Lodwar Mission Station - Land

Rev. Mutai waits for the taxi in Shauen's office.In a few hours, I will be traveling by small plane to Lodwar along with Rev. Daniel Mutai who is sitting right across from me here in my office (see picture) as we wait for our taxi to the airport. Rev. Daniel is the local missionary who is assigned to the Lodwar Mission Station and is currently making trips to the area every few months to minister to the congregations in the refugee camp and those about 6 hours south of Lodwar. Rev. Daniel will stay in the area for just over two weeks this time making visits and surveying the people of the area.

Also accompanying us will be Rev. Benjamin Lemosi, the General Secretary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya. Rev. Benjamin and I will only be in Lodwar for two days with a very specific task. We are meeting with the personal assistant of the local minister of parliament (congressman) who is ready to identify the piece of land he is allocating to the church at no cost. We’ll meet with him, visit the land, survey the area, and likely also visit with local chief(s) or elders.  The intent is that by the end of the next two days we’ll know which land is set aside for the Lodwar Mission Station and have the process of obtaining the official letter of allocation from the government (which stands in lieu of a title deed in these kinds of areas). 

In the next two weeks, after Rev. Benjamin and I return to Nairobi, our Volunteer Coordinator, Shara Cunningham, will visit the site to begin preparations for an LCMS Mercy Medical Team - a traveling medical clinic - which will be held on the site in June. This way we can immediately show that the church is serious about the business of being the church in this place and show the congressman, area chief, and elders that they will be recognized for allowing the church to receive land here. It is my hope that the local Lutheran Hour Ministries project will also accompany Shara since they play an important part in evangelism during our Mercy Medical Team clinics. If all has gone well, we will already or almost already be starting the construction of the Mission Station by June! 

Please pray for us as we visit with the area chief and local government representatives about the land - that they may give us a favorable and pleasant place where God has prepared the hearts of His people to hear the clear Gospel message of Jesus Christ’s amazing work for us. Happy Easter! He is risen!!!