So, it has been almost a month since we left for Africa. Sorry I am just now finishing off the blog. We came home and slept for about 3 days and it seems like I have been doing laundry ever since. Anyway, I wanted to say thank you so much to those of you who were following the blog and praying for us and our ministry in Africa. We literally could not do the trip without your support.
The trip was fantastic this year. The TCA students were wonderful and we hope they will all keep coming back each year! Many people received Christ and many relationships were established that were a blessing to the kingdom of God.
Jon and I wanted to say a special thanks to our adult sponsors. Please keep in mind that every adult sponsor not only did a huge amount of preparation before we left, but also led a devotion, preached or spoke multiple times, mentored a small group of students each day and generally worked hard. To thank them for all that work...we passed around a horrible stomach virus. :) Seriously, we hope they know how invaluable they were to us. With a group this size, there is just no way Jon and I could organize everything ourselves. We hope they are greatly blessed for their time on the trip.
Brian Millet - who led the team to Kajiado and who we could NOT do that half of the trip without - LITERALLY! He is really the reason Mama Ruth now has a church for her tribe. He had the personal privilege of leading two of the key Masaai leaders to Christ last year, which had obviously made a huge impact on the tribe now, opening doors for the gospel to be heard and accepted in that region.
Felicity Lopez - who helped out with everything under the sun in Machakos. She helped research and organize supplies for the School for Disabled students to make necklaces to sell. She also checked on sick people about every 10 minutes and became the dorm "mom". And she entertained my own children quite a bit and kept them laughing.
Ron Crosby - who was on the Kajiado team and really caught the vision of helping the people of Africa. He was always very positive and encouraging to everyone on the trip. We really enjoyed getting to know him better and were blessed by his consistent support.
Mark Dyer - who helped Brian organize the 5K race, complete with medals and prizes, and then went to Kajiado to help with building the church. He also caught the vision to really want to help those in need in Kenya and has been very encouraging for us as we continue to plan for the future.
Koie English - who went to Kajiado to build the church and was great to jump in and go lead a program at a school or church any time we asked. We found out that she is worth at least 5 good cows as a wife. I'm sure her husband thinks she is worth more than that!
Linda Halbert - who has now sent all 3 of her kids on the trip and has been a huge support and help in many ways, this year on the Kajiado team. One of the hardest workers on the team and never complains! Seriously! Plus, she is fun to laugh with.
Josh Stewart - who stayed in Machakos and kept everyone working hard on the preschool building project. He was great with the students and very easy to work with. He was a huge help to Jon and I managing the students and also had all sorts of technological gadgets to help us get online, download photos, etc.
and last but DEFINITELY not least:
Dr. Mitch Voelker - who was literally invaluable this year as we had the entire team down at one time or another with some kind of horrible stomach virus. He spent many hours walking the dorm hallway taking peoples temperatures and blood pressure and making sure nobody got dehydrated. He was also able to travel around and give valuable advice at the orphanage and some of the local hospitals and clinics. His kids are pretty great too!
We also want to thank our college-age counselors. This was the first year we have taken college counselors along with us and we decided it is something we want to do every time! These guys were perfect on the trip because they are young and strong to do some of the hard work (that frankly, some of us older people may not be as helpful with), and yet old enough to be great mentors to the younger students. All of these guys displayed great character and spiritual maturity throughout the whole trip and we were so glad they were each there.
Will Pendleton - This was Will's third time to go on the trip. He is a great guy with a positive attitude and was just awesome to have on the trip again as a counselor. He was always willing to do whatever the task was and was able to motivate the students to jump in and participate. Someday ask him about his door to door evangelism story where he talked a guy out of murder!
Wes Dickens - Hilarious! Very bright young man who has a gift for speaking. Wes came with us three times as a student so was perfect as an experienced counselor. In fact, several of our rules like "Don't pet the monkeys" are in in place BECAUSE of Wes! :) He is hoping to spend a semester in Africa next year. He is a dynamic young man who we believe will have a great ministry one day.
Brad Dickens - Joined his younger brother Wes this year for the first time and proved to be a great leader, great speaker and a real positive influence. He was terrific on the job site and we loved to see his desire for door to door evangelism, we believe he takes after his father with a passion for the lost.
Peter Bjorkman - was invaluable on the trip! Peter also came on the trip with us three times as a student and then actually lived in Kenya for 6 months last year working with street kids and became fluent in Swahili. He went with Brian ahead of the group to Kajiado to buy supplies and make sure everything was ready for the team. They told Brian never to bring him back because he was so great at bargaining and talked them down on prices for everything. :)
James Voelker - This was James first year as he joined his dad and younger sister Sarah. He proved to be invaluable on the work sites helping to lead in our construction work. He is a great guy and was a perfect addition to the Kajiado team helping them in their building project as well. Brian spoke highly of his leadership while in Kajiado.
We also would like to say a very special thanks James and Mary Ndungu who helped to coordinate much of the trip in Kenya. We would be lost without their constant guidance and direction for just about every area of our ministry. They are invaluable as leaders and good friends that we have had the pleasure of getting to know these past several years.
There are too many students to list individually but they were all wonderful. It is so fun to watch the new ones as they encounter a different culture for the first time and as they become invested in the people they meet. And of course we are always thrilled to see some of the students who were impacted enough to come back year after year and have a calling to help the people of Kenya. We know the Lord has big plans for each of them and are so grateful for the unique, various gifts God has given each of them.
Thank you to the parents who entrusted your kids to us and to all the many friends and family of each team member who supported us in so many ways throughout the whole trip. Our hope is that God was glorified and that many people will come to know Christ as a result of the seeds we planted this year.
In Christ alone
Jon and Jenni Millet
