I want to take a little space to brag on our Kenya Mission Leadership Team. I'm their pastor ... so I have bragging rights. The trip was pretty much flawless. Think about it -- Forty Americans that had to get from about 3 different cities in Texas to Houston to London to Nairobi and back. While in Kenya we had groups going to Garissa (by airplane), inner city Nairobi, Massai Mara for a Safari (about 200 miles from Nairobi), Lemoru (about 300 miles from Nairobi), and back. All going at different times and with different people. This had to be done with excellent and safe conditions. In the middle of all of this we had to host a conference for more than 150 people.
As a first hand witness to the trip (and one who has been on a number of mission trips) I want you to know that the leadership team pulled it off with superb professionalism. Were there any problems that came up? Of course. Is there room for improvement? There always is. But I was extremely impressed with how smoothly everything went. Herding 40 people around (28 adults, 5 teenagers, and 7 children) can be a little like herding cats (O.K., it can be A LOT like herding cats). Yet, I never heard the leadership team complain. They addressed every situation with patience and were persistent and consistent in solving any conflicts or problems. It was impressive.
I want to thank David Chan for his overall leadership. David is our Pastor for Mobilization and Global Impact. David is a class act and one of the sharpest young men I know. He was a consumate professional throughout the trip. Everyone felt confident that there was not a problem he could not resolve. David made all of us feel safe throughout the trip and went out of his way to serve us. His hard work, both for months before the trip and for the 2 weeks during the trip, was nothing short of amazing.
I also want to thank Susan Sosebee. Susan is our Pastor for Families with Children. Susan's work at the conference and the Lemorus Children's home provided a rich experience for everyone. Her ability to work on multiple fronts and with people from varied backgrounds is amazing. Her love for the Lord and for the children is contagious. Susan made everyone on the team feel valuable. She also put a lot of work into this trip both before and during the trip.
Finally, I want to thank Bob Smith. Bob is a deacon at our church. Bob was the coordinator for the HIV/AIDS and Church Leadership conference. Bob's experience and expertise in this area was invaluable to us. We could not have done it without him. God has prepared Bob for "such a time as this," and Bob is responding to that call. His coordination of the conference is a big part of what made it such a huge success. Every participant felt cared for and appreciated. Bob was able to work with both the pastors and medical professionals in a way that made them feel comfortable and valued.
One of the things I heard over and over again from the pastors at the conference and others (not Calvary members) who went on the trip with us was, "with leaders like this you must have a great church." My response? "We have a lot more just like them back home!" It's true ... we are blessed. To God be the glory!
Blessings,
pastor ellis
Thank you for recognizing the hard work and talent of our leadership team. We DO have some pretty amazing people. One of the amazing people you failed to mention is YOU. Your eagerness to give credit to David and Susan and Bob and the others is one of the hallmarks of a Level 5 leader (from Jim Collins's book Good to Great). The people in Kenya said, "with leaders like this, you must have a great church." Yes, we do. And now, a challenge: with leaders like this, we should be achieving far more, both at home and abroad. Go for it! Jambo.
Posted by: Scott Hollinger | June 29, 2006 at 08:32 AM