Kenyan Adventure DCPC has been invited to send a team of visitors to Kenya, to be hosted by our partners at the Sigona Presbyterian Church in the Kikuyu area. Teams from DCPC have visited the Sigona Church previously in 2005 and 2007. Kikuyu is located in central Kenya about 20 miles northwest of the capital Nairobi, and would be considered a suburb of Nairobi in US terms. The Sanctuary at the Sigona Presbyterian Church The Sigona Presbyterian Church is a large congregation consisting of people from all classes of Kenya society. They worship in a style that is less structured than at DCPC, but has all of the elements of Presbyterian worship that we would recognize. Surrounded by a community that has been adversely impacted by poverty, AIDS, and political upheaval, the members of Sigona have a very active community mission program. The jewel of that effort is the Child and Youth Development Center, an educational facility built on the church grounds with financial support from DCPC. Here the children and youth of the surrounding area are given educational opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable.
Worship at the Sigona Presbyterian Church Our partnership with Sigona PC is well developed over five years. Our mission objective is to lay the groundwork for a relationship of mutual growth and support. As such, our purpose in mission is neither concrete service projects nor carrying the gospel from here to there. The objectives of the visit to Kenya are to Develop personal relationships between members of DCPC and Sigona PCEA Gain an understanding of the needs of the local community around Sigona PCEA and the interaction of the Sigona members as they engage in community missions with the local population Experience the life and culture of Kenya, and learn to appreciate the differences and similarities between the lives of our friends at the Sigona church and our friends in Davidson Assess the effectiveness of our partnership and the investment of both churches in the community missions of Sigona PCEA, and bring back to DCPC recommendations for future interactions between our congregations
Show the members of Sigona PCEA, and many members of the community that they serve, that members of DCPC care about them and desire to help them improve their ministry and the lives of their people. Return to DCPC to share experiences that offer faith-growth opportunities for our own members as we continue to engage in partnership with our brothers and sisters in Christ across the globe. Greetings from the Children after Worship Trip Schedule Details Here is a general outline of the trip. (Dates may shift by a day or two either way.) Many details of the schedule have yet to be finalized, but based on the trip in 2007, here are some things to expect: Thursday, June 11 Depart Davidson for the Charlotte airport fly overnight to a gateway city in Europe (in 2007, that was London).
Friday, June 12 Take a daylong flight from Europe to Nairobi, arriving in the early evening. Total time from Davidson to Nairobi, about 26 hours. Saturday, June 13 Tour of Nairobi, lots of time for rest Sunday, June 14 At the Sunday morning service at Sigona PC, be introduced to the congregation and participate in worship Monday, June 15-Saturday, June 20 Lots of activities around the church, city, and countryside. These will include visits and observation of the activities at the Child and Youth Development Center, visits to the homes of some of the children to see their family situation, tours of famous sites in Kenya, for example, the town of Karen ( Out of Africa ), and Elsamore ( Born Free ), a visit to the Masai Mara game preserve, and visits in the homes of members of Sigona PCEA. Visiting the Family of One of the Children Served by the Child and Youth Center Sunday, June 21 lead worship at both services at Sigona PC, followed by a day long celebration at Sigona, including lunch, dancing, and other other entertainment.
Leading Worship the Second Sunday at Sigona Celebrating Our Partnership on Sunday Afternoon at Sigona
Monday, June 22 meet with the Board of Directors of the Child and Youth Development Center. In the evening, depart Nairobi for the European gateway city. Tuesday, June 23 day flight from Europe to Charlotte and back home to Davidson. Accommodations You will be staying most of the time at the Guest House on the grounds of the Orthopedic Hospital affiliated with the large Presbyterian medical mission. While not a five star hotel, the guest house is a comfortable and very inexpensive base of operations. Most of your meals will be served there, cooked in local style and using local produce. The Guest House At least one night you will have an overnight stay in the home of one of the Sigona PCEA members.
Cost The estimated cost for the trip is $3000/person. This includes airfare, accommodations, all ground transportation, and almost all meals. For More Information There will be two information meetings held to allow DCPC members interested in participating in this trip to get some additional details. These meetings will be on Sunday, November 23, and Sunday, December 7. Watch the DCPC News and This Week at DCPC for further information on these meetings. You can also call Shelli Latham at the church, or talk to any one of the members of the Global Missions committee or to one of the members who made the trip in 2005 or 2007.