Meet Pastor James Wesonga and Kimbo All Nations Gospel Church in Kenya, East Africa
Pastor James Wesonga, his wife Lydia, along with their children Mercy and Moses, live in Kenya, East Africa. A native of Uganda, the Lord miraculously moved Pastor Wesonga to Kenya during Idi Amin’s ‘reign of terror’ while a teenager. As a Ugandan missionary, Pastor James serves as Senior Pastor of All Nations Gospel Church located in Githurai Kimbo. A village on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya’s capital city, Githurai Kimbo is located along the Thika Road facing the Mt. Kenya forest.
Nairobi occupies roughly 150 square kilometers in Central Kenya. The population of approximately 3.5 million primarily consists of four people groups: the Kikuyus, Kambas, Meru, and Embu. In addition to their native tribal dialects, the majority of Nairobi’s residents are fluent in both Swahili and English. Nairobi hosts some of the most dense, unsanitary and insecure slums in the world. Slum dwellers constitute the majority of the city's population; an estimated 60 per cent of the city's official total population lives in slums and informal settlements. Most of the residents earn a meager living through casual jobs and from prostitution.
 Malnutrition, disease (especially air and waterborne diseases), drug & alcohol abuse, poor sanitation, poor garbage disposal, high crime rates, and above all, hopelessness are endemic there.
Pastor Wesonga is an anointed speaker, strong leader and humble servant of God.
 Completing a two-year Bachelor’s degree program at Beulah Heights Bible College in Atlanta, GA in one-year, Pastor James graduated top of his class. He returned to Kenya, to his family and to the call of God to serve the Church in Kimbo. During his tenure, the church has grown from 300 to approximately 3,500 members.
More important than the numbers, the church ministry has impacted the community literally changing the spiritual climate of the village. Life in Githurai has been characterized by increasing poverty over the last several years, which is increasing rapidly. Once known as a crime-ridden slum, Kimbo is becoming a thriving suburban community with All Nations Gospel Church as a focus of activity.
 Some of the innovations brought to the village include vocational training programs such as computer training and sewing classes. With most of the village residents unemployed and without skills, the training programs are helping students promote themselves in the ever-declining job market. Unemployment, substance abuse, along with domestic violence has led to the decline of the family. The church has implemented marriage counseling, youth programs and children’s ministry to provide sound biblical teaching upon which adults and children alike can build their lives. A strong mentor, Pastor Wesonga has discipled numerous young men from his church who are now serving in full-time pastoral positions.
As a result of being robbed at gun point twice over the last two years, Pastor James knew the church needed to provide an alternative to the crime wave a gang of thieves were raging on the village. A great step of faith ensued as the church purchased ten (10) Boda Boda’s, at a cost of $100.00 a piece, and made them available to the gang members. A boda boda is a bicycle taxi hired for transporting a person and/or merchandise. The thieves are permitted to “check out” a boda boda each morning there by providing them with a means of earning a living. At the end of the day, the men are expected to return the boda bodas to the church.
The result has been phenomenal! God has used something as simple as a bicycle to show these men His mercy and great love for them. Those once destined to live a life of crime and violence now have the hope of earning a living in a legitimate, honorable way. They are gaining the respect of the village as they prove they can be trusted to not to rob their passengers or steal the person’s goods they are transporting. The village is much safer now as crime has dropped dramatically. However, the greatest result of the boda boda project is that five of the thieves have given their lives to Jesus Christ and many more are coming to church on a regular basis. 
Relying completely on the Lord to provide for his family, James must raise his own support without help from the church. Kenyan law prohibits a foreigner from holding a paid position that might otherwise be held by a Kenyan. Therefore, the church is not allowed to pay James a salary. Presently, the Lord is using a few churches and individuals here in America to help meet the needs of the Wesonga family. Continuing to look for innovative ways to support his family, Pastor Wesonga has recently sold a plot of land in his native Uganda and purchased the lot adjacent to his home in Kimbo. As God provides the funds, he is constructing a small apartment building that will provide a modest income for his family.
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