1st day on Campus

1^st Day on Campus

Long queues, strange looks, dragging of bags, lots of paper work, congestion, lots of pushing, strandedness and some confusion! This is what greets many freshmen when they land on campus the very first day.

The thought of being left behind by their parents, guardians, brothers and sisters, and joining a new community where they must exercise their liberty, choose friends and courses and clubs. These formative days and weeks are very crucial for every freshman and woman. They either make the right or wrong decisions. The depth of their moral fibre is tested. Many give in and conform to the new found standards, of campus. Some hold on until they cannot do it any more, quietly crying out for anyone who might be sharing in their perspective in life! Someone who might encourage them that they are not wrong in their convictions! Someone who can cheer them up to stand as individuals! Someone to remind them that life is not about collective responsibility but that each one is responsible for their own life and decisions! Someone to reinforce their perspectives especially using the wisdom in the word of God! Some feeling lost in the crowd not knowing which way to go!

Show me the way…

This is where Campus Life comes in with the orientation program. This year about 100 continuing students have volunteered to be available for this 1^st week: 23^rd to 28^th of August. We show love to them by helping them find their way round campus, helping drag their huge bags and suit cases, answering their questions at our Help Desk, organizing a coffee evening , popcorn party and forming friendships which open an opportunity to share the love of Christ with them.( i plan to host between 10-15 young men during this week.)

This year each one of us is committed to touching at least 4 freshmen each day. After this, small groups are formed in which continuous follow up, discipleship and mentoring are done. Here new believers are nurtured to become leaders, and in this way our vision will be fulfilled “every segment of campus for Jesus, so that everyone knows someone who truly follows Christ.”

Benson sharing with some freshmen

small group study time on campus

Jn 15:5 apart from me you can do nothing

training in a Discipleship camp

with much appreciaton

glad to have been available

Throughout the rest of the academic year, we help facilitate this growth and development through availing materials for study, training of leaders through Discipleship camps, Seminars and conferences, Local and international missions, Community outreaches, one on one and group mentoring sessions, home visits and so much more…

In this way we help fulfil the great commission “go ye and make disciples of all nations…” Mat 28:18-20.

I covet your prayers even as we begin this new academic year…

Ngong hills hike

Ngong hills Hike

At 12 noon Saturday 7^th August, about 70 of us gathered at Ngong town each one with either packed lunch or snacks in a bag. For some of us it was going to be our first time to hike up these very famous hills which are on the outskirts of Nairobi. In the group there were not only campus students, majority from Campus life KU but also youth members from Nairobi Pentecostal Church Ngong. Up we started in small groups, and yes in about 1 ½ hours or so we were slowly getting there. The wardens were on sight to ensure we were safe from any attacks by wild animals. We played and sang Sunday school and nursery songs, and some cultural cheer songs like mloongo ahoo, mloongo ahoo. I understand this is a luhya song sang during the Cut of the boys. 

scaling the hills: Kamaa 

leads

Kanda gives the directions

ready to go

Ben ingia ndani..ujiringeringe..

lollipops in abundance

it couldn't have been better

Kevin and Jordan hiked too

 

part of the crowd

the walk was fun

Sam, Cynthia and Amos

the label of our freshmen outreach this year

 

Apart from the fun and the food, we had a chance to recast the vision of this year’s orientation of freshmen which begins in KU on Monday 23^rd. Cheche Wambui shared her story which emphasized how strategic it is to reach the first years for Christ. “Were it not for those who showed me love that first week on campus, I don’t know how my life would have been these 3 years.”

And so on 23^rd till 28^th August about 150 continuing students will gather in KU. And together we shall strategically sieze each opportunity to show love to the freshmen and women. Moreover we shall share with them the love of God. Won’t you want to be part of this great outreach event?

Dine with Mswati

Dine with Mswati

This is not just a face book name but the code for the mission to Swaziland that a group of 9 students and 2 staff undertook. They left on 1^st of August and will be working in the University of Swaziland among the campus students. Together with the students there, they are helping build a students movement of evangelism and discipleship. It is amazing how God is using Kenyan youth to become a blessing to other nations. 

training time

Bill and Shiku

group photo

 Some of them will return on 30^th of August ready for their new academic year in school, while the other 4 on October 8^th.
Pray that God will protect them from disease, and every kind of harm. Pray also that God will give them a fruitful ministry there. Jn 15:16.

