The Blessings of Showing Up in Kenya

Written by Lisa Marlin

This is Part 2 (click here to read Part 1) of “The Blessing of Showing Up in Kenya,” a four-part series about Hope United Methodist Church’s July 2026 mission trip to Kenya. After seven years apart, we returned to reconnect with longtime partners, serve alongside local communities, and continue relationships that have grown over more than two decades.  

Working with Bishop Catherine 

If one person connected nearly every part of our trip, it was Rev. Catherine Mutua. Although she is retired as a Methodist bishop in Meru, everyone still affectionately calls her “Bishop,” including our team. Everywhere we went, people greeted her with tremendous respect because of the lives she has touched. 

Bishop Catherine founded the MCK Methodist Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre in 2017 and continues to direct it. We toured the Centre and joined patients for devotion, hymns, and prayer. We also heard testimonies from current and former patients about how the program has helped them turn their lives around. One woman thanked us for traveling so far to encourage them. 

We learned about a young man whose family had brought him there the night before but couldn’t afford the three-month treatment program. Our church committed to paying for it. 

We also learned of one of Bishop Catherine’s visions for the Centre when we asked to see a room that had the sign “Library” posted above a door. She opened the door to an empty room, telling us that she had faith it would soon have shelves filled with books for the patients. We brought that dream home, where church members are already stepping forward to help. 

Our visit gave us the opportunity to spend time with the people the Centre serves, learn more about its ministry, and discover ways we can continue supporting its work. It also led to an invitation for Bishop Catherine to visit Hope UMC and share more about the Centre with our congregation. 

On Sept. 25 at 6 p.m., she will join us as our special guest for a Spaghetti Dinner and Fundraiser benefiting the Centre. Our mission team will share stories and photos from the entire trip, and Bishop Catherine will speak about the Centre and its life-changing work. 

Going to School 

At three elementary schools, we helped administer deworming medication to more than 300 children. First, we taught them a song: “Chew and swallow, chew and swallow, show your tongue, show your tongue, then you get a lollipop…” 

The lollipop, as one might imagine, was quite an incentive. We also brought crayons, colored pencils, pens, soccer balls, and other supplies. Teachers and principals repeatedly thanked us and asked us to “come back again and again.” 

One principal told the children, “You matter enough that people traveled halfway around the world to spend time with you.” 

Serving at a Medical Clinic 

Between our days working on the homes, we helped at a mobile medical clinic at a rural church. By day’s end, 536 people had received doctor consultations, cancer screenings, eye exams, reading glasses, pharmacy services, mental health screenings, and more. 

We helped with registration, vitals, vision tests, medicine distribution, and other tasks. We were tired but grateful to work alongside the Kenyan medical team serving so many people. 

In Part 3, we’ll share the stories of two families whose new homes gave us the opportunity to witness firsthand what a safe home can mean—and how simply being there led to an unexpected opportunity to help a young girl continue her education.