Faith Mission Africa 2009

Finished or just starting?

2009-03-29T17:33:00.000-07:00

How do you wrap up a trip like this? I believe it would be a mistake to do so. Instead, I would like to say that we are all challenged to ask God what it is that He would have us do with the experience. Individually, we acknowledge that we have been changed. There will never be a team just like the one assembled for this trip. We all know that we were a part of something very special. We hold this close to our hearts and praise God for allowing us to take part.
The results of this trip will be fleshed out in so many ways: Individuals looking to minister in the little ways, knowing that the little leads to the large; Individuals being bolder in sharing the gospel to a world ready for the message; Individuals quickly praying over every matter, no matter how large or small as they have seen first-hand the working power of prayer; Students making personal life decisions that include global missions as long term options. Yes, it is exciting to know that this trip is not over. It is simply the continuation of God’s working in and through the lives of a blessed group of 14 individuals. So many have contributed to all that took place. For those of you that covered this trip in prayer, THANK YOU! Your prayers made all of the difference. For those of you that gave financially, please know your investment has and will continue to pay off. May God get the glory and honor for all the great and mighty things that took place in Africa. He alone is worthy.

This post written by: Jon Brooks

Safari: As far as the eye can see!

2009-03-27T13:04:00.000-07:00

I would like to say so much more, but we are all exhausted from the two game drive, one visit to a Masai village, three huge meals to include a "bush" dinner next to the Mara River (complete with hippos!), more animals than we can count, and a special couple that got engaged tonight during supper Masai style! We will fill in the blanks for you at another time, but for now we are signing off. We have one more game run in the morning at 6:30. We are getting all we can in! Everyone well and doing marvelous. We have more stories to tell than you can imagine. Will see everyone soon. Mr. B

Lions and Tigers and ...

2009-03-26T11:42:00.000-07:00

We left the Mission House early this morning in our three safari vehicles, making our way to the Maasai Mara National Reserve. As we made our way, we saw many Maasai tribes people and saw a watering hole that was put there by T.D. Jakes. It was cool for the kids to make the connection. Four hours into the trip we entered the gates to the Mara Reserve and immediately began seeing animals. We saw zebras, giraffes, impalas, wildebeest, to name a few. We got pretty excited knowing that we had an excellent chance of seeing the “big five” of Africa. (Lion, Leopard, Cape Buffalo, Rhino, and Elephant). Our guide made no promises as it is a hit or miss proposition with these animals.
We arrived at the lodge, which is incredible. The lodge is located on a hill overlooking the Rift Valley Plains. A group of Maasai warriors greeted us with traditional dance and pulled us, by hand, into the lobby of the lodge, singing and dancing all the while. Crazy! A river winds through the plain and we sat on our balcony with our students, looking at herds of zebra, tope, giraffe, and hippos splashing in the river bend. We could not wait to go on the game drive. First, we ate lunch. You can imagine what kind of food is at this place! Buffet, and a lot of it. Phenomenal. We waddled back to our rooms and rested until the game drive.
This evening we drove through the plains and got up close and personal with all kind of wild life. We saw elephants, a black rhino, cape buffalo, cheetahs, and more. Then it happened. We came upon a zebra kill. A hyena was feasting and jackals and buzzards were circling. The hyena left and the jackals were pacing nervously and barking at the brush. A leopard emerged from the brush and attempted to drag the left over carcass into the brush. It was large and after a few minutes, the leopard simply gave up and started eating where it was. Where it laid was no more than 20 yards from our vehicles!! The pictures were flying and our group was treated to a rare sight. The guide told us that in his 15 years of doing Safari trips, he had never had a group see so much in only two hours time. We thank God for continued blessings, even in the little things! Our group is blown away and thoroughly enjoying this experience.

