Inside Story

Giving Hope to Maasai People

Rompas was a 16-year-old Maasai boy in Kenya. Rompas decided to go to school after being baptized. More than anything, Rompas wanted to read the Bible for himself.

Rompas’s father and many of his 82 brothers and sisters didn’t see any need for a Maasai boy to get an education. But Rompas became the first person in his family to complete grade school and then high school. After that, he decided to study at Bugema University to become a pastor. The university was a Seventh-day Adventist school in Uganda. But Rompas needed money.

Rompas asked his brothers and sisters who kept the Sabbath to pray. Rompas asked them to pray for 7,000 Kenyan shillings or pieces of money. With the money, Rompas could afford to travel to Uganda and go to school at Bugema University. Rompas’s brothers and sisters prayed as Rompas knelt on the floor. After they said “Amen,” someone knocked on the door. A government leader named Alex stood at the door. Alex came to visit Rompas’s father. Government leaders liked to visit because Rompas’s large family could give many votes for them at election time. This government leader wasn’t Seventh-day Adventist. So, his question surprised Rompas. “Does this family have a pastor?”

Rompas’s family told Alex that they named Rompas “Pastor” when he was a child because he liked to preach.

Alex asked Rompas, “What is your biggest need?”

Rompas said, “I need to go to Bugema University.”

Alex put his hand into his pocket and pulled out 15,000 Kenyan shillings. This amount was more than double the money that Rompas asked for in prayer!

Rompas traveled to the university in Uganda. Then he came back home to wait for classes to start. On the same day that Rompas arrived home, Alex came for another visit. When Alex heard that Rompas got into the school, Alex gave Rompas some US money this time. Rompas never saw US dollars before. The money was enough to pay for three years at the university!

Today, Rompas Josphat Lekishon is a Seventh-day Adventist pastor with a heart for serving Jesus. Because of Rompas’s efforts, six churches accepted the Seventh-day Adventist truth. Rompas also started a church on some land that his father gave the church. 33 family members worship there every Sabbath.

Part of this quarters 13th Sabbath Offering will support work in Kenya and elsewhere in East Africa. Watch a YouTube show about him at: https://bit.ly/Rompas-IS .

Provided by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission, which uses Sabbath School mission offerings to spread the gospel worldwide. Read new stories daily at https://AdventistMission.org .