When the Breakthrough Tarries

Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life. (Proverbs 13:12)

What do you do when something you have prayed for tarries? What do you do when it arrives?

I am in the same situation.

God has in the process of my waiting for that breakthrough given me many other breakthroughs. God has opened many other doors of ministry, some related to the same prayer.

Yet my prayer that the discipleship material I had prepared for the nations breaks through the language I prepared it in has continued tarrying.

But finally it has happened.

Frutos Que Duram, Estudo Biblico de Disciplulado, the Portuguese translation of Fruit That Lasts Discipleship Bible Study has broken the language barrier and for that I am immensely grateful to God, the originator of the whole thing.

It has been six years of waiting, and four since the translation was done, the very first breakthrough. God provided a Brazillian Missionary family who were delighted with the task.

When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. (Psalm 126:1)

I have been lost for words as to how to celebrate this breakthrough, maybe because of the long it took.

Then I thought; why not retrace my discipleship journey? And this is what I will do, mentioning some names, though a few as the journey has been quite long. Please do not feel left out if you do not find your name in the list as it is in no way exhaustive. I will just pick on some highlights

I rededicated my life to Christ on 5^th December 1985 and developed a great ‘appetite’ for God’s word, taking it in huge chunks as I was able to read the New Testament that month. That appetite has never faded, to date.

The first people to get me into discipleship were Mike and Ann Wekesa before they got married. Ann taught at Lodwar High School and Mike worked in town. They were able to direct that hunger for growth into discipleship.

I was involved in the CU and in AIC Lodwar town.

Then I left school and God led me to AIPCA Ntharagwene church which was a training on obedience.

Pastor Wilson Mwenda Ndatho was among the first fruits of that brief ministry. He could give a fuller list.

I was then called to KIMC. Immanuel Muramba Masha (should be an information officer somewhere), Pastor Alex Diang’a, Joyce Hiribae, the lates Rhoda Mwaniki and Abachi Sebebe are among the persons who were part of my ministry at KIMC. But I was also involved in ministry in the neighborhood of the college. Redempta Musanga and Catherine Ayillo are some names I can remember. I also remember a law student called Jennifer Ombonya or a name close to that.

I joined Parklands Baptist Church which was then a fountain of discipleship. It pains me that such discipleship is now a very faint memory.

I got to know the late Pastor Gilbert Kivuti (and later his wife Esther) and Dr Juma Kilwake when we stayed together in ‘Corner house’ and grew together. It was around the time Kivuti responded to the call to ministry and resigned as a teacher. It was a training in hardship and intense growth for the short season we were together. Among the things we used to do was record sermons in the house to be able to get rid of nuances, repetitions and clichés.

I got into the Baptist Student Ministry (BSM) which was all discipleship. It was incidentally the ministry that had discipled the Wekesas.

Peter Maina and his wife Phyllis, Suji Omeno, Waithaka, Mary Atieno, Erick Wafukho, the late Cornelius Mtange are a few names I remember. Probably the highlight of that discipleship was connecting with Samuel Mwiti, my brother, one I had had great issues working with. You see he was an all-round good boy and I was the opposite from our childhood. Discipleship brought us together so that today we go for missions together, the longest being the one month we had in Mozambique which is the core of this post.

Then I joined MasterLife being led by Pastor Simon. Ruth Nyokabi Waithaka and Charity Kagwi Ndungu and I had the time of our lives growing. Of course there were a few others who would join us now and then.

Then a few friends challenged me to start them on MasterLife. Robert Njako, Treza Nyaga, Dr Daniel Mwaura, Winnie Katiku, Mary Ndunge are the names I can easily recollect.

Then God asked me to take a transfer to Marsabit and I left the group with Pastor Simon and his late wife Joy.

In Marsabit I was involved with AIC town.

Then God sent me to the manyatta and Gar Qarsa AIC where my ministry to the Borana nation was polished. Among the people I discipled were Joseph Diba, Diida Karayu, Grace Galgallu, Wario Tato, and many others. In fact the village became my home of sorts through my ministry. There was also Manyatta Haro, Manyatta Jillo, Badassa, Mata Mokha, Dirib Gombo, among other places my ministry touched. I met my wife as I was ministering and had my wedding at Gar Qarsa AIC.

Then God asked me to leave employment.

From my experience with friends who had left employment for ministry and went back fishing, I thought it hard to write a resignation. I therefore asked Him to get me out His own way and I would not have a problem with that, and that is what He did.

I   had a great battle leaving Marsabit as I though God had wanted me to leave employment to be able to grow my ministry there. I can confidently say that probably I had locked my ears to any alternative order so that I simply couldn’t hear anything else.

I became very sick. In fact I thought I was going to die. I therefore decided to go home to die there. The interesting thing is that I was well before I even got home.

Again I thought I did not want to depend on people’s support for ministry. I therefore decided to go full scale into farming so that I could support the ministry God wanted me to be involved in.

But then El Nino swept all my savings to the drain.

I then opened a workshop, for sustenance, as I waited for what next God wanted with me.

As it was picking up well that I was looking for a bigger shop, my sister told me that there were greater prospects in Kisumu. They even had a shop they would give me.

