This page is dedicated for stories and pictures of our church activities.
Flowers for the Shongwes
We
are very sad for the Shongwe family, our neighbor and also the Vice
Chancellor of our college. The family lost the daughter. On Friday November 23, 2012 our daughter Tasha
arranged the flowers as our dedication for the memorial services for
the bereaved Shongwe family.
Starting Wednesday November 21, 2012, we the Helderberg community gathered as family and prayed for the Shongwes. For the whole weekend it was a mourning week for us. We pray that the Lord will give strength and comfort to us, especially for the Shongwes.
Bringing the spring beauty into Anderson Hall
Our daughter came to visit us for vacation and really enjoyed Helderberg spring. To show her gratitude she decided to pick some of the wild beauty and arranged them for the church. We bought three big vases from Checker department store, then collected some blue and yellow wild flowers from the surrounding campus and arranged them for Sabbath. Unfortunately, we could not find the key to enter the church, so Tasha must prepare the flower in front of the church entrance.
I got the key very late and forgot to take the pictures of Tasha's flower offerings inside the church.
Flower offering for our 25th wedding anniversary
Sabbath March 17, 2012 at Baraton - NEC
2012 Sabbath School Program at UEAB
Bizzman Sabbath at Mlango waterfalls
Prophecy fulfilled
When Moses saw the burning bush, God asked him to take off his sandals because His presence was there.
When Jacob woke up from his dream, he realized the presence of God was with him, he then marked the place by building a table offering with stones and named it Bethel means "God is here".
Being in the Africa wilderness among the bushes, stones and waterfalls had brought me to awesome feelings of Moses' and Jacob's worship.
Twice we were reminded by our pastors - in the Philippines and in Manado- about Jacob's and Moses' experience in the wilderness when they came to pray for us before we left home for Africa.
It was like a prophecy, the pastors' prayers had been fulfilled during our Sabbath worship with Bizzman at Mlango waterfalls.
The strong noisy falling water, the boulders, and the rainbow in the middle of them was like a call for worship.
A reminder of HIS promise: "Truly I AM with you always"
Our GOD is an awesome GOD... HE REIGNS
Prophecy fulfilled
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| Prayers of two pastors - Truly I AM with you always |
When Jacob woke up from his dream, he realized the presence of God was with him, he then marked the place by building a table offering with stones and named it Bethel means "God is here".
Being in the Africa wilderness among the bushes, stones and waterfalls had brought me to awesome feelings of Moses' and Jacob's worship.
Twice we were reminded by our pastors - in the Philippines and in Manado- about Jacob's and Moses' experience in the wilderness when they came to pray for us before we left home for Africa.
It was like a prophecy, the pastors' prayers had been fulfilled during our Sabbath worship with Bizzman at Mlango waterfalls.
The strong noisy falling water, the boulders, and the rainbow in the middle of them was like a call for worship.
A reminder of HIS promise: "Truly I AM with you always"
Our GOD is an awesome GOD... HE REIGNS
Steps to Christ
On Wednesday, September 7, 2011 he came late and I blocked the door, not to let him enter the class while the presentation was going on.
On Thursday, September 8, 2011 he came just on time, and I asked him to offer the prayer before the class begin. His prayer was very short, so I asked another classmate to pray again for us.
On Saturday September 10, 2011 I saw him joined the group of students taking baptism vow at the end of the Sabbath services.
At the baptism pool we waited for him and was the last one to join the line of five. He nervously took the steps to follow Christ.
Thirty year ago on October 11, 1981 a university student also took those steps to follow Christ.
He is then faithfully following the same steps which had brought him far to Africa.
Thirty year after, he blocked the entrance not let his student step into the classroom, but he can not block him from following Christ footsteps and the joy of faithfully taking steps to follow Christ was celebrated again at the Baraton baptism pool.
Vacation Bible School (VBS)
This is my third time to join the Children ministry for their Vacation Bible School program. For the whole week from Aug. 21- 27, 2011, UEAB Children ministry under the leadership of Mrs. Evelyn Adegu prepared interesting program for the children. Preparation had been done since June and Mrs. Beatrice Idowu ordered and provided us with the program. The VBS was then scheduled and presented by different children Sabbath school classes based on the theme "Go Fishing".
Mr. James Ayiemba and Mr. Adegu coordinate the sound system and LCD, Mrs. E. Adegu is our general coordinator, Mrs. P. Mkandawire and the mothers prepare the snacks and drinks, Mrs. E. Balyage is the treasurer who also takes care of the registration and T-shirt. Interesting games is prepared and coordinated by our dentist Dr. V. Omonte and the Path-finders, Michelo Mulambo and his team record this event with his video, while I take the part of art and decoration.
Children are always enthusiasm and they work hard to make this program successful. I must always remind Jordan and his team to go home for lunch, if not they will keep doing their art project and forget their lunch. We must be very proud of our Bara children.
