Photos from New Hampshire

look twice before crossing

big cousin and baby cousin

daddy n me

together in Massachusetts with Aunt Connie

Mission in the City

check out one of the latest videos we've produced. Mission in the city explores opportunities and challenges for urban ministry in Africa with Nairobi, Kenya as a case study.

Connecting Cross-Culturally

During August, two 18 year olds from London visited Kenya with the intentions to explore the beauty of the country and reach out to abandoned and needy children. Abi and Briana spent a month with Church Army and among other things, helped run a Vacation Bible School for Academy students. They worked alongside Church Army‟s New Beginnings Interns and reached out to 50 children with a creative array of games and lessons. Afterwards the “intern team” visited Nairobi National Park and caught a glimpse of lions, leopards, rhinos, zebras, and more. For Abi and Brianna, it was a wonderful way to spend their last few weeks before joining University in the U.K. Dave and Lucy look forward to welcoming more interns and international visitors during 2011.

Training of Trainers in Taita Taveta

In partnership with Finish The Task ministries, Church Army trained twenty-one trainers in Taita Taveta on issues related to Church Planting and Development. These trainers are passing on the skills and knowledge that they've learned to other leaders throughout Taita Taveta Diocese. The twenty-one trainers will officially graduate and be commissioned from Church Army‟s grassroots Church Planter training in December of this year.

Training in Eldoret Diocese

From 19th to 24th July, Church Army‟s Evangelism Coordinator, Rev. Capt. Livingstone Nyanje , led a team to Eldoret for a week of training seminars and workshops. During their trip, the team trained the Diocesan Board of Mission as well as 38 evan-gelists, and 34 youth leaders from churches throughout the Diocese. Rev. Nyanje looks for-ward to returning to Eldoret in December for fol-low up activities with these leaders.

Training Leaders International

In mid July, Church Arm Africa partnered with Training Leaders International to conduct a three day workshop for Lay Leaders in Nairobi, Kenya. During the workshop, 60 Lay Leaders were equipped with Theo-logical Foundations for Christian Leadership, covering topics such as Sin, Salvation, Trinity, the Sovereignty of God, Suffering for Christ, Money Matters, and more.

The T.L.I Team also worked with staff from the Centre for Urban Mission to train over 100 pastors serv-ing in the informal settlements of Kibera, Kawangware, and Korogocho. During a two day, hands-on workshop, the pastors learned about Early Church History and How to Study the Bible.

Youth With A Mission

Youth With A Mission (YWAM), New Zealand visited Church Army during July, 2010. During their “round the world” missions, two YWAM teams spent time serving at Church Army Academy and the School of Business Studies. The teams assisted the Academy kitchen staff and helped serve children lunch. They also led morning devotions for business school students and discussed key issues affecting young Christians.


For two weeks, one of the teams also reached out with the love of Christ in Kawangware Slum. One Sunday in Gatina, the young missionaries shared powerful testimonies and a sermon. A mem-ber also received a vision for the church that was confirmed by the congregation and the elders. In between sobs she explained how she saw God do-ing great things for the church and Gatina as a whole.

All Africa Bishop's Conference

Several representatives from Church Army Africa attended the All Africa Bishops‟ Conference from 23rd to 28th August in Entebbe, Uganda. The theme of the conference was Securing Our Fu-ture, Unlocking Our Potential, based on Hebrews 12:1-2. The Conference was officially opened by President Museveni, and primates from through-out Africa were in attendance along with over 400 bishops and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams. Unity was a major theme and the Anglican leaders committed themselves to addressing causes and effects of poverty and injustice throughout Africa. In addition, the bishops reaffirmed their commitment to "Anglican orthodoxy and authority of Scripture" and the "Biblical standard of the family.

Evangelism in Nyanza

Over the past several months, the gift of the Jesus Film has been used to reach lost souls in Nyanza. The film is being presented in the Luo lan-guage throughout Nyanza and is reach-ing many residents who speak only Dholuo.

During the second quarter of 2010, the film was shown forty times in different villages in Southern Nyanza. The total attendance was an out-standing number of 5,862 people with 611 people accepting Christ as their Lord and Savior. Local evangelists have so far conducted 268 follow up meet-ings with many of the new believers. We believe that God will continue to do great things in the area.

Two months of heavy rains pre-vented some visitations and also led to decreased attendance at several of the outdoor showings of the film. Nonethe-less, we thank God for the great things He has done, and look forward to more showings of the Jesus Film.

July 2010 Photo Blitz

Here are some photos from our activities in June and July 2010:

Welcome to the Family!!!

Weighing just 6 pounds but with a healthy appetite, Joshua David Mshindi Chaves was born on July 2nd at 8:45 a.m. Lucy had been on medication to prevent prevent premature labour, but after a doctor’s visit on July 1st she was given the go ahead to stop taking the tablets. Within twenty four hours Joshua was born.

