Meet Humphrey
SHBC Family. I am proud to introduce you to Humphrey. He is an associate pastor at Imani Baptist. He is a volunteer who is called to serve God. His ministry is quite extra-ordinary.
Imani Baptist, as I mentioned before, is located in a slum area of Tigoni--which gives new meaning to the word slum. The ministry that Humphrey leads is one to HIV positive men and women. He has put together a year-long class that is designed to meet immediate needs, bring evangelistic witness, educate HIV infected men and women on prevention, and to help their families cope with long-term care. They are working on their second class now, and it has 63 women and 12 men enrolled.
Humphrey holds classes at the church on Wed. and Fri. He goes on Tue. and Thu. to give home visits to the bed-ridden. The HIV infected in Kenya are considered a sub-class of society and shunned from all community fellowship. Their families are treated with great caution because little is known about the disease. So, in spite of the attempts at education, the HIV infected and their families are considered cursed and left out of work, church, and society in general.
As Humphrey is talking to me about his ministry and the work he puts in, I begin to ask questions.
Do people treat you differently? Sometimes, but I don't care.
Have you been trained? Yes, there are other churches and organizations that do this same work. We are trained once a year.
What precautions do you take? Rubber gloves, masks when necessary, avoiding all bodily fluids.
What can you do to really help them? We provide fellowship and Bible study. Many are not allowed in churches because of the disease. We also provide fellowship for the care-givers. If they are not saved, we witness to them about God's love and acceptance. Many have been saved. One is now an active member in Imani Baptist Church. Others have been on their death beds, but hope has allowed them to participate in basic life again. They know what precautions they must take, and we hold them accountable. Several have started working again out of their homes--sewing, embroidery, selling charcoal, and other odd jobs. We have seen dignity increase, and we have seen hope return.
Meet Humphrey. He knows Jesus. He has given him everything. And he is giving hope to the hopeless. Now that is what it means to be a disciple. God has given him a calling. And he is living it. Now that is the kind of man I want to work beside.
Imani Baptist, as I mentioned before, is located in a slum area of Tigoni--which gives new meaning to the word slum. The ministry that Humphrey leads is one to HIV positive men and women. He has put together a year-long class that is designed to meet immediate needs, bring evangelistic witness, educate HIV infected men and women on prevention, and to help their families cope with long-term care. They are working on their second class now, and it has 63 women and 12 men enrolled.
Humphrey holds classes at the church on Wed. and Fri. He goes on Tue. and Thu. to give home visits to the bed-ridden. The HIV infected in Kenya are considered a sub-class of society and shunned from all community fellowship. Their families are treated with great caution because little is known about the disease. So, in spite of the attempts at education, the HIV infected and their families are considered cursed and left out of work, church, and society in general.
As Humphrey is talking to me about his ministry and the work he puts in, I begin to ask questions.
Do people treat you differently? Sometimes, but I don't care.
Have you been trained? Yes, there are other churches and organizations that do this same work. We are trained once a year.
What precautions do you take? Rubber gloves, masks when necessary, avoiding all bodily fluids.
What can you do to really help them? We provide fellowship and Bible study. Many are not allowed in churches because of the disease. We also provide fellowship for the care-givers. If they are not saved, we witness to them about God's love and acceptance. Many have been saved. One is now an active member in Imani Baptist Church. Others have been on their death beds, but hope has allowed them to participate in basic life again. They know what precautions they must take, and we hold them accountable. Several have started working again out of their homes--sewing, embroidery, selling charcoal, and other odd jobs. We have seen dignity increase, and we have seen hope return.
Meet Humphrey. He knows Jesus. He has given him everything. And he is giving hope to the hopeless. Now that is what it means to be a disciple. God has given him a calling. And he is living it. Now that is the kind of man I want to work beside.
Anyone want to join me?
Labels: Kenya Trip
posted by Randy Rogers at
9:49 AM
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