One Hundred Women, Chapter Two

IN some ways the members of the group are like women the world over; we all cook, clean and do laundry for our children, we are concerned about their health and schooling and we wonder what would happen to them we if were no longer here. Yet these women have challenges that are beyond what those of us in the “western world” can imagine.

So what makes these women special? The answer is that they have found the “secret” to giving their family, friend and community…hope. The secret is relying on God’s word, the power of prayer and the support that God has provided for them through their sisters in Christ. This revelation gave birth to a community-changing group called Praying Sanjweru Women. For two years they have met weekly for Bible study, prayer and using, what the book of Proverbs describes as, “a multitude of counsel”, to tackle some of the challenges that are inherent in living in a remote village.

The group decided that they would each contribute a Kenya shilling or two each time they met and let the fund grow until there was enough money to purchase seeds to plant and find support for their families. God transformed their Bible study into an outreach ministry!

Of course, the challenges of life remain, including the fact that very few of them have Bibles written in the native language, Luo, or who can afford even the paper and pencils to take notes on all that they’re learning. This is an area that give us, in the western world, an opportunity to come beside them as they begin to see a spark of hope – some days it is dim, other days it shine like a beacon – yet, by God’s grace, they have a hope!