Lydia Venter’s account of her family’s missionary adventures in Kenya continues with a story about a place of destiny they nearly missed out on
When we came to Kenya in 2001 we rented a 13-acre piece of land in Njoro and as time went by, the Lord started planting the idea in our hearts to buy land for the ministry where His Name could be established and glorified.
I shamefully admit that my faith level in this regard was, to say the least, questionable, and it literally took the Lord years before I was willing to step out and trust Him to give us something more permanent.
There were two occasions when we found suitable land and both times the Lord provided us with almost the full selling price. However, as soon as the sellers discovered that we were white foreigners, the price almost doubled.
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Of course, we refused to be exploited like that. It was so embarrassing, because each time this happened we had to contact donors asking them if we could channel the funds they had provided to other areas of the ministry. This so frustrated and angered us that after the last experience I told Wilco and the Lord that I was done with looking for land and that we could continue renting as we were accustomed to do.
One day, in 2016, I was invited by a dear family friend to minister at his church in a village called Berut. Wilco was in South Africa, so I went alone with the kids. After the service Pastor Charles told me about a 2-acre piece of land in Lomolo that he wanted to sell as they wanted to use the money to build a church.
At that time I’d never heard of Lomolo. And, remember, I was not interested in buying land. So I tried my best to keep a low profile. However (rolling my eyes), God was nudging me at the back of my mind to find out more about our friend’s property.
Little did I know how our conversation and what followed afterwards would end up taking our ministry in an entirely new direction.
I agreed to Pastor Charles and his wife Rita taking us to view their land on the understanding that even if we were not interested, I could tell friends and fellow missionaries about the opportunity. But there were a few things that made me excited about going to see the land. Firstly, we had known Charles and Rita for several years; and secondly they had shown us again and again that they were people of integrity. In fact, they are givers in the Kingdom of God.
And so, off we went. Lomolo ‘A’ is a village on the border of the Nakuru and Baringo counties in Mogotio, Kenya, about 210km north west of Nairobi. All the families in this community had previously been evicted from the Mau Forest — some of them as many as four times since 1992. During the post-election violence in 2008 they were displaced again. It was only a few years after the government had issued each family with two acres of land for farming and a quarter of an acre on which the government had built a simple mud dwelling for each family.
As we entered the village it was clear which area had been reserved for farming, as the maize stood tall and proud on the lands. At some point we had to stop the car and walk, as there were no proper roads. I immediately felt uneasy and couldn’t picture us living there. However, I respectfully looked at the land with them.
Then, just as we were about to leave, Pastor Charles asked me if he could show us the quarter acre of land at the foot of the hill. Something stirred in my spirit as I remembered a prophetic word spoken over us years ago in which the Lord said He was giving us a “room with a view”. It was already getting a bit late, but I felt I simply had to see that little piece of land.
Again, we had to park the vehicle for lack of a road — and this time we had to climb up a little hill, then over some rocks and bushes until our friends finally announced: “This is it!” The landscape was rough and rugged, but the view was beautiful. I was careful not to allow myself to become too excited as Wilco and I had been down that road before. But something in my heart told me that this was different.
On the way back home I was almost too scared to ask bro Charles about the price of his land. I finally gathered enough courage and I couldn’t believe my ears when he told me they wanted $248 (R4 500). “Come again. Say that in my good ear …” Unbelievable!!
Deut 32:4a – He is the Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just.
Isaiah 25:1 – Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your Name, for in perfect faithfulness You have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.
Initially I wanted to keep this land news as a surprise for my hubby. But I realised it was a big thing and that we needed to discuss it together. Today, almost six years later, we stand in amazement at what the Lord has been doing in the Lomolo region, and sometimes — just sometimes — I think: What if I had listened to my fears and my apprehensions and not gone to view that land? We would have indeed missed out on so much.
Why is it that God often came through for us only after we had placed “that desire” on the altar? After we’d surrendered and relinquished whatever we held dear? I guess He truly is a jealous God and He wants us to love and trust Him — to run after Him and not after stuff.
By the way, regarding the low $248 price the couple asked for the land: we finally offered them $413 (R7 500) — the first time we ever proposed a higher price than what was requested of us!
Over the next couple of episodes I will share about our Lomolo journey and how we have come to love the place, the people and the work here, so very, very dearly.
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