Meet the Samburu

For the past year or so, the Samburu Training in Ministry Outreach (TIMO) team have been working among the Samburu people and have grown to deeply care for them. Here are some of their stories of people they have met.

Jacob writes… Pray for Apaiya (Father) Lesingeran

He visits our home daily to have a cup of tea with us and then we either read the Samburu children’s Bible or listen to a recorded Bible story and discuss it. He seems interested in God’s word, but it is hard to tell since he is a quiet and soft-spoken man. Pray that God would open his eyes to the grace found in Christ. Pray that he would come to faith and be an example to his household drawing the rest of his family to Christ as well.

Miriam writes… Pray for Lina

Sitting in my friend Lina’s house after showing the Jesus Film at her compound, I found her full of good questions. As we talked she asked me, “Miriam, what does it mean to murder?” I cast about for recently learned words in Samburu as I explained that God commands us not to kill, that he hates war, and in fact says if we hate another in our hearts it is the same as murder. This brought a thoughtful pause. Pray for Lina and others like her who desire to know God, that they will come to know the God of love who is actively seeking after their hearts and lives.

C* writes… Pray for Sabina

Sabina returned the day after we’d studied the Beatitudes to ask if I’d help her remember them. So I grabbed my Samburu version of the Gospel of Matthew and we headed for the river bed. Like a sponge she soaked in each word and in 30 minutes she’d successfully memorised half (vs 1-7 of 12.) Worrying she’d lose her zeal for memorising I asked if she wanted to stop for the day. To which she responded, “I will stop memorising only when I remember all of what Jesus said!” Praise God for hunger and eagerness to know him. Pray that she would grow into a woman rooted in God’s word, captivated by his voice, and yearning to follow after him.

Joy writes… Pray for Mama Lenkoyo

“I’ve come to church.” This comment from Mama Lenkoyo preceded our first Sunday worship service in Lchakwai. Her determination to “have church”, to worship God in song, prayer, and listening to his word, pushed us all into starting a worship service in Samburu long before we felt ready for it. Mama Lenkoyo, recently widowed, is just a few years older than I and we have become friends. She believes in Jesus and knows that he died for her sins. Pray that she will grow in her understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus, even when that means doing things differently than her culture prescribes.

F* writes… Pray for Ltodoka and Kulalo

At his request, I started studying Matthew’s Gospel with Ltodoka, a young school boy, and not long after, his friend, Kulalo, joined us. One week, we were looking at a passage where Jesus heals many sick people. ‘If we are sick then we must pray to Jesus,’ Ltodoka said. ‘And if we aren’t healed straight away, what should we do?’ I asked. ‘We must keep praying to Jesus because only he can heal,’ came the reply. I am amazed by these boys’ simple yet profound faith – they have a lot to teach me. Please pray for them and me as we study together, that Jesus would make himself known to us.

* C & F’s names in this article have had to be removed for security purposes. Following the conclusion of this two year TIMO team, both C & F have gone to work in creative access locations with AIM, continuing to be passionate about sharing the gospel with those yet to hear.