OASIS OF BLESSINGS MINISTRIES (O.B.M)

P.O BOX 220 – 50207 MISIKHU.

TEL:+254722927346

Email: oasisministries2005@yahoo.com

 

 

 

APOSTLE EDWARD WANJALA WEPUKHULU
INTRODUCTION
I was born 24/08/1972, being the 8th born in a family of 15th children of Mzee Kelasi Wepukhulu and Trutea Nanyama in Misikhu market, Bungoma District – Kenya. My parents were very zealous in raising me up on the foundation of Catholic faith. They had high hopes for me to become a priest in future. As such, I used to serve as an altar boy in the whole of my primary education.

From my initial life at the tender age, I am told I used to very much inquisitive which was also manifested at the time of service as an altar boy. I used to ask so many questions to Father Francis from Holland(the then priest of the Catholic church in our area). The priest was so open that he used to tell me the truth about the Catholic faith and the stages through which the bible has gone through to date.

 

MY CONVERSION

After passing my Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (K.C.P.E) in 1986, the parents had hopes for me now to start advancing in education through seminary training. As such, I joined the St. Peters` high school Mumias which was partly training future Catholic priests.

On arrival at St.Peters` I found myself attending the Christian union (C.U) instead of Young Christian Students (Y.C.S)  meant for Catholics. When I attended the C.U, I heard the word of God which convicted me of my sins and saw the need to give my life to Christ Jesus to be my savior. So in Feb 7th 1987 Saturday, I gave my life to Christ who forgave me off my sins and wrote my name in the book of life. Since that day, I found peace in my heart. 

 

CHALLENGES

When we closed for the first Holidays in April, life became hard as my parents could not accept my new faith, I had found. They stood on their Catholic foundation which had controlled our family together with traditional beliefs and practices. In as much as they were poor, they threatened to stop educating me because I had frustrated their efforts. They could not allow me to join any spiritual Bible preaching church as they considered such churches meant for confused people in life.

 

God gave me the grace and wisdom to handle this first challenge. I neither joined any spiritual church nor attended the Catholic services since that time upto the time I finished my form four examination. At times the parents were hard and could not raise my fees. I saw God touching well wishers to pay for my fees. That is the time I started to see the faithfulness and divine provision of the lord in my life. I only used to enjoy the fellowship of the brethren while at school under the care of the C.U patron Mr. Tsuma. The holidays were a wilderness for me when at home for the four years I was in secondary education

I thank God because he kept and sustained me in salvation. What made me to find favor before my parents is when I passed my Kenya certificate of secondary education (K.C.S.E) to join the University. My parents changed their mind/attitude because they used to think that salvation is for confused and failures in life. Therefore after my K.C.S.E in 1990, I went to live with my sister in Transnzioa where I joined Free Pentecostal Fellowships in Kenya. That was my first spiritual church I joined and enjoyed the mentoring of pastor Kinyanjui for almost the whole year.

 

BAPTISM

When I came back home towards the end of that year, I decided to be baptized by Redeemed gospel church which had given cover to the secret fellowship which we had formed in the area while in secondary school. I experienced a unique transformation after Baptism in that I received the boldness, wisdom, discernment and a hunger for souls to get saved. The zeal for the lord Jesus started to burn in my life and parents could no longer stop me from Evangelizing, and being a member of a spiritual church God blessed me with the ministry of deliverance at the end of that year that I witnessed people being delivered from demon possession, stress, witchcraft, ancestral curses among other things. I witnessed mad people being delivered ,the barren giving birth and even incurable diseases getting healed

 

UNIVERSITY EDUCATION

By that end of the year, I started to prepare to join Egerton University where I had being selected. Another challenge came up as the government introduced structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) where University students were to pay as you Eat (PAYE)”. Being a member of a poor background , I had  no fees for higher education. When they refused to admit me in April 1992, I embarked on partial prayer and fasting for 14 days. I had a lot of issues to God like “ if God you never wanted me to join university, you would not have allowed me to pass exam and be selected”. I gave God 14 days to act or else I should never join any college in future;. On the 10th day, I was recalled to University and awarded a bursary and that is the miracle I received to start my University education.

