A Harambee on Mt. Elgon

Today was Sunday in Kenya, and for a Mzungu (White) visitor that usually means that you will be preaching at some church. I was happy to learn that I'd been assigned to go to a church back on Mt. Elgon.

Pastor Stephen Mairori, our friend and ICM Country Director picked me at 9:30 and we drove up to a point on Mt. Elgon that is the highest up I’ve gone to-date. We drove up and through Kapsakwony, picking up Pastor Harry Bowen at the AIC house. Pastor Harry graduated from our BA program yesterday. In addition to pastoring his congregation, he is the supervisor over 21 other African Inland Churches in the Kapsakwony area.

A few kilometers out of Kapsakwony on the Kopsiro road we turned right and headed up the mountain. We stopped first at the shell of the church that they are building. This is actually the second oldest AIC congregation on Mt. Elgon, but the Government forced them to relocate (they were in the forest). So they bought a plot of ground a little further down the mountain and are constructing a new building. What we were going to was a Harambee (a fund raiser) for its completion.


The Harambee was held at a school that was so close to the forest – we could have walked a few hundred yards east, north or west and been in the forest. The event went from about 11pm to 2:30 pm. It was interesting and I think that the message I preached was helpful. Pastor Harry was my interpreter, and I gave him a good workout. The giving was good - about 92,000 Kenya Shilings were raised (about $1,100). We had a light meal afterwards - my piece of chicken put up a struggle, but I prevailed.