Nairobi Experience 'Humbling' - Razorplanet
Nairobi Experience 'Humbling' - Razorplanet Nairobi Experience 'Humbling' - Razorplanet
May Missions TeaM {newsletter} vol.1 issue 10 5.16.13 Nairobi Experience ‘Humbling’ by Pastor Roy Fruits Rockpoint church has the incredible privilege to partner with several ministries in Nairobi, Kenya. In order to further our partnership, I led a team of 9 to Nairobi, Kenya from March 7 – 19. On behalf of the entire team, we want to thank you for your prayers and financial support. It was truly one of the most strategic trips I have been on for several reasons. First, we were exposed to several ministries that are taking place in Nairobi. Our team visited several slums while observing various children’s ministries, taught at a school located in the slum, visited a special needs school, participated in teaching and preaching at two churches, trained pastors, visited with various Kenyan ministry leaders, spent an evening with two of our missionaries (Dennis and Irene Tongoi), and enjoyed the fellowship of Kenyan Christians. One of our team members led a student to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord, and the stories abound as to how God worked in our hearts. As we were walking through one of the slums, we were invited into a home. It was the home of a former student to the school. He had become a follower of Jesus along with his parents. What we learned as we sat in this tiny little home, all nine of us, was that we were the first white people to every set foot in their house. It was truly humbling. Second, we were able to strengthen our strategic partnerships. Our church is involved at several levels of ministry, including partnering with a church, offering micro-loans, supporting an African Leader who resides in Kenya, as well as a growing involvement with the Brydges Center. Third, but most important, we spent time at the Brydges Center. The Brydges Center, which was founded by Rosemary Wafula, who is currently the managing director. It was later re-named after Bob and Nancy Brydges for the support they have provided (Bob is our Executive Pastor at Rockpoint). It is a children’s home located just outside of Nairobi, Kenya. There are currently about 85 children that are taken care of at the Brydges Center, many with unimaginable stories of abuse and abandonment. It was truly an honor to love on these kids, play games, provide gifts and support as well as encourage the staff. It is a fantastic ministry that is providing Jesus and a great education to these children. Many of them have already graduated at the tops of their classes and beginning to become productive Kenyan leaders. Our church has the unique opportunity as the only church to partner with them. Many of you know we already have built a windmill well for the center, and it is now providing clean water for the children as well as water for the crops they raise. Our church will continue to expand our child sponsorship through the Brydges Center, and we are also looking into other opportunities for involvement in the development of this home. Our family has chosen to sponsor a child and I hope many of you will join us. I must confess it is very hard to put a trip like this into a few paragraphs and do justice to the multiple ways God changed our lives as a team. We all came back with a sense of “awe” at how God is working and how He worked in all our hearts. God humbled us and encouraged us to take steps of faith as He worked through us on this trip. It was a joy to be the voice of Rockpoint, and more important than anything else, the hands and feet of Jesus. Rockpoint now has a family in Nairobi, Kenya, and we can’t wait to return. Roy Fruits is the senior pastor of Rockpoint Church. Notes from Africa: Brydges Center Update As the Brydges Center kids sang “kubarikiwa” or ”be blessed” and we left them for the last time this year, we were torn emotionally. However, on this wintry Saturday morning with snow on the ground we feel cozy inside; and snow or not, we feel blessed to be back in the U.S.A. We don’t need guards to protect us, we can once again open our mouths in the shower and are comforted knowing that children aren’t locked out of school because they don’t have money. We can attach a few more photos because of good Internet service. As we drove to a funeral yesterday, I was commenting on our wonderful roads, the good churches, the wonderful signs, the cleanliness, the stores so neatly placed, the sanity of driving; and I even went so far as to say how could anyone get in an accident here. We are so blessed, and we want to thank you for the blessings of your prayers and support while we were in Kenya. Lord willing, we will reassemble the pieces of our hearts that we left behind at the BC when we return in 2014. Meanwhile our hearts are full with our grandson, Zach, here for the weekend, and seeing (or at least talking with) our entire family, including those