This post written by: Kathy and Jon Brooks

Miracles and Blessings

2009-03-25T12:50:00.001-07:00

Today was a mixture of ministry and decompression. We went to the pastor’s conference to lend a last minute hand and to say our goodbyes to many that we had ministered with and to. Because of so many of you that had donated towards this trip, our team was able to give enough money to buy the rice for the entire week that fed the 1200+ pastors and conference staff! I presented this gift from Faith Christian School this morning and there was much rejoicing!
Our team is so full of God’s blessing that I have asked the students and adults to share some of their greatest memories of the trip so far. We head off in the morning to go on Safari and we are pumped!! We desperately need the time to process all that has happened in the past 12 days. I ask you to pray as I lead our team to take this experience and answer the “so what?” and “what now?” questions we all are asking. To say that I am proud of each and every team member seems so inadequate. We have experienced the supernatural together and are humbled that we got to be a part. Enjoy the quick peek from each team members perspective.
~Jon Brooks

One of my favorite memories from the trip was when I got to love on the kids from the village and orphanages. I love getting to share the love of Christ with kids, especially from Africa. The Lord really touched my heart toward those children. I wanted to take every one of them home with me.
~Lauren Shawver

While in Matuu, Grayson and I were sitting by the window in the church and our hair was being caressed by children while we listened to the sermon. I turned around and this little tike ling caught my eye right away. She leaned in and said “I’m ready to go with you now.” That definitely shows how much these kids hunger for the love only God can give. Being here and seeing the realness and simple faith the people put in Christ is amazingly refreshing. Also I got to snuggle up close and personal to a giraffe…. Lovely.
~Brittney

On Sunday, we went to three different churches, and the last church was in one of the smallest buildings that I have seen in my entire life. We had no idea how we were going to do the skit in such a small space, but we did it anyways. At the very end of the service, Mr. Brooks did an altar call, and about seven people accepted Christ into their hearts. One of those people was the pastor’s nephew whom they had been praying for fifteen years. The pastor got up and said that it was because of the skit that his nephew accepted Christ, and I just stood there thinking if we hadn’t done the skit then that man wouldn’t have become a Christian…WOW!
~Mackensie

God has had his hand all over this trip, and it has been evident every day. Today, for instance, several pastors from Congo approached Pastor Chola about needing money to travel back home. They spent everything they had to get to the conference and believed that God would provide. He told them that God would have to provide because they simply did not have it in the conference budget to help. Our team did not know the plight of the Congo pastors but had heard at the beginning of the week that some of the pastors would come and not have the money to return home. They were that desperate for training. Right before we left the conference for the last time, we decided that we would take a love offering to help any pastors that needed help to get home. We did not count the money or even think much about it. But the amount our team gave matched the amount needed, to the shilling, of the entire group of pastors from the Congo. TO THE SHILLING!! God is so cool in working out the details. Ah, it was exciting!!
~Sarah

This man named Fred came on our trip to Kitui. He owns an orphanage that he started when he was only 19. Some of us were instantly drawn to Fred because of his love for God that just pours out through his smile and actions. Saturday, we actually got to visit his orphanage, and it was the cleanest one I have seen while we’ve been here. All of the boys were respectful young gentlemen that were extremely eager to help. It was awesome to see how Fred’s love for God blessed 45 or so kids.
~Carla

I have enjoyed the relationships we have made on this trip. The people we’ve been with every day seem like family, and the people we’ve only spent a few hours with have found a special place in our hearts. They have all been so friendly and welcoming, they are people we will never forget. Also, it has been incredible to see immediate fruits of our labor. Never in my life have I seen anything like this. It is clear God wanted us here at this specific time. God is so faithful and so good. There are no words I can find to describe how amazing it is to see Him work in such a mighty way.
~ Kristen

If I tried to describe the experiences we’ve had over the past 11 days I would probably cry (we have all spontaneously burst into tears several times today saying goodbye to our new friends), so I’m going to tell you about what God has done in my life during this trip. There have been so many situations where He has been more faithful to us than we even thought possible. He continues to provide for us, and to use us as vessels to provide for others in miraculous ways. I have heard God more clearly these past two weeks than I have in my entire life. He has given me the purpose and direction that I have been asking for 2 years- but He did it in His time & in His own way- which is a million times better than any plan I could ever make for myself.
~ Grayson

The greatest thing that has impacted me on this trip was being on the worship team at the pastor’s conference. Singing on the worship team made me stretch beyond my comfort zone. I not only learned to worship with confidence (because I don’t like singing in front of people), but I finally truly grasped what “the heart of worship” was. It’s not just singing, it’s deeper than that; it’s letting your spirit worship the Lord for who He is and what He’s done. That type of worship transcends all language barriers. It’s a phenomenal experience to worship in a different language where, even though you don’t know the words, you know the message. I’ve learned the heart of worship.
~Jordan

I like the scenery! I also like people!
~Dexter

I really liked soaking up the culture by watching people in their day to day lives. When everyone is sleeping in the bus I look out the window. Ummm so….. ya.
~Ben Stricklin

