IN-TUNE A CAPPELLA

Another cold experience

2009-07-13T11:57:00.002+03:00

After countless PR efforts and a quick decision after having had a successful ministry to Limuru girls on a prior date, the SDA group invited In-Tune back to their premises for another Divine Service. Now,apparently the school administration tightened their noose on the group, such that they no longer have the liberty to enjoy worship on Sabbath mornings but instead have to attend classes and preps i the morning, after which their Divine Service takes place in the afternoon. Whateve the circumstance, we still thank God that they are able to fellowship whatever little time they have.

The In-Tuners were packed into Elder Ochola's Prado, with Benard and Ted being bundled into the rear boot of the vehicle. There were however, no complaints there. All the way we wee listening to a couple of hymnal instrumental, until Ted started humming away and soon the rest of us were caught up in the heat of th moment and it turned into a practice session as usual. This ministry was conducted without Jamo, Tichy or George who happened to be everywhere else but there...

The trip to Limuru, usually deemed long and tedious, happened to be a short 45min session and we prayed having entered the school compound, around 3.30pm (Late I know, but better late than never at all right?)The girls treated us to a hearty welcome, and henceforth the pogram was literally hijacked by Chris and Jose, who I have to admit make a sterling team. The unusual Divine Service program they led us through was definitely out of the ordinary but definitely exciting and interesting to watch and participate in.

MUSDA, MUSDA or MMUSDA? (Part I)

2009-04-03T15:55:00.000+03:00

27th March 2009 will go down in Nairobi Central Church history for a number of reasons, positive and negative, but the good thing is, this was the day the Youth of the Church were to go on a ministry mission to MUSDA…no not Maseno University SDA Group, and no neither Masinde Muliro University SDA Group as well, but to the Kesses area main campus of Moi University. The primary invitees were the Choir and Drama but as things would have it, countless other youths were on hand for the sojourn which would prove to be both unique and unforgettable.

The morning was crisp and dry and traffic, as was usual in the Kenyan capital on a weekday, was quite heavy in the morning. The initial plan had been to gather at the church grounds bright and early by nine, but as I have stressed time and again, punctuality is not a strongpoint in the Adventist circles. I on the other hand, thinking I was late by five minutes, managed to book myself the strategic seat I was accustomed to towards the rear end of the bus we were to travel in. Having secured it, socializing seemed to be the next best thing. With Zebby, Diana, Paul and Mongina to my left and Ebby, Tichy and James in front, this would prove to be a fantastic road trip!

Then the first blow came. Amidst the excitement and anticipation that was building up among the youth came news of Celine’s ordeal the previous night as she headed home. Celine is one of the Choir members and that Thursday night she had left choir practice late as she headed on home. Boarding a shuttle on her way home, it ended up being hijacked in the sprawling Umoja neighborhood by a gang of thugs who ordered everyone to surrender their cellphones. As she grappled for hers, it sprawled to the floor by accident and she swiftly bent to pick it up, not realizing that the passenger she was seated next to was indeed one of the thugs. He proceeded to bat her on the head with his gun, causing her to scream incomprehensibly, resulting in the thug shooting her through her left ribcage, the bullet shattering her liver and intestines.

Celine was rushed to the national referral hospital promptly and was admitted, even as the Evangelism bus snaked its way out of the Church grounds the following afternoon at a little after midday, packed with the ejubilant yet shocked youth. The Youth Leaders left on ground would handle the situation and brief us of Celine’s condition as the weekend crept I as we planned to visit her when we got back. The concrete and steel of Nairobi soon gave way to the gentle slopes and harsh terrain of Limuru and Gilgil on the outskirts of the capital. It was the dry season in the country, with the scorching sun burning down mercilessly on the landscape, and with it the preparation season for farmers in anticipation for the long rains in April and May. Thus we could witness countless fires around, as thicket and bush were cleared and some were wildfires wrecking havoc on farmland.

It was an awesome sight to witness how man, beast and land co-related intermittently all in a common balance held in the palm of our Creator…and that such beauty and splendor could be so fragile and plentiful and yet a curse if misappropriated and destroyed unabashedly. Smoke billowed from left to right as the bus moved on to the drier plains of the bed of the Rift Valley. We arrived at Nakuru town, our midway point, for a luncheon stop-over of around 45 minutes. This was mainly a soda, chips, sukuma wiki, nyama and ugali affair, after which we headed on our way yet again having completed only half the journey. At the city center we picked up a surprise package, songstress Esther Mokaya and made on our way, as the driver diverted towards the Kabarak motorway as the other stretch, Nakuru to Kericho, was still under rehabilitation. We bypassed Kabarak Universtiy as well as a junction 55km away from the University of Eastern Africa, Baraton. All the while guys in the bus were singing ecclesiastic renditions and hymns all in harmonization, Greg of Final Appeal being the spear header of it all.

It was six thirty in the evening as we maneuvered into the Main campus of Moi University, with its majestic administration block’s white facade gleaming in the fading rays of the sunset. Jared, a MUSDA member was our receptor as we ad a prayer and were welcomed to our destination and place we’d call home for the next two days of our lives…

*to be continued

The Year That Was...

2009-01-08T16:25:00.000+03:00

It seems like over a decade since the last time I wrote, though I guess everything in this lifetime has a balance and moderation. The end of 2008 happened to be a break period of sorts for the blog…although it was more of a forced break because of the few technical difficulties we experienced with blogger and updating the site, I figure it was a time reserved for reflection and appreciation. That’s not to mean that there was nothing going on with the In-Tuners during that time…on the contrary. In-Tune, in conjunction with our brother group, Final Appeal (formerly AMO Junior) were up and about and here’s just a summary of all the activity…

Teacher Lynda Onimbo, the Nairobi Central SDA Church Ambassadors’ Club patron, decided to throw the two groups an appreciation and thanksgiving party at her house! It was the second Sunday of the month of December and the guys had psyched themselves up for a great time. It was to triple up as a practice session and ministry to the kids who lived around and her immediate neighbours. Getting there a little late proved to be a wise decision as we gave her an opportunity to finish up her preparations as she treated us to some snacks and appetizers. We got introduced to her daughter and the lady who helped her cook as we listened to some acappella music.

The meal was nothing short of legendary…with a conglomeration of delicious dishes of chapatti, stew, chicken and pilau and an assortment of juices and soda. Teacher Lynda left us to our grub for a while as she went to attend a meeting in Church, but we were in good hands…or should I say our hands were full of good things! The guys got to bond and stuff themselves crazy as Joseph got an opportunity to bond with the host’s daughter. It was a matter of time before the gathering turned macho display as the room became a gym class but ironically Joseph won the endurance contest. Jamo defied all odds as Davie and Ted struggled to prove their point that appearance translated to capability. The gym became a studio as the In-Tuners began singing songs and practicing. The height of which proved to be the time Teacher Lynda popped back in from her meeting to find the us in a frenzy of sorts as we went on singing. She recorded our antics and even called the neighbours over just to see who were singing the acappella. All in all it was fun and we deeply appreciated what Ms. Onimbo had done for us.

A week later we were at Juja Senior School for the Form Four Farewell Service which the administration had invited us over for through Ruby and her family. The preacher for the day talked about Daniel and how we should all dare to be like him. He encouraged the students to keep true to God’s word and strive for excellence and success in all that they did, be it responsibility or academics. Their school teacher urged them to stay away from negative influences and uphold their integrity and virtues even as they broke for the December holidays. One could only sense the anticipation the students had to leave school for the festive season, though come to think of it, so did every other Kenyan high-schooler. The December holidays mean gifts, a long break and fun for all…well at least that’s what everyone likes to think.

Before the service was over, there was a presentations session where we took to the stage and sang a few songs with Final Appeal. The icing on the cake was being given an opportunity to witness to non-Seventh day Adventists and have a few boys come up to us and say that we inspired them to sing for the Lord. I was touched when I heard Kemi, Ruby’s sister, narrate to us how that had happened.

The SOJ (Soldiers of Jesus) Club of Pangani Girls High School, through the Church Elder had invited us to their school the following Sunday for their end of year concert that would also be a farewell bid to their candidates as well. The Concert was primarily a play about the choices we make in life and I have to admit it was quite impressive, though a little difficult to follow at the start. I can remember George tapping me over the shoulder half way through and asking me what the play was all about…but at the end of it all, it was great. The leader of the Adventist group at the school, on behalf of the rest, thanked the Elders’ for the wonderful work they had done for them through out the year and also making it possible for groups such as ourselves to go to the school to minister to them.

The next stop happened to be Nairobi Pentecostal Church Valley Road where we had the chance to minister through music unto the Teens Church community. It was amazing to be there again and do our part in witnessing . I guess in the new year, we would like to go a step further by having a preacher accompany us where it would be possible to. A series of concerts followed to sum up 2008. There was the Drama Band Concert which came first, then the Youth Choir Concert and also the Youth Reunion Concert that brought together the original members and founders of the Youth Choir in Nairobi Central Church. I almost forgot to mention the Shower Power Concert that took place right in our Church. Shower Power are this really great acappella group from Zimbabwe who flew in all the way from Harare to minister to us about peace and love, especially after what happened in Kenya during the post election violence of the 2007 General Elections.

The year ended with the Revival Week which found In-Tune split up geographically. Though Chris, Ronnie and Craig were reunited with us, James, George and Anderson were upcountry while the rest of us were either just in Nairobi or its environs. All in all, the holiday season and New Years’ were a truly festive season and as we go into 2009, we pray that the Lord will continue to be with us and see us through all our activities…God bless you all.

Singing in the savannah....

2008-10-17T17:41:00.001+03:00

Located just opposite Daystar University’s main campus, Lukenya Girls’ High School (formerly Kilimanjaro Girls’) is a lovely little school set on the lush savannah plains to the East of Kenya’s capital. The Director is as an equally pleasant lady who’s benevolence has seen the establishment of the school which prides itself of a student population of over 300 girls, clad in their school colours of purple, grey and white. The School Principal is called Alex.

Leaving Nairobi Central on time proved to be a futile attempt with everyone in all sorts of places, and when I tell you the Youth can really drag their feet, I mean it! For a group that was to have left the church at exactly 8.00am, it wasn’t surprising to see that we actually meandered out, bus full to capacity, at 9.20am, with the intent of reaching Athi River, one and a half hours away in order to conduct a service that was to have started at 10.00am prompt.

With the likes of Jamo and Esther Mokaya of the Youth, it was all poised to be a melodious foray all the one-and-a-half hour way. They sat near the rear of the vehicle with Joseph and a pretty lady called Moraa right behind them. On that day, Tichy was a backbencher and so were a hoard of Drama members, who usually spell fun, mischief and most of all…. non-stop heckling! Bernard was wallowing in a miasma of emotions, I guess because this was his first trip with the rest of the crew this year having missed the previous two engagements at Masinde Muliro and Kathiani. Ted was at the mid-section of the bus, as he always was, and AMO’s Paul, Greg and Zebi at the front with the driver, I say with the driver, because that is where the front is!

Joseph was in his usual knowledge-giving aura when he enlightened me, for the umpteenth time, that it takes Kshs.55, 000 to fill up the gas tank of the bus. So that’s what it costs the Church for evangelism per long distance trip, huh? When Christ said spread the word to every tongue, people and tribe, He never said it would be easy and trust me, its not! But from all the ventures In-Tune has gone through in its ministry, one thing I can say with confidence is that the delighted and warm expressions you see on the visages of those you have gone to witness to is enough reward for all the troubles you’ve gone through.

We passed great Kenyan landmarks, both physical and artificial such as the magnificent Panari Sky Centre on Mombasa Road, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Bamburi Cement Athi River Plant and the first Fly-Over highway to be constructed in East and Central Africa, though still under construction. The road from past the Airport was also undergoing a major facelift and so I can’t even begin to describe the mild chaos it was over the bumpy stretch we endured for half the journey. We barely noticed time fly by as Esther, In-Tune and AMO Junior led a chorus singing session in tandem with all the lovers of a cappella music in the Evangelism bus.

Enough about the ‘how we got there’, now to the ‘what happened when we got there’. First of all, the gate was too small for the bus to fit in and through so we had to alight at the entrance and walk past the well-manicured lawn at the administration block, the chemistry and sciences lab and the school dining hall to the field just next to it, where there were cream white tents slap dashed into a square with space in the middle. Two sides fully occupied with the students of the school, one side with the special ministers, and the other end for the visitors who were us. The Principal was quick to tell us he had been expecting us at 8.30am! Nonetheless, he was, as was everyone else, delighted that we made it there safely and well.

The ministers, inclusive of four elders and Church Pastor Jacob Akali, quickly took us into the Sabbath school period, and what an animated session it was! The charming Elders Adams and Okoth, as well as Willis Ocholla took us through the week’s lesson in a lively and interactive session where Paul of AMO proved his prowess at Bible reading. Davie had a field day making the girls laugh with his witty one-liners as In-Tune was afterwards called to close the session with an item, ‘Higher Perspective’. It so happened that this ministry was primarily meant as the Form Four Dedication Service for the school’s candidates who would, as well as 270, 000 others across the country, sit for the K.C.S.E. examinations set to start on October 21st.

In the interlude in between, AMO Junior and the Youth Choir sang items each which were well applauded, glory be to God, as Pastor Akali, the speaker for the day and the Pulpit team made their way to the front to usher us into the sermon that would last for about 40minutes. George and Joseph took the ending moments of this time to take shots of those who were dozing during the sermon, which I am not sure, whether or not to display…hahaha. If you want me to display them, vote on the poll adjacent to these posts and the outcome will determine the course of action.
Pastor Akali proceeded to form a ‘circle of prayer’ around the candidates who were called to the front, and prayed for them, along with the Elders and teachers in the school’s staff.

Lunch was a deeply awaited, as well as deliciously scrumptious affair! Rice, beans, githeri (a delightful native mixture of beans and maize), veggies, salad, soup and soda were the constituents of the menu and all I can say is, congratulations to the chef. The meal was utterly delicious. At 2.15pm, the service kicked off again, with opening prayers and a period of musical presentations where all the groups sang, as well as the students of Lukenya Girl’s School. A couple of girls also dedicated their item to the Form Fours who would be clearing.

The Drama Band performed their great piece, ‘The Redeemed and the Reformed’, as we wound up our ministry for the day. The Elder in charge gave his vote of thanks speech, sincerely thanking the entire school administration for hosting us there and being such wonderful hosts to us. He gave the Director a set of inspirational books by Ellen G. White and also handed the Principal, Alex, some books of his own. The school administration in turn, represented by their Principal, thanked us for the program and the ministry, and wished it would still go on, but as it were, all things must at one point, come to an end.

Just before leaving, we partook of the Holy Communion, which was earlier held in Church on that day and vacated the premises at exactly 5.50pm; All’s well that ends well. May God bless the entire community of Lukenya Girl’s School.

Three Days and Two Nights...(Part Three)

2008-10-17T17:36:00.000+03:00

The Masinde Muliro Concert, hosted by the Drama Band in conjunction with the Nairobi Central Youth Choir kicked off spectacularly, albeit late, with an opening prayer from Becky Nguru and then a wonderful praise and worhip session led by Esther Mokaya and her. This really got the congregation in the mood of the concert, which ended with some Kiswahili worship songs, and then another prayer of blessing and posterity.

