Out for lunch…

Well not exactly lunch, more like 90 lunches (and hopefully other meals along the way).

This is the night before the big trip, and I wanted to say thank you.  Thank you for all the encouragement, love and support… not to mention money!  This mission trip to Kenya would not be at all possible without all of my family and friends, my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Also, I want to ask for your prayers.  Pray that I’ll be safe.  Pray that I’ll be effective in sharing the Gospel, sharing God’s love.  Pray for my team.  Pray that God would make a way for us to minister to as many people as possible, to love as many orphans, to look after as many widows, to pray for as many sick as possible. 

Thanks guys so much… and I’ll be sure to fill you in on everything I can when I get back in a few months!  See you in 3 months!

T-Minus 5 Days and counting

Hello again blogosphere.  It’s been a while and I apologize. 

I’ve been ramping up for the biggest trip of my life to date.  Right before Christmas 08 I traveled to Arkansas to be with family, and I’ve been here for the past several weeks.  My Dad was gracious by allowing me to work with him during this time.  It has been great.

I’ve been seeing all the friends in Arkansas that I’ve missed and missing all the friends in California I’ve been “not seeing;”  Working 12 hour days with Dad and chillin all weekend up in Fayette-nam.  I was with my whole family over Christmas.  I saw my old roommates sell out a show in Fayetteville on New Year’s.  I was able to speak to my old youth group.   I saw snow.     Gosh, it has been a great few weeks. 

Also I’ve been getting ready for the Kenya trip.  It’s all I think about.  Endless lists of supplies and last minute errands I’ve been thinking of… vaccinations, mosquito nets, flashlights, canteens, journals, cameras, etc…. and all in one bag and a carry on.  I did a mock-packing session last night and fit everything in my bag to weigh 45 lbs! (50 lbs is the limit).  I’ll be taking my guitar too-  playing worship in East Africa. 

I just wanted to drop a line to say hello and thanks to all of you for your support: your prayers, your giving, your encouragement.  I would not be able to go on this trip without your contributions… so thank you!  And know that although I’m going in person, you are actually going by giving to the cause.  I’m going as an extent of your ministry. 

If you want to write me a letter or send a postcard (please no care packages because they cost me to receive and often never reach their destination) while I’m in Kenya, here is the address:

Adventures In Missions
Attn:  Kenny Liles
P.O. Box 21347
Nairobi, Kenya 00505
East Africa

And if I get to post an update online while I’m there it will be somewhere around this website:

http://09ke0122rl3.myadventures.org/

So keep in touch!  Please be praying for me while I’m gone… and know that I miss you all!

K2K: Kenny To Kenya

Dear Friends!

I know most of you that read this blog will already know about my trip, but I’m writing this to let you all know of my plans to go to Kenya on a church-based missions trip for 3 months!  I leave for the trip in approximately 44 days and I am getting so stoked.  Time is moving quickly and I’m tying up loose ends all over the place to make sure I’m able to go.

I’m posting this to let you know about my desire to share the love of God with people in Kenya, and also to ask for your support.  I hope that you can either pray for me or contribute financially to the K2K Trip Fund.  The following text is from a support letter I sent to several people via snail mail a few weeks ago.  If you didn’t get it, it’s probably because I don’t have your address (sorry!)   If you would like to  contribute online to the trip fund, there are instructions at the bottom of this post!  Thanks you so much for your prayers and support!  I hope to be an extension of God’s love to others in Kenya as many of you have been in my life.

Hello! I hope this letter finds you well. I want to share with you some of what God’s been doing in my life lately. Since moving to California 15 months ago, God has been using me as a Student Pastor in Poway and as part of a small church plant in downtown San Diego. The most recent call I have felt is toward missions. I was excited when I found out about an opportunity to join Adventures In Missions to Kenya. I applied and have now been accepted. I plan to leave January 22, 2009 and be in Kenya for three months!

For the last several months, I have felt a pull to “get my hands dirty” in the Great Commission; to reach out to the poor and marginalized as Jesus did. I have always desired to go on a missions trip and share the gospel with people who are aching for God’s love. My prayer is that reaching out to the poorest of the poor while half-way across the world will give me further ministry experience and ignite the already burning passion in my heart to reach out to people here in the states. During this trip, I will be discipled and trained in various areas of ministry and missions. I will also have the opportunity to minister to people who need to hear of salvation through Jesus. I’ll spend half of the journey in Kibera, one of the largest slum areas in Africa, serving in a one-room primary school, and reaching out to the community via several ministries like drama, sports ministry, door-to-door evangelism and open-air meetings. The other half of the trip I’ll be engaged in the daily activities of a town outside of Nairobi, building relationships with those in the community and sharing the hope we have in Jesus.

I am so excited about this opportunity, and I’m trusting God to meet my needs for the trip. Ultimately, my prayer is that He will do that through you. I would be honored if you could partner financially and prayerfully with me in this ministry. I am assembling a prayer team committed to praying for me before, during, and after this journey. Also, I must raise $4,990 for the trip that goes directly to AIM. This will cover all my expenses while on the field; airfare, food, housing, ministry opportunities, etc.

I have enclosed a response card and pre-addressed envelope, which invites you to share in this ministry. Please make checks payable to Adventures In Missions. Including the enclosed card will provide AIM with all necessary information. In turn, they will send you a receipt. They request that you send all donations by January 5^th, 2009.

Adventures In Missions is registered with the Internal Revenue Service as a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization. Donors will receive receipts for their gifts with the understanding that the disbursement of those gifts lies completely at the discretion of Adventures In Missions and that the gifts are non-refundable and non-transferable, per IRS regulations. Gifts may be tax deductible; please consult a tax advisor.

I look forward to how God will use me and what He will teach me through this

experience. I hope not only to be a blessing to those I serve, but also to you. My desire is to go as your representative of Jesus Christ. I hope you will prayerfully consider being part of my ministry. Thank you so much!

In Christ,

Kenny Liles

Online Contribution Instructions:

1. Go to http://www.adventures.org

2. Click on the red “Mission Trip Participant” link

3. Choose “Real Life” on the Program tab

4. In the Participant field type “Kenneth Liles”

5. Make your donation either by Visa/Mastercard or bankdraft.

Thank you guys so much for your support and prayer over the next few months.  God bless you!

Committed!

Alright, a quick update on the Kenya status!

I’ve been officially “committed” to the trip by AIM, which basically means that as long as I raise the $5000 for the trip I will be assured a spot on the missions trip to Kenya!

I will continue posting updates here, and I also will be posting to our Team Blog Page here .

Coming up, I’ll let all of you who are interested know how to financially contribute to my trip online. Thanks for your continued prayers!