Kenya Global Project Background

For those of you I haven't had a chance to talk to yet, or for those who have escaped my endless amount of stories, I wanted to share a quick overview of my seven weeks in Kenya, the team that I joined, and what exactly we did. Hopefully this will clear up any confusion about they type of trip I was on.

At the beginning of June, I joined a group of 33 college students from the United States and Kenya. We were linked together by a christian group called InterVarsity here in the U.S., and FOCUS in Kenya. For those of you not familiar with InterVarsity (IV), it is a college ministry similar to Campus Crusade or Young Life. This ministry has trips called "Global Projects", where students travel all over the world to live amongst the people there, learn what God is doing in another part of the world, and experience outreach. The trips range anywhere from South America, to India or China, and to Kenya. The goal of this trip was to have a "missions training" experience and to be learners of the Kenyan culture and the Kenyan church. Our trip was led by Brian and Debbie Lee. They have led this global project for over 13 years, and have tremendous experience in college ministry. The Global Project itself has been around for 33 years.

The first part of our trip was a week of orientation in Ngong, which is right outside of Nairobi. After this week, my team split up into pairs for a 3 week period called our "ministry assignments". Our team spread out all over the country to work in orphanages, to do preaching and evangelism with local pastors, or to teach in schools. Rather then doing our own ministry during this time, we were stepping alongside of Kenyan pastors who were already working in the area. We also got the privilege of being able to live in a Kenyan home with our host pastor.

After the 3 week period, we joined back together in Kassarani, another suburb outside of Nairobi, for a week of exposure and training to other ministries in Kenya. Then, we traveled as a group to Mombasa ( on the Eastern coast of Africa) for a week of debriefing.

One big difference with this kind of trip was that we were not going to Kenya to "do" anything. We were instead going to "learn". Rather then a service oriented trip, this global project was geared toward training.

Blessed be Your Name, Where the Streams of Abundance Flow

There is an emptiness that comes with returning from Kenya. For 7 weeks I have been stretched. For 7 weeks I have been completely out of my comfort zone. For the past 7 weeks I have had no one to rely on, no one except God. Returning home to friends, family, and everything else I normally draw on for joy, comfort, satisfaction, and life, I have had little to struggle through. Everything is as it was before I left, my struggles are the same, the things that bring me joy are the same, I am asking the same questions I was before I left. Not to my surprise, not even 3 full days after returning home I found myself reverting back to my old ways as well, relying on the things around me to "fill me up". So I guess I shouldn't be surprised when I found myself feeling even emptier then before I left. Even when I sit down and try with all my might, sitting in a Knoxville home eating my mac and cheese just isn't as exciting, challenging, or "God relying" as being back in Kenya. It takes a lot- a whole lot- for me to remember the same God who provided for me so tremendously the past 7 weeks is here to, where I am all to comfortable. Integrating my new understanding of God's character, integrating the new confidence I have in the power of prayer, integrating all the things I have been learning here is, well, quite necessary. I think it will be the only thing that gets me through the next few weeks. Because returning home, I'm not the same person I was 2 months ago. Comfort is no longer satisfying when you have seen the world, and seen the need. A friend on my team wrote this song from Hosea 2, that has really stuck with me...

Adorn Me-Micah Nielsen

There's nothing on earth,

There's nothing in sky or sea

There's nothing to hold

That could comfort me

So what can I do but hear your voice?

What can I say but breath, and rejoice?

Adorn me, I'll be your bride

Allure me to the place where you reside

To Fly the Seven Seas

In the past 24 hours I have flown over several continents, landed in many countries, but am finally home! From the streets of Nairobi, saying goodbye to a new best friend, and hours of air travel, to say I am exhausted is an understatement. But, home remains home sweet home.

One of the most challenging parts of being home is the questions. Everyone wants to know about my trip. I feel so blessed that people around me have cared about my experiences. It has been so fun to get to share my summer with others. But, how do I even attempt to summarize my summer stories in a few short sentences? Painting a picture of my time in Kenya will take weeks, even months of story telling. I am so thankful for the friends and family who have really initiated in hearing stories of my trip.

So, for the next few days, this blog will become a storyteller. While I am not still in Kenya, I hope to give you a window into the last 7 weeks of my life, a window into Africa, and a window into the heart of God for his people.

Be blessed!

Zebras and Gazelles and Leopards... Oh My!

Talk about an African Safari... What a time we had today! Today, we got to spend a day as tourists. We spent the day in Nakuru National Park- breathtaking was quite an understatement for what we saw. The beauty of the mountains, the desert and the animals. We enjoyed herds of giraffes, a leopard preparing to pounce on a pack of gazelles, rhinos, and zebras galore. I wish I could post pictures right now, but don't worry, they will be coming soon.

