-Don Dyck, Team Leader
Our Kenya team spent the entire second day at Missions of Hope International’s (MOHI) Madoya school conducting teacher training on reading comprehension for nursery (preschool) through 6th grade. We were pleased to see many familiar faces in the group from past trips and reconnect with our many friends at Madoya. We were encouraged that the teachers responded very well to the training, and they also enthusiastically received the new books we brought to use in implementing the training with their students.
Even though the training itself was a success (due in large part to Kelsey’s dynamic and engaging teaching style), the most memorable part of the day was witnessing how Connection Pointe’s relationship with the staff and teachers at Madoya has grown and deepened over the years. In between training sessions, we engaged in rich and productive conversations with the head teacher, center manager, teachers and a manager in MOHI’s Education Department who previously was the head teacher at Madoya.
Hearing the center manager say to us, “This is your second home,” reinforced to us the importance of these relationships and the long-lasting partnership that Connection Pointe has built over many years with Madoya school and the surrounding Huruma community in the Mathare Valley slum. Through the vital and difficult work they do each day, the Madoya teachers and staff are truly impacting the future leaders of Kenya for the Kingdom. We are humbled and energized to once again realize that Connection Pointe gets to be part of this great work. Having our friends and CMF missionaries Giles and Alison Emery work with us this week is yet another exciting dimension of Connection Pointe’s partnership with Madoya school as the Emerys work alongside MOHI in Kenya.
We concluded the day by visiting each classroom to briefly introduce ourselves to the students and to receive their greetings (called “Wows!” here), hear them recite Bible verses and sing songs to us. As Head Teacher Robert introduced us to one of the classes, he asked whether they remembered us and knew our names. The children immediately responded, “Don and Anita!” Our hearts were touched that the children remembered us so well. It was yet another confirmation to our team of how important relationship building is to living life on mission with our relational God.
