We have recently returned from our latest trip to Kawangware slum near Nairobi, Kenya. This is our 15th group trip to Kenya since breaking ground on the Hope Center there. This trip was our biggest by far, with nearly fifty travelers from around the globe. We were so excited to be joined by one of our board members, Pastor Roy Mack, and some of his family. Many years ago, Pastor Mack and his family lived in Kenya for a time during our formative years.
The medical clinic is always a highlight and one of our biggest sources of reaching the people of Kawangware. This year, with so many travelers, we were able to see over 900 patients including all of our Hope Academy and Hope Senior School students. One of the greatest blessings of this trip was the blessing of vision. Through a donation from Mission Vision, we were able to outfit over 100 people with glasses. Mission Vision trained some of our travelers and even sent them with a machine to check eyes and cases of glasses to give to our patients. It was so exciting for travelers, and even our staff in Kenya, to get to witness people seeing well for the first time in years!
During the trip, there was also quite a bit of construction going on. A new baby nursery was built right in the church so that parents could drop off their children without having to go to our children’s campus a couple hundred feet down the hill, and still make it to the service. This is something Hope Church has needed for a while and will be a huge blessing in Kenya. Construction also began on the third story of the Hope Senior School and is continuing even now.
There was also many teachers on this trip and a lot of time was spent pouring into our Hope Academy schools and faculty. While visiting on this trip, a two-day “True Love Waits” class was conducted with our middle and high school students, and many of them made great decisions for their future during this time. The teachers at the academy and senior school were also treated to a week-long class on kingdom education and integrating Biblical truths into each subject area.
This trip was quite full, but as we say, many hands make light work, and the team God put together sure made a lot happen in just ten days!