You guessed it, once again In-Tune kicked off the concert with the song ‘Can You See His Blood’, which little did we know, would be our only item for the entire duration of the night. The Youth Choir sang, the MMUSDA Choir marched and the Drama band acted all insync as they made the evening one to remember, including for its shortness and abrupt end, because time had caught up with us. It was around 10.30 pm by the time people were vacating the mess, rather unbelievable because it was all over and done with before we knew what had hit us.

I guess guys felt short changed of more blessings because we had prepared a lot more to share but time constraints had not permitted it to be so. So I can honestly say not everyone was happy at the end of the long day. Retiring to the hostels, I was too exhausted to stay awake, but from what I garnered the following day, Jamo isn’t too happy with my ‘sleeping as a baby’ antics and there are a number of nocturnal creatures form Central Church who accompanied us. It was too bad the likes of Joseph, Bernard and Edwin had not accompanied us; then it would have been a consummation.

Surprisingly, on the day we were to head back, one would have expected guys to sleep in till late considering the fact that they had slept very late previously, but by 7.30am, the whole hostel was abuzz with activity as we prepared for the soccer match between the Central Youth and the MMUSDA Youth to be held at the adjacent Kakamega Rehabilitation School grounds. I’ll be sure to source for the photos, which were taken throughout the trip.

The game was pulsating with the visitors being two up by half time, but managing a strong come back afterwards, the hosts managed to secure a 3-3 draw that left all and sundry content. By that time it was ten and the players rushed back to the hostels for a shower and to gather belongings. This time was social time to get to interact with the MMUSDA members after which we said our goodbyes, bidding especially Chris goodbye as we made our long journey back to Nairobi at exactly 11.20am.

Our stopover was at Kericho for a breather, where hawkers struggled to sell to us tea and then at Nakuru where Zach and CJ, the trip organizers, had bought for everyone some fries and soda. Nairobi beckoned only an hour and a half away, as the streetlights and highways of the capital embraced us back to what we call home. God bless the Masinde Muliro University SDA Community for the hospitality and good will they showed us.

-End of Part Three of Three-

Three Days and Two Nights...(Part Two)

2008-10-17T17:18:00.000+03:00

When the Church bus snuggled in through the entrance gates to the University, there was an aura of anticipation as it finally hit all of us that this was indeed it! The driver pulled over at the entrance as we ushered in the SDA Chairperson of the University who offered a prayer of thanksgiving for a journey safely concluded. Mr. Momanyi, the chair then welcomed us to the institution, emphasizing the fact that the entire fraternity had been preparing for our arrival for a long time coming now and that they were glad to see us there.

The bus was directed on towards the entrance to Hall 3 as we alighted and were greeted by the jubilant In-Tuner Chris who looked as happy and healthy as ever. There was an amicable evening fellowship, right after the guys and the girls had been sorted out in terms of sleeping quarters, each divided among members of MMUSDA, which we came to later comprehend, stood for the Masinde Muliro Seventh day Adventist Group. Rather shockingly, there were only about two freshers at the vespers, and proudly, Chris was one of them. Te Chair told us that once the new students joined, they found the freedom too appealing to not take advantage of and thus sadly, not many were committed to the Church, but he was glad when he saw people like Chris and that gave him hope that the Group did indeed have a future worth looking forward to.

We were treated to two special items from the MMUSDA Church Choir and a wonderful sermon by a 2^nd year Student at Masinde Muliro. In summation, were truly blessed by the entire program. Later on we were encouraged to take an early night because the following morning would be early since it was Sabbath morning and the program for the day commenced on time and promptly…I doubt there was anyone to argue with that suggestion! Tichy, Zebi of AMO and myself found accommodation in Hall 3 on the top floor with the chairman and his vice, Ombachi, who were the greatest of hosts. They treated us to hot cocoa and loaf to warm us up for the night and organized that were have a whole room to ourselves, right opposite their room.

After catching up and socializing a bit, at around eleven pm we retired to our room that was equipped with a computer and gospel music. As Zebi played the role of DJ, I familiarized myself with what was to be my bed for the following two days as I drifted off into familiar territory.

6.30am wasn’t too bad a time to wake up on Sabbath morning. We found Momanyi and Ombachi had prepared breakfast so it was time to take a shower and get dressed as they wanted to start…and finish, on time, with the long program ahead. Lets not forget that that evening was to be the much-awaited concert, which the Drama Band and the Nairobi Central Youth Choir were to co-host. Having gone through the necessities of preparation, we met up with Chris outside the Hall and went to the Mess from where the service was to take place.

An impromptu practice attracted the likes of Jamo, Ted Okoth and the AMO Junior brothers as we sharpened our voices then went in to join the rest of the congregation for the service. We were ushered in by immaculately dressed ushers into the hall that was almost a quarter full; rather impressive considering the time of the day. In Tune sang for Sabbath School with AMO rounding us up and then the Divine Service kicking in with the Youth Choir giving us a special item and the MMUSDA Church Choir thereafter. It was as if the angels themselves had come a little closer just to hear at that precise moment. The Speaker for the day was a student of Moi University who had specifically been invited to speak to us on that day. He was an inspirational as well as convicting speaker. At 1.00pm, it was time for physical nourishment, with a surprise lunch catered for by the MMUSDA community.

2.30pm sharp and a mini concert was held leading way to a nature walk at 4.30pm that was to be to the world renowned Kakamega Forest. The funny thing is that it rains rather abruptly in this part of Kenya, and when it does, the rain comes down almost horizontally! We experienced this first hand for around 20 minutes in the afternoon program where In-Tune had one chance to present as the Drama Band also ministered.

The program ended with everyone being told that the visitors would host the much anticipated concert in the evening as from 7.30pm and therefore to keep time. The nature walk took us to Kakamega town itself as Chris opted to snatch Tichy and myself away for a while, to go and see his hostel on the other side of town. By the time we all got back to the University Campus…it was well after dark and stomachs were grumbling! The MMUSDA Chair went to the rescue again, this time sorting out dinner issues for everyone at the school mess…this went all the way till 8.00pm when finally the concert was to begin…

-End of Part Two of Three-

Three Days and Two Nights...(Part One)

2008-10-03T11:50:00.003+03:00

Dates: 19th - 21st September 2008
Cast: In-Tune, AMO Junior, NCSDAC Drama Band and Youth Choir
Venue: Masinde Muliro University of Agriculture and Technology, Kakamega
The Saga:
Poised to be an action packed weekend, courtesy of all those who promised to be there, the air was rife with anticipation and excitement. Admittedly, it would be my first trip with the youth of Nairobi Central, but for the majority of the rest, they were veterans of the widespread Ministry, having been as far as Mbita, Coast and Amboseli National Park, but to mention afew. But with the added likes of Davie of AMO and our very own wacky but 'sweet' Tichy, the trip to Kakamega was the place to be.

If you know Maxwell Youth, then you very well know that despite their many strengths, one of their weaknesses is punctuality. The initial plot was for all and sundry to be in the Church compound by exactly 7.30am, but two and a half hours down the line and there were still individuals waltzing in from Milimani Road. The show did however get on the road after a prayer and the 52 people on the list settling in the Evangelism Bus of Nairobi Central SDA Church. Let me just say at this point that Kakamega town is 8hrs away from Nairobi, thats approximately 310kms.

As with all road trips, the excitement was clearly evident in the group as the bus wound its way through the city streets to Westlands and then past Uthiru and out of the jurisdiction of the City council of Nairobi. Guys were singing and girls were clapping, it was an amalgamation of different personality types crammed up into the confines of a bus for more than 9 hours! If this were reality TV, it would be a recipe for disaster! But In-Tune and AMO set the ball rolling with singing acappella company songs to the delight of all acappella lovers in the bus. This went on until we arrived at Gilgil and the next activity on the itinerary was appreciating the wild beauty that the Gilgil plains had to offer...zebra, shrub, lakes, savannah and streams. It was breathtaking to watch the mammoth sized Mount Longonot as we passed it by into the Great Rift Valley. Then we saw the majestic Lake Elementaita. We all agreed that we were indeed lucky because this time of year the usually scrubby plains were plush and appealing. This can tell you how touristy we all felt.

Our first stop-over came on rather early, at a Naivasha Petrol Station where most of the Youth stocked up on food and drink supplies, then we were off to complete the rest of our journey. Arriving at Nakuru, the girls protested at the location which the driver had chosen, but this was due to a road expansion exercise that was being undertaken so he was unable to stop anywhere else in Nakuru town...we were all in agreement to move on directly to Kenya's and arguably Africa's tea capital, Kericho. The well trimmed tea bushes and softwood pines were a welcome site as we stopped again at a petrol station just to stretch our legs in preparation for the real lunch-cum-supper stopover at the Lakeside city of Kisumu.

In Kisumu, we stopped at Nakumatt Mega City, just on the city's outskirts, but again a section of the girls were the complainers that they were inthe fish capital and so they wanted fish and they wanted it then! And so, after having a conversation with Ronnie, who resides there, we agreed to hook up at the shores of the lake, directly opposite Kisumu Airport. The tantalizing smells of native 'ugali', 'sukuma' and fish rent the air as the rest settled in for heavy meals...surprisingly, the very girls who wanted the fish changed their minds and opted to go into the city to do some shopping!

Tichy is a vegetarian and thus stayed away from all things fishy...as Ronnie and his sister, Daisy, made an appearance. The mealtime was a fun but hungering affair...fun if you were watching but hungering if you were watching on an empty stomach. We left Kisumu at 6.00pm, prepared for the one hour or so it took to reach Kakamega which was now to the North. The sun had by now settled in a haze as we moved on in the mild glow of the half crescent moon. The gate ushering us into Masinde Muliro University came into sight at 7.10pm...the ministry had officially begun...

-End of Part One of Three-

Choruses at Kathiani...

2008-09-22T17:50:00.002+03:00

Kathiani is a small town about 160km from Nairobi and near the much larger Machakos town in Ukambani area(i.e Eastern Province in Kenya). The tarmac road even ends about 10km before you reach the town itself...testament to the remoteness its inhabitants have, though the town itself is alive and kicking with roadshows, entertainment spots, churches, fairly large schools and even supermarkets and restaurants. The funny thing is that the town has a a very large number of bars, almost near each and every other amenity!

The Nairobi Central Youth Choir and Drama Band organized a follow-up missionary mission to the town on 13th of September so that we could go and see how the Nairobi Central SDA Church's project of spreading the three angels message to the people of Kathiani had faired on. I am happy to say that the mission was indeed a success! When we arrived there with the choir on invitation, along with AMO Junior, there was a buzz of activity as the lesson classes were well underway with different classes for Sabbath School; Kamba, English and Swahili.

Muddling ourselves in the various classes, we saught to mingle with them and interact and share as we discussed the lesson. Around twenty minutes later, the superintendent asked the lesson teachers to wind up as we had to move on with the program for the day. In the intersession, there were items of music from the choir, In-Tune and AMO Junior and then from the Drama Band, which was well received. We had sang the song 'I Just Wanna Be Where You Are' Swahili version.

In the Divine Service, we sang the song 'Sabato' during the offertory as the Choir did the Special Item just before the Speaker of the day. It was delighting to see that the Kathiani Church had even secured a commited Pastor who was as energized as can be to share the gospel with us and them. The sermon was over by 12.30pm and we made our way back to town centre and to the bus for lunch. The Church is located in an old mill house by the way.

Lunch was an amalgamation of biscuits, sandwiches, chips, rice, beans, juices, water, spaghetti and soya, of which everybody was comfortable to share. At 2.00pm sharp we made our way back to the church for the afternoon programme which proved to be very lively and interactive. That is when I witnessed the love of marching which the Youth have, as the newly instructed Kathiani SDA Choir sang for us wonderful choruses. We had abundant opportunities to interact with the other members as the program went along well.

By the end of the day, as the Evangelism Church bus of Nairobi Central Seventh-Day Adventist Church meandered its way through the dusty pathways out of Kathiani into the tarmacked lanes of Jogoo Road into Nairobi, I felt that we truly had accomplished our mission to Kathiani...sharing the word and encouraging the brethren.
God bless the church members of Kathiani as they continue with His work...

Group of Four...

2008-09-10T15:39:00.005+03:00

6th September 2008 started out as a rather normal sabbath morning with routine and worship. From teens class, to the youth classes to the divine hour where Elder Atinga, the Head Elder of Nairobi Central, gave a deep and wonderful sermon titled 'The Scandal of Our Times'. For the first time in a long time, Edwin had not mentally wandered off into the wilderness and I had not conveniently dozed off, though Joseph was far from the point of concentration and Ronnie wasn't writing the usual sermon notes he did. With Jamo and Ted out of the radar it was rather difficult to establish whether or not they had been concentrating...it was not however difficult to see George dozing off, rather predictably. If one of the in-Tuners should be screened for the exotic disease of sleeping sickness...especially during the sermon, then I highly recommend him!(No offense Georgie), that is of course alongside food addiction for Bernard and Jona, women for Anderson and to a lesser extent Joseph and finally 'scariness' for Ted...I'll leave you to ponder on that one reader...

Afternoon lunch was an amicable affair...Joseph, Tichy, Anderson, my mother and myself had a scrumptuous meal right by the church as the rest had their families to dine with. This rapidly progressed and concluded in a lengthly conversation about everything from the air to politics, after which time came for us to head to the Music Room for our practice. We had a task ahead seeing as such that the Youth Trip to Kathiani was fast headed our way and we had to work on our new songs.

After some light voice practice, a few jokes and warm ups, we went into serious practice for what would be around fifteen minutes after which we were called by the Pangani Eder for our trip there with our brother group AMO Junior. The transport arrangements were speedily taken care of, and our entourage of five vehicles weeded its way out of Nairobi Central at exactly three pm, which was very late. Approximately half an hour later we made our way into the School which is situated in the Eastlands area of Nairobi, right next to Starehe School.

As was expected, we received a warm welcome from the students who were quick to usher us in and soon the afternoon programme was well underway. We had about an hour to be done with our presentations and AMO Junior set the ball rolling for us with an item titled 'John the Revelator'. You should hear their bass, Davie, at his best. Annointed also made an appearance as did Craig's friend Kevin (not me) who performed a solo act which gripped the congregation with its reflective influence. This was followed by an item of music from In-Tune and then inter-changes which culminated in one huge collaboration with the brother group in the song 'Abba Father'.

Little did we know that this would indeed set the precedence for many more collaborations with AMO Junior to come. At around 5.00pm in the evening, it was time to leave the school and coincidentally, we all headed back to church, where a practice session come sing-spiration followed where both the groups decided to sing through most of the Acappella Company songs. The melodies filled the air around till late 7.00pm, where darkness rather than willingness persuaded us to depart for home. We ended up singing our way to the city centre where we parted ways and each of us headed home for the night.

Out In The Open...

2008-09-09T13:13:00.002+03:00

The Ambassadors officially launched itself to the age group of 16-22 year olds of Nairobi central SDA Church on the 30th of August 2008 in a rather eventful ceremony at the basement of the Church. In attendance were the teens class members and some youth and Ms. Onimbo...or as she prefers to be called quite humbly, Linda, she who took us through the ecstaticly wonderful camp meeting of the year.

Admittedly, in the wake of the challenges and motivation which Pastor Micah Campbell left us with, we were effectively spurned to start our own action group, havinr realised the potential we as the youth have to shape the future of the Church and aid in the Ministry of the word to others out there who don't know what they are missing from what the Church has to offer those under its wings. In-Tune rellishes the Sabbath each and every week and the opportunity of the fellowship which it offers.

