Project Kenya
May 25—June 4, 2007
A team of 22 NCCers are making the journey to Nairobi, Kenya to work with Pastor Chip Block and International Christian Centre. We will lead discipleship, small group, and leadership training for their young adults ministry and we will work with their worship and drama teams to do arts evangelism. Our primary mission is rooted in Luke 10:27—to love God and love others.
Latest From the Journal
Chase the Lion
Heather Zempel · June 05, 2007 · 5:46 AM
We’ll post some more pictures and links to pictures once our team photographers get their stuff online. But for now, here’s a glimpse of safari.
Home Again
Heather Zempel · June 05, 2007 · 5:44 AM
Team Kenya touched down on American soil yesterday at 1:45 pm. We are all a bit tired but full of joy over the experience of the past ten days. Over the next week, we will continue to post thoughts and reflections from the trip. And, since we have a high speed internet connection now, we will post some pictures. Thank you so much for praying for us, supporting us, and encouraging us!
Daily Challenge 10: Excellence
Heather Zempel · June 03, 2007 · 9:00 AM
This entry is identical to the Daily Devotional Challenge that Team Kenya is using during their trip. It is a study on the 10 Core Values of International Christian Center.
WE VALUE EXCELLENCE
Scripture Meditations
Colossians 3:23-24
Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.
1 Thessalonians 4:1
Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you. You live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more.
Philippians 4:8
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Journal Questions
- Has it been easy or difficult to view your role on this trip as “working for the Lord?” Write down the three experiences that you feel best demonstrate your desire to work hard for God.
- Reflect back on the trip. Make a list of the experiences that were true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and/or admirable.
Actions
Some suggestions for putting it into practice today:
- As you minister in service today, approach your role with the dedication, energy, and excellence that God deserves.
- Make contact with ICC members. Encourage each person you meet in a very specific way.
- Make sure that your conversation today is flavored by what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable.
- Debrief with your teammates about the trip experience.
Coming Home
nathan. · June 03, 2007 · 8:06 AM
We’ve come full circle. I’m sitting at Java waiting for lunch, the same thing we were doing one week ago at the beginning of our trip. We had a fantastic morning of worship and ministry. Steph, Lindsey and I played on the worship team in coordination with the ICC team. It was a tremendous experience and privilege, and similar to the NCC marathon because we played three services. It is indescribable to experience God with Kenyan brothers and sisters, teaching them new songs and learning some of theirs, including some in Swahili. The dramatic folks on our team performed “Portraits of Healing” in all three services in cooperation with the ICC team.
After the first main service, much of our team spread out across Nairobi ministering to various other churches.
Yesterday I spent the entire day at ICC, first meeting with their young adults about small groups and discipleship, then worship practice, followed by a great drama night (that was sort of like a not-so-open-mic night). ICC already embraces drama and the arts, but hopefully we’ve challenged them to push the envelope even more. It’s hard to believe we’re going home. Each day seemed very long and taxing, but our total trip flew by.
There is some sadness but I’m leaving with no regrets. Our team did an awesome job and stepped up time after time. There’s definitely a natural connection between the people of NCC and ICC. It feels like this trip is just a continuation of a powerful and effective relationship between us. Hopefully we’ll be able to send more teams and even have some ICC visitors to DC in the future.
Well, I guess this is it. We’re going to eat, pack, and head to the airport. Thank you to everyone for your prayers. We seriously couldn’t have done it without you. Besides are big planned events, there was countless God-anointed conversations all along our path. I know we’re all leaving Nairobi different people, and hopefully Nairobi will never be the same after we leave (in a good way of course).
Daily Challenge 9: Creativity and Innovation
Heather Zempel · June 02, 2007 · 9:00 AM
This entry is identical to the Daily Devotional Challenge that Team Kenya is using during their trip. It is a study on the 10 Core Values of International Christian Center.
WE VALUE CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION
Scripture Meditations
1 Chronicles 12:32
From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take.
1 Corinthians 9:22-23
When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.
Journal Questions
- How are these verse related to creativity and innovation?
- What responsibility do you have to understand the times and culture in which you live? What things have you learned about the culture of Kenya? What things do you wish you had known before coming to Kenya? What do you appreciate the most about the Kenyan culture?
- In what ways have you found “common ground” with the people of Kenya?
Actions
Some suggestions for putting it into practice today:
- Ask God to give you an opportunity to share your faith in a creative and innovative way—e.g., through the arts, through action, through words, etc. Actively look for that opportunity.
- Pay special attention to the culture around you and notice how it is similar to and different from your own culture.
- Do you value lost people? If so, describe. If not, write out a prayer that asks God to give you his heart for people.
- List the names of 3 lost people that you will pray for.
- What disciples are you currently making?
- Share your faith with someone today.
- Find an opportunity to share your testimony today.
- Share something that God has taught you with another person.
