Kenya–Day Two, Part One

So, I’m finally getting around to day two of my amazing week in Kenya. We drove for a couple of hours outside of the city to start the day. That alone was amazing. The beauty of unfamiliar scenes is something that I will never grow tired of. I am reminded again of what an artist my God is. I’ve never looked so far in every direction and seen nothing but nature. Well, until day 4 and 5, but that’s another story.

After a long, bumpy ride in some sweet Land Rovers, we finally pull up to the Compassion project we were visiting in a Masai community. We were greeted by a group of singers who were praising God and wearing some of the coolest outfits I’ve ever seen. The Masai traditionally were mostly red and they are all about some beaded jewelry. We got to hang out with them for a few hours and listen to some songs and scripture while we had tea. Then we split up for the home visits.

Our home visit was to one of the mothers that Compassion sponsors. They have a small program that helps out young moms by giving them a way to make money and by helping with their kids. We watched our mother make soap to sell at the market (fourth row, first column). Then we got to sit with her and her family in their home which was made completely out of sticks and mud–impressive. We gave them some groceries and prayed with them.

When we asked her what we could pray for her about I expected her to say something about food, water, shelter, health, etc. because if I were her, that’s what I would be asking for. None of those things are guarantees here. But she didn’t. She asked for us to pray that she would be influential in her church and be able to serve God well with the position of leadership He gave her. Wow. That was a huge lesson right there. In the span of about 30 seconds God reminded me how big He is and how small my problems are. He reminded me what is important and what isn’t. They truly understand and believe Matthew 6:31-33: “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” What an amazing reminder. I suck at this. I worry about things even more trivial that this. My food and shelter is pretty secured, and yet I still worry. It’s as if God has given me a reason not to trust Him to provide, and He definitely hasn’t. This was a critical take away from this trip for me, and it all took place in less than a minute. Wow, God is powerful.

Anyway, after the home visits we went back to the church for a homemade lunch from the women of the tribe. We got to hang out for a few more hours and they gave us all gifts of handmade jewelry, which was sweet.

I met so many cool people and got to love on a lot of different kids that really got to me. It’s too much to really explain. I will say that one of my favorite moments with this project was when we gathered to pray at the end of our visit. The pastor prayed over all of us in Swahili, which was cool, but I also got to pray for a little girl named Victoria (second row, middle column). For some reason she clung to me for almost the entire day. She wanted to hold my hand and touch my arms and put my hands on her face. She was super shy and just followed me around all day, barely speaking. But when I got to put my hands on her shoulders and pray for her during that time there was something about it that was powerful. Just the unique opportunity that I was given in that moment was something I will never forget.

So, it was a long day and this wasn’t the end of it, but this post is getting long and this is a good stopping point. I’ll get to the rest later, but here are some pictures of the day:

Btw, these kids really loved to try on your sunglasses and take pictures with your camera. It was a little crazy, lol.

Craziness

So, for those of you who don’t know I’m officially in Panama City Beach, Florida for the  summer. Better known as PCB. Load in is going really well, even though it’s completely exhausting. The stage is looking really sweet and I am totally pumped for camp one to start on Monday. I have  had almost no down time. We’ve been here for over 3 days and I’ve seen the beach for all of about 5 minutes. All that to say that I’m trying to get more up here about my amazing time in Kenya, but things are crazy. Sorry to hold you in suspense, all two of you who are reading this, but that’s the reality. Hopefully I will get to put something more up soon. Peace.

Day One

Technically this was day three on our trip. We spent most of Saturday and Sunday traveling, so I don’t count those. Anyway, Monday we spent time in Kibera, one of the largest slums in sub-Saharan Africa. It is roughly the size of Central Park in New York City, but it is home to over one million people. We visited a Compassion project in a church on the outskirts of the slum. The children greeted us with songs and dances and presentation. They were so into it and had memorized a ton of scripture and poetry and songs for us.

From there, we split up into four groups to do home visits. I got to visit with Loice (7th picture, pink sweatshirt) and her family. She was a rare case because her mother and father were still married and living together in her home. They were also very interested and involved in her life, which is often not the case with children in this area. It was really cool to see the sacrifices and effort that her parents had put forth to help her achieve the kind of future she wanted. That was really encouraging. However, her family had lost everything, their home, all their possessions, and their livelihood, in the post-election riots in 2007. There was a lot of violence, especially in Kibera, and some huge fires. In fact, the church we visited had been burned to the ground completely and was still doing construction to get their facilities back. The coolest thing about that was that no matter who you talked to in the church about it, they all spoke of what a blessing it had been. They were focused on God’s plan and didn’t get caught up in losing so much–even when they had so little. Definitely something to learn from.

