MISSION TRIP TO NAIROBI, KENYA - AFRICA
Michael, Lean Choo, CN, Sally and I went on a mission trip to Nairobi, Kenya, from February 26 to March 4, 2009. All of us belong to the same pastoral group supporting the missions work in Nairobi. Apart from Sally, the rest of us have done previous mission work in Nairobi.
[Mission photos on website]
[Photo:Michael & Lean Choo in Nairobi, Kenya]
Church Planters In Nairobi, Kenya
Lisa and Li Chuang are our two church-planting sisters in Nairobi. They have been involved in mission work in Kenya since 2005.One of the challenges that our church-planters faced was in their outreach to Kenyan men. Together with the church-planters, we have been praying to God for many years for greater effectiveness in this area.
[Photo: Lisa & Li Chuang Church Planters in Nairobi, Kenya]
Breakthrough in Hope Nairobi, Kenya
Our prayers were answered in the last quarter of 2008! God has blessed us by bringing in many Kenyan brothers into the Nairobi care group. Most of these Kenyan brothers are university undergraduates while the rest have just graduated and have begun their working life as professionals. All of them have a heart for God and are eager to serve Him.
Hence the key objective of our missions trip was to equip and disciple these Kenyan brothers. Basically we went for a retreat together and six Kenyan brothers (James K, James O, Vincent, Ernest, Javan and David) and one Kenyan sister (Faith) joined us.
Kenyan Wildlife & City
The first day, we went out with some of the Kenyans to visit the Animal Orphanage where the orphaned animals from the safaris are reared. There we manage to see up close and personal some of the Kenyan wildlife. We even got to pat and take photographs with a real life cheetah!
We also went to the rooftop of the tallest building in Nairobi: the Kenyan International Convention Centre, where we got a bird’s eye view of the entire city of Nairobi. Through this outing, we got to know many of our Kenyan brothers better.
Discipleship Training
Over the next few days, we had a wonderful time of training with the Kenyans. Sally and CN taught them many simple yet fun games and ice-breakers which they could play in their care groups. CN taught some of the brothers some simple guitar chords and shared with them some tips on playing the guitar. I shared a lesson on Covenanted Relationships, Michael on Spiritual Gifts and Lean Choo on Praise and Worship.
Care Group Service
On Sunday, we attended the care group service. It was a fantastic time worshipping God together with all the Kenyan brothers and sisters. Michael preached during the service and many were blessed and inspired by the sermon. After service, we even had our very own “Amazing Race” where we formed teams with the Kenyans and ran around Nairobi city center to complete various tasks!
Visiting Nakuru city
On Monday, one of our Kenyan brothers, James K, invited us to his hometown of Nakuru. Nakuru is a small city, a few hours’ drive away from Nairobi. Two other Kenyan brothers: Javan and James O went with us on this trip. We had a great time meeting James K’s parents and visiting his house and his farm. En route, we also visited Lake Elementaita to view the flamingoes.
Roman Catholic Orphanage in Juja
On Tueday, we went down to Juja, which is a small city an hour away from Nairobi. James K brought us to the Roman Catholic orphanage where he volunteers. We had a splendid time touring the orphanage and interacting with the children there.
Jomo Kenyatta University
After that, we went down to Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (or JKUAT). Lisa and Li Chuang are trying to outreach to the undergraduates at JKUAT by organising a weekly care group. We saw many visitors for the care group that day. We had a time of praise and worship, Michael shared a teaching and we also prayed for the Kenyans.
All in all, our trip to Kenya was a fruitful one. A lot of the feedback we received from the Kenyans said that they were encouraged and they felt ministered by God’s Word and His presence. We too had an excellent time sharing God’s love with the Kenyans. We pray that God will continue to grow the church in Nairobi from strength to strength and continue to make a difference in more and more lives in Kenya.
