The Frere family spent 3 weeks in Kenya building on the links forged in last year’s Youth Encounter visit, enjoying many memorable experiences and discovering some specific needs that the rest of us could help to meet.
Under construction
A particularly hard-hitting experience was to visit the village kindergarten and discover that it has no proper windows, door or floor… and worse still, the insects living in the bare mud floor infect the feet of the children who go in there.
Inside the kindergarten
Enquiries revealed that a few thousand pounds would be enough to pay for a proper, healthy brick building. Fundraising has begun!
Meanwhile, the church at Ebunangwe has already started work on constructing a new building, but progress is made only when money and materials come in.
The church at Ebunangwe is working on a new building
One of the biggest needs of the church in Kenya is for trained leaders. For two weeks the Frere family joined with Allan Bartlam to help build up the next generation of leaders.
Future church leaders in training
There was an opportunity to work in the garden alongside Care of Creation, which develops and promotes environmentally friendly farming practices that can benefit everyone in Kenya.
Caring for creation
The full story of the visit is on our main website. Here are some of the highlights…
Welcome!
Can you imagine all the children at a school turning up on a Saturday to welcome visitors from abroad? They did in Kenya! They were thrilled to welcome back a member of the 2013 Youth Encounter team who had visited the previous year – and this time he had brought the rest of the family.
A warm welcome to our school
Chris Amulo, who had done so much to set up last year’s Youth Encounter visit as well as this one, took the family to his home village and introduced them to some of his relatives.
Outside a house in Chris Amulo’s village
The church at Ebunangwe were also pleased to welcome more visitors from Christ Church as a sign of the growing link between us.
It’s great to be back
“I’m so glad you’re here.” So a young student greeted Bobbie at the start of a 2-week training event focusing on the Old Testament. Bobbie and Peter both led sessions, and Allan Bartlam led many more. It wasn’t just about learning, but sharing experiences and lives too.
Group photo at the training conference