Agnes Iripon ( from the archives of Mzungu Mpole)

AGNES IRIPON

Thursday March 9th 2006 at the airport in Mombasa. awaiting my flight. So here I sit broken hearted…..O where do I begin, I’m waiting for my return flight to Nairobi and I know my father is teaching me. Who should I tell you about first? Florence and her family? Agnes? Sophia? My Rift Valley trip? O.K., O.K., Agnes.
So, after my spirit was broken by a 4 day stay with Florence and her family up the coast I actually stayed in a hotel nearby. I went to downtown Mombasa to distance myself. I had a great Chinese food that cost too much…moved my stuff to my new room, had a shower. Mombasa is on the coast at the equator, therefore much hotter than Nairobi. I started sweating a week ago when I got here and other than the first hour when I get up at 6 a.m. I sweat all day. Six to eight liters of water a day is normal. Taking anti-biotic for my chest infection doesn’t help any. Alright back to Agnes.

I went to Casa Blanca, a night club with 20-30 guys and 100 girls who just want to be your friend and keep you company. After about 5 minutes, Agnes came over to me and asked if she could keep me company. She is 6 feet tall slender, young and from the Turkana tribe of North Kenya. Her eyes could melt you! If every picture tells a story then her face is an entire book! After the usual touchy feely I like your size intro, I asked her why she picked me. Her English was minimal and I questioned whether I was going to be able to get the message across to her . After a soda she agreed to leave the Club and talk to me. So we got her friend, Purity, who spoke great English to come along to translate. Then I told her God sent me to give her a message. She was defiling the temple of the Holy Ghost and it was sin. It hit her like a ton of bricks and she broke down sobbing. She told me she knew God loved her and went on to tell us how she was baptized on Feb. 20th, going to church on Sundays and just this past week she was preached to prophetically about prostitution by a pastor who is called to these girls. She was so sick about it that she stayed home for 12 days, and when she ran out of money and went to the street to feed her son she picked me. Bang! Does God ever have his hand on her? I sent her home by taxi and she agreed to meet me the next day.
I met Ben her son that day and gave her money for food. Florence came along to translate. It was very heavy as she said she could not go back to the street and we talked about her moving to Shanzu and going to church with Florence. I agreed to meet her again and talk to her. I gave her some more money and sent her home. Then reality set in. I was hurting her not helping her. As Florence was saying, "as soon as she runs out of money she has no choice but go back to the street". I was making her feel bad about her life and buying her a couple of day’s vacation then she would go back. I felt so helpless to do anything. I involved Florence and it hurt her too. O God, help me, what is the solution. What come first, the chicken or the egg? Should I be doing this? O.K. Even Florence, who is spirit-filled, born-again from last fall, attending Church regularly, singing in the choir, praying in tongues, and when you do something for her, she just wants more and more!!! It is like taken for granted and if you question them – a big reaction. The more I try to help the more I wonder if I’m hurting. You buy a gift for mom and dad is not grateful, but jealous. It seems like you do more harm than good. O Lord, show me the way. It’s a non-stop assault on your emotions about poverty. Everybody just needs, wants and if you are a “Mzungu”(White Man) then they make it out to be your responsibility.


November 24th, 2006

Agnes Is Saved!

Let me share my blessing of the week I got a call from Agnes a former prostitute in Mombassa that I preached to last trip. She had been saved by a woman preacher and baptized, after 12 days off the street she needed food for her child and prayed to God to forgive her and give her another way as she went to the bar. THE FIRST ONE SHE PICKED WAS ME! little did she know I asked her why me and she said she liked my size. This was very significant for me since I was questioning my motive, was I in the flesh playing with girls or in the Spirit following the Lord Jesus Christ! When I preached to her she broke down crying and said Better I die of hunger than I ever go to the street again. Then she showed me her baptism photo and told me the story. I gave her taxi fare home and met her the next day.
I proposed many things and gave her some more money but another reformed girl that I had saved told me that in the end she has no choice and will go back. I felt discouraged to say the least. I have since stopped focusing on these girls.
Well praise the Lord all the glory to God. Agnes said she is working in a hair dressing salon and is no longer going to the street!!! I hope to visit her in Mombassa next week
Well I visited Agnes in Mombassa. She is working in a salon. Ben her son is going to school and she is not working on the street I gave her money to go home for Christmas and told her God loves her. All the glory to God.

