Will God “Do it without your aid and mine”?

When we responded to the call to reach the unreached in 1988, we determined to use all our resources to make Christ known among the Muslim people of northern Kenya. This included our lives, resources, youth, times, ambitions, and future. We were using means to spread the Gospel.

William Carey was rebuffed at a Baptist ministers' meeting in 1787 in Northampton: "Young man, sit down; when God pleases to convert the heathen, He will do it without your aid and mine." But he was resolute in his conviction, which he expressed in his influential essay, "An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathens." In it, he argued that every Christian had a duty to use all possible means to spread the Gospel.

Carey’s calling to missionary work significantly influenced Christianity and global missions. It was not a sudden epiphany; rather, it emerged from his deepening faith and broadening understanding of the world’s spiritual needs. Scriptural teachings fuelled Carey’s burden for the unreached. However, Carey’s missionary zeal faced resistance, as the church did not fully embrace missions. For many church leaders, converting the unreached was viewed not as a human task but solely as a divine responsibility. This apathy stemmed from a profound lack of vision among Christians of that era.

The formation of the Baptist Missionary Society in 1792 gave Carey a platform and network willing to provide him with financial and logistical support. Carey set sail for India in 1793, marking a significant transition from vision to action. A commitment that would soon face its harshest tests, in the challenging Indian landscapes.

In 2021, Anne and the leaders at one of our main Christian schools made a bold choice. To reach out and offer student sponsorships to people and people groups in nearby villages who haven’t had access to education. No one anticipated the impact this gesture would have on individual lives, the community, and, most importantly, honouring God. This scholarship effort has provided 600 children with an opportunity they never imagined.

The students faced obstacles in adapting to a new environment and fitting into the new academic rigour. This crucible helped them discover their talents and realise their potential, ushering them into a successful path.

The first cohort of 47 students sat for end-of-school exams in 2022. Then, in 2023, the second group of 56 students completed. A scene to behold was how the entire community rallied to support these learners to succeed. Theirs was not about individual achievement; it is a story of resilience, hope, and the transformative power of education in changing lives and communities for the better.

Incredible stories emerge from the program's beneficiaries.

Sarah’s* parents separated when she was just a toddler. Her mother took a job in town as a childcare provider. She lived in the slum, exposed to prostitution, early marriages and petty crimes. Her mother's meagre earnings would not fund her education beyond free primary in

class eight. Joining a government secondary school, limited in learning resources and dedication became a handicap. Despite her best efforts, she could not qualify for nursing due to low grades. Her dream? To become a nurse was a bridge too far. But her friend, who once attended our school, urged Sarah to plead her case and seek admission. She was admitted to re-sit her exams. Once in school, she studied with desperation. She went on late into the night, being a privileged student, she once watched pass by from a distance. She scored a C in her KCSE exams, allowing her entry to train for nursing at the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC).

John’s* father abandoned them shortly after his birth in a mud-walled house in rural Madogo. He went to the local government school for primary and started secondary. Then came 2021, and the COVID-19 pandemic dealt a cruel blow. John abandoned schooling to join his mother in doing odd jobs.

A local soccer coach noticed something special in John. He in turn recommended him to our school. After much deliberation, Anne offered him a chance to join in form two. In this new environment, he studied with a fervour born of desperation and gratitude, eventually graduating with a Grade C – allowing him to qualify to join the military service. He's not just feeding his family; he's educating his siblings, a turnaround for his family.

Thirteen former students from this group are currently employed by the County Government. Nine of them are working in the banking and microfinance sectors, while six students have joined the Kenya Defense Forces. Additionally, eight were recruited into the Kenya Wildlife Service, and five joined the Police Service. Seven students are studying for university degrees, four are training to become teachers, and five are employed by the Kenya Forest Service. Additionally, twelve students are thriving in Technical and Vocational Training Institutes, acquiring valuable skills for the workforce. Three students are now enrolled at the Kenya Medical Training College, seven students are pursuing further education in other colleges, and 14 are serving their country through the National Youth Service.

We have 2024-2025, we have 144 pupils in the program. Your support for the scholarship program has provided educational opportunities and given hope, opening possibilities for the students, thus demonstrating the impact investment in education had on the communities. We hope to break the cycle of poverty and pave the way for understanding the good news of Christ.

Pray that would experience an overflow of the Lord's providence in Sheepfold Ministries and all the extended arms of operation, including the school.

We echo Paul's words"Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ." (2 Corinthians 2:14a) Pray that as we stand confidently in His grace, knowing that we are fully supplied we will experience a supernatural supply of all our needs in Jesus’ Name.

Thank you for praying for us, I (Francis) have enjoyed good health compared to what I went through last year. The transition to work has been smooth. I have been involved in continued leadership duties at TSM.

Also, I have been engaged academically, supervising students for MTh and PhD at SATS, OCRPL and St Paul’s University… this has been alongside publishing and giving seminar lectures. Dr. Omondi, Francis. In Our Languages: Using AI in Translation in Pioneer Evangelism; Southern African Missiological Society (SAMS) at North-West University,

Potchefstroom (21 – 23 January 2025); Omondi, Francis, “Inculturation and Indigenization: An African Theologian’s Perspective”. The Living Church Online Journal (February 19, 2025) https://livingchurch.org/covenant/inculturation-and-indigenization-an-african-theologian-perspective/; An Analysis of Non-Ideological Local and Regional Drivers of Militant Religious Insurgencies. The Swahili Coast Mapping Project; The European Insititute of Peace (March 2025)

It is our humble prayer, that we, together with our sons Daniel, Moses, and Jean, will experience God's Shalom. Pray that the Word of God becomes our bread by day and night as a family. And that the Knowledge of God's Truth may be multiplied in and through our lives.

Truly by the power of God's Grace and peace we will be found focused in God's excellent will for our lives.

*Names in this post were changed to protect the privacy of the students.