Kibera Slums

You might be familiar with the name "Kibera" if you've seen the movie "The Constant Gardener". These slums are located outside of Nairobi and are the largest in Africa. Wikipedia says, "Kibera... is the largest slum in Africa with a population of perhaps one million. The name 'Kibera' is derived from kibra, a Nubian word meaning 'forest' or 'jungle'."

Judy found a very moving documentary called "All Roads Lead to Kibera" that we have added to our Links of Interest on the right side of the page. The Mzungus will be visiting Kibera during their trip next week.

The Color of Money

Great news! Some generous folks at Christian Life Assembly and Generation Church have pledged $6000 as seed money for potential new businesses in Uganda/Kenya. We are so grateful to know that,as we travel, we have some capital to actually help give some persons hope and a future. We realize that discernment and wisdom are needed as we decide where to best invest this money. And accountability is paramount in order to make sure the monies are used as intended. Please pray for God to supply us with generous amounts of wisdom and discernment. God is good!

Missions Teaching Trip Itinerary

This is our trip itinerary. If anyone can take one day and pray for that day, we would appreciate it!

Sept. 30th, Sunday: Leave from LAX at 8:50pm.

Oct. 1st, Monday: Arrive London at 3:30pm and spend the night.

Oct. 2nd, Tuesday: Rest, group prayer and preparation (and perhaps one or two sightseeing spots for our Mzungus who haven't been to London before!). Fly to Nairobi at 8pm in the evening.

Oct. 3rd, Wedesneday: Arrive in Nairobi at 6:30am and fly to Entebbe at 8:35 am. Arrive in Entebbe at 9:40am. Arrange for transportation to Kampala and stay at the Episcopalian Guest House; rest and relax for the remainder of the day.

Oct. 4th, Thursday: 1:00-6:00pm we meet with the Workers Union (approximately 30-40 people) and we will each mentor 5-6 people and discuss their potential business plans. Hopefully, we will form some strong relationships. We will have dinner at Ema’s house that evening. Ema is the taxi driver that Shane (founder of ComeLetsDance.org ) set up in business.

Oct. 5th, Friday: We visit the Sewing Project, the AIDS hospital, and local villages. Meet with some men (former street kids) that Shane has identified as future leaders and spend time with each of them coaching and forming relationships. Attend an all-night worship event in the evening (until we drop!).

Oct. 6th, Saturday: Begin the Business Teaching Conference at 1:00pm. Celebration dinner at 7:00pm with everyone who attended the conference.

Oct. 7th, Sunday: Pastor Bob teaches at the 8:00am service! We then leave for the airport and fly to Nairobi. After settling in we will visit the Kibera Refugee Camps, which is the largest slum area in all of Africa; population of 1 million people in an area of 630 acres (Did you see The Constant Gardener?).

Oct. 8th, Monday: Teach in the morning and meet with small groups of folks in the afternoon to review and discuss their business plans.

Oct. 9th-Oct. 11th, Tuesday through Thursday: Fly to Mara Simba for a safari, rest, and processing of the previous events. Thursday night we will depart for Nairobi for an 11:50pm flight back to London.

Oct. 12th, Friday: Arrive in London at 6:45 am and stay overnight.

Oct. 13^th, Saturday: Depart London at 11:30am and arrive in LAX at 2:50pm.

Meet the Mzungus (Part 2)

Meet Bob! Bob is senior pastor of Christian Life Assembly, a church he founded in 1988 in Poway, a suburb of San Diego California. He has ministered on five continents training missionaries and pastors. He is the executive director of Healing The Nations, a non-profit organization bringing an HIV/AIDS treatment program to Mexico and Africa. He is also the founder of Global Partners In Development, a non-profit organization linking African entrepreneurs with partners in America. He and his wife Claudia have been married 38 years. They have three grown children and live in San Diego, California.





Meet Bill! Bill lives in Carlsbad, California, and is ‘theoretically” retired. A past corporate executive, entrepreneur, and Executive Pastor, Bill focus’s on ministry and spends the majority of his time assisting churches and non-profits in the area of administrative management while still dabbling in the commercial arena by working with TechMet Carbides, Inc. Currently a member of the board of Pastors To Prisoners, Bill also does work with Global Partners In Development, Healing The Nations and Generation Church in Oceanside, CA. Bill was ordained in 2002 and is currently completing his studies for a Masters In Theological Studies from Bethel Seminary. Bill hopes to combine this degree with his MBA to be of further assistance to start-up Christian organizations and to be able to write a book on Christian ethics in the marketplace. Bill is blessed with 6 kids and 5 grandkids. Bill’s topic is “How to Select, Start and Market a Business”.

Meet the Mzungus (Part 1)

Meet Bruce and Ruth! Bruce and Ruth live in Armstrong, British Columbia, Canada, with their daughter, Alyssa, and dog, Sheba. (This picture was taken up at Lake Louise, by the way!) Bruce is the Lead Pastor for Glad Tidings Church up in B.C. He enjoys camping and reading, listening to Hillsong and Chris Tomlin. Bruce will be teaching on the person Jesus is, and how that related to business. Ruth will be speaking on the unique challenges that women in business face.

Meet Judy! Judy lives in Carlsbad, California, and owns her own financial planning business called Stewart Financial Services. When asked to describe a little bit about herself, she says, “I love my job, which is helping people live extraordinary lives. I am passionate about wanting to make a small difference in the world by using the gifts that God has given me. I love my family. I am blessed.” Judy’s expertise in the field of finance gives her an edge with her topic of raising, managing, and allocating cash for small businesses.

Meet Harry! Harry resides in Escondido, California, and is married to his wife Stacy of 35 years. He is recently retired from full-time local government service and management after 33 years and now working part-time and doing ministry volunteering for CLA and Global Partners in Development. Harry says, “I am looking forward to experiencing and learning about needs in Africa… I have gone on mission trips to Romania and Philippines in 1994 and 2001. I am getting anxious to get going; hallelujah!” Harry will be speaking on business and ministry and how they relate to each other in his topic entitled, “Business and Ministry-Managing Them Hand in Hand”.

Prayers at Generation Church

The send-off from Generation Church, in Oceanside, California! Featured in the picture from left to right is Bill, Judy, and the lead pastor at Generation Church, Shawn Beaty. Bill and Judy gave a quick update on The Mzungus to the congregation and were met with warm wishes and prayers.

So, what are you doing again?

Rob Bell, in a short video shown at the Evolving Church: Restoring Justice Conference by Epiphaneia in Oakville, On., on March 24, 2007, explains the purpose of why we're doing what we're doing.

Welcome!

Welcome to the thoughts and travel journal of six people journeying to Africa. Stay tuned as we fly over to Africa to teach individuals how to sustain themselves, their families, and their communities, by building small businesses to support themselves. We're very excited that you are reading, and welcome your thoughts and comments.

We also welcome all your prayers for this endeavor. (In fact, we love them so much, we covet them!) Please pray for safety, for God's word in our mouths, and for a fruitful trip as we go for the first time as a group.

Make yourself at home, and again, we thank you for reading and for your prayers!

Sincerely,
The Mzungus
Bob, Harry, Bruce, Ruth, Bill, and Judy