The Announcement

I’m a first year student in my second semester. It is mission preparation period. Countless posters are sent daily in the WhatsApp groups, promotions are done every sabbath. Funds are raised towards supporting God’s work. Literally everything in the church during this time revolves around mission. A week to the mission and we are at about 85% of the target.
During the final sabbath of the semester, the list of the mission sites is out. I’m listed in Kangari, Site 1. Kangari is one of the 9 sites that would be home to the missionaries for two weeks. Each site had about 40 members. And out of the 40 site members, I only know 3!!!

Mission
Sunday April 23, we leave Juja for a three hour journey to Kigumo – Murang’a County – on the slopes of Mount Kenya. Different buses carried the missionaries dropping them off at their respective sites. Me being in site 1 – Kangari, my group and I are dropped off first as the rest continue with their journey to their sites. Kangari town is the center for all the tea zones in the area. We are hosted at Kangari Central Church. On our arrival to the place, we get to settle down, unpack our luggage, freshen up. After supper, the site leaders share with us the day-to-day schedule. Prayer is of great importance in the mission field. I volunteer to join the prayer band. We wake up an hour earlier to seek God. After everyone is awake, we have devotion, head for morning exercise then prepare for the day.

Preparation is also key. I pray and read the Bible because I realize that I cannot share what I don’t have. We strategise on how to meet strangers using effective methods to win souls for Christ. Male or female, young or old, rich or poor. We all need Jesus.
Real mission experience is felt during the door to door sessions. You meet people, share with them about God’s love and invite them to open air sessions where they are taught about the Bible, Family Life, Health and Prophecy. Children and youth are not left behind. They also have their own sessions on the side.

There’s great power in prayer in mission. Wednesday is a set day for prayer and fasting. We do not follow the same routine as the other days. Rather, we remain in the site and have a prayer and fasting program. We pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. We understand that it is not our eloquence but the Holy Spirit that will convict hearts. We pray for the people we meet on a daily basis. We pray that God may continue to guide us in the coming days as we continue with the mission. I experience an instantly answered prayer; a heavy downpour ceases after intercession by the prayer band!

It is in mission where you discover how you can be of service in God’s vineyard. Before mission I was assigned two roles; Youth Instructor and a Translator. However, while at Kangari, another role came up. Transportation services were needed and since the local pastor had a motorcycle, I was requested to be moving around sites. Surprisingly, I aced all my tasks!

The mission experience is not all rosy as I have painted it so far. We braved the harsh cold weather, bore the smoke from wet firewood while cooking, encountered risky roads while on nduthi services and braved the icy waters before dawn preparing for Sabbath’s baptism. But I count it all joy because of the reward for the labor of love.

End
At the end of the mission, 63 people were baptized and many more convicted.
From the mission I made great friends.When I got home, I realized that I had lost touch with the outside world. My thoughts had been solely focused on God’s service.
There’s more to mission than a two-week evangelistic campaign. For me it was a life changing
experience.
Why then should you miss this time round?