Joshua’s first few days were spent with mom at The Nairobi Hospital. Both are well and now at home. Joshua looks forward to meeting relatives and friends in the U.S. later this year. Join us in giving thanks for the gift of Joshua.

Transitions 101

“I had a project that was very dear to my heart, I was constructing a toilet.” What a shift, I thought, as I listened to the man who was going to be our new pastor. Rev. Daniel Juma had served in Kibera for three years and was passionately fundraising to build a much needed toilet for Holy Trinity Church. In the midst of this noble project, he found himself transitioning to a new parish with new projects and new opportunities. It got me thinking, what am I passion-ate about? Do I understand the needs of the people I serve? Where is God leading me in this season of transition?

As I begin a new season of life as a mother, it is a time filled with transitions. I’m grateful for the
three months maternity leave I’ll enjoy, spending time with Joshua and reflecting on the upcoming changes. I’m officially resigning from my work at Church Army Africa at the end of this year, although I may still help out with the internship and short term missions programs. I will miss being part of the management team and helping to plan and coordinate events. God willing, I hope to start divinity school in January next year. The Lord has given me a heart for mission work, youth ministry, and counseling. As I begin full-time ministry as a mother, I’m excited to see where the Lord will lead us next. - Lucy Chaves

Commissioning Week

The middle of June was full of activities and events at Church Army Africa. For Lucy , it was her final time coordinating the commissioning week activities which this year included a Retreat for 66 students, a Conference for over 100 evangelists from across Africa, a Fundraising Dinner, a Board Meeting, and an Annual General Meeting. Planning all these events in the final weeks of pregnancy was a great challenge, but God was faithful to provide helpers and all the details came together. On the final day of events, June 18th, 2010 over five hundred people gathered at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Nairobi to witness the sixty-six young men and women who were being commissioned as missionaries and evangelists. Twenty eight of these had trained as Chaplains while another thirty seven completed three years of study in Theology and Missions. In addition, Davis Manana, the Director of Church Army’s Bungokho Rural Development Centre in Uganda was also commissioned.


“In an era when Western countries are sending fewer and fewer missionaries, it is a momentous occasion that the church in Africa is taking the lead in sending out new mission-aries”, said the Most Rev. Dr. Eliud Wabukala while speaking to the young evangelists. The Kenyan Archbishop continued by sharing about pioneer missionaries in Africa mentioned in the Bible such as Simon of Cyrene, Philip, and the Ethiopian Eunuch who was a Court Official and Treasurer of Queen Can-dace. Candace ruled over the Nubian Kingdom of Meroe during the first century in what is now Sudan.

Many Westerners today consider Christianity to be a European religion, introduced to Africa through colonialism and as a form of cultural imperialism. We forget that Christianity in Africa preceded most of Europe by a thousand years with the first Gentile converts being Africans and with Alexandria and Carthage as the intellectual centres of the Roman Empire and the formative grounds for most of Western Christian theology.

As Christianity has declined in the West during the past two hundred years, it has been exciting to see the resurgence of faith in Africa. Lucy and I have been pleased to participate in supporting African missionaries who seek to share the Good News of Jesus Christ in word and deed and to offer hope and healing to communities and nations torn by conflict, poverty, and disease. Despite being on bed rest and the challenges of coordinating this year’s commissioning events, the activities all went along well.

Mission to Northern Uganda

On the 5th of April, a team of eleven set out from Nairobi on a mission to Lang’o Diocese in Northern Uganda. Lucy and Dave were active in helping to plan for the mission but decided to forego the 20 hour bus ride this year. The team traveled at the invitation of Church Army evangelist, Bishop Charles Odurkami who has been serving in the war torn region for most of his life. As Church Army’s first official missionary caravan, the team of Officers and evangelists engaged in numerous mission activities. These include; primary and secondary school outreaches, technical schools and college outreaches, open air meetings, person to person evangelism and church meetings. They ministered across Apac and Lira Archdeaconries visiting several schools and churches each day and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ.

“God was definitely tangible” one of the officers exclaimed after the last open air crusade. In an area hard hit by war and wrestling with issues of reconciliation and forgiveness, many people responded to the gospel message. During the mission, 3,550 people made decisions for Jesus Christ. This includes 1092 people from Apac Archdea-conry and 2458 from Lira Archdeaconry.

Back to Madagascar

One of the most exciting things we’ve been involved in at Church Army is sending out Missionaries. It is a great challenge to leave one’s family, culture, lifestyle, and job to serve the Lord in another country. . .but Kenyans are taking up the task. In 2008, Dave worked closely with Duncan and Victor preparing them for their missionary journey to Madagascar. For the past two years they’ve served in Toliara, one of the poorest regions in the world and an area of over 1,000 miles of coastline with only three ordained clergy. This summer the two returned with wonderful reports of their time in Toliara. Five new churches have been established and vibrant youth, music, and education ministries have developed. During the past three months we’ve been debriefing Duncan and Victor and helping them fundraise and prepare to return to Madagascar. Please pray for their continued ministry and for us as we seek to support their work from Kenya.