How two Kenyan students are using their God-given influence to mobilize their networks in the midst of Covid-19
Ellen* is a fifth-year medical student at Kenyatta University. The team in Nairobi has built a relationship with her for over a year and a half and it has been a true privilege to witness Ellen’s passion for God deepen, and with it, her passion for the unreached. The team really began to notice a movement to missions in Ellen. After going through Xplore with some of our team, Ellen immediately began leading fellow classmates through the same study. God also led her to actively mentoring one of her peers, Tasha*.
Ellen started their relationship by having intentional conversations with Tasha about spiritual topics. Tasha had attended church but always had questions and doubts about the Bible and the person of Jesus. Ellen began meeting with Tasha one-on-one after she expressed interest in studying the Bible. Now, even during Covid-19 protocols in Kenya, they are continuing to learn and grow together through Facetime devotionals and Bible studies. Ellen says that it has been an amazing journey with her friend who she can already see growing deeper faith as she continues pursuing God.
Ellen, like many other students, is home with her family during the Covid-19
mandated quarantine and it has brought surprising and beautiful opportunities for the spread
of the gospel.
Ellen, like many other students, had to return home to her family during the Covid-19 mandated quarantine; however, being home brought surprising and beautiful opportunities for the spread of the gospel. Ellen’s family (once skeptical and resistant to her interest in mission and her “overly” passionate devotion to Jesus) are now becoming open-hearted. She began taking her family through a daily study of Ephesians. Ellen asks that we pray for those she is discipling, that their sole treasure would become Christ alone.
Despite the unique challenges the pandemic has posed, God is creating unique opportunities in the midst of it. He is actively working through the hearts of students like Ellen to see their families, friends and communities transformed by the
life of Jesus and awakened to his mission of reconciling every nation to himself.
Taylor met Enock on a campus. Enock was in his freshman year at Kenyatta University studying to be a teacher and had been recently invited by a peer to join an Xplore study that Taylor was leading. Enock was one of the few students who was faithful to come every week and expressed great interest in everything he read and discussed with Taylor. After several weeks of meeting for Xplore, Taylor began discipling Enock one-on-one. Enock showed eagerness in doing everything he learned in Xplore.
In their time spent together, Taylor equipped Enock with practical ways to share the gospel, specific tools for mobilizing other believers, and methods of studying the Bible. Enock was faithful to always share what he was learning with his fellow students.
Taylor recognized in Enock a deep hunger to know God and a desire for others to know Him as well. Taylor faithfully invested in Enock over the course of the semester and their relationship flourished. When Enock left to go to his home during the university’s long holiday and Covid-19 shutdowns, they continued to keep in touch. Enock often updated Taylor with stories of mission work that he had begun in his hometown. He had begun discipling four guys, walking another four people through an Xplore study, and volunteered teaching a Sunday school class of twenty-three children. Enock is now in his second
year of university and is a key leader in a very influential ministry on campus. He is actively empowering those under his leadership to further the gospel and advocates for the need for mission workers among the unreached.
Enock’s driving motivation is to working to see
his home church mobilized and every single family in his community living missional lifestyles.
Enock’s driving motivation is to see his home church mobilized and every single family in his community living missional lifestyles. Please pray for Enock as continues to faithfully commit himself to creating mission movements on his campus. Please pray that he has continued influence in his home church and that he sees dynamic impact among those he is mobilizing.