Establishing a mission in Africa

During his time here, Bishop Kinney expanded the diocesan staff, but no expansion would match that of going well beyond the boundaries all the way to Africa.
 
In the summer of 1990, he sent the first team of missionaries to Africa on behalf of the people of the Bismarck Diocese. The Bismarck African Mission has cared for the poorest of the poor since and its primary work is to attend to the needs of more than 400 AIDS orphans with food, educational needs and medical care.
 
Realizing that the church is universal and that mission work is done beyond the diocesan borders, Bishop Kinney established a mission in Bura, a town in Tana River County, Kenya, East Africa in the summer of 1990. Four missionaries—Father Bruce Krebs, Deacon Jim and Henrietta Nistler and Cathy King—were the first team to go on July 1. During the send-off service at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Bishop Kinney said, “Today, we all go…some will go to serve in Africa, but we all go by our prayers and financial assistance.”
 
Father Bruce Krebs, pastor at Our Lady of Grace in Minot, was a priest for about 12 years at the time when he volunteered to be part of that first team of missionaries.
 
“Bishop Kinney was responding to the Holy Father’s request for missionaries to go to Africa because of the boom in numbers of Catholics in many countries there,” Fr. Krebs said. “He had seen the blessings that come to both the place receiving the missionaries and the place sending them.”
 
But, Fr. Krebs knew it would also be a gift to the small team of missionaries representing the diocese. “I have personally had an interest in the missions since 1979 when I went with a group to visit three priests from the Diocese of Fargo in Peru who were doing mission work there at the time. I saw this new venture of our diocese as a great opportunity to do some mission work at a time in my life when I was still young enough to adapt to a new culture and a new language.”
 
One of the things that struck the missionaries right away upon arriving in Africa was the joy of the people of Africa, especially the children. Even though they lived in extreme poverty, with only handmade toys, they were so loving and joyful. Not just the children, the adults, too, were tremendously hospitable. It was most uplifting to witness their faith.
 
Certainly, the move to the mission took some adjusting for the team. The support of Bishop Kinney was vital in those first years. “Bishop Kinney was very approachable and comfortable to be around,” Fr. Krebs said. “As a priest of the Bismarck Diocese, I always felt his care and support.”
 
So, it was no surprise to anyone when Bishop Kinney decided to make the trip to Africa in 1992 to check on the progress.
 
“Bishop Kinney was always very supportive of our mission team,” said Fr. Krebs. “He personally came to visit us and meet the people we were serving and those who supported us locally such as the Maryknoll Fathers in Nairobi. I remember how surprised Bishop Kinney was that just surviving there took so much of our time and effort. Since we were not accustomed to the local foods, shopping for groceries in the market and meal preparation was difficult. We were very limited in what groceries were available locally and so we had to plan ahead and bring some of what we needed from Nairobi, a seven-hour trip away.”
 
Fr. Krebs stayed in Kenya two and a half years. Cathy King returned after about a year. The Nistlers remained at the mission for more than nine years. Jim, a bit of a jack-of-all-trades, filled various roles for the mission including the primary catechist. Henrietta was the nurse at the mission and used her many talents to serve the people.
 
Soon after Fr. Krebs left, the mission team moved to another region of Kenya because of increased safety concerns. Due to continued violence near the Somali border, the mission relocated to the Diocese of Kisii in western Kenya in April 1994, where it remains today.
 
Over the years, the missionary teams have come and gone and certainly made an impact on the lives of the people they serve. Likewise, life for those who spend time there volunteering is forever changed. “I have always lived rather simply so I don’t think it radically changed my lifestyle, but I am probably more tuned in to the needy and hungry people of our world because of my time in Kenya,” explained Fr. Krebs. “A result of that awareness, I assisted in starting a shelter for homeless men here in Minot since my arriving here.”
 
The Bismarck Diocese conducts an annual fundraiser called the African Mission Appeal that raises funds for the needs of the mission and to continue the legacy started by Bishop Kinney. This spring, the appeal will mark its 31st year.