(Feast of Tabernacles Report)
Greetings Brethren,
We hope and pray that all of you are well, and have returned home safely from this year’s Feast of Tabernacles. Our Kenyan brethren enjoyed a wonderful Feast this year thanks to the support from you donors. All the sites we supported had food each day for the entire Feast.
But Kenya continues to be a dangerous place; we were troubled by the police numerous times during our travels, and also detained in Nairobi. Francis (one of our sixteen year old orphans) was assaulted numerous times (by an evil police officer) severely slapped around, and incarcerated. But thanks to your continued prayers, God delivered us through all of it; I will elaborate on everything in this report, But first let me start at the beginning.
Nehemiah rendezvoused with me in Nairobi upon my arrival. We then visited and addressed the brethren during the Feast in the “Great Rift Valley” where three congregations came together for combined services. We also visited the small group in Mombasa. Nehemiah (like David Mokoro) always does a fine job of interpreting for me. He knows the message quite well, and the brethren were very encouraged by it.
The Feast site in Mombasa was deep in the bush of the highways and byways. As scripture clearly tells us, the calling by our Heavenly Father has not ended; believe it or not, He is still calling others, trying to fill His banquet hall, for some in the church still to this day, continue asking to be excused. (Matthew 22:8-10) (Luke 14:22-24)
We need to be careful brethren, let us remember the sobering verse concerning our High Calling in (Matthew 20:16) Remember, we are living in the laodicean age, with many lukewarm and content, not realizing the sad condition they are in, and the need for applying that Laodicean eyesalve. (Revelation 3:14-22)
The Mombasa group met deep in the bush.
This area mostly inhabited by Monkeys and Baboons’.
Mombasa FOT – Day one.
This picture was taken the first day of the Feast. The majority of the brethren didn’t arrive until day two, due to the rough road conditions including much mud. That’s Nehemiah on the right, and Elijah third from right, Elijah has been the overseer in the Mombasa congregation for many years. He repeated my message to the brethren the following day when they arrived.
Poor road conditions at the Mombasa Feast site.
We had to race after services to depart to the main “paved” road as the afternoon rain approached which would make the road completely impassable.
Rift Valley FOT site at Ngopen 2024
As in many of our groups, the children outnumber the adults by far, and many of them are orphans.
Obama on left and Evans on right, happy with their Feast gifts.
Sengera Feast Site 2024
Douglas handing out additional Bibles to the Getionko congregation FOT 2024.
Food being prepared at Getionko Feast.
Getionko Congregation FOT 2024.
The following report is from Douglas:
“Dear Pastor Bill and Beloved Donors,
On behalf of the Getionko congregation, I extend our deepest gratitude for the incredible support you provided during this year’s Feast of Tabernacles. Your generosity allowed us to celebrate the Feast in its entirety—a time filled with joy, reflection, and a profound sense of togetherness.
We are especially grateful to Pastor Bill, Papa, and Nehemiah for blessing us with their presence. Pastor Bill’s teachings on the final judgment left a deep impact on everyone, encouraging us to grow in our faith and live with purpose as we prepare for the Lord’s return. His words brought new understanding and touched our hearts, especially for our orphans and widows, who felt an abundance of love and care from your visit.
The joy and gratitude among all brethren, orphans, and widows were beyond measure. Each day of the Feast was a precious opportunity to gather as a family in Christ, sharing meals and celebrating the Lord’s faithfulness. Your support made it possible for us to worship in unity, and your visit brought even more blessings to our time together.
Thank you, Pastor Bill, and all the donors, for your commitment to our community and for showing us the depth of God’s love through your actions. We are strengthened and uplifted, knowing we have such faithful friends. May God richly bless each of you as you have blessed us.
With heartfelt appreciation and prayers,
Dauglas Henry”.
Thanks to you donors, the Feast was a wonderful, uplifting success for our impoverished widows, orphans and brethren. They send all of you their heartfelt thanks and appreciation.
After the Feast we had one week left to quickly accomplish some projects before returning home to the States. One was to repair the railings at the Sengera church meeting hall steps. We accomplished that in two days. We also had to assist Nehemiah in moving out of his small two room rental in Sengera Village. He has been operating out of there for the last two years. But the lease had run out, and the Landlord was selling the property, so we had to vacate.
Repairing the railing at the Sengera House church steps.
During that time I was approached by a Muslim police officer who demanded that I appear at the Sengera police station for questioning. He troubled me for two days, not happy about our mission. But thanks to the many prayers you donors have been offering up for our protection. I was finally free of him, and just in time to head back to Nairobi for my return flight home.
Francis traveled with me back to Nairobi where we met up with the orphan Manley who had a few days off from University. Little did we know of the trouble that was about to begin. We were in the process of transferring funds to the border orphans for food when two plainclothes policemen approached us and immediately handcuffed Francis. They accused us of distributing illegal drugs. The one officer was as mean as they come, emptying everything out of my backpack right there on the ground in front of hundreds of people who were busy patronizing the many shops and stores. He was determined to find drug paraphernalia. But after much searching through my bag and interrogating us and finding nothing, he finally just walked away. The other officer uncuffed Francis. So we gathered my belongings off the ground and headed back to the Hotel where we were staying. Francis was quite shook up, as he showed me the marks on his wrists from the cuffs; he said it was the first time he has ever been handcuffed.
That evening we made our final preparations for leaving Nairobi. We purchased Francis a ticket for the shuttle that would bring him back to the orphanage in Kisii, and I packed my suitcase for my late evening flight back to the States.
Early the following morning Francis arrived at the shuttle and took his seat. But as the shuttle began to fill up with other passengers and was about to begin the trip, that rough police officer arrived pulling Francis off the shuttle, and began slapping him around accusing him of distributing drugs. He looked all through Francis’ bag and found no drugs, (but he did find the 500 Kenya Schillings that we gave Francis for lunch, and he stole the money, putting it in his pocket.)
It was a rough day for Francis. He was taken to the police station and incarcerated. After about five hours that police officer (whose name was “David”) gave Francis his cell phone back and told him to call anyone who had money, that he would free him if he brought money.
No bribe money was given to that bad cop so he finally drove Francis to a youth detention center (being he was considered a minor at sixteen years old.) The bad officer David told the receiving officer at the detention center whose name was “Janet” that Francis was arrested for distributing drugs. After officer David left, the officer Janet asked Francis if he was dealing drugs, and he told her no. She asked if she could look through his cell phone and he complied.
After reading all the texts on his cell phone, she determined that there were no drugs involved, but that Francis was on a church mission. She immediately got him some water (he hadn’t drank or eaten anything all day). Now (thanks to your prayers) Francis was finally in good hands, Janet drove him to the hotel where we were staying, gave him some money for supper, and arranged for his seat on the following morning shuttle. She was so kind to him. Francis is now back home and doing well, although he has to go to the dentist. Apparently Officer David damaged one of Francis’ teeth while slapping him around. (I just got a call from Francis, he is at the dentist.) He had one filling knocked out, and one tooth broken (all from the officer’s slapping.) The broken tooth had to be removed.
Francis asked me to pass the following on to you donors: “Dear donors, be blessed. In the police station I was praying for God to intervene so they would let me go, and He did so. Thank you donors for the good work you are doing here in Kenya. May God help you to continue supporting us and may we follow His word and walk in all of His right ways.
Your son Francis.”
While in Nairobi, before we were apprehended by the police, Francis’ only request was to visit the Conference Center, so we did. Its courtyard connects too many Government Buildings. This was a real treat for Francis, to see all this first hand.
Francis standing on the Helicopter Landing platform, on top of the conference Bldg.
After Francis was back home and safe, I wrote him the following: “Francis, what happened in Nairobi, showed much to God. It was a rough situation for you, but God was very happy with how you behaved during the trouble. 1 Peter 2:20 says that if you get punished for doing bad, that’s normal. But if you get punished when you didn’t do bad, and you take it patiently, that is commendable to God.
1 Peter 2:20 “But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. You Francis suffered for doing good (we were helping widows and orphans) and you “endured” it (suffered patiently.) Your behavior was commendable before God. (commendable means deserving praise.) God will bless you Francis for doing very good. I hope you understand what this verse is saying? Read it in “Kisii” tongue, or other translations. The “Good News” Translation says it like this: “For what credit is there if you endure the beatings you deserve for having done wrong? But if you endure suffering even when you have done right, God will bless you for it”.
Also, Romans 12:19 is another important verse here Francis. What that bad policeman did to you was terrible, it can make us want to hurt him back. That’s called “vengeance”. To punish the bad guy back. But that is God’s job, not ours. Our Creator will be the one to punish all the bad guys. He says “Vengeance is Mine”. (End of letter I sent to Francis.)
Kenya can be a rough Country. Most (if not all) of our Kenyan brethren (including myself) have been arrested from time to time. In that country you are guilty until proven innocent.
Once again, we thank you donors for all the wonderful good works you are doing. Good work that continues to glorify our Heavenly Father, by helping the orphans and widows like we read in (James 1:27). And let us not forget that verse also reminds us to keep our-selves unspotted from the world. Yes, He wants His children walking pure and upright, just like Him. (1 John 3:3).
Now before I end, let me inform you of another fundraiser that I have just begun. It’s to replace the Getionko’s old collapsing meeting hall. The cost is low, and the link is below.
Also, our funds are once again totally depleted, please continue to help these orphans and widows if you can.
Thank you all, for not only the financial support, but also for the more important prayer support. Let us continue praying for one another. And most importantly let us pray “Thy Kingdom Come” because so many around this world are suffering, and many horrendously.
Thank You.
Bill Goff
Fundraiser Link: https://gofund.me/08307e79
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