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Revisiting the Graduates

In July the Divine Providence leaders in Kenya hosted the American Board Members together with a team from Roswell United Methodist Church. Traveling to Nyahururu (a few hours north of Nairobi) to visit Kenyan Board Member Simon Mwaura, the team looked forward to studying his sustainability practices at Good Shepherd orphanage. The US team also looked forward to visiting six of the DPTC graduates in their own villages and churches which were located along the journey. The team was overwhelmed in discovering what a huge impact the graduates are making within their churches and communities. Their positive effect on Kenyan lives was amazingly beyond all expectations. What an encouragement these visits have been to continue quality pastor training!

Follow the visits below.... See trip video here....

Stephen....

As a result of Stephen's training at DPTC, his church members remarked that he "has become a pastor, not just an evangelist." His church has doubled in size as has the number of different ministries he offers in the church. Stephen has a focus on leadership development, missions and reaching out to the downcast of the community.

Stephen and his wife thank each team member for the visit and the encouragement.

James....

James has a growing church in the center of his village. His passions are developing his members in the study of the Scriptures, counseling marriages, and changing the poverty-victim mindset in his community

James, his wife and daughters enjoy a time of fellowship with the team at their church.

Joseph....

Everybody gets a big laugh when Professor Paul finds Joseph's very old & very worn pulpit Bible.

Julia came to the rescue with a new Bible.








Joseph and his wife talk about his thriving church that "competes" with a large mainline church just across the street. They are especially excited about their ministry to youth and about Joseph's on-going outreach ministry of Peace & Reconciliation in his region where many different tribes are located.

Timothy....

Timothy currently is pursuing God's vision to return to his tribal homeland and minister to his Turkana people. He also has a longing to evangelize the tribe that has been a long time enemy of his own tribe.

Timothy & his family welcome us to his home.

Samuel....

Samuel felt led of God to leave his home two hours away and plant a church in Matasia near our property. We visited his six-month old church which started with five members and now has 60, most of whom we met and heard their testimonies. Many of these members told us that Samuel's passion is for the "skinny" (poor) people, not the "fat" (rich). His church will be a great neighbor to our school.

The team prays over Samuel and his new church.

Mercy....

Mercy is ministering in an area where there are no churches. This area has a strong Islamic influence and is dominated by a very dangerous anti-Christian cult. Although they have faced great challenges, even life-threatening ones, they have become a positive influence in the area as many are coming to Christ.

Mercy (center back) poses with the visiting team in front of the church led by her and her husband who also is a pastor. This location for the church is new since Mercy's graduation.

Simon's Place - A Study in Self-sustainability

Our final destination on the road trip was board member Simon's orphanage Good Shepherd in Nyahururu. These photos highlight Simon's self-sustaining elements such as his many gardens and greenhouses, hydraform block buildings made from his own soil, smoke house, bio-gas system, fish farms, rabbits, goats and zero-grazing cattle. Simon has been honored by the Kenyan government and his place is being used as an example of self-sustainable techniques and appropriate technologies.

One of Several Greenhouses

Tomato Greenhouse

Hydraform Block Buildings (l. storage; r. guest house)

Smokehouse

Bio-gas System

Rabbits

Goats

Zero-graze Cattle

Care of Creation

On the trip back to Nairobi we stopped to visit Craig & Tracy Sorley of Care of Creation where Craig gave us a tour of his gardens and indigenous tree nursery.

Craig oversees and trains for Care of Creation in Kenya. We plan to partner with Craig in establishing our own gardens as well as utilizing his training in our Community Outreach program. Craig teaches principles and techniques for more productive farming and for the conservation of Kenya's most important yet quickly vanishing natural resource.... its indigenous trees.

Visit Care of Creation, Kenya here....

True Identity Women's Retreat

Jennifer Brommet (above) and her daughter Carina (below) led the True Identity retreat. It is designed for women to discover their true identity and worth in Christ.

The women are learning & having fun in the process.

