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| Frank Njuguna at his handmade pulpit |
I want to introduce friends and followers to my Facebook co-conspirator Francis "Frank" Njuguna of Nairobi, Kenya. He is a remarkable young man who has overcome countless obstacles to become a born-again Christian -- a man of God in the truest sense.
We exchange greetings and conversations via late-at-night text messages and have quickly overcome the language barrier, thanks mainly to Francis' adaptability in speaking Spanish, English, Kikuyu and Swahili, coupled with a sincere desire to share his testimony.
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| THE SMILE SAYS IT ALL! |
Francis is currently pastor of a small, very new Community Presbyterian Church in the rural village of Athi, a two-km walk from his home. The church, founded less than a year ago, is quartered in a rather dilapidated, rented two-room house where services are held Tuesday and Thursday evenings and on Sunday mornings (8:30-9:30 prayers, 9:30-10:20 children-youth bible study and 10:20-12:30 worship service). A first anniversary will be celebrated December 15 by the church's 11 adults and nine children.
Music, surprisingly, is a big part of the fledgling church's services, Francis himself singing and playing guitar and piano. Younger brother John is also a frequent contributor and an eloquent speaker often featured in the recent innovation of on line worship services in both Swahili and English languages.
But this is by no means the beginning or the end of Frank's story.
His impoverished mother died when he was only seven years of age, leaving him in the care of an older sister who in short order had no choice other than turning him over to one of the many quarry operations in Kenya. It was there that the young lad spent his formative years as a child laborer.
Here, in his slightly edited words, Francis describes his childhood:
"I attended primary school, which after school, it was a must I attend either quarry or go to forest to search firewood. It was also mandatory for me and other siblings to go to church which was 3km away from home every Sunday. But before attending the church it was a must I go to the river and fetch water. In Class 6, I got tired with situation and a friend introduced me to smoking cannabis sativa.
"The result was that I even stopped attending to some duties and Church. Well I finished my primary level Class 8, under pressure but taking marijuana was by now a lifestyle. I did not go to high school in the opportune time, I now devoted myself to working full time in quarry, at the age of 14. That was back in 2001. From 1999 in Class 6 to 2003, I never attended Church. I survived death in February 12 2002, where I was on the top of a lorry, the lorry was climbing a hill,which the driver engaged a high gear, at the changing of gear the lorry could not receive the low gear, it started to reverse. Now the driver tensed and the lorry got an accident by turning it's heel upside down. Before it fell, however, something told me jump the opposite side and that's how I survived. Otherwise the driver and conductor were seriously injured.
"In December 2003 this is where I came back to my senses and asked myself, how I am going to survive this life. At this time I was feeding myself, and a voice came to me in a dream at night telling me 'you have to change.' I think it was the spirit of my mother, because that night I cried a lot blaming God why he took my mother and father. And as from that night, I stopped smoking marijuana, and purposed to go back to Church. Glory to God!"
Francis recalls that just 16 years ago a lady friend of his late mother hired him to clear three acres of brush on her property. He was given a week to complete the job but he finished it in two days, greatly impressing his employer who rewarded him with 20,000 kshs ($240 in Canadian funds). He had never seen or touched that much money in his life.
The lady asked Frank what he intended to do with his earnings and he told her that he thought he might take a welding course and she agreed that would be an excellent idea. On the way to register for a welding course the next morning something seemed to tell him that he actually had enough money to get him started in high school and that he was still young enough to qualify. A friend subsequently re-directed him to a resource centre where he signed up for Form 1 (the first year of high school) and his high school education was under way.
It should be noted here that the average cost of one year in the Kenyan secondary school system during that period was ksh 30,000-40,000 and it did not take long for Francis to realize that he had a problem -- not enough money left over to buy food for the coming weeks. Not knowing what way to turn, he took his case to the school principal and was given permission to attend classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays so that he could earn money the other days of the week in order to survive.
Adding to his anxiety and frustration was the fact that his former marijuana-smoking friends continually harassed him saying that sooner or later he would quit school and return to his former ways, all of which made him work all the harder to prove them wrong.
To make matters worse, in April of 2005 he came down with a mystery illness (could not talk, hear, eat or drink) and was admitted to hospital where he spent several weeks in ICU fighting death while on a life-support machine. After a month of remarkable recovery his doctor came to his bedside one day and told him he had to leave the hospital because his bill had climbed to ksh 476,000.
