WELCOME TO OUR MINISTRY

  East Africa Zarephath Ministry is a ministry focused on the nation of Kenya but with vision for all of East Africa. It was birthed as a result of the violence that overtook Kenya in January of 2008. As many know, this violence shook Kenyan society and caused great dislocations in the economy and in the population that has yet to be fully dealt with. It came as a great surprise to both the Kenyans as well as to the world. Kenya had been the most peaceful and progressive nation of East Africa for quite a while. The degree of the violence and dislocations caused the Kenyan people to cry out for help. It was in this context that I first became acquainted with this nation.

In January of 2008, I received an email from a friend of mine in Israel informing me of a man in Machakos, Kenya who was writing to him asking for a word from the Lord concerning his nation of Kenya and asking for intercession for his nation. In this context he sent me the email request for help and told me he thought this was for me to do. So I undertook to begin to pray and ask the Lord for a word for Kenya and for direction concerning how to deal with this situation. The Lord was faithful to give me a word and I began to correspond with the man in Kenya. This man's name is Onesmus. On the second correspondence with him, I sensed the Lord say to me that the next email that I would receive would be an invitation to come to Kenya and that I was to disregard the violence there, get a ticket and go to the nation. This is indeed what happened. So I got a ticket to travel to Kenya in March of 2008 following a mission trip to Egypt. My plane was to leave Cairo and arrive in Nairobi at 4am on March 15, 2008.

 After some initial trouble in finding one another, I was picked up from the airport in Nairobi and transported to Machakos, Kenya. There I discovered a man and his wife, Onesmus and Esther, who had truly forsaken all for the gospel. He had been a preacher in the Africa Church for 15 or so years. A number of years ago, as he preached the Lord told him to throw away his notes and be filled with the Holy Spirit and to begin to speak with new tongues. This happened while he preached and as a result some 200 people were filled with the Spirit on that day. As a result he was dismissed from his position with Africa Church.

 He continued his ministry in Machakos but had much opposition. This culminated in his going back home to the Meru area to farm for a while. Eventually he was told he must go back to Machakos and preach on the streets. The Lord was very urgent about this and at one point he realized that if he did not obey it would mean his death. So he returned to Machakos and began street preaching and going door to door. The early days of the ministry were very slow with few results. The ones who did respond were destitute and had no means of support. So Onemus and his family had a very difficult time financially.

 After several years of travail and struggle, Esther began to despair. It took a miracle every day just to eat. Eventually, due to a lack of funds they were locked out of their house. They slept in their cooking shed for 3 nights and fasted. Eventually by borrowing funds they were able to return to their house. Esther then undertook 14 more days of fasting. At the end of this time an angel appeared to her dressed in white. She conversed with this angel telling him all of her troubles. He told her he already knew her troubles and that help was being sent. He reminded her that when help came, she was to always remember the poor and give to them.

 It was in this context that I arrived in Machakos. I did not know of this story nor was I told it on my arrival. It took me 14 months to unravel most of what you just read. On my first trip to Kenya in March of 2008, I began to notice the poverty around me although Onesmus never acted poor nor spoke of his need or poverty. Eventually though I asked about his needs. He told me that since the Lord had opened my eyes to it then he would tell me of it. As he spoke of his need, the Lord showed me that I was to go home to USA and form a nonprofit that could fund the work He would give me to do in Africa. He essentially told me that He would make me a channel of funds into Africa. I was resistant to this idea. I was happy to teach and to preach but never wanted to be responsible for money in the ministry. Nevertheless, He was firm on His command.

 I was slow to be obedient to the instruction. I was given opportunity to be a part of 2 other ministries and tried to make this work. It hit major obstacles and I realized I must obey what He had called me to do. To my amazement, immediately upon returning to the States, just the mention of Africa would cause people to begin to give their money. Money came in with no effort. Truly the Lord was causing to happen what He said would happen. In no time, we were able to get Onemus out of debt and to purchase items for his ministry.

 Upon my return to Kenya in June of 2008, Esther began to have a vision when she would pray for me. Eventually the Lord told her what the vision meant. It was a vision of she and I pushing a boulder up the mountain. The Lord told her this boulder was a burden for the orphans and widows of Kenya. So she took me up into the hills surrounding Machakos where she had a list of 100 orphans and widows in the area. She visited them and kept a list of them so that she could visit and pray for them. She being a poor woman herself had nothing to give them but they eagerly sought to be on her list. As we visited them, I heard the Lord speak to my spirit that as I had asked for the nation of Kenya, I was to do my work His way. He reminded me that traditional methods don't work. Traditional evangelism and traditional church planting don't work, so He told me to do this work His way. He reminded me that there was only one expression of faith in the Scripture that was pure and undefiled and that was to visit orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. He told me to begin to minister to these orphans and widows and to trust Him to change the nation. I realized that the ultimate goal would be to build an orphanage and school.

 So I came home and formed East Africa Zarephath Ministry. This name is taken from 1 Kings 17 and is the name of the village where the widow lived that took care of Elijah in the drought. In that chapter is everything we feel called to in Africa. There is provision, widows, fatherless child, Elijah spirit, the fathering spirit, and signs and wonders.

 Upon return in September of 2008, we visited a home where a grandmother was raising her 3 orphaned grandsons. The reason for most of these orphans is HIV. The grandmother herself was a widow. I heard her story of putting these children to bed at night with no food due to her severe lack. The Lord spoke again and told me that He would indeed give me the orphanage if I would be faithful to what I saw before me right now. He instructed me to begin feeding and clothing these children now. So in faith, we began doing so. We now have responsibility to feed and clothe about 56 orphans. These children are currently living with guardians and food is distributed to them every 3 weeks. As most of these guardians are elderly grandparents, usually widows, a better solution would be to house these children with Onesmus and Esther. However that is a step further away than we are at the moment.

Land has been found but not purchased. We are waiting on the Lord for both the funds and the timing of when to move forward in this program. He has led us this far faithfully to date always showing us what needed to be done and how to do it. He will certainly provide the rest of the way.

 In addition to the work of the orphans, there is another aspect to this ministry. Onemus and his ministry have become connected with at least 5 other fellowships in Kenya. Many of these are in the more rural areas of Kenya and all have been birthed from men coming out of traditional religious institutions and forming new fellowships who are free to follow the Spirit and His direction. So a ministry of oversight to these fellowships has been birthed. On my trips to Kenya, I now regularly visit these fellowships and teach and preach in their congregations.

 From time to time, we will post new information on this website as new developments occur. Know that we value your prayers and welcome any opportunity for your involvement in this ministry.

 Perry Smith