On Sunday 22 June 2014, His Eminence Metropolitan Makarios of Kenya celebrated the inauguration of a new church dedicated to the Apostle Peter, at the request of donors from America. As is well known, for several years now in this region, inhabited mostly by Africans of the Turkana tribe, the Kenyan Orthodox Church has undertaken a huge missionary and evangelical work. His Eminence Makarios led this campaign of love and evangelism, traveling for two full days to reach the place where the great Lake Turkana dominates and borders Somalia and Ethiopia. He celebrated the first group baptisms at the great lake and then appointed as catechists graduates of the Patriarchal School, who were ordained priests and today serve in various places in the region. The four priests are working with great success, characterized by piety, faithfulness, zeal, humility and enthusiasm, which is why they have been able to accomplish so many wonderful works in this period of time. That is why the parishes grew and the faithful multiplied throughout the Turkana region.
After the inauguration on Sunday, His Eminence Makarios laid the foundation stone for the third church, dedicated to Saint Nicholas. Primary schools and kindergartens are operating and free food is provided to children. Also, efforts have already been made and clean water is being provided from boreholes to the local residents. The Orthodox Missionary Center of America is determined to undertake the development of the area in its entirety. Groups of youth and priests are coming down and assisting in the work of evangelizing the tribe. The inauguration was attended by all the priests of the region and others from America and Nairobi. It was a special day for the Turkana, as the temple was built in the middle of nowhere, but there are several who converted to Orthodoxy after thorough catechesis.
The big problem plaguing the whole desert region is the constant drought. When His Eminence first visited the area to perform the first group baptisms, he did not do so because the lakes and rivers were dry. In fact, on one occasion, when the people were in great despair and desperation because of the drought, he celebrated holy water and read special blessings. Then God poured so much water that all the lakes and rivers were filled and the people asked the Bishop to say – to speak to the God who prayed and believed Him, after hearing their prayers and performing His miracle – to stop, because the place was flooded. “We asked for water, but not like this,” they said. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Thus, the recent visit proved that our priests of the Turkana tribe are working with exemplary zeal, deep faith and unlimited devotion. The work of the Lord and Orthodoxy is being promoted and in this way the primitive Turkana tribe is evangelizing “great joy”.
