A heartfelt thanks to all who have been praying for us in this adventure and for taking a few moments to read our blog updates. Today marks our first official time telling the story of what God is doing in our lives as we begin to partner with the Strangs, serving the Maasai people of southeast Kenya. Chase and I set up a table at Northstar Church in Blacksburg, Virginia, the church where we attend. It was encouraging to speak with other missionaries, college students, individuals, and couples who were interested in what God is doing. Here's a little cell phone snapshot of our table below. (Chase didn't know I was taking a picture.)
Since we shared a lot of this information today, I thought that this week I would clarify a few questions that may be floating around!
A few FAQs:
Where are you going?
We are planning to work in Kimana, Kenya on the border of Kenya and Tanzania near Olitokitok. In Kimana, you can look over into Tanzania and see Mt. Kilimanjaro clearly on most days. Kimana is about a 3.5 hour drive from the capital city, Nairobi.
How long will you be there?
We have committed to at least a three year term, but are going under the banner of long term missionaries, and are waiting to see where and how God leads.
Who is supporting you?
We hope to be supported by friends, families, churches, and individuals. We are raising our own support which gives people the unique opportunity to become more involved with our mission to Kenya. Therefore, we are relying on your support: prayer, financial resources, interest, Skype calls, and visits to Kenya from people who want to play a part in God's work in Kenya.
What organizations are you working with?
We are under the The Antioch Partners (TAP) that base out of Houston, TX. TAP provides member care, financial and missional accountability, helps us with fundraising, covers us in prayer, and insight due to their number of years experience on the mission field.
www.theantiochpartners.org (TAP website)
http://www.theantiochpartners.org/arndt/ (Our biography on the TAP website)
We will be working with Maasai Special Project Fund (MSPF) throughout our time in Kenya. This nonprofit was started by Fred Foy in 1990. The goal of MSPF is to provide a Theological Training by Extension center Oldoinyo Kiti to enable local Maasai pastors to study the Bible without having to leave their families. The hope is that this center will also meet other needs of the community by providing resources for education and health and wellness.
www.mspfonline.com (MSPF website)
Who are the Strangs?
We are working with Dr. Rev. Fred Foy Strang and his lovely wife, Cecily Strang, who have been mentors to us since 2008. During our time at King College, Fred Foy and I connected over our passion for East Africa. I had just returned from Ntagatcha, Tanzania before starting my freshman year at King. Chase met Fred Foy in 2008 and they bonded over their love for Jeeps. We knew Fred Foy before Chase and I knew the other existed! Fred Foy was excited for our passion for the people of East Africa and has taken both of us to Kimana. He married us on August 5, 2012. Cecily has been a friend and mentor throughout me knowing Fred Foy and is currently working on her Ph.D. in nursing research. Hopefully, I can help Cecily where I am needed as she educates the community about malaria prevention.
When do you hope to leave?
If funds were raised, our hope would be to depart around October 2014.
How can we support?
-Prayer! We need your prayers as God leads us on
this journey of support raising and holistic ministry.
-Financial Support: We are in
need of both monthly and annual donors; we have committed to long-term ministry
in Kenya and as a result your provision will enable us to keep serving,
confident of God’s provision. http://www.theantiochpartners.org/arndt/ (Click on donate under our profile)
-Referring others to us: If you
are part of or know a church or churches that are looking for missionaries to
support, whether in Africa, to the Maasai people, or even just in holistic
ministry, we would be thrilled to come and share with them the work that God is
doing in Kimana, Kenya.
-Future involvement with us
on the field. If it is a Skype
call or a visit to work with us on the field, we would love for you to be
somehow involved with us as we continue on our journey.
What do we plan to do?
Our goal is to provide holistic ministry to the Maasai. For the first year, we will be primarily engaged in culture and language learning building up some preexisting relationships in the community as well as developing some new ones. It is during this time we will be assessing needs in the community and some ways to meet those needs even further. We are looking at ministering to the all the Maasai peoples needs, not only their need for Christ. One of our main objectives where a need is present is the the need for theological training for Maasai pastors. With Chase's background and M.A. in Intercultural Studies, Chase hopes to work alongside Fred Foy in pastoral training and the development of the Oldoinyo Kiti, a Theological Training by Extension center.
We also hope to be involved with agricultural development, provide clean water, work on construction projects, teaching and/or tutoring in ELL (English Language Learning), and healthcare methods within the community. Additionally, I hope to explore and advocate for the mental health needs of the area since I'm currently earning an M.S. degree in Counseling and Human Development. There is a possibility that I will work in partnership with Cecily Strang in holistic ministry (the combining of mental wellness and physical wellness) as she seeks to teach malaria prevention and education in the area and around the globe. Hopefully, students from King University (formally King College) will spend some time in Kimana for study abroad experiences within their different disciplines in the future. I would enjoy working as a coordinator and leader as far as getting teams and individuals acclimated to the culture of the Maasai in Kimana.
During our weeks of working and internship we're continuing to set up times to meet and talk with various churches. We're getting a few dates on the calendar, which is exciting! Between my internship, work, classes, and classwork, I've had less time to devote to this than I would like. Thankfully, Chase has gracefully picked it up between working his full time job.
No comments:
Post a Comment