Something special happened this month in Kenya for my team: we had the privilege of traveling around the country and experiencing different ministries.
We arrived in Kenya by bus from Uganda. It was an overnight bus and when we woke up we got to see some wildlife that Africa is known for. We saw zebras, monkeys, wildebeests, and many more. That screams welcome to Kenya to me!!
We arrived in Nairobi where my team, along with two other teams, were picked up by a bus that took us to our ministry site.
This month we partnered with YWAM (Youth with a Mission) Kenya.
When we first arrived we were greeted by a heard of missionaries that were already living at the YWAM compound. And surprise, half of them were from Oklahoma! I only had the privilege of helping them one day in ministry but it was nice to work alongside people from back home. They were a group partnered with a ministry in Tulsa, Oklahoma and they were in Kenya providing free eye check-ups and giving out free prescription glasses- something that was so good and so important.
The next week we packed up our tents and other belongings and traveled farther north for our next ministry opportunity.
My team and one other team were asked to stay at an orphanage called Kind Fund in Wamba. This orphanage has 3 locations in Kenya. The heart behind this ministry is to take in children that are abandoned or in situation where they are not properly cared for (i.e. not being fed, not receiving an education, etc.).
We had the privilege of visiting 2 of the homes and staying at the one home for 8 days. While there, we taught the children bible stories and about the fruits of the Spirit; help cook and serve food; play games, sing songs and teach line dances; and just spend time hanging out them. The crazy thing is that they loved to make bracelets for us and watch movies- something we all could enjoy.
One of my favorite things about being at this orphanage is that we got to be here when they had church. The way church works here is that they take the benches in the dining hall and rearrange them to have a full blown church service: singing, clapping, stomping and preaching. And the best part is that one of the children usually leads the service! This week, sweet Emily led worship. She stood at the front and made sure that everything flowed.
My mind was blown. Not only did they have a beautiful church time but the confidence and boldness these children have is encouraging. I mean I don’t think I could have led church as enthusiastically as that child did!
Not only did I have the opportunity to teach and embrace the children here at Kind Fund, but I got to learn from them as well.
The love they have coupled with the boldness of their faith taught me that there’s always room for growth in those two areas.
When we finished up at Kind Fund and got back to the YWAM base we participated in another children’s camp. We combined together with the students/staff of YWAM and a couple of other missionaries from Switzerland.
This month I had the opportunity to sleep in my tent for the first time; the chilly weather here in Kenya has honestly been the best (I love the colder weather); I have been able to meet and work with several missionaries and experience different ministries; I was lucky to live with and work with two other teams from my squad; I was able to serve in an orphanage; I was able to see a ton of wildlife in the backyard of my compound; and much, much more.
This month has been jam packed but so good.
