From my experience, I have known Pastor Florencio for quite some time though not as a pastor, had several conversations on different topics but I was still considering him as any other Kenyan I know. Not that I thought that being a Kenyan was a bad thing, but I thought of them as people who shared country and loved God and wanted to serve him even more. I had several deep conversations with him and I remember that at one point he asked how he could get one of organization banners that had our mission on it. I didn’t take it seriously and I forgot about it. I also knew about his child, but not his name.
What touched me most was how Pastor Florencio showed so much faith. His church is still new, not even many people. But the way he is serious with the work of God, you would think he is leading a big ministry. He didn’t wait for money to start. He didn’t say “let me first get sound equipment” or “let people come first.” No. He just began, with what he had. And I could see that this man gave not from abundance, but from his very life. The little he had, he put into the work of God. Just like that poor widow in the Bible who gave two small coins, and Jesus said she gave more than all the rich people (Luke 21:1–4). That is how I saw Pastor Florencio giving not just money, but his whole self.
Now of course, someone who doesn’t know God might look at all this and say, “Ah, this man is only doing these things because he wants help.” Some people even questioned why he named his son Gregg Nashville. Maybe it’s true that he wanted to honor Mr. Garner, or maybe he hoped that it would please him. And yes, from the outside, it might look like a man trying to position himself to get resources. But for someone to go as far as naming his child that way—if it was only to please another man—then that already tells you how deeply he values relationship, loyalty, and spiritual covering. Even if the motive wasn’t perfect in the eyes of skeptics, it still shows a heart that is willing to honor those who have walked ahead.
But the truth is, what I saw in Uyawi was not manipulation. It was sacrifice. It was faith. It was the kind of walk that doesn’t make sense to people who calculate everything by what they can get. Pastor Florencio didn’t just talk—he gave. He planted. He poured himself out. And that kind of thing, whether men understand it or not, God sees. And God rewards.
That visit left me thinking a lot. It challenged the way I view calling, provision, and what it means to truly serve. But that was only the beginning. In the next part, I’ll share more about what I saw in the community itself, the people, and a moment that completely shifted how I see missions—not just in Kenya, but even here at home.