Today was rough, to some extent, saying goodbye to family. I was blessed by the wife of one of the conference speakers when she spoke to me about our team. She said that in all the years that she and her husband have been coming to these conferences they have seen many groups come to help. She said that our kids impressed her more than any other group because of the sheer amount of hard work they put in, all that they had accomplished and their hearts for missions and service. It made me cry to hear that someone else was seeing what I already knew – we have a great group of world changers at Faith!
~Stephanie

How incredible this trip has turned out. A perfectly placed team put in three weeks of ministry inside of twelve days. They were well prepared, hard working, and without complaints. These students have done exceedingly well in harsh environments. It has been a pleasure to get to know one of the best student pastors around. Jon Brooks came to Africa to serve, not to be served. He used every possible moment to be a teachable moment for the students. He challenged them to read God’s word, exhorting them to receive a fresh word from God. He would check on their well being, encourage them to journal and even pushed when it was necessary. This has been an incredible trip. Faith has been greatly represented by these well-prepared young Christian leaders and lead by one of the best youth leaders that I’ve known.
~Dirk

This has been a life changing experience not only for the students, but as well for the adults. I have seen miracles, worship represented as I believe it will be in Heaven, students listening to the voice of God, and adults doing whatever necessary to help. One memory that stands out is of Mackensie and I sitting together on the front row of the high school service on Sunday. Jon asked us to bow our heads while he asked those to raise their hands if they wanted to be saved. He then challenged students who were serious about their decision to stand. Mackensie and I were holding hands and praying like crazy. As we prayed, we could hear the students standing one by crying behind us. It was so overwhelming all I could do was pray and cry. We also have many funny memories. I will never forget the reaction of the girls when they saw the first “long chase” that we would be using for 3 days. Of course, it is only funny now. Your prayers have empowered us in every situation. God is so amazing and I thank you guys for being our prayer warriors.
~Kathy

1200 +

2009-03-24T12:24:00.000-07:00

I can’t even begin to describe the kind of overwhelming experience today has been, serving the pastors of Kenya. We have been preparing for the bookstore, where pastors can receive Bibles, reference materials and inspirational books that have been donated by Christians back home in the States. Yesterday we put in the work and today we began reaping the reward. I was so nervous once we arrived at the center because I didn’t really have a good idea what to expect, but felt confident that we were prepared. Before the bookstores opened, though, we helped distribute new concordances to the senior pastors who are at the conference for the first time this year. Helping pastors learn how to use this invaluable resource that will change their sermons and reach their congregation on a completely different level was humbling. I had the opportunity of helping several pastors and their wives with using the Greek and Hebrew portion, which until today I didn’t even know how to use!
After the session with the concordances I was stopped by a young woman named Eunice who asked me for help. At first I thought that she needed information about something at the conference, but she was sharing with me about a need she has. She is an orphan who is in school, but is concerned about where her school fees will come from. I had the opportunity to encourage her and pray for her, and felt that the Lord is already supplying that need because orphans are close to His heart.
I am right now trying to think of how to explain what I’ve been feeling for the past three days about the bookstore. I ended up in charge of it, which is a daunting task considering the shear number of pastors that have to cycle through in three days time. I found out today that there is in excess of 1200 pastors at this conference, which is a record number for this event. Yesterday, when we were setting up and putting out the Bibles and books I couldn’t help feeling like the little boy with the sack lunch saying, “Lord, this is what we have. Please take it and multiply it to supply your people.” So much prayer has covered these books, but what’s crazy is that it’s not about the books at all, but about the ripples of impacts that will circle out from Rongai, Kenya to the surrounding areas, countries, Africa and eventually the world. Needless to say, I’ve been nervous about the bookstore and its success.
At the end of the second morning session the announcement was made to the pastors about the bookstore, and then they were released. There was suddenly a crowd of pastors running, literally running, for the two tents. The pastors cycled through the tents ten at a time. I was very impressed with Ben, Lauren, Grayson and Carla and the wonderful way in which they helped the pastors find materials that were more tailored to their needs. Barnes and Noble had nothing on us today! In the two sessions that the bookstore was open today we helped over 300 pastors with selecting materials to bless their ministries. Once the last pastor had gone through this afternoon and we restocked the shelves and tables, I looked very skeptically at what we had and the number of pastors yet to receive anything and prayed again that the Lord would multiply to meet the need. I’m looking forward to seeing the Lord’s miracle.
Jordan, Brittney, and Grayson served on the praise and worship team for the conference. What a thrill it is to see our Faith students serving in this way. They have worked hard to learn songs in Swahili. Jordan led the entire assembly in one of the worship songs and I thought I was going to jump out of my skin! During tonight’s service the kids had the opportunity to perform their skit for all the pastors. The reaction from these pastors was just incredible, including the one pastor who was “pulling” at Brittney right along with Jesus (Jordan). It was a sight to behold and the noise in the tent when Jesus (Jordan) fought against all those sins and the devil so that Brittney could be free was deafening. Pastors actually came out of their chairs! Pastor Chola met us at dinner and said that he already had several pastors asking for the website so that they could use the skit as well in their church and in outreach.
We are already dreading saying goodbye on Saturday to our brothers and sisters here in Kenya. Our time here has been too short and our hearts are so full already. God is doing great things here in Kenya in His church and it has been incredible to have even a little part in what He is doing.

