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Author: danl

More Than a Mission Trip: Fifteen Years of Partnership in Tanzania

Written by danl on . Posted in Partnerships, Tanzania.

What does a 15-year partnership in missions look like?

For Hazelwood Christian Church in Clayton, Indiana, it looks like faithful support, lasting friendships, and a commitment to walk alongside brothers and sisters in Tanzania year after year.

A recent visit by members of Hazelwood Christian Church offered a glimpse of that partnership in action. The video below captures one of the highlights of their trip: a combined worship service near Oloserian, a Maasai community whose name means "place of peace." On that Sunday, eight local churches gathered across denominational lines to worship together as one body in Christ.

The monthly gathering was pioneered by Bishop Joseph Ngida of Community Christian Church of Tanzania, who encourages neighboring congregations to come together in unity on the last Sunday of each month. For Hazelwood's team, it was an opportunity to experience the vibrant faith of the Tanzanian church firsthand.

But the story behind this video began long before this year's visit.

A Partnership Built Over Time

For more than 15 years, Hazelwood Christian Church has faithfully supported ministry in Tanzania, especially through the community child sponsorship program that serves orphaned and impoverished Maasai children in northern Tanzania.

The church's partnership extends far beyond financial support. Over the years, Hazelwood has welcomed Bishop Joseph Ngida to Indiana for Vacation Bible School programs and church services, strengthening relationships between believers separated by thousands of miles but united in Christ.

Generations of church leaders and members have helped sustain the partnership. Under the leadership of former pastor Steve Ranson and his wife, Kim, and now under Pastor Tim Gephart and his wife, Beth, Hazelwood has remained committed to the work in Tanzania. Numerous church members and ministry advocates have regularly traveled to visit communities, encourage local leaders, and witness firsthand what God is doing through the ministry.

Today, Hazelwood members sponsor approximately one-third of the children served through the Tanzania sponsorship program, helping provide education, nutrition, medical care, and spiritual support.

Investing in the Next Generation

One of the most encouraging aspects of Hazelwood's involvement has been its commitment to involving young people in missions.

In 2024, a team from Hazelwood traveled to Tanzania and facilitated a Vacation Bible School near Ormee Schools, a private Christian school established by Bishop Joseph. By the final day, more than 700 children had attended.

When the church returned this year, the focus shifted from children's ministry to deeper discipleship among young adults.

A team of 18 Hazelwood members partnered with 12 pastors, 14 teachers, 12 worship band members, and four interns to host a youth conference for approximately 200 Maasai high school and college-age students. Together, they spent three days helping young adults grow closer to the heart of God through worship, teaching, fellowship, and encouragement.

Remarkably, about half of the Hazelwood participants were teenagers themselves.

For the Tanzania team, seeing young people engage in cross-cultural ministry is one of the partnership's greatest blessings.

Mutual Encouragement

While mission partnerships are often viewed through the lens of what one group provides for another, the relationship between Hazelwood and the Tanzania ministry tells a different story.

The partnership has become one of mutual encouragement, where believers on both sides learn from one another, grow together, and witness God's work in new ways.

Michelle Swai, CMF's Tanzania field team leader, has seen that impact firsthand.

"For more than 15 years, Hazelwood Christian Church has shown us what it looks like to faithfully walk alongside the ministry in Tanzania, actively investing in people and relationships while supporting a project. We are deeply grateful for the mutual encouragement this partnership has brought, especially for the way they have invited their teenagers to experience missions firsthand. It is beautiful to see how God uses that kind of long-term commitment to transform lives on both sides of the partnership."

That transformation is evident not only in the lives of sponsored children, young adults, pastors, and church leaders in Tanzania, but also in the lives of the Hazelwood members who continue to return, serve, and grow through the relationship.

Looking Ahead

The work in Tanzania continues through church planting, leadership development, community sponsorship, community health initiatives, worship ministry, and discipleship. At the heart of it all is a commitment to equip Tanzanian believers to reach their own communities with the hope of Christ.

Partnerships like the one shared by Hazelwood Christian Church and the Tanzania team remind us that lasting ministry is often built through faithful presence over time. Year after year, God uses relationships, shared experiences, and a common mission to accomplish more than either group could achieve alone.

The video above offers a snapshot of that story. The partnership behind it is the reason the story continues.