Leave hospital he did and continue his education he did. Continuing to go to church on Sundays, he received Jesus as his personal savior and life started aligning itself for the determined teenager who would graduate from high school in 2007. He had been named student Christian Union chairman and his teachers referred to him as "pastor" which no doubt pleased him.
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| Francis and crew work on current masonry job. |
The dreadful stories of child labor in Kenya and the high cost of secondary education are well documented and continue to be controversial to this day, particularly with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as he said, somehow, the strong, six-foot Francis managed to survive his early hardships and continues to work today as a stone mason because his church cannot afford to pay him sufficiently to feed his family. "The zeal I have for God makes me do anything for Him," is the way Francis explains it.
And, speaking of family, Francis has a wife (Elizabeth) and three children (son Lemuel, 7 and daughters Favor, 6 and Shalom,4).
As a rather comical aside, I asked him about his impression of politics and politicians in his homeland and he responded by saying: "I hate politics...God is my only polite politician."
Pastor Francis studies at the Common Ground Theological Institute and was to have been ordained after graduation in December, but that too has been put on hold due to the covid situation.
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| Francis and brother John in Sunday-go-to meeting best. |
Still he faithfully forges ahead in bringing the message of God to his people and broadening his on line ministry. He has been hampered due to the lack of video equipment but has done amazingly well broadcasting a half dozen productions to date. He is looking forward to purchasing a proper video camera for live recording of his services and is "putting all trust in God."
In Frank's rather wistful words he adds "Though we are still on rental, in a single room, we are believing God to enlarge our territories. Purchase a small land and build a place for worship, but in the mean time if we get a tent we can hire some land...anyway all those are prayer items."I am waiting for a very modest Frank to fill a few gaps in his story and he now seems to be on a roll, passing information on to me as it comes to mind. I have a feeling that he has never before been subjected to my North American newspaper type of questioning and I am taking it one step at a time so as not to overwhelm him. I'll report updates from him in future Wrights Lane and Facebook posts.
Background to religion in Kenya
Religion plays an important role in the life of most Kenyans. Many people will visit their place of worship both to practise their religion as well as to socialise with friends, family and acquaintances. It is common to find a syncretism between local and indigenous beliefs and practices with Christianity. Thus, religions in Kenya tend not to be mutually exclusive but instead may incorporate the beliefs and practices of one another.The majority of the country identifies as Christian (82.1% of the population). More specifically, 47.7% identifies as Protestant, 23.4% identifies as Catholic, and 11.9% identifies with some other branch of Christianity. Of the remaining population, 11.2% identifies as Muslim, 1.7% identifies as traditionalists, 1.6% identifies as ‘other', 2.4% identifies as 2.4%, and 0.2% did not specify their religious affiliation.
There are a variety of branches of Christianity observed in the country. Christianity was introduced to Kenya when missionaries settled near Mombasa in 1844. In the early 20th century, many Kikuyu left the mission churches and schools to start their own, free from the control of missionaries. This history highlights the distinction in contemporary Kenya between the mainstream branches of Protestant and Catholic and the African Independent Churches. Charismatic forms of Christianity, such as Pentecostal churches, have gained popularity in recent years among urban dwellers. Members of various Christian churches usually coexist and interact peacefully. At times, different denominations may come together to partake in special prayer meetings.
In contemporary Kenya, Christianity is the most dominant religion and is an influential force in the country. Christian values and attitudes relating to the family and marriage have modified traditional practices (e.g. encouraging smaller families and phasing out the practice of polygamy). Going to church on Sunday is very common as churches are found throughout the country. It is also common to see religious icons and sacred spaces in people's homes, offices or vehicles. One central element of Christianity in Kenya is the use of music, rhythm, dancing and singing during their worship time.
NOTE: Presbyterian World Mission works in partnership with the Presbyterian Church of East Africa. The extensive PC(USA) Kenya Mission Network helps promote knowledge of and commitment to most effective partnership practices. World Mission encourages Kenya Mission Network members to engage in best practices of caring for orphans and vulnerable children, to support training of pastors, to support Women’s Guild work with marginalized persons, and to promote work of Presbyterian Church of East Africa in outreach and mission areas.
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| Francis Njuguna and his children Lemuel, Favor and Shalom. |
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