Last month, I was a terrible blogger. I didn’t post a single blog all month, but that was not from a lack of learning or a lack of adventure, there was plenty of both. I have four, half written blogs on my computer right now. For some reason, the endings never came to my finger tips. So here I sit, ready to fill you all in.
The month of Kenya, the highly anticipated month 8, started in Kampala, Uganda. We left in the evening, and 17 hours later we got to Nairobi. In the middle of the night, we crossed the border from Uganda into Kenya in Busia, Kenya, and that is where I finally came back to this fantastic country.
Team One.
Upon arrival into Kenya, we concluded that I would be spending some time with the all girls team to start my month off. We spent two nights in Nairobi, which was a lot of fun, and then took an 11 hour bus ride back to Busia, Kenya. Imagine my excitement.
A little babe I found during door-to-door.
The girls team (NewSong) can be described by one word, joy. There is a joy about those ladies, and I laughed harder than I have in awhile. Ministry on that team can be described by something else, door-to-door. Evangelism was the name of the game in Busia, and God showed up. We split up into groups daily for door-to-door evangelism and 30 people gave their lives to the Lord when I was with that team. Door-to-door evangelism can be exhausting. It’s a lot of walking, a lot of sun and a lot of speaking, but I like it. I like speaking truth, even if it is tiring. I like praying and I like most leading people back Home. I found one of my favorite translators on the Race in Busia, and we had a great time. The overall theme for me personally, was falling back in love with Jesus. Jesus, He is beautiful and true and the giver of life. The food was good, the living conditions weren’t that bad and I got a tan. End of a week and a half, end of team one.
Team Two.
After Busia, I headed to Bungoma. Our wonderful cook in Busia volunteered to drive me the three-ish hours north to meet up with my next team, team Exegesis. I walked in and felt spoiled, the house they were staying in was nice and best of all, there was a living room with couches to chill on! The team was just heading out to ministry, so they set me up with a thermos of water and one of hot milk, the jar of instant coffee, tea bags, bread and peanut butter in case I got hungry. So I sat on one of those couches while they did morning ministry and kept refilling my mug with coffee and tea. Beautiful!
One of my main thoughts while sitting there is how quickly I felt at home. I walked in the door and then thirty min. later, I was curled up with my Bible, journal and Ipod fully at peace, fully at home, ready to hear and praise and enjoy His presence. I can be at home anywhere, because the Spirit is everywhere. Ministry in Bungoma for me was mostly prayer meetings and a youth meeting, where I fully enjoyed lots and lots of prayer with family from around the world. If I had to use one word to describe my time in Bungoma, it would be home. Being at home with the believers around the world, in one heart and mind crying out to our Father, and the peace of home that can carry you anywhere, because my true home in in Heaven.
Some dance time with Jesus
I spent two short nights in Bungoma and then headed north. End team two.
Team Three.
One of my great brothers from team Exegesis volunteered to take me two hours north to Kitale, my final team for the month. We were staying at Great Mercy home, one of the most fantastic ministries I have seen on the Race. Great Mercy is a school but is also a home for 99 of the students. These 99 represent orphans, street kids, the poorest of the region, or those who’s parents are sick and unable to care for their children. Mama Mercy is one lives the Word. She lives love. She spends her time, money and whole heart for these children. I honestly can’t tell you enough about Mama Mercy and Great Mercy Home, I ask that you visit her website and learn about her story. http://greatmercy.wordpress.com
Mama Mercy encouragin the children
Team Furious Love spent their time in Kitale teaching classes in school, building the new website, organizing the library, preaching during youth rallies and tucking the girls and boys into bed at night. I got to join in on all of this. I preached three times in two days at a youth rally, so I was thankful for all God had been downloading to me recently.
Great Mercy students during chapel
I loved the kids at Great Mercy, especially the older High School students. I loved teaching purity to them, and letting them ask the hard questions. And boy, did they ever ask the hard questions. I loved riding a camel and a horse all in one day, thanks to a rancher from the States. (I rode in flip flops, don’t tell my mom!) I loved spending time in Mama’s home, getting treated with such love. One thing I did not love about Kitale, the malaria carrying mosquitoes. One night of freezing and shaking and a terrible headache told me I had caught the dreaded disease. The next day, the doctor told 5 out of 7 of us the same diagnosis. Four days later and I was back to normal, thank you modern medicine.
Evening prayer with the children
To finish my stay in Kitale, another wonderful brother took me the 8 hour drive down to Nairobi for debrief, that’s 41 hours total in a bus if you were keeping track. My month was good, I learned a lot and will probably be sharing more of what I learned later. I traveled a lot, spent a lot of time with different teams, felt freedom in my ministry, to be who I felt called to be and do what I felt called to do and I even had fun. Some of the things I learned, are hard things to recognize. When I am crazy in love with Jesus, like I am right now, he reveals more areas of my heart that don’t look like Him. In those moments, it might seem like I am in a terrible place and just want to go home, but in reality I am just being made holy. Refining is painful. When I share them, it helps clarify and solidify what the Lord is teaching me, and I hope they bring some truth to you. That is why I am honest and vulnerable in difficulty, for my benefit and for yours.
I have loved this month. Thankfully, I get anther week in Kenya with my old pastors in Kijabe, Kenya before heading to Tanzania (month 9!). I have a sneaky suspicion that this might be my favorite week on the Race so far, we’ll find out soon!
