Needles are by no means Emma Hunter's favourite thing. But they are a necessary evil if she is going to join a team of seven Youthworks volunteers in Nairobi this year.
"They didn't hurt as much as I thought they would," Emma says. "I'm just looking forward to being encouraged and being involved in God's work."
Emma, along with Matt Dickens, Ian Thaux, Aimee-soo Skeels, Ian Martyn, Phillip Stubbs and Amanda Sondra will be taking part in the Nairobi International Youth Mission, organised by African Enterprise in July.
Peter Gunning from African Enterprise says the members of the Anglican Youthworks Camping Division will join around 150 people from around the world in short-term mission work in the Kenyan capital.
"As Western culture continues to transform African society, the reality is that most of it is having a negative affect on the young people," he says.
The mission team will be half Western, half African and will carry out evangelistic activities in schools, universities and inner-city communities.
"We hope to be a positive influence as we preach Christ and Him crucified," Mr Gunning says.
The Sydney Anglican contingent, along with pastoral care worker John Gunning, received between three to five needles each, including yellow fever, hepatitus A, hepatitus B and typhoid.
Most are more concerned with how they will cope with local conditions, particularly the language and the food.
But Amanda Sondra says partnering productively with African Enterprise's "Foxfire' youth evangelists will be the biggest challenge.
"Being part of a large group and being an effective and unified group that works well and is effective for Christ will be the hardest thing," she says.
The team have a series of booster shots to sit through before flying out, but they are already anticipating the benefit of seeing God work in another country.
"I'm looking forward to forming lasting relationships with people from another culture and from around the world," says Ian Thaux.
People interested in prayerfully or financially supporting this venture can visit the African Enterprise website, or contact its Sydney offices on (02) 9889 1799.
