Stephen D. is the area leader for Kenya and Tanzania and is also part of the Nairobi City Team for the team here in Kenya. He & his wife Sarah have been ministering here for the last several years. As Stephen has begun to understand the needs of the region, he has developed a strategic approach in several areas including Traditional Kenyans, University Students, Muslim outreach, the Chinese community in Nairobi, the Indian (aka Asian) businessmen and the Rosslyn Academy International School.
There are lots of challenges to implementing any strategy here. Kenya is home to 42 different ancestral tribes. Kikuyu, Luhya, Luo, Kalenjin and all the others each have their own history and traditions which are hard to forsake. The “prosperity gospel” is also here and has kept a lot of people shackled with an “I just don’t have enough faith” mentality. As I mentioned yesterday there are over a million University aged students in Nairobi alone. Trade with the middle east has brought a strong Muslim influence along the coast and especially in Mombasa and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, but Christianity is strong in-country and has so far resisted a lot of the influence. China is leading a lot of infrastructure projects throughout the country which has brought over 50,000 Chinese nationals to Kenya. That presents an opportunity to reach China for Christ indirectly. Many Indians have come to Kenya to start businesses and are prosperous, but many follow their traditional religions. The Missionary Task is large!
Rosslyn Academy serves an international student population. Their Mission Statement is “Rosslyn Academy inspires and equips each student to develop their God-given gifts for Christ-like service in the world community.” Rosslyn is a partnership between three mission agencies who, despite their theological differences, are unified behind a commitment to excellence in education, the core beliefs of orthodox Protestant Christianity, and a desire to see people from every nation and culture come to know Jesus. This presents still another opportunity to reach people for Christ.
Stephen and Sarah have a heart for this region, but a monumental task. They are especially burdened for Mombasa and Dar es Salaam. Would you commit to pray for them and for more like them to join the task? Maybe pray to see if you might be the one to join?
Until later…