A Story from Kenya
Describing himself as ‘a jack of all trades, master of none!’ Stan can usually be found working part time as a grader operator and mechanic on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia. However in January, his situation was very different: he was on the other side of the world, in a remote area of northern Kenya, where he was able to make use of 5Y-PTL to assist him in meeting his ministry commitments.
This was his fifth trip to this challenging place; he explains how his connections with Kenya came about.
‘In 2013, I met a young man in New South Wales, who had been a missionary for two years in Northern Kenya. After getting to know him well, there was an opportunity to go on a month’s trip with him to Kenya. I was blown away by the opportunities to preach God’s word openly; and after three trips with Mick, God opened opportunities for me to do teaching and preaching in Nakuru.’
‘My work is teaching and preaching displaced people groups and Turkana refugees,’ Stan continues, who is passionate about sharing the love of God in any and every circumstance. ‘I teach and preach in the jails, small churches, on the street, and in one-to-one situations. In the small settlement of South Horr, I preached to the mzee (old men) in the dirt, under the shade of the acacia trees.’
His goal for this trip, like all the others he has made, is very simply to bring the word of God. Certainly, there are challenges; his prayer is always that the people have honest intentions, and will remain faithful to the teaching they receive, and not just be looking for a hand out because Stan is a ‘Mzungu’ (white man).
He aims to teach as simply as possible, and in chronological order, carefully explaining creation, the fall of man and the need for a saviour. He always appreciates the positive responses he gets, and the eagerness people show for the teaching. ‘From all walks of life, this message has been very well received,’ Stan says. ‘I have comments like: “Why has no one told us this before?” “I can see you are a man just like us” “We are like children, we need a teacher” and even “Can you come back once a week?”’
When asked what encourages him on his visits, Stan has a comprehensive list. ‘Every trip, I marvel at what God can do with an ordinary man from Australia. I encouraged by the way God provides all I need to get there, to have a local person to interpret for me, and the safety I have experienced on my travels. I’m encouraged by the acceptance of the simple Gospel message.’
Stan was happy to partner with MAF Kenya to accomplish his goals for the trip. ‘MAF were a life-saver in getting me from Nakuru to northern Kenya, a nine hour trip by car,’ he says. ‘The staff worked hard at getting permission for me to fly from the local army base as there were no other nearby airstrips available. And all communication was clear and prompt, all making my planning run smoothly.’ It is a privilege for MAF Kenya to support Stan in his ministry, and a great encouragement to see the LogLogo-based plane being made use of in this way.
