The presidents of the countries in East Africa declared Kisumu, Kenya, the cleanest city in East Africa in 2001. It is also the safest city. Ten years previously it had the worst crime record in Kenya.
Christians prayed, and God answered.
During February, 2005, 50 pastors from 10 churches met in Kondele, Kisumu, in western Kenya, for a 5 day Transformations seminar and decided to continue meeting each Saturday to pray – first at that church in Kondele, and then later in various churches, praying together for revival and transformation.
The same thing happened in the slum area of Nairobi, the capital, where 50 pastors gathered, and they too decided to meet together for prayer each Saturday.
That also happened near Kitui, a rural town 200 kilometers east of Nairobi, where the pastors and leaders are already co-operating and have seen their community transformed from a dry, barren area to a fertile farming community, and where thousands of mango tree yield fruit within one year of being planted.
The Transformations videos at all these seminars inspired the leaders to keep praying together for transformation in Kenya, because transformation continues to change Kenya.
Samson Nyameche began evangelizing in 1992 in Kondele, the worst slum suburb in Kisumu known then for poverty and crime. Now Kisumu is a clean, safe city on the beautiful shores of Lake Victoria, the huge inland lake on the borders on many East African countries and the second largest lake in the world, after the Great Lakes of North America.
Samson held meetings there under an acacia tree, the famous flat topped tree in Africa with clusters of leaves on branches spread out like an umbrella. The group of Christian kept praying fervently, often fasting, with any other Christians who would join them. They established a church there in the Kondele slum area in Kisumu, on the east of the city. Colonial mansions with high walls and servants quarters stood on the west side of the city by Lake Victoria.
A gang of thugs attacked Samson and his son Frank and nephew Chris in 1992, leaving Samson unconscious, for dead. Frank and Chris took him to hospital. They all recovered. The thugs were arrested but released one week later. The next year in 1993, two of the thugs repented and joined that church, one of them becoming an interpreter for Samson in meetings and crusades where they used English, Swahili and the local dialect Luo. Frank and Chris now lead churches in the movement.
The church, generally called Kisumu Believers, grew and leased land in Kondele from the government. In 2001 crime had been reduced and business flourished so much that the Kisumu Municipal Council gave the land to the church freely in recognition of their influence on the transformation of the city. Other churches in Kisumu also grew, some with thousands attending.
A notorious gang of thugs called the Baghdad Boys were gradually converted and now call themselves the Reformed Baghdad Boys. They lead business reform in the city, establishing self-help micro-economic development.
At the centenary celebrations of the opening of the railway from Nairobi to Kisumu, 1901-2001, the presidents of all the East African countries declared Kisumu the cleanest city in East Africa, with the best roads. It is still the safest city in Kenya.
Samson Nyameche is a strong man spiritually and physically. His mother died when he was young and he could no longer stay on their land, 30 kilometers east of Kisumu in western Kenya. So the two boys, Samson about 10 and his older brother about 15, walked for a week east 250 kilometers to Nairobi, sleeping by the road, to live there with an older sister. They found work, and also went to school while doing part time work. Samson met and married Betty in Nairobi.
Then they moved to Nakuru, half way back to Kisumu, to raise their family and work in Nakuru, an old town by Lake Nakuru National Park, a popular wildlife game park in Kenya. Samson and Betty they were converted through early pentecostals who hosted Tommy (T L) and Daisy Osborn, powerful healing evangelists from USA, who founded about 400 independent churches a year through their crusades in Africa, South America, and Asia.
Evangelist T.L. Osborn equipped local pastors in Kenya with loud speakers, movie projectors and films, for preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. Samson also received a scholarship to study at the Morris Cerello School of Ministries in San Deigo, California, in 1980-81.
His son Frank grew up in that atmosphere of evangelism. He loved to visit the nearby national wildlife game park. At 5 he was kneeling by his bed praying and went to sleep that way one night when he had a vision of Jesus coming as in children’s story books, with nail scarred hands, standing on a cloud near him. So Frank asked Jesus if he could come to him. Jesus said yes, and Frank stood in the cloud with Jesus, who then showed a vision of Frank’s friends, then others, then Africa, and told him to introduce those people to Jesus. Ever since, Frank has been a keen young evangelist, and has continued to lead many hundreds of his local people to the Lord, often preaching from his portable platform in evangelism crusades.