wonderful Canadians. Each one of you has blessed us, and again we thank you and say to you, kubarikiwa. -- Bob & Nancy Brydges Missions Minute Books for Africa Eb and Janelle Flomo of Help Encourage Liberia’s Little Ones (HELLO) would like help selecting and packing books at the Books For Africa warehouse the first and third Saturdays, May through July, from 9-11am or 12-2pm. Your service will benefit hundreds of children and families in Liberia. For more information contact Eb at 651-895-0118. Directions can be found at www.booksforafrica.org Upcoming at Rockpoint: Bring Books (text books, Bibles, encyclopedias) And A Buck for HELLO. Dates announced soon, stay tuned. Upcoming Missions Youth - Thunder Bay, June 30-July 6 Youth - Healing Haiti, July 1-8 Youth - New Orleans, July 20-27 2014 New Orleans, January 19-25 Nairobi - March Women’s Healing Haiti, April 7-14 Applications will be posted on-line shortly for missions trips. This newsletter is brought to you courtesy of Rockpoint Church | 5825 Kelvin Ave N | Lake Elmo, MN 55042 | 651.770.3172 Questions or Comments missions@rockpoint-church.com
May Missions TeaM {newsletter} vol.1 issue 10 5.16.13<br />
<strong>Nairobi</strong> <strong>Experience</strong> ‘Humbling’<br />
by Pastor Roy Fruits<br />
Rockpoint church has the incredible privilege<br />
to partner with several ministries in <strong>Nairobi</strong>,<br />
Kenya. In order to further our partnership, I<br />
led a team of 9 to <strong>Nairobi</strong>, Kenya from March<br />
7 – 19. On behalf of the entire team, we want<br />
to thank you for your prayers and financial support.<br />
It was truly one of the most strategic trips<br />
I have been on for several reasons.<br />
First, we were exposed to several ministries<br />
that are taking place in <strong>Nairobi</strong>. Our team<br />
visited several slums while observing various<br />
children’s ministries, taught at a school located<br />
in the slum, visited a special needs school,<br />
participated in teaching and preaching at two<br />
churches, trained pastors, visited with various<br />
Kenyan ministry leaders, spent an evening<br />
with two of our missionaries (Dennis and Irene<br />
Tongoi), and enjoyed the fellowship of Kenyan<br />
Christians. One of our team members led a<br />
student to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord,<br />
and the stories abound as to how God worked<br />
in our hearts. As we were walking through one<br />
of the slums, we were invited into a home. It<br />
was the home of a former student to the school.<br />
He had become a follower of Jesus along with<br />
his parents. What we learned as we sat in this<br />
tiny little home, all nine of us, was that we were<br />
the first white people to every set foot in their<br />
house. It was truly humbling.<br />
Second, we were able to strengthen our strategic<br />
partnerships. Our church is involved at<br />
several levels of ministry, including partnering<br />
with a church, offering micro-loans, supporting<br />
an African Leader who resides in Kenya, as<br />
well as a growing involvement with the Brydges<br />
Center.<br />
Third, but most important, we spent time<br />
at the Brydges Center. The Brydges Center,<br />
which was founded by Rosemary Wafula, who<br />
is currently the managing director. It was later<br />
re-named after Bob and Nancy Brydges for the<br />
support they have provided (Bob is our Executive<br />
Pastor at Rockpoint). It is a children’s home<br />
located just outside of <strong>Nairobi</strong>, Kenya. There<br />
are currently about 85 children that are taken<br />
care of at the Brydges Center, many with unimaginable<br />
stories of abuse and abandonment.<br />
It was truly an honor to love on these kids, play<br />
games, provide gifts and support as well as<br />
encourage the staff. It is a fantastic ministry<br />
that is providing Jesus and a great education<br />
to these children. Many of them have already<br />
graduated at the tops of their classes and beginning<br />
to become productive Kenyan leaders.<br />
Our church has the unique opportunity as the<br />
only church to partner with them. Many of you<br />
know we already have built a windmill well for<br />
the center, and it is now providing clean water for<br />
the children as well as water for the crops they<br />
raise. Our church will continue to expand our<br />
child sponsorship through the Brydges Center,<br />
and we are also looking into other opportunities<br />
for involvement in the development of this home.<br />
Our family has chosen to sponsor a child and I<br />
hope many of you will join us.<br />
I must confess it is very hard to put a trip like<br />
this into a few paragraphs and do justice to<br />
the multiple ways God changed our lives as a<br />
team. We all came back with a sense of “awe”<br />
at how God is working and how He worked in all<br />
our hearts. God humbled us and encouraged<br />