I closed the workshop for this new thing.

After staying in Kisumu for two weeks, God made it clear that He wanted me back home. And it was difficult to explain God’s voice as the only thing I was sure was that God wanted me back home and not why.

I went back home and was unable to get a shop in the whole shopping centre. Incidentally that had happened earlier when I left employment as I had been unable to get a shop in the whole of Marsabit town before sickness forced me to move.

Then a cousin gave me a shop five or so kilometres from home. I was involved in some ministry though not much.

That is where I was when Parklands Baptist Church called me to come and help establish Student Discipleship Ministry (SDM), patterned after the defunct Baptist Student Ministry (BSM)

I had to reconnect with Nairobi after so long outside. Apart from the former members of BSM, I had to look for other discipled members to help in growing discipleship among university and college students.

I met Jack and Bert Yates, Larry and Sharon Pumpelly, Jim and Linda Rice, Philip and Sandy Wilson, Dr Christopher Kanyori and of course my old friends who were involved with in BSM years earlier.

Among the young people God brought my way were Harriet Kerubo, Catherine Gathuri, Sarah Ngamau, Mitrine Musanga, Dorine Adundo, Dr. AnnWekesa, Dr Brian, Eva Njuguna, Dr Flora Kokwaro, Maryanne Anduuru, Sammi Kiruma, Emmanuel Simiyu, Tom Wambulwa Wekesa, Juma Oketch, Dr Joe Kanja. In fact this list could fill a whole page, if not two.

It was to meet the demands of a vibrant student ministry that I started preparing Bible Studies especially due to the high mobility and great variety of scenarios in the ministry.

Then God brought refugees my way. Desire Baramburiye, Albert Makila and family, Faustin Kibukila, Immanuel Aime, Zalambo Kapongo, Zaka Kashindi, Dr Omar Ibrahim. Again this list is huge. I will have to leave it here.

Then I was chucked out of Parklands Baptist support and of course facilities.

It is interesting that God took me to the place I dreaded, depending on Him for support as opposed to tent-making as I had planned. The good thing is that He stopped me from sourcing for support, something I dreaded as there are some very nasty responses some people have when they hear that someone left a good job to become a beggar. But as we read in the scriptures He is always up to task. But it has been a tough experience.

It is interesting that I was offered many pastoral positions after that, but God asked me to decline.

I then got into encouragement and empowerment full-steam. I even had Restore Hope Ministries registered for the same purpose.

I got involved with Handicapped Community Fellowship, Support and Sustain and many other empowerment forums. I got involved with Blessings Children’s Home.

Then I started writing. And it was by revelation as there was no way I could have even imagined getting into a ministry always requiring money at a time I was as yet unsure where my next meal was coming from. And I have published many books and booklets and done a lot of ministry using them.

God then challenged me to develop a support structure for ministers with a message to share yet in the dark as to how to do it. That is how Biqil Publishers was born. And to date there are innumerable ministers and very many books that have come out as a result of that act of obedience.

Patrick Nabwera, Rev Lydiah Muthusi, Pst Allan Asava, Chris Njoroge, Sabina Livuzule, Christine Uwimphuwe, Bsp Jackson Muthama Wambua, Pst Ben Muchina, Andrew Maina, Caroline Bongo. Again, the list would take too much space as I have always had a constant stream of writers needing my ministry in that direction since God directed me there.

In the process of that God opened my ministry beyond the borders. As people who have known me for long will confess, I had refused to even take a birth certificate because I did not want to be pushed into ministry outside Kenya until God said so.

Well, God asked me to get a birth certificate and later apply for a passport. It is interesting that two days after getting the passport I was on my way to minister in Kampala, Uganda. And I have gone to a few other countries over the years.

That is how we ended up in Mozambique for one month with Edwin Kirimi and my brother. That is where the burden for this book was born. You can read the report of that mission on the blog.

The book has therefore got to the position it originally started as that is where the vision originated.

I believe this breakthrough reaches beyond Portuguese.

I remember many people requesting me to allow them to translate the book in their language and of course I had no problems with it. I believe that all these years God has been preparing this breakthrough to be a breakthrough into a myriad of languages all over the world and that is why it has been tarrying. It needed intense preparation in the spiritual realm.

And now the battles are all won. Are we ready for the next level?

P.S. I will mention the ministry of availing Bible Reading Plans and Audio Bibles with Maina Kiruri (Bible Club House) over the years. I think it is important because a Bible Study that does not lead anybody into the Bible is not worthy of its name. In fact, the BS books have a reading plan in the inside cover for that purpose.

You will notice that I have only shared concerning things to do with discipleship. I know many are wondering about my exploits in music and the answer is that it doesn’t fit here. Also my involvement in the media ministry and any other ministry I have been involved in. This is therefore not a condensation of my ministry; it is a small branch of that ministry condensed; the one involving discipleship.

You will also notice that I have left out the negative challenges and the people who fell by the wayside. It is because this is a thanksgiving post. I want us to celebrate God’s goodness and victory. Again I believe there always is hope even for the one who fell on the wayside. People who know me will tell you that I give up on a person when they die.