Last Sunday - Weekend Challenge

Last Sunday, to have a change from the service at the school or the local church, we crossed the valley to Kiambugi High School. Over the weekend they were holding what they had called “The Weekend Challenge”. Thinking it sounded cool and more than likely involved climbing walls and one of the those army zip wires, I set the pace for most of the way there.

Keen to learn about the events and the rides - “will there be a helter skelter?”, “how much is it to hook a duck”, “is it impossible to throw the rings over the prizes like in England?” I pressed James to tell me more. As it turned out, my vision of some kind of white water assault course with raunchy playing card prizes was way off the mark. The weekend challenge was actually a weekend prayer marathon hosted by students from the East African School of Theology; the challenge being to pray more than you have ever prayed before.

We met the Theology students first before we made our way to the school assembly hall. As always, to warm the crowd up, the students sing. But in comparison to St. Anna where the songs are confined to more traditional songs, the students of Kiambugi are accorded greater freedom in-line with their age. Some sang, some danced, some rapped … and all of them really well; including James Macharia, the boy who if you recall we had gone to see and whose house had left me in tears.

Once the congregation was sufficiently uplifted it was time to bring them down again. And how better to do this than a sermon about everything you shouldn’t do. For 45 minutes the boys were told:
. Lying is bad
. Smoking is bad
. Sex is bad

For ¾ of an hour we ran through a catalogue of evils, all of them guaranteed to destroy your future if you do not put them to death. Like some arcade game we were instructed we must put them to death if we wish to move to the next level; to fulfil our destiny.

- “Pornographic websites are bad”, announced the preacher. “There is even one where you can play draughts, and if you win the lady in the corner of the screen undresses” (I stopped him after for the website … of course I didn’t)

But seriously, the sermon was undoubtedly powerful as was the speaker’s oratory, but I couldn’t help thinking to myself if this was really the best way to reach young men and women; through fear and threat. Looking around the hall during that time, some were listening, but most were gazing out of the windows and some were asleep.

Having never found preaching particularly effective, nor are you able to teach anyone anything they aren’t willing to learn, I decided then and there that when my turn came, as surely it would, I would go for the subtler approach. So having won the sympathy vote with few words of my lamentable Kikuyu, I was able to make the fable of the man and donkey last 15 minutes. And in all objectivity, I honestly believe it was better received.

This is not to take away anything from the Theology students. They were a really nice bunch of people and one of them, a Masai called Moses promised to try and help 2 weeks ‘embedded’ with the Masai. Don’t tell Omi (my Gran).


Seeing James Macharia got me thinking about his story. I never did relate it to you, so here it is now.

“My life history since my father died in 1999” by James Macharia Guthege

Dear Friends,

I feel very sorry and pity to give this life story of my family as tears and confusion fills me with alot of fear of how my family will be after I will get employed after my education.

I am the oldest in my family among the boys and have got a sister who is first born but married in early age. I have got 3 brothers and 2 sisters and have my mothers. Since long i.e. 1999 my father was killed because of our land a person wanted to take it by force, his brothers were all killed but on one was left of whom is not normal and lives in a mission centre called Gaburi Mission Centre in Murang’a District i.e. in Kenya. His sister and my grand mother got last up to today. I have never seen or heard about them. After my fathers burial of whom his name was Francis Mwagi Gathege and my mother Alice Njeri Gathege.

We were left helpless because my mom was not educated and was mamed when very young. Since I seemed to be the brightest, God sent me some two good Samaritans of whom were Mr and Mrs Mahiaini. They took and assisted my family members and helped them with food, clothers and shelter because we used to stay in a linking house (Matthew’s note: leaking) all of us and slept in one bed and our life was very hard. As time went by they provided and opened and centre i.e. ST. ANNA and we used to go there on Saturdays and could get food and we could be given a word of God and sometimes even clothes. They also opened a small school and were started learning there and other people could join us and share our problems with them. They have been doing a lot and they have been educating me through other good well wishers (Matthew’s note: sponsors) and also my brothers and sister but I now I am in a high school doing and trying my best.

So father Mr. and Mrs Mahiani built a two roomed house of my mother but I I am living in a leaking house with my brothers others sleeping on the floor and uses sacs and old clothes to cover themselves because we can not share the two room as my mother’s and sister’s bedroom while the other one is used as a tableroom of which we sit on jars and containers. My mother is just doing all she can to feed us all but cannot go further than that.

Since now I am about 20 yrs and can try my best to help my family God has given me a talent of singing and have composed about 20 of them (Matthew’s note: songs) but have no money to record them. I am requesting you as good well wishers and in the name of the father to help me with what God can give you to produce or record then with your assistance of money because I myself have decided not to keep quiet with my problems. I am a Christian and serves as a C.U. (Matthew’s note: Christian Union) choir lead in school P.O. Box 73 Murang’a, Kenya and I am a Youth member of A.C.K. St. Michaels church, Gathukeini in Murang’a, Kenya P.O. Box 183.

I have been living with a lot of problems, Confusion and hopless life but I do belief that God is going to do a new thing in my life.

Mat God bless you as I wait to hear form you

From James Macharia