His Work Among the Luo People Of Kenya Go ... and make disciples of all nations Matthew 28:19
October 1, 1992

                                    KENYA MISSIONARY REPORT
                                                      Oct. 1992

The Rosie's have reported to us and have gone to visit other congregations to seek assistance
for their work for the next four years. It was good to spend some time with them and share their
work. They plan, if the Lord wills  to spend another four years in Kenya and then move on to
another country... perhaps Namibia. At the present there are no missionaries from the church in
this country. It is located in Africa southwest of Kenya.

Why do they want to move on? In order for the church in South Nyanza to mature. If they stay
in Kenya too long there is the possibility that the church members will tend to look up to the
Rosie's for their spiritual needs and leadership on a continuing basis without maturing to a
degree necessary to persevere on their own. You remember that Paul established churches and
then moved on to establish other churches. In order for missionaries to do the work intended,
they must plan to establish the church in a given location and when the opportunities present
itself, move on and establish other churches.

The Rosie's left a copy of their "Lou Church Growth Survey for 1990/1991." It details all the
efforts that they as well as the other two missionary families have made. If you are interested in
reading this report please so indicate. Additionally, they have supplied us with their tentative
plans for going to Namibia.

The report states that there are 46 churches now in South Nyanza composed of approximately
800 Christians. Of this total, 99 were baptized in 1990, 101 in 1991 and 162 in 1991. Eighty
percent of this total were converted by the natives and twenty percent by missionaries. The
average age of the Christians is about 30. About one half of the population in Kenya is under 15
years old.

The people we contact for WBS lessons can speak and write English otherwise we could not
communicate with them. Only 8% of the Christians can study the Bible on their own and teach a
lesson. Over 50% of the Christians are functionally illiterate. That means they have to depend on
someone else to read to them and help them understand the scriptures. This does not mean that
they are ignorant; they just have never had the opportunity to learn to read and write. This
makes it especially important for the opportunity we have to communicate with those that can
read and write since they will be teaching others.

The primary effort now is to mature the individual congregations so that qualified elders and
deacons will be appointed. To teach fundamentals only and baptize those responding without
making an effort to mature the congregations would be a mistake. In the past it has been
common practice for missionaries to baptize a large number of people and then move on before
the new members have absorbed the "meal" of God's word. When the missionary returned, if he
ever did, he would be unable to find any trace of the church in many cases. What had he
accomplished?

How can we at West Side assist the work in Kenya as well as other missionary efforts? By
showing an interest in the missionary work! By praying, writing the missionaries and doing things to
assist them in their work. We plan to send all those who have been baptized some additional literature
that is written especially for new Christians. This effort will be carried out by those who sent the original
lesson to the one who was baptized. This should help assist them to grow in God's Word. If you have
any additional ideas how to assist our missionarys please let us know.

Written by Bill Malone
Elder at Westside Church of Christ
Akron, Ohio