Charlene Ruto, accompanied by her husband Isaiah Yunge, visited the church in Mwanza, where she was received with warmth and emotion. The visit was a chance to thank the people who had stood by the couple in the months leading up to their wedding.
A Return to Familiar Pews
Addressing the congregation, Charlene explained that she belongs to several churches in the area. “I am a member here at Kongoro, Mbunge, Nyanoro, and also here at the main cathedral,” she said. “I am happy to return and thank you all for standing with us and helping with our wedding arrangements and courtship journey.”
A Prayer Answered in an Unexpected Place
Turning to the Bishop and the elders present, she opened up about the prayer she had carried for years.
“For many years, I had prayed that God would give me a good husband who loves God,” she said, adding that she had asked that he be with her for the rest of her life. She had expected the answer to come from closer to home. “I didn’t know he would come from Mwanza. I thought perhaps I would marry a Kenyan or that God would give me someone from that side, but in Almighty God’s wisdom, He gave him to me.”
Gratitude for the Community
Visibly moved, Charlene said she had few words left. “Today I don’t have many words to say except a big thank you to this community for taking care of my husband until the day I met him.”
Isaiah Speaks: Raised by the Church
Isaiah then took the floor, and the congregation joined him as he opened with a call and response. “Praise the Lord! (Amen) Praise the Lord! (Amen),” he said, before thanking God for His love and for the way he was raised. “I am grateful; I am a product of many Anglican Church families who raised me.”
He recalled a childhood surrounded by extended family built through the church. “I lived and grew up with many aunts, uncles, grandmothers, and grandfathers because of the love of the Church of Tanzania,” he said. Among them was a woman he speaks of with special tenderness, the aunt he calls his younger mother, with whom he lived on the hill in Mwanza. “Apart from my biological mother, she was someone who showed me love without measure, calculation, or debt,” he said. “So I am very grateful for the upbringing I went through.”
The Families Who Anchored Him
Isaiah went on to name the families who anchored him. “The family of Mzee Amos Yunge and his wife Mama Ruth Abea, along with the entire family of Mzee Elisha Abe living here in Manoro, are among the pillars that kept us close,” he said. “I am very grateful for the love we received that brought me to where I am today.”
Faith Through Hardship
He closed with a reflection on the hardships of life and the faith that carries people through them. “It is not easy. As human beings, we complain a lot when life becomes hard, right? But God understands the purpose, God follows through, and God lifts people up.”
