Youth Fun Day

On April 25th, Lucy and I helped lead a “fun day” for youth at our church. There were games and team building activities, food and fun, and all kinds of practical life lessons. The time went so well we are planning to continue for the rest of the year, every last Saturday of the month.

smiles in a line

class participation

Dave and Lucy inside the tent

Game time

Interns at Work

I'm now working with 6 interns at Church Army. It has been a lot of fun teaching and mentoring, and the interns have been a great help in our work at the office. The interns are all recent high school or college graduates, and each week they participate in classes, service projects, and outreach events. Currently, they are gaining job experience and serving in six different positions: information technology, media and journalism, administrative assistant, missions, creative communications, and video production.

So far, the interns have participated in a variety of missions and outreach activities, including visiting orphans affected by AIDS in Embakasi, cleaning at Church Army Academy, and serving at Light and Power Centre.

Interns on the roof

Christabel with kids at Light and Power

Cleaning at the Academy

Carrying Chichi up the stairs

Study session in the banda

Visiting Orphans Dying of Starvation and AIDS

On Thursday, 16th March, we went for our second Mission to Augester Preparatory Centre. This centre is a Community Based Organization run by Pastor Augustus and his wife Esther. While growing up, both Augustus and his wife experienced the challenges of abandonment, neglect, and destitute poverty. Through their experiences, the Lord put on their hearts a passion to care for orphaned and vulnerable children. Now they work together with a team of counselors and nurses in Embakasi, where Augustus serves as a pastor, and where there are thousands of abandoned and neglected children. Their Centre assists orphaned children, some of them HIV Positive, by placing them in homes with guardians through adoption or fostercare. Currently they are supporting 68 children placed in 30 homes. Most of the families who have adopted the needy children are themselves living in very difficult situations. It was very sad to see the suffering of these children and their new families.

During our trip we visited four families, all of them affected in some way by HIV/AIDS and living in conditions of destitute poverty. Despite their own challenges, each family agreed to take in and care for at least one orphan or vulnerable child as best they could. One of the families we visited was run by a single mother named Mwende. She was supporting eight needy children along with her sick brother. Through encouragement from Pastor Augustus, she also adopted her niece when the parents died of AIDS. In total, there were 10 people living in one small room with poor ventilation and no running water. The family had not eaten on the day we visited and Mwende's brother was sick with atypical pneumonia. He was also drunk on a locally made brew and appeared to be near death. We shared a few words of encouragement and challenge for the family and also gave them some food to last for two days. . .It was difficult to leave the family in such a situation, not knowing if or how long they might survive. Many are dying in the informal settlements and throughout Kenya right now as a result of famine and high food costs.

Sharing the story of Jesus

In late February, The Jesus Film changed lives forever in Western Kenya. The mission to Southern Nyanza was organized by the Diocesan Bishop, Rt. Rev. James Ochiel and was conducted in partnership between Life Ministries and Church Army Africa. It featured four days of intensive training for pastors and their spouses, and emphasized personal evangelism and communicating the Christian faith. There was full representation from clergy in the Diocese and the training equipped church leaders to be more effective witnesses for Christ in their communities.

After the first two days of seminars, teams of two were sent out to witness on the streets for a period of 45 minutes. The 28 people who participated in the training reached out to 61 individuals during that time, and 31 responded by surrendering their lives to Christ as personal Savior and Lord. Amazingly, some of those who accepted Christ came from religious backgrounds that are normally hostile to Christianity. The high rate of response demonstrated the clear working of the Holy Spirit and was an indication of a deep spiritual hunger in the area.

The next day, on 25th February, the Jesus Film was show at Homa Bay. Over 680 people, both adults and children attended the full event and were exposed to the life and love of Jesus Christ. Among those who were counted, 210 individuals accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. Even after the event was over, people continued to come to us and share their testimonies. The following morning, a man called Otieno came to the room where we were meeting for training and confessed that “Christ had been formed in his life”, and he asked us to make sure that we do all we can to help him “remain a faithful child of God.” Many of the pastors were also deeply moved as they watched the film. Rev. Raphael Shade shed tears of joy and recommitted his life and ministry to Jesus Christ.

We are trusting God for a major follow-up to see new believers connected with the church and strengthened in their faith. The local churches are actively involved in counseling and discipleship efforts for these new converts, and we thank God for the lives that have been forever transformed.

