Monday 16 July 2007

SEVERAL ACTIVITIES (B) - 1 - Services


On 10th June, Pastor Carlos preached and offered the Lord's Supper in Kawangware for the first time. The local Evangelist led the liturgy and translated the Sermon to Swahili.
He introduced ABLAZE in Kawangware, telling all how to share better the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus with their friends and relatives.
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On 24th June, Wendy Orina was baptized. In the picture: With her parents Wansilaos and Linette, and with her God-Parents and Pastor Carlos.
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On June 24th, we had a special FAREWELL prayer for Vicar Nathan, his wife Melissa and little Chloe. They went back to the USA.

We thank God for the good work Vicar Nathan did in our congregation during the time he was with us, and we wish him God's blessings for his life and work back to his country.
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On 15th July the congregation offered a birthday-cake and sang "Happy Birthday to you" to Mrs. Lídia Winterle (July 15th) and to Pastor Carlos Walter Winterle (July 20th). We thank all for your kindness and love, and for the gifts you gave us.
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NEWS, NEWS, NEWS: As we were preparing this BLOG, we read in the LCMS Web-site that President Gerald Kieschnick was re-elected as President of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod for a third term of three years in the LCMS Convention, Houston, TX. Bishop Walter Obare is there, representing the ELCK. Our prayers are with them while they are gathered to study God's Word, to decide several matters about the church and its mission and to enjoy the Christian felloship.
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Several Activities(B) - 2 - Worship Books and Bibles

The New Worship Book is been used in our Services since Pentecost. It was prepared by Pastor Schneider, Pastor Omodhi and Ev. Sylvester. - Buy your own Worship Book! - It's a good an necessary resource to our Services.

21 new Bibles were bought and dedicated on 17th June for be used in the Bible Studies, in the Teens Club and other meetings. This is a special offering of some friends from Brazil.


Several Activities(B) - 3 - Mission

A new mission was started in MOLO by the "Spring of Life" congregation of Kibera through family's contacts. Pastor Carlos was there with Emmanuel Mungami and some youths from Kibera on 8th July to preach and to offer the Lord's Supper. More than 60 people were gathered, and only one Lutheran family: the Bosire's. The pastor and the evangelist of Nakuru were there too; they are leading regular services there and preparing people to become Lutheran Christians. After the service, all received a Good News magazine.
It was a five (5) hours trip until Molo (it's one and half hour after Nakuku, in a rural area) and we came back home tired at 10pm in the night. But it was worthy to share the Gospel in this new mission.
In the picture: Emmanuel and the youths who went with Pastor Carlos. They were several times in Molo and once they visited all the houses during a weekend, inviting people to the new preaching point.

After the service, Papa and Mama Bosire offered a lunch at their home: ugali, chicken and spinach, and a cup of tee. THANK YOU for your kindness!!!


Several Activities(B) - 4 - The Youths

86 youths were gathered on 13th July for an Overnight Prayer at the Cathedral. "Springs of Life" of Kibera, Mathare, Jerusalem, Githuaini, Dagoretti, Kangemi, Kawangware and UHLCathedral youths were there from 10pm of Friday to 7am of Saturday. They sang a lot during all the night, leaded by different music groups.
They prayed during the singing, and they prayed in the silence of the night.

The theme of this Overnight Prayer was ABLAZE. Pastor Carlos was invited to speak about ABLAZE and to lead the prayers. Several ABLAZE resources were taken from the ABLAZE web-site; the Topics for Prayers too.
Every one received a manila-paper-bracelet with a red-heart to write the names of five (5) non-Christian friends and to pray for them. All were remembered about their Baptism, when the Holy Spirit started a fire in their hearts with water and the Word.
(In the picture: At the Baptism font, the Bible and the hands with the bracelets; you can see some names written in the bracelets.)
ABLAZE: PRAYING to the Lord of the Harvest (The Gospel of the Last Sunday: Luke 10:2), LCMS World Mission, in collaboration with its North American and worldwide partners, will share the Good news of Jesus with 100 million unreached or uncommitted people by the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017.
All youths will continually pray for their friends and will try to bring them to Christ.


Several Activities(B) - 5 - Teens Club

After the Confirmation on 22nd April, Evangelist Sylvester is leading a Teens Club. Between 10 and 15 teens are gathering after the Services for Bible Study and other activities. If you are a teen, or if you have children in the age of 10-15, join this group. Have Christian friends!!!

When the PLI - Pastoral Leadership Institute - group was here (see the last BLOG), Kody, a student of the University of Kansas, USA, brought several T-shirts collected among his friends of the University. The teens were the first who received this T-shirts last Sunday, July 15th. - Ev. Sylvester received a coach-shirt!!!

Several Activities(B) - 6 - Sunday School

On 16th June the children of the Parish went to the Giraffe Center. 48 children of the Cathedral, of Kawangware and of Kibera were there to experience how nice is to give food to the giraffes and to touch them.
The children received a lunch and some biscuits.

Deaconess Mary told them a Bible Story about the Creation and the Sunday's School Teachers sang and prayed with the children.

All together took a picture at the Giraffe Center.
It was a very nice day!



Several Activities - 7 - Visits

Henry, Margaret and little Ailsa were visited by Pastor Carlos on 19th May. Meena is the Treasurer of the UHLC - Uhuru Highway Lutheran Cathedral and is in charge of the UHLC website: Lutherankenya.org
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John Michoro and his family were visited by the Pastoral Staff and several Elders on 26th May.His father, late Rev. Michoro, died on April and we did a devotion about the Christian hope. Rev. Michoro was the second ordained pastor in the ELCK. - John Michoro is the Treasurer of the ELCK - Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya (in the center of the picture with the two children and his wife).

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Wansilaos and Linette Moraa Onwenga were visited by the Pastoral Staff on 6th June. Little Wendy was baptized on 24th June (see in this Blog). Her sister is Winny.

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Dr. Ebenezer Boafo was visited in his office on June 8th. He is the Africa Area Director for Translation of the International Bible Society (IBS). He and his family are from Ghana and he received his Doctor Degree in Missiology from the Fort Wayne Seminary, USA.

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Lilian Anyango Weke was visited by the Pastoral Staff on 4th July in Kangemi; her husband Elly Weke Mwana was on duty. Fredrick and Sarah Kimaro were in the visit too. They are neighbors and will be the sponsors of Weke's three children: Lennox, Immaculate and Jim Rolex; they will be baptized on next 22nd July.

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Simon and Charity Kagiri were visited by Pastor Carlos and Lídia on July 6th in Kiambu. Little Ryan was born on June 8th and he will be baptized on August 12, the first wedding anniversary of Simon and Charity.

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George Murage and his mother Mary Mwaura were visited by the Pastoral Staff on June 27th, but we don't have picture. - Duilio da Silva and Kristine Bokane are receiving instruction in the Christian Faith, but we don't have picture too. Kristine will be baptized on next July 22nd.

If you want to receive a visit from the pastors, please, book one with Pastor Omodhi or with Pastor Carlos. If you have children to be baptized, let us know too.

"THE LORD HAS DONE GREAT THINGS FOR US, AND WE ARE FILLED WITH JOY." - Psalm 126:3