Going to Africa may sound exciting—seeing exotic animals, such as lions, hippos, giraffes and hyenas; enjoying the local cuisine and absorbing the culture. But the reality is many countries in Africa are the poorest in the world.
According to unicef.org, Kenya is among the world's 30 poorest countries. Fifty-percent of Kenya's population lives below the poverty line; living on less than one U.S. Dollar a day. Additionally, 50 percent of the population is younger than 15 years old, which puts a heavy burden on the nation in terms of education and health care.
Chris Rygh, pastor of multi-site ministries, his wife, Mary Beth and their daughters, Katie, 13, and Molly, 11, and approximately 20 other Prairelakeans travelled to Kenya last summer to partner with the 410 Bridge. The 410 Bridge's core tenet, according to its website, (www.410bridge.org) “...is to identify, develop and partner with local indigenous community leadership.”
“We were inspired by the people, especially the Kenyan leaders of our partner, 410 Bridge. These women and men are well-trained managers and exceptionally gifted communicators. They generate broad community support in communities like Kwambekenya for the five 410 Bridge initiatives: water, health, education, investment and discipleship. As a result, it is easy to see the signs of growing community wellness,” Pastor Chris said.
The Ryghs are no strangers to international mission trips. They traveled to the Czech Republic in 2009 to work with a team in the Majak Center. But going to Kenya was both sobering and inspiring.
“On one hand, it was shocking for our girls to witness firsthand the surface-level, cultural differences, for example, driving UK-style on the left side, experiencing non-western toilets, feeling like a minority. But, on the other hand, it was reassuring to see how much really unites us. At one point, we sat with a Kenyan family in their one-room home and, even without a translator, managed to connect on all kinds of topics. We laughed about our children, shared a meal. We even prayed for one another and for our churches,” he said.
Mary Beth served in the clinic along with Kenyan and American practitioners, helping with weighing and measuring patients. Another volunteer, Lori Nordyke, distributed reading glasses to Kenyans, some who hadn't been able to read the Bible for years.
“Having new reading glasses allowed them to read the Bible again. Many people were forced to stop reading passages they'd learned when they were younger. A simple pair of cheap reading glasses reopened the world them, allowing them not only to read the Bible, but also letters, medicine bottles and stories from their children,” he said.
Katie, 13, and Molly, 11, served at the school, where they distributed special deworming medicine to all the students. Pastor Chris spent a lot of time with community leaders and pastors.
“They told me about their village, it's history and future. I saw a growing herd of cattle, started with a micro loan to a team of women; now a Co-op. I saw the plans for an eight-inch water line, trenched by hand, that will carry fresh water from a spring in the mountains, nine kilometers to fill several large, elevated tanks in Kwambekenya. I also prayed with pastors who are struggling to disciple their young men,” he said. “Overall our team turned out to be a very healthy, emotionally stable team. The younger ones did a great job of keeping up, as well as keeping us older ones from losing our perspective.”
