June is a great month. Not only is it my “birthday”
month, but we are also in Kenya, Africa! The weather is amazingly cool and we
have the opportunity to work alongside Deliverance Church Lang’ata, just
outside of Nairobi. Ministry will include preaching, teaching, manual labor,
and encouraging youth. We will also be building relationships among the
residents of the estate in which we are living. This apartment-style complex
overlooks the Kibera slums.
One of our first activities with Deliverance Church
Lang’ata was to join the young adults youth group on a hike along Ngong Hills.
It felt like a “youth group event” and kind of was. At the top of the hike
Courtney taught on “purity” and how to live our lives as an example of our
faith. 
To me, the trip brought back memories of high school youth
or even retreats with the Wesley Foundation at Texas Tech. It reminded me of
“alternate” college activities, basically activities that kept you “out of
trouble”, out of the college party scene.
The race literally keeps me “out of trouble” every day. It is also an extended trip
to grow in my walk with God, to bring kingdom and to find community. It is easy here to hang out with the
“right crowd” and to “stay safe.” The world race has proven that living a
God-pleasing life really is determines on whom you hang around with and where
you put yourself. It is giving me the
confidence to know I can do that on my own after the race.
Noe, one of our squad leaders reminded us how we live
on the race: radically for Christ and confident in our
faith. He also reminded us that this shouldn’t be a “season” but a lifestyle.
Who we have become is who we should remain. I have convinced
myself that I will never return to the “comfortable” life, God forbid this year
be a waste. I won’t return to the same person I was before; I will recreate
World Race characteristics at home. I will recreate real community with accountability.
I will prefer others before myself. I will bring the kingdom wherever I go.
I must also keep myself out of trouble with the
confidence that I can.
I can keep others from pulling me down.
I can hold onto
the testimony of my life.
I can choose the radical life over the
comfortable life.
Yes, I know I can. By the grace and strength of God I
can.
