The Kenya Diaries

The Kenya Diaries was written as a daily email back home. So many new and exciting things were happening each day that if a daily journal was not kept, too many wonderful experiences might have been forgotten. They became a series of popular newspaper articles in the U.S. and ultimately turned into this book.The Kenya Diaries starts off with Mr. Garris’ first evangelistic trip to Africa. Although he has been an experienced preacher and radio broadcaster, this mission of evangelism to Kenya was refreshingly different than anything he had previously experienced. Mr. Garris shares his innermost thoughts and apprehensions as he navigates through new situations with no idea what to do next. We feel what he feels as he vividly describes this new land he is in and the hearts of a new people he has met. Many of these experiences will leave you laughing, others will pull you into the landscape as if you were standing there beside him, and others still will leave you with a swollen chest as your heart goes out the individuals he ministers to.The book is divided into three sections, each describing a different mission in different areas of Kenya. In the first section we follow Mr. Garris as he starts in a remote area outside the city of Kisumu, then to Nairobi, and then off into other remote areas of Kenya. Each day is a new service and a new experience. The second section takes us back to Nairobi to minister in small churches that are all around the city, from the slums to the outskirts of town. Through the vivid descriptions of the African culture that is seen through the eyes of someone who has never been here before, you can actually feel the exotic atmosphere and smell the scent of a very different world than what we are used to. But weaving through the panorama is the electrifying theme of the tangible presence of the Holy Spirit as we follow Mr. Garris from one exciting service to another.The excitement that is generated can be felt throughout these pages as we experience almost firsthand a true outpouring of revival. Miracles come to life before us as we come face to face with a surging of hope in a desperate people reaching out for a touch from God. We are left as encouraged as the people that we meet that God is real and He has not forgotten His people. The supernatural outpourings of the Spirit of God are as unforgettable to us as it is to these humble souls who experience it firsthand.The last section takes place in the bush country of southern Kenya amongst the Maasai tribe. Here we see a different ministry with a very different and secluded people. Instead of the packed streets of Nairobi, we follow the leading of the Lord out onto dusty tracks that lead into parched desolate areas that reflect the spiritual condition of this area. Again and again, we experience the supernatural dealings of the Holy Ghost as God manifests Himself to a neglected land and a forgotten people. The overriding message of hope and revival cannot be understated. This book displays in living color the mercy and love of God for mankind even in places that have never seen the power of God before. There is an underlying hope that, even in such desolate places, God is real and His mercy is everlasting, and if it can happen there, it can happen here.