Nairobi, Kenya

I took a group of volunteers from Kansas-Nebraska for a WILD ride. Not only did they weave in and out of Nairobi traffic on our bad roads (which they referred to as a free roller coaster ride), but they also rode ostriches.

Fun and work were evenly mixed during a recent volunteer trip by five women from the Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists. They ministered to some street kids in Nairobi. They hung out with the kids and administered basic “Mom” first-aid. They learned the stories of some of the boys – their journey from a village to the streets to finding Christ. They saw the effects of sniffing glue and smelled the strong aroma of street life.

The volunteers also worked with Kenyan children at a Baptist Children’s Camp. More than 100 kids crowded on the steps of the camp chapel to say thank you to the five women. The volunteers taught Bible lessons and crafts to the children ranging in age from 7 to 17. They were surprised at how many children have scripture memorized. One teenager, named Roger, had an entire book of the Bible memorized.

While I kept them busy working – and waking up for early morning ministries – we had time for fun. The volunteers really blessed those of us from the Kansas-Nebraska area. They brought us special “American” treats that totally spoiled us!

Personally, the team really blessed me. They were my first volunteer team and proved to be very flexible and easy. On the night they arrived, all of our plans for ministry were canceled. After a few phone calls, I got some things set up for us, but it was definitely not what they came prepared to do. The team didn’t even blink – they just pitched in where ever asked!

Thank you Kansas-Nebraska for coming to Kenya! I hope more of you will visit in the future.