04/30/2026
Some things I (JON) learned / re-learned from my time at Kijani Farm in South Kenya:
1. Life is simple and the people are wonderful! (Life is wonderful too)
1a. Life for third world countries is challenging if not hard.
2. Water is a hard to come by.
3. People do what they need to do to survive - like walk 30 minutes plus to get water.
4. My way of thinking is not "their" way of thinking and it is NOT bad.
5. As American missionaries we can't and shouldn't come into a place to "FIX" them. They may not be broken.
6. As Christ followers we have a responsibility to share the Gospel with clarity, but then we simply let Scripture speak on its own and let the Holy Spirit convict.
7. I can survive outside my first world country (I don't need electricity or AC or....)
8. It takes sacrifice to reach certain groups of people.
9. There are things in Africa that want to kill me.
10. Our missionaries need encouragement (see #23)
11. Our Missionaries need community
12. As a missionary care specialist, I don't have to "fix" the missionary- I just need to listen and ask good questions. (Hopefully I do this)
13. Missionary Care isn't just talking about doctrine, it is talking about life and a ton of other things. I don't have to be Mr. Spiritual 110% of the time.
14. Missionary Care is partially about helping everyone to celebrate the wins of ministry. Philippians 4:4-9
15. Many of our missionaries on the field have to make very hard choices. They usually don't have the resources to help everyone and if they did it may actually HURT them to do so.
16. I need to be on my knees for our missionaries more than I am. MY PRAYER LIFE IS PART OF MY MINISTRY.
17. I really love what I do (Not the actual travel from Point A to B but sitting with missionaries doing life with them as best I can).
18. Missionaries need people to come serve but not to tell them WHAT to do and what they need. LISTEN. ASK QUESTIONS. LISTEN
20. Missionaries on the field need a local team to help guide them.
21. There is usually more ministry needs than time and capacity for the missionary to do.
22. Not everywhere that claims to be a ministry should Christians invest in, but Kijani Farms is a good place. (I have seen and heard in several countries of ministries that take money from the USA and do very little with that money). PLEASE do your research on where you are giving your money. If the missionary or ministry aren't an open book then I would probably not give to them. Just because they claim to do wells, build schools, provide medical care, doesn't mean they really do. Again, Kijani Farm is using the money they receive to serve the people they have been called to serve.
23. Church in America, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE encourage your missionaries often. Encourage them to take a day of rest. Encourage them to go on vacation. Encourage them to get counseling or have a coach. Encourage them in their walk with Jesus. If you need help to know how to specifically to do this, call me.
24. When you go to serve along side missionary, be flexible. You probably will be given some food you don't like or want, eat it or politely try to turn it down. You will probably not have the same comfort you have back in the USA, you can endure for a week or so. You probably can't keep your chocolate bars from melting so lick the wrapper. If you can't be flexible I would probably encourage you not to go.
25. Travel is getting more challenging. This may be my age, but I sense in general that it is more challenging (changed flights, attitudes of people traveling, cancelled flights, etc..).
There are other things I have learned or re-learned but this will do. What do you think???