We went through the morning sabbath school and sermon well and prepared ourselves for the launch which was to take place in the afternoon, including the elections and a blueprint of the task ahead for the Ambassadors. At 2.15pm sharp, we were all settled in the basement and began a praise and worship session. Before things got to a perfect start, In-Tune was called out to the Old Sanctuary because we were to sing for the Adventist Youth (AY) as the opeing special item. Atthis point, let me say the presentation went well with our singning three songs and then hurriedly rtacing back to the basement for the launch.

Linda Onimbo had already launched it with the help of the interim Chairman David Mokaya at the helm with her. They were going through a presentation session as well and in which In-Tune was requested to sing again...Afterward, a half-house AMO Junior performed and we went straight into the elections. The Chair went in unopposed and a vice were elected, together with a treasurer, secretary and heads of the four pillars of the Ambassadors;
Action-Music
Reaction-Bible Study
Convergence-Social
Divergence-Outreach

Having closed up and being a success launch, we prayed and headed back to the AY to close up their session with a closing item. That effectively rapped up our presentations for the wonderful sabbath. Little did we know of the confrontation that would ensue outside as we gathered for a social session.

It all began with Simeon, who coincidentally is on holiday and back at Central Church. He called me over to have a 'word or two' with me, of which I sensed what it would be but obliged. I dragged Ted Okoth along with me and found Anderson already in deep conversation with him. Soon the rest of the guys; Joseph, George, Bernard, Jamo and Craig were dragged in, Edwin and Ronnie having already left before.
To tell you exactly what transpired during the meeting would be to air dirty laundry in public and therefore I will not. I just thank God that the matters at hand were quashed and solved and In-Tune as a whole got the opportunity to sort out issues and rise above our obstacles to forge on in Ministry.

Another one bites the dust...

2008-08-20T15:34:00.002+03:00

I truly hope that wasn't a pop statement (the title I mean) 'coz if it is, someone please tell me quick, I've read alot about pop culure and its influence on Christianity! Anyway, I meant to insinuate that someone else has been set apart from In-Tune, not by choice, but again by academics...yep , you guessed it, Chris.

The last we heard, he was safe and sound on a bus headed for Western Kenya to the Masinde Muliro University to do a course in Commerce. God be with you Chris.

Backtracking to Sunday, our final day so far with him, we met as the guys at Church for some voice practice....but ended up starting with a game of touch in the parking lot of the Church; Ted, James, Tichy, Chris, Ronnie, Bernard, Jona and myself. After a prolonged brisk but competitive game, we settled down to practice a few songs as we waited for Craig, Joseph and Edwin since George and Andy would not be present had had excused themselves. We went through the songs 'Imagine A scene in Heaven', "Hush', 'Growing Up in the Lord', 'My Lord and My God' and 'Emergency'.

Once the concentration span had dissipated and we were over and done with the singing, we made our way to the Central Park playground to continue with our game of the good old game of rugger. We were later joined by Joseph, an AMO Junior pal-Davie and lastly, a complete stranger who decided to join us for the game. While we were playing, we could see a group of four praise and worshipping not very far from where we were and agreed we would, afterwards, stop by and sing with them. It was interesting to see Ted and James show off their rugby prowess.

....and yet again soon we grew weary of the action and made our way to the City Centre for a late lunch in honour of Chris. Packing up, we took a detour towards the people who were singing, and were now deep in a discussion. The closer we went is when we realised that they were actually deaf and some blind...and thought it to just say hi and go our way.

The lunch was at Sanford's Fish and Chips, and the meal was delightingly scrumptuous, a mixture of bhajia, chips, sausages, kebabs and soft drinks. Wouldn't we all love such a send-off! God bless you Chris as you pursue your higher education and beyond.

Camp Meeting of Hope 2008

2008-08-20T12:37:00.002+03:00

The Nairobi Central SDA Church Camp Meeting 2008 was a huge success bringing together speakers from around the globe;

Pastor Randy Skeete (Main Speaker)- USA
Pastor Wynsome Baadjes (Senior Youth)- England
Pastor Micah Campbell (Teens/Junior Youth)- England
Pastor Wynny Lynn (Health and Nutrition)- England
and our very own, Sis. Millicent Odhiambo- Mombasa, Kenya

'The Signs of Hope' was this year's theme, and if the attendance was anything to go by, then there is indeed still hope alive in the hearts of many. But this hope we refer to, is the kind of hope that is everlasting and true and stands the test of time. This hope is indeed the hope that is Jesus Christ who came to die for our sins so that we could be set free.

The composed and inspiring Pr. Micah Campbell took the teens (15years and above) and the Junior Youth (upto 22years) through the whole of the camp meeting, conducting a series of sermons, teaching bible studies and how to preach effectively and thoroughly to a congregation. He also took us through exegesis of a given bible text and each and every day encouraged us to be courageous, read God's word and spread the message.

Elder Nzweli Banzi Ndlovu was on the other hand talking to us about pertinent teen issues and adventists belief, pratices and norms. It was inetersting to hear other people's views on how we could observe the sabbath more strictly, using means such as kesharing(transnighting) in church on friday or hiring transport for all church members during the week! He also discussed with us the dangers of dancing, along with your emotions and the effect the two, to a heightened extent, have on your bodily reactions.

We also discussed relationships with him, whether it was advisable (note ADVISABLE not permissible) to be in a serious relationship or commitment at our age, even though some people I know claim its practice for the future. Holding hands, touching, kissing...the works are not recommended, surely that isn't rocket science, as Chris would say, now is it? The Associate Church Pastor, Ezra Okioma went to great lengths to sensitize us on the dangers of pornography and its physiological and psychological effect on young and maturing minds.

Linda, our class guide, was instrumental in the success of our activities throughout the week as she ensured that the speakers were available and there on time. Her welcoming and warm personality and her upfront honesty made her a star among the teens and the youth, which left a lasting impression on , I'm sure all of us would agree, who had an opportunity to interact with her. In-Tune had countless opportunitie, like no other time in our history, to perform and sing praises to God, like at that time....the whole Camp Meeting week. This was also in addition to us becoming closer with another acappella group, AMO Junior, which also rocked the scene!

As for Pr. Skeete's priceless sermon's, I don't think I have to emphasize on his ability to reach out to the congregation and drive his point home. The core theme of his sermons was the unmatchable love of Jesus Christ for humanity and creation. The only man alive I know, whom has seemingly crammed and memorised every inch of the King James Version Bible word for word, in addition to most of Ellen G. White's books. If thats not a gift, I dont know what is! He however claims that the more one reads God's word, the more the Lord opens up the mind.

At the climax of the Camp Meeting, Joseph, as well as other picked individuals, represented the whole age group at the pulpit in the main church to give the rest of the church a taste of what we had learned. They did indeed give a sterling performance, each.

The guest choir, Magomeni SDA Church Choir summed up the spirit-lifting week with a fantastic piece, a Kiswahili version of the Hallelluyah Chorus, from Handel's Messiah. What more can I say?...

Misty Limuru Melodies

2008-08-05T15:50:00.005+03:00

Three whole hours is a long time to be patient by any standards, but that is what we had to do after our sabbath plans had changed for August 2nd 2008. Originally, In-Tune was to be with the youth at JKUAT but as drama and commitment unfolded, we had to head West towards Limuru Girls School, located just at the edge of Limuru town and believe you me...if you thought this time of year Nairobi is freezing, you have no idea what its like in Limuru.

The organising elder, Elder Kennedy Adams, told us to avail ourselves at church by 8.00am, and true to our word we were, only to hear from Ted that the van we were waiting for to take us there would actually come at 9.30am. Again, no problem, we practised as we waited until we saw the Elder headed towards us and we knew for sure we would finally be on our way. Unfortunately not, for he emplored us to be patient as the Elder who was to transport us there, Elder Okioga, was on his way, five minutes infact as he had said. It so happened that his five minutes was close to two hours, time after which Elder Adams shifted plans and used some money the church had given him to organize the trip to take us to town using public transport en route to Limuru.

Alighting from the Citi Hoppa bus just near Nairobi Stalls on Kenyatta Avenue, Chris and Joseph kept ahead of the group, but not infront of the ex-choxxarians(as former students of Limuru Girls are known) who were directing the Elder towards the stage where the Limuru bound vans are boarded. Later on we realised this was at the Fire Station stage....but once again we had to exercise our patience by hanging on for another one of the old girls to join us. This time however, it happened to be for only ten minutes and we promptly filled one of the vehicles and were on our way towards one of the coldest parts of Kenya.

Having no music whatsoever in the van, Bernard wa skind enough to lend us his mobile phone for us to listen to some acappella music on the way, though the renditions quickly faded away into the sounds of laughter and stories as In-Tune exploded with reminiscence and so did the girls seated at the front of the vehicle...and sadly Ronnie, who enjoyed a more silent trip.

The matatu(van) driver and conducter took us all the way to the gate of the school, thank God, after being treated to some breathtaking views of tea estates and grand villas by the roadside. This, coupled with Edwin's question of whether those were nurseries, left us in awe. We were ushered in by some of the girls dressed in brown into their medieval Chapel which was simply but rather ornately designed. The morning song service was on going and so we sat at the back of the chapel, with Ronnie, Bernard and Edwin occupying the bench infront of Tichy and myself as Joseph and Chris made for the front bench after a few minutes.

Then the borowing began...as the cold began to bite, Joseph kicked off the habit of asking the girls to supply him with mittens, scarves and jackets...all in the school uniform brown of course, and the girls were rather surprisingly happy to oblige...they not only furnished him with his requirements, but also Ronnie, Bernard, Tichy and Edwin! Soon the guys were all dressed up like eskimos in Antarctica. The service proceeded well, after we realised that the divine service in Limuru Girls was carried out in the afternoon, and so we settled for a presentation session where we were treated to excellent music from various groups in the school. At this point I have to say that Choxx has one of the best school choirs we have ever heard...they sing with such inspiring spirit, it was hard not to get carried away in the moment.

Lunch break was a fun filled affair, as it always is with the In-Tuners...and though the SDA group did not provide us with lunch, the guys and girls were perfectly comfortable to buy stuff from the school tuck shop, all the while the officials kept us company and even bought some of us some drinks and scones!

After lunch, the old girls treated us to an item, on request as well and In-TUne officially took over the programme, with Joseph at the helm, and Chris his co-driver. There were sharings and items and laughter and music and the girls did indeed enjoy the entire afternoon that we had lined up for them. Elder Okioga joined us to the enjoyment of the girls, as Elder Adams silently watched over the goings-on. As the norm goes...everything on this earth must come to an end, and as we wound up our performances, we finished off with 'Everybody Said, but Nobody Did'.

And that marked the end of arguably the most successful outreach ministry In-Tune has ever been to, not just because of the performances, but because of the warmth and hospitality with which we were received. God Bless you Limuru Girls School SDA Group.

July 26th NCSDAC Music Sabbath

2008-08-01T08:33:00.002+03:00

When Elder Okeyo of Nairobi Central SDA Church says 1.45pm, its just that! The concert was to kick off with the participating individuals groups and choirs being seated in the Church at 1.45pm sharp for registration and preparation. The entire Church was engulfed in a festive mood of purple and blue decorations a conglomeration of similarly coloured balloons. This, coupled with the high turnout and expectant spirits of the congregation was a sure recipe for a successful Concert.

It all started off well....as we were treated to wonderful items, including a presentation from the Shephard's Voices, another brother group to In-Tune. Actually, they were and still are more of our inspiration as we look up to them in our musical endeavours...okay enough about blowing their trumpet. The Church Choir were totally on point in their items...and the spice of it was their immaculate black and sky blue uniform...it was a spectacle to behold.

The Guest Choir of the day, Mathare North Choir...arrived abit late but nonetheless gave a sterling performance...their greatest hit being a dholuo spiritual song which had the congregation ever so excited. The not so appealing side of the entire concert was the PA System which kept on failing with what seemed like belchs and mini explosions as the feedback was unbearable, otherwise it was a very long wait for In-Tune to perform.

Esther and her sisters, the Mokayas, gave a wonderful little number as the Elder's Voice, Martha Kajwang and Kepha and Lydia followed suits with sweet renditions...at 6.00pm sharp In-Tune took to the pulpit and sang....it was a wonderful...albeit long, Music Sabbath. God bless you.

The 'Great' Alliance High School

2008-07-30T07:57:00.002+03:00

On a pal's invitation, Kim of our brother group 'Harmony', we attended an SDA Music Day at Alliance High School on 26th July 2008 in the morning. The In-Tuners had agreed to be early birds and catch the worm at Bata Hilton bright and early at 7.30am, and true to their word, majority did, albeit afew like Bernard who interpreted clear instructions to mean we were rendezvouing at Church....thus, we waited a while for him. At 8.00am sharp, we were at the bus station, in a matatu and ready to disembark for our trip, minus Pharaohs Andy and Joseph and Craig...

The trip to Alliance...or 'Bush', as its more popularily known, was rather uneventful, save for an awkward occurence where a lady passenger got herself involved in a verbal onslaught with the conductor of the vehicle, infront of a highly energized crowd. Bush is about one hours drive from the city centre, though the return journey takes a lot less time because of the traffic flow. Having never ben to the 'Great' Alliance, it was an experience for me as we found our way out of a tricky situation with the watchman, and wound through the wide pebble pathway towards the administration block and detoured to the ornately built Chapel.

The program had barely began...thank God as we were the first to register ourselves on the list. Kim told us that the event had been organized by the old girls of Alliance Girl's and a varietyof music groups and schools were to attend. It was therefore a God-given privilege to be the first off to present infront of the congreation, though the chilly weather had its toll on my voice....Tichy, Chris, James and the bases also did their parts pretty well...

We hang on there for another hour or so where we presented once more and had to leave 5minutes into the speaker's sermon if we were to reach back at church in time for the afternoon concert. It was a lovely little affair and one I'm sure In-Tune won't forget in a long time. We will however have to go back to Alliance and spend more time with the students there on a Sabbath of course...

The Grand In Tune 'Afterparty'

2008-07-27T10:45:00.002+03:00

Picking up from where I left off on the previous post, where I said the fun was just about to begin...it was time to make our way to Joseph's crib for the long-time planned In-Tuner sleepover. I've got weird looks from a number of people when telling them that, but believe you me, it only adds to the uniqueness of being In-Tune...when we say we are as tight as brothers, we mean just that!

Jamo on the other hand was to miss out on the whole thing, as well as Craig and Ted Okoth due to their diversity of reasons, but Jamo was never one to let things go just like that...he persuaded the rest of us for a stopover in town to have a late meal before we headed over to Joseph's in Buruburu Estate. It was admittedly fun, as I also got the opportunity to run into my cousin Alan, who was kind enough to buy me the meal at Moi Avenue's Caprice Fries outfit...everything had started out rather great...oh yessiree!

During the meal...Chris and Jose had all sorts of jokes as has become the norm, and all Jamo and Edwin could think about was....you guessed it....food! Have you ever seen a lawn mower at work? Thats just the rough idea! Tichy the whole time was making fun of me for a number of reasons which he always seems to effortlessly come up with, while Joseph and Chris chose to reminisce about the weeks occurrences and all that had happened at the Rally...Jamo reminding us of just what exactly transpired during the moments of interaction in the evening. It was a satisfactory affair when we parted ways with Jamo at the Ambassador Hotel in downtown Nairobi as he headed for Westlands and we took a number 58.

