We’ve been living in Kitale, Kenya for about 2 weeks now. We
live with an amazing family of which the father is the pastor of Kitale Growth
Church and the mother or mama Florence if you will is a school teacher at an
all boys high school. They are parents
of 4 children, 2 girls and2 boys. The 3 older Winnie, Grace, and Phillip left
for boarding school about a week ago which was sad but we still have Joshua to
play with a very rambunctious 3 year old. It’s funny this is the most I’ve felt
at home on the race. We are blessed to have 3 bedrooms for the 7 us to spread
out in and a wonderful house with running water.
We are able to be involved in a lot of different ministries
this month from hospital visits, prison ministry, building of Kitale Growth
Christian School, playing with the kids at the school, building of a rural
church in another town, and visiting a speaking at local schools. It has been awesome having a schedule this
month and being able to participate in so much.
As team shekinah we a growing more and more with every day.
How to communicate, build each other up, and how to be a brother or a sister to
each other. It’s month 6. Sort of a landmark I suppose. We’re halfway through
this thing.
Time seems to be
going faster and faster with each month, each family, and with every new friend
we gain. I feel like we are in this weird sort of time warp. We are now going
to experience summer for the next 6 months of our race not to mention it will
be the dead of summer when we arrive home. Our time is marked by each month and
each country we go to. It’s like a short life span. We arrive at our new home,
get situated, do ministry, get real close with the people we work with, then
say goodbye in a matter of 4 weeks (roughly).
It’s a hard way of life but I think it is a huge growth
point in my life because one of the hugest things I’ve learned this year is you
have just got to be yourself. Live in truth and live every day to the fullest.
It’s sort of funny because people tell us we are so open and out there and that
we basically just go at it. Making relationships with every person we can in a
deeper way than most people would. We’ve learned that if it doesn’t hurt to
leave there probably wasn’t a relationship so when it’s a little painful that
means there was love.
We have had the opportunity to make friends in 9 countries
so far. It’s been a hard lesson to learn in full. I feel like I’ve lived most
of my life guarded for fear of rejection, or just simple judgments I myself
have made. I choose to no longer live
that way. I want to experience life to the fullest. Open to everyone and really
making effort to be there for people. I don’t care how silly I look to the
world. I will make effort to befriend people and hopefully impact their life
for the better.
I’m going to live with my heart out in the open hopefully
that will be a blessing to other people as I’ve learned that’s how you make
real lasting friendships with people none of this holding back and chickening
out anymore. I’m here for you for whatever. 🙂
