Outreach & Evangelism

SI TEAM OF EVANGELISM (SITE)

SITE is the indigenous evangelistic arm of SI that enhances faster expansion of the Church (Matt. 28:19,20; Acts 1:8) in Turkanaland and beyond. SITE is responsible for surveying and gathering data about the unreached villages in Turkanaland and beyond, and for carrying out evangelistic outreach expeditions to pave the way for SI-trained missionaries and pastors who then move in and plant churches in the villages.

As SITE and pastors from the existing ten SI-planted mother churches continue to venture into unreached territories in Turkanaland and witness many people putting their faith in Christ, more SI-trained missionary-pastors are being commissioned to “occupy the land” in those territories and establish churches as the Lord provides for their support through His people. Out of the 76 SI-trained missionaries, 62 are still waiting (four have passed on to be with the Lord) for sponsors so they can be commissioned as missionary-pastors to unreached territories further afield in Turkanaland.

SITE facilitates church planting and construction of worship centers where the pastors and missionaries have made contacts as funds allow.

Pronounced spiritual growth and maturity continues to be evidenced among the SI-planted churches. The adult literacy program in these churches is now beginning to bear fruit. Those that have benefited from the classes the past several years are now taking leadership roles in discipleship groups during the week. They are reading and teaching the Bible in their own language, in their own villages!

Others in some of the churches have been appointed to church-planting teams to help pastors with surveying and identifying the unreached villages 20-30km from the mother churches. Still others are engaging in survival skills by learning how to do small businesses such as selling groceries and charcoal in the villages. This is a critical phase in the growth of the indigenous Church in Turkanaland.

This year, SITE engaged in supporting the outreach efforts of the SI-supported pastors and missionaries through evangelism, revival meetings, discipleship, leadership training and construction of basic worship centers. Led by Missionary John Nakara, some of the villages and churches where SITE ministered included:

1. Nakingol (45 miles from Lodwar): SITE ministered in this village for fours days, and a total of 30 people gave their lives to Christ and were baptized following a baptism class. John reports, “We had planned to baptize the church members who had completed the baptism class at a nearby water pool. On that day, one resident claimed that the pool was his and his family’s; that he would not allow any baptism to take place in the pool. Immediately, SITE rented a truck to ferry 56 people to Lake Turkana where all were baptized!”

2. Kakuma Cornerstone Church (80 miles from Lodwar): The primary purpose for SITE’s three- day outreach in this village was to provide moral and spiritual support to Pastor Eyanae, who has done a great work in reaching both refugees and the natives. Missionary John Ankara was the key speaker while the SITE Coordinator Stanley Lokwawi taught Scriptures. John and Stanley report, “On the first day of the meeting 10 people gave their lives to Christ, one of whom was a Muslim. We also prayed with the Pastor and his church leaders and held a counseling session and special prayers for some believers who had personal and marital problems. On the third day, God healed and delivered many from spiritual problems.”

3. Lolupe Church (25 miles from Lodwar): This church was planted earlier this year by one of SI’s partner pastor/missionaries, who was also Missionary Nakara’s Sunday School teacher many years ago! At age 55, the leadership of his denomination asked him to retire and quit preaching; but even though he is legally blind, he was not ready to retire. When he was forced to retire, he decided to go back to his village to plant a church. He asked SI to provide him with assistance to construct a temporal worship structure, so SITE bought and donated reed roofing materials while the new church members donated posts and rafters.

4. Kerio Division Churches (75 miles from Lodwar): The primary purpose for the outreach was to bring the five missionaries in this large division together for prayer and encouragement. Missionary Nakara prayed with the missionaries in one of their homes; Pastor Esekon, SICGP Coordinator, distributed 20 goats to five families through the SILP (Share International Loan Program) ministry; and SITE donated foodstuffs to the villagers and to the missionaries and their families. SITE and SICGP Coordinators report that, “These missionaries minister in their five mother churches while planting many more sister churches far and wide. Each missionary has between 3 and 4 sister churches in other villages. Their problem is reaching and ministering to these churches on regular basis. Pedal bicycles are almost impossible to ride on the desert sand. The missionaries walk long distances to visit these churches. SI hopes that God’s people would donate funds for motorbikes for these and other SI- supported missionaries at $1,500/motorbike. The need for construction of worship centers in this division is also enormous. Most of the churches gather under trees and temporal structures. In December 2009, a snake bit one church member during Sunday service. The unbelievers in the village considered that a bad omen. They forced the missionary to carry the victim to the nearest health center 16 miles away. Unfortunately the victim died on the way. The villagers blamed the missionary for putting up the temporal structure under a tree where snakes are prone to hide.”

5. Kalemunyang (50 miles from Lodwar): In November, a team from SITE’s Kanamkemer Prayer Network traveled to Kalemunyang village to hold an evangelistic crusade and revival meetings. Approximately 500 people attended the worship service under a tree because there was not enough room in the small building to contain them all! An estimated 300 people put their faith
in Christ during the visit and two prominent people were baptized – the area councilor and a Turkana Gospel singer.

6. Marigat & Nakingol: In December, a SITE team of ten people traveled to Marigat (among the Tugen people) to minister to Turkana “squatters” who migrated to a farm donated to them by the former Kenya president – Daniel Moi, a Tugen himself. SITE helped evangelize and plant a church there. Another SITE team traveled to Nakingol village to conduct follow-up meetings and discipleship sessions.