At Joseph's, we were welcomed in by his sisters Evelyn and Antonina and his 2 year old nephew Jamari who was lavishing all the attention everyone was giving him. Evelyn was cooking for us chapati and some kind of stew while Antonina was entertaining a friend of hers. Joseph took the liberty of settling us in...as guys just chatted away as if we all lived there....it was quite interesting actually. Being around 8.00pm, I fought for us to watch a South American soap on telly, but to futility...the chat prevailed and before we knew it, food was ready...

There was a special request however, before we dug in, that we would sing the hosts an item...which we did of course, much to their delight...then it was 'all hands on deck' for what the chef of the evening had to offer. Props to Evelyn though...the meal was absolutely scrumptious. Knowing Jonathan's reputation of un-remorseful demolition of grub...nobody was left behind in serving up before it was too late. His title...would however be stripped off him by Benard before the evening was over.

She (Evelyn) vacated the premises a while later...along with Antonina and her pal...and the whole house was left to us....then struck the chapati saga, where the dough specialties started to disappear one by one...and we all know the only guy who carried a bag to the sleep over...no finger pointed.
After ravaging the food...we settled down for the movie that was showing on NTV...and with the session..., laxity showed its ugly face when Jonathan Makori was the first to suddenly doze off.

We got a grizzly sms from Jamo who informed us of the demise of one of his neighbours, which left him in shocked and we made a point of getting back to him, encouraging him...and consequently praying for him and his friend's family in that time of strife. We could not let our bonding spirits be dampened however, but having reflected on the news for a while, we got back to the artificial itinerary for the night. The movie was great...and immediately afterward, Joseph put on another superb latest flick which was the best of the night.

When the movies were over and done with...and we belatedly realized we had a shortfall of entertainment...we took to a game of Monopoly around 1.00am. Chris had no idea whatsoever of the game...and retired to wash dishes dutifully with our host. Nothing would deter us and the games went on. Chris and Jona having long ago drifted into the arms of Morpheus, the game ironically took us all the way till 6.00 in the morning where..rather befittingly...i was crowned the winner, but do I say! As the rest were waking up to a new day...we were winding up our spoiling of Monopoly. With the rays of sunlight came another movie and more In-Tune gibberish until the next thing we knew was that it was time to graciously leave, having emptied the place of all else edible....it was a befitting experience if I do say so myself.

Rallying to the Rally...

2008-07-17T14:10:00.004+03:00

Once every term...like the wildebeest migration across the Mara river to the Serengeti plains from the Maasai Mara, Seventh-day Adventist students from secondary schools across the city of Nairobi converge on a chosen school for the termly S.D.A School's Rally. 2nd Term 2008 happened to be at the Nairobi School. Having agred to meet at church at exactly 8.00am, it was quite disorienting to recieve a call from Chris telling me that he and Joseph opted to meet at The Hilton enroute, and that numerous other In-Tuners had jumped ship and decided they would proceed to the school immediately. At 8.00am...alas, it was only Ronnie, Edwin and myself at the NCSDAC premises...

When you're a student, trust me, 40 bob on transport is alot of cash to dish out...but for the sake of punctuality, we had to board two buses- one to town and the other to the school in westlands. There we were to find Craig, Joseph and Chris, as panicky as ever on hte inside yet as cool and reserved on the outside. Ted Okoth happened to be on the programme, as well as George who werent here and we were set to start in a bit. Practice is just the thing to settle our nerves...and in no time at all, Jamo was in and so was Tichy, so everything was indeed falling into place.

The prgramme co-ordiantor urged us to commence with the programme, as Lenana School, State House Girls and Eastleigh High Schools had already arrived. The moment we entered the chapel is the moment I knew that I was to MC the Sabbath School programme. Everything went well except for the time when I started the choruses with a high note and almost shrieked, otherwise I have to say that the congregation was quite receptive...this could of course be attributed to the aura of excitement that enveloped us consummately. The theme of the Rally was LIVE IT Matthew 7:24.

Ted arrived a little too late, after we had occupied the pulpit, and therefore sat at the sidelines while George took over the closing prayer he was to give. In-Tune stole the morning show by hogging the presentations and singing three items, though nobody was complaining...and by the end of the session, the chapel was full to capacity, around 1000 students.

The preacher during the sermon psychologically prepared us for a long sermon by telling us upfront that he would not take less than an hour...true to his word, he took two!...by which time hunger was evident on anumber of faces...moe clearly portrayed though by the bobbing heads of dozers.

Lunch was a smooth yet economical affair. Smooth because their were no incidents or mishaps, and economical...because the food that was given redefined 'little'...lol. No complaints though, the chef was fantastic! Other students and church youth tok the opportunity to mingle and socialize up until the afternoon programme. In-Tune hence had a spur of the moment practice with 'The Ones', an acappella group from Lenana School. It was indeed a spiritually uplifting moment.

At the end of the day, I would say, it was a win-win situation for all. The Church Elders held another successful Rally, the students had a wonderful time I presume...from the looks on their faces, the youth look satisfied and In-Tune had a ball...though for us, the fun was just about to start...

Mutual Nourishment...

2008-07-10T07:23:00.002+03:00

July 5th served as the sate In-Tune as a whole would first set foot in the Kenya High School in its continued high school ministry. The trip had been planned for quite a while but never seemed to materialize....though through Craig, it finally did indeed happen on a morning that for the first time in recent history, I happened to be the latecomer by over two hours! Ted, as is worryingly becoming the trend, bailed out on us at the last minute...he happened also to be going for some outreach ministry with the youth out of town with hte Church Youth Pastor, Pastor Okioma, to Gilgil.

On that articular day, most of the In-Tuners were rolling....Jose had his ride, as did Andy and Kevin Nyamweya, a former member, gave the rest of the guys a ride. On arrival...and for those of you who have been to the school before, we were simply breath-taken by the beauty of the school's surroundings. Plush lawns and open spaces, smooth and well-paved paths and sidewalks, regent buildings and a petit chapel with architecture vaguely resembling a byzantine cathedral.

We all met up at the entrance to the chapel and went to the balcony for some warm up practice as the girls were on a break. It was a pleasant surprise to find out that Millicent would be preaching again and coupled with Craig's charismatic and welcoming father, Elder Atebe, who also happened to be the Elder in Charge of the Kenya High School, this was bound to be an unforgettable sabbath in more ways than one...

Elder Atebe kicked us off by calling for us to give at least four items as we welcomed in the students for the second half of the program. This we did in, thank God, the best of fashions, as we chose to sing 'Glory and Honour'. Jamo was in his element thankfully, and Chris and Craig were on point in their tenor 1 renditions. Even without the lead bass, Ted, I have to say Edwin executed the voice quite well without his co. Anderson on the other hand also matched up satisfactorily, despite the fact that he had been MIA for a while; this of course, was due to Joseph's encouragement and faith in the world and everyone in it.

The morning sermon was as fresh, if not fresher, than it had been with Sis. Millicent at Nairobi School,where she talked about the 7 Fs that Jesus had and which we all should...I'll talk more about that on a future article, but she clearly spelt out the fact that being a CHRIST-ian means striving to BE like Christ...and thus striving to be like Him in every possible way.

Lunch was a sordid affair at the begining when everyone of us was thrown into disarray when it was discovered that the school hadn't afterall organized alittle something for its guests as promised earlier. Knowing the combined apetite In-Tuners have...akin to a mini-economy, I knew the guys wouldn't last long (okay I admit...I'm also a food- addict, if not THE...) and thus something had to be done. But as God would have it...everything worked out rather well when The Onyonyi's, Craig's Mum and Mrs. Damaris shared with us their lunch and some loaf which was brought in by Anderson and Joseph...I could suddenly see the smiles from Chris and Ronny...

The afternoon program started off an hour or two late due to the fact that the students were being taken through a fire drill for quite a long time. Special items were inter-woven with what the speaker of the day had to tell us and it was a pleasant fellowship indeed. Lesson learned? Food is VERY IMPORTANT to In-Tune...hehehe, but ultimately spiritual nourishment is much more satisfying...Good day

The Patcherian Forray...

2008-07-04T14:26:00.004+03:00

Nairobi School takes position 3, right after Pangani Girl's and Moi Nairobi in order of most visited schools by In-Tune. The School is more famously known as 'Patch' and their Seventh-day Adventist community is one of the strongest and most exciting we have come across yet! The zeal and dedication they have for Christ is awe-inspiring and this is what keeps In-Tune going there...

That Saturday, Patch was to host Lenana School, Moi Girls' and the Kenya High School for a joint sabbath and In-Tune was invited by the Secretary and Patron of the group as a guest choir. The absentees for this particular trip were Ted Okoth, Bernard, Edwin and the Twins. If this were a girls school....

Anyway, we departed from Nairobi Central at exactly nine in the morning from where we reached the bus stage at Odeon at around a quarter to ten am. We boarded a matatu, which we would have easily filled if all of us were present but had to wait for it to fill up, then progressed towards the school's location in westlands area just after ABC place.

On arrival, we found some of the boys expectantly waiting for one of the Girl's school but to no avail...Kenya High on the other hand had already reached, albeit only six of them. They later came to realise that no other school was to make an appearance, but everything went well. The Chapel was half full, which is miraculous for the small community.

The guest speaker was to be the deeply motivational speaker, the Head Deaconess Sis. Millicent Onyonyi. With her, we knew we were in for a sermon and a half! In-Tune performed a song as the special item which went rather well then we settled in for the bread of life, where Millicent talked about that all devouring, seductive and subtle man- the Devil. She portrayed him in the most scary, vivid and realistic of means and the way he seeks to steal, kill and destroy!...

Lunch was scrumptuous, considering the fact that almost all of us ate double, courtesy of the school and the other guests who had carried lots of extra packed lunch! Even the Patron Ms. Obai dug in! lol.

The afternoon service was exhilirating...we had a testimonial from an orphan who was inspirational by the experiences which he shared with us and the power of commitment. Then Janet Oyiende in turn told us about her life experiences as well, all proof of the fact that God is and will always be in control of our lives.

Having been physically...phew, and spiritually...phew again, nourished, we were blessed by items from the Nairobi School SDA Choir, Kenya High and ourselves again. God bless the Patcherian community abundantly to keep on with their ferver for His Word...

Ted the Twin....

2008-06-30T08:24:00.000+03:00

In-Tune temporarily lost one of its members, Ted Atebe, after he flew out of the country for further studies. The entire group will surely miss him while he is very far away from us, but we believe we are one in spirit.

There was a going away party held for him at the Atebe residence in Westlands..and it was well attended with almost all of In-Tune being there, together with Drama Band members and other friends and family. Joseph and I missed out on the grub, but from what we so repetitively hear, it was fantastic. After the stuffings, there was a bonding session in which everyone had a word or two to say about Ted and the mark he had left on us.

The Drama Band group made it a less tearful affair with their occassional humor and wit and even though we were saying our goodbyes, it didn't seem like we were actually seing off someone. But not just someone, seeing as such In-Tune is a brotherhood.

Ted will be missed by all, with his humor and dedication, it won't be easy but we'll manage. As for his 'other half', Craig, is still with us, as strong as ever. None of us can comprehend how it feels to be separated from your twin brother. In-Tune sang 'Truth was Standing' one last time with Ted and then the group AMO Junior gave us an item and finally Gifted.

Joseph, Tichy, George, Ted Okoth, Edwin, Jamo and myself then stayed behind for our last practice with Ted the Twin....and then it was time to leave. Ted, even where you are, keep the Torch of Christ burning, and remember that In-Tune is with you all the way...

In-Tune with the Petals

2008-06-17T12:49:00.002+03:00

The sabbath had been rather chilly that day, but nonetheless, the sun was a bout to settle down on a superb day that had seen In-Tune have one of its most successfull pratcices EVER! It was therefore also a coincidence that most of the guys had dished out their best suits and ties, and were definitely clad to the nines. (I'm not saying that In-Tuners aren't immaculately dressed on Saturdays now....they are indeed some of the best dressed guys in Church....okay thats a little biased) Moving on,

Chris, Joseph, Edwin and myself had left the rest of the guys socializing in Church and decided to make our way to town, as we were used to...little did we know of what was in store for us, and what an eventful evening that would be! Reaching the CBD( Central Business District), I decided to take what we call our 'Little Pit Stop' which is at the Bakery just next to the KCB Bank on Kenyatta Avenue. The rest of the guys chose to stay in the side lines as I purchased a chocolate doughnut. A group of girls walked into the bakery and began to window shop, though I took no notice at first and went back to them...

It was at this point when Joseph finally recognized a couple of the girls and said hi. Being the none intrusive gentlemen that we are( but do I say hehe) we decided to give Joseph some room and walked off unhurriedly using the same route we always took towards 20th Century Fox. After crossing the entire Kenyatta Avenue Street, we were blatantly shocked to hear our names being called out in the most unceremonious of fashions....by you guesed it, Joseph.

Slowly and unwillingly turning back to confirm who it was, we saw him headed in our direction with the bevy of beauties and asking us to wait awhile as he and the girls caught up. Finally they arrived as we stood motionless and the introductions were made. We then proceeded at a friendly gait while we intermingled with the eight and got to know each other. We shockingly found out that these girls are a singing group known as "The Petals", and that they regularly conduct practices at the garage of one of the girl's houses.

They sing acappella gospel but not the barbershop kind, just an intricate interwind of sweet melodies...and then we decided, impromptu, to do the craziest of things! We sang right there in the middle of the street, infront of passers-by! The Petals sang a tune first, which left us boggled, and in turn we sang one of our songs for them. I have to admit, it felt like something out of the movies, but that was that.

We got to know more of each other and what exactly our groups do, and by the time we parted ways, we promised to do a collaboration. It is indeed rewarding to meet others of your kind who share the same passion and zeal for what you believe in and do...we'll see yet whether the promise will be fulfilled.

The Profiler! Enter In-Tune

2008-06-13T10:18:00.003+03:00

Name:Nyatichi Phillip

Age: 18 going on 19

Occupation: Cisco Certified Student

Voice: versatile Bass, Tenor 1 tenor 11

In-Tune: member

Hobbies: Godly ministry, singing, music, the wacky, funny and eciting things

Welcome to the wacky world of Tichi, as he is so fondly nicknamed within the In-Tuner circles. The baby of the group, and to the consternation of many, the most aggressive and outspoken, Phillip has shed of his earlier facade of a timid shell and metamorphosed into the limelight to become the gregarious fellow he now is.

If you want comedy central, you've come to the right place. Together with Chris, they pulled off an unforgettable outreach at Pangani and firmly established established themselves as the comedians within In-Tune. But deep within the recesses of this outwardly humurous individual lays a surprisingly intelligent brain! hehehe, Tichi is a bright guy, both by academic and conventional means and if there is a guy who loves hanging out at Church, it must be him.

He loves bringing out new concepts in the way we sing and as far as innovation is concerned, think outside the boxes dude! as he complains...The youngest in the group has a bright future if you ask me.

The Profiler! Enter In-Tune...

2008-06-13T08:06:00.004+03:00

Name: Nyaundi Ronnie

Age: 20years

Occupation: student

Voice: versatile tenor11 and barritone

In-Tune: newest member

Hobbies: singing,Rugby(former player), football...sports basically

They say silence is a virtue...and with it lies hidden intelligence. Ronnie is arguably the most laid back guy in the group. Add that to the fact that he is the latest entrant into In-Tune but the speed at which he has 'gone with the flow' is amazing! One moment he wasn't there and the next....voila!

