Prospective From a Landmark Parent

The following entry was written by Jo Vivan. The picture is from one of the schools we visited. This was the first day of school for this girl and Jo had the privelege of leading her to the Lord. How about that for a first day of school!

“Nothing prepares you for the none stop action of ministry. The Landmark Christian School Mission’s Team hit the ground running and did not stop until we were safely on the plane back to America. We rarely slept more than 5 hours a night, we missed meals, and had very little down time, but it was worth every second of sacrifice for the opportunity to join God in His work in Kenya—beginning to end!
It all began with The Source of Light East-Africa, Nairobi rally which was much anticipated by both the Kenyan and American students. There were approximately 3,500 students present and the majority of the schools had an opportunity to minister in song or dance. Landmark was no exception. The students presented songs and skits and there was an immediate connection in the spirit between the Kenyan students and the American students.
Over the next eight days we visited 21 schools and participated in a rally in Eldoret. It was
incredible how God used the Landmark students to give their personal testimonies. Although
each of the testimonies started about the same, “I grew up in a Christian home and gave my life
to Christ at an early age”, every testimony took its on shape as they began to share their personal cross-roads where they made a conscious decision to serve Christ. They shared deeply
and intimately—unashamed of what people thought of them. It was obvious they were free.
And it did not stop there. As a result of their openness, many Kenyon students opened up to
them. The majority of the prayer requests from the Kenyan students were comparable to the
issues the Landmark students face in America. However, many of the prayer request and questions focused on “the not so common” issues of molestation, suicide, abuse, neglect, hunger, abandonment, illness, and poverty. Being led by the Spirit of the Lord—the students let go and let God and as a result, many Kenyan students lives were touched. Every prayer and conversation always pointed the way to Jesus who is the Way, the Truth and the Light. The students were well prepared to minister salvation to the Kenyan students who responded to
the invitation to receive Christ. In many instances 30 or more students responded to the invitation. It was awesome to watch the boldness of the students as they realized that they were
merely vessels and God was doing the work. God also used our most experienced student to minister the Word of God at several girl’s schools. Sarah Kilebrew’s message was ministered
through the power of God with an unmistakable humility and grace. The students responded
with a resounding “yes” to the invitation to receive Christ!
In spite of being tired, and some days hungry and dirty, the Landmark students faithfully ministered in love—true love for the Kenyan students they encountered. In return, the Kenyan students blessed us with their love for the Lord, demonstrated through heartfelt praise and worship, their warm hospitality and their genuine appreciation for our visit. The sincerity of it was overwhelming and so refreshing. The Landmark students came to realize just how blessed they really are; but even more important, they came to realize just how much they need God and that a life in Christ is a daily faith walk for the Kenyans as well as for them. To God be the glory, honor and praise for the many Kenyans who were born again because of God’s truly amazing love for us all!”