Ruth and I answered the Call to go to Africa on September 3, 2015. As the sun was rising over the beaches of northeast Florida, we took off for Kenya by way of New York and Amsterdam. Our flights were long and our layovers too, but we at least got a good price on our tickets! 8 hours in New York's JFK airport, 8 hours in flight, 4 hours in Amsterdam's airport then 9 hours to Nairobi. We arrived at 8:30 on Friday evening and shot out of their airport by 10:00 p.m. Just in time for an hour by taxi to the Nairobi home of Don and Becky Cameron, our long time friends and missionaries to Kenya.
We came to Kenya as members of Burning Plow Ministries Board of Directors. This is a Missions organization founded five years ago by the Camerons. I first met Don and Becky Cameron in the mid 1970's in Rockwall, Texas where I was pastor of an Assembly of God Church and Don was a local Pharmacist/ Businessman. It wasn't long before we became life long friends and ministry partners. We travelled to Haiti twice and later met in India for missions work. This will be my first time with them in Kenya.
That first evening in Nairobi we had a late supper (bar b que chicken) and quickly went to bed very tired. We awakened Saturday morning to the songs of African birds outside our window and a couple of rude roosters. Becky had prepared a nice breakfast for us and our first cup of Kenyan coffee with powdered hazelnut creamer. Not long after breakfast, members of the Burning Plow Ministries Team began arriving with their wives and children. Caleb and Maurine Otieno, Silas and Phanis Odinga, James and Helen Oduar, Vincent and Peris Mokaya. We enjoyed hearing their testimonies and getting acquainted with their ministries. Caleb has a ministry called More Than Music which reaches youth in the high schools through music and teaching in Christian Foundational Doctrines. His ministry is so effective that our church in Jacksonville, Cornerstone, bought him a motorcycle last January so he can reach more schools. Silas is Don Cameron's right hand who helps with Foundations Classes throughout Kenya. Vincent is also helping with the classes and outreach while also Pastoring a church near a coffee and tea plantation north of the city. I laid hands on each of the guys and prayed over them and Ruth prayed for the wives. We ended our meeting with communion followed by a group picture on the front steps. It was a very rewarding time that I had looked forward to very much. I am a firm believer in the doctrine and practice of laying on of hands.
Saturday evening we went to a place in a nearby mall called Java House and ate an early dinner. I had fish and chips. We were tired so we went to bed early but very happy to be in Kenya.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment