Update #1 from Kenya!

Hello everyone,

Well I have officially been in Kenya now for the last 3 days. So far my time has been spent getting ready for the training, setting things in place, and getting all the finances worked out. With that almost done, it is about time to start the training! Here in Mombasa we have 555 pastors and leaders who have confirmed they are coming, so even with some of them having last minute changes in their plans we should have over 500 here in Mombasa. This does not even include the leaders coming to the training we will be doing in Nairobi, so there is a lot of potential for extensive ministry here. I wanted to give you the schedule for the rest of the trip, so you can have a better idea what to pray for over the next two weeks.

Sunday - the rest of the team arrives in Nairobi
Monday - the team takes a bus to meet me down in Mombasa (about a 7 hour bus ride)
- registration for the training seminar starts, so many of the pastors will be traveling as well
Tuesday - training starts, and we will be going all day for 3 straight days
Thursday - the pastors will be traveling back to their homes
Friday - the team will be taking the bus back to Nairobi
Saturday - a free day, the team will be doing some site seeing as well as possibly visiting one of the largest slums in the world
Sunday - the team will be ministering with Nairobi Gospel Center International
Monday - the second training starts, also going for 3 days
Thursday - a free day, the team possibly will get a chance to visit some orphanages and spend time with kids there
Friday - the team will be flying back to the U.S.

There are a couple things I would like you to keep in mind as you are praying. Each training will not only consist of 3 days of teaching the pastors and leaders how to use sports for evangelism, but each afternoon we will be doing an outreach camp in the area, so many kids will get a chance to hear the gospel while we are there. We are anticipating having over 500 kids between the two camps, so please pray that they will be receptive to the message of the gospel. Specifically during the training time, could you pray that the information will be presented in a way that will be helpful in establishing a model for sports ministry throughout Kenya. This is definitely a tool that will be very helpful to these leaders, but we want it to be culturally relevant, not just another American ministry.

Specifically for my team, could you pray for flexibility and the calming of nerves. Flexibility because while nothing ever goes completely as planned anywhere, it definitely does not go as planned when you are in another country. Their understanding of a schedule and staying on time is nothing like what we are used to in the States. As for the nerves, not many from the team have ever had such a responsibility placed on them, to train and lead this many Christian leaders at one time. Pray that they will do their best in preparing, and then leave the rest up to the Lord when it comes to the results. I could also use a lot of prayer in this regard, as this is far beyond anything I have ever done before.

I thank each and every one of you for remembering this trip in prayer. I know God has great things in store for these next two weeks here in Kenya, and He has proven Himself time and again to be faithful. I have no doubts that it is His will that the team and I are here, and I know He will bless our efforts to provide Kenyan leaders with another tool to share Christ all over their country. Every single district from Kenya will be represented, so this really is a once in a lifetime opportunity to reach an entire country.

May God bless you all,

Ryan Van Hoven
UW Sports Ministry