A Colourful Celebration

March 7th, the day we had been waiting for was here. After a year of praying, preparing, and planning, the day was finally upon us. There was colour everywhere and shouts of joy and ululation as women ushered their daughter in to the wedding venue, St. Mark's Church in Nairobi, Kenya. We didn't know how many guests to expect, but were delighted to see so many friends at the wedding. The church was beautifully decorated in orange, green, and yellow and for once people kept time (Kenyans are notorious for up to four hour delays at weddings). The bride was beautiful, the bridal party, colourful, and the groom, nervous:) The ceremony was led by Rev. Tom Otieno who is our vicar at Christ Church, Westlands, and was assisted by Rev. John Mark Oduor. It was beautiful to look into each others eyes as we exchanged the vows that would bind us together in this beautiful course of love. The ceremony was long by American standards, but considered short for a Kenyan wedding.

At the reception, African tom tom drums welcomed the bride and groom and there was music, dance, and sharing from family and friends. After the seven hour celebration came to an end, we remembered how faithful God has been. He blessed us with the miracle of the bride's father being able to attend, even though he had been seriously ill for more than a month. . .It was a beautiful, sunny day, and we were blessed beyond our imaginations. We have a new proverb: “Weddings that start on time, end in a good time.” God bless you for your prayers and support.

- Lucy Amina Chaves

Launching Vision 2015

Much has been written about the plight of Africa, including issues of economic injustice and poverty, corruption and war, disease and lack of infrastructure. Addressing these challenges is the task of the 21st century for many government and non-governmental organizations across the continent. The question is often asked, but seldom answered, “what is the role of the church in such times?” At Church Army Africa, we believe that the key for enduring change is bound up with the local church. Local churches can and should play a vital role in shaping the spiritual and social development of individuals, families, communities, and even nations. We believe that the church is God's primary vehicle for positive social transformation and as such should play a central role in achieving social change in Africa in areas such as those outlined in the United Nation's Millenium Development Goals or in national strategic plans.

In June of 2008, the President and Prime Minister of Kenya released a new long-term planning strategy for the nation known as Vision 2030. The plan includes a variety of reforms and new initiatives to produce positive change in the economic, social, and political arenas. The ultimate goal of Kenya's Vision 2030 is to produce a “globally competitive and prosperous nation”, and it aims to accomplish its objectives by facilitating development and reform in areas such as agriculture, education, energy, environment, health care, infrastructure, and justice. The vision document and strategic plan are highly ambitious and are grounded in a wealth of research and good intentions. In reality, however, most Kenyans are skeptical of the government's ability to achieve even a fraction of its stated goals. Mismanagement, tribalism, corruption, and greed continue to plague leadership across the country. At Church Army Africa, we've been asking the questions “How should the church respond to Vision 2030?” and “What role can the Anglican Church play in bringing substantive and sustainable change not only to Kenya, but to the entire continent of Africa.”

As an Anglican missions agency, our response is encapsulated in something we call Vision 2015 or H.E.A.L. Africa. H.E.A.L. Africa is an effort to bring healing and positive transformation to communities across Africa by establishing holistic churches. Our goal is a minimum of 3000 holistic churches by the year 2015. Each church will be mission shaped and share the message and love of Christ while offering contextually relevant services in Health care, Education, Access to justice, and Leverage wealth creation. By serving as centres of change, local churches will reach out to meet the needs of their communities in these key areas. The first phase of Vision 2015 is H.E.A.L. Kenya and was officially launched through Church Army Africa in Nairobi on 18th March, 2009. Specific targets for Kenya are based on mandates from the A.C.K. Bishops and include: the creation of 1500 holistic churches, 20,000 new jobs, planting over 1 million trees, 500 digital villages, 500 trained chaplains across Kenya, and an Anglican secondary school in every province. In addition, Church Army Africa hopes to facilitate fostering of over 250,000 orphaned children and the implementation of a variety of health care, justice, and other H.E.A.L. programmes. The work has already begun. Grassroots training initiatives in various parts of Kenya have equipped nearly 80 pastors and evangelists who will work to plant or develop holistic churches during 2009. The Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Kenya, Most Rev. Dr. Capt. Benjamin Nzimbi, explained: “We have had many revivals in Africa, but never a reformation. What we need is a reformation of the church.” By reforming and equipping churches for holistic ministry, Church Army aims to dramatically transform communities across Africa and play a central role in achieving positive change for Christ.

Like a Thief in the Night

They came late in the night. Overpowering security guards, slicing bars of iron, and shattering door frames. By the time it was over, most of our computers and office equipment had vanished.
For the third time in less than one year, we have faced a major burglary at Church Army Africa.