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| Team who came early, clean and decorate the church - Tobias, Jordan, Ciku, Darlene, Stephen and Sifa |
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| UEAB senior Pastor Ouma- Opening ceremony |
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| Pastor Ouma, Mr. Ayiemba, Mrs. Idowu and Mrs. Adegu |
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| Children are fishing with Dr. V. Omonte |
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| Children presentation |
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The gentlemen prepare the church for Sabbath
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| The gentlemen and Mama Mkandawire |
Semester break does not mean Sabbath break. Mama Mkandawire and the group of Bara deacons never forget their duty to clean and decorate the church for the Sabbath. She had saved the roses from last week graduation, and the gentlemen arranged them into beautiful arrangements.
It was raining outside and the power was off, but we managed to finished on time at 5:00 pm and took a short break for the following pictures.
By the way did you know that Kenya has the most beautiful, the most variety and the cheapest roses in the world. A bunch of 20 pieces is only Ksh 30 or $0.30 . Fresh and last for 3-4 weeks.
By the way did you know that Kenya has the most beautiful, the most variety and the cheapest roses in the world. A bunch of 20 pieces is only Ksh 30 or $0.30 . Fresh and last for 3-4 weeks.
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| Sammy, Frank and James |
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| The gentlemen and the roses |
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| Sammy and Frank |
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| Frank and Ezra |
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| Team who decorates and prepares the church |
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| Standing- Joel and Sammy. Sitting - Frank, Ezra, James, Enoch, Jeffrey |
Sabbath at Bara-NEC with Star Rays Choir
Early morning on Sabbath July 16, 2011 before the congregation came I've enjoyed my Sabbath blessings with Star Rays Choir, a group of young Kenyan students from a High School called Star Rays High School who also came early to practice. Though they are not professional singers, but when voices raise with genuine feeling for seeking and praising the Lord the whole place would transfer into a holy ground.
"The church has become alive even all the chairs are still empty" said Aaron Nyamweno- the church elder. Although there were only two of us, besides the choir members and the conductor named James, the atmosphere of worship was so overwhelming as they started singing.
There are many blessings for those who came early to church.
"The church has become alive even all the chairs are still empty" said Aaron Nyamweno- the church elder. Although there were only two of us, besides the choir members and the conductor named James, the atmosphere of worship was so overwhelming as they started singing.
There are many blessings for those who came early to church.
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| James and me and the Star-rays choir |
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| Actually this picture was taken when they were singing facing all the empty chairs |
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| James the conductor - he said he graduated from Mission college Thailand |
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| young worshiper in style -truly Kenyan |
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| The church choir |
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| Sabbath school teachers |
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| lively and powerful song services |
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| congregation shaking hands while singing after church services |
Outreach for the sick in Kericho
During the visit to Kaborok High school we also took time to visit our student's parent at their house. Mr. Chepkwon - a retired teacher suffered from stroke, which also affected the right-side of his body. His son, Nathan an education student who also member of the Outreach group informed the leader about this and we decided to visit his family before we left for Baraton after we finished at Kaborok High School. We sang and prayed for the old man.
They are very kind and generous. The following pictures tells more about that visit.
Week of Spiritual Emphasis
Dr. Hyveth Williams spent the first week of May, 2011 sharing the word of God to faculty, staff and students of University of Eastern Africa, Baraton. Personal testimonies and deep biblical knowledge brought extraordinary blessings to all of us. Most of her messages, if not all describe our own struggle as sinful human beings who really need a Savior.
The Vesper and Sabbath program were fabulous. "Amazing race" and "Go out of the boat " are the two Sabbath messages which encourage us to be faithful and never quit the amazing race we join as Christians, but at same time must also be brave enough to come out of our comfortable zone with faith to embrace the offer of Christ's salvation. After the Sabbath worship UEAB-church baptized 9 students, while many others joined the baptism class scheduled for July 2011 baptism.
The following pictures are our Sabbath school class and the baptism.
Preparing the throne of Heaven
Friday is our preparation day. The office hour is only half day, and it is our weekly routine to do our church responsibilities, right after lunch. We started the activities by picking and collecting flowers from around the campus vicinity, but most of the time we may get the flowers we need from Bara botanical garden.
By two o'clock most of us- the team of deacons and deaconesses, and the flower arranger team will meet and start our duty. It is always enjoyable to dedicate our time to be trained here in Bara, so later we also may be chosen as teams who will prepare the throne of heaven.
The following pictures are from the preparation Friday April 16, 2011.
Kibera Church
On April 2, 2011 we joined the district church meeting in Kibera. Pastor Njaaga a UEAB graduate who ministers the 8 Kibera churches took us there. That day Pastor Samuel Lumwe from East Central Kenya Conference preached and conducted the seminar. The church asked me to pray the pastoral prayer during the Divine service. We enjoyed very nice lunch, then took time to visit Saweto church inside Kibera compound.
The following pictures are the photos taken during the Divine worship and our lunch.
Baraton Adventist Secondary School
The following pictures were taken when we attended the inaguration of Baraton Adventist Secondary School Chapel (BASS). The building was donated by the late Richard Webley, an African American police officer, who before he died promised to help the school. His wife and daughter came for the innaguration. I was chosen as the assistant of the School board of director for the period 2009/2010.
