In my last blog was a recap of what I experienced in Uganda in month 7. The team and I were told that we were going to be P.E teachers over the 250 students at the Lightforce Nursery/Primary Schools. I also was able to do a School Picture day at primary school. Check out that post here!
Welcome to Kaliadiscopic Kenya! The title for this blog came about through reflection of the month. This month, I experienced so many different changes, patterns, and experiences. It was always changing and there wasn’t a day where it was the same. This was like a Kaliadiscope reflects and shows a continually changing pattern of shapes and colors or continually shifting patterns/scenes.
I will elaborate a little and then I will briefly show you the many things that occurred here. It will be a long slideshow of pictures and there is a 15 min insight video of what my month looked like. This month was challenging with obstacles and it reminded me to trust the Lord despite what all that was happening around me. To start, we were the first World Race team to work with these amazing hosts David and Laurel in Kaptagant, Kenya! They run an amazing Orphanage there in Kenya and if you want to read more on their story please visit their website at http://www.graceofgodchildren.org/. I started growing from the start because up until this point, I never had a host working with the World race for the first time.
PASTOR CONFERENCE
The first week we were asked to help with a Purpose Driven Life conference for pastors traveling from all over Kenya. Our ministry was to fellowship, encourage their faith, and pray for the pastors. We did that and gave advice or a listening ear to the passions the Lord has given them for the specific types of ministry they lead. We started the mornings off with amazing worship! It looked like this every day of the conference.
CHAI, BEANS, RICE, POTATOES, AND PILI PILI PEPPERS
The last thing before graduation we all were sent out in groups to go evangelize into the community. We all were split into 8 groups of 7. Out of my group, 3 people along our path came to know Christ and got plugged into the local church. It was a blessing to the pastors to be able to evangelize alongside them. At the end of the conference, we were all fortunate to take turns reading off the names for the graduation ceremony of the pastors who completed the Purpose Driven Life Conference. We read off a name, took a picture with them, and congratulated them as we handed their certificate to them.
DONATE
Here is the scenario…
1. You are in Africa.
2. Your friend needs blood because their platelets are low due to malaria.
3. You don’t trust the donated blood here in Africa to be healthy without HIV.
What do you do? Well, I tell you what the Lord led me to do. He told me to give blood. He told me to sacrifice as he sacrificed for me. He then said, What would you want someone to do for you if you were in her situation. I quickly told the Lord that I would want a friend of mine to donate their blood to me. So I did just that. I didn’t know if I would be a match let alone if my blood would be able to be used. Turns out we had THE SAME BLOOD TYPE! B+ The blood helped her in the recovery and the Lord showed me that through my obedience he is glorified! This month we had team members in an out of the hospital. Every day I was faced with so many moving and changing parts as I mentioned above. This was added a part to leading and making decisions around a kaleidoscopic month.
DON’T GO CHASING WATERFALLS
On our off-day at the end of the week, we had the opportunity to go to a local waterfall. The cool thing about it, it was a 15 min walk from where we stayed. Here’s what it looked like.
VILLAGE OUTREACH
The team and I left for Sawich. This is the community where our host David grew up and where his parents live. We did house to house evangelism when we arrived and had a revival service in the afternoon.
Below I am pictured with David, David’s father, and mother on the last day with them.
Below are some good friends of mine. They were my young translators when we went to evangelize in this village. They loved the Lord so much and are on fire for him! Meet Daisy, Sharon, Ivy, Ian, and Daisy!
OFF TO MARIGAT
The team and I left for Marigat. We stopped by Lake Baringo to seeing the beautiful sights, millions of flamingos, and to experience the hot springs. We worked with children, youth, men, and women of a church in a village outside Marigat.
KENYAN ATHLETES
Below is where the team and I got the opportunity to encourage high school athletes. We spoke in front of some of the best runners in Africa. All of the athletes believe in Christ and I got to share on Identity I Christ. How that is the most important identity and I got to share my testimony as an athlete and what the Lord did in my life when it comes to identity in sports.
CHILDREN OF KAPTAGAT
The team and I got the opportunity to partner with our hosts from Kenya and Virginia to help put on a children’s event for hundreds of children. The event included songs, dances, games, biscuits, juice, and a couple of us got the call to perform a Bible Man skit!
I wouldn’t change a thing that happened this month. Okay, maybe one thing. Haha! As I reflect, there were many moving parts as teams were never together in one spot, growth in communication between hosts/locals, and people getting ill left and right. I grew so much as a leader and I know this month I can lead a multitude of people better in Kaleidoscopic circumstances. Be blessed. If you want to see the story highlight for this month, follow me it’s on my INSTAGRAM. Subscribe to MY BLOG for future updates!
Tomorrow I will post my appreciation blogs shouting out friends who have influenced and inspired me this year.