Despite the presence of a metal gate, a perimeter wall of stone covered with broken glass, three security guards, a vicious watch dog, a panic button alarm system, three metal outer office doors, reinforced cedar office doors, iron bars on all the windows, and impenetrable padlocks, we find ourselves once again victims of late night thievery.

For some reason, this particular gang of thieves likes to steal church and missionary computers and do away with them in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, the police have been of little help, but we are thankful that no one was seriously injured in any of the incidents. Most of our data is saved. At this point, we are renting computers by the month and back up as often as possible.. . .Please pray that the the thieves in the night are found and that these regular raids on our offices cease!

Pupu Paper and Energy Efficient Jikos

The new year began with much activity at Light and Power Centre, a microenterprise and mentorship program for young men in Gatina Slum. In January, several graduates of Akiba High School joined existing members at the Centre and two new projects were initiated. The Pupu Paper Project prepares designer stationary using recycled waste products, elephant dung, and local plants. Members of Light and Power are now working to develop a whole line of greeting cards and stationary with the pupu paper. Our hope is that this will provide a source of income to the youth and teach valuable job skills. The Pupu Paper Project and other new initiatives are utilizing a new production shed at the back of the Centre. Meanwhile renovation and landscaping work continues as Light and Power aims to establish an oasis of beauty, cleanliness, and order within Gatina Slum

Recently, Light and Power also began efforts to make energy efficient jikos. A jiko is a small stove used for cooking and it normally burns wood or charcoal. In some areas of Kenya it is difficult to find fuel for cooking, and among nomadic communities it is an arduous task that can often strip the land bare. The organization Food for the Hungry presented Light and Power with a challenge: develop a compact, easy to transport, energy efficient stove that can be used in these communities. Food for the Hungry will then purchase the stoves, train families how to use them, and distribute to needy areas.

New Beginnings and the Nairobi Fellows

This April six interns embark on a journey of faith and fellowship, called New Beginnings. The group of recent high school graduates will spend the next 5 months growing in discipleship, community, service, and mission. The goal is to empower and equip Kenyan youth with life and job skills and a heart for service. Lucy and I will be directing New Beginnings along with another internship opportunity that we are excited to launch, The Nairobi Fellows.
Since it's inception at The Falls Church, Fellows Programs have spread across the country and challenged college graduates to grow as leaders and live for Christ in the ministry as well as in the marketplace. We have begun recruitment for the first Fellows Program in Africa and hope to have representatives from Kenya and around the world. The Nairobi Fellows will emphasize discipleship, leadership development, and missions. The program is set to start in September 2009. For more information contact: kenyaconnection@gmail.com

Welcome Visitors

In February, 2009, Rev. Dr. John and Susan Yates visited Kenya. It was such an encouragement to spend time with them and receive greetings from our friends back at The Falls Church. John and Susan met with Lucy and I and prayed for us as we prepared for our wedding. Our love to supporters back in Northern Virginia. You are welcome to visit anytime :)

Missions Updates (from missionaries we support at Church Army)

• To begin the new year, a Church Army mission team ran a medical camp and presented shoes to Turkana children in Northern Kenya. They then traveled to Kapoeta, Sudan and shared the message of reconciliation and hope with the semi-nomadic Taposa people.



• At the start of 2009, Church Army sent its former C.E.O., Rev. Steve Maina to serve as a missionary and direct the activities of Church Missionary Society, New Zealand.



• In January, 40 evangelists and lay leaders in Marsabit, were trained in holistic church planting. They look forward to continuing their ministries in the semi-arid regions of Northern Kenya with the newly appointed missionary Bishop, Rt. Rev. Martin Robert.



• In early March, 200 people in Southern Nyanza responded to the Jesus Film by inviting Jesus Christ into their lives. Follow up is being conducted by local churches.



• Sudanese students of Theology at Carlile College are currently training hundreds of pastors in Southern Sudan through classes and seminars held in remote and difficult to reach areas.

Dave and Lucy's Wedding

For updates/photos from Dave and Lucy's wedding, please see:

http://the-benchmark.blogspot.com/

Mission to Turkana

Check out this video of Church Army's Christmas mission to the semi-nomadic Turkana people of Lokichar in the deserts of Lodwar, Kenya.

A New Year and a New Intern

The new year has started well in Kenya. I've already had a few visitors from the U.S. as well as a new intern from the U.K.


