Getting connected - to each other, to the world and to God - that’s what World Servants hopes to foster by offering mission trips to various parts of the world. And it can surely he said that’s exactly what happened when 91 folks from Good Shepherd spent two weeks in a small community of Kali, just a short, and extremely bumpy, 60 miles south of Nairobi, Kenya. We left July 11 with a double rainbow in the St. Louis sky — perhaps a visible sign that God had special plans for the two communities coming together in His name? Maybe, but we know for sure God blessed us all as we served and learned from our new friends from half a world away.
Imagine stepping back in time at least one hundred years — no running water, no electricity, food provided by the animals in the yard and whatever is growing in the fields, transportation is most often your own two feet or if you’re lucky, a cart pulled by oxen. That is life in the small, peaceful, farming community where we served. Pastor Kisua and his team of workers welcomed us enthusiastically with singing and dancing from the very start. We arrived to help work on their dream of building an orphanage for the local children affected by AIDS — the Suvia Children’s Home they hope to open this fall. The first dormitory to house 50 children was nearly complete and our main task at the site was to finish and paint the dormitory, construct a dining hail and kitchen and dig a trench for the new water system. Working along side the Kenyan men and women each day, here are some of the things we did:
- Built four outer walls to the dining hall, two interior walls, all constructed out of quarried stone; plus we made and hoisted 7 rafters into place. The metal roof was being nailed into place during the dedication ceremony.
- Finished the gabled ends of the dormitory and painted the interior, doors and window bars.
- Dug a trench for a new water system — 1/3 mile long, 1 foot wide, 2 feet deep — a tremendous effort taking six days using picks and shovels.
- “Made gravel” by smashing rocks.
- Carried bags and bags and bags of sand up hill each day from the dry river bed
- Visited 6 local schools meeting over 1000 children as we sang songs, told Bible stories, made crafts and played together.
- Visited many local homes in the community to share and learn from each other.
- Visited 8 local churches on Sunday where someone from our group preached for 45 minutes and where we all participated in the offering, which included an auction of donated food given in lieu of schillings — ask Ed and Grace Dietzler about the chicken they bought for Pastor Kisua!
- Several folks visited a local dispensary to learn about local medical practices. Spontaneous singing and game playing with the children was a delight!
Each day concluded with our youth leading worship songs and all of us sharing what we had learned and discovered throughout the day. The last days of the trip were spent experiencing more of God’s wonders at the Nairobi Animal Orphanage, the Giraffe Park and the Masai Mara Safari Reserve. While at the game reserve, we also learned much about the Masai tribe and their customs.
Overall, I think this trip reminded us that God’s love and joy is felt around the world — despite the lack, or excess, of economic status and material resources. Indeed, the dollars spent to facilitate the orphanage was immensely appreciated but the joy and awe we encountered because Good Shepherd people would travel so far to help this tiny community was overwhelming to our new Kenyan friends. Many had never seen white people before, certainly they had never come to visit their homes, schools and churches. We represented the face of Christ and the face of America. We were greeted so warmly — their hospitality and friendship will always be remembered. Our prayers will continue for them, the orphanage and the work that continues through World Servants. For more information on the Suvia Children’s Home you can go to www.WorldServants.org
Thank you Good Shepherd for the incredible opportunity to serve others in the name of Christ who brings us his abounding love and grace — here and around the world!
