10 hours til takeoff (Alton)

It was an interesting Christmas, to say the least. It was a much more hectic holiday than usual with opening presents, having Christmas dinner, and packing into the wee hours of the morning. For me, this break from school hasn't offered much free time, although it has brought a lot of excitement and fun. I have no doubt it will continue to do so over the next two weeks.

I do not know if there will be an opportunity for me to write here while in Kenya, but if I can get online I'll be sure to give yall some information, stories, and specific prayer requests. I'll be keeping a journal so I'll try and recreate some semblance of daily blog entries when I get back. And, of course, I'll try and get pictures and such on here.

I am very excited about this trip, although it still hasn't really sunk in yet. Pastor Jackson, a local Kenyan pastor who has played a key role in everything Port City's done over there including founding the orphanage and organizing this retreat, said he's had 350 kids sign up for the conference. That is a lot more than we were expected, and I'm pretty sure they are still accepting kids. While this may create some logistical complications, it is truly a blessing to have an opportunity to reach so many kids.

I need to get some sleep, but I didn't want to leave for this trip without giving this information and, more importantly, giving a few things that you can pray for. Please pray that:
-The kids who God wants to speak to through this camp will get there.
-Brett, Mark, Dave and I will allow God to speak through us while talking in main session, and that everyone on the team will facilitate life-changing conversation in small groups.
-Safe travels for us and those going to the conference as students.
-Kenyans can put their trust in Jesus and not things of this world, including Barack Obama. As remarkable a man as he is, we know that he cannot fix all of America's problems, much less Kenya's. Pray that they will find a greater Hope than any man could ever offer, a hope for freedom and new life.

Should have posted this a while ago. This is the team going:















Here's a youtube video of some of the boys at the orphanage from an earlier trip by people in our church. It's so cool to think in 2 days I'm probably going to meet these kids, plus hundreds more! I wish I was as musically talented as they are.


Well, bout time I get some sleep. Tomorrow night New York City, next night Kenya. Hope to write here again soon. Feel free to email me any comments/questions.

God bless!
Alton

Update (Alton)

I recently sent out a new batch of support letters asking for prayer. It contains some of the same text as the first one but also has a lot of new information that was not available when I sent the first letter. For those of you who did not receive this letter, here's a copy of it:

Dear Recipient,
I have been given the opportunity this Christmas break to travel with a team from Port City Church to the Mama Helen’s Rehabilitation Center, an orphanage for boys, in Nakuru, Kenya. We will be in Nakuru from December 28 to January 6, and during that time we will hold a four day youth conference for the forty boys at the orphanage and up to 200 students from local churches.
The team has met several times over the past month and a half to prepare ourselves spiritually and culturally and to plan. We are planning to use a passage from Ephesians 6 about the armor of God. The six large group sessions will each be based on one of the six pieces of armor (belt of truth, helmet of salvation) from the passage. Within this context we will emphasize that God loves them, wants to have a personal relationship with them, and sacrificed Jesus to make this possible. This message will be conveyed primarily through the large group sessions and small group time. My role on this trip will include leading a small group, organizing and participating in games and skits, and speaking in front of the large group. I will be giving the talk on the shoes of peace.
I am very excited about sharing God’s love with the children I will encounter on this trip, and I want my friends and family to share in this excitement. So, I have created a blog at tokenya.blogspot.com with Darby Simmons, another highschooler going on the trip, where we will share our thoughts and experiences before, during, and after the trip. My hope for this blog is that those who give money and prayer to this mission can see the results and share in the joy that comes from loving others as God has loved us.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. I encourage you to lift this mission up in your prayers and check out the blog. If you would like any more information about the trip or have any questions, please call or email me.

Sincerely yours,

Alton Russell

In other news, I've gotten all my shots and prescriptions. I had to get Hepititus A, Tetenus, Yellow Fever, and Malaria shots.

Pray that the team can get the trip paid for, be prepared physically and spiritually, and are safe during their holiday travels. Pray for those in Kenya who are preparing for this conference at the same time that we are, and pray that God will make a way for the students in Kenya who He wants to be at this conference to get there.

Thanks!
Alton

Update (Alton)

It's been way too long since we've posted anything here, and it's certainly not because nothing's happened. I pray like me you are all enjoying the finer aspects of this season, such as fires and apple cider and s'mores.

We've had two meetings since Darby's post, and both of them were about spiritual preparation. We talked about what missions are (going to share God's love and make disciples), why we do missions (as a form of worship to God), forms of spiritual discipline (I need to work on journaling!), and other related subject matter. It seems for everything they tell us they give us two bible verses to back it up, which is very encouraging because it reinforces that we are going out to do God's will.

At the end of the second meeting, we talked about how we will structure the time, as in what we'll have the kids doing when. We also went over some ideas for the talks. It looks like we'll be discussing the Armor of God, which comes from Ephesians 6. The plan is to talk about the different tools and resources the students can utilize to really start to have a relationship with God and to live the life He has in plan for them. Please pray that as we develop the material for the talks, we will end up with material that will really speak to the children and help them grow closer to God. My prayer is that after hearing these talks, students won't just know how to be really moral people but will be transformed by God's mercy and have the tools necessary to live their lives for Him.

First Meeting (Darby)

Yesterday was not only our first team discussion meeting, but also the first time we got to meet everyone going with us to Kenya. Everyone was very excited and ready to go, whether it be their first, or in many cases, their 2nd 3rd or 4th time going back! We are all bringing different levels of experience in mission work and also in faith and it seems as if God has put together a truly unique group. Please keep the mission in your prayers and hopefully all the meetings to come will run as smoothly as this first one did :) Thanks

Thank you (Alton)

If you are reading this, you are probably supporting Darby or me by prayer or even financially as we get ready for our trip.  We are very appreciative of your support.  I started this blog so that Darby and I can let you know what's going on in our heads and what we are actually doing as we prepare for our trip.  I don't know if we will be able to write while we are in Kenya, but we will certainly post something about our experience here afterward.

Darby and I are going to Kenya to be the hands and feet of God, his ambassadors, to the children in Nakuru. I think it is incredible that we have been entrusted with that task.  But I think it is very important for all of those not going on the trip to understand the God uses people in incredible ways on this continent too. People may not be starving for food here, but so many people are starving for purpose and freedom.  Showing the love of Christ in Kenya is awesome, but sharing the love of Christ in America is just as incredible. Everyone who reads this isn't going with us to Kenya, but they can fulfill the same mission here as we are over there: to love people as God loves us and share the good news of Jesus' sacrifice.  It may be less glamorous to serve here than in Kenya, but it is just as necessary.