Kenya Ablaze Mission

See the Slide Show

The Need
There are over 50 people groups in Kenya. While we serve many of them our primary focus is to reach the Maasai people. It is only in recent years that this tribe has opened up to Christianity. Many have never heard the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ. Following Jesus’ example, we address both physical and spiritual needs by means of an optical clinic and gospel-sharing process.

An old woman, bent over, followed behind her son into our clinic by holding on to the end of his herding staff. Blind in one eye, and unable to use her other eye because her eyelashes were ingrown constantly scraping her cornea, they hoped for help. In addition, for years she could not sleep peacefully. With the aid of the local doctors, we were able to diagnose her problem and arrange for critically-needed surgery. She was overwhelmed with gratitude when her bandages were removed and she could see! She left our clinic standing upright, walking independently and rejoicing in her miracle. 

In Kenya there are less than 60 ophthalmologists for 40 million people. Few people who come to the vision clinics have ever had their eyes checked. We offer a service that they are not able to provide for themselves. 

The Plan
We use short-term mission trips with a long-term commitment. Working in partnership with theEvangelical Lutheran church in Kenya (ELCK), a partner church of The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, we visit locations picked by their head bishop. Twice a year we return to a Kenyan community and commit to do so for three to five years. Our goal is to help build up the local congregations. Using vision clinics to draw large crowds, both evangelism (the Great Commission) and mercy (the Great Commandment) are accomplished. Every person who comes to the clinic hears the Gospel in his/her own language by a local pastor or evangelist. Repeat visits allow us to develop a personal relationship with the local church workers and a trust with the community. 

The Clinic
We work with the local pastors, evangelists, ophthalmologists, ELCK leadership and LCMS long term missionaries. We…

• Witness to our faith;
• Test eyes for vision;
• give reading glasses
• Assemble distance glasses;
• Arrange for surgeries; and
• Sow the seed of God’s love 

How You Can Help
St. John is pursuing this mission opportunity in partnership with the people of Trinity Lutheran Church in Klein (Spring), Texas. While prayer and financial help is needed and always welcome, we especially hope to send a number of people from St. John and over the coming months and years develop our own teams of people who will visit various sites in Kenya - as long as God keeps the door of opportunity open to us. 

Trips are planned for April/May and November 2012 (specific dates will be announced soon. If you are interested in being on a Mission Kenya team, please let us know. You may email us at mission1-8@stjohn-lutheran.net, or call us at 281-373-0503, and speak with Pastor Stephen DeMik for more information.