The story of Kenyan Solomon Kendagor (www.solomonandruby.com) should serve as a great encouragement to every God-called missionary … and to all supporters of “Great Commission” missions (Matthew 28:19, 20) everywhere … and throughout all times!
Years ago a missionary came to Kenya, Africa, and shared the saving message of Jesus Christ with the great-uncle of Solomon Kendagor. The uncle passed on the Good News message to Solomon’s father, who came to faith in Christ and has “planted” 250 churches in Kenya! Solomon’s father has seen all 11 of his children come to faith in Christ and then receive a Christian, Bible-based education.
Solomon Kendagor moved to the USA and serves as a missionary in the USA. In 1985 he became Director of the ISI (International Students, Inc.) of St. Louis, MO. He effectively partners in ministry with Ruby, his dear wife, a native of Trinidad. They serve Jesus on the “mission field” of international students – approximately 7,000 of them — who have come to the United States from around the world.
Their visions – and that of ISI — is strategic for many reasons, one of which is the reality that one out of every four international students in the USA becomes a national leader in his/her country.
Recently before this writing, Solomon visited Kenya to encourage some former students to whom they had ministered in past years.
Another result of missions and mission service: a few years ago Solomon was invited to conduct a weekly radio broadcast to be heard in Kenya. It began by using his cell phone from his St Louis home.
So now, each Saturday evening in St. Louis – which is Sunday morning in Kenya — he speaks “live” in his native dialect through a broadcast system located in Chicago to an estimated listening audience of 5,000,000!
And now, additionally, a television opportunity has opened! He is early in broadcasting on Kenyan television on a station that, I understand, covers most of Kenya … and even “spills over” into some surrounding countries. And he communicates the Good News of Jesus in Swahili, a language understood by a majority of Africans.
A major lesson of this wonderful works-of-God story? Please always remember that this summary of all these wonderful realities was “triggered” by one missionary sharing the Good News of Jesus with one Kenyan!
May God be praised for the obedience and sacrifice of His God-called missionaries … who may often wonder if the “seeds” they are planting is doing any “good.”
And thanks be to God for the missionary supporters who make their missionary ministries possible!
Press on! Jesus is coming! (Read some of His promises about it in Matthew chapter 24.)