Phil Johnsey (PJ): Tom, when I first met you, you were pastoring a small church close to Kisumu. You then asked me if CMN would help you plant a church in the area that you grew up. How is that church doing?
Tom Ogai (TO): Yes, brother Phil, I had finished my initial pastor training and knew in the area I grew up there was large Muslim mosque and many cultic churches, but no evangelical churches. You brought a medical team the next year, after I finished our prep work in getting a handful of new believers that I was discipling and developing their leadership.
PJ: We went ahead and built your first building as you had finished your certificate level train- ing. I was there for your first service and you had a house full!
TO: Yes, after the metal building was finished, I asked you for two tarps to attach for the children. You first objected saying that tarps were for church plants who have no building.
PJ: I remember, and you had over 100 adults in the service with another 100 children outside listening to what was being said and singing.
TO: As you know, we have had two additions to the size of the building and we now run 200 adults and 200 children.
PJ: You not only pastor a large congregation by African standards but also run our Kare for Kids in Africa (K4K). Tell us how that is going and what you do to oversee it.
TO: We are feeding over 17,000 orphans and widows in 76 of our church plantsin Kenya. You send $25,000 monthly to our CMN account and we have a contract with the rice plant in Kisumu that gives it to us in bulk—the rice, beans, butter, salt, etc. It takes me three days each month to deliver the bags of rice and beans to the areas. Men on motorcycles take it to the various churches.
PJ: Tell us how this affects your church through ministry and evangelism.
TO: We are feeding between 370 and 390 children and widows three days each week. The food helps nourish the kids, they are healthier and learn better when they aren’t hungry. We’ve had seven Muslim families join our church and be baptized that our first touch with them was feeding their children. A Muslim widow came to me and said after her hus- band died she prayed to Allah for a year to feed her children. She said Allah didn’t do anything, yet you Christians reached out to help my kids.
PJ: That’s an amazing story! Reaching Muslims wasn’t in our mind when we began K4K, but God has used it in great ways. Any last word?
TO: I wish more Christians in America could come and see how CMN continues to grow God’s Kingdom here in Africa. I feel blessed to be a part of CMN.