Steve and Alene Burgert
After serving in Kenya at Tenwek Hospital and in field leadership since 2009, Steve and Alene Burgert retired on June 30, 2022. During their first years as missionaries, Steve and Alene were involved with ministries at and through the hospital that included medical and spiritual care. While Steve worked at the hospital, Alene taught in the chaplaincy program and facilitated prison ministry. Eventually, they both were asked to serve in leadership roles—Alene serving as the Kenya Area Team Leader and Steve as Tenwek Hospital’s Medical Superintendent.
They found that the greatest blessings of their time in Kenya were the close relationships that developed between national Kenyans and themselves. These relationships became valuable cross-cultural bridges especially during the challenges that they faced—seasons of civil unrest, the Sue Steury Building fire at Tenwek, and the COVID-19 pandemic, to name a few.
In retirement, they do not plan to just sit on the sidelines. They want to be active participants in what God is doing where He has now called them. First Peter 4:10 conveys their hearts’ desire for themselves and for each follower of Christ: “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (NIV). This is how Steve and Alene have sought to live and hope to continue living—serving their Lord and those around them.