Slums to Safari
Steph Modder · June 01, 2007 · 1:17 PM
Not quite sure how to express the diversity of the past couple days. This was an all encompassing diversity of locale, demographic, landscape, travel methods, emotional status, accomodations, cuisine, and revelation. Let me try to give a brief synopsis. (This is Steph though, remember… there are no guarantees).
Wednesday we were walking hand-in-hand with poverty striken children through garbage and waste littered dirt paths taking them from school to the few pieces of rotten lumber and scrap metal they call home where a single mom weak with symptoms of HIV or a familiy of six was there to greet us and welcome us in. Thursday we were lifting off the ground in an airplane, crossing the Rift Valley to the Maasai Mara where we were greeted by Baboons, Warthogs (Pumba) and the friendliest staff at Kichwa Tembo (Head of Elephant) Lodge.
We went from trying our best to serve what most would consider “the least of these” (at least in terms of physical conditions the heart condition, however, is usually inversely porportional...thats a whole other post) to being served and treated like rock stars (a cold beverage upon arrival, tea and coffee before safari, hot water bottles placed between our sheets, room service (or tent service in this case), amazingly ridiculous meals that would make any buffet in the states look like a trough… the list of ridiculousness goes on. I have to admit enjoying these blessing sometimes felt like a heap of guilt coals on my head. As I sat and ate dinner my all-you-can-eat three course dinner it didn’t take long for me to remember the flawless faces of Josephine or Gavi who had no idea when they might eat next. As I lay in my warm bed with two fluffed pillows and a hot water bottle warming my toes I thought of the hard, raw ground the babies had as a bed if they could fend off the hunger pangs long enough to actually sleep.
In all honesty, I’m not sure what to do with all the diversity of emotion that I experienced… and I’m assuming most of us experienced. Really I have more questions than answers. How do you or should you even try to reconcile operating simultaneously in these two environments that are on opposite sides of the spectrum from each other? How far do you take the “doing for the least of these” passage? Should I be able to enjoy luxuries and being served if I am truly taking in the gravity and pain that is the life of these little friends I met the day before?
The tension is that I know God is a generous God. I think where it gets difficult is that in my Western mindset saying God is generous evokes thoughts of monetary, professional, or circumstantial blessing. So I wonder then why I get to expeience those things when these kids haven’t even a twinge of any sort of blessing in those areas? That thought is then coupled with the realization that the humble, dirty homes we were invited into were full of gratitude unequaled by most people I encounter day to day. Circumstances, though bleak, didn’t seem to completely kill hope and the ability to see that the few things they did have were a blessing. I don’t know. This really is all just me processing out loud with you guys reading this. I think this is a common missions trip experience. Especially when the missions trip is to a developing country. Everything is foreign. The landscape is foreign, the food is foreign, the people are foreign and the emotions that accompany them all are foreign.
We have two days left here. We need to make the most of them. We all are going to need a lot of time to process everything. This has been a heavy and yet completely enlightening experience. Each day brought a new level of thought, emotion and revelation. To bring it back to the roots of things (this one’s for you PM), I think some new lions have been spotted and they need to be chased and some lions have literally been chased and I’m still alive with all my limbs in tact.
Prayer Requests
Heather Zempel · June 01, 2007 · 11:31 AM
We only have two full ministry days remaining, but they will be pretty intense. Please pray specifically for the following:
Frontrunnzer Small Group Training- Brian and Kim Hill, Nathan and Heather Gonzales, Danielle Walker, Pat Thomas, Kacey McGowan, and me.
Alpha Training- Theresa Johnson. She will be single-handedly training pastors and other ICC leaders in Alpha.
Soccer Camp- Robin Landauer, Caitlyn Eyth
Kids Clubs- Lindsey Appiah, Terrace Colbert, Kristen Fagley
Job Search Skills Training - Circe Torruellas, Gina Piek, Tanny Ho, and Grace McGibbon. Unemployment is one of the biggest challenges facing Kenya’s young people. At the prayer service on Tuesday night, over half the congregation stood to their feet to request prayer for themselves, a friend, or a family member who needed a job. Circe had a great idea to offer a workshop on resume writing and interview skills.
Portraits of Healing- Kacey McGowan (director). Ensemble- Ryan Zempel, Robin Landauer, Lindsey Vogt, and James Norman. This drama will actually be the sermon at service on Sunday morning.
Sunday Morning Worship - Steph Modder, Nathan Gonzales, and Lindsey Appiah will be joining the ICC worship team on Sunday morning to help lead worship.
Eastleigh Church Service - a small team will attend Pastor Vincent’s church at the Eastleigh slums on Sunday. Pat Thomas will most likely be preaching.
