The Kenyan Circuit Rider
Do you remember the first time you lived away from your parents? For most, that event was marked by anticipation and anxiety.
In February, 35 new freshmen sponsored by Bridge / OneLife Africa left their homes in the slums surrounding Nairobi, most for the first time, to attend a boarding high school. (All high schools in Kenya are boarding schools.) Students were selected by OLA for their Christian testimony; desire to grow in Christ; academic achievements; and financial need. Including sophomores and upperclassmen, OLA is aiding 73 gifted Christian students from the slums of Kenya to attend high school.
While this opportunity is a dream come true, students quickly find themselves far from home, living among strangers. Loneliness descends on even the bravest of teens. All Kenyan students look forward to a time called “visitation day”, when family are allowed to call on them at school. Nothing can encourage a teen more than to receive a visit —or deflate their spirit more quickly when they are left alone on that day.
Andrew Onguka, our program administrator and a pastor, understands the great need for spiritual encouragement these students experience. Many of the OLA-sponsored students are orphans; those with parents are impoverished and simply can’t afford the expense of travel to see their child. Because of this, Andrew has become a “circuit rider”.
As these itinerant pastors in America’s early history visited several congregations, so Andrew is visiting OLA students as they study in schools across Kenya. His purpose: to encourage students and forge relationships with the administrators of their schools.
Andrew’s latest trip took him halfway across the country: from Nairobi, to Nakuru, then to the shores of Lake Victoria and Kisumu. (See map.)
Here Andrew describes the moment when he gets to see each student:
“The highlight of my visits has been the surprise and excitement that OLA students go through when they see me at their school. The procedure is that, I go to the principal’s office, introduce myself, give the name of the student I'm visiting and the principal sends someone to find the student to come to his office. The Principal’s office is not an office any student wants to be summoned to! When they come they are always anticipating the worst, but when they see me they are shocked and excited! They usually run to me and give me a hug.
“I feel honored to be serving these students. Most of them are never visited--some for the four years of their studies-- so to see me visit they gain confidence. I hope that they begin to believe that they are loved and cared for. I would want them to know that they are valuable people created in God's image, and that they are loved, cared for, and worth visiting.” (3/29/12)
Pray for OLA’s “circuit rider” as he brings the encouragement and love of Jesus to the 73 students who are now part of our program!
Andrew’s Niece Seriously Injured in Mission Trip Bus Wreck
Traffic in Kenya can be notoriously slow in the city—and dangerous in the country. This was the case recently for a group of law students from the University of Nairobi. They traveled by bus to Garissa, in northern Kenya, for a mission project.
On their way to the project, their bus was heading downhill near Meru when they suddenly encountered a tractor-trailer truck in their lane, passing uphill. The bus driver wisely avoided a head-on collision with the truck by hitting a pole. While doing so prevented the bus from careening off an embankment, one student was killed and many seriously injured, including Herma, Andrew’s cousin. She was unconscious for a time at the scene but was resuscitated. Herma sustained severe head and neck injuries; she was treated in a Nairobi hospital and was recently released. Please pray for Herma and all those students who were injured, for their complete recovery.
The young woman killed was the best friend of our intern, Flora Savai. Please pray for God’s comfort for Flora and her friend’s family.