us to take steps of faith as He worked through<br />
us on this trip. It was a joy to be the voice of<br />
Rockpoint, and more important than anything<br />
else, the hands and feet of Jesus. Rockpoint<br />
now has a family in <strong>Nairobi</strong>, Kenya, and we<br />
can’t wait to return.<br />
Roy Fruits is the senior pastor of Rockpoint<br />
Church.<br />
Notes from Africa:<br />
Brydges Center Update<br />
As the Brydges Center kids sang “kubarikiwa” or ”be<br />
blessed” and we left them for the last time this year, we were torn<br />
emotionally. However, on this wintry Saturday morning with snow<br />
on the ground we feel cozy inside; and snow or not, we feel blessed<br />
to be back in the U.S.A. We don’t need guards to protect us, we<br />
can once again open our mouths in the shower and are comforted<br />
knowing that children aren’t locked out of school because they<br />
don’t have money. We can attach a few more photos because of<br />
good Internet service. As we drove to a funeral yesterday, I was<br />
commenting on our wonderful roads, the good churches, the wonderful<br />
signs, the cleanliness, the stores so neatly placed, the sanity<br />
of driving; and I even went so far as to say how could anyone get<br />
in an accident here.<br />
We are so blessed, and we want to thank you for the blessings<br />
of your prayers and support while we were in Kenya. Lord<br />
willing, we will reassemble the pieces of our hearts that we left<br />
behind at the BC when we return in 2014. Meanwhile our hearts<br />
are full with our grandson, Zach, here for the weekend, and seeing<br />
(or at least talking with) our entire family, including those wonderful<br />
Canadians.<br />
Each one of you has blessed us, and again we thank you<br />
and say to you, kubarikiwa. -- Bob & Nancy Brydges<br />
Missions Minute<br />
Books for Africa<br />
Eb and Janelle Flomo of Help Encourage<br />
Liberia’s Little Ones (HELLO) would like help<br />
selecting and packing books at the Books For<br />
Africa warehouse the first and third Saturdays,<br />
May through July, from 9-11am or 12-2pm. Your<br />
service will benefit hundreds of children and<br />
families in Liberia. For more information contact<br />
Eb at 651-895-0118. Directions can be found at<br />
www.booksforafrica.org<br />
Upcoming at Rockpoint: Bring Books (text<br />
books, Bibles, encyclopedias) And A Buck for<br />
HELLO. Dates announced soon, stay tuned.<br />
Upcoming Missions<br />
Youth - Thunder Bay, June 30-July 6<br />
Youth - Healing Haiti, July 1-8<br />
Youth - New Orleans, July 20-27<br />
2014<br />
New Orleans, January 19-25<br />
<strong>Nairobi</strong> - March<br />
Women’s Healing Haiti, April 7-14<br />
Applications will be posted on-line shortly for<br />
missions trips.<br />
This newsletter is brought to you courtesy of Rockpoint Church | 5825 Kelvin Ave N | Lake Elmo, MN 55042 | 651.770.3172<br />
Questions or Comments missions@rockpoint-church.com
Women’s Ministry Travels to Haiti<br />
by Gretchen Stevenson<br />
Thank you to all who supported the first women’s<br />
ministry trip to Haiti. It was an experience that all 16<br />
women will never forget.<br />
There were many different components to our trip<br />
that made it so wonderful. We delivered fresh clean<br />
water to the people in Cite Soleil and visited a new<br />
orphanage that is home to 23 boys and girls. We<br />
were able to outfit them with swimsuits and flip flops,<br />
and we had an adventure to the ocean for the very<br />
first time.<br />
We also visited a home for infants and babies, as<br />
well as a home for the sick and dying adults. Another<br />
highlight was when we delivered hot meals to<br />
elderly folks in Titanyen who are orphaned because<br />
they have outlived their family members.<br />
These visits were very special because it allowed<br />
us to share the love of Christ through worship, touch,<br />
scripture, and prayer. The joy and the gratefulness<br />
EDGE<br />
Excitement and anticipation is rising for another<br />
group of Rockpoint EDGE students to serve<br />
Jesus in Haiti this summer! A crew of 14 students<br />
and 4 adult leaders have been gathering to pray,<br />
train, raise support, and build a strong servant team<br />
to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ! The team will<br />
be serving in several ways: distribution of clean<br />
drinking water in Cite Soleil, caring for orphans, caring<br />
for sick and dying babies, and street evangelism<br />
through music. It is our desire to be the hands and<br />
feet of Jesus through sharing His love and Gospel<br />
with everyone we encounter. Would you consider<br />
joining our team as a prayer partner? We know<br />
that apart from God, we can do nothing! Would<br />
you commit to praying for us as one of Rockpoint’s<br />
mission teams and for open hearts to receive the<br />