All that to say, we have been doing much more then being tourists since arriving back in Nairobi. Actually, the past week has been pretty draining. Spending time in a Hindu temple and a Muslim mosque will change your perspective on things.

With 1 billion Hindus in the world, and so many muslims, this time has really been forcing me to ask God a lot of tough questions. 1 Billion, 1 billion people... Who will never know the name of Christ, who many spend eternity without him. You start to ask God, how? Why them God and why not me? At first, as I walked around the Hindu temple, I met these questions with the typical Sunday school response... It's just God's will. Or, I am blessed with knowing about Jesus so I can be a blessing. But the more I thought about these issues, the more I was unsettled. I was encouraged by a friend of mine on the team to bring these questions to God, and so I did. And as did, I realized the importance of asking God the tough questions, and trusting him with the answers he gives. Sometimes we don't understand his will, we don't understand or see the people who live in daily bondage to idol worship, to oppression, and who have never experienced freedom or truth but we can trust that God sees each and everyone one of them, and has not forgotten about his people.

As I began to ask God the "tough questions" he has been showing me how much he loves me. Sometimes it is in the little things, a conversation with a teammate, a pack of beautiful giraffes, a letter from home. Whatever it may be, God leaves little marks of his love for me throughout the day. And as his Child, I have the incredible opportunity to pour what little I have at his feet, thanking him for revealing himself to me. As God begins to show me his love for me, I see his love for other people. I am compelled to love because I see how much he loves me... and how much he loves his people.

This past Saturday, I held a starving five year old girl named Esther. She is five, yet because of malnutrition, she has the body weight and size of a 2 year old. As tears poured from her eyes, I fed her tiny bites of a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich. Some bites were to big, and she would cry as she tried to digest. Her little tummy was protruding and this was her first meal of the day, as I held her I wanted to badly to cry with her. Holding this beautiful girl was a powerful reminder of the love God has for each of us, his Children. His heart breaks when he sees his children starving, whether spiritually or physically. And he takes us and feeds us gently, bite by bite, allowing the tears to fall but refusing to let us go. Today, allow God to love on you, to feed you little by little, and to show you more about who he is. His desire to feed Esther is the same desire he has to love on you...

Little Sisters

This past Monday morning, we said our goodbye to Maralal. I am so sorry it's been a while since my last post, but I wanted to give a quick update. The next 2 weeks will be very busy. We will be doing much ministry in Nairobi before heading to Mombasa for debriefing.

Leaving Maralal was hard. Saying goodbye to Pastor, Mamma Unis, Kim, Unis, and Betty was exhausting. But I couldn't hide my excitement to see my team again after 3 weeks. We were greeted at a beautiful convent/hostel called Little Sisters. The nuns here are so encouraging, and today we even had a big 4th of July lunch, complete with hot dogs, decorations, potato salad, carrot sticks, and lots of decorations. What a sweet way to have a piece of home here in Kenya.

Many more Maralal stories to come, just wanted to let everyone know I am alive, well, and seeing the Lord and his goodness.
Sending love from Kenya

Week 1

This week has been filled with hardship and laughter, tears and joy. The challenges that come with living with a host family in a completely foreign country are great, but the blessings are even greater. I think it is safe to say that my host family are some of the kindest and most generous people I have ever met. I am so thankful.

This week we have spent several days doing home visits and prayer meetings in the "manatas". These are the living quarters for many of the Samburu. They are mud dwellings with the roof made out of sticks. Most are very small, yet I went in one yesterday that even had a couch. Preaching to the Samburu women has been one of the most challenging parts of my time here, because the language barrier is so great. Most of what I say has to be translated to Swahili, and then into Samburu. But these women are so joyful. Their eyes light up as they sing worship songs, and they are quick to offer Chai after the service.

We have also made home visits, preached at several churches, and taught bible lessons at a preschool and children's home in the area. Volunteering to pass out trachoma immunizations was one of my favorite ministries so far. Another favorite of mine has been spending time with the girls at a boarding school in the area. We have tried to visit them almost every day, and build relationships with these girls. Many of them have been rescued from harsh home environments, so the school is a chance for them to get an education and pursue their own dreams.

I brought Phase 10, the card game, to Kenya. Let's just say I am not sure my host family will ever be the same. We play for a few hours almost every night. Pastor and Mamma always try to cheat, and my Kenyan brother always ends up winning. But it has been a fun way to spend time with the family.

