Our first day on the ground in Kenya was spent in the Kisumu area with the Unite 4 Africa (U4A) team who is hosting P82 this week. I met David Okongo, East Africa Director, in October of 2008 and have served alongside him in Kenya communities on several occasions. In addition to his work with U4A, David holds a Higher National Diploma in Clinical Medicine and Surgery and specializes in Pediatrics and Community Health. David was on staff with the Kijabe Mission Hospital for 15 years and has subsequently opened 7 medical clinics in KE. I've witnessed David minister to children medically, emotionally and spiritually with incredible grace and compassion that drew me in almost instantly.
I learned that David founded an orphan ministry called House of Hope that was meeting the needs of 23 orphans in his home community and I was deeply moved by his vision for caring for these children and his dreams of expanding the ministry to reach many more. When God had burdened my own heart for these children so greatly that to not act was simply no longer an option, the first call I made was to David Okongo. It was then that I learned about Unite 4 Africa and was introduced to David's brother, Okongo Samson.
I met Samson the first time via video skype and we talked for 2 hours. Over the next several days, we continued these video conversations lasting hours each time as I learned about the Unite 4 Africa ministry and got a glimpse into his heart. Having known his brother David for some time, I was not surprised to find a man who is sold out to Jesus and has dedicated his life to sharing the Good News of the Gospel and to serving the least and last. After speaking with the P82 Board of Directors, we invited Samson and his wife Shauna to spend the weekend in Atlanta to share their vision with us and discuss potential partnership opportunties that would leverage the passion, gifts and resources of each of our ministries to make a greater impact for the Kingdom. That weekend led us here to the U4A and P82 visioning trip where we have seen first hand how their vision for holistic community transformation is being lived out in Kenya communities and how P82 can become an integral part of that transformation as a ministry partner focused on the orphans and vulnerable children in these communities. Stay tuned..... there is much to share!
