Wednesday, June 22, 2011

FASTEST GROWING IN ALL AFRICA

There are 54 countries on the continent of Africa consisting of thousands of towns.  Africa has the highest birth/growth rate in the entire world and has the second highest population of any continent with over 1 billion people.  Anybody who has visited an African town or city will attest to the fact that there are people everywhere.  Recently the U.N. released a report naming Nakuru as the fasting growing town/city in all of Africa. The growth rate is an astounding 13 percent per year. 

See   News article  and youtube video .   

A few months after arriving in Kenya in January 1998 God began to direct us to the town of Nakuru.  We knew that there were a lot of people in Nakuru and that there was a great need but little did we realize that in just a short time God would begin sending people to Nakuru from all over country.   The growth has been steady but in the last few years it has rapidly increased.

What does this growth rate mean for us?  One of the most noticeable changes is the increased COST of LIVING.  Rents have increased dramatically and the price of land has quadrupled in the last couple of years.  Whereas before many things were cheap compared to the capital city of Nairobi, now things are comparably as expensive. 

However the biggest change is a greater OPPORTUNITY.  Literally there are people, people everywhere.  Although the number of Baptist churches have increased in Nakuru since 1998 from one to seven the burden and workload to reach all the people is greater than ever.  The amount of lost souls in line walking towards an eternity in hell is increasing greatly by the day, literally increasing faster than anywhere in all of Africa.

In the thirteen years we have lived in Nakuru we have seen for various reasons seven missionary families come and go. Certainly some of them God moved on to other ministries but one thing is sure - the opportunity to minister in this place has grown greater than ever.  I have lain awake at night thinking about all the opportunity we have in this city to reach those around us and what could be done with more labourers.    

Luke 10:2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.

I am praying - could the Lord possibly be sending you?


Nakuru from the air
Nakuru fastest growing in Africa