As promised by Stephanie in our last post, I want to give an update on our placement change that took place earlier this year. Some of you may have heard of this in person, but I want to go into a bit more detail on exactly where we will be in Kenya and what we will be doing there.
As most of you know we had first thought that we would be placed out in rural Kenya working with the Maasai people. Due to some changes with bridges being washed out, and the desire of our field leadership to have us be closer to other WGM missionaries for our first term, they decided that this was not a good option for our first term. While this change left us in some uncertainty for a period of time, it was ultimately God's perfect timing that prevailed. Sometimes waiting on God isn't easy, since we often think we should get an answer when we think we need it.
After a couple of months of not really knowing where we would be, we got the answer that we were waiting for. Like God often works, it turns out that His plan is always better than ours! We got an email from our field leaders about a meeting they had had with the Africa Gospel Church leadership. They were talking with them about my background in agriculture and the burden that God had placed on our hearts. The AGC leaders then excitedly told them that just that morning they had met with their local missionaries and discussed their need for more help with agriculture. They told them they would pray about it and see how they could find help. Then later that day when they talked with our field directors, they realized how this was an answer to prayer. Our directors then asked them to write up a letter explaining what they envision us doing and how strategic this would be.
It was so rewarding and confirming to read this letter from the indigenous church, and see how everything they were praying about and envisioning matched perfectly with what God had placed on our hearts. Instead of working with just one people group I will have the opportunity to work with 8-10 different people groups within Kenya. I will be working more centrally in training and demonstration at the new Bethany Training Center outside of Nakuru, and then also traveling out to the different areas and people groups of Kenya to help with problems faced in each area. AGC sees agriculture as a stepping stone to bringing the gospel to the areas where they are trying to reach. Poverty caused by disease, raids, and climate change has left many dependent on relief and handouts, which is not sustainable. The local people, and even the AGC missionaries have found themselves in a helpless situation lacking expertise in this area. I hope to be able to provide a more sustainable way for the local missionaries to provide for their families so that they can do the work God has called them to do as well.
As you can imagine it was so neat to see how God aligned the needs and burdens of the local people with the burdens and calling that He has placed on our lives. Supporting the local church and local missionaries is sometimes an overlooked but very important role in missions. They often times have a better chance of reaching their own people for Christ because they face less barriers like language, culture, and preconceived opinions of white people. Also the fact that we will now be living close to the AGC Baby Center, which helps orphans, is awesome too! Stephanie has always had a great burden for orphans and hopes to be able to help out with that ministry as well.
In everything we will do in Kenya we want to come with the attitude of a servant. After all that is the model Christ has set before us with His time on earth. We aren't going to westernize people or impose our way of doing things as best. In fact the first 2 years I believe will be more of a learning experience for us than anything. I want to learn from them first, before I can help them, so that together we can accomplish the task that He has given us. This task is found on our prayer cards:
Acts 20:24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.
