. Many have not received my message yet, and we will be getting in contact with them through this week. We had a group of men at our house yesterday, and a group of ladies today met with Tonya for a Bible study. The 5 men that I met with on Saturday had meetings in their homes today. In the last two weeks at least 5 have been saved in these meetings that are cropping up all across our region of Kenya.
Thank the Lord for these Christians who are adapting to what is going on around them to continue with their burden for the ministry of sharing the Word of God.
As we get opportunity, we will share those stories with you and send pictures.
Thank you for your prayers and support for our family and ministry in Kenya.
Luke & Tonya Shelby
Missionaries in Kenya
