Meet Langham Preaching‘s East Africa coordinator Mercy Ireri, from Kenya.
How did Jesus find you?
“Mercy, you are old enough now to tell us your testimony,” Dad said to me one Saturday evening. I was 12 years of age. I stared at him, blankly. Deep within my heart, I knew I had never had a salvation experience. At that moment I realised that if I was to have such an experience, it had to begin with getting to know Jesus. I reasoned that for this to happen I would need to start reading my Bible. I enrolled for a Bible correspondence course. Two years later, I surrendered my life to Jesus fully.
Mercy Ireri, from Kenya, speaking at the All Africa Consultation in Ghana last year.
What does serving Jesus look like for you this week?
My weeks do not usually have any routine. I enjoy the variety that each week brings. When not travelling for Langham Preaching events, I am at my desk doing administration, generated mainly by emails or preparation for an upcoming seminar. In the midst of all of this, especially on Saturdays, I bake cakes to share with friends who pop in during the weekend. Baking is one of my favourite hobbies. At the end of each week, I attend a Bible Study that meets in my neighbourhood.
What do you enjoy about working with Langham Preaching?
Firstly, it is the people. When I think of the kind of people that I interact with at all the levels of Langham Preaching’s leadership and then when I facilitate the seminars, I cannot help but think, “What an awesome privilege to serve with, and alongside, such people.” Secondly, it gives me an opportunity to serve with my spiritual gifts. I always thought that it was just natural for me to enjoy teaching and organising events – and then a friend, who participated in a seminar, pointed out to me, ‘’Mercy, do you realise that you have the spiritual gift of administration?’’
Share a resource that has helped you in your preaching (other than Langham!)
It is not a single resource, but more of a full course. It is on the faithful handling of the Bible and organised by The Philip Project, a ministry of Friends International in the UK. I went through this course and it not only helped me through the many preaching practice sessions, it has also proved to be a stepping stone into my work with Langham Preaching.