After the Final "Crowning" Ceremony

During the final weekend of the July trip Care to Learn International (our NGO that sponsors Divine Providence Training Center & the Community Outreach Program) hosted its initial Community Outreach program for women. Jennifer Brommet, founder of True Identity Ministries, conducted a three-day True Identity retreat in Nairobi along with her daughter Carina. The women who attended the retreat were also equipped to train other Kenyan women in the TIM principles of understanding the reality of one's true identity in Christ. The retreat was a life-changing event for many of the women who attended.

See retreat video

Visit True Identity Ministries

The Team Meets the New Class

Sally talks with the new class of 2012

Beth, Sally & our three teachers prepare to give out the books

Class of 2012 with African Bible Commentaries

As a final bonus on the July trip the team was able to welcome the new class of pastor-students to the first day of their third school term. Sally Gresham shared with the class during one of the first sessions which was culminated with the presentation to each student of a prized African Christian resource book, African Bible Commentary. This book is written by African Christian scholars especially for Africans and will be a great study aid for these students. Besides the materials received in the school, this book may be the only study resource other than the Bible that many of the students ever own.

First Class Graduates!

After two years of diligent study the charter class of Divine Providence Training Center graduated on Dec. 3, 2010 with diplomas in Christian Ministry. All of these students have been serving as pastors or in other ministries throughout Kenya. There were over 400 in attendance at the graduation ceremony held in Nairobi. The key-note speaker was Rev. John Wesley Nguuh, Dean of Students at Pan Africa Christian University. Following the ceremony lunch was served for all on the grounds of J. J. McCarthy Retreat Center where the school currently is being held.

What a thrill it was to see these students, their families and their church members so grateful for the work of Divine Providence. Apart from the school's full scholarship program these students never would have had the opportunity to be trained. Thank God for enabling this gift of Christian education for these graduates and to all future classes through the generous donations of so many faithful friends of DPTC.

July RUMC Trip

RUMC's July mission team accomplished a lot of work for Divine Providence Training Center in Kenya while enjoying fellowship with the students at DPTC. One of the team members, Dr. Paul Beecham, taught in the school, they all worked on the land and they conducted quite a bit of business research. The team was able to tie up a lot of loose ends relating to the impending construction of the school/conference and retreat center.

The students joined the team one day to work on the land together. Clearing the land with machetes and actually making bricks from the soil on the land was a unique challenge for the USA team. Needless to say, the Kenyans were quite amused with their machete and brick-making skills and offered much needed instruction. At the end of the work day a ground-breaking ceremony was held with prayers, praise, worship and much singing. There was much thanksgiving given to the Lord for the amazing things He is doing for Divine Providence.

Several of the team members spent time visiting local conference/retreat centers to study the "competition" and garner tips for our future center. They also had a productive fact-finding trip to a noted college for hospitality services in Nairobi. Other trips were made to search for appropriate construction and building design materials and resources. Our American architect was able to meet with his Kenyan counterpart and the builder. All in all, the team was quite busy.

One night the students hosted a celebration to welcome home their friends (and ours) Silas and Rahab and their son Solomon who had just relocated to Kenya after a few years in the USA completing Silas' PhD. The students also expressed their gratitude for RUMC's support with a drama highlighting the difference their training at DPTC has made in their personal lives and in the lives of their churches. They also treated the team to different songs and dances from the various tribes they represent. The Masaai pastors even coaxed two of our men to join them in their tribal dance.... providing a lot of laughs for all.

Pictures above from top to bottom: Dr. Paul Beecham teaching; student clearing the land; student stacking freshly made hydraform blocks; students praise and worship on the land; ground-breaking; RUMC team planting a tree on the land

Celebrating with Silas & Rahab

Silas and Rahab and their son Solomon celebrated with friends in Roswell following Silas's being awarded his PhD from Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, KY. Having completed school, the family will now move back to Kenya where both Silas and Rahab will be invaluable to the ministry at Providence. They move in early July.

May School Session

The May school session welcomed Sally as guest teacher along with regular teachers Paul and Peter. Sally led the class through the book of Genesis as they studied the foundations of the faith. Pictured are some of the small groups working diligently on an assignment.