Ronnie used to play rugby at his high school,I guess you can tell from the buffed up look of his photo...but after that, I have no idea where his rugger aspirations went. He is an ardent fan of Arsenal FC, come to think of it...all of In-Tune is Arsenal except for Edwin and George who was won over by someone else. Anyway, thats besides the point. Apart from Chris, this guy is the most punctual In-Tuner I know, and apart from George...he plays runners up again to reliability. Ronnie will pull through for you through thick and thin and his 'freestyle' nature doesn't betray his acceptance or perception of anyone.

When it comes down to singing...its serious business! No time for humor and jokes and the job has to be done for Nyaundi...but if you distract him...well, lets just say its all downhill from there, because its hard for him to say no to you!

Queries?!

2008-06-03T08:41:00.004+03:00

We've noticed the increasing number of questions and inquiries left as

comments. Well, would you like to know more about the group and our activities and on our availability? Or do you just have general questions?Why not write to us at;

intuneacapella@gmail.com

...together with your name and contacts, or call us on +254734861140.

We'd love to hear from you and would respond promptly. Thank you and God bless you...

In-Tune Acappella

The Profiler! Enter In-Tune

2008-05-26T09:11:00.003+03:00

Name: George Mosomi

Age: 21

Occupation: Engineering Student, Nairobi University

Voice: Versatile Tenor 11 and Barritone

In-Tune: IT co-ordinator

Hobbies: tech stuff, rugby, academics and cars...fast cars

From the pose he's taken in the photo, can't you tell the guy loves himself to death? lol...George is a kind-hearted fellow actually who's benevolence contradicts the vast blessings which life has given him. From brains to brawn, he's quite down to earth actually. Apart from being unreliable at times, largely due to the fact that he has poor time managemnet skills I guess, he does pull through eventually! (The photos George, the photos!)

Inspite of his demanding course, George still has time to regularly and dedicatedly make time for In-Tune practice and he always...yes always excuses himself from it if he would not be available. You ask what essence he adds to In-Tune, well, he is the mechanical brain behind the machinery with all his gismos which never fail to impress. Though not fully exploited as they should be, his knowledge, albeit difficult to penetrate is vast.

George quietly makes his opinions known and is another pacifier when it comes to the big wig arguements. Coupled with his versatile voice, after decades of singing Barritone, we only recently discover he was born to be a Tenor 11!

The Profiler! Enter In-Tune

2008-05-26T08:53:00.004+03:00

Name: Chris Muriithi

Age: 20

Occupation: Student

Voice:Versatile Tenor 1 and 11

In-Tune: member

Hobbies: Karate, singing, football

Ever heard of the phrase ...'don't let the cute face fool you?' Behind the stature and the welcoming smile of Chris lies years of karate expertise! The ironic thing is that Chris is a very peaceful bloke, and just like Edwin, never the aggressor. He is more of a peacemaker and struggles for peace where there is turmoil.

I guess his more pronounced negative trait, as observed by some of the In-Tuners, is his rebellion. If the rest decide to go one way, he almost definitely will go the other! But then again, if you don't stand for something won't you fall for anything? Chris is deeply opinionated and has a strong sense of patriotism both to his country and to In-Tune. If Joseph is the number one fan, then Chris comes in a close 2nd.

His other accolades include the loudest, alonside Joseph, in the group and the most energetic. He's the first one to give a hand out and the last to deface anyone. Coupled with his unbelievably high tone vocals, this guy has got it right!

The Profiler! Enter In-Tune

2008-05-26T08:40:00.003+03:00

Name: Edwin Jim

Age: am guessin 20

Occupation: Student at some college

Voice: Bass 1

In-Tune: member

Hobbies: Rugby, Manchester Utd football fanatic

If you thought the Vatican had well-guarded secrets, well then get a load of this guy! Edwin is elusive in that theres not that much you can tell about him and his life. I guess its his laid back nature which makes him the pacifier in most In-Tune affairs and he is practically content with the way things are!

Despite all this, the dude, however, has a heart of gold! He'll never be the aggressor in an arguement and he'll side with the most logical of the lot. On joining In-Tune, Edwin was more often than not in the back ground of issues. He prevered observing from a distance and not really coiming out. But I guess with time, that shyness evaporated and made way for a brighter chap who is constantly growing away, as are other bases, from reliance on Ted. He is experimenting with his own unique vocals and coming up with a sultry beat and staccato for songs such as 'Sabato' and 'Higher Perspective'.

The Profiler! Enter In-Tune

2008-05-23T13:49:00.003+03:00

Name: Ted Okoth

Age:19

Occupation: 'jobless corner' after clearing high school

Voice: Bass 11

In-Tune: Co-ordinator

Hobbies: swimming, football, video games, a good challenge, partaking in 'Godly things'

Ted is by all means a 'holier than thow' sort of fellow...nah, actually the guy is very encouraging to the soul. For those of you who have had the opportunity or should I say pleasure, nah to that one too, can safely say that this is a Man of God. He has a certain spiritual quality that is virtually rare, even in the christian circles today and when found, it is simply refreshing.

Pride is virtually non existent with Ted and he is always willing to go the extra mile to help someone. If his parents were military personnel, I'd guess he'd have grown up to be the Army commander, but as it goes, he is well disciplined and has a high sense of integrity, caution and dedication. But enough of that; to give him a more human face, he loves foolin' around when opportunity stirkes and is simply a comedian when it comes to pulling of a Nigerian accent- 'you get dat broda oh?'

As the Co-ordinator of In-Tune activities, it is up to him to ensure that we are where we're meant to be and that activities don't over lapse each other. He is also effectively a discilinarian who is charged with ensuring order at group meetings and practices and keeping checks on whatever concerns In-Tune. Doesn't that sound like a load to carry! He was a captain at Highway Secondary where he schooled and a former Teens Class Leader at the Nairobi Central SDA Church teens class. Is he the most accomplished in the group? On a one-on-one I'll bet he'd tell you that, since he loves talking to people...

The Profiler!! Enter In-Tune

2008-05-23T13:31:00.004+03:00

Name: Joseph Kongoro
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Voice: Versatile Tenor 11 and Tenor 1
In-Tune: Chaplaincy
Hobbies: singing, football and 'vybing', which has proved to be very destructive in the past! hehehe

Jose is a very down to earth sort of guy who, in everyone's opinion i guess, gives In-Tune its extra touch of humanity but definitely not sanity! When he gets down to business, Jose is very constructive and highly critical, but then again when it gets down to the jokes...it may be alittle bit more extra!

Joseph has the uncanny humor that very few human beings possess these days and he always helps the rest of the guys look forward to a brighter forcast for the future. His optimism is as wide as Lake Victoria and his compassion as deep as the Tanganyika. He attended Starehe Boys' High School, a prestigious suburban institution in the city, and from where he developed his reflexive tendencies to pride and superiority.

This however adds to the complex mix that is one of In-Tune's founding members and ardent number one fan. He developed his voice a bit late, largely due to the fact that he was admittedly shy and reluctant to fulfil the huge potential his voice could give him, but with the numerous shows that In-Tune has attended and the open minded encouragement of Chris and myself, thank God, he has developed to be a vocal force worth reckoning with.

He is the chaplain of sorts of the group and with that he is with the task of keeping In-Tune in tune with our spiritual roots and goals. His one weakness is...as we have all told him time and again, women.

A Month of Returns...

2008-05-16T16:26:00.000+03:00

Th day was April 26th 2008, the time was 9.00am and the venue was Moi Nairobi Girls. Okay I know that now this is getting weird...but I've been asking myself whether this has become a month of returns for In-Tune. This is because we are back at the same school, having been there before...and this was in line with the trend of going to NPC and PAngani yet again. But who's complaining? The disciples didn't then...so who are we to?

The girls had put together a wonderful sabbath program and chose to welcome us back to their school, prior to the previous mishap which was rather embarrasing (being held out like criminals!).......

The Comeback..

2008-05-08T07:24:00.003+03:00

After the NPC saga, Chris was one of the many InTuners who had vowed never to return after the humiliation. (Who was that who said something about hot air...?) During the week, Jamo, the dude who organized the whole thing, made a reconciliatory call to clear things up over what had transpired: I call it 'reconciliatory' because nobody was honestly quite happy with the first time round. He however apologized on behalf of their youth leader Sly (is her name a coincidence? No pun intended) and told us that we were requested to make an appearance the following Sunday.

Just like Kenyans, quickly forgetting the past experiences, there was renewed vigour within the camp as everyone was co-operative on what had to be done, practice and all. Edwin smiled for the first time this century and Jona was back with a vengeance. On top of that, if you discover Jose and Ted Okoth hyper active, then you definately know theres something thorough cooking! We met on Saturday and had our practice which I must say was very productive. Phillipians 4:13 tells us that we '...can do all things through Christ who strengthens...' us, and with that we were prepared for 'the Comeback'. It was official wear yet again, with a few guys, no names mentioned, remixxing. I won't clear the air on that one.

The venue was the NPC Youth Church, otherwise known as Beacons. We were bright and early, at 10.00am, even earlier than our host Gatiba, but that didn't deter us. It was practice time, just for voice warm up, only to be graced by Sly herself and Jamo. She earnestly apologized again for the previous week's frakas and just to make us happy, gave us two slots for that service. The songs that popped into evryones minds were 'Can you see His blood' and 'Truth was Standing'. The deal wa sealed. We thanked her then had a word of prayer and moved in, surprisingly directed to the front of the Church!

The adamant nature of most of the guys was clearly visible with the Atebes recalcitrant and laid back and Joseph Kongoro looking like the end of the wold was here with us. I guess some of the evident change was as a result of unfamiliar surroundings. Who can blame them? Not to say that I was the coolest cat on the alley anyhow, but I was braced for anything.

A rather lengthly praise and worship session preceeded the opening prayer and then the announcements. It would seem that they were to go for camp the following thursday and there would be a mother-daughter day, some of which I had never heard of before. The next thing you know, we were bundled on stage during the offertory! The next thing that happened...as they say, is history! It was a wonderful day afterall!

Eat humble pie!!

2008-05-05T13:31:00.003+03:00

Now by no means is confidence a negative trait, especially if you are up on stage....but if the valued trait buds into OVER confidence, then we have a major problem! Following the swashbuckling first performance we had at Nairobi Pentecostal Church (NPC)Valley Road a while back, the In-Tuners were as enthusiastic as ever to pull a hat trick. The overwhelming reception we received the first time round was motivation enough to persuade even the most reluctant and less hasty Ted to give in to the idea.

And so the pressure piled up on me to hook up with our NPC contact, Jamo, to organize a return to the venue to sing for the Sunday worshippers. This had been pushed for for around three months until our return, just like at Pangani, would be made possible. Isn't it ironic that these days in Kenya, everything is blamed on the post election violence? Well, not this time round. We even went the extra mile of cladding in official clothing just so we could convey a sterling message across and keep true to our purpose of spreading God's word through our music.

At the Church, just opposite Loreto Convent on Valley Road, we met with our agile and eager host, James Gatiba, who was quick to point out that he had already had a word with their youth leader, Sylvia...aka Sly, and that everything was in order. What was left was for us to take our seats in the youth church for the service and wait to be called. There was a high octane praise and worship session followed by a word of prayer from one of the Pastors who was running the programme. Looking across from me I could clearly see the guys all lined up: Joseph, Jamo, Ted Atebe, Craig, Ted Okoth...aka Olyl, Jona, Ronnie, Edwin and Chris. Unfortunately, George had the flu and Anderson was in absentia.

The presentations session came, and what a variety of songs they were! The most touching I must say, (touching in the sense that most of In Tune still talks about the particular song to this day) was the rap 'Am So Rich...Kwani Ni Nini' by a group called SQC. The song basically depicts how as Christians, we are so rich in blessings that there is no reason to worry about tomorrow. Then abruptly after and the next thing we knew, the Pastor and speaker for the day took to the pulpit and began his sermon! We were done for I tell you! Done for! The twins were all the while consoling themselves and others that we would sing after the service but that plot hit the wall as well!

Walking out of the Youth Church afterward, most of the crew were too stunned and frankly...too bitter to utter words. Chris was breathing fire and brimstone while Jona was clutching on tighter to his camera! But being In-Tune, we knew and came to respect the fact that God has a back up plan always! We're so rich...kwani ni nini?

Pangani Reloaded! What?!

2008-05-04T14:26:00.003+03:00

With apologies to the likes of Ted who missed out on our first outreach to Pangani, can you believe he missed out AGAIN? The Elder of Pangani decided that he would invite us to his school yet again...but at the onset, the problem was that the In-Tune house wasn't full. It was only, the twins, Joseph, James, Tichi and myself who were present and this proved to be a major hindrance to our proposed performance. So much so that we were even considering doing away with the trip altogether!

But where there is a way, there is a will and with that will is God's will. We gathered our wits and made our way to Nairobi's Eastlands area. Arriving at the girl's tiny worship place, we were warmly and surprisingly open-heartedly received. Knowing very well that we had sang almost all of our songs on the previous trip, you can understand the situation we were in! But the 'will' factor kicked in again, with miracles such as Tichi, our tenor 1 singing in Bass!!

The presentations henceforth went quite well, and I can safely say that even though we were only the tenors who were present...we did a pretty good job with the performances, though never in my life have I sang as long as I did that day...two and a half good hours! Joseph proved his value with the classic composure he possessed taking over the program and covering the rest of the guys as we frantically got our act together in between items...which consummately capped the entire performance with smoothness and flow.

At the end of the day, our purpose was fulfilled though our voices were strained but the rewards of having young students come up to you and confess that they were truly blessed and drawn more towards their spirituality through song is enough to fuel our endeavors...

The Pangani Surprise!

2008-03-31T09:08:00.002+03:00

After experiencing a blackout at Moi Nairobi Girls' School, In Tune was certainly not willing to go through a similar experience any time soon courtesy of a girls' school mixup! Guys like Anderson had fervently vowed never to set foot in a girls school ever again, but as they sat....God has his own ways, and when He pulls through, He does it in style...

So the Sabbath of 22nd March had started out in an unusually boring fashion. When Jamo is feeling a bit under the weather, Chris is not acting up and Joseph is quiet, you know somerthing is definitely wrong! To make matters worth, the guys were unusually late....did I mention Joseph was quite? A miracle! Anyway, the way things were going, I wondered how the afternoon practice would go down.

2.00pm found us huddled at our space in the Kindergarten class of MAPS( Maxwell Adventist Primary) and despite the underlying currents, we were commited to make this show work. A fwew minutes on and it was crystal clear that this would end in either of two ways. Disbanding the group, or doing away with the practice for the day. Of course the former would never happen!

Then came the news that would automatically revamp and re-energize the whole crew! The Pangani Girls' Elder came to us and requested us to accompany him to the school in order to run the afternoon program.

Now, for anyone who knows anything about Kenyan high schools, and for that matter Kenyan girl's high schools, you have to know that Pangani girl's is the most difficult school to get in to, even on an outreach ministry such as ours. Now if in Moi Girls we were kicked out, you'd expect in Pangani we would be bundled out! This was not to be however...packed into thre sedans, we set out to the school and were welcomingly received, both by the watchman at the gate to the premises, and by the eager beaver students who, I am guessing, were thrilled to have visitors.( Thats if those girls peeping by the window were anything to go by.)

The room they use for their services is a pleasant but small space, though if you ask me, it is adequate for them. There was a welcoming karma in the room as the girls wasted no time to get us into their mood of fellowship and warmness. The Elder inherited the floor and did mild introductions, afterwhich he left the floor for us. Little did we know this would mark the beginning of one of the best and most successful ministries we have seen yet!

