Time to Saddle Up again!

We're a little over a week away from our next mission to Kenya to do a vision clinic as part of Vision for Africa.  Our Redeemer team is blessed to have 2 educators with us this time, William and Amanda.  We are going later in May than we've ever gone just so we could include some teachers, college students, etc.  Kailey has just finished finals and will also be with us.  While this causes the airfares to be a little more, since we're bumping up against the tourist season, it is balanced out by more people being able to come with us at this time of year.

We will be serving at the Springs of Life Lutheran Church in the slum of Kibera.  We have many friends there, as we've done multiple clinics at this location since the first team that I led there in the Spring of 2010.  School in Kenya runs year round, they have 3 terms of 3 months each with a month off in between.  The church school is in session, so in addition to helping with the vision clinic, our teachers should be able to interact with the students and teachers and bring another kind of blessing to our friends at the church.

We hope to serve between 3,000 to 5,000 people during the week of the clinic.  All who come will have the Gospel shared with them as they enter the church grounds.  During the vision clinic, they will receive distance glasses, reading glasses, referrals for cataract and other eye surgeries and medications from our team of three to four local Kenyan doctors.  And, everyone will be prayed over individually as their vision needs are addressed.  It's quite an experience to behold!

I am thrilled to have a team this time that is a mix of veterans and first timers.  The veterans will help with getting the clinic up and running smoothly and will renew old friendships.  The newcomers will give us old hands the blessing of seeing their excitement, and we will draw on their energy and their sense of awe as they realize that they have heeded the Lord's call on their lives and as it dawns on them that they really are in Africa!  It can be a little surreal.  I love to see the look on their faces when they spot their first giraffe, zebra or hippo.  We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto!

Stay tuned.  I will try to publish daily reports as long as we have Internet and electricity, both of which can be spotty at times.  We always have a local Kenyan cell phone and are able to phone home to let our families know we have arrived safely in Nairobi on the first Friday night there.  Please keep us in your prayers for a safe and effective mission as we share the love of Christ by helping to take care of the many human needs we will encounter.