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Motivated by an agenda for change, a dynamic gentleman with a Kenyan father and an American mother recently made history that reverberated across the globe. It continues to resonate in every corner of the planet, since he became the first African American president of the USA; achieving a goal and ascending to heights on which he had set his mind and dared to dream in the formative years of his career.Years earlier, another gentleman with a Kenyan father and American mother sought to be part of kingdom history and to live out his vision for change. I was born in America, grew up in Africa (mostly in Kenya), and as a young boy dreamed of bringing change to my father’s country. I grew up surrounded by the tension and destructiveness of tribal suspicion and animosity, and considered a political career to address these ills.
My African Dream
I returned to the USA for college and God led me to disciples. Once baptized, I desired to bring the change that lasts and not only addresses tribal, political or societal matters, but also personal, emotional, spiritual and eternal matters. So when the mission field called, I responded.
Less than a year after my baptism and two years into my university studies, I was green, nineteen, and had a dream. I traded the supposed security of an American college education for the unpredictability of an African mission situation. And so, uncertain about what the future held but undistracted from the opportunity to live my kingdom dream, I came on board as the last member to join the mission team.
My “African” Team
Once on the ground in Kenya with the team, I quickly felt like the lesser member, the weak link. I was among spiritual giants and kingdom legends.
Mike Taliaferro could preach in any number of languages, and quickly added Swahili to his repertoire. Jim Brown had helped plant the church in the massive Portuguese-speaking metropolis of Sao Paolo in Brazil. Onyechi Oguagha was over six feet tall and had faith and courage oozing from every pore of skin on his frame. Richard Alawaye had three university degrees and always looked so snappy it was hard to believe that GQ Magazine had not granted him permanent residence on their front page. Frank Davis could preach a storm and could toss a frisbee for miles. Alcides De Morais had conviction so deep that Satan would have to drill further down than an oil well to try to root it out. .jpg)
Tom Ziegler was a pharmacist who had been part of the Philadelphia planting and whose faith and compassion knew no bounds.
The sisters on the team were of similarly solid spiritual stock.
Weak I may have been, but the apostle Paul did say, of his initial arrival in Corinth, “I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling.” (1 Corinthians 2:3)
The mission team and mission work were all about faith, fun, fellowship and scaling mountains. The team set the history of East Africa on a spiritually revolutionary course. To the weak link they became weak to help him to become strong enough to help others. And to the people of the region they gave the gift of the legacy of lives lived as a demonstration of the Spirit’s power.
The Power of the Dream
The Nairobi church marks its 20th anniversary this year, and much can be said of the experience of planting the church and of the evolution of the last 20 years. I am now back in the USA and not a day goes by that I don’t miss, think of and pray for the disciples in East Africa. They are still on my mind and in my heart. They are still a part of me. They always will be.
Looking back, what is the most encouraging thing to me? It is hard to say what is most exciting now, because it is all so incredible, so inspiring, and sometimes indescribable. But several highlights vividly stand out as special jewels that I .jpg)
hold endearingly and enduringly in my heart: Seeing East Africans rise up to lead the advancement of the kingdom in the region—as Evangelists and Women’s Ministry Leaders, full-time ministers and deacons. Walking with and witnessing East Africans of various stripes and strengths competently and effectively take up teaching and shepherding capacities in the church, for the love of God and country. HOPE worldwide Kenya steering powerfully, compassionately and forcefully forward, improving the well-being of the underserved, hard-to-reach and most-at-risk. Seeing men and women, ordinary but yet visionary, Cross-convicted, message-touched and Spirit-filled, stand on truth and not titles, courage and not convenience—giving and growing, moving hearts and changing lives—meeting harsh challenges with deep convictions.
(Above right: Recent Sunday service of the Nairobi church)
For the names of many of the East African disciples, a google hunt on the internet only produces the message, “Your search did not match any documents,” but for all of them a kingdom-search in the Book of Life gives the feedback, “Good and faithful servant, with whom I am well pleased.” The apostle Paul said, “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are.” (1 Corinthians 1:27,28)
It has been thrilling beyond words to see new churches planted and prosper (and sometimes struggle but remain faithful), and to be on some of the teams that pioneered the work.
Sad Chapter in the Dream
It has been painful and sad to see dear friends and once looked-up-to leaders leave the faith. But time is not yet up and God’s plan has not yet run its full course, so I pray that some of the yet unwritten pages of the East African story will be filled with the accounts of their return to the family.
My African Queen
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While confessing the Lord is immeasurably more significant than tying the knot in the eternal scope of things, I praise God that he chose to grace my dream with a gracious queen. Exactly 6 years to the day I left New York for Nairobi, I reaped where the mission team sisters had sown, with their effervescent ever-evangelistic edge. Georgeanne, the 10th person baptized in the nascent Nairobi church, said “I do”. She accepted to take my hand, wear my ring and bear my name. A little fringe mission team benefit, a special chapter of the dream.
The Dream Lives On
I thank God for Jim Brown who helped me make the decision to go on the mission team—a decision I had neither the courage nor wisdom to make. I thank Him for Mike and Anne-Brigitte Taliaferro’s fearless inspiring leadership. I thank God for the mission team members, who were and to this day still are to me incredible heroes and a very special, supportive and sacrificial family. I thank God for being God, and for giving each one of us the vision to dream and the conviction to act. I thank God Almighty for every moment, every memory and every member from the last 20 years.
Here’s to 20 more years—and more, if the Lord has not come back by then—of living, loving and learning. Here’s to 20 more years of men and women in East Africa being the salt of the earth and light to the world as they make Jesus the Lord of their lives. Can we do it? As one great dreamer said, “Yes, we can.” As the Ultimate Dreamer said, “Anyone who has faith in me will do even greater things than what I have been doing.” (John 14:12) To God be the greatness and to God be the glory!