The In Tune trademark song, 'Higher Perspective', set the ball rolling for the whole service, which transformed into a Sing-spiration. The girls were treated to the goofiness of Tichi and Chris, who re-invented themselves rather comically, into high school goofs! A couple of girls were celebrating their birthday, not literally though, and the pair treated them to a good acappella attempt of 'Happy Birthday'. They started another rendition, which the rest of the guys got the hang of, but when we stood to go and join them, they went and sat down!

We thank God for the wonderful time we had at the school and for the wonderful gift God has given us to spread His word...the gift of Music. We pray that whenever we perform, the listeners will look beyond the voice, and to the core of the message.

George, where are those photos?

Comfort and the Crib

2008-03-26T12:06:00.002+03:00

It seems if something hot is to happen at In Tune HQ (aka Nairobi Central) these days, it has to be on a Saturday...and so was the case on the 8th of March.

Scene of the Ministry- Runda Mimosa
Suspects- In Tune as well as Mercy and Eunita
Circumstance- George and Sarah, his sister had been bereaved.

Their grandmother had passed away of natural causes the previous week and he would not be coming to church for a while. So if Caeser couldn't come to Rome, then Rome itself would go to Caesar. Impromptu, we gathered our wits and made our way to their residence in upmarket Runda on the outskirts of Nairobi.

Arriving at the house, is it illegal or sinful to admire?, one big beautiful house at that, we were met by George, Sarah and their mother. No wait. George came to pick us up at the bus stop,...so we were actually met at the house by their mother and his sister. Thats right, back to what happened.

We were welcomed into the house, Ted, Chris, Edwin, Ronny, Joseph, James, Ted the Twin, Craig, Andy, Nyatichi, Bernard and myself along with Sarah's close friends Eunita and Mercy. Glasses of soda and bowls of cashew nuts later, we were accomodated on their verandah as the Church Elders and afew Women's Ministry ladies came in. Afterward, there was a bit of practice as the Twin's dad told us that we were in line to do the special item during the small sermon they were to conduct.

The proceedings went quite well as we sang and listened to the words of encouragement from Ruby's fathar, Elder Amoro. (Remember Ruby? We talked about her a while back and the great parties she used to throw, and still does) thats beside the point. You know every time In- Tune goes out for Ministry, I get amazed at the immensity of contentment, peace and tranquility that God grants to the bereaved. If you have ever been to a funeral or a prior service, I am sure it reaches a point that you just stop and wonder where the person gets his or her strength from. Is there any doubt though? I'll continue with this later... God bless you

Back to the Roots...

2008-03-06T13:14:00.004+03:00

I thought that, just for today, we'd go through the history of A cappella music in general. You know that in order to get going, you ought to know where you're coming from right?

The Acappella company celebrated their 25th Anniversary in 2007. In March of 1982, Keith Lancaster — song writer, producer and original lead singer of the group— wanted to form a quartet of men with a mission to communicate Gospel truths through music. Four months later, concert-goers in Hamilton, Ohio, were the first to be amazed by what they heard.

The group was called 'His Image Quartet' for a brief period before embracing the name Acappella. Twenty-five years and as many vocalists later, this singing ministry is stronger than ever.

Originally based out of Paris, Tennessee, and now residing in Goodlettsville, Tenn., Acappella Ministries used and continues to use music to bring the message of God’s love to audiences across the country and around the world. But this is not just any kind of music; this is Acappella music.

"Far from being a group “without music” as it is sometimes described, Acappella is based solely upon the greatest instrument of music ever created — the human voice."

Believing in the awesome versatility and flexibility of the human voice, Acappella can fill a large concert hall with beautiful, intricate music without ever plucking a string or beating a drum.
Acappella's grass roots fan base steadily grew through the 1980's as the group experienced many line-up changes and constantly experimented with fresh new sounds. The landmark album of the group, Sweet Fellowship (1988), ushered in one of the most significant developments in the group's membership and style.

Keith Lancaster stepped out of the group as lead singer to focus on the role of producer and manager. The group continued to change after that, developing a unique sound that has been mimicked by countless small groups around the country, from high-school stairwells to large church auditoriums.

Signed to Word Records in 1990 (and later to Epic Records), the popularity of the group soared with releases such as Rescue, We Have Seen His Glory and Set Me Free. Media exposure included many television appearances, while the song "More Precious Than Gold" became the centerpiece of a Sony Camcorder television commercial and wasbroadcast extensively nationwide. Hymns For All The World helped to increase the group's exposure internationally as overseas touring became much more extensive in the 1990s. The universal reception of this heavenly sound is now popular from Brazil to Japan to Switzerland to Australia. Recently the group traveled to China, Jamaica and Guyana, and is planning for several more international concerts this year, and as a group...and am sure as Kenyan a cappella fans, we hope this will include parts of Africa.

After further exploration of various musical styles, Acappella has returned to its roots with the sound that started it all, strengthened by the addition of a fifth vocalist in their group. Now, with more energy than ever in the group's 25-year history, the zeal and enthusiasm of Acappella's live concerts radiate with songs off the latest album, Radiance. Five talented young men continue the work of Acappella Ministries today. Following in the footsteps of talented predecessors, Allen Brantley, Robin Brannon, Zac George, Jordan House and Zach Wilson blend in perfect harmony as each individual brings a unique talent to the sum that is Acappella.

You can tell how rich the history of acappella music is, and this of course led to its growth through out the world.

(*Partly adapted from acappella.org)

The Radicalization of Us...

2008-03-04T17:30:00.003+03:00

Theres the age old saying that familiarity breeds contempt and that you can't expect different results with the same tactics, can you? I dunno, but the only way to find out is to try it out! A while back there was an article, 'In-sync with In-Tune', which I guess, no... i hope helped to introduce you to what exactly In Tune is and what our purpose is. As a group of musically gifted Christians, we chose, about a year ago to embark on the tough task that Jesus Christ himself left all of us who deem ourselves as Christians to portray; Discipleship.
I can't say that it's been a bed of roses, and neither can I say its been a bed of thorns. There have been ups and downs, rivers and mountains to get us to where we have come and to what we have become, and I guess I thank God for one thing above all else...In-Tune is a brotherhood. We've been going strong for over a year now and we hope that will continue to beyond, wherever that 'beyond' may be.

Now back to the radicalization that I was talking about. We analysed ourselves, much like basic companies do, and decided to discern whether over a year down the line, we had achieved what we wanted to. Well, I can tell you the major session went on more like an Alcoholics Anonymous showdown, with everyone, and I mean everyone, telling the rest of us what they thought about themselves. Believe you me it isn't a picnic in the park to talk bare hard facts about yourself. Go on. Try it. Do you think you're perfect? Whats hot and whats not with you? The session with us went rather well. The objective of the whole thing was to find out what our weakenesses, and more importantly, where our strengths lay. Whether we were still as faithful to and as motivated to follow in Christ's footsteps.

It was an eye opener and rather a shock to find out that all was not as well as we thought it was, which eye openers are supposed to do of course!

I won't go into the details, just like strong brands don't do with their secret recipes, but just know it worked! Our rebranding actually worked! We've learnt, believe it or not six...yes six new songs over the past three weeks and we aren't stopping there. We sorted out our issues through fervent prayer, deliberation and agreements and resolved to do things efficiently, effectively and constructively. The talks were lengthly but the fruits of our labour were as sweet as could be.

My prayer for you is to pray unceasingly in your trials and temptations and to be totally unassuming. You may just discover that you overlooked afew things about yourself or whats troubling you! Take it from people who've been through it.. God Bless you.

A Brother in Need

2008-02-17T11:25:00.003+03:00

The Sabbath of 2nd February will run down in the In- Tune History books as a double edged sword. But not just any double edged sword...one side as blunt as the gnawing teeth of a rodent, and the other as sharp as a mother's pinch. The scene of the disappointment was the front yard of Moi Nairobi Girls' School. Thank God it wasn't achilly morning, save for the icy reception. In Tune was to conduct its ministry at the school but some form of miscommunication took place. Not to fret by the way, because knowing InTuners, and the speed with which they rise up and dust themselves off, it was a no brainer! Later that evening, everything would be hunky dory yet again.

The school administration, and security were reluctant and flatly refused us entry into the premises on grounds that they had no idea whatsoever that we would be there on that day. Add to the fact that these were fourteen men and the school was a girl's boarding...i wonder what was running through their minds, only God knows. However, we decided not to make up too much of a big deal and headed back to base for the sermon.

Somewhere on the way, plans changed again, and we found ourselves taking a detour towards neighbouring Newlife SDA Church. It was no wonder then that we settled down for a wonderful sermon by a visiting preacher on Biblical prophecy. I have to admit dozing off a couple of times but when the spirit moves in you, believe you me...it moves! Anderson was practically too entranced with one of his new exploits to make an exit with us, but he joined us later on at Maxell: Mission accomplished.

In the afternoon, things got even better when we paid Ted Okoth's brother a visit at the Kenyatta National Hospital. Thank God he was steadily recovering from his accident, thoguh we keep praying for his well being. We sang him one song, 'Higher Perspective' and gave him a verse or two from the bible, which he positively recieved. I'd call that all in a fruitful day's work, wouldn't you?

Watchout! Guess who's comin' atcha!!

2008-02-14T09:25:00.002+03:00

Well, looky what we have here? The first quarter calender for our school's outreach Ministry is finally here, and from what I can see, we have a mountain to conquer! Take a glimpse into the agenda;

16th February - Ngara Girls'
1st March- Limuru Girls'
22nd March- Daystar University

All this of course not forgetting that we are still plotting out our postponed concert and the rest of the ministry which will not encompass the campus (that rhymed, didn't it?) I won't spill the beans on this one, but something big is heading your way, and I very well suggest you keep it here to find out what.

On the other hand, we recently received an email, the sender was anonymous, asking us where they could get our music. Unfortunately, we don't yet have an album out but keep praying for us that if all things go well, we should be there by the end of 2008. That does not mean that you still can't hear us though! Absolutely not, just watch out for the invitations we frequently dish out through the blog page or our group on facebook and the opportunity will be automatic. Thank you for your interest and support, and if we receive future emails, please leave your name and email so that you may get more efficient feedback. Signing out. God Bless y'all.

A first for 2008

2008-01-23T09:26:00.000+03:00

The morning was chilly and the rain was coming down hard on the sabbath morning of 19th January. Ted had called us during the week informing the guys that we had been slotted in to sing during the sabbath school session in the morning at around 8.45am. I can say practice took place as usual, in all its goofiness courtesy of you know who...(new years calls for new resolutions so I have opted not to reveal any identities unless absolutely crazy enough!) We went through our couple of songs and settled on 'Truth was Standing' as our first performance for the year.

Half an hour down the line and it was time. We weren't clad in our uniforms by the way, but the dress code was official attire. We took our position at the dias and sang away. Unfortunately, I started with a low, or wrong, take it whichever way you deem fit, key and the entire song went down hill from there. It wasn't too bad, some optimists would say, but none of us was impressed, considering this was how we were to start off our year. All in all, it was the message and its content that mattered.

That afternoon, we seriously sat down to plan our activities for the month of February. I will make sure to fill you in abit later on all the details but I hope all that we discussed will come to fruition...no I pray that that is what will happen. I'm still expecting your suggestions or invitations for consideration for the year ahead...so hurry while the opportunity is still there so you don't blame us when something comes up and we weren't there. And as for our postponed concert, when we do come up with a date, you'll get it here first.

Something else which I forgot to mention, though I should have considering the magnitude of the occurence, was the departure of one of our founding members, Simeon Oriko. At the time of this publication, I had not confirmed with him whether or not he wished me to publish his reasons, but there it is. On the brighter side, we have a new and promising entrant to maintain our numerical strength. Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for the tenor, Phillip Nyatichi! Look out for our profiles which are coming soon.

The Year Ahead...

2008-01-11T11:42:00.000+03:00

Hey guys, its the beginning of another lengthy, yet ironically short year. Lengthy because there are major and numerous things to plan out and yet short, because at the rate time flies by- the next thing you know is it will be 2009!

As In-Tune struggles to make out its calender of events, we'd like you, the fan, to help us draw it out. Give us ideas as to where you'd want us to go and what you'd like us to do in 2008. Mind you your suggestions HAVE to be realistic, putting in mind our line of ministry and our ages and also any financial constraints we may incur. You can post your ideas as comments, or send us an email at

intuneacapella@gmail.com

As we begin 2008, we want to accomplish more in our portfolio of ministry and we would like to grow as artistes. We wish you all a great new year, and despite the skirmishes that took place at the onset here in Kenya, a peaceful and replenishing time ahead.

As It Is...

2007-12-18T12:41:00.000+03:00

I know...I know... absence makes the heart grow fonder and you've missed these juicy updates about your favourite group. Well the downside is, as you well know by now, that the concert was cancelled...but the upside is, a lot and I mean loads and loads of stuff has been happening with In-Tune. The guys were excited now that everyones reunited because the High Schoolers have finally cleared and Simi is back so we are what the hit 90s series was- 'Full House'.

First of all, into the planning of the concert; never in my life have I seen such dedication and commitment in my life! The buzz that was surrounding the preparations for the concert was staggering. The hectic schedule of four weekdays and Saturday afternoon could be enough to derail any worker but not everyone who was concerned with our concert. Big ups to Rubi, who tirelessly bore the brunt of the lead role in the musical we had planned but still managed to walk into Milimani Road with a smile plastered on her face.

Everyone from crazy Chris to juxtaposed James was into the mood of putting in their undying effort to make the big day a success! Despite the fact that Andy and Joseph were full blown in their exams(by the way we wish you every bit of success) they managed to squeeze in an appearance or two at the onset and when they were through...at the critical time-Thank God, they supported the rest of us. I can safely say therefore, that I have respect for every director out there who has a deadline to meet and makes it. It is hard work, I can tell you that much.

There were dough nuts to be demolished and shoe soles to be finished by the time preparations got fully underway...but the experience that ensued cannot be exchanged. The more we did, the closer we became. Up to that point I did not think that that was possible, but such are the wonders of the Almighty. Ted would have missed the entire concert because his cousin had a wedding but as they say...theres a reason for everything. We then received news...just three days to the D-Day, that it was cancelled. I'll tell you why in a bit...

Thanks guys!

2007-11-19T11:20:00.000+03:00

As the endeavours continue, I'd just like to pause a sec and thank the guys who left us their comments. Joseph was the latest expressionist with his appreciation saying;

"I like the changes that we usually make to the blog page but I was attached to the blue colours anyway I hope we keep on going strong now that everybody has cleared. Holla to Simi and where were you the time Bara came you could have hooked us up to girls."

Simeano on the other hand was his usual self...no surprise there...the love may be tough but its still there. He had more than a mouthful to squeeze in;

"What do you mean my destructive comments oh dearest Pharaoh? You're the one who approves them anyway!
Great to hear that were still receiving standing ovations...though i'm not there! But i'm pissed I never know about these things until they're posted on the blog! see kevo u do a little sumthn bout that!? it shouldn't hurt your brain that much! :-) Anyway,miss u guyz! bara's really cool and i'm coming home Dec 15th! Prepare thou 4 my coming!".....

...as if we have waited all of our lives for that moment!( no hard feelings Simeon..just bringing you back down to earth.) By the way Simeon has been utterly instrumental towards making in tune what it is today, so are the rest of the guys. We had a rather surprise comment from a fan who has never but would love to hear us sing...his name is Gerry and he said rather emphatically;

"hi ;
cheked out your blog ,got encouraged n i,l lyk to participate more ."

