The Gospel Changes Everything in Kenya: Clay and Lydia Steelman

A few years ago, Kenya experienced a severe drought. The rainy season failed, crops didn’t grow well, and cattle couldn’t survive. The country faced a devastating hunger crisis. Today, many Kenyans are still rebuilding their lives amid prolonged hardship.

That’s why Clay and Lydia Steelman, International Mission Board missionaries who live in Nairobi with their two daughters, started a project to provide goats.

“One of the greatest things about goats is they can live through just about anything,” explained Clay, the associate area director for Send Relief in East Africa. “And while it is awesome that these goats give people milk, food, and a way to make additional money, what they really give is hope.”

A hope that there will be food on the table. A hope they can pay to educate their children, and a hope that tomorrow will be okay.

“In the same way,” he continued, “Jesus gives us hope not just for tomorrow but forever.”

Through the generosity of Southern Baptists, struggling families are given one male and two female goats. The Steelmans have seen goats change families’ lives.

But it’s not just goats.

Their work encompasses numerous projects addressing physical and spiritual needs across Kenya. Lydia, a family medicine doctor by trade, explained how compassion ministries open doors for the gospel.

“We want to feed the hungry, help the poor and give hope to those who need it, just like Jesus did,” Lydia said.

Working closely with other IMB missionaries, the Steelmans organize things like water deliveries and feeding programs and provide trainings for refugee work and trauma healing.

Lydia related the story of one colleague — who is also a doctor — who began visiting the sick and elderly in his community.

In one village, the doctor was met with stiff resistance until the village chief needed care. The chief, a Muslim, was deeply moved by the care the missionaries provided for him. Soon, he became a follower of Christ and welcomed them into his village to share the gospel freely.

Clay recognized a desperate need for mental healthcare workers after a flood that killed several hundred people. He described one father who recounted the harrowing moments he lost his son.

“Being able to have someone trained to deal with grief to interact with him, instead of him just holding on to it and not having an appropriate way to process, was so powerful,” Clay said.

It inspired a chaplaincy program to help people process trauma after disasters. They have also begun mental health training for teachers.

Ultimately, the Steelmans pray the people of Kenya find hope in Jesus as they experience compassion through the body of Christ.