June 8 , 2004

Hello from Nairobi, Kenya!!

I've been here in Kenya for almost a week now after leaving Kigali, Rwanda. It's been a good, but busy transition in moving from Kigali to Nairobi. Nairobi is a very different from Kigali in that it's larger, more congested and more confusing to get around on public transportation. A couple times I've gotten on the wrong bus and ended up in a place I didn't intend to go because there are so many buses and routes that the buses take it's very easy to get confused!! It just means I have to walk a little farther or ask someone for some help in getting where I need to go! I've been doing great here in Nairobi so far and I'm glad to be able to get this prayer update out to everyone as it's been a little more difficult to get to an internet cafe to send out a mass email to everyone. I moved to a different guest house just the other day from when I first arrived as it's closer to the area I've been working in. I may have to move 1 or
2 more times as they don't always have room at the guest house I'm currently in so I just have to be ready to move at times. I will be serving here in Nairobi through the month of June and my flight will bring me back to the United States on June 29th.

Currently I am here in Nairobi working with a guy named Dedan. I am working with him doing sports ministry and outreach opportunities among children and youth in the slum areas of Nairobi. We take time to play different sports such as soccer, basketball and baseball with the youth and also take time to fellowship and share with them a short message from the Bible. The main area that he is working in is a slum area of Nairobi called Kibera. This is one of the largest slums in the world and is like nothing I've ever seen or been in before. It's several square miles of tightly packed metal and cardboard shacks where many, many people live in dire poverty. We are working with a group of about 150 children and youth that live in Kibera through sports ministry, outreach and spiritual growth. Another area that I visited yesterday with Dedan is an area called Shauri Moyo, located east of the city center. Here there is a group of about 75 older youth who we are also meeting with to help develop an outreach opportunity with them through sports ministry and eventually help them to grow spiritually. Most of the youth and children that we are working with do not have families or parents. They are very much in need of being ministered to both spiritually and physically so they get out of the harmful way of life that is so prevalent among these youth living in the slum areas of the city. There is incredible potential and opportunity with this type of sports ministry outreach as many of the youth are looking for things to do and a lot of times they do this in ways that are harmful to themselves and their own community.

As the weeks progress here for me I will keep you updated on what is going on and the needs so that you may be able to pray for the work that God is doing here during my time with Dedan in Nairobi.

It's been a great time here for me so far and God has been good in providing me a place to stay while I'm here and allowing me the incredible opportunity to be a part of a great ministry opportunity among a group of youth who are living their lives every day in an environment that is difficult for me to even comprehend. Thank You so much for your prayers and continued support and I look forward to updating you in the weeks to come on what God is doing here in Nairobi, Kenya!!

In Christ,
Eric <{{{><
II Corinthians 5:17