More Than a Mountain: Adventures with Eternal Impact

Written by danl on . Posted in England, Globalscope, Kenya, Missions of Hope, Scotland, Tanzania.

Some adventures take you to breathtaking places. Others change the way you see the world. CMF Adventure Trips do both, combining physical challenge with spiritual purpose as participants step beyond their comfort zones and into God's work around the globe.

Whether standing on the summit of Africa's highest peak on Mt. Kilimanjaro or conquering the Three Peaks Challenge across Scotland, England, and Wales, these journeys offer more than unforgettable experiences. They create opportunities to connect with life-changing ministry, support kingdom work through fundraising and community, and discover how God can use adventure to make an eternal impact.

Three Peaks Challenge  |  June 27-July 3, 2027

Climb the highest peaks in Scotland, England, and Wales over three unforgettable days while helping support Canvas, CMF's campus ministry in Birmingham, England. Trip cost is $2,200 + airfare, and participants commit to raising or donating at least $3,000 toward the ministry's future impact.

 

Learn more & register here!

 

Mt. Kilimanjaro Climb  |  September 5-16, 2027

Stand on the summit of Africa's highest peak while helping build a permanent school for children served through CMF partner, Missions of Hope International (MOHI) in Nairobi, Kenya. The trip cost is $2,900 + airfare, and participants commit to raising or donating at least $10,000 toward the Grogan School project.

 

Learn more & register here!

 

Reserve Your Spot Today!

Space is limited on both adventures. To secure your place, submit your non-refundable $500 deposit by September 30, 2026.

Whether you're ready to conquer the highest peaks of the United Kingdom or stand atop Africa's most iconic mountain, we'd love to have you join us for a life-changing adventure.

Meet Ti and Andrea Dinh: Taking the Next Step to Serve in Kenya

Written by danl on . Posted in Kenya, Missions of Hope.

For nearly a decade, Ti and Andrea Dinh have been exploring God’s call to missions through short-term service opportunities around the world. Since 2017, their family has served in countries including Thailand, Mexico, Chile, and most recently Kenya, where a partnership trip through Eastside Christian Church introduced them to the life-changing ministry of Missions of Hope International (MOHI).

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Kenyan Women Building Kingdom Businesses

Written by danl on . Posted in Kenya.

For many families in Kenya, especially those serving in ministry, making ends meet can be a daily challenge. Pastors and church leaders often dedicate themselves to serving their communities while struggling to provide for their own families. Recognizing this need, CMF missionary Mary Leonard has been helping women develop microbusinesses that can create sustainable income while strengthening their impact in their churches and communities.

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A Forty-Year Legacy of Caring for the Maasai

Written by danl on . Posted in Kenya.

John Sankok faithfully leads an extensive medical ministry in Kenya that includes eight clinics run by local Christian health professionals. These clinics treat tropical diseases, immunize children, and combat HIV/AIDS. The Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health facility addresses the unique health challenges faced by women and infants in the region. Known as Community Health Partners, this ministry now supplies more than 80% of the area’s primary healthcare needs. Below, John reflects on CMF’s long history with the ministry.

“One generation commends Your works to another.” Psalm 145:4

CMF began this work in the late 1970s and early 1980s with village-to-village evangelism and church planting among nomadic pastoral communities in Southern Kenya. Teams moved with the people, sharing the Gospel in hard-to-reach areas with deep-rooted cultures and traditions.

As churches were planted, the need for healthcare became clear. That same mission of love expanded beyond the church tent. CMF helped build a strong primary healthcare system for these communities. Clinics, maternal care, and newborn support grew from the foundation of local churches.

More than 40 years later, the fruit is visible. Thousands of mothers and newborns have been impacted. Lives have been saved, families strengthened, and hope restored in places that once had little access to care.

Today, CMF is a recognized leader in evangelism, church planting, and healthcare among nomadic communities in Southern Kenya. The name stands for faith that moves, churches that serve, and healthcare that reaches the last mile.

Hundreds of churches are now led and planted by empowered local leaders. What began with CMF missionaries from the U.S. is now carried forward by pastors and leaders raised from within these communities.

For 40 years, CMF has moved with nomadic peoples, bringing the Gospel, healing, and hope. Through churches planted, leaders raised, and communities transformed, CMF continues to fulfill its call—making disciples of all nations, one family at a time.

