When one travels to Kenya, they will see the iconic acacia tree, with its unique umbrella shape. The tree is especially noticed in the nature reserves and national parks. Wild animals like giraffes, eat from its leaves, lions lay beneath its shade and cheetah’s climb up and rest on its limbs. (Image by stockcake.com)

This summer, July 25-August 6, we will get another look at the acacia tree when Great Awakenings team travels to serve at the Manna Bible Institute (MBI) in Ontaga Rongia, just about 20 minutes south of Nairobi.

This will be my fourth trip to Kenya, and this year I will be taking two volunteer construction workers with me, Eddie Darby and Cecil McLeroy.

First Ever Construction Team to Manna Bible Institute

Eddie and Cecil will be the first foreign volunteer construction workers to come in the 40-year history of MBI. Eddie lives in Belleville, Kansas, and is part of the Republic Community Church. For 40 years he has been in construction and a builder. When I asked him why he felt the Lord wanted him to come he said, “If there is something I can do to help someone, that’s God’s work. That’s my calling.”

Cecil lives in Roger’s, Arkansas, and is part of the Rocky Branch Baptist Church. When he was a teenager he started helping to build houses and throughout his life and career he has always worked with his hands. When asked why he wanted to come, Cecil said “A few years ago, God spoke to me through the Scripture where Jesus said, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ I want to go to Manna Bible Institute to be a fisher of men through the construction work they need. I’m just a simple person. If all I have is a place to sleep and something to eat, I’m ready to help.”  

MBI Principle Dr. Bishop George Muguro is looking forward to this historic occasion, and has spent time in prayer for how best to use Eddie and Cecil. Here are some of the things they will be working on.

  • Ongoing construction of a new MBI chapel. It will be a two-story building with a seating capacity of 3,000.
  • Construction of a new two-story structure that will eventually house MBI maintenance and security personnel along with the Manna Community Church youth pastor.
  • Repair/replacement of ceilings in classrooms and dormitories.
  • Replacement of pin-up boards in classrooms.
  • Replacement of classroom door.
  • Repair of floors in library and classrooms.
  • Installation of ceiling in library.
  • Repair of library wall.
  • Repairs on eight shower stalls: plumbing, walls, floors, ceilings and exterior.
  • Repairs on electrical outlets in various rooms.

Eddie and Cecil will have far more to do than they can get done. If you know anyone who might be interested in coming as a future construction volunteer in 2026, let me know.

3rd Annual Evangelism Training and Outreach at MBI

MBI has designated me as a Guest Lecturer for the college and my teaching is part of their Evangelism Class program. This will be my third year in a row to go, having taught over 150 students attending between the two years. My class will be open to the public as well as MBI students.

MBI has been around since 1984 and has trained over 15,000 students that have taken the gospel throughout East Africa. As each year passes, I continue to work with MBI in greater partnership on the development of the annual class. Students are from across Kenya, men and women, and are very experienced in ministry. They are evangelists, pastors, bishops, youth workers, prison chaplains and more.

During the day we will be in class. In the late afternoon we will hit the streets for personal evangelism, then in the evenings we will be conducting various open-air preaching engagements in the areas around the college. Each year God uses the students to impact hundreds of people with the gospel.

Trusting God for funding   

Our budget for 2025 is much higher than in previous years due to a larger team, plus the added  supplies to be purchased for the building, repairs and maintenance at MBI.

We have appreciated your partnership with us in going to Kenya each year. Please prayerfully consider joining with us again in 2025, and if you have never given a gift, join with us for the first time. God has provided just over 10% of our budget so far.  Consider a gift of $1,000, $500, $250, $100, $50 or however the Lord leads you. Click here to learn how you can give online or through the mail.

If your church would like to be involved, let me know. I would be happy to schedule a time to come and share about our upcoming trip.

