While we are in Nairobi, we will be doing mission work with three local organizations. Although each organization serves a very different population, they all share a commitment to caring for some of the most vulnerable people in their community. Mathare Community Outreach is a grassroots interdenominational Christian nonprofit organization founded in 1994 by Bishop Daniel Ogutu and Magdaline Ogutu to serve vulnerable children and families in the Mathare Valley slums of Nairobi, Kenya. What began as a simple daily feeding program - giving children a cup of porridge to combat malnutrition - has grown into a holistic community development ministry addressing poverty, education, health, and spiritual growth. Today, MCO serves over 1,500 children living in poverty in Mathare Valley. We will spend a full day at Mathare Community Outreach, where we will have the opportunity to meet the children and families who receive services from the organization and participate in whatever activities th...

In October, our team of five will travel to Kenya for 12 days of relationship building, learning, and service. We'll also take some time to explore some amazing natural environments and the wildlife that inhabits these spaces, in a part of the world most of us have never experienced before. This trip is being sponsored by Trinity United Church of Christ (Wooster, OH) , and we are incredibly grateful for the support and encouragement we've received from this congregation. Our faith is a big part of why we're going. We believe that following Jesus means being willing to cross boundaries—geographical, cultural, economic, and sometimes simply the boundaries created by our own assumptions. We've been doing a lot of planning and trip preparation. But some of the most important parts of this trip can't be planned or scheduled. We do not yet know the personal stories we will hear. We do not yet know the meaningful conversations we will have over a meal, during a church serv...