Father, we thank You for obedience in the 1980s. Seeds planted in the wilderness, among deep-rooted cultures and hard-to-reach places, have become forests of life. For those who are empowered, give us Your strength and will to continue watering the seed and passing on the faith to the next generation. It has been a model that has worked for four decades of faith in action.

Want to help support this life-giving ministry?

Dr. Angela Meipuki is a licensed physician who enables CHP to treat complex cases, respond to emergencies, and ensure patients receive quality, compassionate care. She also strengthens the clinical team—mentoring staff and ensuring excellence throughout all of CHP’s clinics.

Sustaining a licensed, full-time doctor on staff with CHP is essential! Click here to help fund her work.

Sent, Together: Inside CMF’s Mission Formation Training

Written by danl on . Posted in Uncategorized.

This June, CMF welcomed 11 missionary recruits to Indianapolis for a week designed to prepare them for the road ahead. Mission Formation Training brought together individuals and families preparing to serve in Ethiopia, England, Ivory Coast, Mexico, and South Asia—many of whom will depart in just a few short months.

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Globalscope Celebrates a New Partnership in Kenya

Written by danl on . Posted in Globalscope, Kenya.

CMF’s international campus ministry, Globalscope, is excited to announce a new partnership with Ukarimu Ministries, an established university ministry serving students at Daystar University in Athi River, Kenya. This step reflects CMF’s ongoing commitment to walking alongside students as they grow in faith, leadership, and service around the world.

Globalscope exists to welcome, reach, disciple, and develop university students—equipping them to follow Christ and influence their communities for the Kingdom. Through partnerships with trusted, locally led ministries, Globalscope strengthens existing work rather than duplicating it, coming alongside those already engaged in fruitful campus ministry.

Ukarimu Ministries—named after the Swahili word ukarimu, meaning hospitality—embodies this vision in deeply relational ways. The ministry walks closely with students during formative seasons, offering mentorship, discipleship, and a Christ-centered community where they are known and encouraged. Much of this happens at Ukarimu House, a gathering place and home for student interns.

Through fellowships, small groups, mentoring, shared meals, and one-on-one conversations, students experience more than programming—they experience belonging. For many, Ukarimu House becomes a “family away from home,” where spiritual growth and everyday faith intersect.

The Orunga Family

Ian and Stella Orunga lead this ministry, investing deeply in students through relational discipleship and leadership development. Ian, a Daystar graduate with a background in Management Information Systems, also coaches field hockey and leads a sports outreach through a local church. Stella, with a degree in Purchasing and Business Logistics, is passionate about student care, discipleship, and worship. Together with their two young children, they cultivate the Christ-centered community at Ukarimu.

Kami Burns Reed, Director of Globalscope, shared her excitement about the partnership:

“For years, Globalscope has dreamed of being part of campus ministry work in Kenya… Each time we explored starting something, we saw that many ministries were already doing excellent work, and we didn’t want to duplicate that. Through connections in the campus ministry world, we learned about Ukarimu and heard firsthand how being part of a fellowship like Globalscope could bless them. I’m excited for them to connect with other Globalscope campus ministers around the world—we all have so much to learn from one another.”

This partnership also opens the door to deeper collaboration within CMF’s work in Kenya. Kami shared her hope:

“I dream that Ukarimu can partner with CMF’s other strategy areas—whether that’s welcoming MOHI graduates as students at Daystar or raising up leaders who serve in churches, clinics, and ministries across Kenya. CMF missionaries have already begun building relationships—BJ Leonard is mentoring Ian, and Sam Loibor-Mongi has led a Discovery Bible Study with students, introducing this impactful approach.”

As Globalscope and Ukarimu Ministries move forward together, the vision is clear: that students would encounter Christ, grow in faith, and be equipped to live out the Gospel wherever God leads. This partnership is a reminder that impactful campus ministry is built on hospitality, relationships, and faithful presence—and that God is at work among students around the world.

 

 

How you can be involved

This new partnership with Ukarimu Ministries creates fresh opportunities to invest in university students in Kenya. If you’d like to learn more about serving with this ministry through Globalscope, we’d love to connect and help you explore the next step. Email us at mobilization@cmfi.org to start the conversation! Truly invest in these students by supporting this ministry here.

From Everywhere to Everywhere: Launching EuReach’s First Global Internship

Written by danl on . Posted in Globalscope, Reach, Spain, Uruguay.

What might it look like for young adults across Europe to step into God’s mission—not just locally, but globally?

This August, CMF is taking a meaningful step toward that vision with the launch of EuReach, a European adaptation of the long-standing REACH internship program. Designed specifically for students connected to Globalscope ministries across Europe, EuReach invites young adults to spend the month of August serving alongside CMF teams around the world.

And in its very first year, three students have said “yes.”

These pioneering interns will travel from their home ministries in Europe to Montevideo, Uruguay, where they will serve with La Ruta, CMF’s Globalscope ministry there—building cross-cultural relationships, growing in faith, and experiencing life and ministry in a new context.

Meet the EuReach Pioneers

Isabella Portela | Valencia, Spain

If you ask anyone at EnVivo Valencia about Isabella, they’ll likely mention the same thing: she brings light into every room she enters.

Since becoming involved in EnVivo in 2023, Isabella has become a natural connector—someone who not only builds community but invites others into it. Her heart for service and generosity has drawn dozens of fellow students into the ministry, and this year she stepped into deeper leadership as part of Las Raíces (The Roots). Recently, she was recognized with the ministry’s Servant Leadership Award.

As a jewelry design student graduating this spring, Isabella is marking this transition with a step of faith—choosing to serve in Uruguay as a EuReach intern.

“I have a strong desire to get to know the culture more deeply and to meet university students from different contexts… I am passionate about my Christian faith and hope to be a connection point between the students I will meet at La Ruta and God.”

Anna Lopez | Salamanca, Spain

Anna, a second-year Art History student at the University of Salamanca, has quietly become a key part of EnVivo Salamanca’s ministry life.

Whether helping lead worship, preparing meals, or hosting prayer gatherings, Anna’s behind-the-scenes faithfulness has made a visible impact. Recently, those walking closely with her have seen something even deeper taking shape—a growing sense of calling.

As one staff member shared, “Her heart is on fire. God has been stirring in her a desire to do more in ministry, and this opportunity couldn’t come at a better time.”

EuReach offers Anna the chance to explore that calling in a new cultural context, expanding her understanding of how God might use her in the future.

Noah | Maastricht, Netherlands

For Noah, EuReach represents both a return and a next step.

Currently completing a master’s degree in social and health psychology at the University of Maastricht, Noah has spent the past year discerning a growing call toward missions. Previous short-term trips sparked that interest—but also left him wanting a deeper, longer-term glimpse into missionary life.

This August, he’ll find it.

“I want to pursue missionary work after graduation, but I don’t yet know what that will look like… I’m hoping this internship will help me better understand what life as a missionary can be and how God is leading me forward.”

Having already fallen in love with South America on a previous trip, Noah is eager to return—this time with a deeper purpose.

A Vision Bigger Than One Summer

EuReach is being led by longtime CMF missionary Sophie Bentley, who, along with her family, has been serving in campus ministry in Spain since 2004. After helping launch EnVivo Valencia in 2015, Sophie has seen firsthand the potential of students whose faith is activated through global experience.

And for her, this first cohort is just the beginning.

“EuReach opens so many possibilities. This year we’re launching with our sister Globalscope ministry in Uruguay, but in the future we’d love to send young adults from all over Europe to CMF ministries all over the world—from everywhere to everywhere.”

The vision extends beyond campus ministry alone. From marketplace initiatives in Mexico to children’s ministry in Kenya to church planters in Ethiopia, the long-term dream is to create pathways for young adults to explore how their unique gifts can serve God’s mission in diverse contexts.

“Our hope is for this program to grow each year and for young adults to be inspired for life-long service. We want them to see missions as a creative, dynamic way to transform lives and bless their communities—wherever God takes them.”

The Beginning of Something New

Every movement starts somewhere. For EuReach, it begins with three students, one summer, and a willingness to go.

As Isabella, Anna, and Noah step into this pioneering experience, they carry with them not only their own stories and callings—but also the seeds of something that could impact generations of European students to come.

And this is only the beginning.

You can help send these interns to Uruguay by giving here!