This post written by: Stephanie Sloane (Organizer Extroardinare)

Birds eye view

2009-03-23T12:59:00.000-07:00

Today was a nice and normal day. We got up at 8:30 to get on the bus off to the C.M.M. center. On the way there we listened to music on headphones and talked. Once we got there I got to climb the water tower and take some video and pictures. After that we all got set up for the pastor’s conference. 1000 pastors are going to show up for this. Registration was a killer today. Every single pastor got here at the same time and the number pouring in only grew! All the pastors came from all over Kenya. Most were so desperate to get here they came without knowing how to get back. Most everything today went smoothly. Everyone worked together very well and we registered a little over 800 today. We expect another 300 + to register in the morning. At 5pm the service started. The place was so packed that there was several rows of chairs lining the outside! We ended of the day by eating at a restaurant called Java Hut.
I love mom and dad!

This post written by: Dexter Cheneweth (Senior)

Side note: They have asked our group to do their drama tomorrow night for the entire conference. It will be amazing to see 1000+ pastors get to their feet and shout at the end of the drama. This drama is truly anointed and our students have done so well in sharing it.

God is mighty to save!

2009-03-22T14:45:00.000-07:00

(This post is written by a student after one of the most amazing ministry days I have ever been a part of! Our team met and prayed last night, reading scripture and singing together. We prepared our hearts for what we knew would be a challenging day, but never dreamed that God would move in the way He did. Wow! This day will be most difficult to capture with a simple blog entry. Just know that the Faith team is being used in mighty ways by The mighty God! -- Jon)

Hi from Africa! I am truly amazed at what the Lord is doing on this trip! Today was absolutely wonderful! We went to the Hospital Hill Secondary High School to minister in their Sunday morning chapel. This is an optional service, but the chapel was packed with over 450 students. We sang some praise and worship songs in English and in Swahili. Then, we performed our powerful skit and they were receptive to the message that the skit conveyed. Jordan and Mr. Brooks tied the skit together and many people accepted Christ as their personal Lord and savior. We did not get an exact number but we conservatively estimate at least 70 responded to a very clear and difficult invitation to get saved. I liked that school because it was evident that the kids were so happy and they were genuine about their decision to commit their lives to Christ.
After the school, we went to a small church in the slums called God’s Everlasting Ministries, led by pastor Meshack. The people there didn’t let the harsh living conditions determine their attitude and their relationship with their Maker. They were very joyful and praised the Lord for what they had and for giving them the church where the Staats’ family had provided building materials. I got the opportunity to share what Jesus has done in my life when I gave my testimony. It was refreshing just to be able to tell the people that the Lord has been there for me in the happy times and sad times and that he has given me so much joy and strength even in times of hardship and trouble. The Lord moved in mighty ways and spoke through Mr. Brooks and many more people were saved as a result of the Holy Spirit touching hearts. We left the church in awe of how big God is.
After lunch we got the opportunity to go to some individual homes and encourage them and pray for their needs. It was an eye-opening experience to see how these people live and how they are still trusting God to meet their needs everyday when they have so little. We ended the afternoon with a crusade at Hosanna International Gospel Ministries, led by pastor Gerishon. At least 5 more people gave their lives to Christ. One of these was the nephew of the pastor who had decided to come to see “the visitors”, but ended up watching our skit and accepting Christ. (pictured in red shirt) The thing that was so amazing was that his wife had been praying for him for fifteen years to be saved. Needless to say, there was much rejoicing! Another neat story was of a ten year old boy that accepted Christ. He had just been released from the hospital that day, after a one year admittance! (He had been hit by a truck.) When responding to the invitation his arm was raised but was hurting him so much that Mrs. Brooks stood by him and helped him keep it up. In all, we believe over 100 people were saved just today as a result of the ministry here in Africa!!
Once we left the church we went to the Matheney’s to swim and have a time of fellowship and prayer. So much happened today! We serve a BIG God who loves to move through his people to touch lives. I hope everyone is doing well in the U.S. We continue to look forward to more of what God has planned for this trip.

This post written by: Lauren Shawver (Joyful Senior)

From Slums to Slobber!

2009-03-21T13:00:00.001-07:00

We left the Mission House at 9:00 a.m. on our way to the deep slums of Nairobi. We were going to Fred's orphanage. Fred is one of the Nairobi ministry team members that accompanied us to Katui earlier this week. He was in Katui to deliver extra beds that his orphanage had been given. He wanted to bless the orphanage for the blind. How humbling.
We arrived at Fred's orphanage which was a diamond in the rough. A high rise sanctuary for children that were taken off the streets. We were greeted with a tunnel of children singing a welcome song. I felt special and was overwhelmed by their genuine happiness by our arrival. As is custom, the children did a presentation which included song and traditional dance. It was very interesting when they picked out members of our team to dance with them. Lauren Shawver almost had a heart attack when picked to dance.
Our team then gave presents which included balls, frisbees, candies, and Faith t-shirts. We did a presentation of the salvation beaded necklaces. 32 boys proudly displayed the necklaces all day. The 22 gallons of paint and 25 brushes, that Faith purchased for them, arrived and the fun began!
We split up as half of the team took the little boys to another part of the building and played while the other half of the team stayed to teach the older boys how to paint. Walls and ceilings of a room about 600 square feet were quickly plastered with paint! A lot of the paint actually ended up on the walls. On the other hand, much of it ended up on the floor, hands, faces, you get the picture. At the end, we washed the caked on paint off and left tired, sore, and knowing that we made a big difference in those boys lives.
From the slums to the beautiful, modern mall we went. We ate at the food court, which is a combination of fast food and 5 star dining in. The contrast was very significant.
We ended the day at the Giraffe Center in Nairobi. We found ourselves bonding with the animals very quickly! We learned a great deal about the giraffes and visited the gift shop. This was the first shopping of the trip! Now we are back at the Methodist Guest House where we planned for tomorrow which is going to be a doozy!
"I love you, mother!!"

This post written by: Benjamin Daniel Stricklin (Junior)

From Slums to Slobber! (pics)

2009-03-21T07:59:00.000-07:00

From the Inside Out

2009-03-20T12:45:00.000-07:00

I have been asked to do a quick “inside” look from a parents perspective on this amazing journey to Africa with the best students in the world!

Six weeks prior to departure, in my first prep meeting for Kenya, Jon Brooks asked the question to the group, “What are your concerns for the trip?”. Having the opportunity to do some third world mission work in the past, I was expecting to hear the students talk about safety or health issues. One concern was voiced. Jordan Dunnington said, “I just hope that we will be able to really connect with the people there.”

With four full days completed in the trip, I have seen all of your sons and daughters really connect with the people of Kenya. At the February, Tuesday noon prep meeting for Kenya, Mr. Brooks closed out the meeting with prayer. In the prayer he prayed for the concern that Jordan made. God has incredibly answered the prayer.

On Tuesday of this week, sitting in a living room of a mud brick home in a remote area outside of Kitui, Kenya, I had the privilege of watching Brittney lead a ten year old little girl to the Lord. Karla, in her venture with her group that day was able to lead three young women to the Lord. I watched Jordon connect to the students of a private Christian high school for secondary students who cannot afford the cost for public secondary school. Jordan was the first student to share his testimony on the trip. That meeting that day was incredible. It concluded with Mackensie, Karla and Grayson praying for a girl in the class who surrendered her life to the Lord.

The next day was hard. As I walked through the compound of the orphanage for the blind with my son Ben, a little girl, around three years old, mentally challenged and blind, eased over to Ben, slipped her little fingers into Ben’s hand. Ben responded with a squeeze of her little fingers. As soon as she knew that someone was responding to her introduction, she wheeled around and lifted her arms. Ben picked her up and she was so delighted. This little girl warmed up to many in the group that day after Ben let her know that we cared. With Lauren always smiling her beautiful smile, who wouldn’t know that we cared?!

