Mision to Kenya 2010 report

A small mission team (5 from the UK and 2 from Romania) travelled to Kenya on 12th August 2010 and spent just over two weeks in one location – Mombasa. Our focus was to work with New Life Church, led by Sean & Joyce McIntyre, to encourage the work of the church in the area where they are now based. We were made very welcome as we attended church events on three weekends and worked alongside church members with outreach activities during the week. This included open-air street-work, home visits and church-based meetings (Revival meetings and a ladies conference) plus a day of fun & games on the beach for the children.

The church, still under construction, is in the poverty-stricken area of Bokole. A donation, received just before we left for Kenya, was well received by the church as they were able to complete the roof panels over one half of the main structure. This was a particular blessing because now that the additional panels have been fitted, church attendees are better protected from heavy rain showers.

It was encouraging to see the progress that has been made on the plot of land since our visit in August 2009. Members of the New Life Church family have worked hard to clear the land from debris, flatten the area and cut back the long grass. Currently without a perimeter wall to keep them out, cows and goats use the land for grazing. Whilst this is advantageous in providing a natural method for cutting the grass, certain deposits have to be cleared prior to Sunday church meetings! Most impressive was the framework for the main church centre, giving a more realistic impression of its future structure. During our time there, work was carried out to complete and cover the septic tank in readiness for the construction of the toilet blocks. Conversations with local residents highlighted their enthusiasm for the facilities that the Community Centre, School & Clinic will provide and confirmed the need for such amenities in this particular area of Mombasa. We also heard reports that since the church had started meeting there and local residents were being employed where possible for the building work, the crime rate had reduced dramatically.

One highlight for the team was the invitation to attend the marriage between Richard, from the New Life Church congregation, to Christine. This took place on our first Saturday in Mombasa and was a wonderful African-style wedding, with lots of bridesmaids and attendants, numerous songs and plenty of cake. The groom did so well with all his duties on the day and of course, the bride herself looked stunning. We appreciated the opportunity to celebrate this very special occasion with them.

During home visits and various times of prayer ministry, all members of the team enjoyed the opportunities we had to serve the Lord and we witnessed numerous healings and salvations. We praise God for making the whole mission possible and thank Him for all His good works.