HE LAUGHED AT SALVATION
Kipsigis Christian story
translated by Richard Chowning
The story is told of a woman who told her husband she was going to the river to wash her clothes. She reminded him to keep a eye on their baby boy. As most fathers he did not know what types of problems the boy could get into, so, he paid little mind to the child. The infant crawled twenty yards away for the house, and fell into a grass covered hole that had been dug for a well, but abandoned because no water was found.
After awhile the father decided to check on his son. He searched inside the hut. He was not there. He looked outside and to the back of the hut. He was not there. Then he c...
CAUGHT, CONVICTED AND CHANGED
A True Conversion Story
By Richard Chowning
When Paulo Arap Lang'at, a tall, muscular African, stands before an audience and proclaims, "Jesus is the Savior of my soul and he can save you too," you would assume he had preached the gospel most of his life. Actually, for many years Paulo terrorized neighbors and embarrassed relatives. The Savior made the difference - all the difference in the world.
Thirty-two year-old Paulo has converted many of his Kipsigis tribesmen to Christ. Villagers crave his mixture of joy and conviction.
Paulo knows that his fellow Kipsigis search for answers to a life in fear of ancestors and the in...
Hyena, Walking Sticks and Missionaries
By Richard Chowning
Introduction
"Our sins will eat us. That is why a sacrifice used to be offered to remove the bite of sin whenever sickness or drought was overtaking our people. The sacrifice is no longer offered but our sins and their penalty remain. Only Christ, the sacrifice offered by God, can take away the sting of our sins."
That is a cultural anecdote employed by Kipsigis evangelists in Kenya. A recent Kipsigis convert said, "These men preach as no others. They make us understand the Gospel by comparing it to some of our own beliefs and practices." Many of the more than 1,800 faithful Kipsigis Chri...
NO ALTERNATIVE
A Short Story
By Richard Chowning
"I want you to be mine." Kiplang'at leaned against the tree. At his feet a river flowed lazily. Fifteen year-old Cheruto sat on a rock. "We will be married traditionally. There is no money for a Christian wedding."
"We can't. We have begun to follow the way of Christ." Cheruto's hands covered her face. "I do not want the spirits' blessing. I want Christ to bless our home."
"So do I, but there is no alternative." Kiplang'at kicked a rock into the steam. "You must be mine no matter what the Christians say."
"Not that way."
"Then I will take...
