NAIROBI, Kenya (ABP) — The signing of a peace agreement in Kenya — and reports of stabilization throughout the area — have led Buckner International to announce it will resume sending volunteer mission groups to Kenya this summer.
“This is a result of our U.S. missions staff listening closely to our staff in Kenya,” said Ken Hall, president of the Texas-based Baptist charity. “It's an answer to prayer that Kenyans have recognized the need for peace and that our teams will be able to be the hands of Christ to a country that needs healing.”
The decision opens the opportunity for local-church missions teams previously scheduled to send volunteers to Kenya through Buckner to resume their trips. It will primarily affect summer trips planned by four churches: Valley Ranch Baptist Church in Coppell, Texas; First Baptist Church of Amarillo, Texas; Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas, and Memorial Baptist Church in Columbia, Mo.
“We've been in constant contact over the last month with our Kenya staff, and things are much more stable now,” said Randy Daniels, vice president of global initiatives at Buckner. “A peace accord was signed … and all Kenya is celebrating. They anticipate stability, continued growth. The climate has dramatically changed over the last few weeks.”
Kofi Annan, the former secretary general of the United Nations, mediated a power-sharing agreement between rival political factions in Kenya after riots broke out following a disputed presidential election. President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga agreed to the peace accord Feb. 28.
Buckner's reinstatement of the trips will be an encouragement to the Kenyan children the organization serves as well as to its staff, Daniels said.
“Not going over there would be akin to not seeing your family for a year,” he said. “When Kenyans see us in their country, it reassures our staff that they have our support. We are with them, walking beside them. We won't abandon them. I mean, we weren't going to put people at risk, and they understood that in Kenya, but they will be celebrating our presence now.”
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— Analiz González is a staff writer for Buckner International.