In 2009 Jeff and Susan Moser embarked on a short-term missions project to Nairobi, Kenya, unsure of the exact purpose but certain that God had something significant in store. What started as a simple missions project ignited a passion for ministry that has transformed not only their lives but also the lives of countless others in East Africa.
One afternoon during the Mosers’ first trip to Nairobi something unexpected happened as they ventured through the vibrant streets and witnessed the daily rhythms of life. While they were observing the local scene near a church, Jeff’s attention was drawn to an elderly woman. He watched as she pulled out what looked like an old coffee can, set it on the ground, and started a small fire. Then the woman placed a wok over the fire, filling it with sizzling fish she had caught from Lake Victoria. Jeff was struck by the simplicity of the scene: The woman had little in terms of material resources, yet she was making something out of nothing, turning an ordinary moment into an opportunity to provide for herself and others.
The image had a profound impact on Jeff. He realized that you don’t always need a lot of resources to make a difference, but you simply need the heart to take what you have and use it to make a difference. That simple yet powerful realization ignited a new vision for what Jeff and Susan could do in Kenya—something beyond the short-term mission projects.
“I don’t know what it was,” Jeff said. “But after coming back from that first trip, I told Susan, ‘I think we’re supposed to do something in Kenya. I just don’t know what.’”
Since then Jeff and Susan have been involved in leading missions teams from Bellevue to Kenya, and in 2019 Jeff and Susan started The East Africa Project in order to have a greater long-term impact on ministries led by Kenyans. Their ministry partners with Bellevue by sending out short-term missions goers to work with indigenous organizations, helping them with water filtration and school supplies distribution. Teams have led in-country seminars on small business techniques, leadership, education, and more. Jeff and his teams have also been part of facilitating medical and vision clinics.
Even now The East Africa Project continues to expand its impact. This past March, Bellevue sent three teams to Kenya to help serve with marriage conferences, discipleship training, children’s programs, and medical teams that treated more than 880 patients in five days. Through this partnership between Bellevue and The East Africa Project, Kenyans’ needs are being met, both physical and emotional, in profound ways. But it’s not just the tangible outcomes that have left an impression on Jeff and Susan—it’s the undeniable evidence of God’s hand at work in everything they do.
“How can you not believe in a God that’s going to answer the prayers of these people the way we’ve seen them answered?” Susan said. “It’s just incredible.”
Visit bellevue.org/go to learn how you can be part of a short-term missions project to Kenya!