After finishing his studies in History, Joe Hadfield decided to come to Africa and spend some time exploring and growing in his faith while serving the poor. Joe is from just outside London and is my new intern at Church Army Africa. Over the next five months he'll be assisting with some of the communications and missions work, and he should be joined by another four or five other interns soon. Below is a photo of Joe and I in Kibera.




Today, we traveled with some friends to Mashimoni in Kibera to meet with members of a small church. Below is a shot of the path to Mashimoni.

Christmas Newsletter

Read Dave's latest newsletter from Kenya:

http://www.kenyaconnection.org/stories/Newsletter%203.pdf

Happy Moon

The sky over Nairobi was smiling on Monday night. The happy alignment of Venus and Jupiter occurs once every 50 years or so. Here's a shot from the office in Eastlands, Nairobi.

A New Home

Check out a few photos from my new residence in the South B, Nairobi, Kenya:

The sitting room

Kitchen

All purpose laundry facilities (the washer is the gray basin, the rinser is the other gray basin, and the dryer is the sun)

Master Bedroom

Obama Mania!!!

The results came in at 7 a.m. local time in Nairobi. Thousands of Kenyas held vigil throughout the night waiting for word of a possible Obama victory. Obama's grandmother hosted reporters in her small village and Western Kenya while some villages and cities held mock elections yesterday with Obama and McCain ballot boxes.

Kenyans take great pride in the fact that one of their sons was running for office in the U.S. Full page posters of Obama have appeared in most major newspapers here, and the U.S. election has had front page stories for the past two weeks. Everyone has been talking about it. I've met people I didn't think followed much news, who have confidently explained to me the nuances of the American Electoral College and the importance of Obama victories in battleground states such as Virginia.

When the verdict was received this morning, celebrations broke out throughout Kenya. Thousands have taken to the street with song and dance, setting bonfires and displaying portraits and badges of Obama. The President of Kenya has just declared tomorrow a National Holiday to celebrate Obama's election as President of the United States.

Arrival in Nairobi

Thank you so much for your prayers and support. I arrived safely in Nairobi last week and have been staying in guest houses and with friends as I looked for an apartment and started back at work.

It's been tough settling back. I had three different agents helping to find an apartment and Lucy and I viewed dozens of possible places (some very nice and some in various stages of neglect or disrepair). Yesterday I moved into very nice. An apartment in the South B neighborhood of Nairobi. It is a great location and a very secure complex, more than we've been praying and hoping for. I'll post some photos soon. - dc

Dave's Fundraising Campaign

Learn more about how you too can support missions in Kenya. Join Dave as he's back in the states and planning for more ways to be connected:

www.kenyaconnection.org

Family Time

Its been a long time since I've been back in the states, and its been wonderful to spend time with family and visit with friends.

Lake Winnisquam in New Hampshire

My nephew Raden after a hard days work

Lucy and Dave in the U.S.

Recent adventures during Lucy's first visit to the U.S.

Commissioning Evangelists

Yesterday we held a big ceremony at All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi to commission recent college graduates and "officers" for Church Army Africa. The newly commissioned will serve throughout East Africa in a variety of missions and ministry contexts, helping to reach out to those on the margins of society, especially the poor and neglected. We've been working hard the past few weeks to prepare for the commissioning event. The Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Kenya was among one of the individuals to be commissioned. Here's a few photos:

The newly commissioned evangelists and presiding clergy

Lucy responds to unexpected questions from BBC reporters

Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi reads the acceptance speech I worked on.

To celebrate and relax after the ceremony, our office went out for dinner at the very nice Carnivore Restaurant (a place where you can sample crocodile and ostrich meat). I don't recommend the crocodile. Here's a couple pics:

Education in Gatina

Here's a short video of Imani Development Centre, a private primary school just down the road from Light and Power Centre. It caters to the poorest of the poor, mostly to orphans and children of single mothers (many of whom are affected by HIV/AIDS). The school has about 125 students and is run by a friend who is a local pastor and works alongside his family in Gatina. The Wafula family had a heart to reach out to needy children in the neighborhood who roamed around during the day because their parents could not afford any of the other schools. For the full day school, the school charges less than $5/month, which includes rice for lunch every day. Only 40% of the families can afford to pay. The school currently does not have any donors, but is run strictly off of the very very limited tuition fees that it can collect (imagine a budget of less than $250 USD/month to run a primary school for 125 students). The learning conditions are very difficult. Check out the video and learn a bit more about Gatina and the efforts of Pastor Moses Wafula.

