In the aftermath of the Nairobi Westgate Mall attack on Sunday 22 September 2013, Dr Gladys Mwiti, a Kenyan Langham Scholar, working in Nairobi, has sent this update and request for prayer. Dr Mwiti is founder and CEO of Oasis Africa, a counseling center with more than 20 certified counselors. Under the Red Cross and Kenya Psychological Association (of which she is the Chair), they have briefed and deployed psychologists and counselors to assist.

Dr Mwiti writes:

Dear Friends and Prayer Partners,
Thank you all for your prayers. It’s late — almost midnight. We’ve been on our feet for three days with brief rest at night. Don’t worry — we are after all the ‘trainers’ on self-care, and are remembering to practice what we preach.
Pray for us though. For the final conclusion on this matter. Our armed forces are almost there. I’m sure you’re following the news online.

By this afternoon, we had trained 183 counselors and psychologists in basic Psychological First Aid and divided them up into service teams for hospitals, drop ins at the Crisis Center, to work with various groups: children, volunteers, armed personnel, media teams, the Kenya Red Cross Teams, etc. We have a long list of more professional people that need training.
I continue to be in charge of the intervention with a willing team of helpers around me. I’m also handling media interviews alongside the team. Today, I was briefly interviewed by CNN and tomorrow, I’m on NTV again. Another member of the Team was on Citizen TV.

Everyone is working from one location. We are now organized and coordinated. Thank you for your prayers. More centers will open soon.
I am so delighted that Kenya now can stand strong in the psychology and counseling professions. Once, I could not have so many psychological mental health workers and many interested in volunteering for this great work.
So, pray on for us as we continue so that our strength will be multiplied.

The Nation is united as one. Just Google our President’s speech on the attack and you’ll see why we have so much hope.
Last night, a call went out for blood donations. Today, 5,000 people turned up in the Nairobi center alone and many more in other cities. Food is being delivered and more prepared wherever there is activity. We shall pull though.
Thanks again,

Dr. Mwiti is one shining example of more than 300 Langham Scholars around the world, all shaping their nations, providing leadership and elevating God’s Word. By providing biblical solutions to everyday, local problems, including crises like the one faced in Nairobi, we again acknowledge that God’s Word is relevant to the whole of life.
Would you join us in praying for Dr Mwiti, her staff and all those involved who can be lights in this dark time to the glory of God.