Mission Trips with Baboo - Frank

Ministering with my grandfather in Kenya was an extraordinary experience.

My Grandpa had always been taught that a runner saves a little bit to allow him to sprint to the finish line. My grandpa never wanted to limp home to Jesus, but to sprint home. So, despite losing Grandma to cancer in 2003, my Grandpa decided to go on a bold new mission, a sprint in his twilight years. This sprint would be hard for many reasons. One of those reasons was my Grandpa felt like he lost a leg after losing Grandma to cancer. How does a one-legged man sprint to the finish line? Let me tell you from one of my journal entries from 2003.

“I am reading through Ecclesiastes tonight and just read of The Preacher only finding one man in a thousand righteous and how God made man upright, but he has sought many inventions. I consider my Grandpa one in a thousand men. I wish I could be half the man he is someday. He is a man who has worked many years to become this righteous man and a great evangelist. I know Grandpa doesn’t think this of himself, but in my eyes I haven’t seen many as righteous as him. I admire him much. I am glad on this trip I have been able to see him as a person, a friend, a co-worker (he welcomed my ideas and insights on this trip), and not just my grandpa.”

As I reread my journal from those 6 months in 2003, it has really hit me how hard it was for Grandpa on this trip. He caught Malaria, his mom died while we were in Kenya, and he dealt with periods of loneliness. He had a variety of reasons to not go back again. He discussed some of these holdbacks to returning to Kenya as:

(1)   Raising support

(2)   Being lonely without his grandsons

(3)   Not knowing the language

(4)   His family back home

(5)   Difficulty working with one of the local missionaries

But, he did come back every summer for over 10 years. His example of pushing forward, has forever been a positive example for me. Indeed, I have ever sought to imitate his example of imitating Christ. My goal is to keep these great works God started through him, through S.T.A.R.T, going strong.  

Frank Lasslett