In January of 2025, if the Lord will, then I will be relocating from Kansas City, Missouri to Nairobi, Kenya with Myles Cheadle and his family. I am trusting the Lord to spend a year with our church plant, Living Faith Nairobi.
A while back Myles told our church about the call that the Lord has on his life to plant a church in Nairobi. A couple weeks after that, he approached me after our Tuesday night prayer service and asked me to pray and consider if God would have me come with them and labor alongside them for a year in Kenya.
This began a time of great consideration and prayer for me. I had been to Nairobi twice before this. I went a couple years ago for two weeks with a small team of just myself and three other men. And then I went for a month last year during the Summer with Pastor James Fyffe and his family. I had already been praying before this, but spending a year in the mission field would be a far greater step of faith for me.
[Pro 24:6 KJV] 6 For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors [there is] safety.
In 52 Weeks of Pursuit, Pastor Mark Trotter made a comment about this verse. He said that war is an important decision in life. So, when you come across important decisions in life you need to take them to a multitude of counselors for safety. So that is exactly what I did. I took this decision to my leaders and my pastor, and they all basically said the same thing, "We support this, but you need to count the cost".
Going to Kenya was going to cost me a lot. My family lives here in Kansas City, my friends are here, my ministry is here, my life is in Kansas City. Not only that, but I love Kansas City. I love the food, I love the people, I love my church. I love my life in Kansas City.
I just graduated from the University of Missouri Kansas City with a bachelor's degree in finance. Like most 23-year-olds, my plan was to begin a career, find a wife, and start a family. I had plans for my future and I was content with how everything was playing out. But then God opened up the opportunity to go to Kenya for a year.
[Phl 3:7-8 KJV] 7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things [but] loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them [but] dung, that I may win Christ,
Paul had a lot too, but he understood that there were things that he was going to have to suffer loss on in order to win Christ. Not only that, but when he compared those things to knowing Jesus Christ, they had all become dung in his eyes. I have to suffer the loss of a lot in order to go to Kenya, but those things cannot compare to the knowledge of the excellency of Christ.
I was studying my Bible and trusting the Lord for guidance. He brought me to 1 Chronicles 29. In the beginning of the chapter David had just prepared everything for Solomon to build the temple. He then encourages the congregation to give to the work. The people offer willingly and then David prays, and in his prayer, David says this,
[1Ch 29:14 KJV] 14 But who [am] I, and what [is] my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things [come] of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.
In my situation, I was counting the cost of giving up all these things that I had for the mission. The decision seemed difficult because, in my eyes, I had so much to count the cost on, I had so much to give up. But when I read this verse God opened my eyes to the truth. Anything that I could give up, anything that I was counting the cost on, anything that I felt I had, it already belonged to the Lord!
The fact that God is even giving me the opportunity to sacrifice the things that He has given me is a testament of His grace. I don't deserve to have anything at all. Like David, I don't deserve to be able to offer so willingly after this sort. How could I not give up everything?
Counting the cost became so much easier when I realized I don't actually own the things that I was giving up.
[Mat 16:25 KJV] 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
Lord willing, I will go to Kenya. Despite the fact that I love my life here in Kansas City, I know that going to Kenya is the next step of faith that God has set before me. Going to Kenya means losing my life for Christ's sake, to see His name preached to the nations, but the promise is that in losing my life, I will find it.
As side note: I am still looking for a job that I can do remotely in Kenya, so if you know of anything, please reach out! My email is cheneyperkins393@gmail.com.
Cheney Perkins is a leader in the College and Young Adult ministry at Midtown Baptist Temple in Kansas City, MO.
