Today we attended church in Tasia slum. Pastor Harrison and his wife, Christine, have planted 25 new churches in the Nairobi area with one of Pastor Harrison’s disciples leading the new plants. As new churches are established, Pastor Harrison will send a contingent of 25-50 parent church members to attend the new church and help it grow.
“Shout for joy to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise.” Psalm 66:1-2
It is difficult to fully describe the atmosphere in worship today. The doctrine is sound and the praise is bold! I sat right up front but it was so boisterous, I am certain you could hear our worship from a mile away. The Bible tells us to “shout for joy to God” and the Kenyans do it best! Kenyans hunger to hear God’s word and they were fully immersed in the message – confirming the sermon and testimonies with “Amens,” “Halleluiahs,” clapping, and “Keep on Pastor.” The joy was palpable and after two hours, the service was still going strong. It was true worship from hearts that were expressing their needs to a loving God. Dad and I both had the privilege of sharing our testimonies with the church at Tasia this morning. God in his Sovereignty placed us here in this exact moment to worship together and share stories of His goodness and faithfulness in all seasons of life.
Following worship we visited the Tasia school and learned about its founding. Christine, Pastor Harrison’s wife, had a dream several years ago to start a school in Tasia. She went to work for Kenya Airways as a flight attendant and saved 100% of her salary so she could start the school. Today, it is one of the best schools in the area – with families from others areas outside of Tasia paying to send their children there. We installed filters at both the school for the 180 children who attend and at the church for members of the community to use as needed.
We had the privilege of breaking bread with Pastor Harrison and his family. Several members of the church prepared a traditional African meal for us. We started with a bountiful assortment of fruits as the appetizer. The main course consisted of ugali- ground white corn with a dense cake like texture, greens and stewed chicken. Eating ugali is fun – you take a pinch and form a little ball and use it to sop up the greens and stew. Pastor Harrison told us that the tribe that he comes from only serves this meal to someone that they love. If they wanted to show you any disapproval they would serve you beef. We truly felt loved and honored to have shared such an incredible meal with our new friends.
Please join us in prayer for Pastor Harrison, Christine, their church and the people of Tasia. The true worship and fellowship we experienced today is unforgettable and something we hope to experience again in the future. Tasia is in need of clean drinking water too and as God guides The Filter Project, our hope is to come alongside the Tasia church and serve their community with them.
-Elliott