Source: www.vomusa.org
Date: November 6, 2026
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Living Water in Kenya
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| Galgalo grew up in a devout Muslim household in Merti, Kenya. Galgalo was sent to a Christian school in the area, despite his parents’ disagreements with Christianity. There, he first heard about Jesus. As he advanced through school, Galgalo started to call himself a Christian. When his father confronted him and threatened to disown him if he didn’t renounce Christ, Galgalo stood firm. “He told me that I either convert to Islam, or I cease to be his son,” Galgalo said. “I chose the latter option. I chose the Lord.” After a few members of the local Christian community helped pay for his college education in another town, Galgalo returned to Merti. Muslims in the community compelled him to take his Christian faith more seriously. “[Muslims] like to debate Christians,” he said. He began to study God’s Word in earnest, and as he did, he made a life-changing discovery. “I realized I said I was a Christian, but deep inside I was not transformed. I had not accepted the gospel,” he said. “Once I realized that, I surrendered.” Galgalo continued studying God’s Word and growing in his faith. He shared the gospel with others and soon started meeting with other new Christians under an acacia tree. In 2010, the group of believers raised enough money to build a small structure on some land for church gatherings. When Galgalo and his church submitted a request to their local government to install a water access point by their new church property, their request was denied. They kept asking, and their requests kept getting denied. Muslims had realized that the church was gaining influence in the community, and persecution increased. Then, in 2018, the need for water became dire. Local Muslim leaders prohibited all church members from using the community water supply. VOM workers soon connected with Galgalo, and through gifts from members of the global body of Christ, VOM helped the church dig a water well on their land. Soon after the well was dug, a severe drought hit the region and devastated the community. All the town’s water sources dried up — except for the church’s well! The church shared their water with the people of the community and their livestock. As a result, elders from the Muslim community came to apologize to Galgalo for how they treated him and the church, something that Galgalo says is rare in their Muslim culture. While relationships have improved within the community, Galgalo continues to experience opposition because of his Christian witness. He can only do ministry visits during the day because of the risks of being out after dark. Still, Galgalo remains in Merti because of the encouragement he has received from the global body of Christ and because of the many remaining unmet needs. “There are no missionaries, there are no evangelists, there are no full-time pastors. So I give my life full-time to the ministry of the gospel,” he says. Your prayers and support provide help, love and encouragement to our persecuted Christian family members. This year-end, we invite you to make a gift to VOM’s Global Ministry to support persecuted Christians, like Galgalo, while being a voice for them among the global body of Christ.
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