A Vision for Kenya

When I was in El Salvador, month two of the Race, I read the book Radical by David Platt. I think its safe to say that book changed my life. More importantly than the author's own words were the references to verses in the Bible that he used to remind Christians of ways we water the message down, or change it to fit what we want.  The Great Commission~ taking the gospel to all the earth~ is something that is supposed to be a part of every believer's life.  I wrote a blog about ways my perspective was changing as I read it, and since then God has continued to work on my heart. Month 5 in Ukraine was an amazing time of ministry with the Babushkas at the eyeglass clinics, and then teaching at the English Camp there in Antrasit was also incredible, rewarding, and fun. The next month we arrived in Africa, and I absolutely loved Tanzania. The people, the ministry we did, where we lived and who we lived with (Consalva in Morogoro and Pastor ChaCha in Gairo!), including our fun team with the addition of Zach and Mandy that month made it a time I'll never forget. My heart and thoughts were that if God doesn't want me to continue in global missions then I would be missing out on living the richest life possible.

                      
                                       

In Tanzania I felt sadness that the Race was half over, and I thought "I hope the rest of our trip goes by slowly because I love it!" The next month in Kenya those feelings started to change and my thoughts were, "I don't have to be home right now, but I just don't want to be here." The rain came every day, and the mud and stinky squatty potties and African culture were getting to me. Yes, I kept a sense of humor about it as you can tell by my last blog, but it did start to affect me wanting to be in Africa any longer. The thing was, though, it wasn't about our living conditions, because they weren't really any "better" where I loved living in Tanzania. We felt welcomed and loved there, and that is why it was such a great month. I felt so alive spiritually in Tanzania, and when I told my team that if God doesn't call me to be a life-long missionary I don't know what else would be as fulfilling, the greatest thing about it was the new peace I had about how my life should be.
 

Now, in Kenya, I started to feel like I didn't even care. I felt like the changes in my heart were changing back and it wasn't a good feeling.

 

                                       

 

Currently we are in month 8 of the Race and “Kenya 2” is what we're calling our month. We were supposed to be in Uganda now, but because of an Ebola outbreak we are staying here. Our team Waka Waka in the Spirit had already made it to Uganda before we got the news to head back. So we are at a different ministry this month, in a different city (Nakuru), with another team, and our team changed because our 3 guys left with the other 3 from our squad to go to “manistry” in South Sudan this month. I'm on an all-girls team for the first time on the Race, and even though I wasn't sure how all that estrogen would work out, it's been really great!

 

Riding in Matatus with Boys

(and girls and adults and chickens…)

 

I just spent three days traveling all over Kenya and they were some of my favorite days on the Race. The first day I traveled on a bus from Nakuru to Bukembe (near Bungoma), then the next day I traveled by matatu from Bukembe to Webuye, then another from Webuye to Kakamega, then two (switched to a different one in the middle of the ride on the side of the road, not sure why) from Kakamega to Kisumu, and then one more matatu from Kisumu to Migori. My squad mate, Ashley, came in a regular car taxi to pick me up from Migori for the final stretch to Isibania where her team lives. I spent the night there after my 8+ hour day on the road, and then took a motorcycle taxi called a “piki piki” to the bus that would take me from Isibania to Kisii, then finally I was on a matatu for 4 hours from Kisii back home to Nakuru!  You might be wondering why I did all that travel… as a Logistics Leader one thing we do is collect receipts from all the treasurers at the end of each month and DHL them back to headquarters in the States.

To explain, if you've never heard of a "matatu", it's a van that normally seats 14 plus a driver, but because they put a moveable plank of wood between the double and single seats in two rows, and squish a 4^th person into the front row, and sometimes have people bent over/half-standing near the door, they can then fit in 20 people! I wasn't really looking forward to my day riding in matatus, because I knew I'd not only be crammed and claustrophobic, but I also had to ride with my backpack on my lap since there is no knee or floor space. Reading a book or journaling is out because of the lack of room to move even your elbows, and it's too bumpy regardless.

                                                
                                                                          This is a matatu.

 

One of my favorite things about my walk with God is experiencing when He takes things that could be miserable or mundane and makes them beautiful. As I looked out the window over the course of these three days I saw several scenes that will stick with me for a long time. There was a girl skipping/dancing on the side of the road, there was a man sitting on a grassy slope near a cow, there were children standing on either side of some kind of a sifting tool, swaying the water and substance back and forth. There were children smiling with their arms around each other, some of them played games, and some were just sitting in grass picking at it.  Animals have a special place in my heart, and there are lots of them here.  I found myself smiling at so many things, and appreciating the beauty of the African countryside. Kenya is very beautiful.  I was only able to capture some of the images that touched me as we whizzed by.

                     

   

   

 

What I didn't share with you about El Salvador was a dream that started in me for a place in Colorado that would sort of be a missionary training center, a care center for the homeless, and a place where people could come to share their areas of giftedness with others. A possible collaboration with my sister, Jennie, was one of the things that inspired me, because of some dreams she's had. I knew with her passion for outreach, and my passion for global missions, great things could happen. At first I wanted to talk to her right away about this vision, but I knew I was supposed to wait.

What was reassuring to me, though, is that I would be able to stay in the United States, because I love America. I love living in Colorado, I love my job, I love the cleanliness and order, carpet and comfy beds & hot showers, I love the churches and small groups, I love picnics in parks and baseball games, spending time with family and friends, and going to fun restaurants… I love so many things about America and living there!
 

A Change…

What was so exciting about my matatu ride in Africa a few days ago is that I started seeing my vision as an African one. My favorite thing of all is hope, and it's not only needed here, but it's so exciting to spread!  My heart has started to break for the street children here.  Giving food to them has become one of my greatest joys, even when it means me not eating the pb&j that I took for my lunch.  Children are on the street, doing everything they can to survive with little food, drink, and clothing.  Children carry other children on their back because they are parentless.  Children should not have to have these burdens and worries.  There is so little help (if any in some places), here for these kids.  I want to reach out to as many as possible.

                            
                               Sweet street boy in Nakuru. He had a beautiful smile, but wouldn't 

I miss America. Missing America is a lot better than missing out on the most abundant life God has for me, though, no matter where that is.

         

I can't wait to tell you more about the dreams and visions I have for a ministry here!

Blessings,

Jo Linda