Man flees Kenya during political upheaval

By Brenda Tollett
ADA EVENING NEWS (ADA, Okla.)

ADA, Okla. January 14, 2008 09:06 am

— Rioting in the streets, potential danger to tourists and being swept out of the country on a moment’s notice was not what Darren Briley had envisioned for his second missionary trip.
"I didn't realize before the trip that presidential elections in Kenya were taking place," Briley said.
It was voting day when Briley, of Ada, arrived in Kenya. He said the plane on which he was traveling was filled with people returning to their hometowns to vote.
Briley said there was no indication of what was to take place only days later. Everything appeared calm.
Oklahoma Baptist University freshman's group of six left the United States Dec. 26 on a Christian missionary journey sponsored by International Sports Federation based in Atlanta, Ga. Another group of six had arrived at Malava six days earlier to begin the mission.
The group of men and women, ranging in age from 19 to 42, planned to incorporate sports with sharing the gospel to children ages 4-14 in the small community of Malava, Kenya, 100 miles south of Kisumu.
Kisumu is on the shores of Lake Victoria in Kenya — East Africa. It is the third largest city in Kenya, with a population of more than 322,000.
"We spent three days at Malava teaching Vacation Bible School at an orphanage and local school," said Briley. "We heard on the radio about the riots starting."
Local people advised Briley's group to stay indoors after dark for their safety.
"During the day everything was fine. But at night the girls were a little nervous," Briley said.
On the fifth night, Briley said, the U.S. Embassy in Kenya called his group and told them they had two choices — stay in the town where they were and hide out or pack a bag and head for the airport within the hour. If the group stayed, Briley said, there was a possibility they would have to remain in hiding for months with no guarantee for their safety.
Briley said he was allowed to pack two changes of clothing, valuables and essential food items in a backpack. There was no room for extra baggage in the two small vans that would transport the 12 missionaries to the airport 100 miles away.
"After we left Malava we began to see signs of the rioting that took place at night," Briley said.
Burned buildings and overturned burned cars were scattered throughout the area.
"More than 500 were killed and 300,000 families displaced," Briley said.
About 30 miles outside Malava, they were joined by two police escorts per van. Although the group passed through a couple of police roadblocks, they were safely escorted to the airport in Kisumu.
"The police had control of the roads," Briley said.
Briley credits God with every step of getting his group out of Kenya safely.
"There was only one more plane leaving Kenya that night," he said.
Briley was among the first six members of the group to get on that plane. The remaining six missionaries spent the night at the airport and boarded a plane out of the country the next night.
"The next day the airport ran out of fuel," he said. "You could tell God was in control."
Briley said the experience has not discouraged him from missionary work or visiting Kenya.
"I will definitely go back," he said.

Brenda Tollett writes for Ada (Okla.) Evening News.

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