Calling and OBedience

“I would just like to say that nobody instructed me to do what I did but I would say God showed me what to do and I did it.” - Mr. Leton Kumary, Enkutoto Village Elder

“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.’” (Hebrews 3:12-15)

Deep in the interior of Maasailand in Kajiado, Kenya is a close knit community named Enkutoto Village. Situated in a mountainous region, this village of 10,000 people is a part of the Maasai tribe. It is a tribe rich in culture that celebrates the power of living in community and relies almost exclusively on their livestock and land as a local economy. Mr. Leton Kumary is one of the village elders who remembers the day that missionaries first arrived in his community and shared the gospel of Jesus Christ. His life’s story is a testament to the power of living a life of faith and obedience.

Mr Leton Kumary the Day Water Was Hit

On Friday, July 23, 2021 Mr. Leton Kumary witnessed the moment that his community gained access to a clean water source for the very first time. Before that day women and children walked eleven miles to a dry riverbed where they would dig and wait for water to percolate in, collect the dirty water, and walk the eleven mile return trip. Some women would sleep overnight along the riverbed waiting for their turn, or to gain enough strength to begin the journey home. The water project was funded by The Humanity Share, a non-profit organization working hand-in-hand with East African communities to break cycles of poverty and build sustainable, equitable futures, and one that Church in the Square recently partnered with. However, the story of water didn't start when the funding arrived. The story of water begins in the quiet conversation between Mr. Leton Kumary and his Heavenly Father. It starts with a whisper from God decades ago to give away his land and Mr. Kumary’s faithfulness to obey. Several years ago Mr. Kumary donated four acres of his land, a precious resource and sign of societal standing within the Maasai tribe, to the community in hopes that one day there would be a school, a church, and a water source. When he donated the land there was no funding available and no partner in sight or project plan to guarantee his donation would create a lasting impact. What he had was a burden on his heart, a prompting from God, and a willingness to say “yes” to the sacrifice being asked of him. Now, many years later Mr. Leton Kumary has watched his daughter Josephine graduate from the primary school that was started on the land, he has spent Sunday’s worshipping with his community in the adjacent church and two weeks ago he experienced the joy of seeing the women collecting clean water just a few meters from their home.

How often do we require more than a prompt from God to give of our resources? How often do we require impact data, reports, or proof that the gift we give will multiply to our standards? Mr. Leton Kumary didn’t have earthly proof that his vision would come to life. He didn’t know if he would witness the fruits of his gift in his lifetime. What he had was faith in the unknown and a vision set on eternity.

Women Celebrating Water

There were many times throughout this project that The Humanity Share team questioned whether the mission would be successful. Delays in funding, equipment malfunctioning and 225 meters of drilling without any sign of an aquifer (water was hit at 230 meters just before the drill hit its maximum depth of 250 meters), cast doubt. What if there is no water? What if we have to drill a new hole but don’t have the funds? What will we tell our donors? What if this doesn’t work?

It was the morning of Monday, June 21 when The Humanity Share team in Kenya had shown up before the drillers ready to capture the final drill. There were just thirty meters left before the team would have to stop and reevaluate the project. When they arrived on site just after sunrise, Mr. Leton Kumary was already there. He spoke to no one that day and watched as the engineers set up the drill and began. At one point Mr. Kumary stood up and began circling the drill rig, stopping periodically and quietly talking to himself. As he turned to leave the site and walk to his home the engineers began waving their hands and shouting “We hit the aquifer! We hit the aquifer!” As the community rushed to see the miracle of water with their very own eyes, Mr. Leton Kumary never looked back and kept walking.

There are so many questions we have for Mr. Kumary. What was he doing there that morning? Was he praying? And if he was praying, how was he praying? Was he pleading for water to arrive, a posture we as Americans tend to approach prayer with, or was he declaring God’s promises over the land and the authority we have been given through Jesus? Why did he not look back? Didn’t he want to see the water; or had his vision already been fulfilled when he decided to turn and leave? Did he already know that there was water and found it unnecessary to see with his own eyes what God had promised him? Maybe we will have the opportunity to ask him these questions or maybe they will remain unanswered and leave us in a state of curiosity and wonder. Either way, we have much to learn from Mr. Leton Kumary who heard a calling from the Lord many years ago and simply, “did it.”

- Kait TenHarmsel, CITS Global Team Member and CEO of the Humanity Share

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Watch Mr. Leton Kumary’s story.

Learn more about our friends and partners, The Humanity Share.