GMTC Updates

Global Ministry Training Center returned from their International Outreach at the end of May, 2011. 13 team members, 2 countries, 24 days, a youth conference in the back country of Kenya, handing out shoes to the poor, a day at the petting zoo with the children from our Mali Saba Children’s home, 3 prisons and street ministry in Manchester, England…these were the highlights of our trip.  It was an eye-opening experience for those who had never been to a third world country before and really was unlike any other trip to Kenya that we had had before. It was great to join up with Larry and Francine Carruthers who have some of the biggest hearts and participate in the ministries that they already have going on which include feeding the poor, providing basic medical care to those who can’t afford it and loving on ourMali Saba children.
 
Our time in Manchester was inspiring to say the least.  We were able to participate in a ministry called ‘The Message’ that puts on fantastic evangelistic outreaches in Manchester and beyond.  Thousands of young lives have been touched by this ministry and it was such a neat experience to work alongside them.  Our times of outreach in the prisons were short, but impactful.  In each prison ‘The Decision’ drama was preformed and many people made the decision to follow Christ.   The Message employs people to go into the prisons and disciple these new believers, so we know that there is some great followup happening.

Thanks again to everyone that prayed and supported us financially to go.   We couldn’t have done it without you!

This year’s provincial outreach took us up North to two cities, Prince George and Prince Rupert, BC.    In Prince George we were blessed to be to able to work with Pastor Paul Berteig’s church as well as Gateway Church pastored by Tim Osiowy.   Our team worked hard in both churches, cleaning, leading worship and performed the Decision multiple times.   It was beautiful to see what the Lord was doing in young people’s lives as our team testified and positioned themselves in a position of faith and availability for God to use them.   A young man was radically saved that night and tore up his cigarettes, saying that he wanted nothing to do with his old life anymore and that he wanted to follow God and what He had for him.

The last leg of our adventure led us to Prince Rupert to see Tony and Barb Price, who were such an inspiration to many of our team.  Tony’s zeal for the lost and Barb’s loving hospitality set the stage for an excellent outreach.  Our team preformed the Decision in multiple places such as malls, and a few churches. Again we witnessed multiple salvations and the Lord move on young people to continue to aspire to who God had called them to be.

Soon, we will be on our way to Kitale, Kenya and Manchester, England.  Our agenda includes bringing solar panels, distributing 1000 pairs of shoes and participating in any building projects that Larry Carruthers needs us to do as well as preaching and teaching in local churches.  In England, we will be partnering with a ministry there that serves in the local prisons to rehabilitate young people. Please join with us in prayer to see His Kingdom come and His will be done.

I think I can speak for everyone on our team, when I say that this year’s trip to Kitale, Kenya, was an absolutely positive, life changing experience. For some of the team that went, it was our second time down and we were greeted with familiar, smiling faces and experiences that triggered fond memories such as small Kenyan children running after our van after us in hopes of a wave or a ‘Hello’, or the joyful faces of our children at our Mali Saba home as we greeted them and opened our bags of balloons and made balloon animals for hours to their entertainment.  For others on the team, this was their first mission’s trip and their first opportunity to see a country void of order and full of poverty and deprived of so many of the ‘luxuries’ we have at home.  

           Four days after leaving Canada, we arrived at our destination, Kitale , where we met up withLarry Carruthers, who had left a weekprior and had coordinated our trip for us  ( he did an amazing job!).  Our schedule included, visiting schools, where we were able to perform The Decision, as well as evangelize the village around our Mali Saba children’s home and then perform the Decision, open air in the village square where many people were able to hear and respond to the gospel message! We had opportunity to spend timewith the children at our Mali Saba home, during which we handed out a few soccer balls, made balloon animals, helped them write letters to their pen pals back home, and were able to just leave behind toys and clothes, that were sent with us to be a blessing for the home. We also spentsome time at Dalton’s home and Lisa Berkand Sera Scaife were able to presentDaltonwith $1000.00 from our very own Beyond Beans coffee bar for a roof for his home. The list goes on and on, but probably one of the most significant things in the schedule for our team, were our trips to the dust bins or ‘slums’. Here is where we witnessed people who had nothing and literally lived in the garbage.  We did what we could, and although it seemed so small in comparison to theneed, the people were grateful as we applied ointment on their sores and brought down sandwiches and juice and shared the gospel message with them.

Our trip ended with a day of ministry in Nairobi,which included again, ministering in a school, where 3 people gave their hearts to theLord and we were able to participate in another open air presentation of our drama in a slum, with Pastor Ed giving a salvation message at the end.  It was a fantastic way to end the ministry portion of our trip and an experience that I could only try to portray in words! 

After that we headed out on our over-night safari and into another cultural experience altogether as we entered Masai territory and encountered a tribe that still holds to some very primitive traditions, such as killing lions with spears and drinking cow’s milk mixed with blood! Wow.

Plans are already under way to take another team of GMTC students next year to Kitale, Kenya and I pray that God continue to enlarge and expand our influence in that area for His glory.

Trudy Hiebert
GMTC Dean of Students

Our trip to Kitale, Kenya was a success in every respect of the word.  Through numerous ministry opportunities, our students were able to interact with a culture unfamiliar to their own, bringing the good news of Jesus Christ, and a very needed and relevant message of the Father’s love.

Our time in Kitale was spent visiting orphanages, ministering in churches through ‘The Decision’ and working on various building projects.  Below are a few of our accomplishments during our stay there:

• We installed solar panels at our Mali Saba Children’s home which gave them electricity for the first time. A BIG thank you goes out to EPOD SOLAR INC. for their large contribution to this project!
• We set up a computer lab at the God Bless You High School with 10 new computers that were donated to us by Heritage Christian Online School.
• We poured a concrete foundation for a church
• We distributed toys to numerous orphanages and brought down clothes for a baby’s home, all which were donated to us.
• We preached the gospel and fed the poor in the slums of Kitale.

One of the many highlights of this trip was to meet our children at the Mali Saba home.  What was once a distant mission’s project had now become people meeting people, which quickly became friends caring for friends.  We were impressed to find out how well the children, ranging in ages from 1 ½ to 17, could speak English and how much they loved the Word of God.  After we learned that a typical day for them was to be up at 5 am, have devotions, eat breakfast, go to school, come home, eat dinner and then more devotions and studying until midnight, it made sense.  They are diligent in their studies and are growing up to be responsible men and women who are hungry to know God. 

I know I can speak for our team when I say that our lives have been touched and that we carry Kenya in our hearts in a bigger way than before. We want to send a BIG thank you to everyone for your prayers, support, and contributions to this team and trip and to those we touched, we know lives have been changed because of it!