Serving Hands and Hearts

During July 2013, Ridgeway Church in Chingford sent out two consecutive teams to visit the Kids Alive homes in central Kenya. With five keen members on each team, they went with an expectation of serving wherever they could be the greatest help!

Team members varied in age - the youngest being 12 - and brought with them an amazing range of gifts and experience to help with the ministry. Amongst other skills, we had those with teaching experience helping in our classes at Hall Mead School; a doctor who specialises in sexual health issues was able to bless the Karundas Clinic with her expertise; and those who helped with some much needed maintenance projects, including replacing 70 broken window panes and working on the back-up generators at the children’s homes.

It is always an exciting time for us when we get to send out a team – not just for the impact it has on the sites willing to host them but also for the impact it can have on the team members themselves, as they witness the work we do in the field and see some of God’s glory through the smiles of the children we care for.

The leader for both teams expressed how rewarding it was to ‘see first-hand the hope that Kids Alive provides for children and young people who previously had little or no hope.’

Another exciting thing about team mission trips is seeing how it brings team members together as they work hard and bond as team mates and also how, as individuals, they grow in their awareness and compassion for our brothers and sisters across the world. Another team member shared their highlights as ‘seeing the happy, smiling faces of the children, the good work going on at each site and being part of it.’

The team also took out some great gifts for the children, including new socks for every child in the school.