Wow! So much has been happening as God continues to bless our work with growth and opportunity. Within the church, we have had souls saved in soul winning outside the church and within our services and Bible studies. Our one-on-one discipleship program is going great, consuming many hours each week! Adults and young people are growing in sound doctrine and commitment to the work of God, their local church. In everything, we give thanks to God and to you for allowing us to play our small role in God’s work!
A wonderful family that God brought across our path is Tito and Joyce. I met Tito on a Saturday while soul winning in the area with Emmanuel. Tito was walking with his son when I invited him to the service the next day. He came with his family! We had the joy of introducing both Tito and his wife Joyce to salvation by grace, which they gladly accepted and called upon Christ as Saviour. Both of them have participated in discipleship lessons and have grown spiritually. Amen! After attending our services for a short time, they had a baby girl, their second child. This was the first child born within the family of Lighthouse Baptist Church. We had a baby shower for them, and a great time was had by all. The family also had a home shower, which many of our members attended, during which time our assistant pastor had an opportunity to share the Gospel with many! Brother Tito has just volunteered to teach our Sunday school children. Praise God!
Rachel, an early convert and now faithful church member who currently runs the nursery during our services, is a great blessing. Connie and Rachel together did some teaching of basic Biblical doctrine with Joyce, the wife of Tito and our new mother. After several weeks of study, Rachel presented a certificate of completion to Joyce before the church family.
With God’s help, we preach the Gospel far and wide to any and all who will listen, but we do strive to focus our time and attention specifically upon those who seem truly interested and demonstrate the potential to “teach others also,” as Paul instructed Timothy. This manifests through one-on-one and small-group time spent and invested in them. In recent times, it has been challenging to meet the requests of those desiring our time with Bible studies and general conversation revolving around Biblical issues and truth, but what a pleasure it is to see the excitement and growth of doctrinal understanding within their hearts and minds.
Lighthouse Baptist Church is just a short distance from a top college in Kenya. Many of the best and brightest young people of the country end up within our reach. “To whom much is given, much is required” comes to my mind concerning our church and these students. Emmanuel, who is our assistant pastor, is about to graduate from there. Through him, a lady named Kendi, who has been faithfully attending, has been soaking up the Word of God. We also have Rubsone, Harun, and Jerod of note, along with many others, all of whom are taking in so much every time we meet many times each week.
As mentioned, our assistant pastor Emmanuel is about to graduate from the university. He has been a wonderful friend to me, as well as a great student of the truth. He has developed a tremendous burden for souls—all souls. He is an incredible and effective soul winner with a passion to win others to Christ. He also demonstrates a great love for the church members and a commitment to the church. The joy I have in my heart to see the fruit from his life and the small part we have had in it has no words. To God be the glory! As he is almost finished with school, it is unclear what path God will send him on or if he will remain with Lighthouse Baptist Church. I have an idea, and also my own desire, but am praying for God’s will to be done.
Every day when we wake up and every night when we go to sleep, there is so much to be done, and we keep busy, trying to fulfill the Great Commission here in our corner of the world. We thank you for making it possible and count it a privilege and duty to represent you in Kenya, seeking the lost and teaching the saved! Please consider some of the above-mentioned people and situations to invest in eternity through your time in prayer.
Your servants for lost souls across East Africa,
Andy & Connie Richey
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- Weldon praying to receive salvation
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- Baby shower where Emmanuel shared the Gospel
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- Bible study with Rubsone
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- Emmanuel receiving certificate
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- Rachel presenting certificate to Joyce
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- Kendi receiving certificate