Wow! It’s been an incredible month; Kitale, Kenya feels like a second home. I wanted to take the time to recap what we did this month, and highlight some major opportunities.
Our Host: Moses and Roselyn are such wonderful people! We instantly felt a part of their family; it seemed like we had known each other for years. Moses is hilarious. We had a blast with him, and were blessed to have him pour his wisdom into us. Moses oversees 8 local churches, and 118 churches across Eastern Africa. He also teaches at a Bible college nearby. 
Teach(er): We got the chance to be teachers for 3 days during our first week at a nearby private Christian school. Carly and I taught a science class about drugs, we got to act out different Bible stories with them, as well as tell them about our lives back home, which they had many questions about. We administered exams, even graded them! It was the closest I’ve been to being a teacher in my mere 21 years. We’re always meeting amazing people wherever we’re doing ministry, and this was no exception. Paul and Nerbert, the principal and vice-principal were such gracious hosts.
Preach(er): I got to preach at 3 different churches this month. This is an area God is really growing me in, and it’s becoming more natural each time I do it. I love teaching God’s word like this; I am excited to see how this continues to grow in the coming months. 
Party(er): This month we hit the halfway point of the Race, which fell on Valentine’s Day. We celebrated with Team Agape, who was staying next door. We had a bonfire, ate some cookies, and even roasted a marshmallow or two. It’s weird to think it’s already halfway over!
Pray(er): We got to visit patients at a local hospital, talk to them, and pray for their specific needs. It was a good exercise of being an encouragement, even in little ways.
Friend (to the orphaned): We visited a children’s home that was begun 10 years ago by one couple from Canada. In ten years it’s grown to over 200 children, half of which are orphans, half of those, sadly, are HIV+. The system they have set up is pretty awesome. The food is grown on site, cows are kept for dairy needs, and they run a seamstress school on site, where, you guessed it, all the school uniforms are made. It is great to see such a subsistence system in place. I asked Moses what it costs to put a kid through school, pay for his uniforms, his food, his lodging, and books. Only $450 for a year! I am in the process of getting info from Moses about how we can donate to this orphanage/school. If this is something you’d like to help with, send me an email and I will get that info to you as soon as I get it. 
Paint(er): We took a day to go to the Kwanza church site, and paint roof trusses all afternoon. After lunch we lifted them to the roof, which inspired us to fund raise for the roofing to complete this church. I am so happy to tell you that with the $1,163 we were able to give to the church, they were able to use that to get a loan for the rest of the tin sheets, and Moses said they hope to have the roof complete by April 15th! Because of your help, this church is going to be able to be the central hub for 7 other local churches, and allow 800 members to worship on Sunday mornings. Praise God!
Prison (visitor): We visited the Kitale prison, taking a couple of hours to sit down with the women’s population. Carly shared some great words with them, we heard their testimonies, and we gave them some toiletry items, which they were very excited to receive. It was odd to see children in the laps of the prisoners. In Kenya, the women can keep their children with them. The kids all look really healthy and happy. Moses told us a lot of the times, the conditions in prison is actually quite better than that at home. At one point one of the prisoners walks up to me wielding a 6″ steel knife. Turns out the guard had asked her to cut the soap we had brought…Some things over here you would just NEVER see back home! 
Feed(er): Ryan had the desire to feed a community in a slum we visited, so we did just that. We were able to hand out over 40 kilos of ground corn flour to the families. For just under $20, we were able to give them enough food for a week! While I was there I met Peter, an 18 year-old who lives with his brother, who is finishing high school. His mother works 2 hours away; his father was killed when robbers stole his cattle 8 years ago. He and his brother live alone in a house Peter built. Its frame is made of sticks, it’s insulation constructed from trash. Peter is a painter, and so we prayed for work to become available to him. 
Moses has a vision to bring church to this community. In respect to these families, who live in huts made of trash, erecting a church in this place would not be in good taste. He wants to see a tent put up in this slum, serving as a church building, and says he has people that will go worship with these people. He is, however, without tent. We found out a tent to cover 70-100 people costs over $1,500! So we are praying that a tent would be made available for this use, free of charge. Prayers for this would be really appreciated.
The 21 days we spent in Kitale have made a huge impact in each of our lives. The work Moses is doing in wonderful, and the opportunities to partner with him our immense. I have a feeling I will be coming back to Kitale, Kenya.
