Country Info
About 80% of Kenya’s population would call themselves Christian. Although Christianity is very popular, as the saying goes, “it is a mile wide and an inch deep.” Discipleship and teaching are generally weak. And many members, even leaders, have lost their first love for God. Prayer, though historically a priority in the life of the church, is now all too often reserved for the Sunday morning prayer or to end business meetings. There is much need for renewal.
As the country is dying spiritually, so it is dying physically through the scourge of HIV/AIDS. In Kenya about 150,000 deaths last year were HIV/AIDS-related. The number of orphans and vulnerable children has increased to a staggering 1.6 million.
Background
Early in his Christian walk Scott got a burden for prayer, especially when privileged to work alongside David Bryant. Then with InterVarsity, David spawned a movement of prayer for renewal and world evangelism called Concerts of Prayer. Several Urbana Student Missions Conventions and a mission trip to Kenya through InterVarsity then confirmed the call of God on Scott and Barb to serve as missionaries with AIM.
For many years Scott has worked in churches throughout Kenya, helping them grow in their prayer lives, as individuals and as a church. Key pastors and church leaders have teamed up to help give training, direction and encouragement. In particular, they are bringing prayer down into the areas in which they serve.
Scott also started a men’s ministry with a Kenyan friend. For the past several years a growing group of businessmen have met each week to study what it means to be a man of God, in every sense of that word.
Barb developed a ministry with women in Nakuru, giving leadership to a Women’s Bible Study. She also plans Soul Care Days for them. These are times of solitude where women spend time alone with God using a guided study. Over a shared meal they share how God met them during their time with Him.
Then the Missions Pastor of Wheaton Bible Church described how a Western Church could partner with the African Church, with a missionary as the link between, to more effectively address the AIDS crisis. She asked if we would help establish this kind of partnership in Kenya, particularly in Nakuru.
Initially what we brought to this partnership was relationships, relationships God had enabled us to build through many years of ministry in Kenya. We began to pull those people together and soon they had a solid team of both missionaries and Africans who were committed to addressing the AIDS crisis in a sustainable way. This has evolved into a far-reaching commitment to using transformational development as a means to address both poverty and AIDS. This has been Barb’s primary focus since that time.
Primary Ministries:
Scott:
Prayer Renewal ministry – now Scott has added 6 Area Coordinators with 20 Team Leaders who are training others in prayer across Kenya.
Prayer partnership with pastors – Scott currently prays regularly with three pastors.
Associate Pastor of AIC Shabab – Licensed by the Africa Inland Church, Scott serves on the leadership team of our local church. He preaches at least once a month and meets with the other three pastors for planning and prayer.
Discipling men – Scott teaches/leads the discussion every week through various studies whereby men grapple with what it means Biblically to be a man. How should this impact their families and businesses?
Barb:
Transformational Development and AIDS Initiative – Barb meets regularly with Kenyan partners/training facilitators for prayer, counsel and encouragement. She provides overall leadership to this Initiative, including financial accountability.
- What is transformational development? As people discover the implications of being made in God’s image and their God-given role in reconciling distorted relationships (with God, each other, self and creation), they are filled with hope and dignity. They learn that God has made them stewards of his creation and has given them so many resources—time, land, sun, creativity, health, relationships, knowledge, personality, and a tongue to communicate, influence and motivate are just a few. They realize that THEY are a resource. Instead of waiting for hand-outs, they form development groups, contribute to microfinance savings plans and begin small businesses with available resources.
Such groups have transformed many communities around Nakuru and even beyond in Western and Northern Kenya. Josephine is our most active facilitator. Initially she started development through Hope for Life that supports orphans and the vulnerable in her community. Now she trains and mentors others in transformational development all across Kenya.
Women’s Bible Study – an interdenominational study that has been going on in Nakuru since the mid-1980s. Barb finds Bible Study materials and also leads them in Soul Care Days three times a year.
Our Children:
We came to Kenya with 2½ year old Joshua. Jeff was born during that term and Matthew was born on our next Home Assignment. Now all three boys have married and are pursuing careers they love. Joshua and Sarah’s family live in Chicago, as do Jeff and Allyson. Matthew and Mariah live in Denver.
What we miss most:
Family – We miss watching our grandchildren grow up and having more input in their lives. It is difficult to Grandparent from afar with only Skype to keep us connected. We also miss regular interaction with our sons and being there for important family milestones.