BLOG 1: Dean Melcher
Greetings from Nairobi, Kenya where our E91 team is serving with Missions of Hope International (MOHI). We traveled all day on Thursday and Friday, arriving safely at Grace House to singing, dancing and clapping by the staff. The staff at Grace House has bent over backwards with hospitality, and the accommodations have fit our team perfectly. The food is outstanding! I will be avoiding the scales when I get home!
There are many on our team who are first-timers in Kenya and each day brings new highs, lows, and "elbows" (random observations or surprises).
Day 1 (Sat, May 30, 2026)
We went bowling and ate a KFC meal with the Grogan staff (E91’s partner school). The staff made the outing a lot of fun. It was a great time of bonding and relationship building. They have to be mature believers to teach for MOHI. We were blessed to meet these new friends and learn about the depth of their love for Jesus and the people of Mathare Grogan slum. It causes me to look inside myself with a desire to love Jesus by loving His little ones more each day.
Day 1 High
We were put into groups for bowling. I was the only E91 team member in group 7, and there were 6 lanes, so we bowled the second rotation. During the first rotation I was privileged to get to know most of the Group 7 people. This is God's power at work, because I'm an introvert and I was at least temporarily energized by those conversations.
Day 1 Low
My low was the tiredness from the travel. It was much more than 24 hours from take off in Indy to arrival at Grace house.
Day 1 Surprise
My “elbow” was a beautiful hand-painted card of encouragement from my 14-years-old granddaughter. Also, the energetic Kenyan welcome party and delicious meal at Grace house when we arrived after 11pm.
Day 2 (Sun, May 31, 2026)
We worshipped with the Outreach Hope Church (OHC) Korogocho. Their energy and spiritual worship, which I would call spiritual fervor, was such a blessing to my spirit and spurred me to worship with more energy and focus, too. Though the songs were unfamiliar and I could not understand some of the words, especially The Swahili, I felt like I was "in The Spirit on The Lord's Day" (Rev 1:7) the entire time. God was present with His people in a glorious way inside that building, bringing a great light into the darkness of the slum around it. God is using MOHI church plants like OHC Korogocho in His continuing transformation within one of the largest slums in the world. All praise to His Holy Name!
Day 2 High
God planted a center of worship and joy in the center of pervasive poverty. This church worships more intensely and energetically than I have experienced anywhere else in the world, including dancing during worship. It was inspirational!
Day 2 Low
Seeing the pervasive poverty.
Day 2 Surprise
I received a very creative multi-page card with pop-ups that was handmade by my 12-years-old granddaughter, Riley. Also, there were two very cute, small children playing on stage while Rick preached at church.
Day 3 (Mon, June 1 2026)
Today we went to the Pangani area of the Mathare slums. MOHI has a school there where we received an excellent introduction to their work and walked through Area 1 of the neighborhood. We visited a home, meeting Gladys, an 83 years-old great grandmother who has lived her whole life in this slum. Her house flooded, so she is living with her grandson, Daniel, and her great grandson, Amos. She was a wise and resilient lady. We also had the privilege of meeting our sponsored children, eating lunch with them and giving them gifts. It was an incredible joy to meet James, our sponsored child and get to spend some time getting to know him.
Day 3 High
It was amazing to meet James from Grogan school at Pangoni school today.
Day 3 Low
The filth of the slums and seeing little children living in it was taxing to the soul. It increased my thankfulness for MOHI, and made me want to provide additional help in Jesus' name. These people belong to God. He knows each one by name, they are seen by The Lord of All. It is difficult to understand why some of uslive in affluence while others live in these slums their whole lives. God has blessed us to be a blessing, not to hoard. This trip has recalibrated my heart regarding worldly wealth and generosity to the poor.
It has shown me that God has not forgotten His children. He has called you and me to tell them that He loves them by giving them hope in Jesus. He was at work here before we arrived and will be at work after we leave. But, we must not forget the lovely people that we met here, and continue to support His work in and for them! Whether you have been to Kenya or not, you can bless a child's future through sponsorship! See www.mohiafrica.org for details, or find one us from this year's E91 Kenya Impact team and we will be happy to help you sign up through the MOHI App.
Thank you for all of your prayers and support for this amazing team! God is Good!