I was told before I left Nairobi that "the God of Tennessee is the God of Africa". And this one statement has left me so encouraged. The same God who called me here is the one who reigns here as well. What a privilege it is to see Him at work miles and miles from home.

Feed My Starving Children

While teaching at a preschool this morning, I came across a bag of rice, soy beans, and flax. I looked down at the package and what do you know-it was from the organization Feed My Starving Children. Back in December, I joined many other Belmont students as we packed bags for this organization. What a privilege it was to see where, the actual place, that the work of the organization is sent. Over the past week I have felt so useless here. I cannot communicate with most of the kids or adults here, so I have been very frustrated. How can I share the love of Christ when I cannot even speak the language? Yet, finding these bags was a powerful reminder that the seeds I had planted all the way back in December were producing fruit, and feeding many children each day. So, that is the same hope I am clinging to for the next three weeks. I may never see the fruit of my time here in Maralal, but I trust that seeds planted in good soil will eventually grow.

Shakira, Zebras, and Showers

After traveling almost 11 hours, we finally made it to Maralal. It is safe to say that this town really is in the middle of nowhere, or somewhere, as our director would say. I experienced many firsts yesterday, so I thought I would make a list.

1. first time being called shakira
2. first time crossing the equator, in Kenya
3. first time traveling 7 hours on a dirt road, and stopping twice because we were totally stuck in the mud
4. first time seeing a wild zebra
5. first time taking a shower with a bucket of water
6. first time in Maralal

As you can see, there were many firsts for me yesterday. While it was very overwhelming, I realized that I am beginning three weeks of "firsts". I would be lying if I said I wasn't terrified, because each new experience has been a stretch for me. But, I am so excited to see what God has to teach me in the process.

I'd encourage you today, where ever you find yourself, to go and experience a first. I think what you will find is that God will meet you exactly where you are.
Sending love from Maralal!

Maralal

Yesterday we recieved our ministry assignments. This is where I will be living for the next three weeks. I will be spending my time in Maralal, a small town about a days drive from Nairobi. My ministry partner, Catherine, one of the global project Kenyan students, and I will be working with Pastor Moses and his wife Mama Unis.

While in Maralal, I will visit a hospital, several schools, and a home for children with disabilities. At all of these places we will be building relationships and sharing with them the hope of Christ. We will also be preaching at a church a few Sundays. One of the most important parts of this assignment is that we will be working with the Samburu women. The Samburu tribe is the most traditional tribe in Kenya. They are a sub-group of the Massai, and are nomads and herders. They are most known for their tradition of female circumcision. Because of this we will have incredibly unique opportunities to minister to women who are victims of abuse, and share with them the healing love of Christ. While I am very overwhelmed by the magnitude of this assignment, I am also excited that God has chosen me to help love on these women in His name.

There will be many challenges in the next few weeks. Please be praying for a positive relationship with my host family, and that I would have courage and boldness to try new things (especially food!) and to proclaim the name of Christ. My heart is already so heavy for the women I will meet. Please pray that Catherine and I could powerfully share the love of Christ with these women!
Excited to share what God will do!

Janet

"Be open, this is about God." In the midst of a 2 hour preparation for leaving for our ministry assignments, (we will be doing minstry for 3 weeks in cities throughout Kenya with one other student from our team) these words were said. After an overwhelming amount of information about cultural sensitivity, do's and don'ts on just about every topic, this was how the conversation ended. See, I am learning that I really had no idea what I was getting myself into when I signed up for this trip. I did not sign up for the typical missions trip, living with a team and doing ministry during the day. No, I signed up for a global project, which means living with a Kenyan family for a month, learning the Kenyan culture and living it.

The Kenyan culture is very conservative, and very different from Tennessee. Here, looking into someone's eyes can be a big sign of disrespect. Letting your knees show is also very inappropriate, and tops should cover near to the collar bone. While dress is only one small part of the puzzle, communication is another challenge. In Kenya, the term beat around the bush is perfected. Friends are not direct with each other, and are very non-confrontational. So, there are certain topics that are just not discussed here. Learning to shake hands as I walk down the dirt road has been exciting, and here the measure of an effective day could be how many hands you have shook.

In my weakness, I am terrified that I will make some cultural blunder, one that will break trust between me and my new Kenyan friends. My personality is very opposite a lot of the culture here, so learning to be a little more conservative and not speak straightforwardly has been interesting! All to say, some days I feel like I am walking on glass, a thin layer that could shatter at any minute.

