For the next 15 days I am in Kenya, initially with here as a team of two, with my youngest son Toby coming as my ministry parter. But even on BA flight out we were not on our own, with a recent church member serving as a stewardess on the plane and looking after us admirable, greeting us by name and welcoming us with such warmth.

That warmth continued on arrival with a party of three meeting us at the airport, including my new old friend Zadock, who I had shared a mud hut with in South Sudan, and the one person I had been told in advance to look out for Archdeacon Gilbert Odhiambo – a dear brother to my old mentor and friend Archdeacon Mark Ireland. Gilbert greeted Toby and I with a hug and proceeded to inspire us both in the car with testimony upon testimony of what God has done in UK and Kenya – and the amusement at being given 13 minutes to preach only when in England (+2 minutes to pray and wrap it up). ‘In Africa we preach until we have run out of things to say’.

We are now nestled safely in the ACK Guest house by Nairobi Cathedral, a delightful place to stay. Toby and I are reading through Luke’s gospel while away, and having read the first installment at Heathrow carried on with the second under the mosquito nets in our room.

Tomorrow we rise at 06:00 for a 07:00 pick up to go and preach at Lenana School where we are to except around 1000 15-18 year olds for a Communion service. I’ve been given 25-30 minutes to preach by the chaplain (although the SOMA Kenya leader has extended that to 30-40 in his relayed message), and the lectionary is on the betrayal of Jesus in Matthew 26. Musing on what made/makes people betray Jesus – then, today and in our tomorrows. Pray for God’s efficacy in preaching and power in the Word. What a privledge to be here and speak here.

Finally, a word on SOMA… what a joy to find that the ministry I have been so enjoying partnering in with Kenyans in South Sudan and now here, has some origins in a visit from St Andrew Chorleywood in the 1980s/early 1990s, where Barry Kissell prayed from Gilbert and others and they were filled with the Spirit. When I said that Barry’s son Jon was now on our SOMA national leadership team it brought such joy to Gilbert, and joy to me too to see how short missions, empowered by the Spirit, can have fruit that lasts down the decades. Gilbert, Zadock and others have been cultivating that faith in such an infectious way – and surely part of the great hope for the Church of England is that there are deposits of faith like this all over the world, and we can come, learn and bring back olive branches of faith when we step out on mission, learn to put into practice things written in our dusty journals from conferences long forgotten and minister together in partnership in the Holy Spirit and see what the Lord will make happen.

I’ll be updating this blog a few times while away I imagine… do follow along if you’d like to (you can subscribe to get an emailed link).