Kenya: Chapter 5 'New Life'

I have loved writing every chapter, but I am SO excited for this one. This chapter is focused on the New Scent Centre. Ms. Flora created the New Scent Centre a few years ago and currently takes care of 42 girls who have been rescued off the streets (verbal, physical, or mental abuse and human trafficking). I first met Flora in 2017 when she came and spoke at my church. Her faithfulness and passionate heart has inspired me everyday since. The TNU/SNU team as well as some students from ANU got to go visit her and her beautiful children on May 25-26. We played lots of games, made chapati, celebrated Flora’s birthday on Saturday, and had church with them on Sunday. Meeting the girls, seeing the different stages of healing, getting to hear some of their stories, singing songs of redemption, and fellowshipping with them brought joy to my heart and tears to my eyes. However, the most impactful moments for me while we were there were small glimpses of God’s faithfulness through creation. They are currently in the process of building a new (much bigger and better) home. A small group of us went to go see it on Saturday afternoon. As we got off the bus, I was instantly overwhelmed as I finally saw the place I had heard about for 2 years. If you have ever seen the movie, ‘The Shack’ - the area looks a lot like the garden in the movie. Beautiful flowers and trees surrounded us. They have started growing crops on the property, have solar panels, and access to water. They are currently working on electrical wiring as they finish the 3 story building. Passing the ripe avocados and walking through the new kitchen, bathrooms, stairwells, dining space, and bedrooms… it was incredibly emotional for me. Flora told us that on each corner of the house and in the center there is a Bible planted in the ground beneath the foundation because Christ is their cornerstone. We got to meet Peter who is the architect and supervisor that works with his team for FREE. She told us stories of prayer and faithfulness where God fully provided exactly what they needed at the right time - including the land and the money to pay for it. When we reached the third floor we stopped and Flora was telling us that they only needed $50,000 US dollars to finish with their current plans for the building. Compared to the vast sum of money God has already blessed them with, that is a small and easy task. I asked her if we could stop and pray that God would provide it. We all held hands and Rob started to pray. I felt a huge gust of wind blow through the open windows and I told God that I knew his presence was flowing in and through that place and asked that he would allow his presence and blessings to rain down. 30 seconds later … I kid you not … a gentle rain started to fall for about 5-10 minutes. Rain is not common in that area. As we left, we spotted a bold and vibrant rainbow cast over a field nearby. I know that God is in that place. He has already touched the hearts of those who will provide that money. His blessings will continue to rain down on Flora, her team, and the team that is diligently working to finish construction. His arms of love are wrapped around each girl that will enter those doors. I know he will continue to guide and protect them. The rainbow represents his promise and his faithfulness and I KNOW he will continue to provide.

That night we were with the girls finishing up the chapati when my friend from Trevecca, Kendall, came and told me I had to come look at the stars. Coming into this trip, I thought I might be able to cross something off of my bucket list: ‘see a night sky full of stars’. You know those pictures where they are so bright and plentiful you can barely see the darkness? The sky didn’t look like that (I still need to go out West to witness that kind of beauty), but the view did not disappoint. I walked outside with Kendall and Kori and just looked at the sky for 15-20 minutes. We were in a small town where there were fewer lights so more stars were visible - it was definitely the most I had ever seen.  A few of the girls came up to me and asked me if something was wrong - they were amazed that I had never seen that many stars or a shooting star before. Tears rolled down my face as lines from the song “So Will I” flooded into my mind. They asked if we ever wished on shooting stars and if we thought Jesus heard our wishes and prayers - their wishes always involved happiness and being able to come to America. Needless to say, that night is one that Kori, Kendall, and I will not soon forget.

There is new life at the New Scent Centre. I see hope springing up in the crops surrounding their new building. Joy is present, even in the healing process. Faith is abundant in their attitudes toward the future. Love will drive them to change the community and world around them. All of these moments and images will be in my heart and mind forever with the concrete knowledge that our faithful God is there: in the foundation, the wind, the gentle rain, the rainbow, the stars, and the hearts that are on fire for him.

If you would like to donate financially to the mission of New Scent (there will always be a need for your contributions as they look to establish a medical clinic, school, and church so that they can pour back into their community), you can visit http://newscentcentreintl.org

Flora, Peter, and Trevecca's sponsors Janice & JP.

 The rainbow we spotted as we left.

The view from a bedroom of the grounds and crops.

The new building.

Making chapati.

Kenya: Chapter 4 'Hard Working People'

This chapter is going to be long because Kenya is full of hard working people. As you read today, you get the privilege of meeting Melvin, Jane, Simon, Evans, Daniel, and Grace.

I got to meet Melvin the day we went to ANU town campus. We had gone for chapel where the group sang ‘Come Thou Fount’ and JP (trip sponsor and TNU director of compliance) and I shared our testimonies. After chapel had ended, Melvin was going to give us a tour of the Communications department. Town campus occupies 3 floors of an office building. Melvin gave us the tour of the recording studio, the class rooms, and a radio station that is currently ready to go, but inactive (please pray that the government will give them a permit to operate). He also told us of his plans for the fall. In August he is traveling to South Sudan to teach students there how to use a radio station that was just donated to them. People had raised the money and provided the equipment, but had not trained them. I invited Melvin to eat lunch with us. The tour and lunch turned out to be the only time we got to see Melvin, but he is passionately pursuing God and is about to use the gifts that God has given him to make a little corner of the world a better place. Melvin, if you ever find yourself reading this please know that your drive and excitement to go teach students in South Sudan inspired me. May we as young college students strive to use our gifts to better the world around us as generously as you are.

