For this month's CONNECTION:
- Meet John Otieno, your neighbor from Kenya, and witness how God changed not only his life—but his entire community. (2 min read)
- Connect deeper through a time of prayer and reflection!
When Jesus filled John’s heart, hope began to flow through his entire community. Travel
with us to Kalwande, Kenya, to see how.
My name is Pastor John Otieno, and I was born into deep poverty in Kalwande, Kenya.
By third grade, I had dropped out of school. Living through the water crisis left no room for education.
For a long time, I survived on the streets—scavenging, pickpocketing, and numbing the emptiness with alcohol and cigarettes.
I was alive, but I was lost. Still, somewhere deep inside, I longed for something more—something that would give my life meaning.
Years later, a friend invited me to one of Living Water’s Bible storying workshops. I didn’t know it then, but that invitation would change my life forever.
When I heard the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well, something awakened in me. Her story—it stirred my spirit. I began to pray, read God’s Word, and see the world not as a place of judgment, but as a place of grace.
I realized I didn’t need money to serve my community—all I needed was faith. Many told me I wasn’t good enough to be a pastor, but I’d remind myself, ‘They don’t know where God is taking me.’
Like the Samaritan woman, my encounter with Jesus was a catalyst for transformation—but not just my own. Without a second thought, she ran to tell her neighbors about the Messiah. And I? I ran to the other pastors in my community.
Together, we united seven churches to bring safe water, sanitation, and hygiene education to the families of Kalwande. Because when Jesus fills our hearts, His living water doesn’t stay still. It overflows.
With Living Water Kenya’s support, we built a solar-powered well that sustains both hearts and homes. It even feeds our community farm—where vegetables grow and life flourishes.
Since that first day at the workshop, I’ve seen how love poured out in service results in transformed lives. And until I meet my Heavenly Father, my life will be devoted to helping others experience that same restoration and hope in Christ—the kind that changes everything.
Pastor John at the Kalwande water kiosk, which provides safe water to over 480 people.
PRAYER & REFLECTION
Read the scripture passage, pray, and reflect on the story on your own or with a group.
