Maya Angelou said, “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel,” and when I think of Kenya, I think of people like Mama Anna and Rose. They embodied hospitality and joy. They made Kenya feel a little like home.
Mama Anna was our Kenyan Mama and the school cook. She spent one of her weekends taking us shopping for Kenyan fabric and made several trips to the tailor’s to have custom dressed made. One of my favorite memories from Kenya is learning to bake in a coal oven. On Thanksgiving, we baked bread and chocolate chip cookies on sand from the playground! Mama Anna wanted to learn an American recipe, and before I considered the oven situation, I promised to bake something with her. The coal oven was a giant metal industrial-size pot with a layer of sand inside. The cookie sheet/bread pan sat on the sand, and a flat metal lid with more hot sand covered the pot like a lid. We burnt a couple batches and started with a pot with a giant hole in the bottom, but it was surprisingly effective.
Rose was one of the teacher at Good News Academy, and I was inspired by her faith and love for her students. She told me a story about when a parent who was a witch doctor threatened her life and put a curse on her. Her and her son got very sick for three days, but she said, “I was not afraid. I am not afraid because I know he can’t touch me.” The way she talked about the witch doctor and the way she talked about our God reflected her heart so clearly. She rested in God’s protection and had no fear. I’ve read about people with faith like hers, but she’s the real deal. She has a solid, unwavering faith in God’s power and protection over His children. She knows the power of our God.
In Kenya I learned relational ministry is just as important as manual labor. I learned ministry might look a little different for each person and that is okay. I learned to speak up when I feel lead to specific people, places, and things, and I learned that being movable and available are keys to connecting with people.
I have met countless people this year, but some people I just can’t forget. They exude love and joy. They are seeking and following the Lord. They have unbelievably stories and radical faith, and over and over I have heard them say I am here because God messed up my plans. While we’re finishing our last couple days here at Vision Nicaragua, I hope to become someone who people can’t forget. I want faith like Rose and selfless hospitality like Mama Anna, and as I am following Jesus, God is continuing to wreck my plans.