 

When I joined the university, there’s a commitment I made “oh lord, if you will provide for me while in the university, then I will serve you lord in full time ministry after graduation” I have seen God’s faithfulness throughout the life in the university in spite of the challenges. God helped me to pass my exams without any supplementary in all the units I studied for.

 

The university life exposed me to ministry opportunities as many as possible. I managed to preach in local churches a round the university as far as Elburgon, Nyakiambi, Njokerio. I cannot forget the fatherhood of the late Rev. Wycliffe Simiyu, Pst Stanley Wafula, Wanambisi, Mr/Mrs Mark Mutinda while in college. I also traveled for missions that gave me experience on how to minister to people of different tribes, classes  and professions

 

POST UNIVERSITY

The lord sustained us to finish our education on time though there was only one strike that was very destructive in our final year 1996. After graduation, I got an opportunity to secure an on-job training in Elgeyo saw mills LTD. This was the beginning of my problems though I could not realize that I was outside God’s will. I saw God save people who started to join glory church in Kaplolo .I appreciated Gods saving Grace without knowing that a temptation was awaiting me. They wanted me sack some of the new converts so as to be employed permanently and be elevated/promoted. After refusing I was humbly laid off.

 

After graduation I enrolled my self for a one year certificate course in church planting and community development offered by the world Bible league. When I was laid off, I continued with my training that saw a team of us plant churches in Webuye  Mihuu and Bungoma in  the year 1997 . By the end of 1997 I went to take care of Bungoma church (redeemed gospel church). After a short while the redeemed gospel church could not recognize me as a pastor in Bungoma because I had not trained in their school of ministry .This forced me to go back home in 1998 .On arrival at home I discovered my local church had been eaten by fornication, immorality &other evils which had made the mission to suspend the pastor .They requested me to step in as a temporary pastor. The church that used to have more than 100 members had dropped to less than   15

 

I had a tough time to restore and revive the church to the expected standard of righteousness and holiness, but God gave me sufficient grace. due to lack  finance I secured opportunity to teach at  Kituni high school , where they were not paying me .As I taught, ministered  to the revived church ,I decided to make bricks which helped to pay college fee for my brother.   

 

The lord helped me to wed in 1999 to Catherine Mmayi that gave double honor in the ministry .The preparations for the  wedding were so tough but the Lord gave me victory. We are now blessed with three children Shekinah, Shemaiah and Sherlin. We are foster parenting 3 orphans.

For the sake of bread winning, I secured a job of teaching at Katilu high school in Turkana District from 2000   to  2001 as I continued to pastor the church .After  marrying, the lord revived the church in a wonderful way. As I committed   myself to serving the lord, the lord catered for my family. Even as I taught in Turkana District, I planted the church in Butere in 2001 called   Jesus   Praise   celebration centre   but Redeemed could not give it cover that because I was not in fulltime ministry. So I handed over to another ministry.

The challenges in Redeemed   Gospel church made me to start seeking the lords in new way.  That   was the time he started to remind me over what he spoke to me in 1997 of launching “Oasis of Blessings ministries “hence I started preparations. In 2003, I planted Oasis of blessings in Kimaeti as I harmonized parting with Redeemed Gospel church which I effected in 2005 and applied for registering my own ministry. The registration certificate is not yet out but I have already planted two churches in Kimaeti (Bungoma District) and Elburgon in Nakuru District.

Finally,   I thank God for having dealt with me to be humble. Many times I went outside his will and wanted to pull out of ministry but he dealt with me graciously .I worked at Busia NGO, Mumias NGO, went back to college to take post graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) but lacked peace .Since the time I decided to cooperate with God in 2005, I have enjoyed peace and would like to advance in studies that could transform the community and ministry. That was the time God reminded me of the commitment I made when I joined the University. So I am only trusting God for  training  in  community  development  that  could  enhance  my  ministry. Since 2005 I have been serving the Lord fully.

 At the mother church, we are on building project of a 500-seater hall .We have already electrified the structure.  We believe God to launch the cyber café to serve the community for efficient communication and dissemination of information. We also have an Early Childhood Development center (ECD) which we believe God to acquire more land and then launch Oasis Complex Academy that will offer commercial courses to school leavers.

Humble was  our beginning  but we are hoping for our ministry to be “Action oriented”,  raise  “purpose oriented leadership”   and be a  “community transformation center” for God’s glory.