Nearing the end of his degree course in education at Kenyatta University (KU) in Nairobi, Benjamin Musau looked forward to doing his three-month stint of teaching internship at the prestigious Mangbu High School, one of the top secondary schools in Kenya. When it did not work out, Benjamin was discouraged, but little did he realize the great plans God for had for him even in keeping him away from Mangbu.

"I looked forward to teaching at Mangbu because it is an excellent, well-equipped school," Benjamin says. One of his lecturers had assured him that he would help him get a position at Mangbu High, and when that did not materialize it was bitterly disappointing for Benjamin. But all hope was not lost as another lecturer helped him get in at Joytown, a high school in the town of Thika, 30 kms. from Nairobi.

Feeling like that was too far away from Nairobi and from the other campus disciples, however, Benjamin kept looking for other schools. "I was not happy about going to Joytown," he says. Apart from that, Joytown is a school for special-needs children, for which Benjamin was not trained. It all seemed to Benjamin to be going wrong. This wasn't the script he'd written for himself. Failing to find a school with an opening, Benjamin reported reluctantly to Joytown.

At the time, Benjamin had been a disciple for little over a year and had not yet led anyone to Christ. Once he buckled down to his teaching practice he proceeded, as was his habit, to reach out to those around him, mostly others also doing their teaching internships. One lady he invited to church, Jane Murugi, was also a student from KU. She was religious and an official of the largest charismatic religious organization on campus. Off-campus she was also actively involved with the youth ministry of the denominational church where her father is a pastor. She had heard of the disciples at KU and many of the rumours about them that had done the rounds, and wanted to know more.

Jane came to church, started studying the Bible the same day, and was baptized three weeks later. Soon after returning to KU following her teaching practice, she had to put up with hostility and opposition from members of the religious group. She kept her focus, though, remained evangelistic, and led Rose Kisyula, a freshman whom she befriended, to Christ.

Prior to becoming a disciple Benjamin had been chairman of a zealous group of evangelistically active youth in his church at his rural home. One day while in Thika on his way to school, Musau ran into Matthew Mulwa, who had been his vice-chairman. Matthew had long sought to find Benjamin (who now spent almost no time at all in the village, not even during campus vacations since he was in Nairobi with the disciples) and find out why he had left their youth group. Benjamin had not even been aware that Matthew was in Thika and attending college.

He gave Matthew the reason for the faith that he has, Matthew came to church to experience it for himself, and the two started studying the Bible together. The former chairman baptized his former vice-chairman soon after that.

While still studying the Bible, Matthew reached out to Daniel Njuguna, one of his college roommates. Daniel, quick to see that he needed to change his life, became a disciple and got baptized. Both Matthew and Daniel make the 30-kilometre journey into Nairobi for church every Sunday, a challenge to any student's budget and schedule, but are simply glad to have found the Kingdom of God.

In his three months in the town of Thika, Benjamin also learned to work with and teach children he had not previously been trained to educate. As much as he was teaching during that period, he was also learning a lot too. And now, as he looks back at these events, he believes that he knows why God kept him away from the school at which he so badly sought a position. He has learned a great lesson from his experience. "I thank God that his will was for me to go to Joytown. At the time I didn't know he had a great plan for me in sending me out there. I have learned that at the end of the day it is always God's will that prevails."

Different from what Benjamin desired, God had another place where he wanted him to teach and specific people he wanted him to meet. So when God shuts a door of seeming opportunity in your life, don't get down, but instead look for the door that he has opened, beyond which lie the great purposes and plans that he has prepared and laid out for you.