The congregation of Gambella Lutheran Church began meeting under a tree in Kenya’s Dadaab refugee camp in 2006. In 2017, they were relocated to the Kalobeyei refugee camp. Because there is no pastor, but only a few evangelists who lead the congregation, members had gone nearly five years without receiving communion.

This March, the Rev. Dr. Thomas Aadland, LCMS career missionary to Kenya, visited the Gambella congregation with seminarian Okach Omot Opiew. Once he completes his studies, Okach, who is from Kalobeyei, will return to serve the church there. Rev. Aadland did a review on the Lord’s Supper, with Okach translating, and 60 people received Holy Communion after going many years without.