Women are the Measurables: Journey to Kenya – Impact Nations w/ Christina Stewart

 

Editor's Note: to join Christina or Steve Stewart on an Impact Journey, or to contribute to meeting frontline needs, visit http://www.impactnations.com. 

 

Report on Kenya Journeys, Women and General

 

After more than 60 Journeys, it is sometimes a challenge to write something original. This is not one of those times. In 22 days, ten with the women’s Journey and 12 with the full Journey we saw a wider scope of measurable results than I can ever recall. In order to keep these measurable clear, I will attempt to keep this report as brief as I can. Perhaps in another report I will be more anecdotal, since there are many individual stories to be told.

 

Women’s Journey As Reported By Christina

 

This multi-national team of 12 women kept an extremely busy schedule which witnessed the following results (recognizing that many results we don’t actually see at the time)––

• 20 women and 7 children were freed from prison. The team provided $80 for each woman (including her children) as startup money. Without this, the prison won’t release the women, since they would be too vulnerable. They all now have safe lodging and are being trained in business skills.
• The team ministered in the women's prison, supplemented their food for the day and saw the new water pump Impact Nations had installed after last year's visit.  The next day 121 of the women in the prison requested baptism, including some guards.
• Christina preached to a large group of prostituted women from the Nakuru streets. 84 gave their lives to Christ that night. 78 are now off the streets and living in safe housing where they are receiving spiritual and emotional healing. Soon they will begin business training; when they have completed this plus an apprenticeship, they will receive a start-up business loan.
• During the various outreaches, well over 1,500 came to Christ. 1,300 of them have now been followed up (those with cell phones).
• 1,012  attended the three day women’s conference. This included many pastors and bishops and 19 Masai, who walked 15km then traveled hours by bus to attend. Each woman is given a certificate for attending. We learned that some women from last year's conference were able to obtain government identification for the first time in their lives, due to the official seal stamped on this certificate.
• At Jomec, a recovery facility for those dealing with alcohol and drug addiction, 54 came to Christ including 4 staff members and are now being discipled. 
• After one of the outdoor meetings, 18 gay men came to Mike and asked how to receive Christ and how to get free from their lifestyle. In all his years of ministry, Mike has never had this before. Each of them is now being discipled.
• The team visited and prayed at the city dump, 2 schools, a recent disaster site and a rural village. As always, gifts of school supplies and sports equipment were given. Some of Mike's team followed up by painting the principal's offices at two schools. 

 

Full Journey of Compassion

• In just one of the cities that we visited, a group of 340 new believers attended the first meeting for following up on new believers.
• 90 water filters were distributed, both in urban slums and in rural communities providing clean water to schools and homes.
• 8,000 food packages were distributed to hungry families.
• During each medical clinics, all the people were fed.
• Over 1,000 people received medical attention at five clinics. Mosquito nets were also distributed.
• Hundreds of pastors were taught and ministered to over 3 days by Steve and Randeep 
• We went to the Naivasha men’s maximum security prison:
• The Gospel was preached
• 24 men were baptized by Mike and Christina. A woman baptizing was a first for a Kenyan men’s prison, but Mike insisted, recognizing that it was an important part of their healing
• After we left, 400 other prisoners asked to be baptized which the prison chaplain did, along with his team
• 7,000 prisoners received extra rations; all the guards received a soda (this seemingly small gesture was very significant to them, as they are always totally ignored)
• Anti-parasite tablets were distributed to 10,000 students

 

The impact of our Journey was huge. We were featured on national television news a number of times on different stations, and Christina and Steve were both reported in several national papers.

 

Christina and the team met with the Speaker of the House and Majority Leader of Nakuru County, as well as the federal minister of health. Christina received a phone call from the First Lady of Kenya, thanking her for all that Impact Nations has done for the nation.

 

The doors for ministry in Kenya continue to open wider and wider. What the Lord has done around and through us far surpasses what I ever thought would happen. It would be impossible to over-state the favor that we have in this nation.