Justin Rose, from the Salvation Army Mayfair Community Church, is leaving in a few weeks (God willing) for Kenya to train youth leaders for the Salvation Army. We got a chance to ask him a few questions about what it’s like to get ready for a one year commitment half way around the world.
You are leaving for Kenya with the Central Territory’s Mission’s department hopefully in the next few weeks. Can you talk a bit about what led up to your decision to want to do overseas missions?
God has been placing overseas missions on my heart for the last 4 years. I come from a mission-minded family, went to a college that focused heavily on missions, and even had a chance to do three trips myself, to Ecuador, India, and Chicago. Throughout my experiences with missions, I have felt God leading me and saying that this is something that he wants from me. I decided to go right after college because I can often be all talk and little action, so I decided that God wanted me to attempt it right away before I allowed life to hold me back.
Can you describe what the process of applying to go overseas was like? What has it been like working with Chris Shay, applying for a visa, etc?
The process involved me first praying it over while talking to my Mom, family, and friends about it. I then talked to Chris Shay about it and filled out an application to go overseas. We then worked on finding a place for me, and eventually settled on Kenya West.
Working with Chris, Kristin, and Sarah has been great. They really do good work and have my back, even though they are so busy. Right now we are waiting on my visa from the Kenyan government. This has been kind of difficult and right now it just involves sitting back and waiting.
Can you describe what you’ll be doing in Kenya, and how you’ve been preparing yourself here in the States? Explain a bit about the problems and challenges the Army/church is facing in Kenya, and what your role is going to be in helping overcome/solve them.
In Kenya I will have a territorial youth worker position. My main responsibility will be to train youth leaders. I will teach leaders in the corps how to effectively and positively work with the young people in their corps.
I have been preparing here by learning as much as I can about Kenya. I have been reading about the culture, the news, asking people who have been there about it, as well as attempting to learn the language (but it’s really hard). I have been preparing by going back over my college classes and text books, since I was a youth ministry major, and trying to think about what exactly to teach and what would be beneficial for the leaders to learn.
Some of the problems that the church is facing is that there are so many people and little resources. The church is growing so much numerically but the spiritual maturity level is still low. The saying goes that “They are a mile wide and an inch deep.” rings true. They need spiritual maturity. Another problem is broken families, sickness, and unemployment. These hardships are evident in the country and in the church. My goal is to help present the youth of Kenya with a hope in the Lord and to promote community among believers, especially between adult leaders and teenagers.
What is your number one fear about this whole thing, if there is one? Or, as you get ready to leave, what do you anticipate will be the hardest part of this experience?
My fear is that I won’t be able to return if something big or important happens in my family or among my friends. I am scared because it is going to make me feel so out of the loop. I also anticipate that being stared at will be hard, I don’t like that.
How have you seen God’s faithfulness/hand most in all of this?
I was supposed to go in August. But God knew that I shouldn’t go then. There was some responsibilities here that I needed to continue to do and finish up before I left. There have also been several good relationships that I have developed in the last five months that I never would have had if I had left in August when I had originally planned.
What type of practical things can people start doing now, no matter where they are in life, to start preparing themselves for overseas missions if that’s something they’d like to look into doing after college? What are some tips that you can give to prospective missionaries?
1. Pray
2. Ask questions
3. Start hanging out with people of different cultures around you. Missions is all around us, you don’t have to go to Kenya, etc. to make that happen.
4. Learn the Bible really well (I wish I did)
5. Look into doing a short term missions trip (Band of Survivors, SMT, YWAM, etc.)
6. Talk to your parents and officers about it
This is my only tip: If you think overseas missions is in your future then work hard at it starting now. Start preparing for what God has in store now! We often push things aside until the last moment; don’t do that!
Besides the obvious (clothes, your Bible, etc), what are a few things that you’ll be taking that you cannot live without? Any music, books, etc?
I’m taking books, tooth paste, and gummy worms.
How can someone keep up with you while you are in Kenya?
While I’m in Kenya I will still have the internet, praise God! So you can reach me through email ([email protected]) or facebook. I will also be keeping a blog to update what I am doing and learning while I’m away (JustininKenya.blogspot.com).