Mary and I left back for Kenya in early July to complete prior ministry commitments, and bring our dogs back to the USA. The children are with our friends Donald and Maria Passwaters during this interim time. Mary will go back to the Florida in early August and I will follow in the latter part of the month.
Our arrival into Kenya caught us up immediately into a flurry of ministry that is a trademark of the hunger for God in East Africa.
The Masaai Well Project
A few days after our arrival, we met with Pastor Joseph Kamhoro of Olmarram Free Pentecostal Church, Narok Kenya. The Olamarram Church is in the heart of Masaai land. Last year we were invited by Pastor Joseph to be the speakers at a church fundraiser and had noticed how many of the Masaais have red teeth. He told us that people in that area drink muddy river water due to an absence of a well. I spoke about this issue at the Doral Vineyard Church in South Florida. The church gave $1500.00 toward the project. The money was too little at that time for the digging of the well. We held on to the funds until Pastor Joseph was able to work out something with the government who will pay the balance on the digging of the well. It was a joyous occasion two weeks ago, right after our arrival, to meet with Pastor Joseph and give to him the money.
A few days after our arrival, we met with Pastor Joseph Kamhoro of Olmarram Free Pentecostal Church, Narok Kenya. The Olamarram Church is in the heart of Masaai land. Last year we were invited by Pastor Joseph to be the speakers at a church fundraiser and had noticed how many of the Masaais have red teeth. He told us that people in that area drink muddy river water due to an absence of a well. I spoke about this issue at the Doral Vineyard Church in South Florida. The church gave $1500.00 toward the project. The money was too little at that time for the digging of the well. We held on to the funds until Pastor Joseph was able to work out something with the government who will pay the balance on the digging of the well. It was a joyous occasion two weeks ago, right after our arrival, to meet with Pastor Joseph and give to him the money.
Western Kenya
The next day on 11th of July, Mary and I boarded a bus to Western Kenya to carry out 12 days of conferences in three different places with our friend Elias Ouma Onduas, senior pastor of The Journey to Heaven Ministries, an organization with 13 churches.
Pastor Elias recently changed his ministry’s name to be able to show solidarity with our ministry, Safari Through the Word. In Swahili, Safari is defined as a journey. The teachings that we provide have affected him to such a point that he has wanted to have all of his churches in agreement with them. In a way, his ministry has adopted us as its spiritual parents.
The commitment of African Christians to the gospel truly astounds us. The last of the three conferences, in Ugunja Kenya, was geared for the pastors of all of Elias’s churches to come and sit under our teachings. Pastors and evangelists as far as Mombassa Kenya traveled on 24-hour bus drive to spend two days with us. Two pastors, one 54 and the other 64 years of age rode their bicycles 6 hours each way to attend. Four evangelists, who live by absolute faith and no money, ministered with us at the beginning and the end of the12 day tour.
The Adult Education Project
Earlier this year through a vision that Mary and I had, we began an adult reading school at Pastor Elias church in Ugunja with $400.00. Western Kenya, as well as Masaai land, has a high rate of illiteracy amongst adult believers. It has burdened Mary and me that if Christians cannot read the Word of God they will not grow and the revival in Kenya will not be sustained. With $400.00 from our supporters, we got the school off the ground with tables, chairs, books and Bibles for six people. Immediately the number of people that wanted to read swelled. More came and as they came, they gave their hearts to Jesus. This shows the love of the gospel in action. We were still in need of more Bibles, books, tables and chairs to be able to get the 18 people ceiling that Elias’s building can hold.
On this trip, through the love gifts of our supporters, we brought Pastor Elias an additional $1600.00 that will complete the school. There will now be chairs, tables, and books for the18 students and the salaries of two teachers. The school is self-sustaining in that the books will stay behind for the next batch of students. There was a little ceremony at the school since Mary and I had not seen it since it began a few months back. Three women gave their hearts to the Lord at this ceremony.
The Aram Kenya Conference
We left for Journey to Heaven Church in Aram, Kenya in the first of the three conference stops.
On the first morning of our teachings, a number of people were instantaneously healed. An old man by the name of John, who could hardly walk, received a miracle in his knees and started running around the adjacent field. Pastor Richard’s (the Aram pastor) mother, Gladys, a woman in her 80’s received a miracle healing in her eyes. Speaking only Ki Luo she looked at me with a big grin on her face as the healing took place. Mama Gladys sat in the front row of every conference session during our four days there. Another lady by the name of Mama Jane had suffered from a mild stroke years back and had been totally healed except the vision in her eye. Her eye was instantaneously healed. Jane’s 15-year-old daughter Beka was a backslidden believer. Hearing about what happened to her mom she came several days later and gave her heart back to the Lord. She likewise had suffered a mild stroke that had caused paralysis in her left arm that would not allow her to lift up heavy objects. After prayer, a bucket with about 25 pounds of water was brought to her which Beka lifted with ease. Praise the Lord!
