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Serving Alongside Champions
By Rachel Wegner 07
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The people of a remote Turkana village in northwestern Kenya gathered around night after night, listening to a white man deliver the message of the gospel. By the hundreds they came to know Jesus and the power of God, much to the dismay of the village diviner.
"Much of our work here among the Turkana are in places that are demonically controlled," Randy said. "The power brokers in the community are always the diviners."
This particular diviner became so upset that he gathered a band of about 200 warriors and began charging down the road to kill Randy and the people gathered. But then something miraculous happened.
"An old mama (an old woman) came and stood right in front of this band of warriors and said, 'You are not going to pass and touch these people, because they are preaching the Word of God to our village. These are words of life. Put down your stones,'" Randy said.
Women were treated about as well as donkeys in this society and, according to Randy, it was unheard of for a woman to challenge a man, let alone a diviner and a group of warriors. Nonetheless, the warriors and diviner dropped their weapons and dispersed. Nearly half of the group, including the diviner, sat down and joined the villagers. After Randy finished preaching the gospel, the warriors and diviner came to know the Lord.
Later on, Randy learned that everyone in the village, along with the diviner and the warriors, had never seen that woman before and have never seen her since that day. Although he is not sure, Randy said he likes to believe she was an angel. This is just one of the many remarkable stories that the Coateses could tell about their time as missionaries in Kenya and East Africa. But if you had asked them 10 years ago, they imagined then that they would most likely take to the mission field in Central America or Asia. As is often the case, God had other plans.
Through a Kenyan friend that Randy met at Fuller Seminary in California, the Coateses had an opportunity to take a two-week excursion to the East African country. They returned with a passion to reach the people there and, after a season of developing a vision and planning, they made the move to Nairobi, Kenya in November of 1997. Today, the Coates family resides on the outskirts of Nairobi and brings the gospel to many of the unreached people groups of East Africa.
"From the beginning, our heart and our call have always been to work among un-reached people," Randy said. "Our missionary work is broader than we ever hoped or even felt capable of. In a nutshell, our ministry is working alongside Kenyans, not above them. All we're doing is working with other brothers and sisters."
The primary focus of Coates Ministry International (CMI) is church planting, and they have several churches in Kenya's Central Province and more than 20 churches throughout the Turkana villages in northwestern Kenya. Their first church, known as Cornerstone Faith Assembly Church of Nairobi, has grown to nearly 1,200 people.
In the past decade, the Coateses have seen entire villages transformed by Christianity and the power of God. In place of raiding and violence, these villages have found peace and forgiveness. Many times, the villages they reach are under the influence of a witch doctor and are demonically controlled.
"These were people that had no concept of Jesus or God, and now each one of those communities is saturated with the gospel," Randy said. "They're not dependent on me or Coates Ministries or anyone. If I died today, those churches will carry on and multiply. They're mature, they've got good leaders, they are reaching out to other communities. I can't take credit for that."
Randy admitted that his greatest struggles as a missionary are on a personal, day-to-day level, and often come in the form of feeling uninspired or even inadequate. He also said that everyday problems are often compounded in light of cross-cultural dynamics. But despite the challenges they face, Randy and his family count it a privilege to be part of God's work in Kenya.
"We are rubbing shoulders with some of the most godly, beautiful believers on the face of the earth," Randy said. "Sometimes when I'm out with my village pastors, and we're walking through the desert, sleeping under an acacia tree, I think, 'These are the champions. These are the most incredible men and women of God I have ever met.' There will never be a book about them, no TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network) documentary about them. They'll never be on Focus on the Family. Nobody's ever going to know these guys' stories, but these are my heroes. My great privilege is just to be walking alongside them. That's the greatest reward for me."
Randy and Becky Coates have two children, Nichole, 14, and Joel, 12. Their ministry is a family effort, as Becky runs the children's program at the Nairobi church. Nichole and Joel help their mother with the children's ministry and also interact with people and share Christ on various outings. Visit http://www.coatesministries.com for photos, stories and updates from the Coates family.
