STACEY (CLARK) FLINT - "ONE OF MY BEST AND MOST CHALLENGING EXPERIENCES"
15th Anniversary Of The Planting Of The Nairobi Church
Stacey was the only teen on the team that arrived in Nairobi in 1989. After she returned to the States, she finished her undergraduate degree and went on another church planting to Cleveland, Ohio. She lives in Chicago with her husband, David Flint, and their two children, Lauren Simone and David J.My fondest memory of the early Nairobi days is sharing my faith all day. It was refreshing, scary, and so fulfilling. What was so amazing was the kindness of Kenyans to an outsider (a teen at that) like me. I always came back from sharing my faith realizing I wanted to be more kind, gentle, and hospitable.
The scariest thing for me in the early days was finding a way to stay in the country. There always seemed to be something amiss with my school paperwork or money and I desperately did not want to have to go back home to straighten it all out. God always came through when it seemed like I was out of options.
My motivation for coming to Nairobi was truly from God. I had always wanted to go to Russia on a mission team, but God put Africa on my heart instead. I began to take Kiswahili classes at University and prayed for God to open a door, and in less than a year I was on my way to Africa, much to my amazement. I guess Paul's desire to preach the gospel where it was not well known was also a motivator. Taking away all the familiarity of my home (America) made the gospel the only thing to rely on, and it is so powerful.
Planting the Nairobi church was one of the best and most challenging experiences of my life. Since I was only 19, maturity is the one thing I really learned. Maturity in Christ requires taking time to process our experiences and making decisions based on prayer, thought and input and not being afraid to fail or disappoint a person. God is the only one that matters.
I also believe my career choices where highly influenced by my time on the mission field. Helping people and bringing justice was what Jesus' ministry on earth was all about. I was fortunate to work for a Jewish organization that was very comfortable with using scriptures to guide their work on issues of poverty, housing for the poor, and justice for immigrants. I was able to deepen my scriptural knowledge and speak before elected officials, international media, and best of all some of the poorest yet rich in spirit people.
I thank God for the church in Nairobi (and all throughout Africa) and for letting me be a small part of his great work.
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