Finally, please pray for my incredible team leaders as they help me lead this amazing group of people. This trip couldn not have happened without these folks continually going the extra mile:
Team Hakuna Matata- Brian and Kim Hill
Team Mimi Ni Nani- Theresa Johnson and James Norman
Team Mungu Akipenda- Kristen Fagley and Lindsey Vogt
Team Maji- Danielle Walker and Grace McGibbon
Pictures?
Heather Zempel · June 01, 2007 · 11:25 AM
I had planned on posting pictures daily so that you could visualize our trip with us. However, our internet connections have been super slow, and we are thrilled to get the opportunity to simply post words whenever we can. We will continue the Kenya blog for a week or so after our return so that we can post pictures and other members of the team can post their thoughts.
Chapels, Chapatis, and Cheetahs
Heather Zempel · June 01, 2007 · 10:55 AM
Once again, we have just returned from the land of no internet access. Here’s the quick version of what we’ve been doing for the past few days:
Wednesday
Half of the team remained at Basecamp EAST (East African School of Theology-- our home in Kenya) to participate in and help lead the EAST chapel service for the students. Mungu Akipenda team leader Kristen Fagley rounded the troops on Wednesday morning to get them charged up for the day. Then Lindsey Appiah took over to represent NCC at chapel. Caitlyn Eyth hit it out of the park as she shared her story of what God was doing in her life in Kenya. Earwitnesses claim it was nothing short of a graduation speech.
Meanwhile, the NCC zone leaders, team leaders, and ministry leaders spent the morning and afternoon with the ICC staff to talk about multi-site and small groups. Pat Thomas shared her wealth of wisdom and experience leading hospitality ministry in a multi-site context. Kacey McGowan shared her contagious passion for the arts and compelling vision for the place where the church and the arts intersect. Steph Modder hit a home run as she talked about worship ministry in a multi-site context (don’t let Steph tell you she’s not a public speaker-- she is amazing).
Then, we did some discipleship/small group training and left them with a 150+ book small group library. We enjoyed a great African lunch that day, and I finally got to eat my first chapatis since my LSU days.
That night, we split into teams of 2 to visit ICC Caring Communities; that’s their version of small groups. I personally witnessed one of the best displays of small group leadership ever as our leader David navigated some really tricky questions and rabbit trails. It was also the best snacks I’ve ever had at a group. Nathan and Heather Gonzales and Steph Modder visited a group that was multiplying, and Nathan was given the privilege of praying with and commissioning the new leaders. The group visits were highlights for many of the people on our team.
Thursday/Friday
SAFARI!!!! Wow. I can’t even begin to describe this part of the trip. Okay, it’s been difficult to describe ANY part of the trip. But safari was...well...unbelievable. Some people may question why we would “waste” our time going on safari on mission trip. Or think us shallow. Here’s my two cents: I want this team to fall in love with this country so that their mission to Kenya lasts a lifetime and not just one week. If whipping across the Mara chasing cheetahs doesn’t make you fall in love with this country, then nothing will. It was a worshipful experience as we thanked God over and over again for his creativity. It bonded us as a team. And it gave us all some much needed time to process what we’ve seen during this trip.
So, we flew in very small planes from the Wilson Airport to the Kichwa Tembo tented camp at the Masai Mara where we were greeted by several pumbas (warthogs). On the first day of game drive, we saw lions, elephants, cheetahs, topi, Thompson gazelles, and I can’t remember what else. I am happy to report that Steph Modder was not eaten by a lion as she feared might happen. Danielle Walker commented that Thursday was probably the most amazing day of her entire life. We saw a cheetah go in for a kill. The chase was exhilerating to watch, but the kill never happened.
Our “tents” came complete with warm water bottles for the beds (yes, beds), steaming water in the showers, and early morning coffee, tea, and hot chocolate delivery to the rooms.
Today, we rose early for another game drive and came really close to three different families of elephants. We saw ostrich and hippos and giraffes. We watched a hyena run across the plain with a carcass clenched between his teeth. Words just can’t do it justice...at least not the words I currently have to wrap around this experience. We’ll have to upload some pictures later.
This afternoon, we bartered and bargained for souvenirs at the marketplace. Ryan was much better at haggling over prices than me, and it turned into sport for him. So we are bringing half the markeplace back, it seems. It was surreal to sit in an open air food court in Nairobi and listen to the live Kenyan band cover Hotel California.
Now, half of our team is attending the weekly service of Journey campus ministry at the University of Nairobi. The other half is practicing for “Portraits of Healing,” which they are performing during the Sunday services in collaboration with the ICC drama team.
Daily Challenge 8: Lost People
Heather Zempel · June 01, 2007 · 9:00 AM
This entry is identical to the Daily Devotional Challenge that Team Kenya is using during their trip. It is a study on the 10 Core Values of International Christian Center.
WE VALUE LOST PEOPLE
Scripture Meditations
Luke 19:10
For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.
Matthew 28:19-20
Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Journal Questions
Actions
Some suggestions for putting it into practice today: