Internationally Displaced Persons
My first year here at RVA I joined a group headed to the IDP camp on an outreach day. Many of the students hung out with the local kids for the morning while the Pastor took myself and others to pray for members of the church who live in the community.
I quickly learned that the people in the community had lived in this camp for 10 or so years, since they were forced out of their homes due to fighting after a new president was elected in Kenya. They have struggled to make ends meet ever since. The pastor of the church in the camp is a Kenyan gentleman who works at RVA. God put it on his heart to start a church in the IPD camp 10 years ago and God has slowly but surely blessed the church since.
In the past 10 years God has given them a church building, and since I visited 2 years ago, He has given them a second building for Sunday School and after school programs. In fact, the pastor showed me the stones for the building when I visited and I prayed specifically for God to raise it up into a building for education.
The pastor and elders continue to advocate for these people and they have started a breakfast program on Sundays and snacks for after school. They church continues to dream and is asking God for more like water on the campus, and desks and chairs for the educations building.
My parents and I visit the church while they were here in Kenya. It was a joy to see the dedication of this church, a dedication to God's work and their joy for Him The pastor explained that their church is known for their singing and their praise of God in the midst of all of life was evident. It is their devotion to God that has drawn me to spend more time with this church.
I am looking forward to joining another group of students this coming week. I pray that I may grow a fellowship with this church and learn from their praise of God. Please pray with me for this community, that God would abundantly provide for their needs, and that they would continue to point to him through everything so that others from the community would see who God is in their lives and therefore come to Him. Pray again Satan's strong holds of alcoholism, greed and laziness as well. May God's truth reign in this church community.
I quickly learned that the people in the community had lived in this camp for 10 or so years, since they were forced out of their homes due to fighting after a new president was elected in Kenya. They have struggled to make ends meet ever since. The pastor of the church in the camp is a Kenyan gentleman who works at RVA. God put it on his heart to start a church in the IPD camp 10 years ago and God has slowly but surely blessed the church since.
In the past 10 years God has given them a church building, and since I visited 2 years ago, He has given them a second building for Sunday School and after school programs. In fact, the pastor showed me the stones for the building when I visited and I prayed specifically for God to raise it up into a building for education.
God worked quickly and the building went up shortly thereafter.
My parents and I visit the church while they were here in Kenya. It was a joy to see the dedication of this church, a dedication to God's work and their joy for Him The pastor explained that their church is known for their singing and their praise of God in the midst of all of life was evident. It is their devotion to God that has drawn me to spend more time with this church.
I am looking forward to joining another group of students this coming week. I pray that I may grow a fellowship with this church and learn from their praise of God. Please pray with me for this community, that God would abundantly provide for their needs, and that they would continue to point to him through everything so that others from the community would see who God is in their lives and therefore come to Him. Pray again Satan's strong holds of alcoholism, greed and laziness as well. May God's truth reign in this church community.
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