Rev. Susan Leipsner, Director LMI, Dir. & Coordinator TEAM KENYA 2009

Lydia Ministries International Ministering to Ministers

Meet Rev. Susan Leipsner, Dir. LMI and Director and Coordinator TEAM KENYA 2009:

Rev. Susan Leipsner began her mission trips in her own backyard of N.C. It began before she became a pastor, when she volunteered with Red Cross in the area of disaster relief. Then in the early 80's as a Red Cross volunteer and as a pastor she ministered to victims of hurricanes and tornadoes . It was then that she worked in cooperation with other pastors to found and implement the Union County Interfaith Disaster Relief Council which responded to hundreds, if not thousands of hurricane victims. Susan served as one of the "chairs" of the Steering Committee on the UCIDRC. Through this experience Susan gained leadership qualities to help form and lead teams into disaster and crisis areas.

As Director of Lydia Ministries International, she travels into some of the most "difficult" places of the world: refugee camps and settlements in the middle-east, refugee camps in west Africa, mud villages in Southern India, the slums of Nairobi and the wild bushlands of the border of Tanzania and Kenya-- and into the Katrina hit areas of the U.S. gulf states. Her heart for the people draws her to the places where pastors set their faces like flint to the task of serving as shepards to God's flocks.

It is her passion to minister to ministers that drives her forward, and her passion to serve God that gives her the faith to believe in the impossible. It is this passion that inspired her to form TEAM KENYA 2009. As the Team Coordinator and Mission Director, her duties include, but are not limited to: Selecting Team Leaders with God's guidance; Building the Team Leadership through training, empowering, equipping, and encouraging; planning and implementing all phases of TEAM KENYA 2009; Administerial duties such as securing airfare, tickets, guesthouse and meals; planning and implementing training of both Team Leaders and team members; writing and designing TEAM KENYA 2009 Training Manual and Travel Journal; Planning and implementing team debriefing sessions; planning itinerary; coordinating and procuring travel and transportation in Kenya; coordinating between TEAM KENYA in the USA and the pastors and members of TEAM KENYA in Kenya; securing financial donations and other resources for the mission; overseeing the mission project; communicating with team members and if minors, their parents and/or guardians; and other areas of leading the team.

Rev. Leipsner's religious leadership experience began early on as a Sunday School and church ministry leader. She later worked as Director of Lay Ministries at what was then known as Western Carolina Center. She has led many church growth leadership workshops in the past and women's interests workshops. For over five years she served as a hospital chaplain and has also pastored 12 churches. Susan has been a pastor for over twenty years, was a pastor's wife and then a pastor's widow. She is the founder and director of Lydia Ministries International. She is married to Robert Leipsner, and is mother to three wonderful children and "Nana" to many grand-children.

In her "down time" Susan enjoys gardening, reading and studying the Bible, writing children's books, painting, spinning wool and weaving. She also enjoys just chilling out in her big rope hammock -- watching the blue sky overhead and the forest life surrounding her and Bob's mountain home.

A "word" from Rev. Leipsner to TEAM KENYA 2009 members:

"Welcome or "Karibu" to each and every one of TEAM KENYA 2009 members! I can't tell you how pleased I am, and how blessed this team is because such wonderful people as yourself have joined this journey with us! I am so excited for you and for each and every team member. Not only do we get to go into the wonderful and exciting land of Africa's gemstone, Kenya, but we get to go into this land and see first-hand what God is doing there!

It is an awsome and wonderful thing to not only see what God is doing in Kenya, but He has invited us to participate with Him in this great and wonderful thing! What is God doing in Kenya? Well, He's not buying real estate, because He not only owns the cattle on ten thousand hillsides, he also owns the hillsides! No, God is building His Church, His Bride in Kenya and across the continent of Africa. Hundreds, if not thousands, of new church families are formed annually! It is such an amazing thing to see the rapid spread of the faith the people are experiencing in Jesus as multitudes come to call Him their Savior and the Messiah!

It is because of this faith and this belief in Jesus as Messiah and Savior that we are going into Kenya to build a much longed for and desired church/school building in Namgama, Kenya. It's also this passion and faith that takes us into the world's second and third largest slums to minister to the children by renovating a children's center and by leading a Mission to Kenya's Kids.

As the Director of Lydia Ministries and the Director and Coordinator of TEAM KENYA 2009 my responsibilities run the gamut of planning and implementing the mission, agenda, itinerary, and goal setting to writing, designing, and planning the training manual to pulling together one of the greatest mission teams possible. Of course, it goes way beyond that, but I will not bore you with the details. Instead, I will tell you that this mission is my passion! My gifts are in leadership, teaching, ministering to ministers, and administration -- but my passion during this time is TEAM KENYA 2009. This would include the TEAM and the Mission!

I have two ultimate goals for this journey. The first is that you, the TEAM member, would experience God in a new and profound way as you are stretched and tested and as you see God in action in the extreme areas of the world! This goal would include every team member coming away from this adventure, this journey, this mission saying, "WOW, when can we do this again!"

My second goal is that we accomplish the work of the mission set before us: to build the church, renovate the children's center and host the Mission to Kenya's Kids. In addition, myself and a few of the TEAM members and TEAM leaders will be remaining an additional week to lead a pastors' and women's conference in Nairobi.

Come along on this journey of a lifetime. Again, Karibu (welcome) to TEAM KENYA 2009! I know you will be so very "blown away" by what you are going to experience on this journey! I can hardly wait to get started as I anticipate the day with great joy and excitement.

Karibu to TEAM KENYA 2009 and Karibu to Kenya!

And, remember "Hakuna Matata" (no problems)

---- Rev. Susan Leipsner

Please donate generously to help make this possible. Thank you for giving.

Each one of our volunteers, including Rev. Leipsner, must raise his or her own support for this mission trip, in addition to donating two to three weeks of their time. If you would like to sponsor one of our volunteers, please click on the donate button at the bottom of this page. If you would like to give toward the building and renovation funds, please go to the Lydia Ministries International Kenya 2009 page and you may donate at the bottom of that page, or donate here and designate your gift. This mission can only be accomplished because people such as yourself give generously. If you give $1.00 or $10,000.00 we know you have given out of your abundance and the abundance of your heart. We appreciate your gift! Thank you for giving so generously. May God return to you, pressed down and running over, measure above measure -- abundance!

Lydia Ministries International is a 501 (3)(c) non-profit registered organization and your gift is tax-deductible.