August 31, 2005
There is a bright side to missions, and it gives us pleasure to report the heroic deeds of those who lay down their lives for Jesus. But there is also a dark side to mission work. Satan sometimes enters followers of Christ as he entered into Judas.
My heart aches as I write this. I wish I didn’t have to tell you, but I MUST in order to maintain my integrity and the integrity of WEI.
For two years, Fred and Masi Ogara have been teaching WEI courses to high school seniors in private schools in central Kenya. Gene and Nancy Banister, Bob and Jan Towell and others have sent thousands of dollars to Fred for printing WEI materials. Fred has reported hundreds of baptisms and the establishment of several churches. We have shared some of those reports with you in our newsletters.
In May of this year, one of Fred’s military friends notified us that he was going to Libya on a military mission and would be able to take several hundred Bibles with him. This was exciting news. A number of people gave thousands of dollars out of their own pockets, raised thousands more from friends and churches, and sent the money to Fred. Fred sent pictures of himself wrapping Bibles, and he sent receipts from Bible bookstores in Nairobi and Kisumu. Two of Fred’s military friends sent e-mails saying they were in Libya, they had delivered hundreds of Bibles, and they had worshiped with several Libyan churches. It turned out that these e-mails originated in Kenya, and the attached pictures, purportedly taken in Libya, had been copied from a travel agency’s web site.
To make a sad story short, God used Mac and Marty Lynn, Bob Towell, Gene Banister, and missionaries and nationals in Kenya to expose Fred’s lies and deceptions. We now have proof that Fred has been deceiving us for two years. His reports have been full of falsehoods. He has impersonated people, sending e-mails in their names. Fred neither purchased large quantities of Bibles nor sent them to Libya.
The only good that has come from this ordeal is that baby Gene received treatment for his horrible burns. The Doctors in the U.S. have dismissed him saying that he will not need further treatment.
We tried over a period of weeks to bring Fred and Masi to repentance, but our efforts resulted only in increased lying and vicious letters to us and about us. Consequently, Fred was notified that he can no longer represent WEI in Kenya or anywhere else.
We know of at least four people in the U.S. whom Fred and Masi have approached with pleas for help. If either of them should approach you asking for money, please be aware that Fred and Masi Ogara are seasoned con artists. Weep with us, and pray for Fred and Masi.
