Hey Everyone!!
Well, it's been while, since Malaysie i guess so i've got some catching up to do. Malaysia was just an ok month for me honestly. I was sick a lot of the month so i didnt feel too connected to our ministry. The days that i did go were fun, but not relational at all. The first week we worked for a hospital selling puppydog coin purses (insert random laugh here). We were helping the hospital raise money to give away free heart surgerys to any child that could not afford it. I loved that part, but the actual selling of the purses…well, let's just say i made it a lot funner than it would have been. I had to put the crazy Floyd spin on it. We sang songs, some good songs and some made up on the spot songs. We begged, pleaded, and guilted people into donating money for the children, lol! The second week was working at a homeless shelter with YWAM and i really enjoyed that. I connected with a Canadian man that was basically running around the world to avoid his problems instead of facing them. We made friends and i was able to know much about him and was also able to share my life with him and reintroduce his only problem solver back into his life…Jesus. It really meant a lot for him to listen to my short life story as opposed to his long, hard life. God brought us together in Penang, Malaysia for such a time as this. It was his time to give up on himself and start trusting God and i truely believe that is going to happen for him! All in all, i liked Malaysia as a place but i did not relly get the chance to build any major reltionships, especilly because i was sick.
Kenya….oh, Kenya! What an amazing month. Our contacts usually make or break our month. So in Kenya we were amazingly blessed. We stayed in their church. There was a orphanage upstairs and a highschool on the property. Basically there were hundreds of kids living with us and it was amazing. They had a baby house as well with 5 babies, 2 being HIV positive. That was my favorite place. These women work around the clock to take care of these babies, it's truly amazing. Our contacts welcomed us into their home to be a part of their family. We ate meals together, memorized scripture together, did devotions together, and mainly had a lot of fun together!
During our ministry in Kenya we went out into the communities and walked around sharing what God has done in our lives and making friends with them. Most of them welcomed us into their home and into their lives. I don't typically love door to door evangilism, but during this time God really showed up. We had some amazing prayer times where the tangible presence of God showd up and rocked our world! God really used me to give many encouraging, prophetic words to people that i believe changed their lives. Total God incounters! Of course playing with all the kids and loving on them was a team favorite. My personal favorite thing of the month (besides loving on and taking care of the babies) was going up to the younger boys and girls rooms and surprising them with a cookie party and tucking them in bed and doing their goodnight prayers. Those were some of the most special moments of my life. To see the overwhelming joy on their faces when we came to love on them and surprise them with cookies was priceless. It the small things in their life that matter the most and more and more in mine as well.
We had the oppertunity to visit Lake Victoria in Kisumu for a day. We saw many beautiful things including hippos! We have also seen wild zebra, giraffes, and monkeys! Gota love Africa…and I do! There is something so special and majical about Africa. Every country is different and the people are different. I'm so blessed to be able to experience so many different cultures and tribes of people.
We had our 8 month debrief in Nairobi at the end of the month. It was so needed and incredibly life changing. Thanking God for that time of refreshment and refocus and the unity that was brought to our team and our squad. God showed up and rocked out worlds so that we can go out the next 3 months and do the sme for others! In that time we had a team change where one member was moved and we had another member added. I trust our leaders that that was the decision that needed to be made, but i sure do miss my old teammate, Dan. The other team is blessed to have such an amazing man of God on their team! And we got a great replacement…BRIAN COOK!!! He fits right in and we are so excited to have him on our team!
Thank you again to all my supporters! Without you, these lives would not be being changed, including my own life! Im coming up to the end of my 11 months. Ill write a blog specifically on that when i can bring myself to do it. With it comes many, many emotions and some anxiety so i must gather my thoughts first!
God bless you all!
