Maasai Reach Out to the Samburu

An excerpt from...

Maasai Reach Out to the Samburu

By David Adams, Volunteer
July-September 2014

Five believers from Maasai Africa Gospel Church in Kenya traveled to minister to the neighboring Samburu tribe in August 2012. However, they experienced difficulties in their outreach, and “the work was stymied,” wrote Margaret Farnsworth, missionary in Kenya. But the church did not give up.

Believers gathered again on August 17, 2013. They collected donations of money, livestock, and clothing to fund the outreach, and a team of 26 signed up to travel to Wamba, where the Samburu live. The Maasai could sense God’s calling, and they took the falling rain, which was sorely needed, as a sign that God’s blessing was upon them.

After the meeting, 51 Maasai believers—nearly double the number who had signed up—began their outreach. By the end of their three-day trip, 45 Samburu gave their lives to Jesus, and 500 fell on their knees and asked God to send His Word into their villages—a request He was already answering.

Even before the Maasai team left, they began to witness God’s transforming work among the Samburu. Government officials said they would no longer have to send as many police to the village because the rampant alcoholism began to decline.

A boy with a speech impediment was healed, and when the boy spoke well during a thanksgiving service, 10 people gave their lives to Jesus. Later some of the Maasai team visited the boy’s family to share Jesus with his father, who was unsaved. The team prayed over him, and the man’s wife said, “Today is the day of salvation.” At the evening fellowship that night, the man testified that he had received Jesus as his Savior.

The Maasai team also led lessons on topics such as holiness and prayer to help the Samburu who were just beginning their walks with God. The Samburu told one of the Maasai pastors they had no church they could attend. Several pastors volunteered to travel to Wamba and other villages every week to teach them—an ongoing ministry that continues to expand into new congregations of believers.

Believers from Maasai AGC praise God for His ministry among the Samburu and already look forward to a similar outreach in August. With a goal of raising more than five times as much support, they hope to lead even more people into God’s kingdom in 2014.

PRAY: Pray for more pastors to reach out to the Samburu. The need for pastors is great, but the people and funds are limited.