Two termites landed in my hair tonight, and nearly threw me over the edge. With a possible case of bed bugs as well, I was on the verge of tears. I know, I know, its Africa... but I still wasn't exactly prepared for that! But, as those thoughts came, this one sentence came as well. Be open, be open, this is about God. There is a freedom that comes when I choose to take that to heart. I have to let all of Africa, the good and the bad, to easy and the hard, permeate my heart.

In two days, I will leave to live with a Kenyan family for a month. Why me? How? Can I even do it? These are the questions that keep running through my head. Hearing stories from past trip students gives me the hint that roughing and toughing it will be an understatement for the next few weeks. But, when I come back to this phrase, I am reminded my purpose in being here. And I am so quickly humbled. Was this not Moses' exact cry in Exodus 3:1-12, the exact Sunday school lesson I taught earlier this morning? Was he not saying why me Lord? I am not ready nor equipped! Are you sure you have chosen the right person? As I find myself asking these questions, I remember that it is never my power in the first place that brought me here, and it is not my power now that will sustain me. Teaching this lesson in front of 30 ten to twelve year olds, all beautiful kids who have been orphaned, neglected, and abandoned, I am humbled. Moses felt so inadequate, yet he chose to be obedient, and his obedience changed in turn changed the course of history forever. His call, like mine this morning with my Sunday school class, was just to go.

So today, I am going to make a new choice. Being around 95 destitute kids teaches you something. It makes you look at the world just a little bit differently. As Janet- my new 15 year old friend from the Nairobi Children's Centre-and I sang I was met with these eyes, that had refused to give up, refused to be defeated by her circumstances. Before I left she handed me a note from her precious notebook that said this....
The greatest joy...giving
The greatest problem to overcome...fear
The most powerful force in life... love
The world's most incredible computer...the brain
The two most power filled words..."I can"
The most beautiful attire...a smile
The most powerful channel of communication...a prayer
The most contagious spirit... enthusiasm

Be blessed. Sending love from Kenya.
-Jenny

23 days!

That is the countdown until I leave for Kenya. I cannot believe that it is now summer, and before I know it we will be leaving. It has been incredible to see how God has been preparing my heart for this trip. This week I have learned a lot about God's intimacy and love. When we ask for more of God, he will not short change us. He longs to draw us closer into his presence. Looking back on my sophomore year, I see that theme. While this past school year was definitely the hardest spiritually and emotionally for me, God never once failed to meet me. While it wasn't always in my timing or the way I wanted it to happen, waiting on the Lord was a way in which he was drawing me into deeper intimacy with him. My last night in Nashville was a powerful testimony to God's presence and faithfulness in my life. After having several girls pray over me, I experienced freedom from bondage in ways I have never experienced before. I am still in shock at the way God moved in my life, even if I couldn't really see it until the very end. My prayer for this week as I prepare for Kenya would be that God would teach me how to love him, and be with him alone. Please continue to pray for people to come along side me in prayer and financial support. I am currently at $3700, so $1000 more is still needed.

Blessings!

Getting Closer...

First off, I wanted to start with a huge thank you to everyone who has been supporting me both financially and in prayer for my upcoming trip. I have been so blessed to see people excited to support me and my team as we prepare for Kenya. Recently, a lot of people have been asking how my financial support raising is going, so I wanted to give an update.

Current Support :$2850
Amount Needed By May 1st: $3400
Total Amount Needed: $1925

I wanted to share a quick story about how God has been providing for this trip. Last week, in the midst of a crazy week, I was getting concerned about support raising. After asking some of my close friends to pray that I would have wisdom about what to do, I went to check my mail. In the mailbox was an envelope, with no return address and just my name. I opened it to find a note saying, For Kenya, We Love You, and $100 in cash. No name saying who it was from, nothing. While it is safe to assume it came from someone at Belmont who knew about my trip (since there was no stamp), that is ALL the information I have about this small miracle. God was providing, and looking after my needs-in huge ways!

Wow! God has been so faithful! I can honestly not believe how he has provided for this trip! Be blessed this week.
Romans 8:28

On My Way

This week God has really had to work on my heart. In the midst of a lot of disappointment, I have seen His preparation and faithfulness to me. After feeling really tired for about two weeks, I went to the doctor yesterday to make sure nothing was going on. They ran a routine mono test, and surprisingly, it came back positive. I was shocked. I have spent the past 16 weeks training for my first half-marathon, and with this Africa trip coming up, my immediate thought was "God, what on Earth are you doing?". I am not sure how God is going to use this time. I have been in to see the doctor, and she recommended that I not run the half marathon. (My hope is still to walk/run parts of it, but we will see...) I am so disappointed, it is hard to have invested so much time in something and to find out a week before the race that you aren't able to run. But, like my dad always says, "Disappointment, His appointment". So, in the midst of this disappointment, I am trusting the Lord and what exactly he is doing. The exciting news is that I should be healthy and ready to leave for Kenya in June. Because the mono isn't too severe at this point, we are just taking precautions to make sure it doesn't get worse. Maybe God is using this time to slow me down and spiritually prepare me for the trip.

