The Rundown

Well, here it is (finally) - my summary of the mission this summer that I promised two weeks ago or so now.... Yeah, getting back into life has been a little busy, so I apologize for taking so long to write this. In any case, here is the letter I wrote to thank my support team. Some of you will probably be getting this in the mail as well, but to save some postage, I'm posting here as well so that all of you who read the blog will be able to get the same overall message. So, without further ado, here's the over-advertised letter!

My dear friends and family,

What a summer it’s been! My time in Kenya through the InterVarsity Global Project was absolutely transformational. I learned so much about how living richly does not mean having lots of things, but having God. I feel like I went to Kenya trying to do what God wants me to do, but I came back trying to be who God wants me to be, soft clay in His hands to be molded as He sees fit.

I also experienced ministry in ways I have not before. The central feature of the mission trip was a 3-week assignment in which a Kenyan student named Ezekiel and I stayed with a Kenyan missionary, Pastor Samuel Ndung’u, ministering to the Maasai people. The Maasai are pastoralists, meaning that they depend on their flocks for a living – a difficult thing since the area is suffering from a prolonged drought. With the Pastor, Ezekiel and I participated in home-to-home evangelism (Kenyans love visitors!), preaching sermons, witnessing in primary schools, and leading some seminars on Gospel basics like missions or tithing. We were privileged to see people come to Christ, to develop close relationships with people in the church, and to share in the lives of the people we ministered to. One time we were almost chased by a wild elephant.

And that’s just the assignment; there was so much more that God used to change me this summer! How can I explain what it’s like to walk through a slum in Nairobi: 600,000 souls packed into only a few square miles? Or how can I describe playing with orphaned and abandoned children, some with scars from the barbarous ways their parents attempted to discard them? Witnessing Hindus bow in reverence to false idols? Seeing tourists waste money extravagantly while only a block away others are dying of hunger? Oh, the things we all saw! But we came as lights into dark places, bearing the image of Christ, acting as His hands and feet, His eyes and ears in those places. What a blessing!

I wish I could share more with you. I have chronicled many of my experiences on my blog, which you can view at http://orisonsandaccolades.blogspot.com. I would also like to invite you to an open house at my parents’ house at 11320 Paseo del Oso NE, Albuquerque, NM where I will share more stories and pictures from the summer. It will be on August 22^nd starting at 7:00 PM with some Kenyan chai. Please let me know if you would like to come. My cell number is (505) 328-3481. I have also included a CD with some pictures from my summer to let you see some of my experiences firsthand [Actually, I will have a link up soon so that you can view my photobucket album]. I hope you enjoy them.

None of this would have been possible without your support. I thank you so very, very much for being a part of this project, for sending your prayers and finances to serve the Kenyan people. It has made such a difference, and I pray you will be blessed for your service!

His servant,
Michael Siegrist

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
- Ephesians 2:10