The following day the students were scheduled to share their testimonies and a skit in the plaza (dirt) of a small village. To reach the masses of people expected that day, Dexter had the daunting task of setting up a sound system that he’d never seen before. With great care, he did a beautiful job. The skit performed by most of the students was so powerful. The skit was put together by Sarah and connected to the large group of kids who crammed in the “front row” of the plaza. A group of people came forward that night to receive Christ.

Since then I have seen your child connect with baby orphans, one puked on Kristen, play games with older orphans, cry over their presentation to us called “Out of the Forgotten has come the Begotten”. We have moved through the masses, crossed the country, eaten some goat, killed a goat (not in that order), and made some incredible friendship of the Kenya ministry team here, which will cause down right depression upon departure next week.

I have learned from your kids and mine this week that the kingdom of God is about connecting people, through relationships, to Jesus. I say this because, according to Matthew 6:33, when we do so, God takes care of the health and safety issue. I believe that Jordan, and your child as well, believes this. God has enriched their lives here in Africa as a result of their faith.

This post written by: Dirk Stricklin

NLH, CMM, and KKV

2009-03-19T12:45:00.000-07:00

Ok let me just start off by saying last night was wonderful. To finally take a real shower and to use real toilets was beautiful. It is safe to say that we are all clean (yea!) and healthy, but pretty tired. Despite how tired we are we have found that God has sustained us each day by giving us His joy to be our strength. Today we got to sleep in a little bit. We had breakfast around eight and had an extra hour before we left the Guest House to have quiet time by the giant pool. We left for New Life Home, around 10:30. We learned about how these people rescue abandoned babies, most of them who are HIV positive. They give them the proper care they need, and get them healthy. It was awesome to see how many small children’s lives they have saved. We got to hold and feed the babies lunch. My baby, Ricky, had some major projectile vomiting going on. I still smell like baby spit up. Ben also had a kid pee on him, but none of us wanted to leave. From there we went to CMM (Clarence Matheny Ministries) to eat lunch and unload the container. After 3 days of goat intestine and liver, we finally had fried chicken, vegetable stew, and fresh fruit. It was the best meal we had had in a long time and we all ate way too much. CMM is where the huge pastors conference will take place. We are helping set up and run the conference for over 1000 pastors that will arrive from all over Africa. After lunch, it turned out that the truck carrying the container could not make it up the hill to CMM, so plans changed, as they have a lot on this trip. We went to Kings Kids Village. This was my favorite part of the whole trip so far. KKV takes in orphans from 0-18, many who are HIV positive, and gives them a Christian education, a home, and a family. We watched the kids recite memory verses and dance, then came the games. We played duck-duck goose, tag, and our favorite, the giant parachute. They showed us where they lived. Then we gave them socks, candy, and the balls we collected at Faith. The kids loved us and we loved them. They were all so precious and no one wanted to leave their smiling faces behind. Then the girls got fitted for some African dresses. Then we headed back to CMM to unload the container, but they already unloaded it (it still needs to be unpacked and sorted but we will do that tomorrow). As I am writing this we are on our way to get some pizza at Pizza Inn for dinner, then we will go back to the Methodist Guest House for some much needed rest. We are so thankful for all of your prayers and for you Faith kids who brought supplies and toys for us to give to these kids. I wish you could see their faces when they received these gifts. You have made a difference in their lives. We are also thankful for our friends and family who have given us encouraging letters. We love and miss you all! I love you mom and dad!

This post written by: Kristen Riach (Senior)

Crusade in Matuu

2009-03-18T07:47:00.001-07:00

Today was our last morning in Kitui. We had to get up before 7 o’clock, so we could eat breakfast around that time. When we left Kitui, we got to go on a nice little bus drive to this village called Matuu. Half the village and then our whole team got to help the church there MAKE bricks, so they can add on to their church building. All of the village people said that Brittney was a skilled brick maker. Haha! Once we finished with that, we walked back to the church building, and we had a crusade. I have to say that I have never in my life seen a church family so on fire for God. God was working in amazing ways while we were there. Sarah and I both shared our testimonies, and Mr. Brooks shared an inspirational message that really got the congregation going. To top it all off, around 20 people accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior!!! God is so good! After the crusade, we went to the pastor’s house to eat lunch. They fed us one of the best meals that we’ve eaten since we got here. While we were there, the pastor introduced us to his support/leadership team. They were a great group of people, and I feel very privileged to have gotten to spend time with them today. I can’t wait to see what God continues to do throughout the rest of our time here. WE LOVE YA’LL! Thank you so much for your prayers and support!

