Del and Becky Chinchen

Children: Sophie, Charisa, Joanna and Rebecca

     Del and Becky Chinchen have served the Lord as missionaries in Nairobi, Kenya since 1995. Del is the chairman of the Bible Department for Daystar University which is the largest Christian liberal arts college in Africa. Daystar has more than 2,000 full time students coming from 26 different countries in Africa. As well as being chairman of the Bible Department, Del also teaches several classes and does some administrative work. Becky is also involved at Daystar, serving as the coordinator of the Student Exchange Program which presently has 30 American students who come from Christian colleges in the U.S. 

"Amani ya Juu." (Swahili for "higher peace") is a sewing ministry which Becky founded to teach refugee women how to sew so that they can make an income to help support their family. This gives them a hope of returning to their home countries. As well as teaching these women how to make marketable products that are of good quality, they are also taught about the Lord, and they participate in daily prayer and devotions as well as weekly Bible studies. This program has been very successful and Becky has recently expanded it into Rwanda and started similar work there. The Nairobi center provides an income for 35 women, mostly refugees, as well as a discipleship program of Bible studies and prayer meetings. The newly established center in Rwanda has 7 women.

Daystar University

Amani ya Juu

    Amani's Blog

Del was born in San Jose, CA in 1952 to parents who were not yet Christians. Del’s father owned a pear orchard in the Santa Clara Valley (now Silicon Valley). Both parents later became Christians and left the pear orchard business to go into pastoral work. Much later, with 7 children (Del being the third), they went to the mission field in Liberia, West Africa.

Becky was born in 1955 and raised in Chattanooga, TN. Becky’s parents were committed Christians, her father being an elder in their church (East Ridge Presbyterian) for many years and faithfully teaching an adult Sunday school class. Becky’s father is a retired computer consultant and her mother a teacher and artist. Her parents live on Missionary Ridge. Becky was a classmate with Ken Henry at East Ridge High School.

Both Del and Becky became Christians when they were young and are thankful that they were raised in Christian homes. Del would spend his summer breaks from college assisting with the work in Liberia. Becky and Del met at LeTourneau College. After Del graduated with a missions degree, Del & Becky were married. Del was a carpenter framing houses in the Bellingham, Washington area. God was tugging at their hearts to consider missions so they wrote a letter to Del’s parents asking them if they needed help in Liberia. Del’s parents had also written a letter inviting Del & Becky to join them in a new venture of establishing a Bible college in Liberia. The two letters crossed in the mail.

This sign confirmed for Del & Becky that God wanted them in Liberia and that they should begin to prepare for the mission field by going back to school for further training. Del began his work on an M.Div. and Becky continued with undergraduate training in Christian Education at Biola University.

In 1977 they first went to Liberia to join Del’s parents in beginning the construction of African Bible College (ABC). After the college was opened in 1980, Del & Becky returned to the states for a year so that Del could finish the M.Div. program and begin teaching and administration responsibilities at ABC. Becky was librarian, asst. registrar, teacher and coordinator of the academy for faculty children.

In 1990 a civil war began in Liberia. While waiting for peace in that country, Del & Becky spent two years in Malawi, helping Del’s parents established another ABC there until it was safe to return to Liberia. They returned to Liberia in 1992 during a cease fire, reopened the college until bombing raids made it necessary to evacuate to Ivory Coast. During the one year as refugees in Ivory Coast, Del completed the work towards a Ph.D. in Cross-Cultural Education through Biola University. Del & Becky were able to return to Liberia in 1994, during another cease fire, open ABC again, complete the academic year and hold a graduation. A few months later, the campus was completely looted and destroyed by rebel soldiers.

With no ministry or home to return to in Liberia, God led Del and Becky to Daystar University in Nairobi, Kenya in 1995. 

Del has published extensively:

• The Patron-Client System: A Model of Indigenous Discipleship, Evangelical Missions Quarterly, Oct. 1995.
• The Return of the Fourth “R” to Education: Relationships,   Missiology, July 1997.
• Valentine’s Day Comes to Africa, Evangelical Missions Quarterly, April 1998.
• Does the Woman Have a Soul? The Plight of African Women and the Responsibility of Christian Men,  Journal of Constructive Theology, July 1999.
• The Art of Hospitality in Africa: An Indigenous Method of Discipleship,  Evangelical Missions Quarterly, Oct. 2000
• Indigenous African Management Styles, Evangelical Missions Quarterly, Jan. 2001

Del & Becky have four daughters -- Sophie, Charisa, Joanna, Janell -- and one granddaughter, Gaelin, born to Sophie and Travis Knight two years ago. Joanna is attending Covenant College and Charisa is working at the restaurant 212 on Market Street as a gourmet chef. Rebecca is a freshman attending the University of Tennessee Chattanooga (UTC). Del & Becky just celebrated their 26th anniversary in September, 23 of those years having been in Africa.