2006 - Kenya experiences poverty, high HIV/AIDS rates, and low life expectancies. The Church in Kenya is growing, but is challenged by a lack of resources to reach her own people, engage people with the gospel, or minister to the less fortunate.
Believing that God has positioned him to be a testimony to every person in his village of birth and its environs, Sango Otieno set to find ways to put the Word of God in every person in his village who can read. Sango with his family’s help, coined the phrase “Neno For Kenya”, “neno" is Swahili for word. The objectives were to:
- Aid the ministry of the local churches to the people by providing the Word of God, since Bibles are very difficult for people to obtain for economic reasons.
- Share the Gospel in schools and churches by showing the “JESUS” film in the viewer’s heart language. Showing the "Jesus" film benefits the ministries of local churches because:
- The “Jesus” film tells the Gospel story in the viewers’ HEART language
- Most people have never seen a film – the moving pictures in the Jesus film capture their interest and attention
- Believers and non-believers alike will visualize and grasp the entire gospel message all at once – in about two hours – rather than little-by-little during weekly church services
- Provide local churches with Sunday School materials for their children, as faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
2007 - Sango’s family met Mrs Marilyn Newman founder of “Special Ministries, Kenya” who had served as missionary in Kenya for over 50 years with her encouragement and the support of Lighthouse community church, a team of 4 people from West Michigan travelled to Kenya. Together with Pastor Walter of Special Ministries, Kenya, the team visited various churches and elementary schools in western Kenya. The evangelism activities included showing the “JESUS” Film in the Heart language of the people, sharing the Word of God through the Bible Cloth and Wordless Story Book, supplying school kids with Scripture booklets in English, Swahili, Luragoli, and Luhya. At Sijoa church (in Sango’s birth place) only 4 people had Bibles. More than anything else, Sango felt that the greatest need in his birth village and beyond was the written word of God.
2009 - God raised a group of people that included one of the members of the first mission team to Kenya that believed in small beginnings. The group started plans for another mission trip.
2010 - May 2010, a team of 6 people from West Michigan with 1600 Bibles, about 3,000 pencils and bookmarks, 2 Personalized Energy Transportation (PETs) for 2 disabled individuals, arrived in Kenya. Together with Pastor Walter of Special Ministries Kenya, and John and Kimberly Hauenstein of Into the River, the team showed the film in peoples’ heart language in various villages of western Kenya for six days to about 7000 people. At one of the villages, after showing “The Jesus Film,” the entire group estimated at about 150 put their trust in Jesus Christ. We estimate that about 1000 people dedicated their lives to Christ. We witnessed firsthand how God is moving in people’s lives and to saw the hunger for God’s Word.
2010 - Propelled by the blessings of May 2010 mission trip, a group of 8 individuals started the process of incorporating Love Inspired Outreach as 501 c3 organization. In October 2010, Love Inspired Outreach was incorporated as a 501 c3 organization in Michigan.
2011 - Love Inspired Outreach obtained IRS Approval for tax exempt status in May 2011. Many have been apart through prayer, and generous financial gifts etc. Thank you.
“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.” 1 Corinthians 3:6