Call to Kenya Prayer Letter – Ray & Sharon Hommes

When Sharon and I visited Nairobi, Kenya  for three weeks in the summer of 2008 to help with the workshop on Healing the Wounds of Trauma, little did we know that Africa would be pulling at our heart strings again, but in a different way.  Africa is so different from our life in Japan as missionaries from 1970-1989.  Africa is  huge and diverse with more poverty and unique trauma and diseases.  Africa has such stark beauty and persevering people but has suffered some of the worst atrocities and happenings such as genocide, slavery, famines, and AIDS, which have brought so much pain and suffering to hearty and long-suffering people, including many women and children.  It is in this context that many missionaries from all parts of the globe have risked their lives and surrendered their comfort and cultural roots to live in a different and strange world to bring the gospel of peace and love as well as acts of mercy to African peoples and nations. 

The Tumaini Counseling Centre located about a 30 minute ride outside of Nairobi, Kenya has been serving missionaries since 1990, when Wycliffe Bible Translators and Africa Inland Mission worked cooperatively to provide counseling and support services for missionaries and their families.   In 2002 a beautiful new facility was built, and today  it provides counseling with certified mental health professionals to missionaries from approximately 160 different mission organizations from all over the world serving primarily East and Central Africa. 

Missionaries have a high and unique calling but are just as human as the rest of us. They often experience similar problems such as marital conflict, parenting difficulties, as well as depression, anxiety, and unresolved issues from their past—all of which can be exacerbated and exaggerated by living in and being influenced by a different culture.  In the past when missionaries ran up against these types of problems, they were usually sent back to their country of origin often with a sense of failure never to return.  Today they can be helped on the field and hopefully continue their work and calling with a renewed spirit and new skills.  “Tumaini,” the Swahili word for hope, gives hope to missionaries, organizations, and families as they attempt to bring hope to others through Biblical teaching and service as well as modeling what it means to live as a Christian in daily life.

There have been up to nine counselors and interns serving at Tumaini for periods of weeks, months, and years.  At present there are three psychiatrists and a psychologist who are there full-time, as well as other short-term marriage and family therapists and social workers.  However, there are many people with needs, and if more therapists are there,  more people can be helped.  We can bring our life experiences and training to this unique ministry in Kenya having served 19 years as missionaries in Japan.  In addition, I am a licensed marriage and family therapist and chaplain, and Sharon is a psychiatric nurse, who has also worked as a boarding school nurse with international students both in Japan and here in California.  

I have been invited by the Tumaini Counseling Centre to be a counselor on staff.  Sharon’s place of service, although not yet specified, could be in many different areas where needs arise.  We will be sent out by the agency Africa Inland Mission, which has been sending missionaries to Africa for over 100 years. We will be sent out as Short-term Missionaries for a period of six months.  We hope to leave the end of July 2010 and return in February 2011. 

We need your prayers and support in the following areas:

1. As we clean out our lives and put our life belongings in a small storage space.
2. For a smooth transition especially for a timely work visa so that we will not have to delay our departure.
3. To prepare our hearts, minds, and bodies (as the years keep taking their toll) to be able to adapt and use our gifts and life experiences to help struggling missionaries and their families. 
4. To be able to raise financial support through AIM so we can be free of those concerns as we do their work.  Some expenses are:  housing, administrative fees to AIM, health insurance, and a vehicle to use. 

We want to augment our support by using our retirement income, but it won’t be enough to cover all expenses.  CrossPoint Church’s Missions Development Team has already committed to support transportation costs for which we feel very thankful and encouraged.  We covet your prayers and any financial support you can give.  We want to represent the ministry of CrossPoint in Nairobi, and keep you informed and make you as much a part of our ministry as possible. 

If you want more information or to give financially, please email Ray and Sharon Hommes or the church office.