Q&A
Q&A with John Kissinger Nyang’au
Kissinger is program director of Project 24 in Kenya.
Since joining the Project 24 staff in 2015, John Kissinger Nyang’au has seen firsthand how hundreds of children have been impacted through this joint program of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya (ELCK). There are currently nine boarding facilities located throughout Kenya — including the Wamba site, which opened in August 2024 — where children in need receive education, food, shelter, medical care and the Gospel. Even after the children age out of the Project 24 boarding facilities, they continue to receive support as they pursue residential secondary education and, possibly, higher education. To his role, Kissinger brings training as a teacher and project manager as well as a passion for caring for children.
How did you get your job with Project 24?
A: I had worked with street children for 12 years. We had some activities that we were doing, like singing. Whenever there was a church function, they could ask these children to come in to showcase their talents. [In the church,] there was an advertisement for the job, so I applied.
What is the purpose of Project 24?
A: The purpose is to bring children … from hopelessness to hope through Christ. Many of these children have never had the opportunity to have three meals per day. [One or both parents may have died.] God is using me to reach these children and provide the Gospel. Then, they are able to go back to their extended families and communities to talk about Jesus and the good work that God has done.
Are there Lutheran congregations in the children’s hometowns?
A: Yes, the local [ELCK] congregations help pick the children [to join Project 24]. These children have pastors, deaconesses and church leadership that support growing their faith. We had an instance where a child came from a local congregation, but this congregation had no pastor and was closed. When the child went back home, he got an opportunity to meet the bishop and told the bishop, “Please, I want my church.” The bishop found a pastor and opened the church again.
What is it like to work for the LCMS and serve alongside LCMS missionaries?
A: I feel I’m the link between the LCMS in the U.S. and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya, and that I can bring the two cultures together for the purpose of the growth of the Gospel. I’m here also to support the missionaries who work in the East Africa field office. Whenever they have challenges, I’m there for them. Being an LCMS employee in a Kenyan setup, it’s really important that the two groups work together as a team.
What’s your favorite Bible verse?
A: Ezekiel 37. I compare what God tells Ezekiel about the dry bones with the children that we support in Project 24. Their parents [may] have died. The flesh is gone, and the bones are in the graves. But the children are there. … These children have been given Jesus and are standing as strong soldiers of Israel. We don’t see the dead bones in the graves, but we see new life.
Learn More
- Learn more about Project 24 and Christ’s Care for Children: Kenya
- Listen to an interview on KFUO Radio with Kissinger and LCMS mission advocate Zach Schnare
- Make a gift to support Project 24 and Christ’s Care for Children: Kenya
Megan K. Mertz
Managing editor of Lutherans Engage the World and chief copy editor for LCMS Communications.
