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Aug 17, 2012

Christ Church, Nacogdoches, Sends Mission Team to Kenya

Christ Church Nacogdoches KenyaChrist Church, Nacogdoches, sent a team of eight youth and two adults to Nairobi, Kenya for a two-week mission trip in June. Led by the Rev. Howard Castleberry, rector of Christ Church, the team partnered with Young Life Nairobi to cook and serve 450 meals over three days to underprivileged high school Christians who had completed the Campaigners Program.

 

These high schoolers, who had been catechized for over a year, were given a retreat to strengthen their faith to give them hope in their poverty. Many of them had never been served a sit-down meal. Most do not get three meals a day. None of them had ever been served by a white person.

 

"It really touches them, that they are being served by a white person," said Martin Walmawa, Young Life Nairobi. To be served by white Americans is "like something in their life that would never happen. It gives them great, great hope." Most of the children live in abject poverty, living on less than $2 per day.

 

The ones who benefited the most, however, were the high schoolers from Christ Church Nacogdoches. 

 

"I will always remember the joy of the kids in Nairobi- how they had so little but still were able to enjoy everything so much- more than we do here," said Elizabeth Vineyard, 16. "I'll always appreciate more the things that I have."

 

"This trip has shown our team that true happiness comes from something beyond what can be bought," Castleberry said. "It is not something we can produce. It comes from looking for God and finding Him everywhere."  

 

There were six videos produced during the two-week trip, and they can be viewed on the church's website. Click here to watch the videos and look below to see a video of the group serving the Young Life kids.