Progressive Christianity in Rural Churches 

As I travel Sunday to Sunday to preach, sometimes I am in different churches, while other times I return to the same church. For the second year, I am preaching through a sermon series as I go place to place. This year, after prayer and reflection I felt led to preach on God’s plan for marriage and the family in Ephesians 5:22-33. My first message was titled “The Destruction and Restoration of The American Family.” In it I discussed the various perversions of the family we see in our culture, then turned to what the Scripture reveals as God’s plan for marriage.  (Image from fccstjo.org)

As I preached the message at different churches it was met with a breath of fresh air. One man shared with me how his daughter is a lesbian and refuses to have anything to do with him because of his Christian beliefs. He said he was looking forward to hearing the messages. In another church one woman said, “I needed to hear this today.” As I gave the message in church after church there were many who truly embraced God’s truth on this controversial topic. The Bible says, “I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.” (Ps. 119:16)

It was not that way for everyone though. I was invited to fill the pulpit for a pastor in a United Methodist Church. Though the majority of the congregation found the message refreshing, there was a small group that adamantly opposed it. One lady walked out while I was preaching then posted on social media calling my message a “teaching of hate.” Later when I called the pastor to thank him for allowing me to fill in for him, he confronted me saying, “I reject everything you said,” and after further words he hung up on me, then removed my message from the church’s Facebook page the next day. When God’s truth is declared, some people do not want to hear it. The Bible says “Now when they heard these things they were enraged…” (Acts 7:54)

The pastor made it clear that he disagreed with my teaching, and stood in support of the changes the United Methodist Church made in 2024 on human sexuality. One of those is regarding the definition of marriage. According to the 2024 Book of Discipline, “The United Methodist Church affirms that Christian marriage is ‘a sacred, lifelong covenant that brings two people of faith, an adult man and woman of consenting age, or two adult persons of consenting age into union with one another.’” (Paragraph 162.D)

This is a form of Progressive Christianity. It varies from person to person, but for some this false teaching does not embrace the full inspiration and authority of Scripture, views Jesus as a moralist, emphasizes the attribute of God’s love to the exclusion of His other attributes and has problems with the orthodox view of sin, salvation and the justice of God.

Though I was shocked by what happened, it turned out to be a needed learning experience. It is truly heart breaking to see and communicates how we must speak up and declare God’s Word on tough topics. Believers need to be discipled on these, and false beliefs like this need to be addressed.

Come with Me to Israel in November

The Great Awakenings “In His Footsteps” 2025 Tour of Israel will be taking place November 1-13. For several years we have been working and praying with Heartland to Holyland Tours and Lipkin Tours to make this happen. We are just eight months from walking where Jesus, the Apostles and the Old Testament patriarchs walked.

As my wife and I have been talking with people about the possibility of coming, for many it is a dream to be able to go. However, health issues, scheduling conflicts and lack of finances pose challenges. If you are able to come, we would love to have you join us.

The cost will be approximately $5,600 to $5,800 per person, with two people to a room. We will be taking a group of 40 and we still have openings.

According to official data, Israel had nearly 1,000,000 tourists in 2024 and are expecting 3,000,000 for this year.

We will be visiting nearly 50 sites that include both Old Testament and New Testament locations. Here are just a few…

  • King David’s Tomb, the Jordan River, the Dead Sea and the Valley of Megiddo – Armageddon.
  • The Western Wall, one of the last remaining walls of the Temple Mount on which stood the Jewish Temple at the time of Jesus.
  • A Nazareth village, that reconstructs what life would have looked like in Jesus’ time.
  • The Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus’ taught the Sermon on the Mount.
  • The Mount of Olives, The Garden of Gethsemane and The Last Supper Room.
  • The Via Dolorosa path with many historical sites, where Jesus carried his cross to be crucified.
  • The Church of the Holy Sepulcher, recognized as the site of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion.
  • Garden Tomb, where the reality of resurrection pervades the peaceful grounds.
  • The Road to Damascus, where Paul met Jesus.
  • The Dead Sea Scrolls. View some of the actual scrolls and see how the scriptures have not changed.

Lipkin Tours will be our professional tour guide offering historical, archaeological and biblical insight at each location. Additionally, I will be providing biblical lessons at selected sites, helping us to truly encounter God and make this truly a life changing trip. Contact me and I can send you a complete itinerary and informational sheet. (View from Mt. Olives looking at Jerusalem)

Servant of Jesus.  Servant of Yours,

Clint Decker
President
Great Awakenings, Inc