Dine with Mswati

Beyond the Borders

Tanzania mission

Flora Kidula, Vincent Kajuma, Caren Sumba, and Maggie, are all fresh graduates from KU and USIU. They were part of a team of 9 who attended Change your Destiny Students’ Conference in Tanzania between 26th of July till 1st of August. They are going through our annual internship program which not only equips them to be more effective in helping fulfill the great commission through training but also exposure.

In Tanzania not only were they trained on different aspects of ministry but also trained others during track time on How to use 4 spiritual laws in evangelism, small group follow up and discipleship of new believers. Even if their Swahili is not as refined, they enjoyed the opportunity to become a blessing to another country. “I never imagined that God would make me an international speaker. Imagine being given a certificate as a conference speaker!!!” Flora a said on return.

Add caption

Flora teaching during the Conference

Come let us praise, lift up your eyes to the Lord!

This conference was also a Macedonian call for some of them who won’t mind to go back to the University of Dodoma which admits about 16, 000 freshmen and women each year yet there is no movement building among them for Evangelism and Discipleship.

Pray that God will clarify his will among these interns (29) and that they will be willing to obey even as they serve with us.

New style-Backstroke

Campus staff retreat

“Take us to Voi,” Maina told me when we arrived at Mtito Andei. I was going to drive the team till Voi town a distance of about 60-70km in our ministry van. This was one of my greatest highlights when we went for our annual campus staff retreat in Kilifi between Monday 12^th to Friday 18^th July. Not only did I get many chances to drive but also to swim in the ocean with the rest of the team. Yea I learned a new skill: swimming backstroke. At some point I gulped a few doses of that very salty water! 

Other highlights were playing rugby in the ocean, with some very rough opponents; needless to say, our team won ha ha ha,

Visiting Malindi where we saw the very first church built on the Kenyan soil 18???

relaxing after the devotion

there was time to play scrabble

the ocean experience before the men rugby

 We praise God for such moments of rest which he engineers on our way. 

Thanks again for your constant prayers for us as we help fulfill the great commission among the campus students.

Friendship, Fun, Food and Faith

when is the next one?

Wednesday June 2^nd was a very dramatic day for me. I had challenged my small discipleship group of 1^st years to organize an evangelistic event. Moffat, Lenny and Emmanuel knew that majority of the students love food and fun. Therefore we needed to get any excuse to celebrate and in this invite other freshmen. After a little brainstorming a birthday looked like a good idea. However the challenge was that none of us had a birthday in the near dates. After a day Emmanuel approached another 1^st yr friend (Murage) whose birthday had passed in April 28^th

Emmanuel requested him to allow us to use his name as an excuse to celebrate on June 2^nd which he gladly accepted. 

Robert Sharing

Robert my colleague then shared on the 6Ps of Success;

Purpose, Passion, Persistence, People, Planning, Prayer,

“…all of us know that at times we need resources from outside of ourselves. That is where successful people turn to God whose resources are never scarce… But how can you call on Him whom you have no relationship with?”

This is where he explained how someone can start a relationship with God by asking Jesus to come in his life. He then led us in prayer and those who wanted to, prayed to receive Jesus silently. Afterwards we gave comment slips where they were to write a birthday wish for the birthday boy. In addition they were to indicate if ,

a. I have asked Jesus to come into my life right now

b. I want to know more on how to start my relationship with God

c. I am already born again

3 had prayed to receive Jesus Christ right then, 5 wanted to know more on how to begin this relationship, 12 were already saved, and 9 had left it blank.

These young men have started following them up, teaching them the same things which we have been learning together. 2 Tim 2:2.

 As a group:

We grew in Purpose. Moffat asked me, “isn’t this strategic?”

Developed in Leadership as each one handled a certain role and ensured it succeeded.

We grew closer as Friends.

Thank you again for standing with me in prayer and generous giving without which our ministry to campus students would have been severely limited. 

Nazarene Discipleship Camp - Nakuru

Sharing in small groups.

Conquered the Menengai crater.

The Bus

More fun

Ken Murage a 3rd yr student teaching during the camp

have you heard of the Four Spiritual Laws?

And more fun

Woohoooo I conquered!