Before Sisters’ Karen, Meg, and Denetra came to my community, I could only imagine their impact. I worried that my English wouldn’t be good enough or that I wouldn’t be able to understand their English. The first to arrive was Sister Karen. She immediately put my fears to rest by speaking slowly and distinctly. She kept encouraging me to practice my English pronunciation and even tried to learn a few words in Swahili!
Even though Swahili is our first language, all Kenyan children are also taught English as soon as they start school. But we rarely have the opportunity to learn the subtle pronunciation differences with a real English-speaking European or American! I thoroughly enjoyed getting better (I hope) with my conversational English after working with Karen for three weeks followed by Meg & Denetra for 10 days.
I got to know Sister Karen the best because she was here the longest and we traveled to many different churches together. I was the videographer for the entire series. Among the many observations I made, one funny thing I noted: When Sister Karen is preparing for the pulpit, she changes her shoes. On a more serious note, I noticed that she started her sessions with a kneeling prayer. I found that very respectful to the God of the Universe. All three ladies were humble and ready to answer our questions. They all seemed to be energized by our friendliness and expressions of love.
Looking back, I can say that the message of the sanctuary has had an enduring and healing effect on the members of my community. For the first time, we were shown the beauty of the heavenly sanctuary, both outside and then inside our hearts. I now understand that my body, as a sanctuary, should be kept clean – without spot. We now understand that the enemy is at the entrance to devour us BEFORE we get to the gates. We also learned and are comforted that God is there ready to deliver us!
Kitale Kenya SDA Mission 