The Death of Bishop Ommani

We were informed last week that FCCI Elder passed into the presence of the Lord. Here is an email update sent to Carl Conley from a friend of the Bishop's ministry:

Dear Carl,

In 1978, I was elected to represent Iowa at an annual Camp Farthest Out (CFO) International meeting in Michigan. It was such a thrill for me. While there, I met a man from Kenya. His name was Javan Ommani. That was the start of a lasting friendship.

In 1989, we met again in San Diego, California at the CFO International meeting. A few years later, we met again at an annual Family Church Conference with Faith Christian Fellowship, International. When Donna and I took our first trip to Kenya together in 2006, we spent a week with Javan in Western Kenya. While there, God put it in our hearts to work with Javan.

Javan was full of wisdom and grace. He was not quick to make his opinion known…but often listened carefully and then spent time in prayer before speaking. We worked closely together at Bible and Literacy League of Kenya, where he served as the group’s Bishop. Donna and I so highly respected Javan, and loved his family. Even when we left the mission in April of this past year, we continued to meet weekly for fellowship and prayer – and before we made any decision about anything in Kenya, we would consult him.

A number of years ago, he visited us in our home in California. We took him to a seafood restaurant, knowing he loved fish. When they served him his meal, he looked at the plate, looked at the waiter, and said, “Wait – what is this?” With a twinkle in his eye, he said, “How do I know this is fish? Where is the head?” The poor waiter was at a loss of words…Javan’s eyes were twinkling with delight! I loved his sense of humor.

He was a great teacher in our Bible School. Nearly every morning, he would come share his stories with the student body, and taught every term two classes. I don’t remember one person who disliked his classes. He would speak wisdom, mixed with humor and stories.

Before I slept last night, I spoke with Javan. He was going for surgery and we prayed. This morning, I learned that Javan has graduated from this life. Words cannot express our personal sorrow. Yet, we are comforted by the Word. While we grieve, we do not grieve as the world grieves. We know Javan is not dead, but actually more alive than ever before. He is in the presence of Jesus. While we are sad for our loss, we do rejoice for his gain.

Please pray for the Ommani family during this difficult time, and pray for the Bible and Literacy League mission. Pray for us as well, as we navigate this next season. We are scheduled to return to Kenya Saturday, March 5. This will be a new season.

Grace & Peace,

Peter & Donna Pfaltzgraff