The Rewards of Evangelism
by Derick Morris, Pastor
Calimesa SDA Church

We were excited to be able to participate in a countrywide evangelism outreach in Kerugoya, Kenya. Our church, the Calimesa Seventh-day Adventist Church, organized six teams and joined with 90 other teams from North America in this endeavor. The teams from our church also included various students from Mesa Grande Academy.

After many months of planning and organizational meetings, our specific team was well prepared for our meetings. We had an afternoon meetings and evening meetings, which included a multi-media presentation. Our meetings were enhanced by the health presentations given by Dr. Doug Plata and assisted by Bodil Morris, a family nurse practitioner and Lanaya Achord, a physical therapists. And the highlight of the evening meetings was the Jesus video, which those in attendance were able to view and understand in the native language, Kiswahili.

For most of our team members, traveling into another country to share God’s love was a new experience—a life-changing experience.

The town of Kerugoya is located about 150 kilometers north of Nairobi, in the fertile foothills of Mt. Kenya. Most of the local residents are subsistence farmers. The people have very few earthly possessions, but they have a
Strong faith in God.

The cook at the "hotel" where we were staying was named Patrick. He worked 17 hours a day for $1.30 per day. He noticed the spiritual focus of our group and was impressed. He invited me to visit his home, a small shack that he built for his young wife and baby son.

We gave them a copy of Desire of Ages, which Patrick's wife instantly began to read. Patrick could not attend any
Of the meetings because of his work schedule, but two of the local lay evangelists began to visit with Patrick and his wife, sharing with them the Bible truths.

In considering the challenges that our team faced was the primitive living conditions, it was nothing compared to the rewarding parts of our experience.

Among these rewards were seeing people walk up to ten kilometers each day to come to our meetings, and seeing more than 800 people gathered to observe the baptism of the 64 precious souls who had made their decision to be baptized in the river, and then to see still more people making decisions to begin Bible study classes in preparation for baptism, including Patrick and his wife.

Another blessing we received was being able to sponsor two Kenyan lay evangelists to provide further follow-up on our meetings, and to provide guidance, companionship and love to the new baptismal candidates and to those beginning Bible study.

And finally, we had the amazing experience of a complete stranger coming up to us and donating a piece of property to "build a house of the Lord".

For the people in Kenya, our visit was an adventure to them, for many had never seen an American before, many had never heard about Jesus, and many did not know that there was Hope.

But for our team, and the other teams from the Calimesa Church, our adventure was a learning experience, a rededication of our lives to God’s work, and a training ground to learn how to evangelism and share God’s love to our friends and neighbors in America. For those from Calimesa, we challenge each one of you to do as God commanded, “Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am wish you always, even unto the end of the world.” Matthew 28:19,20

If you would like to accept this challenge, please contact the Evangelism Department at The Quiet Hour. No training is necessary. No experience is necessary. The only requirement is to have a willing spirit.

If you wish to help reach more of these precious people in Africa, mark you gift “Africa Bibles and Evangelism”, and mail it today to:
The Quiet Hour
Box 3000
Redlands, CA 92373-1500
Our Canadian readers may send their gifts to:
P.O. Box 22085,
St. Thomas, ON N5R 6A1, CANADA.