After 4 takeoff and landings, and 2 bus rides, the team has safely arrived in Kenya and we are settling in nicely at our hotel!
We love traveling!
Please continue to wrap us in prayer as we battle jet lag and continue God's work!
Opening meeting
On our way!
The Fox River Students Kenya team met at the church bright and early this morning! We are all packed up and ready to go.
We board a plane in Chicago at 6:00am, and take off for D.C., then we'll be off to Ethiopia and down to Mombasa.
Please be praying for safe travels!
Pastor's Conference
The Vipingo Pastor's Conference officially began on Monday night with a meal and opening session. 170 pastors checked in and enjoyed their first night together. They all sleep in the Bible Institute building. It's wall to wall mattresses during these 4 days! These men enjoy the time to learn, to fellowship and be encouraged.
2015 Pastor's Conference Theme: Leading with Vision
170 pastors
Guy teaching on vision.
I spent the day preparing for the team and getting caught up in Vipingo. I enjoyed having lunch with the teachers, meeting with James, the head teacher, and sharing a Bible study time with the teachers at the end of the day. We gave our pastor in Bomani, Abraham, a ride home and we enjoyed a delightful conversation about what he was learning at the conference. He said the highlights were Guy speaking on vision for the church and another speaking who talked about the vision squasher of anger.
Tomorrow, Wednesday, Bill and Guy will both be teaching at the conference. The men enjoy the small group discussions after the sessions as well as the panel discussion time where they can ask questions of all the speakers.
A special thank you to Fox River for making this conference possible. The pastors who have gathered are so thankful to have the opportunity to grow and be encouraged. Please continue to pray for these last 2 days.
As I write this, the Fox River Kenya team is in their final preparations for departure. They will gather at the Waukesha campus at 1 am Thursday morning to begin their journey. Please pray for this special group of teens and adults as they travel and serve God in Kenya.
Preparation Days
Crossroads Fellowship Church, Mombasa
Sunday we enjoyed the worship, teaching and friends at our sister church, Crossroads Fellowship Church in Mombasa. That evening we had the opportunity to meet with the youth staff to prepare for the 3 events we have planned with teens from our group and Crossroads. It was fun to see the excitement grow as the final plans developed.
Bill and O'Neal mapping out one of the activities for the teen outreach on August 1.
Monday Bill was able to visit both of our centers. It was fun to show him around and introduce him to our partners there. He even had a bit of time to have some of Anne's tea and chapatti. Guy and Bill had lunch with the Crossroads pastoral staff. In the afternoon Bill and the youth staff headed to the Butterfly Park to map out one of the activities for the teen outreach on August 1.
We ended the day with a delicious meal at the Horne's looking forward to the pastor's conference to begin on Tuesday.
Arrived in Mombasa
Bill, Guy and I arrived in Mombasa at 3:30am. One piece of luggage was lost so it took some time to fill out the paperwork. It was one of the bags of books for the pastors conference. I'm confident it will be found and retrieved before we need them on Thursday.
We arrived at our hotel at 5am and are ready for a few hours of rest before we go to church at Crossroads Fellowship. Thank you for praying for a safe journey!
Denise
Final Communication before Departure
Our flight from O'Hare to Istanbul departs at 10:40. We are boarding shortly so last minute communication is happening.
Commissioning Team Kenya
This morning was the commissioning for the 2015 Kenya Team.
2015 Kenya Team
The 2015 High School Kenya Team departs on Wednesday, July 22. Please pray for a safe journey and God's blessing.