Dancing to the Beat

In late June we held a special program at Light and Power, featuring traditional African drumming and dancing, poem recitals, songs, games, and more. Here's a few photos from the event:

Out of Africa

During the men's team's visit to Kenya we enjoyed a rare treat on a secluded private game reserve. The Dyer family from Britian, settled in the Nanyuki area in 1912 and own over 30,000 acres near the Aberdare Forest. They stay near Ngarendare village, where we were serving, and invited our team for an afternoon drive on their reserve. Here's a few of the animals we encountered.

Broken hammers in a village

Eight guys from The Falls Church joined me recently for trip full of fun and service. We spent about a week working in the remote village of Ngarendare. This is the site of one of our projects with Planting Faith Ministries. We've been working with a group of 60 farmers who are growing some spiny looking flowers. During the TFC Team's visit we built a large "grading shed" for the flowers as well as a cooling shed (made out of chicken wire and charcoal).

Jack pounds crossbeams into the rock hard blue gum posts.
Our driver, Muriuki, inspects the posts.
Kenan installs tin roofing as others support the makeshift ladder.
Our chicken wire framed cooling shed (just before we added the charcoal)
Celebrating with our farmer friends in the new grading shed.

Farewell to Amber and Anne

The Kenya trio is down to solo. Amber and Anne left Nairobi on Saturday after completing a two year stint as missionaries in Kenya. Amber will be starting up school at George Mason University in the Fall, studying counseling; meanwhile Anne will pursue business studies at UNC Chapel Hill. They will be deeply missed here in Kenya and leave behind a legacy at Akiba School, Light and Power Centre, and Mudzini Kwetu orphanage in Mombasa.

Interns

One of my new responsibilities at Church Army is to help coordinate and run an internship program to help youth grow and gain new experiences in work and in missions. We now have four new interns, Betty, Brenda, Jacinta, and Winnie, all recent Kenyan high school graduates. They are serving alongside mentors and helping out in areas such as accounting, administration, education, and journalism. They meet for regular prayer and discussion groups and we also have some classes and are reading the book The Purpose Driven Life together.

Kenyan National Prayer Breakfast

On Saturday, 31st May, I attended the Kenyan National Prayer Breakfast. The annual event is organized by members of Parliament. Sam and Lynn Owen also help to coordinate the event as part of their ministry with the Parliamentary Prayer Groups. They invited Amber, Anne, and I, as well as a small group from Light and Power to attend.

The breakfast was a grand event, held at the largest conference hall in Kenya, in the Safari Park Hotel. The President, Vice President, and Prime Minister were all present, as were many dignitaries from across East Africa and around the world. The Main Speaker was retired U.S. Congressman Walter Fauntroy, a long-time pastor and civil rights activist. He shared movingly from his experiences working alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela, and he encouraged and challenged Kenyan leaders to promote peace by pursuing income, education, healthcare, housing, and justice for all Kenyans. Later, the President referred to the post-election violence as "our little mistake" and urged Kenyans to move forward in unity. After the President's speech, Lucy's group, 4 Word, sang an a capella song in Kiswahili about forgiveness.

Prayer Breakfast - Photos

Dave with the Light and Power guys after attending the African Youth Leader's Forum annual Leadership Conference following the Prayer Breakfast.

The crew from Light and Power: Hesbon, Henry, and Bishar at the pool on Safari Park Hotel's lushly manicured grounds


Lucy and her friends from 4 Word, shortly after their acapella presentation during the prayer breakfast.

Gangster's Paradise

Last Saturday night, a gang of professional thieves broke into Church Army Africa's offices. They came with guns, crowbars, and steel cutters and made off with computers, cash, and office equipment from the Secretariat Office, the Dental Clinic, the College, and the Centre for Urban Mission. It was the first burglary of this magnitude in the 50 year history of Church Army in Nairobi. Thankfully, no one was injured, and at least some of the losses are covered by insurance.

College Visitors

In May, five college students and their leader joined us for a short-term mission trip in Nairobi. The team lent a helping hand at Akiba School and visited with various ministries throughout Nairobi. They also enjoyed a short safari in the Masai Mara and a hike up Mount Longonot. Here the group poses with members of Light and Power Centre:

Overlooking the Great Rift Valley.

Hippo Gazing at Lake Naivasha

Alex and I were both unwell enough to climb Mount Longonot, so instead we went for a short visit to nearby Lake Naivasha. During a boat ride on the lake, we saw nearly a dozen hippos and many types of exotic birds as well as antelope grazing on the shore. Check out a short video of the trip: