Eddie Andersen, based in Dukana, northern Kenya, tells us how he became a missionary.
My heart has always been for Africa, for the lost, for the unreached, for those that nobody else cares about. I grew up in Kenya with missionary parents, working with the Samburu. I originally wanted to be a mobile missionary who would fix vehicles, or build houses for missionaries, but then I didn’t see that working out. I tried living in America for a while, working in various different jobs, but I really struggled in a society where everyone was focused on themselves. I just couldn’t get into the mindset of working for the next paycheck, in order to buy a big house or a fancy car. I felt like like, how can I do this when there are people out there who are starving, and people who don’t know the gospel? How can I go to my nine-to-five job and sit in an office all day, when there are people dying without Christ? I couldn’t justify it. Taking home that paycheck, buying that fancy coffee – as much as I like a fancy coffee! – how can I be enjoying it when someone else can’t?
I did enjoy aspects of life in America, because I was working with people who didn’t know Jesus. People would come to me to ask for advice, knowing I was a Christian. We’d discuss the meanings of movies and things. It was great to be able to show people that the Bible had some good answers for the problems they were facing.
The radio studio which broadcasts Christian content in several indigenous languages over a 70,000 mile area.
Whilst living in America, I met my wife Rachel. She hadn’t grown up with missionary parents, but had previously done some work in Nigeria. She knew that God was calling her to mission. So, initially, we came out for four months. Her experience in Nigeria and mine among the Samburu was very different from where we are now, working among the Gabbra people. Our main focuses are working in famine relief, well drilling, medical care, and distributing audio Scriptures, leading Bible studies and holding church services, as well as overseeing a radio tower and studio which broadcasts Christian radio to the Gabbra, and several neighbouring people groups.
Here, I feel that God can use us to reach more people with his gospel. We care for the lost, but also get to tell them that God cares about them too.
