Land Cruiser to the Northern Frontier
There was great joy at CITAM Headquarters as a 4×4 Land Cruiser was officially handed over to Pastor Justus Mwangangi, by Deputy Bishop CITAM, Rev. Justus Mugambi, to support the ministry in Kalapata, Northern Kenya.
For years, Pastor Justus has faithfully served the community, traveling very long distances on a small motorbike to share the Gospel. Limitations of the job such as distances of about 90 kilometres from the closest fuelling station, and the bike’s inability to carry many people, often meant leaving his family behind during Sunday services, yet he continued to serve wholeheartedly without wavering.
As the keys were handed over, he was encouraged to take good care of the vehicle, which is built to serve the ministry for many years. Beyond providing safe transport for his family, the Land Cruiser will enable the ministry to reach more communities, support local church needs, and carry out Christ’s mission more effectively.
Pastor Justus’s unwavering commitment is a reminder that faithful service never goes unnoticed. His labour in the Lord continues to bear fruit, and this handover marks another step in advancing God’s work in Kenya’s Northern Frontier.
CITAM Ngatadei is located 70km from Lokichar and about 715km from Nairobi. Situated in Kalapata ward, Ngatadei is a typical representation of the ideal northern frontier community, deep in interior lacking basic necessities for human survival i.e no network, no road access, no water, no school, no church, no health facility etc. Ngatadei community exemplifies the realities of life in Kenya’s Northern frontier. Kalapata is famous for wrong reasons (witchcraft, illiteracy, poverty) but we hold tightly to the truth of the scripture, Romans 5:20-21, where sin abounds, grace does more abound. Kalapata ward is ranked as among the poorest wards in Kenya according to reports by Turkana County CIDP 2023-2027, Ndma, Red Cross and World Vision Kenya.
CITAM is here to walk with this community to ensure dignity for the community members as well as ensuring that the light of the gospel shines bright amidst the many challenges experienced here. CITAM missions and social action departments will work collaboratively with the adopting assembly to ensure that a holistic approach is deployed. Our partners in this new mission station, World Vision Ksnya have already opened up the community with development initiatives,our partnership will help realize holistic community development and transformation of both lives and community at large. CITAM will spearhead spiritual formation as our strength while WVK will spearhead community development through projects and capacity building trainings.
The Impact Of Enhanced Mobility For Ngatadei Mission Station
By Pastor Justus Mwangangi
I could not believe it when I was informed about the Land Cruiser. Truly, what sounded like a dream came to reality when Rev. Justus Mugambi handed over the keys of the vehicle to me. I thank CITAM leadership through the office of the DFA for the provision of a four-wheeler mobility. The new Landcruiser has injected a lot of life into the growth of the newest mission station in CITAM.
As a family, (Janet, our three sons and myself) we have been having challenges travelling together to attend church service in Ngatadei. Serving as a family in the mission field is important as it serves as a primary way to; model Godly Christian families, showing the church the family commitment in serving God i.e Joshua 24:15. Initially I have been using a motorbike (YAMAHA) and couldn’t carry that capacity. The family face in our ministry has been missing and with the provision of mobility, we will be able to move together as a family.
As we slowly setle in the community and grow our members in the new church plant, we will be working in partnership with World Vision Kenya (WVK) in their already ongoing programs because they had already gone ahead of us and they have lots of programs already happening in the community.
For instance, in a bid to ensure the church is properly discipled and every community member reached with the Gospel, we have evening services every Wednesday evening from 9-10:30pm, manyatta fellowships every Wednesday morning from 7-8am and a Sunday school from 8-9am on Sundays. These timings require that we travel early in the day and late in the evening to be in the community (70km away) on time. We have also begun school ministry currently serving Kalapata Girls senior school every Sunday from 7:30-9am before proceeding to church. The vehicle helps us to move at night as well as very early in the morning increasing efficiency, safety and saving on time. We can do most activities together as a couple now.
The church feels empowered with the provision of ‘our’ church car. It was a joy when the car arrived at the church “compund” ( we meet under a tree). We had prayed for it severally and was received as an answered prayer. It has grown the faith of the church members that our God can hear and answer prayers of His people. Everything else we wish to have as a church, I have taught the church that we should commit it to God in prayer, He will do it for us. I can pick and drop our high school students when schools open and close. Again, since we don’t have a hospital around Ngatadei, sick members can access medical attention in Lokichar courtesy of our church car.
As the lead missionary couple, we will take charge in the establishment of the mission station i.e beginning with the church, then school and later a dispensary. Alongside, we will drill water for the community and ensure other community transformation initiatives through the church are happening concurrently i.e education scholarship, mentorship programs for young people, occasional relief distribution etc. We will also work to strengthen our relationship with the community and the local leadership alongside our primary partner (WVK) and other like minded strategic partners in Kalapata.
Our partners WVK are working across Kalapata in over 55 villages. Through the MOU we signed with them for a collaborative yet complementary engagement in Kalapata, they have severally invited me to support their programs across the ward as I will also be asking them to support our activities moving forward. Kalapata is vast and therefore with the vehicle, it’s easy to traverse the villages working together with WVK; strengthening our partnership, maximizing impact and accelerating transformation of the community.