Life at the Challenge Farm here in Kitale, Kenya, has been simple and sweet. I am living out of my tent and cooking three meals a day for myself (and so blessed that the grocery store has CHEESE!). The days go by slowly. I run almost every morning through the Rift Valley in the cool, crisp air. Kenya is chilly! I wear the same black yoga pants and borrowed long sleeve t-shirt almost every day. I teach Bible class every morning. In the afternoons I paint or organize the tool shed or help out in dance class, and yesterday I even milked a cow. My evenings are usually spent in team Bible studies, listening to podcasts, watching movies or having long talks with my closest friend.
Last Saturday we had Challenge Farm Olympics Round 2, and I shared more stories with them, led a trivia contest and then we competed in volleyball and soccer. In church Sunday I preached on Romans 9:20-21, about how God is the Master Potter and we are his clay. So far this month has been a season of rest for me. I didn't realize how much leadership took out of me until I finally got a break from it. I've been able to pour into the ministry more and spend a lot more quality time with Jesus. Some days my heart longs to come home, and some days all I can think about is how much I'm going to miss this life, this sense of community.
The children living here at the Challenge Farm have touched my heart. I look around during class and almost can't believe that most of them were living on the streets only a short time ago. They are so calm and kind and smart and such an inspiration. Geoffrey is one of my favorite students. Yesterday he passed me a sweet note.
A few days ago, my former teammate and good friend Helena wrote a blog titled "God saves an orphan from human sacrifice," about my friend Geoffrey. It's too good not to share. There are over 100 kids that live here at Challenge Farm. Many are orphans; most were living on the streets before they found a home here. They each have their own story. This is Geoffrey's story:
Geoffrey wrote me a note with his story.
He told me to share it with everybody.
Prepare to be blessed by a 7th grader:
“Dear Hellena,
Since you came here, you have really blessed my life. I just want to write you my story, because it is hard for me to talk about it. I may cry. I was so sad.
But now I have joy.
Here is my story. Share it with everybody.
I used to stay with my Grandmum. ((I was abandoned by my mum. She threw me away to the river then I was taken by my Grandmum.)) When I was about twelve years old, I was told that my dad died on 1st June 1994. I was about a half a month in my mum’s womb.
One day, my mum came, I was about 12 and a half yrs, and she pretended that she had lost me but it was a lie then she took me to her house at Anderson. Then she said that I was of the other tribe so I had to leave her to my Grandmum again then my Grandmum sent me to Mt. Elgon near Uganda, then I stayed with my uncle for one year, but my uncle’s wife used me as I was a maid so she always tells me to wash her clothes and her husband’s clothes.
If you were the one who was being mistreated like that what would you do?
So for me, I chose to run away to Uganda. Because she used an electric wire to chain me.
In the year 2007 my mum and all my brothers and sisters were killed during the clashes/War of elections. I have lost my family. I don’t have mum, dad, brother, or sister. I am just alone.When I was at Uganda, the sister of my mum was always talking to a mirror then she was always saying “we have to give out a sacrifice.”
I was the one to be taken as a sacrifice.
Then I was told by a sound that: “MY BELOVED SON JUST GO AWAY TO WHERE I WILL SHOW YOU!”
I was sent away by my mum’s sister. Then she sent me a demon. It used me several times. I was near to die.
But God saved me.
When I came here, it came back again then it forced me to jump over the fence then I broke my hand then I was done a surgery two times on 2010. ((While in the hospital Jeremiah 29:11, I remembered it.)) Then I made a song says:
Father I trust you
And I prays you
You died for me
And now I am saved.
That is my beloved song. Find me with free time or anytime I will teach you.
Your beloved one,
Geoffrey #12”
This orphan wrote a song praising God, and I had the honor of hearing Geoffrey’s song. He now lives at Challenge Farm, and he’s in 7th grade.
God saved him, and he now has joy.
Share it with your friends, family, and whoever you would like please!! :]