This post written by: Mackensie Wesley

Ministry in Kitui, Africa

2009-03-17T13:05:00.000-07:00

Where to begin… I’ll start with last night’s entertainment. The “bathrooms” here are called long drops, basically it’s a hole in the cement floor of a small, dark, SPIDER-infested room. Let’s just say that the girls have had a hard time adjusting. Also, our “shower” is a bucket filled with water, and long story short we had a blast “showering”.
Now for today. Today we woke up and were treated to a great breakfast. After that we came into the chapel and had a time of praise and worship together with our Nairobi teammates before we went out to share God’s truth. Our worship echoed and filled the chapel and I know full well that God was truly blessed!
After our wonderful morning, we went on our Gospel Raid, which is going door to door to some homes in Kitui. That was an amazing experience. Each group consisted of 2 of our team members, one Nairobi team member and a person from the church in Kitui. The villagers were so welcoming and eager to listen, You could just sense the hopelessness that most of them had. Here in Kitui they are experiencing famine and drought so it’s hard for them to find jobs and provide for their families, and many of the people or someone in their family dealt with demonic presence. Each of us were blessed to hear their stories and struggles and to be able to pray with them, as well as share our testimonies with them. Thank God people accepted and some rededicated their lives to Christ!!! After the Gospel Raid, we walked about a mile back to the church for lunch, which allowed us to see the real Kitui.
Next, we went to the local market for Open Air ministry, which was powerful! We got to meet all kinds of people and play with the precious children, which by the way I want to take one home in my suitcase! Then Brittney and Jordan shared their testimonies, and Mr. Brooks and Pastor Chola spoke, and the entire group helped lead worship and preformed our skit. I especially loved the African worship because it’s just so genuine and exciting. Thank God people accepted Jesus during our Open Air ministry. And finally came a sweet blessing… the team was treated to coffee/tea/sodas and REAL POTTIES! A toilet with plumbing, light, toilet paper, and NO SPIDERS! ☺
I can’t believe we have only been here for 2 days. Our time here has been absolutely incredible. God is so good. God has a great sense of humor as well. As I am writing this blog I just saw the biggest spider with fangs the size of my fingers, and I am honestly not exaggerating. So I almost just broke this expensive computer because of a spider! Please pray for our team!!!!!!!

This post written by: Carla Black (Senior)

First Ministry Day

2009-03-16T11:41:00.000-07:00

We had a great night of short sleep and woke up to Africa. We ate a big breakfast and went to exchange money. Ben is the MIC (Missionary in Charge) of the finances and has been guarding the money with his life! He is doing a great job keeping up with it. He does not set the back pack down. We spent several hours riding on a bus to the village of Kitui in east Kenya. Because of the bumpy roads it took a little longer than expected. Along the way, we actually saw a Giraffe, some zebras, and a wandering wildebeest. We drove straight to a secondary school where the kids were gathered and waiting for us. We had about 5 minutes to prepare a program with the Kenyan team from Nairobi. I was so proud of the kids for stepping up and saying "sure I'll sing a special." Jordan Dunnington and Kristin Riach shared their testimonies to about 60 high school kids. They did a great job and the kids were very responsive. Our students sang a song they practiced for about 1 minute before going in. Jon preached the word of God and we sang worship songs with the Kenyan team. There is nothing like hearing children sing praises to God in any language. It was very touching. We then gave them candy and headed to an orphanage for blind children. We toured their facility and one child became very attached to us (starting with Ben). We sang and they sang and it was incredible. We arrived back to eat a Kenyan meal prepared by many women in the church. (Several of us brave ones tried the intestines. "Taste like chicken" was not what was said!) We are getting ready to really experience the village life tonight. I will let someone else tell you about that tomorrow. God is so good and we thank you for all the prayers and comments. You would be so proud of your kids for being willing vessels to whatever God has them do. They are missionaries in Africa in every sense of the word!

This post written by: Kathy Brooks (Blessed Sponsor)

Jet lag?? Never!

