85 experienced the Holy Spirit in action at our Vigil of Pentecost on Saturday May 19, 2018  It was called “Harambe, A Time for Music.”

 
Generally, a Vigil is a time of expectation, sometimes awaiting a following celebration. Harambe is a Swahili word loosely meaning “coming or pulling together.” On the Day of Pentecost the church celebrates when the person of the Holy Spirit came in power. This gift permitted disciples to communicate the mighty works of God in several languages. We communicated God’s mighty acts through different forms of music, dance and food.

 
This was an expectant celebration in word, song, dance and community. A momentous coming together. Thank you to all who participated, including Rev. Michael Cobbler of South Bend, Bishop Bill Gafkjen of the Indiana-Kentucky Synod, ELCA, and Rev. Dr. Joseph Bocko, Program Director of African National Ministries with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. We also thank our church guests: Holy Spirit Led Church and the Kenyan Indy Fellowship.

We all know that Shalom is a Hebrew word that has a broader meaning than the English word “peace”. In the Bible, the word is also used to mean: safety, welfare, well-being, prosperity, security, friendship, health, soundness and completeness. (NAS Exhaustive Concordance and NASB translation)

The Shalom Ministry is mainly focusing on reaching out and ministering to the Sub Saharan Africans, of which most of them are refugees from Rwanda, the Congo and Burundi. Listening to their stories, some have lived in the bush, refugee camps and out in the streets for years – no electricity, no home, no property, no medication and no meaning of life. They still shed tears when they remember the brutality that they saw and experienced. We also have people from other countries such as Zimbabwe, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Central Africa, and Algeria who are here for different reasons.

What do all these people need? They need SHALOM. This is the foundation of the name. Shalom that comes from God alone, on account of the death and the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and the ministry and mission which He has entrusted us with.

We have two major strategies of reaching out to these people: Withness and witness. This is what Jesus did with his disciples. We regularly visit with them and meet them at their point of their needs. Offer rides, because they don’t have cars, they don’t have driver’s licenses because of the language barrier to sit for the exam. Be their interpreters in hospitals, in pharmacies, government offices, etc. Teach them the use of common things, such as the quantity of liquid soap in a wash machine or gathering letters from the mail box.

Withness goes hand in hand with witnessing. All of these refugees are not Lutherans. Some have religious affiliation and some have never been to church at all. Our primary goal is to reach them with the message of the gospel of Lord Jesus Christ. The Prince of Shalom. Then, invite them to attend the church worship and other events such as youth retreats, family picnics, special events, ESL classes, etc.

We are working parallel with Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church, in which I am also an Authorized Worship Leader – with all the diversities of color, language (English, Swahili, Shona, French, Rwandese) and culture. God has made us one, in love, fellowship and mission. We enjoy the singing through other tongues and styles, the meals from different countries, etc. Indeed, we are God’s family.

Let me end by thanking the ELCA, the IK Synod, the Ministerium, the Good Shepherd congregation, the Lamb of God and many others who have supported us in different ways. And thanking you all in advance for starting a partnership with us today. This is God’s mission. We are God’s children. God bless you all.

On the left: Upendo and Douglas Mmari sing a duet in Swahili and the Alleluia Choir perform during the New Mission Banquet at the Indiana-Kentucky 2015 Assembly.