Short-term mission in Kenya

First and foremost all glory, and praise to God for all the amazing things that happened during this two week mission. Many objectives were accomplished; if you have been following Marc’s post on FB then you have read about the fruitfulness of this trip. It was awesome to see God’s hand at work in the lives of those we came in contact with as well as members of the mission team! One purpose for this trip was to disciple and motivate locals in Kenya, as well as the brothers from Uganda and American. We desire to become laborers in the harvest by planting Jesus into the hearts of men.

The main focus of this trip was to further God’s kingdom. We did this by coupling Jesus’ purpose for being sent, found in Luke 4:43. Along with the great commission, which is to make disciples, (obedient followers of Christ) found in Matt. 28:19-20. If Jesus was sent to do the will of the Father and speak the very words the Father told Him to speak, John 12:49-50, then we must do the the same. Jesus said his purpose was to preach the gospel of the kingdom; not only did Jesus make disciples but he rose from the grave and commanded us to make disciples. As we walked through the slums of Nairobi and the villages of western Kenya, we put Luke 10 principles into practice by letting God direct us as we looked for the man of peace (the person the Lord has been working on that is ready to receive the message and take it forward).

The message we shared is the same message Jesus taught, “the gospel of the kingdom.” It is a call to commitment, a call to surrender, and it is a message that describes a total change of allegiance from the kingdom of this world to the kingdom of God! Yes that allegiance happens now while we are still on earth, while we are still breathing oxygen. We are called as Christians not only to be citizens of God’s kingdom, but to live for God’s kingdom. The very laws of heaven are firmly established today and meant to be obeyed.

It was amazing to see people making a choice to change their allegiance from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light! A prostitute was delivered and surrendered her life to follow Christ, a child was healed, and village/family leaders told friends and family to come and listen to the message we shared because they knew it was the truth. The Spirit was truly preparing the way for the message and convicting the hearts of those seeking.

In John 15:1-10 Jesus gives a great example of citizenship in the kingdom, we see two aspects in this passage: 1) gaining citizenship/getting on the vine 2) remaining a citizen/staying on the vine. We also see in James 4:4 that we can make ourselves an enemy of God by aligning ourselves with the world. In Luke 17:21 Jesus says, “the Kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” Therefore we seek to plant the seed of the kingdom into the hearts of men and we pray that it will take route. We seek to identify disciples and as we do we invest in that person just a Jesus did.

With short-term missions, discipleship is a tough thing to do. Jesus said “teach them to obey everything I have commanded.” That is why it is important to have followers of Christ left behind that will continue the work. That is a part of what made this short mission a success; there are committed saints left in Kenya that will, and are, continuing to labor for the kingdom. They are following up and discipling individuals, physical needs are being met, and home fellowships are forming. As people repent and follow Jesus, more ground will be taken for the kingdom.

the short-term mission trip to Kenya has ended, but the mission itself has not!

⁴³ But He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.”

¹⁹  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

⁴⁹  For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. ⁵⁰ I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.”

15 “ I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. ³  You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. ⁴  Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. ⁵ I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. ⁷ If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. ⁹ Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. ¹⁰  If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

⁴ You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

²¹ nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”