21 Nov Recap of the Kenya Medical Trip

Grace Church’s 6th medical / dental mission trip to Kenya was a success.  But, how do we measure success… what criteria should we apply?  You could say that all of us arriving home in one piece after journeying half way around the world with so many variables in play is a success. 

You could say that seeing 1260 medical and 160 dental patients in one week is a success.  You could certainly say that the 14 professions of faith that were made during the week we were there constitute success.  The truth is that we will probably not know the full extent of our impact for quite some time, possibly not until we reach our final destination.

Our primary objective on this trip was not necessarily to stamp out disease and suffering in Kenya.  Rather, it was to empower Gatunguru Baptist Church with credibility and establish it as a “go to” place in the region for answers.  The idea of a humble church in a poor, rural region of Kenya bringing a team of professional American doctors, dentists, nurses and other professionals to serve the community with free medical and dental care for a week with no strings attached is fantasy.  But Gatunguru Baptist Church said it was going to happen and it did. More importantly, the community knew that the reason we came is because the American team of professionals and the leadership of Gatunguru Baptist church share the same faith, the same mission and the same loyalty to the same God.  The care we provided, in Godly obedience and love, will be legendary in that community and will be forever associated with the message of the gospel that Gatunguru Baptist Church offers.  Though we cannot objectively evaluate this impact directly, we know that:

(1)We were on mission for God

(2) God wanted us there last week for a reason

(3) That reason was good.

The fact that we were obedient to God by sacrificing our time and resources to serve Him is what made the mission trip a success.  The outcome of that service is in God’s hands to do with it what He will.

Chuck Arnold – Grace Church Member?Nurse Practitoner/ Kenyan Team Lead