I Am Going to Kenya

Dear Friends and Family,

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to share an exciting opportunity that has recently come my way and to invite you to join me in prayer as I prepare for a Faith Adventure to Kenya with Mariners Church this November.

For more than 15 years, Mariners Church has partnered with churches and ministries in Kenya, including Nairobi Chapel and Mavuno Church. Over the years, these relationships have grown into something much deeper than a series of projects. Mariners has had the privilege of learning from our Kenyan brothers and sisters, supporting their work, and walking alongside them as they serve their communities.

I am especially excited about this trip because it gives me the opportunity not simply to visit Kenya, but to listen, learn, serve, and deepen these relationships. I expect that I will come home having learned so much from our Kenyan partners.

During the Faith Adventure, we will experience the vision of Mariners’ Kenyan partners and have opportunities to serve alongside several of their ministries:

Nairobi Chapel

Founded in 1952, Nairobi Chapel has planted churches throughout the region and has developed a model of church multiplication that has influenced churches well beyond Kenya. We will have the opportunity to learn from their approach to church planting and discipleship.

Mavuno Church

Founded in 2005 as a church plant of Nairobi Chapel, Mavuno is led by Pastor Muriithi Wanjau. Mariners has developed a particularly meaningful partnership with Mavuno, learning from its approach to discipleship and community transformation. In fact, Mariners adapted Mavuno’s discipleship curriculum into what we now know as Rooted, a foundational part of Mariners’ discipleship pathway.

Logos Christian Schools

Logos provides children with a nurturing, biblically based education designed to help them develop their abilities and live lives of purpose. Logos now serves more than 450 students. Mariners has supported the schools through child sponsorships and teacher education programs, and we will have the opportunity to see this work firsthand.

The Living Room International

The Living Room was founded to provide compassionate hospice and palliative care to people facing life-threatening illnesses. Its ministry is built around a powerful conviction: every person is created in the image of God and deserves dignity and quality of life. Mariners has supported the development of The Living Room’s hospital and care center. During our visit, we will have the opportunity to come alongside those receiving care and simply be present with them.

Bawa Hope

Bawa Hope, a ministry of Mavuno Church, works with marginalized artisans by creating markets for their products and providing opportunities for sustainable employment and entrepreneurship. Mariners has supported training programs that help artisans develop business skills and greater ownership of their work.

I am looking forward to experiencing these ministries firsthand—to meet the people behind the ministries, to serve where I can, and especially to learn from the faith, resilience, creativity, and generosity of our Kenyan partners.

I believe that some of the most important things we can do in life are to step outside what is familiar, enter into relationships with people who see the world differently, and allow those relationships to change us. I hope this journey will do that for me.

I would be grateful if you would pray for me and for our team as we prepare for this journey.

Please pray that we will approach our Kenyan partners with humility and a willingness to listen and learn. Pray for the people we will meet and serve, and for the many ministries that are working every day to bring hope, dignity, education, opportunity, and the love of Christ to their communities.

Please also pray for the relationships that have been built between Mariners and our Kenyan partners over many years—that they will continue to grow and bear fruit. And pray that God will use this experience to change each of us, not simply through what we do in Kenya, but through what we learn from the people we encounter there.

Thank you for accompanying me on this journey through your prayers. I am grateful to know that I will not be making this journey alone.

Asante sana kwa maombi yenu. Mungu awabariki.

(Swahili meaning: Thank you very much for your prayers. God bless you.)

With gratitude,

Roland Allen