And I'm off...

On Wednesday, June 10, I leave on a trip that I have been preparing for for some time. The goal of this trip will be twofold: 1. to launch the Discipling Marketplace Leaders (DML) Ministry in two new countries, Egypt and Ghana and 2. to check in on the work in Kenya with the two new staff persons for the DML Kenya office, help with a DML event and various meetings/trainings.

The work in Egypt and Ghana will involve introducing the idea of Discipling Marketplace Leaders to three different groups:  pastors, seminaries/Bible colleges, and business people.

The first leg of the trip will be to Egypt, where we (Dr. Phil Walker, President and co-founder of ICM and I) will be guests of the Middle East Leadership Training Institute who have organized these meetings for us.  These meetings will all be translated into Arabic.  We will be primarily in Cairo, but will also have meetings in Menia. I will be in Egypt until June 22.

Dennis Tongoi

From there, I will fly to Nairobi, Kenya and then to Kitale, where I will be with the Discipling Marketplace Leaders Kenya team for a week.  On Saturday, June 27, we will be having an event in Kitale for all Marketplace Ministers and people interested in this ministry, with Dennis Tongoi as our main speaker.  Dennis Tongoi is a Kenyan who has been involved in Business as Mission for a number of years; I first heard him speak at a Partners Worldwide event, probably ten years ago.  I met up with him in Thailand two years ago and we hope to work together as he is passionate about getting this work into the Church.  Dennis is the Executive Director of CMS Africa and has connections in many African countries.  He will be bringing several of his staff with him to learn more about DML, and how this has worked through the church in Western Kenya.

On June 30, I will fly to Accra, Ghana where I will spend nine days with ICM Ghana Country Director, Rev. Philip Tutu, as well as long-time friend Fanny Atta-Peters, the Executive Director of Hopeline Institute.  My previous work in Ghana was with Hopeline Institute, who does an excellent job in business training, mentoring, and access to capital.  We will now work on bringing this into the church though the DML program.  Rev. Tutu, and ICM Ghana, is very active and networked through the churches in Ghana, so the two will work together to make this fit.

Rev. Tutu, ICM Ghana Country Director (left) and Rev. Mairori, ICM Kenya Country Director (right)

Lord willing, if these trips go well, we will start training in both Egypt and Ghana in September.

Just as I built a team of DML trainers in Western Kenya, I hope to build a team of trainers in the US to help serve in new countries.  The goal will be to develop a DML team of trainers in each country, but it will require a three month training period with outside trainers to start.  If you are interested in being a DML trainer, with business experience, and able to teach on subjects like marketing, simple book-keeping, or  management, and would be willing to volunteer to go for ten days trips, please email me at renitar@icmusa.org. I will be looking specifically for trainers to go to Egypt this fall. [Ghana should be covered with the trainers through Hopeline Institute.] 

Please pray with me for this trip.  There are lots of flights, with lots of potentials for challenges.  Additionally, this is the first time to try to launch such a ministry without actually living there for some time. There are challenges in each context as it relates to language - Egypt and Arabic; Kenya and Swahili; and Ghana and Twi.  Please pray for clear communication and understanding.  And please pray for the right pastors, business people, and seminaries or Bible schools to show up to the meetings to move this ministry forward, for the sake of reclaiming the redeemed marketplace.

Thank you for your partnership and prayers!  This trip couldn't happen without the support of so many of you!