KENYA, Africa – The First Baptist Church of Bonne Terre, Mo., has engaged in several villages in Kenya to share the Gospel and provide needed resources for the people.
Pastor Alan David said they go to “educate and encourage the pastors.” But he added there are so many needs for resources there that they raise funds and provide food, Bibles and arrange to have wells dug to provide clean water.
This is the eighth time David has led a trip to the East African nation in the past 10 years. He and six others from the Bonne Terre area made the two-week trip in early February. Along for the trip from the Wright-Douglas-Ozark Association in Mansfield was director of missions, Keith Vawter.
KENYA, Africa – Mission team members from First Baptist Church, Bonne Terre, Mo., stop for a photo on their February mission trip to Kenya. From left: Alan David, Ryan Sutton, D.J. Edwards, Rose Edwards, Deacon Edwards and Moria Edwards.
They flew to Nairobi, the capitol of Kenya and then took vans for six hours west to the villages of Kissi, Maurgana and Mackindu.
While there they distributed food and Bibles. They arranged for a water-well to be dug and pump equipment to be installed. They were able to speak to students in schools and often had the opportunity to share the gospel although they could not extend an altar call. But they knew some of the students prayed to receive Christ. They led revival services and preached in village churches. They tried to encourage the pastors in the Baptist association in that region. He said there are about 100 churches in that general area. Pastors gathered in meetings to be taught and receive a gift of a study Bible.
One pastor told Pastor David the year before that he was discouraged and he was going to quit the ministry. He and Pastor David exchanged texts the following year, and this year he told him he had not resigned and had found encouragement.
Their van driver, a man named George Njenga, has been employed to drive the teams for the past several years. The first year the pastor enlisted him at the airport, they were dropped off at their hotel but the pastor’s backpack with his iPad, medications and money were inadvertently left behind. They tried to contact him but could not get through. Then he showed up with the bag a little later that day when he heard it rattling around in his van. His honesty has kept them employing him year after year. He helps them avoid trouble spots as they travel across the countryside.
One of the encouraging things they are doing is providing study Bibles for the pastors. Most of them speak English, so they are collecting the following versions for the pastors: Thompson Chain Reference (KJV and NKJV), Warren Wiersbe Study Bible, David Jeremiah Study Bible and Charles Stanley Life Principles Bible. They also provide Gospel of John booklets and Bibles in Swahili. David said most Kenyans speak English, Swahili and a local dialect from their particular region.
One of the encouraging things that happened on this past trip was at a school assembly. The team noticed a little boy sitting on the front row and his shoes were just full of holes, worn out and torn. They obtained his address and name from the school principal. A few days later they dropped off two new pairs of shoes for him along with a box of food for their family.
They had the resources to pay off the hospital bill for one pastor who had been sick with malaria, water borne illnesses and pneumonia. The team dropped off the money and paid his bill. It amounted to about $500 US.
One man known as “Joseph the Corn Man” received Christ as Savior. He was selling roasted corn in a booth beside the market booth of one of the pastor’s friends. David said Joseph was just “skin and bones.” They had talked about the Lord on a previous trip, and he did not immediately receive Christ but received text messages from the pastor via the pastor’s friend. And when the pastor returned next year Joseph showed up at the revival and wanted to be saved.
In a previous trip, David talked about going into a ghetto area of Nairobi to minister. The people were desperately hungry, so he arranged for some small loaves of bread to be delivered. The people began grabbing the loaves and hungrily devouring them all at once.
David is able to raise funds from area supporters and churches in order to provide for the resources distributed on the annual trips. He has a group of volunteers who help him with managing the funds and shipping the supplies overseas.
One lady heard him speak at a church, and she sent him a significant amount of funds to help buy and ship the study Bibles they distributed.
David was asked why he has Kenya so much on his heart. He replied: “Kenya does have the gospel, but they do not have the resources. I just want to get down there and share the gospel and resources. Water wells, Bibles and boxes of food—these things open the door for the mission teams to share the gospel.
Dr. Bob Curtis, the director of missions for the Mineral Area Baptist Association, said, “They are having an impact that only God knows. They are being faithful and leaving the results to the Lord.”
To get involved in the mission trips of FBC Bonne Terre or to purchase Bibles for next year’s trip, Pastor David can be reached at 573-631-1977 or e-mail him at agdavid12@gmail.com.