We would like you to participate more too Gerry...just keep the love flowing! Chris added a touch of spiritual flavour with his mild verbal rendition...

"as a member of intune am so glad that God brought me into this group.every moment that i spend with the members it becomes a memorable moment in my life.with guys like joseph and kevin(especilly his scary laugh)its just like wow n especially that am the group`s hottest dude oops!!(i know kevoh doesnt like this but its for real)nway jus a by the way.i pray to God that he may make as men of valour and help us praise him always."

...keep on dreaming mr. six-pack! Better an excellent opinion of one's self than near suicide any day. Your prayers are cherished for In-Tune. Ted on the other hand, chose to react to Simeon's comment with a hearty;

"To Simi I say, that would be Joseph,Andy,and Kev's Can of worms.
To Andy, Tu est un provocateur
To Kev, As You up-date the blog page Up-date Simi as well(Simi no offence)
TOODLES!"

...and with his farewell, I am also forced to wrap up this reminiscence of the good the bad and the ugly...well mostly the ugly! haha Please keep your comments coming in. Thank you Linda Maina for your comments as well though I could not print everyones replies but God bless you abundantly. This is In-Tune signing out for now....

...but we'll be back as always!

The most anticipated....

2007-11-08T11:22:00.000+03:00

After a long wait..indeed it was a long one, i pleased to finally let the cat out of the bag. Before you get all emotional over this, I am not revealing the secret to satisfy your curiosity but to ask for something else in return....drum rolls please! We need your prayers. In-tune is organizing a concert slated for later on this year..precisely in December.

Simeon had earlier suggested we call the concert the 'Mighty is our God Tour' to be followed by a series of tours round local high schools around Nairobi. As the idea is sinking in..we are playing with the date of 8th December in the Old Sanctuary of our church. Plans are still under way and the only way everything can fall into place is with your fervent prayers and with our unwavering commitment as we face an uphill task ahead.

The situation as it is is that while Simeon went back to Baraton, he left us with the responsibilities of talking with the elders and the church board in order to book the premises for that date. We are working with a rather tight schedule considering the fact that the Church's Music Sabbath is on the 22nd of Dec and the Youth Concert for Nairobi Central may be a week before whereas elections are around the corner and we don't want our fans upcountry while we are singing for empty pews( not that theres a problem there anyway 'cause we are singing for the Almighty) but we would appreciate the support. That said, I think you will not wring my neck for any more hidden information will you?

Children's Sabbath

2007-10-26T08:59:00.000+03:00

Its not every day you get to see In-Tune being invited to be the main choir during Divine Service at Nairobi Central...but what do you know?... That privilege was ours on the 20th of October as we once again tasted the front podium next to the pulpit. In a one word summary?-Heart stopping, though those are actually two words. And as the guys later said...for once I was the one who messed things up...if thats even possible considering, thank God, an almost flawless execution of the song 'Higher Perspectives'.

Okay before I jump the gun...oops is that a permitted expression? anyway moving on swiftly...back to the onset of the children's Sabbath which turned out to be more successful than originally anticipated. I say this because, if you ask Ted, the turnout in the morning was wanting. I dont mean the Divine Service but any time before ten. But as God's will goes, everything happens in its own time. The children's choir kids looked so cute and cuddly in their red, black and white uniforms... After a casual morning of practice and sabbath school, the butterflies started to settle in our stomachs,... well not mine but those of the nervous guys such as George and Edwin...at this point Chris was being his usual highly critical self and Ted was ever so reassuring with his quotes. Joseph, wallowing in the miasma of perplexia was satisfactorily quiet. Miracles do actually happen? We did our ordinances of prayer and fellowship before we went in for the main service whilst seated at the fore front.

Believe you me, you have no idea how uncomfortable it is to have two thousand pairs of eyes endlessly directed your way, but we got through it...despite the fact that the cheerful preacher..the Conference President, kept on referring to us as a substitute for the youth! You could almost grasp the tension the clouded us guys. The sermon, primarily about joy-its description and benefits to the human race, was well brought forth as the Pastor and President is always articulate and interesting.

He gave us a thought provoking acronym which we are going to share with you as he did with us. What does joy stand for?;

J- Jesus first
O- Others second
Y- Yourself third and last

Snazzy huh?
In case it passes you by, JOY should come from service to others and not the other way around. Do you love others the same way you love yourself? I am sure you have heard this a thousand times but really think about it!

Thank God George did not dose off this time! (sorry George, your cat is out of the bag!), but he can dose through a hurricane! And just so I dont forget, the pic above was taken during the Pathfinders' Day which I will fill you in on shortly. The fellows were attired in our brand new uniform...cool huh?Well thats all I have time for now...please leave your comments, and for the In-Tuners...please hold back on destructive ones,..Simeon? God Bless.

In-sync with In-Tune

2007-10-07T12:30:00.000+03:00

The funny thing about In-Tune, of which I came to discover only recently, thanksto the enlightenment of Joseph, the 'know-allness' of Simeon, the goofiness of Chris and the inspiration of Ted, is that we are one big happy family!

Believe you me, we have more than enough guest appearances during our practice sessions and the single ,most prevalent comment remains the question...How exactly do you guys get any songs done with all this mischief? Before I go further, I'd have to admit that this phenomenon classifies up there with the wonders of the world. C'mon, I mean, when you put together loudmouths, noisemakers, the highly opinionated and utterly controversial, what do you expect? Not that I'm saying any of the above are in In-Tune, okay I lied, maybe I am, but you would expect disaster wouldn't you?

At the end of the day, after Joseph has announced himself and James has come with the latest humorous video, Chris has showed off his latest karate move, I have dropped a deadly one-liner, George has materialised from God knows where, Simeon has tried to stamp his authority, Andy has chracteristically vybed with one of his women and Edwin has remained as nonchalant as is humanly possible, we get our song done! Amazing isn't it?

Over our 1 year existence, I have admiringly come to discover that In-Tune are tighter than tight. Guys have each others backs, we anticipate each others strategies and finish each others statements. If thats not being 'in-tune' with each other, I don't know what is. As a word of advice to other singing groups- the same way we are treading, strive to get purpose in your song. By this I mean don't just sing for the joy of the song but sing for your Creator.

The world we live in

2007-09-25T12:51:00.000+03:00

Hey guys, I just came across a really shocking site that is extremely against and unrelenting toward Adventists. I decided to extract just a bit of the information on the site so that you may judge for yourself what exactly these people are trying. Is it in an earnest and faithful spirit that they 'inform' of such?...

Seventh-day Adventism has long been a misunderstood group.

This is because beginning in the 1950's they began to seek acceptance by evangelical, born-again Christians. They opened up a dialogue with Walter Martin at Donald Grey Barnhouse's insistence. What followed was a stunning piece of public relations work that began a cover-up of the real truths of Adventism. Adventists desperately want to be accepted so that they may proselytize Christians. You may find the following information to be informative and helpful.

SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS HAVE A FALSE PROPHETESS - Ellen G. White. Adventists officially state, "As the Lord's messenger, her writings are a continuing and authoritative source of truth and provide for the church comfort, guidance, instruction, and correction" "The Dallas Statement 17" (emphasis supplied). Ellen White's writings are called the "Spirit of Prophecy" and "The Testimony of Jesus". She is considered by Adventists to be as inspired as Bible writers. Her writings are considered to be as inspired as the Bible. Space does not permit us to show her many false prophecies but documentation is available. She is the authoress of the books quoted below. Her writings represent current Adventist beliefs. Speaking of her writings she said, "The testimonies are of the Spirit of God or of the Devil" Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 230...

For more info about this, visit the site http://www.exAdventist.com.
I would like to warn you to read the information printed on the page with an earnest heart and be careful not to be swayed. The most encouraging thing is that after going through all the 'information' about Adventists which they have given, and carefully researching on the internet the validity of their claims, ALL of them were wrong! Later on I'll include a brief break-down of my research and findings

Catholic school opens gates to Hell boy!

2007-09-25T11:56:00.000+03:00

The Hell family says it may tell a Catholic School in Australia where to go after it objected to enrolling their son because of his name.

Officials said the boy had been offered a place at the St. Peter the Apostle school in the southern city of Melbourne after discussions between the principal, the parish priest and the family over his name.

But Alex Hell said he would rather send 5-year-old Max elsewhere because the school balked at taking the boy over his family name.

"We are the victims of our name," Hell said.

Hell said he and his wife approached St. Peter the Apostle school about enrolling Max because the boy was being bullied at his current school because of his name, the Herald Sun newspaper reported on its Web site.

The Catholic school supported a plan to enroll Max using his mother's maiden name, Wembridge, but then withdrew its invitation when the parents changed their minds about the name, Hell said. The school backed down and offered Max a place only when Hell took the issue to the media, he said.
"The school has turned around and said Max can go there, but why would you want to go there after being victimized?" Hell said.

The family was considering moving to his wife's hometown to find a different school, he said.

Director of Catholic Education in Victoria state, Stephen Elder, said using the boy's mother's name was the parents' idea to "assist the child in the transition of schools."

"After discussions between the parish priest and principal, St. Peter the Apostle School has made an offer of enrollment to the student," Elder said in a statement. "The school is working with the family in the best interests of the child."

Hell said he had Austrian heritage and that the name means "bright." I used Google translator, and in German it translates as 'brightly'.

Bottom Line: There are a couple of ways to look at this:

The family should not be penalized for what their name is.

Would you change your name if someone found it offensive?

But...If the main issue is the parents' desire for their son to attend Catholic school, they could easily resolve this by enrolling him under his mother's maiden name.

Safari ya Tumaini (The Journey of Hope) Africa

2007-09-17T11:52:00.000+03:00

The biggest day finally not just arrived, but landed in superb pomp and color. The entire pulpit of Nairobi Central Church was revitalized and juiced up for the two-week satellite broadcast to the rest of the world. The customary blue of the front area gave way to subtle beige, the characteristic blue logo of Safari Africa and pots and plants scattered all round giving it the true ambience of an African Safari.

The uniforms which In-Tune had been sourcing seriously for, were finally bought by the trio of Edwin, Simeon and Kevin. I distinctly remember the threats Chris had dished out to the purchasers that the clad had to be 'worth their money' else compensation would have to be underway. Despite the logic in that(no offence Chris) hehehe, everyone was pleased-Thank God. At the time of this update, George had still not yet given me the photos of the uniform which I had wished to display. Anyway, to make due with words, the shirts are African- beige in color, with some unique and distinctly quiet print at the collar boe and around the neck. The guys wore black trousers and shoes to make a satisfactory combination on our day of presentation.

Simeon brought numeroous complaints with him from Baraton-inclusive of uniform choice and presentation day and time. Now come on Simeon, pessimism is so outdated! We thank God however, that He took care of Simeon throughout his semester so far from us. He came back revitalised with fresh ideas and what we term as psyche(energy). At the onset, we were supposed to sing the song 'Sabato' in the evening, on Saturday the 15th, but this was not to be. We were pulled up to 11.00am then lastly given a confirmation the day before that the performance was during Sabbath School-in the morning at 8.30am. So much for the oversleepers!-Edwin and James are you there?

In-Tuners reached impeccably on time, I am always amazed at their dedication, and everything preceeded smoothly. We sang the songs 'Mighty is our God' and 'Glory and Honour'. As for comments on our performance, I will rightfully leave to you, our readers. Bigups to the brother group- For Him, who Simeon tells us are our ardent fans in Baraton. May God continue to bless you in your similar ministries.

Giving our KCSE-sitters a break became the priority after this day that we had planned for from the beginning of the year, and so In-Tune has taken recess until the end of the month of October. This does not mean that things will not be happening though! Its just that we will take a leave of absence from public performances and outreach. Keep us in your prayers, as our sponsors, understandably, did not come through for us and we purchased the uniforms with our own cash(keep in mind most of us are students and dependants). A surprise is in the pipeline however for the month of December so keep it here!

The 2nd Trial of Jesus Christ?

2007-08-30T12:17:00.000+03:00

Just this week in Kenya there was a controversial case about a Nairobian man, a Mr. Dola Indidis, who was going to court over the fact that over 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ of Nazareth was wrongly dubbed as a 'criminal'. He wants to instead brand the likes of the Jewish High Priests, Pontius Pilate and all the concerned insighters of the age as barbaric liars!

On the morning of the 30th of August, the High Court in Nairobi decided that the matter about Jesus' crucifixion allegations was not urgent and therefore the case was postponed. Now, the funny thing is thatyou would have expected the man to be complaining that Jesus was innocent: In fact, the man says that Jesus was accused of blasphemy and was wrongly crucified...He should have been stoned to death as stipulated by the law then!

The other small matter is the fact that the defendants: Emperor Tiberius, Governor Pilate, KIng Herod of Gallilea, Jewish High Priests and Teachers of the Law are not present. They died 2000 years ago! What do you think?

Just a sec...

2007-08-20T13:19:00.000+03:00

Another new column which will be dedicated to reflections. Whether in the water, the mirror (just fibbing) about yourself or others. This will help you appreciate what you have and don't and what you want and don't have. I guess we'll kick this off with a few art clips which you can send to whoever you want to. Well there they are, enjoy.

And remember, everyone likes to appreciated once in a while so get to it!

This segment is solely dedicated to what you would like to tell your friend or someone you love. So if you have something to relay, send it to the email address below:
intuneacapella@gmail.com

The Word of Hope

2007-08-12T13:21:00.000+03:00

This was the beffiting theme of the 2007 Nairobi Central SDA Church Camp Meeting. It was galore and pomp as the week went by swiftly and smoothly save for a few complaints from the teens and early teens age groups that they had been unfairly paired up with their conflicting issues. Despite this, the general feel was spiritually and physically nostalgic.

The guest speakers during the camp meeting were:
Dr. Alanzo Smith(from the New York Greater Conference,USA)
Pr. Paul Scavella(from the Bahamas)
Pr. Thomas Gill and his wife Mrs. Rina Gill(from Northern India)
Cindy Tutsch(from the Ellen G. White Estate)
Each one of these speakers was powerful and eloquent which was clearly evident from the multitudes which they drew to the meetings. As early as 7.30am each and every day people were already at NCSDAC! On the sabbath of 11th August, one of our local speakers rightly commented that she wished all sabbaths were as well attended as during camp meeting.

Through the week there were presentations from various choirs and groups: the guest choir being Kahawa West SDA Church Choir. Others were Nakuru Crater who came on the final sabbath and Nairobi East who did not make it for reasons I am yet to confirm. The Central ChurchChoir gave a sterling performance as well at the finale, so much so that the main speaker, Dr. Alanzo joined them at their final presentation.

Kahawa West had shocked the congregation with their final item which started out with a man carrying a cross being mercilessly flogged! (for real!) Anyway, this led up to a rather emotional piece that was widely applauded. By the grace of God, In-Tune had a piece of the pie during the week when we presented twice and on Sabbath as the inaugural performance for the concert session. All went well as we impeccably sang the piece "Glory and Honour".

At the end, it was an emotional farewell, with Pr. Thomas Gill declaring that Kenya is the best and most blessed country on earth and Pr. Scavella being too touched to speak and on the brink of tears. The Smiths and their daughter, who was accustomed to singing after her father's sermons, were also touched by the hospitality they were shown in Nairobi(who wouldn't feel welcomed with night after night of exquisite stuffing?).

