Africa/Arabia NPL Retreat Jan 2026

Picture from 2026 Retreat (Some faces have been changed for security reasons).

NPL Africa Retreat. Some of the face in this picture have been blurred to protect their identity.

At the end of January, we had the privilege of hosting an Africa-wide No Place Left retreat here in Nairobi, gathering partners from six different countries. It was the first meeting of its kind in over two years, and there was a deep sense that God was doing something significant among us. Our time together centered on building unity around the remaining task in Africa and Arabia—seeking not just shared vision, but shared commitment. There was a humility in the room, a willingness to listen, and a growing conviction that what lies ahead will require us to walk together in deeper partnership than ever before.

Since that gathering, we’ve already begun to see fruit. Trainings have taken place across multiple countries, all with the aim of equipping workers to go to the least reached. One of the clearest outcomes from our time together was a shared desire to intentionally focus on those who have little to no access to the gospel. Alongside that, there was a strong and hopeful shift toward African partners leading the way—especially in developing sustainable, local funding streams that can support long-term, scalable growth. It was encouraging to see this ownership rising from within the continent.

Perhaps most inspiring was the collective desire to see missionaries raised up from Africa itself—men and women sent not only within their own regions, but across Africa, into Arabia, and ultimately to the ends of the earth. There is a growing belief that Africa is not just a mission field, but a sending force in God’s global story. We left the retreat with renewed faith, deeper unity, and a clear sense that this is only the beginning of what God intends to do.