Why Africa?

The question comes up a lot - Why Africa? When we share with people that we're moving to Kenya for a year to be missionaries at a boarding school for missionary kids, most of the time we hear- Wow! Really, Why? It can be a hard question to answer. We really wouldn't have thought it up ourselves and we hadn't been attracted to Africa prior to the last couple of years. Our lives are going well here and our kids like where we live. So why uproot our family and move to another country - and Why Africa?

We have a very ethnocentric view of Africa. We like the United States of America. We are civilized here. We have running water, nicely furnished homes with heat and AC. Groceries are easily found, nicely packaged and approved by the government. On the flip side, Africa doesn't always have all these things. And I myself am fearful of the unknown. Especially AIDS, poverty, insects, dirt and people that I think aren't like me. So why Africa?

There is an incredible school about 30 miles outside of Nairobi in the Great Rift Valley of Kenya. It has 450 missionary kids from all over Africa in attendance. The staff is made up of fellow missionaries who have left the their home countries to teach, parent, counsel, play with, mentor and love these kids. The parents of these kids live all over the continent, some in Muslim countries, some in small villages and others in large cities. Without Rift Valley Academy many of these families would have to go back to their home countries to get an accredited high school education for their kids so they could go on to colleges and universities. RVA allows these families to remain on the continent of Africa and spend extended breaks with their kids, and continue in their ministries.

That is why Africa! We want to help missionaries to do their ministries and help equip missionary kids for the world after high school. We feel like God has a plan for us to be a part of Rift Valley Academy's staff. We have seen his hand working in all the details. We are trusting in his guidance for our family as we leave our home and make a new one in Kenya.

You can join us on our journey by clicking on the link Join The Team on the right side column of this page.  I assure you it is safe!  Your response is so encouraging and lets us know that people are "with" us, even when we are far from home.