- Dean
Greetings from Nairobi, Kenya where our E91 team is serving with Missions of Hope International (MOHI). We traveled all day on Thursday and Friday, arriving safely at Grace House to singing, dancing and clapping by the staff. The staff at Grace House has bent over backwards with hospitality, and the accommodations have fit our team perfectly. The food is outstanding! I will be avoiding the scales when I get home!
There are many on our team who are first-timers in Kenya and each day brings new highs, lows, and "elbows" (random observations or surprises).
Day 1 (Sat, May 30, 2026)
We went bowling and ate a KFC meal with the Grogan staff (E91’s partner school). The staff made the outing a lot of fun. It was a great time of bonding and relationship building. They have to be mature believers to teach for MOHI. We were blessed to meet these new friends and learn about the depth of their love for Jesus and the people of Mathare Grogan slum. It causes me to look inside myself with a desire to love Jesus by loving His little ones more each day.
Day 1 High
We were put into groups for bowling. I was the only E91 team member in group 7, and there were 6 lanes, so we bowled the second rotation. During the first rotation I was privileged to get to know most of the Group 7 people. This is God's power at work, because I'm an introvert and I was at least temporarily energized by those conversations.
Day 1 Low
My low was the tiredness from the travel. It was much more than 24 hours from take off in Indy to arrival at Grace house.
Day 1 Surprise
My “elbow” was a beautiful hand-painted card of encouragement from my 14-years-old granddaughter. Also, the energetic Kenyan welcome party and delicious meal at Grace house when we arrived after 11pm.
Day 2 (Sun, May 31, 2026)
We worshipped with the Outreach Hope Church (OHC) Korogocho. Their energy and spiritual worship, which I would call spiritual fervor, was such a blessing to my spirit and spurred me to worship with more energy and focus, too. Though the songs were unfamiliar and I could not understand some of the words, especially The Swahili, I felt like I was "in The Spirit on The Lord's Day" (Rev 1:7) the entire time. God was present with His people in a glorious way inside that building, bringing a great light into the darkness of the slum around it. God is using MOHI church plants like OHC Korogocho in His continuing transformation within one of the largest slums in the world. All praise to His Holy Name!
Day 2 High
God planted a center of worship and joy in the center of pervasive poverty. This church worships more intensely and energetically than I have experienced anywhere else in the world, including dancing during worship. It was inspirational!
Day 2 Low
Seeing the pervasive poverty.
Day 2 Surprise
I received a very creative multi-page card with pop-ups that was handmade by my 12-years-old granddaughter, Riley. Also, there were two very cute, small children playing on stage while Rick preached at church.
Day 3 (Mon, June 1 2026)
Today we went to the Pangani area of the Mathare slums. MOHI has a school there where we received an excellent introduction to their work and walked through Area 1 of the neighborhood. We visited a home, meeting Gladys, an 83 years-old great grandmother who has lived her whole life in this slum. Her house flooded, so she is living with her grandson, Daniel, and her great grandson, Amos. She was a wise and resilient lady. We also had the privilege of meeting our sponsored children, eating lunch with them and giving them gifts. It was an incredible joy to meet James, our sponsored child and get to spend some time getting to know him.
Day 3 High
It was amazing to meet James from Grogan school at Pangoni school today.
Day 3 Low
The filth of the slums and seeing little children living in it was taxing to the soul. It increased my thankfulness for MOHI, and made me want to provide additional help in Jesus' name. These people belong to God. He knows each one by name, they are seen by The Lord of All. It is difficult to understand why some of uslive in affluence while others live in these slums their whole lives. God has blessed us to be a blessing, not to hoard. This trip has recalibrated my heart regarding worldly wealth and generosity to the poor.
It has shown me that God has not forgotten His children. He has called you and me to tell them that He loves them by giving them hope in Jesus. He was at work here before we arrived and will be at work after we leave. But, we must not forget the lovely people that we met here, and continue to support His work in and for them! Whether you have been to Kenya or not, you can bless a child's future through sponsorship! See www.mohiafrica.org for details, or find one us from this year's E91 Kenya Impact team and we will be happy to help you sign up through the MOHI App.
Thank you for all of your prayers and support for this amazing team! God is Good!
- Dean