If I am being completely honest when they gave us the opportunity to invite our parents to visit us in Month 9, I was completely against it. I thought, “I am in this for 11 months and I will finish it alone!” I also didn’t think my parents would even consider flying half way across the world to see me in the terrible conditions we had been living in. I figured I would tell my mom anyway and my reaction when she told me her and my dad were coming “no matter what” was speechless. There has been a great deal of hurt, deceit, and miscommunication in my family for quite some time now. Don’t get me wrong, I have been dealing with all of that on the race…every time I think I have escaped it, it comes right around to bite me again. But, this time my past would be staring me in the face…literally….
Feelings of anxiousness arose in the days I waited for my parents to arrive in Kenya. I wondered if they would think I had changed, how things would be with them, what they would think of this crazy trip I was on, and what they would think of Africa. (a little background…my parents have not traveled outside of the USA much let alone to Africa)
The night they arrived we were huddled around a movie jumping at the sound of every noise thinking it was our parents. Finally, their vans pulled in and we went running down the stairs. I saw my dad first from the van window and tears started streaming down my face as my heart raced with excitement. My mom was the first person out of the van and she was already weeping (if anyone knows Joyce…they would not be surprised by this reaction…love you mom!) and I ran towards her and jumped into her arms as she struggled to say through sobs, ”never….leave…me…again!!!” My heart melted as the three of us stood there in the dark parking lot embracing as if for the first time in many years. Nothing had changed, but everything had changed since I had left home 9 months ago. We stayed up late talking about their adventure getting to Kenya and about my long journey thus far and it felt like I had just left them a few weeks before.
My parents the night they arrived…notice their adorable pins 😀
The next day we went through brief orientation and explanation of what the week would look like. Then we went off to an IDP camp for our first day of ministry. The people that lived in these camps had been victims of the 2007 elections in Kenya that ended in much violence, killings, ruining of people’s villages, and ultimately sorrow and homelessness. As we got out of the van into the scorching sun, tons of children came to greet us as usual, yelling, “MZUNGU!!” A girl named Beatrice came up to my mom without hesitation grabbed her hand and said she would like us to visit her home. Later, as we prayed about how to spend our time there my mom mentioned she would like to meet Beatrice’s family and on we went. When we got there, her Mamma Jenn welcomed us warmly into her home. It didn’t take long before we realized in the corner of her small home she had a tree with paper-beaded jewelry hanging from it. My mom’s eyes lit up as she said, “Steph! She has jewelry on a tree! You sell your jewelry from a tree!” (My sister, mom, and I are all craft fanatics and frequently sell our items, when we do I display my jewelry on a tree.) So we enquired more about her life and Jenn explained that she was selling her jewelry, but since they had finished building the IDP camps much of the traffic and people had stopped coming through and she couldn’t sell her necklaces and bracelets much anymore. So we purchased some jewelry from her and my mom prayed out loud for the first time for her. As we left awestruck I wondered how the week could get any better. My mom just kept saying, ”We could have went to any house…any house! How did we end up there?”
The next day we went to visit an orphanage that is run by some amazing people from the US that are my age! We got to see their beautiful home, garden, and plot of land. Some of us cleaned the chicken coop (they have 120 chickens) and somehow 9 chickens (may they rest in piece) died during the process. Luckily, my parents both grew up on farms and knew how to butcher them (: It was neat how we were placed at the orphanage that day…
The next day we went to another place called Turkana for ministry. By this point my parents had memorized the few songs I continuously sing for children and were able to help me sing for the crowd of children we drew. What an amazing experience to have them walk alongside me in the scorching heat and sing songs to children who aren’t sure where their parents are or when their next meal would be. Laughter filled the air as my mom and I did the actions to Father Abraham. Later our translator took my dad to a quarry near by where he was able to help them hand drill a hole. He will be taking that one back to John Deere 😉 As my parents talked more with him, my mom asked for his email to keep in contact and he had the number 54 in his email….my dad’s race car number is 54….and we typically use that number in our emails….another awesome God sighting.
The next day was construction on a house for a lady named….Joyce…I was so proud of the work my parents put in that day. We worked countless hours building stairs, putting up walls, and a roof for Joyce whose house was literally falling over when we started.
The last day was “Ask the Lord Day.” My parents felt called to go back to help finish Joyce’s house and I felt called to go to a nearby hospital. I had a vision of a little baby girl wearing a pink hat in an incubator. I met little Evelyn that day in her pink knit hat. She was premature and needed prayer for her weak little body to grow. My parents and I both felt fulfilled that day.
On that last night together, I got to wash my parent’s feet, which was one of the most amazing things I have had the opportunity to do. I explained to them that by washing their feet they are disciples and are forever changed. I told them that their sins were forgiven, because Jesus died on the cross for all of our sins regardless of how bad they were. My dad struggled to speak in front of the group, but that night he told them how great it was to be reunited with his daughter as he fought back the tears, which moved me beyond words. I can’t explain what happened when my parents came and I honestly don’t think they can either…all I know is that God works in mysterious ways and this trip was planned by Him since before I was born. Months before my parents came, I prayed that God would move so evidently in their lives while they were in Kenya and He did much more than I expected. I can’t wait to see how He continues to capture their hearts and work in our family until I get home and after I get back. Seeing the race from their eyes gave me a fresh perspective on what we are doing out here…it reminded me to soften my heart to what is going on around me. I think it is easy to get jaded when you see poverty, hurt, and suffering on a daily basis. My parents helped me stop to see what was going on around me and enjoy the presence of God.
I can’t thank my parents enough for coming to visit me. They took a leap of faith and I will never be able to repay them for that. I hope they will tell you about their experience and how it has changed them…I am so incredibly proud of them. I also hope this experience will forever change our family and affect my sister Sarina at home as well. (I miss you so much sister!!)
We are starting a new chapter as a family that I can’t wait to start writing…
By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us-set us right with him, make us fit for him – we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand – out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.
-Romans 5:1-2