Another cool thing that happened on Monday was that a lot of our team members got to meet the Compassion children that they sponsor. While I was not among them, it was still an awesome thing to watch. A lot of people are skeptical about organizations like Compassion, but I can tell you first-hand that it is legit. These kids are real, and these sponsorships really do change their lives. You can see evidence of that on the faces of all their parents when they meet a person who has provided a future for their child. Everyone should want to be a part of that.

They didn’t want us to take pictures of the slums because people don’t really like it, so I don’t have any of those. Also, I apologize in advance for my less-than-stellar photography skills. Everyone has a skill set, it is not in mine. Anyway, here are some more pictures of day one:

Home, Sweet Home

Well, I’m crazy jet lagged, but I wanted to give you a little taste of my last week. Needless to say, it was an incredible experience. I had to keep reminding myself that it was real and I was actually in Africa. Hopefully I can post more specific stories and more pictures in the near future. For now, I’m back at the StayBridge, trying to relax and catch up on some much-needed sleep. Thanks for your prayers while I was away. Be back soon.

Leg #1

Okay, so, the first leg of my summer is done. I have to say, it is already not what I expected. We all drove up to Camp Highland for a few days of fun and team bonding. However, unbeknownst to me, that also included sleeping outside in the woods, giant spiders, and getting really dirty. We had a few great bonfires and I even got to hear the testimonies of my entire team. It was a great way to get to know everyone and learn more about my new summer family. Combine all that with a low ropes course, a giant swing, and some sweet made up frisbee games and you’ve got a great introduction for my time at BigStuf. It was a perfect transition from my normal life and all that I am going to leave behind this summer. I am excited to continue getting to know the interns I’ll be spending my time with. The last three days have felt like at least a month, so I know that means I’m in for a wild summer.

I’m headed to Africa tomorrow. Prayers would be appreciated for what could be a life-changing week. But right now we’re kicking it at the lovely StayBridge Hotel in Alpharetta. Score. Anyway, I’ll be sure to be back here in a week or so to give you guys some stories from the Motherland, or, ya know, Africa. And, in case you’re wondering, God has already been rocking me these last few days so I’ll try to roll out some of those details for you in the next few weeks/days.

Thanks!

P.S. Did you like that usage of “roll out”? That’s something I’ve already picked up from our wonderful Camp Director, Jeff. He talks weird. As in, he says weird stuff. But it is awesome in its weirdness. I’m sure more of his odd phrases will work their way into my posts in the future.

Right Where I Want to Be

I think David Crowder best captures what I’m thinking on the day before I start my summer…

I think I’m on the brink of something large
Maybe like the breaking of the dawn
Maybe like a match being lit
Or the sinking of a ship, letting go gives a better grip

I’m finding everything I’ll ever need
By giving up gaining everything
Falling for You for eternity
Right here at Your feet
Where I wanna be
I am Yours

I feel like I am on the brink of something amazing–something life changing. It’s so strange for me to think about this summer and the person I could be by the end. I know this summer will change me. I will see and do and feel things that I never have before and that I might never again. That change is what excites me the most, and makes me the most nervous. It’s hard not to be a little unsure of something that has the potential to be so monumental. However, I also know that I am exactly where God wants me to be, and right where I want to be. I am spending a summer at the feet of my Savior, serving Him and His people. And that knowledge is enough to erase any glimpse of doubt and ease any semblance of fear.

I’m letting go this summer. Letting go of my comfort, of familiarity, of certainty. I’m letting go of the cautious, planned-out way that I would normally do things. I’m letting go of myself and my needs and desires. I am letting go of my family and friends for the longest amount of time that I ever have. I am letting go of everything and holding onto God and His will and His plan. And as much as all those other things seem frightening, what I have to hold onto is more than enough.

In less than 12 hours I will have met 15 amazing interns and countless other staff that I will spend my summer with. I will also be at the beginning of a 2 1/2 month journey that will take me across the world and across the paths of thousands of students. God is going to do something amazing this summer. I am His.