Meet Godfrey

Godfrey is one of our watchmen. He is 25 years old, speaks at least 8 languages, and helps to pastor a Swahili Presbyterian church that meets on his property. He is also our personal car wash, lemon picker, and general handyman around the house.

But as amazing a young man as Godfrey is, he didn’t start out that way. By the time he was 12 years old, his father had died, his mother couldn’t support him, and he was living on the streets. He begged, worked odd jobs, and fought to make ends meet. He snuck into classes at local schools so he could continue the education he so valued. Before his 15th birthday, Godfrey was known as a street fighter and drug user.

Through a series of “coincidences,” Godfrey met a man who invited him into his home and agreed to provide housing, food, and school fees in exchange for work around his home. Godfrey, who wanted to “make his fortune” with music, was intrigued by the man’s guitar and asked him to teach him to play. Over time, Godfrey heard the man’s story and learned that he was a follower of Jesus. Godfrey chose to follow Christ as well. And since then, over the past ten years, our gracious Father has turned his life around. He completed secondary school, as well as seminary. He returned to his father’s land, began providing for his mother and sisters, and felt led to start a church under one of his trees.

That isn’t to say that Godfrey’s life has been perfect. He is poor and lives in Africa. He is in the process of building a one-room home for himself on his land so he can eventually marry. His Muslim neighbors are not happy about the fellowship of Christ-followers that meet there, not far from a mosque, and have caused many problems. His bicycle was stolen from our compound while he was at work back in April. And just recently, he suffered a bad wound on his foot when several panes of glass fell as he was cleaning his home. But Godfrey knows where his hope lies. He knows that his faith is in the Eternal One, the One who does not change, even when our circumstances do. He is an encouragement to my faith.