Grace Community Church youth pastor Jamie Kendrew gestures with young children from Joska, a village in Kenya, Africa. Kendrew and administrative pastor Allan Osterwise went on a mission trip in November with Georgia-based 410 Bridge, a Christian organization that helps distressed rural villages in Africa.

CRANBERRY TWP — The recent political unrest in Kenya didn't stop members of Grace Community Church from visiting the country or from inviting the community to participate in another trip being planned for August.

"Going to Kenya was the most horrifyingly amazing experience of my life," said Jamie Kendrew, youth pastor at the non-denominational church on Mystic Pine Trail. "It was haunting to my soul but brought a tremendous peace because there was hope and happiness. The only thing they're missing is the opportunity we have."

In November, two church pastors, Kendrew and Allan Osterwise, traveled to Kenya for 11 days with members of the 410 Bridge, a Georgia-based Christian organization that helps distressed rural villages in Africa.

Grace in Cranberry is partnering with residents of Joska, a village in Kenya, to help bring resources and education to those in a 10-village region. That region surrounding Joska has about 40,000 people, and the village has about 2,000 people.

A close election, along with accusations of vote rigging, created tribal violence in certain areas of Kenya during the recent mission trip. The political violence raged while the pastors were there, but some members of their group didn't hear about it until they came back to America, despite the fact they witnessed a political rally.

"At times you would see people in the streets with palm leaves waving them or laying them in the streets," said Ashley Fryar, a spokeswoman for 410 Bridge. "But, it was a peaceful demonstration."

During their stay, the pastors helped build water wells so the people of Joska had clean water to drink.

"You have people walking 19 miles to get a gallon of dirty water," Kendrew said. "There is not a piece of well-digging equipment in Kenya, and it's very expensive to bring in."

In Joska, the pastors witnessed such a huge need for water, medical care and education that they started planning another trip that will include more helpers. They are calling their outreach program Grace in Kenya.

In August, 20 township residents will have the opportunity to work alongside the people of Joska to help them build a secondary school and medical facility. Seats for the trip are still available, and medical teams are encouraged to sign up.

"The way that we will prepare is that we will look to move forward and hope that the issues will be put behind the people of Kenya," said Osterwise, administrative pastor at Grace. "We look to prepare and continue this trip."

Grace will hold bi-weekly meetings that will prepare travelers 16 and older for the $3,500-per-person trip. Church members are selling Kenyan-made coffee and bottled water at the church to finance the trip.

People who are unable to travel can donate toys and money at the church for the Joska village.

So far, none of communities that the 410 Bridge assists have experienced violence or tribal fighting. While the majority of the country remains peaceful, members of 410 Bridge said the organization is doing everything in its power to continuously assess all the potential risks and safety issues its members could face."As an organization, as a ministry, we will not send teams over if we do not have the ability to keep them safe," Fryar said. "We are very confident in our ability to keep our teams safe at this time."Part of the reason the 410 Bridge and other visitors have been able to remain safe is because they stay out of the large slum areas that are most affected by violence. Contacts in Kenya update 410 Bridge members daily about the unrest in Kenya."There may be some teams sending them right into the heart of where it is. I wouldn't send people in those parts right now," Fryar said. "To be honest, I'm taking my 13-year-old daughter, and I don't feel scared at all."Even when the roads to some villages are closed, the 410 Bridge will find a way to reach the needy communities. But the threat of warfare has caused them to reroute and avoid driving after dark."The political stuff that is going on over there has caused us to have to make sure that we are very clear with our message," Kendrew said.For more information about the trip, contact the church at 724-779-7997 or info@graceincranberry.org.

The Rev. Allan Osterwise, left, administrative pastor of Grace Community Church, Cranberry Township, and the church's youth pastor, Jamie Kendrew, went on a mission trip in November to a Kenyan village called Joska. The two pastors worked with a group to build water wells for the villagers in the region because well-digging equipment is rare and expensive in Africa.