Well all I can say about the camp meeting, summarized in one word is- WOW! Now we look forward to our next task, the Safari Africa of September 15th to 29th. Keep the group in your prayers.
(Watch out for the article about the Pharaohs. Plus one-on-one profiles of these guys known as In-Tune.)

Think about it!

2007-08-12T12:06:00.000+03:00

Parky Part Two.

2007-08-02T14:56:00.001+03:00

The Saturday of 28th July came all too late for the eager and anticipant In-Tuners. We had been invited to a youth concert which was organized, once again, by the Parklands SDA Church Youth at their Church in Parklands residential area of Nairobi. As usual there were punctuality hitches here and there as most of the guys gave the same old pathetic and repetitive excuses of African time! Who invented African time anyway? Its simple be punctual! Ok enough of the harshities. We practiced for our usual hour or so having managed the unbelievable feat of grasping a song in that time. Never before! Put your hands together for... Hmm and Joseph I am not hating, I'm just telling it like it is!

Thank God everyone came...eventually, and we headed off for the venue, having prayed for purpose and blessing. Parklands Church is actually the school hall of Parklands Primary but that will soon change as the congregation of the church fervently plan to relocate to a larger and more comfortable area. The place was full to the brim as their Church Pastor was welcoming visitors and the elders were also busy with co-ordination. One thing that struck us warmly was the depth of fellowship that we witnessed first hand from the Parklanders, as I have come to realise they call themselves.

The Divine service was handled by the youth who did a sterling performance, praise be to God. The Youth from Central also sang a couple of items but after the sermon, excused themselves because they had prior engagements. Little did we know that In-Tune (no complaints) would be fully exploited in the afternoon! Lunch was scrumptuous thanks to the deaconesses who made sure there was enough for everyone. I never cease to be amazed at the organization within the SDA church as a whole. We had impromptu practices to brush up on our voices and went in for the afternoon service.

Barely on the bench...yep you guessed it...we were summoned for three items! This went smoothly. I have to say my voice crackled but went unnoticed. Bigups to the basses Ted, Jonathan and Edwin who sang their hearts out. The Tenors Andy and Joseph were also on point and so was the staro (star) of the show- James. The guy has a voice!! Yeah we all do but his is great. And what better to do thean sing for the Lord with it? We alternated once more with the Parklands Youth Choir then settled down for afew testimonies. We were caught up with time as dusk came rather early but this did not hinder the Elder and Later Paddy from calling us for more items. Who were we to complain? I can honestly say we sang our hearts as well as our vocals out! All went well though and at the end, the Pharaoh* himself, Andy, gave an impressive speech of gratitude and opinion. Even though we didn't catch half of his advanced lingua franca, it sounded good. The guy has excellent skills. God bless man. We left safe and sound for our sojourn to downtown Nairobi.

*The Pharaohs are an elite and exclusive group of three consisting of Handerson, Joseph and Kevin. I'll give you more information on these three later.

The + Files!!

2007-07-31T12:24:00.000+03:00

Okay, I've decided that once in a while I'll be gathering true life experiences to
help you guys reflect on your spiritual walk with God.

Ihave aptly named them (Not the X files) but the + files. Ha ha! No this is
serious. This GRAND OPENER will give you chills....
No matter how religious you may or may not be, this WILL give you chills.

Phil. 4:13 states: "I can do all things through
Christ which strengthens me."
Here's the story:
A young man who had been raised as an
atheist was training to be an Olympic diver. The only
religious influence in his life came from his
outspoken Christian friend.The young diver never
really paid much attention to his friend's sermons,
but he heard them often.

One night the diver went to the indoor pool at
the college he attended.
The lights were all off, but as the pool had big
skylights and the moon was bright,
there was plenty of light to practice by.
The young man climbed up to the highest diving
board and as he turned
his back to the pool on the edge of the board
and extended his arms out, he saw his shadow on the
wall. The shadow of his body, was in the shape of a
cross.The man felt a strange feeling, like someone was
speaking to him. Instead of diving, he knelt down
and finally asked God to come into his life.
As the young man stood, a maintenance man walked
in and turned the lights on.
The pool had been drained ! for repairs.
Remember this
story and send it to a friend.

Yes, I do Love Jesus.
He is my
source of existence and Savior.
He keeps me
functioning each and everyday.
"Without Him, I will be nothing. Without him, I am
nothing but with Him I can do all things through
Christ that strengthens me." Phil 4:13.
This is
the simplest test.
If you Love Jesus, and are not ashamed of all the
marvelous things he has done for you. Pass this on--
and Live as though Christ died yesterday, rose from
the grave today, and is coming back tomorrow.
( This is very wise
thinking.)

ANY UNCOMMON SUCCESS WILL REQUIRE UNCOMMON FAVOUR FROM
SOMEONE.IF YOU CANNOT INVEST IN YOURSELF DO NOT EXPECT
HIM TO INVEST IN YOU. LET GOD STAY AT THE CENTER OF YOUR HEART.

Higher education in Kenya!

2007-07-22T12:57:00.001+03:00

Ok that was abit of tom-foolery. Hogwash! as Joseph would say. What I meant to write was- The trip to Kenya High School. In-Tune accompanied the NCSDAC Youth group to a thanksgiving ceremony which was to be held at the school on July the 14th. The bus ride there was comfortable but disappointingly short on the newly acquired superb vehicle. With embarassment, I cannot say exactly what the thanksgiving was for. Whether it was the existence of the school, its sterling academic performance or the warm relations between the school's administration and the church, I still don't know!

One thing I do know, is that it was an important function. The venue in the school was the chapel, and it was graced by the presence of the Kenya High School Principal and her Deputy and quite a few staff members. Pastor Ezra Okioma, Nairobi Central's Associate Pastor was also present and so were two elders and the school's SDA patron. Since thanksgiving was the theme, the sermon was predictable, not in a boring way of course! (Although I could spot a few who had dozed off!)

Most In -Tuners were present which was applaudable and the morning part of the service went ahead smoothly and inspiringly with Sabbath School, and selected items from both the Youth Choir and In-Tune. The structural acostics of the Kenya High chapel were favourable and so was the man at the keyboard- Felix. Big ups to you man! God bless. Up to no good as usual, but rightly observed, the guys commented that for such a prestigious and established school, it was surprising that the chapel was visibly the smallest structure around. Its size, however, did not deprive it of its sheer beauty! The chapel is an architectural masterpiece if I do say so myself.

After the sermon came the Holy Communion which was well attended. Durins the footwashing, I could see that the non-Adventist students were perplexed and intrigued by our activities. It just goes to show that we have a long way to go in preaching the true gospel and what we believe to the rest of the world. The lunch break was the most eventful as there was insufficient food for the crowd which we were but thank God guys 'changaad' and we were able to boost the limited nutritional resources with loaves and milk.

The afternoon program was, to begin with, primarily musical and dramatic with a wonderful presentation from the NCSDAC Drama Band. (In case you haven't seen these guys in action- what are you waiting for!) When these were over and done with, the Head Deaconess, Sis. Millicent Onyonyi, gave an inspirational talk. Need I say more?

Incase you were wondering...

2007-07-11T11:50:00.000+03:00

I guess I hadn't told you much about the trip to Moi Nairobi Girls'. Hmm. Where do I begin? Oh yes, from the moment we left the church compound headed for our outreach ministry. Its amazing you know. Amazing that there are only three out of lets say twelve In Tuners who can keep time. We know ourselves so I won't make the others feel bad and I certainly won't soothe the egos of the title holders.

Anyway back to the trip. We gathered at NCSDAC by 9.00am with a surprisingly good back up by well wishers and those who would accompany us. The trip was fairly uneventful and without mishap, praise be to the Almighty. Public transport of course! Not all In Tuners are employed, though some are, I'm not naming any names! Ha ha . We were recipients of a warm welcome once we got to the school to find sabbath school well under way and Elder Ouso present as ever. Now there is a man of God who epitomises dedication and commitment. We basically blended into the goings-on with a few presentationsin between.

For those of you who crave to hear heavenly voices, that is of course apart from In Tune- just kidding, the girls from Quabbz (aka Moi Nairobi Girls School) come pretty close. I have to hand it to them. When they sing, they sing like its serious business and am sure even the angels in heaven appreciate it! Another plus for the school, the group and their hospitality is the fact that they provided for us lunch. For some of us, thats all thats ever on their minds. Again I'm not naming anybody.

The afternoon service was heavily dependent on musical items, Joseph and Simeon's wacky but wonderful mceeing and of course, the spirit of fellowship, for in all things we should praise God. If I have omitted any other highlights, forgive me, but my job was to show you the spirit of outreach and fellowship. And as the adages said, all good things must come to an end... Well, all things? Really? What about heaven and God's promises? Looks like the adage is erroneous after all.

A few moments in Quabbz! Literally!

2007-07-09T14:06:00.000+03:00

From top left to right then going down:
1. Some Quabberians caught offguard
2.Joseph having a crazy moment
3.A Quabberian special presentation
4.Simeon caught in his crazy moment
5.Notice the cuties and the cute guy nyuma! Me!
6. A section of In-Tune lounging

Surprise!Surprise!! Well what do you know?

2007-07-02T13:21:00.000+03:00

The 411 came as great news for In-Tune jamaas. We had made it through the first round of auditions for the Safari Africa feat. Incase you're wondering, for those who don't know about the Safari Africa evengelism feat, it is a satellite uplinked preriod between September 15th to 29th 2007 taking place right in our own backyard of Nairobi Central SDA Church!

Can you believe it?! Numerous choirs will perform during this time which will be beamed across the globe from Nairobi, Kenya and In-Tune, by the grace of God, is just one step closer! Talk about a blackout! Simeon was the recipient f the official document on Saturday the 30th of June informing us that the second auditions, well not really auditions but training, were the following day. I have to hand it to in tune. The guys are committed. We gathered in church at 12:00pm and partook in soul-lifting alfresco practice in the unusual heat of Nairobi in July. It should be raining cats and dogs! Anyway, we sang our hearts out and went for the training which was more pleasant and shorter than expected.

Our next task is coming up with an own-compositon Kiswahili song in two- weeks and a uniform as well! Isn't our plate full? But nothing comes easy in this world does it? Keep James and Ted in your prayers as they draw nearer to their Mock Examinations and Simeon heads back to another semester in Baraton University.

Anecdote Analysis

2007-07-02T12:45:00.000+03:00

Ted sent in a good one that helps teach us the value of honesty and integrity:
ONE NIGHT, 4 UNIVERSITY STUDENTS WERE BOOZING LATE
INTO THE NIGHT AND DIDN'T STUDY FOR A TEST WHICH WAS
SCHEDULED FOR THE NEXT DAY.

IN THE MORNING THEY THOUGHT OF A PLAN. THEY MADE
THEMSELVES LOOK AS DIRTY AND WEIRD AS THEY COULD WITH
GREASE AND DIRT.

THEY THEN WENT UP TO THE DEAN AND SAID THAT THEY HAD
GONE OUT TO A WEDDING LAST NIGHT AND ON THEIR RETURN
THE TYREOF THEIR CAR BURST AND THEY HAD TO PUSH THE
CAR ALL THE WAY BACK AND THAT THEY WERE IN NO
CONDITION TO APPEAR FOR THE TEST.

THE DEAN WAS A JUST PERSON SO HE SAID THAT "YOU CAN
HAVE THE RE-TEST AFTER 3 DAYS." THEY SAID THEY WOULD
BE READY BY THAT TIME.

ON THE THIRD DAY THEY APPEARED BEFORE THE DEAN. THE
DEAN SAID THAT THIS WAS A SPECIAL CONDITION THAT ALL
FOUR WERE REQUIRED TO SIT IN SEPARATE CLASSROOMS FOR
THE TEST.

THEY ALL AGREED AS THEY HAD PREPARED WELL IN THE LAST
THREE DAYS.

THE TEST CONSISTED OF 5 QUESTIONS WITH TOTAL OF 100
MARKS.

Question 1:
Write down your name
............................................ (2 Marks)
Question 2:
Write the name of the bride and bridegroom of the
wedding you attended 4 days ago?
............................................. (30 Marks)
Question 3:
What is the type of a car whose tyre burst?
.................................................(20 Marks)
Question 4:
Which tyre burst?
...................................................(28 Marks
Question 5:
Who was driving?
......................................................(20 Marks)

An Inspirational Visitation

2007-06-24T15:10:00.001+03:00

In-Tune had an unforgettable visitation to one of Simeon's friends who unfortunately was bereived. The young lady lost a sister not too long ago but for the sake of privacy I will not reveal her identity. We, by the grace of God, gathered our wits and made our way to their abode not quite sure what to expect or how to behave seeing as such that this would be our first visitation of any sort as a group. This was the sabbath afternoon of 16th June 2007.

Into their austere living room, we were welcomed in by Sally*(Not her real name) and family and friends. Her mother joined us sometime later as we shared in song and experience. Their ejubilant countenance and strong character, all divine mysteries, served only to motivate each of us even more and Sally's mother's sharing and strength were remarkable. God does indeed work in wonderful ways.

Even despite this family's loss, they stood firm in their faith that we all will meet at Jesus' feet. For Sally's sister was just in a deep sleep till Christ's second coming. Amen! Enough said!

An unexpected courtesy call!

2007-06-24T15:04:00.000+03:00

We'd like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank Joy for bringing her pals over from Moi Nairobi Girl's School on the Sabbath of 23rd June. We had a really hearty experience as we gave and recieved in return an array of heavenly musical items and brief interludes of light chat and exchanges.

The Sabbath In-Tune practice was full house with the likes of Simeon and Jonathan who managed to grace us with their valued presence. Our sabbath afternoon connections were further more spruced up by the fact that Felix was in the house. Now am sure most of you don't know him. He is one talented brother whose passion for music surpasses any I know! Anyway thats the basic low down for know seeing I don't have much time at the moment! What? Hey I'm being honest. Just keep the fire alive and I can assure you that In-Tune will keep in tune with christ spiritually and vocally!

27th May 2007 Venue: Parklands SDA Church

2007-05-30T11:42:00.000+03:00

In-Tune made a startling discovery at the onset of the concert we were invited to. There is alot of work that needs to be done for us to reach our desired level of professionalism and discipline. We were invited for a fundraising concert at Parklands SDA Church, which was primarily organised by the surprisingly active youth of that church. Entry fee was kshs.100 but this was subsidized for groups down to kshs.50.

The concert was fun and inspiring and the musical presentations, which constituted a bulk of the day, were fantastic. The concert was graced by other established singing groups such as Shephard's Voices, Parklands Youth Choir and two other a capella groups. Chris and Joseph agreed that we all should strive for the reward of heaven because if people are singing this well on earth, what about up there?

For more info about this concert watch out for the next post. Today's verse is Phillipians 4:13.

The Introduction

2007-05-20T11:46:00.000+03:00

Welcome, everyone. This is the official In-Tune A capella Group's website solely dedicated to interaction and feedback. Expect much more from us in the coming months. We are an a capella group based in Nairobi Central SDA Church, composed of:
Okoth Ted bass
Jim Edwin bass
Bernard barritone
Ted Abebe bass
Craig Abebe tenor 1
Kongoro Joseph tenor 11
Muriithi Chris tenor 1
Biko Steve bass
Oyugi Kevin tenor 11
Oriko Simeon barritone
Nyakiongora George tenor 11
Amayo James tenor 1
Mwandembo Anderson barritone