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Note #7943 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

African adventure
03397
September 22, 2003

African adventure

Presbyterian volunteers overcome accident during year in Kenya

By Gayda Hollnagel
The La Crosse Tribune
Reprinted with permission

LA CRESCENT, MN - Getting hit by a school bus and seriously injured was a
difficult experience for Michelle Rasmussen, but it hasn't obscured all the
good memories she and her husband, Ryan, have of the year they spent as
missionaries in Nairobi, Kenya.

"My accident was huge, but what I remember most of all and loved the most was
the kids. That's what I miss most about Kenya," said Michelle, who taught at
an orphanage for children of AIDS victims while Ryan served on the pastoral
staff of a 5,000-member Presbyterian Church in Nairobi.

The couple, who returned to the United States Aug. 14, say even Michelle's
May 9 accident had some unexpected benefits, including the deepening of their
own Christian faith and the opportunity to share that faith with people they
met while Michelle was hospitalized.

The accident happened while Michelle was waiting to cross a busy street and
resulted in eight fractures to her pelvis and a fractured lower leg bone. She
was hospitalized and in traction for six weeks.

It might have been worse, except that a passerby saw the bus coming and
pulled her out of the way so she was hit on the side rather than head-on.

"He probably saved my life," Michelle said. The man, whose name was Otieno,
visited her once or twice a week while she was hospitalized and became a
friend.

The hours immediately after the accident were very frightening as doctors
assessed the extent of Michelle's injuries and watched for signs of possible
internal bleeding, the couple said. They said they found comfort and strength
in praying together and in knowing that many people, including doctors and
nurses, were praying for them.

"Just feeling God's presence through Scripture was a very calming thing for
us. It gave us strength," Ryan said.

Their families also came through for them, with both Michelle's and Ryan's
parents making a trip to Nairobi to check on the couple.

Ryan, who graduated in 2002 from Louisville Presbyterian Theological
Seminary, grew up in the Presbyterian Church in Austin, MN. The couple met
while both were students at Augustana College, an ELCA institution in Sioux
Falls, SD.

While in Kenya, Ryan worked at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Nairobi as
a youth minister, focusing on young adults ages 18 to 35. He led Bible
studies and a sports ministry, did a lot of preaching, and did some work with
street children and with prostitutes.

Working with the street kids was the highlight, he said. "It was just a
meaningful experience to meet with them and tell them Christ loves them."

Nairobi has thousands of street children who were orphaned by AIDS and live
on their own, many sniffing glue for its narcotic effect, Ryan said. The
mission workers would buy food for the children and offer it in exchange for
the glue bottles.

Many prostitutes are students or single mothers who sell their bodies to
raise money for food and rent, Ryan said. He said St. Andrew's offers housing
and support to help the women get off the streets and create a new life for
themselves and their families.

During their stay, the Rasmussens stayed mostly in Nairobi and lived in a
fairly modern apartment with running water, gas and electricity. The
electricity wasn't very reliable and outages were frequent, but their living
conditions were far more luxurious than most of the citizens, the couple
said.

There were some opportunities for travel to the rural areas, where villagers
live much as they did for hundreds of years, Ryan said. Despite the primitive
housing, many people have cell phones, he said.

Ryan is currently seeking a call in the PC(USA). In the meantime, the couple
are fulfilling speaking engagements at churches that helped support them
during their year in Kenya.

Meanwhile, although they are not immediately planning a return to Kenya, they
aren't ruling it out. Ryan said he has a telephone interview scheduled for a
pastor's position in Kenya. "So you never know how God works. We might get a
chance to be there again."

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