KENYA will welcome three Okehampton Church Ministers who travel to the country soon as invited guests of Bishop Isaiah Challo.

The connection between Kenya and Okehampton was established when deputy mayor Cllr Mike Davies attended an international church conference in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, in March.

The conference was attended by church leaders from around the world with a strong representation from the African countries.

On returning to West Devon, Mr Davies received a personal invitation from Bishop Isaiah to visit several churches in Nairobi, Kenya, in September.

Due to various other commitments this was not possible and following further correspondence Bishop Isaiah invited Okehampton Inspiration (Church of the Nations) ministers Mike Davies, Chris Bourne, and Simon Bourne to speak at the African Dominion Convention between August 11 and 15.

Mr Davies said: ?It will be an interesting time for the three of us. I understand that our speaking schedule with be quite considerable. Basically, we fly into Nairobi and take our first service within a few hours.

?They are certainly utilising our time to the maximum. It will be interesting to speak about Okehampton to several thousand Kenyans.?

Mr Davies and Chris Bourne are also involved with taking sessions at Dartmoor Prison this month. Mr Bourne has already taken some lengthy sessions on the topic ?How does God guide us?? and Mr Davies is due for a day of talks to the men of the prison next week on ?How do I resist evil??

Mark and Judith Stanbury, also from Inspiration, will this month be visiting Bulgaria as part of continued work carrying out much needed building work at an orphanage.

Inspiration Church has recently started work on its shop properties in Northfield Road, following a sizeable gift from one of the Church of the Nations family of churches in Germany, who wanted to support the work of the Okehampton church.

Mr Davies said the church was ?delighted? by the sum of money.

?I have spoken to the church concerned to express our appreciation for their very kind and generous gift.

?We still need a lot of money in order to complete the work but it is hoped that we will be able to partially finish some of the work and have it operational for our children?s club and youth work in June or July,? he said.