In one of the evening crusade meetings God had me speak on the cleansing of the generational bloodline from witchcraft that vastly exists in the rural parts of Kenya. I felt a huge wall of unbelief when I spoke about it and my prayers seemed to have little anointing. I said, “What now Lord?” The Lord told me to call up the children who were sick. To our surprise a procession of about 30-40 children formed. Most of them suffered either from stomach problems or headaches (we suspect typhoid) or needed prayers for the passing of their school examinations. The healing power came upon every child as we went down the prayer line. Headaches and stomach pains instantaneously left!
We have been astonished repeatedly at the incredible grasp of deep spiritual truths by illiterate Kenyans in towns where there is no money, water, toilets, or electricity. The conference material that was taught dealt with the renewed mind operating in the mysteries and patterns of God, and capturing the invisible things of God in heavenly places.
Mary and I have been burdened by the state of Pastor Richard’s church in Aram. Due to its incredible poor structure because of the poverty in the area, he has lost a good part of his congregation. The cost of getting a good structure would be 1000 dollars. We believe the Lord for this money.
When we were going to take our baths, we observed that the water was muddy. The answer here would be to have a pump and pipes bring in water from nearby Lake Victoria. The cost of a well would be too high in this very remote area. We are believing God for this as well.
The Ndeda Island Conference
We then went on to Ndeda Island about five miles inside Lake Victoria. This island of 5,000 is a fishing village. This island is known for prostitution and drunkedness. Many spiritual churches have attempted to be planted there but have failed. The only remaining churches are the Catholic Church and one started by our friend, Pastor Elias. Those that reside in Ndeda are there strictly for business purposes. Every night the lake is besieged with lights from countless boats catching omena (similar to sardine), Nile perch, and tilapia. Upon our arrival, many children came to meet us. These kids were to follow us around everywhere we went.
Large amount salvations and a unique healing anointing highlighted the Ndeda meetings. In our three conferences any where between 40-50 people gave their hearts to the Lord. One evening right before dinner, after baptizing four people, three people gave their hearts to the Lord including one drunk who fell and was out in the Spirit for 15 minutes. That night he was at the crusade. Just as dinner was to be served the Lord told me, “a man is going to come in thorough the door.” Seconds later a tall figure came into the hazy light of our kerosene lamp lit room. He was a backslidden preacher. When we prayed he fell on his face on the dirt floor, wailing, weeping and repenting as we then continued with our dinner adjacent to him.
Another night God performed a healing upon every person that came forward. People with eye problems, asthma, allergies, bone aches, headaches, heart problems, neck problems all experienced instantaneous relief. Two women that were barren experienced the movements of the Spirit of God in their womb. One of them said that she felt a wind blow inside her belly. We give ALL glory to God alone.
The Ugunja Kenya Conference
Our final stop was Ugunja, where many pastors from many different parts of Kenya attended. We continued to enjoy the powerful teaching and healing anointings that we had experienced in Aram and Ndeda. God had us do a Hebrew 4:12 impartation for a dividing of soul from the spirit and a Romans 7:25 impartation for the creation of a renewed mind which can live by the law of God.
I always teach on financial principles on the last day of these conferences due to the very inferior understanding of finances that exists in east Africa. We teach people to give tithes and offerings by the rhema word of God versus giving out of a poverty mindset. We teach on 2Cor 10:4-5 and train people that the imaginations of a world filled with poverty must be cast down so that they can be free to operate by the wisdom of God in mysteries.
After my message, the evangelist came up and told people that if they did not have any money to give, they always had something to give to God, even if it was a leaf. The offering then started. A blanket was placed down next to Mary and me as we shut our eyes in worship. To my amazement when I opened up up my eyes and looked down at the blanket, there was a baby on it! One woman had nothing to give but her child. The leaders prayed for the child, dedicated it to the Lord, and gave it back to the woman again.
Sarah
We were getting ready to send out this newsletter, when we had dinner with our white missionary friend Stacy Cloud. A twenty-two year girl by the name of Sarah was there. Sarah had been deaf from the age of thirteen. After dinner, we prayed for Sarah’s ear. She suddenly began groaning as her ears opened up and she began hearing. Mary stood behind her back and spoke to her a variety of words that Sarah was able to perfectly recite back to her. As we were leaving Mary said in a loud voice “Sarah,” “Sarah.” The Clouds have a big two-story missionary home. Sarah came running to where we were from another room in the house. Thank you Jesus!
We now continue on to conferences in Mombasa, Maasai Land, Tanzania, and an ordination service before going back to America to continue work into East Africa. It is God’s desire to see an exchange between Africa and the USA. We love you all!
God bless you
Jose and Mary Alvarez
Safari Through the Word Ministries operates solely on your” free will faith offerings.” We are a 501C3 non-profit corporation and issue receipts for your tax deductions.
