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Habari yako Dave?
We are excited to share with you all the things we got to be a part of during these past three months. Paul started teaching at Africa International University (AIU), as well as continuing to teach at International Leadership University (ILU) and leading a mentorship group. We also helped organize a Sunday school teachers conference, and visited a local missionary couple in northern Kenya.
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1. Teaching at Africa International University (AIU)
Since January, I have been serving in the Undergraduate School of Theology at AIU. Initially, I felt like a fish out of water, with the campus being much larger and being a part of a bigger institution. In these past couple of weeks, I have started to feel more at home at AIU and it has been a joy to teach the preaching course to 23 students.
My class is intergenerational and multi-cultural! I have young adults who are serving in their churches in a variety of capacities as well as lead pastors who have been shepherding churches for many years. I also have students who have come from the DRC and Tanzania to study and be equipped. It has been exciting to see the growth in my students in understanding the concepts of expository preaching and to see them excited about preaching.
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| Teaching at AIU - One of the students, Peter, is presenting the Big Idea of his sermon passage to the class |
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2. Continuing to teach at International Leadership University + Mentorship Group
This semester at ILU, I am teaching the Pauline Theology course again, which I taught last year for the Spring semester. And yes, the students all had their jokes about me, Paul, teaching Pauline Theology :) It has been great to continue with the same cohort of students whom I met last year, with an addition of two students whom I had never taught before. It has also been nice to teach a course that I have done all the prep for as well!
I have been meeting with three of my students—Titus, Caleb, and Aaron— on a weekly basis for mentorship and discipleship. We are going through the “Discipleship Essentials” resource together and it has been a joy to get to know them more, and to encourage them in their walk with Jesus. This past week, some of the guys shared their struggle with their personal devotional life and asked us to keep them accountable every week. I am thankful that they feel that this group is not only a safe place to be transparent, but also a place where they can be sharpened in their faith.
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| Mentorship group at a coffee shop with Caleb, Aaron, and Titus (from right to left) |
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3. Sunday School Teacher Conference
Some of you may remember that the ministry that we work together with here in Kenya, the Africa Training and Mentoring Network (ATMN), started a Sunday School Teacher’s Conference two years ago in 2023. The response from churches and individuals across Kenya has been amazing. The first year we had 600 participants, the second year over 1000 participants, and this year 700 Sunday School teachers from across Kenya came to be equipped and encouraged!
My role in the conference was to coordinate with all the seminar speakers and those coming to exhibit Sunday school materials and resources. Along with my administrative responsibilities, I also led a seminar that day on Understanding Teens, Faith, and Mental Health. I had just gone through the Sanctuary Youth Mental Health Series with my youth group at our church here, and so I shared what I had learned going through that material and pointed them to Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries.
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| A group of Sunday school teachers from Paul's parents' ministry made the 8 hr trek from the coast to attend and be equipped (bottom right picture) |
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4. Visiting Local Missionary Couple in northern Kenya
Last week, we had the privilege of visiting James and Lucy in northern Kenya. If you don’t remember them from one of our previous updates, they are a couple who are graduates of Bridgeworld College and were extensively mentored by our ministry partner, Peter. Ever since they were students at Bridgeworld, they had a heart for unreached people groups in Kenya and God had put it in their hearts to serve as missionaries after graduation. Last September, they moved from the big city of Nairobi to a little village called Reteti in northern Kenya to share the love of Christ among the Samburu people. As we visited James and Lucy in that remote village, we were challenged by their example of faithfulness to Jesus and we were moved by the joy they had in participating in His mission, in spite of extremely challenging living conditions (no electricity, no cell phone reception, and no access to fresh fruits or vegetables!). While our trip to James and Lucy was to encourage them, we came away more blessed by them. We are planning more visits with them this year to partner with them in their ministry.
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| Visiting with James and Lucy at Reteti with Peter and Rachel, our ministry partners (ATMN). The primary school students welcomed us into their classrooms |
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Family Updates
1. Spring Break Fun
During Isaiah’s spring break, we not only visited James and Lucy, but also got to go on a mini safari excursion! It was awesome to enjoy God’s creation and see some beautiful animals.
2. Housing Search Disappointments
In our last update, we were praying and hoping to move by February, as the daily commute to Isaiah’s school has been quite stressful and taxing. Unfortunately, we have not yet been able to find anything suitable within our budget and we do not have any prospects either. We are trusting that God will provide in His time, and in the meantime we are thankful that we can still connect with our community in our current apartment building.
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| Isaiah had his eyes peeled to spot leopards and cheetahs... no such luck this time ;) |
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Prayer/Praise Requests
- Prayer for Paul and the students at ILU and AIU. Pray that Paul would finish the semester well and for energy to catch up on all the grading! Also pray for students as they have lots of final papers and exams coming up, especially in these first two weeks of April.
- Praise for a provision of a great friend for Jina. A close church friend who had moved away last year, has returned due to her husband’s re-assignment to Kenya.
- Prayer for a better housing solution, and patience for us in the waiting.
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Thanks for taking time to read our update and praying with us and for us. We are grateful for your continued partnership in ministry with us!
In Nairobi with you and for our Lord Jesus,
Paul, Jina, Isaiah, and Eliana |
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