One of the songs playing recently on my iPOD has been Something Beautiful by Needtobreathe. "In your ocean I'm ankle deep, I feel the waves crashin' on my feet, it's like I know where I need to be But I can't figure out, I can't figure out- Just how much air I will need to breathe, When your tide rushes over me, there's only one way to figure out, Will you let me drown? Will you let me drown ? Hey now, this is my desire, consume me like a fire, I just want something beautiful to touch me, I know that I'm in reach, 'Cause I am down on my knees, I'm waiting for something beautiful". This is my prayer right now, that even though I feel ankle deep, I know that God is never going to let me drown. The ocean of worries is filled with stress about raising enough support, my health, finishing out the school year strong, and being ready to serve. But as I question "Will you let me drown, Will you let me drown?" I am reminded that he is teaching me to trust him, for what are my worries in His eyes?

Hope you are having a blessed week- be encouraged- as we seek Him he is meeting us, creating, and preparing in us, something beautiful.

Support Letter

Dear Family and Friends,

I remember the first time I opened a National Geographic magazine as a second grader. It was covered with pictures of starving children in the Sudan, and those pictures broke my heart. Immediately, I wanted to help. I had to help. From that point on, I dreamed of going to Africa and serving those people. That is why I am so excited to write this letter to you today. Finally, my dream of serving in Africa has become a reality, and I have been accepted to participate this summer in an InterVarsity Global Project in AFRICA!

I am a sophomore, studying English and pre-med at Belmont University. My goal is to use this degree to help people in a medical setting. With my future career goal in mind, this past December I had an opportunity to go to an International Missions Conference called Urbana. At Urbana, I joined 20,000 other college students as we worshipped, studied scripture, and attended various seminars about missions and various ways to serve. Urbana was hosted by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, a college ministry that works with students around the world. While at the conference, God laid it on my heart to serve Him this summer on a short-term trip. I wasn’t sure what this would look like or where I should go, but He slowly began opening doors to make a trip to Kenya possible.

Kenya is in East Africa. It is a country of striking contrasts and incredible diversity. Wealth lies alongside desperate poverty, and it is a country in incredible need. Even though Kenya has increasing urbanization and technology, it is a country of widespread corruption and crime, and has a large number of refugees from neighboring countries. It has one of the highest rates of population growth in the world, a majority of its population is under the age of 15, and it has a high number of HIV/AIDS cases. All these factors combined create a country in deep physical and spiritual need.

When I think of Kenya, I see children running to meet me, longing for someone to dance with them and sing with them in the streets. I see the disabled in the hospital needing more medical caregivers to help make their treatment effective and their stay comfortable. I see children with tear-stained eyes as their mom has recently died from AIDS. I see people – God’s people – in need.

Therefore, I will follow the call. I will be traveling to Kenya with a team of college students hosted by an InterVarsity Global Project from June 5th until July 24th. During this time, I will have the opportunity to live in the home of a Kenyan pastor and serve under the pastor’s leadership for 3 weeks. I will be challenged with various ministry opportunities and will also have the opportunity to work with children in orphanages and schools. After working with the pastor, we will return to the city and spend two weeks in Nairobi, serving in a slum, doing prayer walks, and serving in orphanages.

With this said, I am fully responsible for raising my own support to fund this trip. The total cost of the trip is $4725, which I must raise between now and June. I will personally be working, fund-raising and saving toward that goal. I would like to invite you to be a part of this mission in helping me first and foremost, through prayer support, and, if led, through financial support.
Enclosed is an envelope and a response card. If you feel led to support in any way, please fill out the card and return it and your gift in the envelope. Please make checks out to InterVarsity. Any contribution is greatly appreciated. All donations are tax deductible and donors will receive a receipt from InterVarsity. Online donations can also be made at www.intervarsity.org/donate.

I am excited to see how God will use this trip and my team to serve in Kenya. It excites me to think that God is planning to use you and me in his plan for this country. Thank you for partnering with me on this journey and I will update you on every aspect of the trip.

Love,
Jenny Hamrick