Kenya Team Updates (from Mike Ash)

Hey everyone!

Our time here in Kenya has been AMAZING! The first full day in Kenya after arriving in Nairobi was spent flying to a town called Malindi, on the coast of the Indian Ocean. There, we were able to experience one of the classes of 30 pastors that NLC regularly helps to make happen. It was amazing to see them being challenged and learning so much. A lot of them have never received any training at all, so this was an amazing blessing to them!

On our last day there, we did an outreach where we purchased food and candy and then split up into 3 separate teams and went into a very rough area with a large Islam population. That was amazing and 6 people said yes to a relationship with Jesus. It was challenging for all of us to see the level of hunger and poverty that this section of the Kenyan people experienced and we’re all still processing how we can help in even greater ways.

We then traveled to Kilifi:
For 2 days where we taught close to 30 pastors and church leaders some of the curriculum that we teach church planters in America. Also, one of our team members, Ajay, is a surgeon, and he got to teach some of the pastors about basic first aid, which is so amazing for these people to know.

On Sunday:
We were at a local church with close to 100 people and the whole team taught, worked with kids or teenagers, and invested into the lives of Kenyan people. It was an amazing sight to see how each team member was used in a HUGE way! I preached on Sunday morning and it was an awesome experience, unlike any other. The challenge at the end of the message was met with a lot of enthusiasm.

In the afternoon, we had lunch with the pastors from that church and then went down to the Indian Ocean (which was beautiful), and while we were there, one of our team members, Danielle, asked me to baptize here for the first time. So, I baptized Danielle in the Indian Ocean, which was a powerful experience.

Today (Monday):
We flew back to Nairobi and we leave early tomorrow for a few days in Kitui. We are teaching local pastors there for 3 days straight and then we are doing revival meetings at night. We are also teaching a lot of medical information and will probably have an impromptu clinic set up. The team will also work with kids and students and will most likely be able to speak in schools as well.

So, that’s our trip so far! We miss everyone at home so much!

Continue to pray for us and that God would move in the heart of these pastors. The missionaries here, Kelly and Kathy, are telling me that what we’re teaching is EXACTLY what they need, which is awesome!

We love you guys! Thanks for praying for us during this time!

Mike Ash