Pastor Fredrick Simiyu Dome Visit Report

Pastor Fredrick Simiyu Dome

Visit Report

This began for us on 30 May with a call from Pastor Fredrick Simiyu who was in California at that time.  He had attended our Empowering Leaders Conferences in western Kenya in 2013 and 2015 and wanted to know if he could come here.  Following a quick email for session concurrence, we set up a special Wednesday service and meal.

The plan was that each location would host Fredrick and then send him to his next engagement.  That was the extent of the planning for his trip.  The pastor in California provided his transport into this country (round trip ticket) and to Kansas.  I think he used miles.  This pastor had 7 members in his church.   That’s where the provisioning ended.

I received a call from the pastor in Kansas requesting that we pay for his transport here.  He had no provisions and no congregation.  We did.  The pastor in Kansas had no congregation and no other ministry connections; therefore, Fredrick had no ministry engagements.  He also was not able to book any other engagements beyond Burns Flat.

Burns Flat was the first place that he was able to talk with more than a handful of people.  In the course of his time here, it was revealed that there was no pre-trip planning.  Fredrick thought that he knew enough people in this country that he could just arrange visits day by day.  His concept of logistics was minimal. 

We had extended conversations about the parable of the talents with the plane ticket here being the trust, as well as considering the cost before building a tower, with the building being engagements where he could accomplish what he thought the Lord wanted him to do.  He understood the biblical teachings and hopefully, made application in his own ministry.  I assured him that God still loves him as much as ever, but that for the trip to produce more fruit than this one visit, he must embrace the lessons learned.

I commended Fredrick for stepping out in faith but admonished him for not putting the huge trust of a plane ticket to work by ensuring things were in place before leaving Kenya.  I explained how detailed planning and confirmation provide flexibility once on the ground.  We had several hours of discussion which I followed in writing for his consideration.

Fredrick realized that there is a difference between a Facebook friend and a partner in ministry, albeit too late to turn what amounted to mostly an American vacation into a full month of ministry. 

For our part, our congregation was extremely generous in many ways.  We covered all expenses, provisioned him with a computer, website, business cards, camera upgrades, and all transportation to here, from here to his next destination, and all in and around travels needed, and more.  Gifts in kind included lodging, clothing, wristbands, luggage, copies, laundry, and gifts for his family and more.  We completed our generosity by providing him two towels for his use instead of the Kenyan model of one towel for two people. 😊

General and Financial Summaries follow:

General Summary

Arrived Burns Flat – Wednesday 7 June 1:30 am

Meal & Service – Wednesday 7 June 6:30-9:30 pm

Prep for Sunday services and search for next engagement:  8 June -10 June

Sunday services X2, Attended Sunday School, Search for next engagement – 11 June

Searched for next engagements – 12 June

Departed for San Bernadino CA – 12 June 11:45 pm

Financial Summary

Total cash offering:  $1653 (Two love offerings & money given directly to Tom)

Estimated Gifts in Kind:  $645

Expense	1095
Cash gift	558
Gifts in kind	645

Domain established:  www.fathersheartkenya.com

Fredrick’s Email:  fhgospelministries@yahoo.com