NW Valley Times

Daniel Klem, a seminary student at Grand Canyon University (GCU), recently traveled to Kenya at the invitation of fellow student and pastor Gama Aywa Ondere. The trip was aimed at spreading the gospel in Ondere's homeland. Klem, who serves as a youth pastor at The Church Next Door in Prescott Valley, spent 10 days ministering in Kenya last summer.

Ondere had expressed his desire to bring someone from GCU to Kenya shortly after enrolling in the seminary. He felt it was important for his followers and community organizations to hear a new voice. "I also thought being a good steward, not only receiving the knowledge and keeping it, but also bringing somebody else to kind of read and speak more about the gospel challenges and the gospel truth," said Ondere.

Klem faced some logistical challenges during his journey, including visa issues that were resolved with assistance from the Kenyan ambassador he encountered at an airport. Despite these hurdles, Klem's preaching made a significant impact on those who attended his sessions. "Now I’m receiving testimonies about his preachings, his teachings," Ondere noted.

The experience left Klem both surprised and grateful for the opportunity. "Why would a small-town youth pastor be invited to Kenya? Just because we met each other in school. That’s it," he reflected.

Joshua Anderson, Director of GCU's Theological Seminary, praised the international connections formed by seminary students like Klem and Ondere. “We want to have a global impact, and this is exactly what we are seeing,” Anderson said.

Ondere sees future opportunities for collaboration with Klem and others as vital for expanding their ministry efforts. “I think it is an opportunity that needs to be explored more and more,” he stated.

The partnership between Klem and Ondere exemplifies GCU's mission to train ministry leaders for global outreach, as emphasized by Anderson: “This is exactly why the Seminary exists ─ to train ministry leaders for a global impact for Christ!”