While in prison, Paul wrote a final exhortation to Timothy, encouraging Timothy to remain steadfast in following Christ. Specifically, Paul stressed to Timothy that he must persevere in his ministry, despite hardship. Paul instructed Timothy to “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:1-2, NASB).  Facing his imminent death, Paul emphatically stressed that Timothy must share what Paul taught him to faithful people who will, in turn, teach others.

This past September, FBA sent a team on a Short-Term Mission Trip to Kenya to act out the instruction found in 2 Timothy 2 by equipping over 500 local pastors and teachers to teach others about the Gospel. Working alongside Source of Light East Africa, FBA’s team trained leadership in both Mtito Andei and Mombasa.

When reflecting on her experience, FBA member Kathy David recalls, “The main room of the conference area was filled with singing pastors and teachers waiting our arrival.  The air of excitement was invigorating.  We divided the group into two areas: one for pastors and one for teachers.  These were serious students of the Word.  Both conference sessions began with the Life Principles and proceeded with exciting moments of recognition of the oneness of the body of Christ and the hunger and thirst of these precious people seeking to learn more of Him. Our goal was to teach those who would teach others; to entrust and equip them with the Truth.

Since our intent was to challenge these believers with the task of teaching others, we began with presenting each one with a Life Principles Bible.  We showed them all of the resources within those pages.  The cross-referencing, concordance, index and maps we take for granted were studied with awe!  With all of this, plus an article on listening to God and detailed information on the 30 Life Principles added into the pages of God’s Word, the Kenyans realized they now actually possessed the greatest of curriculums!

After teaching the process for preparation in teaching, we presented the group with a template for making a clear lesson plan.  Following giving the teachers the topic of ‘The Feeding of the 5,000,’ we divided them into small groups to study and complete the lesson plan.  Everyone excitedly tackled the task. We listened to each group present their own methods of motivating students to learn, what would constitute their Bible exploration and application, as well as the life responses they desired to see among their students.  It was rewarding to see the confidence and enthusiasm exhibited on their faces as they took the topic and developed incredible lesson plans.

At the end of the second conference day, we gave out certificates and InTouch Messengers, to the delight of all attendees.  They were in awe over the face that the Messenger is solar powered and, therefore, usable by everyone.  We held the microphone up to the Messenger itself to allow them to hear Dr. Stanley’s introduction. The minute they heard his voice, the room exploded into cheering! It made you want to weep. This presentation was treated as a graduation of sorts by those in attendance.”

For team leader, Carole Pearson, this was her fifth trip to Kenya. Unique to this trip, the team was able to use PowerPoint, “allow[ing] the participants to hear and see what we were teaching. Most of them are able to understand and speak English, but it is difficult for them to process it fast when they are hearing new information!” Music, which is a major part of the culture in Kenya, was also introduced. “We realized we were missing a wonderful opportunity by not adding music to our teaching schedule. They loved it and really got into learning the songs. We found that, prior to a conference beginning, someone would stand up, start a song, and everyone would sing. Kenyans never miss an opportunity to sing!”

Encouraged by their time in Kenya, the team from FBA recognized that the need there is great and growing, for “the Muslim population is increasing in Kenya and so is the influence of its religion. One sees more mosques than ever before and hears the call to prayer more frequently. Those who teach and preach the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ are in a time crunch. It is critical that they have the tools with which to share the true message of eternal life and hope for the immediate future,” states Kathy.
“After the conference,” Carole remembers, “we had teachers asking us if it would be alright with us if they taught this material to other teachers! Our answer was ‘YES!’ That fulfilled our team Scripture. It was our prayer and desire that they would share what they had been taught with their churches.”

Through obediently teaching others how to teach the Gospel, FBA’s Kenya Team followed in the instruction given by Paul to Timothy. “We were not there to give them fish,” Ann explains, “we were there to teach them how to fish.” Through this example, members from FBA witnessed how, in eleven days, the tools they taught will present the Gospel and transform countless people for generations to come.