Doing the work of God
Changing peoples lives
one person at a time
alan

Habari Yako

Usharika wetu ni "Usharika WaKimasihi unaoshika Torati" ukihusisha wale waliozaliwa kama Wayahudi na wale wa mataifa, walio pandikizwa katika jumuiya ya Israeli, kwa kumpokea Yeshua kama Masihi wao (Waefeso 2:12-13).
Tunaamini Yeshua ni Torati hai aliyekuja kutimiza Torati kwa uaminifu na siyo kuitangua. Torati ni hai na nzima, inaishi katika mioyo ya wote wamuaminio.

Kwa hiyo uchaji wake siyo hiari bali ni uhitaji kwa wote wanaodhamiria kumfuata Mashiach (Masihi) wetu, ambaye baada ya kutimiza Torati kwa ajili yetu, alilipa gharama (Asham - sadaka) ya makosa yetu, hivyo akatangua katika mwili Wake madhara ya kutokutii kwetu (dhambi na mauti). Tunakazana kutembea katika njia Zake kwa sababu tunampenda. Tunaamini kwamba Torati na neema zinaishi pamoja leo, nasi tunahitaji kutimiza Sheria za MUNGU na Neema ya MUNGU inatusamehe wakati tumejaribu na kushindwa.
Tukiwa ni usharika wenye uchaji wa Torati inamaanisha kwamba tunafundisha na kuhimiza wanachama na wafuasi kujizoesha na Torati majumbani mwao na kama maisha ya uadilifu kwa ujumla. Hii inamaanisha vilevile kusherekea moedim (sherehe) zote za Kibiblia kama inavostahili na kwa siku zilizoamriwa. Kuwa na uchaji wa Torati ina maana tunaheshimu siku ya Shabati na kuacha kufanya kazi zozote pamoja na kutokununua na kuuza, kuanzia machweo ya Ijumaa hadi machweo ya Siku ya Saba (Jumamosi).
Uchaji wetu wa Torati unaendelea hadi katika muundo wetu na taratibu za ibada. Ingawa sisi ni Wakarisimatiki (tunaamini katika vipawa na kazi za Ruach HaKodesh [Roho Mtakatifu]), bado tunapendelea zaidi muundo wa ibada ya kiasili. Shabati inaanza na ibada ya Erev Shabati "Kabalah Shabati" (kukaribisha Shabati), imbayo inahusisha litrugia, kusifu na kuabudu na kujifunza Torati kwa kujadiliana . Ibada za Shabati zinaanza saa 3.00 asubuhi ya Siku ya Saba (jumamosi), pamoja na saa moja na nusu ya kujifunza Torati ya parasha ya wiki (masoma ya wiki ya Torati).
Ibada za kawaida zinaanza saa 5:00 asb. Na kuchukua kama masaa matatu. Ibada hii inaanza na litrugia na kuendelea na maombi, sifa na kuabudu Kimasihi (pamoja na dansi ya Kidaudi), ibada ya Torati ya kiasili yenye ufasihi, D'var Torah (tafakari ya masomo ya kila wiki), na kumalizia na mahubiri ya Rabbi. Ingawa hii ni ibada ya kawaida, haimaanishi kwamba tumeambatana nayo kimadhubuti. Uongozi unaruhusiwa kugeuza ibada na yale yaliyomo, kama vile watakavyoongozwa na Ruach HaKodesh.
Sisi hapa Melech Yisrael tunajihesabia zaidi ya usharika; sisi ni jamii hai inayojishughulisha ya waamini wa Masihi, tukiwa na ibada mbalimbali na mashughuliko yanayotendeka wiki nzima. Upekee wetu unatokana na kwamba sisi sote tunatokana na wale ambao ni Wayahudi na wasiyo Wayaahudi, tumeunganishwa pamoja katika kumuabudu Masihi wetu katika desturi na mila za Torati, wakati huohuo tukithibitisha uweza na uhuru wa Ruach HaKodesh.