Stories of Conversion: Charles Cheruiyot
My name is Charles Cheruiyot, a believer of our Lord Jesus Christ. I have struggled with anxiety, but I am on the road to heaven after accepting Jesus.
The journey of faith in Jesus started in 1980, while I was in grade 6. I enrolled in a free World Bible School course through correspondence. My younger brother had seen advertisements in the newspaper about the World Bible School course, and we started applying for enrollment. Despite the difficulty in accessing postal services from our village, we managed to send the form through one of our teachers who was going to town and posted our mail on our behalf. After a few months, we received the introductory lesson and booklets for study. This is where we took that first step in knowing more about God and his plan for human beings through the true church as recorded in the Bible.
My teacher in the United States lived in Grand Pass, Oregon. He was so supportive, and he supported us by buying us stamps which he enclosed in the envelope when he mailed us the lessons after marking them up. This made it easy for us to study. After completing these courses, I was convinced that the truth was found in the Bible, and I wanted to be baptized and become a member of the Church of Christ.
After corresponding with my teacher, he connected me with missionaries who were in Kenya. These missionaries were Jimmy Fowler who was in Sotik among the Kipsigis community and Roy Ramsay who was in Kisumu among the Luo community (along Lake Victoria region). I asked them to visit me and baptize me, but they instead invited me to go to a one-week Back to the Bible course, which was scheduled to be held in Chavakali High School in Western Kenya.
By this time I was in form one (grade 9). I accepted the invitation, but traveling was a challenge since I was a student. My parents could not allow me to travel or pay for my fare to the meeting since they didn’t understand what it was all about. To make things worse, my father was not a Christian, and he did not see the need for me going that far while I should be working on his farm during the holidays.
I failed to attend this first Back to the Bible course that semester, and I had to write to my teacher why I could not make it to meet with the recommended missionaries. My teacher, Kenneth Matwick, didn’t lose hope on me, as he had made another arrangement for me to attend next time (and by making sure that I got the fare to attend). He sponsored me by sending money to Roy Ramsey in Kisumu, and, after communicating with him, he told me to borrow the money and he will refund it when I get to the venue for training.
I will never forget this lady—my neighbor—who agreed to give me a loan for traveling after I told her my dilemma. At that time it was Ksh. 30/- equivalent to $0.30/- at the current rate. This may seem like a small amount, but at that time to get that amount was so tough. I went by train to Kisumu after spending the night in the station. I had to wait for the next train that was going through our area at 4:00 AM. When I reached Kisumu, I made another connection with a public mini bus going to Kakamega City, where I was to be dropped at the roadside and make another connection to the venue. I was given a map for directions, and that really worked well for me since this was the first time I had traveled outside my county.
When I reached the venue, I was received and admitted to the Back to the Bible course for one week, and finally I was accepted to be baptized. Before the end of the course, I confessed to my tutors that I was ready to be baptized, and, on the second day of our training, I was led to the river with nine others and got baptized. This was the fulfillment of my dream of accepting the Lord Jesus Christ into my life.
I was lucky enough to be connected with one of the preachers who came from my community. He was attending the course as a tutor, and he recommended me to the Church of Christ near my school. After the holiday, I went to the school and searched for the church. When I finally found out about the church, which was meeting in a nearby primary school, I was filled with joy. I began to worship with them, and within a short time they realized I had a special gift of teaching. I began to help in teaching Sunday school, and that is when my passion to serve really began to develop into maturity.
I grew in faith in the church, and I began to make more connections with people and communities. After one year, I asked the members of the church to help me plant a new church in my home in Kipkelion—about 40 miles away. This was made possible when we teamed up with other missionaries who were working among the Kipsigis tribe in Kenya. They graciously helped me plant a church in my home.
Glory to God for the work He has done to me throughout all these years. I’m now a church preacher in Pioneer Church in Eldoret, where I’m the founding member and a radio speaker. I also serve as a region ambassador for One Kingdom in East Africa in various ministries. The One Kingdom ministry has given me opportunities to enjoy close relationship with partners across the world and in the USA (who have been very much supportive in the mission work in my community).
My testimony could go on and on since the many churches I have helped in planting are now 18 in number across the country of Kenya. I still have that passion of planting even more as I serve in various programs that help people in the community.
May God bless the work of our hands and protect us as we serve him during our generation.
In His service,
Charles
Charles Cheruiyot is the One Kingdom ambassador to East Africa. We have enjoyed a partnership with him that has spanned multiple decades, and he continues to lead his home country of Kenya and surrounding nations.
Charles spends much of his time discipling church leaders and spearheading disaster relief efforts in communities vulnerable to drought and storms.
He has two sons, Daniel and Ronaldo, and he lives with his wife Joyce in Eldoret, Kenya.