Samson felt called to move back to Kisumu city. His little church kept praying at 5 am daily, with much prayer and fasting. Frank’s work then included being the night watchman for the church building, so he arranged regular times for prayer at night, often with all night prayer meetings, praising, worshipping and seeking God.
Sometimes people prayed in caves in the Nakuru mountains, as Frank did. He was there praying and fasting for three weeks before he went Bible College in Brisbane in 1997, where he studied for three years at Christian Heritage College for his Bachelor of Ministry degree.
The Believers Fellowship has grown and they have planted around 30 other churches, most of which include home groups functioning as house churches. The Believers churches are known by their location, such as Believers Kisumu with Samson, and Believers Nairobi with Frank and his wife Linda who were severely attacked and robbed in their home in Nairobi when they began there.
Samson has an orphanage for 45 children on his family land. It costs $30 a month ($1 a day) to feed, clothe, and school each child there on the property.
Click on one of the thumbnail pictures below to see a larger picture:
 Rural church, Kitui, East Kenya |
 Pastors & leaders praying together, East Kenya |
 Pastors & leaders praying for each other, East Kenya |
 Mission team arrives in East Kenya |
 Team leaders walking to the church. |
 Pastors Frank & Linda walking to the church |
Frank Nyameche founded Nairobi Believers Mission (NBM) in the capital, as part of the Believers movement in Kenya. He wrote:
It is always amazing to see things through God’s eye! Sometimes we get caught up with life, but suddenly when we relax, let go of the controls and allow God in the equation, that is when victory comes!
Nairobi is a busy city. The living costs are high and due to high inflation of our country’s economy, enjoying what most of us call “normal life” is almost unaffordable.
Nairobi Believers Mission (NBM) started it’s operations here in August 2003, with a mission to spread Christ’s love, building people and relationships, working for Kingdom goals, and adoring God in togetherness with other believers!
Ever since, we have focused on fulfilling our objectives through small groups. At the initial start of our mission, my wife (Linda), and I were in total lack. We didn’t have a place to stay of our own, so Linda’s parents gave us a room in their small house. This is where the NBM operations took place. From the beginning of 2005 we have been able to rent a small, new unit in Nairobi.
Our first service attracted 17 people who we focused on discipling, training and then releasing to do ministry work.
We work closely with the Mama Wilfrida Children’s Home, near Kisumu, 240 Km west of Nairobi. The rewards of working with the less fortunate kids are so unparalleled.
The Lord has given us the capacity, through His Spirit, in order for us to fulfill His Commission even with very limited resources. He is our source - Praise Him!
It has been a challenging and life changing experience. The Lord has challenged us to focus on our operations in Nairobi –The NBM. Our influence has already been spreading in the city, with our initial members spreading God’s love to their spheres of influence resulting in a tremendous harvest! We are now developing a central place to conduct our celebration services to be held each week (particularly on Sundays). This costs $1500-2000 each year.
As Small groups continue to be the strategy of evangelism in NBM, we also seek to thrive in adoring God in togetherness with other believers (worship & fellowship). We have prayed about this and we know without a shadow of doubt that it is in God’s will and inline with the ultimate vision of winning the Lost.
We hope that by continual sharing of our vision and ministry updates, you’ll be able to catch a glimpse of our lives here in Nairobi, Kenya. More than ever before, we need your prayerful support as we continue the work the Lord has called us to do.
Your prayers make such a difference to each of our days. Your finances are a huge blessing and allow us to gain mileage in fulfilling the great commission. Your moral support and encouragement via email are cherished reminders that even though we may be on the other side of the world; we’re still in the thoughts of friends and family. Thank you for all the support you give!
We
look forward to sharing with you more about ministry, Kenya and what God is
doing in our lives here in Kenya
Click on one of the thumbnail pictures
below to see a larger picture:
 Nairobi, inner city view |
 Nairobi suburb |
 Nairobi street sign |
 Nairobi street stalls |
 Rural water carrier |
 Rural village scene |
Pastors Francis & Linda
Nyameche:
fnyameche@yahoo.com
Bishop Samson Nyameche:
nyameche@hotmail.com
Financial help can be deposited directly into Westpac Bank -Australia
|
Also, mission support can be sent or transferred to the Renewal Journal Mission Account, especially for orphans in Nepal and Kenya, or for revival mission teams in the South Pacific. E-mail contact to Geoff Waugh (Renewal Journal editor) is through the Christian Heritage College School of Ministries link on www.renewaljournal.com |
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