Mikko in Mombasa

September 8, 2005

Camp David Centre Youth Mission, Taveta, Kenya
(Monday Aug.29 - Friday Sept.2, 2005)

One of the main objectives of the work of Hope for Tomorrow is toward the spiritual content of its programs. Through the young people sponsored by Camp David Centre, an idea was born to conduct a youth mission-trip. We chose for our destination the town of Taveta, about a five-hour drive from Mombasa. It has a population of about 40,000. Taveta borders Tanzania, is about 900 m above sea-level and is overlooked by Mt.Kilimanjaro.

Out of all the twenty-one high-school aged youth whom we sponsor, seventeen made it with us on the trip. Before the trip they were thoroughly trained for the mission. They had also prepared themselves through prayer, praise, and by practicing drama (some plays they had written by themselves). Altogether we were six leaders: pastor/evangelist Anthony Musembi and evangelist Esau Oloo, who were not from Camp David, and the rest of us, Maureen, Onesmus, Mutwiri, who was in charge of the food, and I, Mikko. In Taveta, we were accommodated in a lodging of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, and our host was Pastor Ojwang of the Redeemed Gospel Church of Jesus Celebration Centre Taveta.

Our schedule was quite intensive, spiritually speaking. We woke up before four for a two hour morning prayer session, grace hour at the church was from one to two, and after four in the afternoon were at the marketplace of Taveta - there was an open air event (drama Tues-Thurs) - and from there we proceeded on to the church for the evening revival meeting. On Tuesday and Wednesday we ate supper just before midnight. At other times we did have the time to practice the dramas, praise, even play ball, go to two different areas to evangelize (Tuesday Bahati, Wednesday Russia, with us were nine young people from JCC Taveta). On Wednesday we slipped over a few kilometers across the border to Tanzania by bodabodas (local bicycle taxis). On Thursday night we butchered a goat for the celebration feast. Early on Friday morning we left back toward Mombasa, and midway we stopped by Tsavo East National Park and used the Kenya Wildlife Service bus to have a closer look at the animals. After we got back to Mombasa at around six or seven on Friday night we were all (at least I was) quite exhausted but very grateful and so glad for experiencing such blessings during the mission trip.

We will write up a full report, with the youth, on the Youth Mission, and post it up on the internet later on.

Read the introduction: Why is Mikko in Mombasa?