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When Ben Omungu was growing up in Kenya, he didn't dream of coming to the United States and later returning to Kenya as one of the leaders of a mission trip from his High Point church, Green Street Baptist.

He and mission leader Robert Steele took 11 people with them this year when they went to Kibera, one of the largest slum areas in the world.

The other team members ranged in age from 15 to the late 60s. Jonathan Barringer, 15, accompanied his mother, Kitty. Jordan Hernandez ,18, and Miller Heiman, 15, were the other teenagers in the group.

Roger King was accompanied by his wife, Jane. Keith and Linda Gleason, Lucas Defalco, Jeff Benfield and Scott Heiman were the other team members.

Omungu grew up in a Christian home with brothers and sisters. His dad is now in his 80s and his mom is 77. He has a very strong faith in the steadfastness of God and in God's leadership for his life.

In Kenya, Omungu went to Moffat Bible College where he met his future wife, Hyrine. He was a student at the university for four years and took a job with the International Word of Life, an organization whose main goal is to reach young people through youth clubs, camps and planned activities. The International Word of Life has offices all over the world. Omungu was an associate director with the organization for two years in Mombasa, Kenya.

Omungu came to this country and worked with Word of Life in several states while pursuing degrees in pastoral studies and getting a master's in divinity.

He then pursued a degree as a family counselor. While going to school, he also worked several jobs including as a counselor at a church in the community.

"Hyrine was very supportive and prayed for me. I didn't have scholarships so I had to go to school and work. I did everything through faith knowing that God would provide and would get me through," Omungu said.

"When I came to the United States in 1989, I knew the Lord had called me here to go to school and to do mission work. I knew at some point I would have to make a decision to either stay in the United States or to return to Kenya."

About 10 years ago, Omungu decided to buy Covenant Counseling practice in High Point while he was pursuing a doctorate at Trinity Seminary in Indiana. He traveled back to Trinity one week each month to finish his degree.

"The Lord gave me a vision 10 or 15 years ago to go back to Kenya as part of a team. I wanted to take as many people as I could. I really had two main purposes in mind. I wanted Americans to see what it was like to minister in a different country. I knew the trip would change anyone who went. I knew also that we would change lives by introducing the people to whom we were ministering to Christ."

In 2007, Robert Steele and Omungu decided to go to Kenya to scout out the area and see what the needs were.

"We saw a rundown school, buildings with no power and a clinic with no running water. These were physical and material needs. We knew we had to minister to these in order to minister to the spiritual needs. They have very little materially but their spirits and smiles are beautiful."

When the group returned to Kenya in 2008, Steele and Omungu did door to door visits, handed out tracts and preached.

Keith Gleason and Lucas Defalco became involved in a prison ministry. Gleason also took Bibles and soccer balls. Omungu's own family in Kenya put together more than 300 toiletries bags to be given out.

"We wanted to develop a relationship with the people there and the churches. I hoped we could make trips every few years with our church and other churches going. This time, Jordan Hernandez from Westchester Baptist went with us.

"About a month before we went to Kenya my brother, the Reverand Canon Habil R. Omungu, was transferred to Emmanuel Church and Community Development in Kibera, the very place we were going. We knew God's hand was in this."

Omungu is planning a trip back to Kenya in December. He would like to encourage as many people to go as feel led. "We would like to take doctors, nurses, builders, medical people, lawyers and others. We want to challenge these people with the gospel."

Omungu has a DVD he shares with groups. He can be contacted at Covenant Counseling Center, 1911 N. Centennial St., High Point, 882-1224 or bomungu@ covenantcounselingcenter.com.

Next week in Neighbor to Neighbor, meet others who were members of the team.

If you have news of High Point, please contact me at mjohnson2@triad.rr.com.