Vincent asked me to pray for him and his family that sunny day in Kenya. It didn’t take long for a quick friendship to emerge once I heard his story.
I had preached that dry, warm day in his Bishop’s church, Fountain of Hope, Nairobi. What a joy it was to join with their congregation to celebrate our Lord and see the children growing up in the grace of God.
Two days later, we would return and minister together to the needs of 228 who would come from the neighboring slum to that remote church to receive free medical care at the hands of national physicians and nurses. Men, women and children would file into the church, which served as the waiting room. Vincent and I, along with those from our team, would pray and minister to those who came. I spoke and this fine brother would translate into Swahili. Our new friends would then go back to the transformed children’s home that doubled that day as a clinic, to receive their free medical treatment. Vincent and I prayed with 7 men to receive Christ as their savior that day.
In Vincent, I saw a very caring, committed pastor, a loving father and prophet whose heart was breaking for the neighboring abandoned children and for the HIV positive men, women and children. His wife works in a bank during the week and on the weekend joins her husband to minister to those who live on the street and in the slums sniffing glue and without hope. They are there to change that.
He and his wife know firsthand the despair these people feel. You see, Vincent and his wife were both once orphans living in the slums, sniffing glue and without hope. Then one day, Vincent found the Lord. Since then, he has been to Bible College, found and married his wife, which they did in the slum area as a testimony to those living there to the power of the Gospel to change a life. They have since started a new church to rescue more orphans and see the Kingdom of God transform lives.
Vincent and his family are powerful examples of the World Orphans model that has the local indigenous church at the center of its efforts. This man was transformed as an orphan and raised up through the church to now go out and help others like him. That is the dream for every home that is built and every church that partners with another - until all 143 million find Christ and are cared for by a loving family through the local church.
There are more orphans who are waiting to become pastors, missionaries and teachers around the world. All it takes is the church to rally to their need. There are many wonderful church partnership opportunities available through World Orphans - call me and we can find a match for your church with an indigenous church that needs your help - 616-856-3009.