Gospel? Our team departs for Haiti on July 1st and<br />
returns on July 8th, but we invite you to begin praying<br />
with us now! For more information on how you<br />
might support the team financially, or if you would<br />
like a team roster to pray through, please contact<br />
Robb Ammermann at rammermann@rockpoint-church.com.<br />
Junior High<br />
We are excited to be going, only for the second<br />
time, on a junior high missions trip! During the Summer<br />
of 2013, a group of junior high students and<br />
leaders will be venturing across the Canadian border<br />
to the city of Thunder Bay, ON. Over the past 10<br />
these individuals expressed was overwhelming.<br />
The diversity of ministry that we were able to do<br />
as a team allowed for each woman to step out of<br />
her comfort zone and be used in incredible ways by<br />
the Lord. I have been encouraged by the stories<br />
and testimonies that the women continue to share<br />
as they continue to process and unpack all that the<br />
Lord allowed them to experience, see and do.<br />
I am very grateful for the opportunity I had to lead<br />
this first team over to Haiti and I look forward with<br />
much excitement for all the other teams that will get<br />
to experience such an incredible taste of God and<br />
His power and love in action.<br />
Thank you for your support and prayer. I am very<br />
grateful.<br />
Gretchen Stevenson is the Pastor of Spiritual<br />
Development - to multi-generational women<br />
at Rockpoint Church. She can be reached at<br />
gstevenson@rockpoint-church.com<br />
Rockpoint Students Serving Around the World<br />
years, however, the city’s economy has struggled,<br />
and hope for a quick turnaround is fading. Our team<br />
will have opportunities to be the hands and feet of<br />
Christ as we minister to local children, elderly residents,<br />
and serve at homeless shelters and soup<br />
kitchens in Thunder Bay. The dates for this trip are:<br />
Sunday, June 30 - Saturday, July 6. We are well underway<br />
in getting ready to go. Students are engaged<br />
in raising funds and preparing mentally, emotionally,<br />
and spiritually. Pray for our team as we prepare<br />
and go to Thunder Bay, that we would be a good<br />
representation of Rockpoint Church – but most importantly<br />
– that we would be a good representation<br />
of Jesus Christ! Contact Luke Garvey lgarvey@<br />
rockpoint-church.com<br />
Senior High<br />
The Senior High is looking forward to continuing<br />
our relationship with Urban Impact this summer as<br />
we head back down to New Orleans. In the heat<br />
of July our students will be running kids programs<br />
at Castle Rock Church and then taking the popular<br />
Challenge Circle outreach program to the neighborhood<br />
parks in the evening. During this week-long<br />
service and evangelism project, we hope to bring the<br />
gospel message of Jesus Christ to many and learn<br />
how to love like Jesus. Pray that God would transform<br />
the lives of the kids we meet and the students<br />
that go. Thank you, Rockpoint, for your prayers and<br />
support! Contact Brad Madison, bmadison@<br />
rockpoint-church.com<br />
Chase Olson and his Thailand-<br />
Cambodia missions team.<br />
Overseas Rockpoint<br />
Missionary Updates<br />
Chase Olson: At just 21-years-old, I<br />
work with YWAM (Youth With A Mission) and<br />
am on staff with them in Australia. I work very<br />
closely with students from all over the world<br />
in a very intense Discipleship Training School.<br />
My job is to help equip, disciple and lead students<br />
on over seas trips for a couple of months,<br />
several times a year. We work with many different<br />
kinds of ministries; from Gospel Crusades<br />
in Africa, Hill Tribes in India/Cambodia,<br />
Freeing Prostitutes in Thailand, to local evangelism<br />
in China.<br />
Pictured above is my team that I am leading<br />
to Thailand and Cambodia for two months<br />
from April-June. We will be working with different<br />
prostitution ministries in Phuket (Thailand)<br />
and be traveling out to remote villages<br />
in Cambodia that have never heard the Gospel<br />
before. We will also be working with some orphanages.<br />
Please keep praying for our team as<br />
we travel and spread the good news of JESUS!<br />
You can follow me by my blog at:<br />
chase2thenations.tumblr.com<br />
Tyler Heins: I applied and got accepted to<br />
do a stint with CRU, which is a one-year mission<br />
trip over seas. I will be traveling throughout<br />
Eastern Europe to eight different major<br />
cities. I will be bringing hope, restoration and<br />
freedom in the Name of Jesus to lost students<br />
on university campuses. The Good News of Jesus!<br />
I’m really excited about it and would love<br />
to connect with those that would like to hear<br />
about it. Contact me at tjheins@cord.edu.