2009-03-16T11:37:00.000-07:00

After a great send off from our folks, the team flew the friendly skies...and flew, and flew and flew some more! 8 hours and 40 minutes to London and then 9 hours to Nairobi. Once in Nairobi we picked up our 36 pieces of luggage and did not have one thing missing! We were told this was a miracle by our missionaries.
We immediately went to grab pizza. We made it to bed about 2 in the morning! Tired but excited.

This post written by: Jon Brooks

I am so excited that we are here in Africa! The plane ride went well. Everyone is in awe of the African culture and people. The Lord is going to use us to reach the people of Africa in a way that only He can do.

This post written by: Lauren Shawver (Senior)

Weigh In!

2009-03-14T08:26:00.000-07:00

I can’t tell you how excited we are as we make our final preparations to leave this afternoon! We are currently wading through an endless sea of bags filled to the brim with supplies for the children and pastors in Africa. Transporting the 30 some odd bags through the airport will be another challenge in itself. Thank you so much to everyone who donated supplies!

It seems unreal that the day we have been waiting for these past several months is finally here! It still hasn’t really hit us yet. We CANNOT wait to get over there and put into action what we have been working on and looking forward to for so long!

Please pray for us as we travel today and tomorrow, and keep checking our blog for pictures and updates over the next 2 weeks!

Grayson loves Jordan and Ben!

This blog posted by: Grayson Holland (Senior)

Closer Than Ever

2009-03-13T11:27:00.000-07:00

We are going to be in AFRICA tomorrow. No matter how much we repeat those words in our heads, we still cannot fully comprehend. It is so close we can already feel the sun beating down on us as we are surrounded by kids. Today has been such an encouraging day. A large number of people have told me that they are praying in detail and each member of team is listed in their daily prayers. We have been so blessed by the prayers of people already and the blessings seem to just keep pouring in. Did I tell you that we are leaving for Africa TOMORROW??!!

Posted this time by: Brittney Brooks (Junior)

God supplies ALL our needs

2009-03-12T16:36:00.000-07:00

God is so cool in the ways he chooses to bless his children. Today, he blessed out team through an anonymous donor. This person contributed $200 for supplies. This will enable us to give in abundance to these children who have nothing. And that is going to be awesome!
I cannot explain how overwhelming it felt to receive that gift. This person sacrificed so much in belief that God is going to effectively use our team in Africa. This is so encouraging and is further confirmation that God’s hand is on our trip.
Saturday is rapidly approaching, and we are all so excited! I cannot wait to see how God is going to use each person on our team to further His kingdom. And it is amazing to know that while we are sharing God’s love and truth, we will also be blessing these kids with an abundance of notebooks, socks, bibs, games, candy, pens, and so much more. God is awesome to provide, and we are believing that he is going to do mighty things over the next two weeks.

Posted this time by: Sarah Staats (Senior)

Preparation

2009-03-11T08:52:00.000-07:00

I have a strong conviction that whenever a group of individuals leaves for a mission endeavor, God puts exactly the right people on that trip who are to take part. It then is fun and exciting to see how He chooses to use each person in the course of the trip. We know that God is only limited in using us by US!
I am so very excited to see who God has brought together for this journey to Africa! The team this year consists of Jon, Kathy, and Brittney Brooks, Dirk and Ben Stricklin, Stephanie Sloane, Sarah Staats, Kristen Riach, Grayson Holland, Jordan Dunnington, Carla Black, Lauren Shawver, Dexter Cheneweth, and Mackensie Wesley.
We have been charged to preach the Good News in schools, churches, orphanages, and even door to door. We will be loving babies with AIDS, playing with children that are blind and abandoned, ministering to 1000 pastors that will be attending a conference, working on a construction project that will enhance a local ministry, and anything else that we are asked to do. We will be stretched! I could not ask for a finer group of young people to minister with. They each have taken on specific responsibilities and this trip is essentially in their hands. What great hands we are in!!
This blog is an opportunity for those that love us and are interested in our journey to follow the ups and downs, the fun and difficult times, and the inside thoughts of those participating in the trip. Please send prayers, comments, and words of encouragement as our team will get to see those each day as well. If you will commit to praying for us, would you please send a quick comment with your name? Thanks!
Our ultimate goal in all things is to bring glory and honor to the One that allows us to serve in His name! Jesus, we love you!

Posted this time by: Jon Brooks