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