Trio of speakers to highlight Kenyan Connection fundraiser

Trio of speakers to highlight Kenyan Connection fundraiser
Submitted

Hannah Miller teaches at one of the many orphanages she works with in Kenya. Miller will be one of three speakers who will talk about the state of affairs in Kenya at the Kenyan Connection Oct. 23 at The Pier.

                        

The African nation of Kenya may seem like it is a world away from the United States, but for those who have reached out to aid the people of Kenya through mission work and humanitarian efforts, the challenges and joys of life and the desire to thrive and be happy are no different.

On Friday, Oct. 23, there will be a presentation of The Kenyan Connection at The Pier Lighthouse of Hope near Mt. Eaton. The evening will begin with a Kenyan-style meal from 5-6:30 p.m., and as dessert wraps up, several area people who have developed some unique and inspiring relationships with people in Kenya will share their stories on the many issues Kenyan people are currently facing.

The speakers will include Dennis Mullet, who has taken many area groups on mission trips to Kenya over the past years and is currently serving as the African Christian Mission International U.S. board chairman; Hannah Miller, who has devoted a great deal of her time to helping Kenyan orphans; and Paul Mullet of HopeQuest, who has keen insight on the pastoral challenges of those sharing the gospel in Kenya.

The evening will also consist of a video featuring what is happening in Kenya since COVID-19 became an issue.

“Often times they send a representative over in the fall to speak, but because of COVID-19 they are not allowed to travel outside of Kenya,” Paul Mullet said. “So, we decided to improvise. There won’t be anyone from Kenya here, but we can still share the story through the video that creates an awareness of the needs they are facing there.”

The event was created to build awareness for those who have gone to Kenya, anyone wishing to get involved on a mission trip, or for those who are simply interested in learning more or supporting the mission trips, as well as those who are currently sponsoring a child or children in Kenya.

Miller has developed a special place in her heart for the children of Kenya since first visiting there in 2014. Her story is unique, touching and at times heartbreaking. In spending most of her time the past five years in Kenya, Miller has seen the struggles orphans face in Kenya.

“Most of the orphans are taken in by neighbors or relatives, but because the families have so little, they are often treated as second-class citizens in the home,” Miller said of the orphans.

Miller has worked extensively with bringing education and developing faith among the orphans, and has worked with their family care providers, training guardians on practical applications for life with an orphan. She also works closely with local churches there, helping them better understand the roles they can play in helping orphans develop a deeper sense of faith.

In experiencing life at a very different pace than in the United States, Miller said she has grown to appreciate the small things that are often overlooked here in the U.S. but are cherished in Kenya. She said the love families give and the challenges they face are what keeps bringing her back to serve.

“Each year there is unique in its own way, with unique challenges and benefits, but the amazing thing is, that God is God, no matter where you are,” Miller said. “I have really learned to celebrate the little things in life, and my heart is definitely in Kenya.”

Miller will return to Kenya Nov. 17, and she said she is excited about the next chapter of her life there.

“It’s about building relationships with the children and families,” Miller said. “None of these kids are statistics to me, they are people who have become my brothers and sisters through Christ.”

Dennis Mullet has been taking groups of 20 to 30 people to Kenya on mission trips through his partnership with Bishop Henry Mulandi and Christian Church International for more than two decades.

He said that the goal is to partner with the people of Kenyan villages and evangelize through service projects, sharing their faith and other humanitarian efforts.

He said that since COVID-19 began this past spring, the people of Kenya have faced hardships beyond what people face in the U.S. With curfews put in place I n the evening, it has created an even starker picture of life.

“Most people there eat one meal a day and they roam the streets at night looking for food for that evening,” Dennis Mullet said. “Many people there are jobless and live day-to-day in survival mode. Part of our mission is to feed people and especially children at school, orphanage and slum villages, and while doing that we present evangelistic crusades in the villages.”

Over the years, the group projects have included putting a roof on a school, church building efforts developing water systems and more.

Mullet will share some of these mission efforts as well as talk about the struggles COVID-19 has brough to the people there.

Paul Mullet, who along with his wife Cindy continue to provide Kenyan pastors and their missions with financial, spiritual and physical support, said 2020 has been a particularly tough time for the people of Kenya.

“We think it is bad here, but COVID has been particularly difficult on the people of Kenya,” Mullet said.

He will be sharing their experience in supporting the pastors and the challenges they face on a daily basis, challenges that may be difficult for people here to fathom.

The Kenyan Connection event is open to all and is being presented on a donation basis, and Dennis Mullet said any donations that come from the fundraiser event will be poured directly back into the lives of the people of Kenya.

The Pier Lighthouse of Hope is located at 10470 Winesburg Road, one mile south of Mt. Eaton.


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