Faith Heals Hearts of Kenya’s Wildlife Protectors
Paul’s job sounds exciting and adventurous. As a security officer at the Kenya Wildlife Service, he protects rangers who preserve wildlife in its natural habitat. Behind the thrill hides a great deal of sorrow, though. “We spend at least ten months a year away from home,” Paul explains. “The rangers face challenges like depression and wounded marriages.”
Paul hails from a Christian family but converted to Islam as a college student due to peer pressure. Yet, as he couldn’t speak or read Arabic, he struggled to pray and read the Koran. “This was very limiting, and I read the Bible more often,” Paul recalls. “Through my mother’s relentless prayers, I returned to Christianity.”
Paul sensed God’s calling to become a pastor and joined a Bible School. He also went through Bible League’s training for small group Bible study leaders in his church. “Now, I minister to the rangers, their families, and the nearby community,” he says. “I guide them in God’s Word as Philip did to the Ethiopian Eunuch. I will also encourage the believers in their walk with Christ.”
His co-workers in the wildlife camp include members from the Samburu and Turkana communities. They worship the gods of the mountains and offer them sacrifices. The Word of God is something foreign to these people. “Upon sharing the Gospel, some are open to receiving and allowing the Holy Spirit to help them understand,” Paul shares. “During the Bible studies, I have seen God reveal Himself to them through His Word, and they are embracing the Good News of the Gospel.”
The message of Christ also comforts those who struggle with depression in the rangers’ camps. “As they learn to understand the immeasurable love of God, they regain hope and confidence,” Paul adds. “They learn to encourage one another and pray through painful situations.”
Not all of them accept the Good News, though. Yet, Paul will continue ministering to them using the Bible studies. “I desire to see all the rangers within my camp actively reading their Bibles and living lives influenced by God’s Word,” he concludes.
