Missionaries in Kenya relate stories of hope despite ongoing tension

Michael Ireland (February 1, 2008)

"I have been clinging to the verse you gave me. I shared it with a Kenyan friend who was on the verge of suicide because of the chaos. It literally saved his life, giving him hope to go on."

(Kenya)—More than 30 days after the presidential elections in Kenya, political tension remains high. As a result of the violence, 650 people have been killed, and over 250,000 have been displaced.

The latest edition of Missions Catalyst reports that all of the SIM (Serving in Mission) missionaries in Kenya are safe, and that God is using them to encourage their Kenyan brothers and sisters. One missionary, serving on the SIM Sudan team based in Nairobi, wrote, "We grieve for friends like Lydia, who fled for her life from Eldoret. She and her husband have lost everything. We wept together as she shared their trauma."

"I wrote Psalm 27:13 on a card for her, and the other day Lydia told me, 'I have been clinging to the verse you gave me. I shared it with a Kenyan friend who was on the verge of suicide because of the chaos. It literally saved his life, giving him hope to go on.'"

Another missionary, who serves with his wife in Eldoret, reported, "During the Sunday service, they had representatives of several tribes come up for prayers. The sermon was on forgiveness in the midst of such immense pain. Afterwards, we met with the members of our Bible study group... We sang and prayed together. There is so much emotional healing that needs to take place."

Yet another missionary in the area writes in her blog about the opportunity to prepare a lunch for volunteers working at a refugee camp in Nairobi. "It was really a joy to be able to serve the people who have donated their time to serve the refugees."

SIM Kenya (www.simkenya.org) has set up the Kenya Emergency Relief Fund for those who would like to give financially to the relief efforts. These funds will be directed through a local church or ministry that has a good working relationship with SIM in Kenya and will assist with food, water, and medical needs.

Source: ASSIST News Service