Muni ’20 Is a Bold Christian Leader for Caritas
by eileen scott, contributing writer
Caritas, Christian Union’s leadership develop ministry to Stanford students, has a new president. While the Kenyan is known for his bright smile and humility, he has a bold vision and exudes confidence when it comes to sharing his faith and encouraging his peers to seek God wholeheartedly.
Ask Robert Muni ’20 what makes him a good fit for the leadership role, and he emphatically will reply, “Jesus.”
“He strengthens me daily and puts love in my heart to serve others without tiring.”
That’s exactly the kind of strength and grace that is needed when you are a Christian leader, especially at a campus like Stanford. As student president, Muni will oversee the executive team and all of its activities and outreaches.
“Times get very hard in an intellectually demanding environment. Knowing that God is the ever-present help is a source of great assurance,” said Muni.“My primary project this year will be fostering a culture of earnest prayer. The strongest weapon we have at our disposal is calling out to God and seeking Him for guidance. We cannot rely on our own wit and strength to carry God’s mission of evangelism.”
“Robert is a natural fit for a leadership role at Caritas because students recognize his character,” said Garrett Brown, Christian Union’s ministry director at Stanford. “They witness his dedication to knowing God’s Word and see his transparency, authenticity, and honesty, especially when he shares about the challenges he experienced from Kenya to California.”
{tweetme}Muni grew up in a country where 38 percent of the population lives below the international poverty line of $1.90 per day. It is a land that has experienced violence and death due to poverty and disease, such as HIV/AIDS.{/tweetme} Muni’s father passed away while he was still in high school, yet, he persevered and graduated from Starehe Boy’s Centre, a charitable high school that fully sponsors bright, but underprivileged students.
Muni was raised in the church by his mother and accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior as a young boy. Despite being rooted in faith, Muni experienced doubt and struggled with justifying his beliefs while attending Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts. The school served as a bridge between high school and college.
“During my time at Deerfield, I questioned my faith and the intellectual aspects of the Bible,” said Muni. He took a political philosophy course there and was suddenly without answers to justify his belief in Jesus Christ.
However, after getting accepted to Stanford, Muni met Christian Union Ministry Fellow Justin Woyak, who told him about newly-forming Caritas and Christian Union Bible Courses. He was so impressed with the depth and richness of the Bible courses, that he became one of the ministry’s founding members.
“I was ready for a guided, in-depth study of the Word that would not only empower me to justify my faith to others, but would solidify my understanding of God’s unending wealth of wisdom,” said Muni. “Looking closely at His word continues to reveal how much He means to me and the joy of having a relationship with Him.”
Woyak, Princeton ’09, commented that “it has been exciting to see how God was at work in Muni’s life before [college] and how He has blessed him and blessed others through him during his time at Stanford…the trajectory God has set him on is a marvel to watch.”
One of Muni’s roles as president is to direct prayer and fasting initiatives with Caritas.
“My primary project this year will be fostering a culture of earnest prayer,” he said. “The strongest weapon we have at our disposal is calling out to God and seeking Him for guidance. We cannot rely on our own wit and strength to carry God’s mission of evangelism.”
Muni has experienced the strength of God through adversity and knows what the Holy Spirit can do individually and throughout communities. Therefore, he is not lukewarm about seeking God. Rather, he is bold in faith and carries the hope of redemption and salvation to his peers.
“We pray that God, through the Holy Spirit, may touch the minds and hearts of thousands at Stanford to bring them into His kingdom,” he said.