We got to see Jane almost every night. She helps Rob and Cindy (the missionaries who hosted us) take care of their house and Cindy’s father. Jane is kind and blessed us in so many ways - even her smiles brought my heart incredible joy. On Sunday May 19, a group of us traveled to her church - Ongata Rongai. You will hear more about that experience in a later blog post, but Jane  was our defender on May 19. We were riding back to campus in tuk tuk’s (picture at the bottom) and she made sure that each of us got in a good tuk tuk with a reliable driver. Anytime I went over to Rob and Cindy’s house during the day, Jane was always hard at work. She always had time to stop and talk though. Jane thank you for your sweet spirit. I know that God will bless you and your family greatly for your hard work and compassionate heart.

Simon is the ANU version of my dad. When we needed more toilet paper, he was on it. Shower stopped working? Call Simon. When ALL of the water was cut off (toilets, sinks, showers) in our flat the next day? Simon’s got it under control. During Holiness Week, I had chosen to go to early morning prayer from 7-8 each day but on Wednesday Janice and Jacinda decided to go to a 15 minute devotional time held by the maintenance team daily. While they were there, Simon asked if someone from the team could be the speaker the next day and Janice signed me up immediately. Thursday morning I found myself talking about the importance of our work. Using the story of the woman anointing Jesus with oil before his death, I talked about how God can take our work and our lives and (when totally surrendered to him) can turn it into so much more. After the devotional time was over, Simon came up to me and told me about his daughter. Her birthday is coming up and instead of asking for presents and keeping them for herself, she’s going to donate all of the gifts she receives to her church that is currently trying to pay off/buy the building they’re holding church in. Simon’s smile was one of my favorites to see. The conversations we had as well as the ones he had with members of our team were deep, meaningful, and inspirational. His outlook on life, his attitude towards his work, his heart for missions and ministry - it blew me away. And Simon’s heart isn’t going to stop with him; he’s passing it on to each of his children. Thank you Simon - for the tea, your encouragement, and for inspiring all of us as you glorify God in all that you say and do.

Evans and Daniel are some pretty special men. They both work for the school’s maintenance team as well. We met Evans the first day we were there. The group from SNU hadn’t arrived yet and it was just the Trevecca students. Our first dinner was going to be off campus and we were supposed to leave at 4. Kenyan time runs a little differently than American time and it got pushed back to 5. Janice and I had sat down on the steps right outside the maintenance offices and Evans noticed us and invited us inside to sit in more comfortable chairs. A group of us came inside to find chairs and hymnals. Evans (as well as a lot of the maintenance team) loved singing hymns. The hymn books had been brought by a work and witness team decades earlier but Evans told us that they used the books every morning to sing songs during their devotional time (this was where we were first invited to join them in the mornings). For the next hour, Evans would tell us a favorite hymn of his and the group would sing the song while he recorded us. Trust me, we weren’t that great but it brought a smile to Evan’s face and some joy into our jet lagged hearts. The next time I got to talk with Evans, he was with Daniel eating in the cafeteria. That morning I had spoken in Bible study and when they saw me sit down alone, they invited me to join them. Grace (who I will introduce you to in a minute) popped in occasionally when she wasn’t working to join in on our conversation. Eating lunch with Evans and Daniel that day turned out to be one of my top 5 favorite meals/conversations of the trip. They told me about their lives and how they got jobs at ANU. Daniel has worked there since 1986 - a work and witness team taught him how to be a plumber and he’s stayed with the school ever since. Evans started working more recently, but loves it there. I asked Daniel, Evans, and Grace what motivated them… what kept pushing them to work even when they didn’t feel like it or life was hard. All of them answered the same thing: you had to work to have a salary to provide for your family. Their families, strength from God, and the great community at ANU keeps them coming back and faithfully working everyday. Grace is still single but I got to meet her brother, Daniel told me about his 9 kids, and Evans just sent me a picture of his son yesterday afternoon. Thank you for lunch, for letting me see into your world and your work, for showing me your infectious passion for life and the ways in which you glorify God.

Last but certainly not least - Grace. One morning at breakfast I introduced Grace to some of our team that hadn’t met her yet. I said “this is Grace and she is one of the most generous, beautiful, and selfless people on this earth” and then I felt myself starting to tear up so I stopped. Janice, Jacinda, and I met Grace on one of the first days of our trip. Grace works in the cafeteria, she has a beautiful smile, and she gives THE BEST hugs. Often she would see I was in a long line for food, pull me aside, ask me what I wanted, and serve me quickly. When Edwin, Jacinda, and Kelvin dared me to eat a habanero pepper and my mouth caught on fire, she knew just the thing to help me out. Every morning for breakfast I would get Kenyan tea and a mandazi with sugar on top (tastes just like a donut - 10/10 would recommend). She would make fun of my American taste buds, but she would also pick out the biggest mandazi to put on my plate. Grace is there all day cleaning the cafeteria and serving the students. She seems soft spoken, but her heart loves bigger than most. Grace, I have thought about you every day (oof I’m crying again). I miss your hugs and even though I brought home Kenyan tea bags, it’s nothing compared to the tea you made me. I didn’t think such a deep bond could be formed in a 15 day time period, but a piece of my heart is undoubtedly still with you: my sister in Kenya. We are separated by distance, but ALWAYS together in spirit and in heart.

For your hard work and willing spirit, even when you don’t have the most glamorous job… asante sana rafikis.

Tuk Tuk

Kelvin & Grace

Kenya: Chapter 3 'The Day that Changed my Life'

I got to preach 5 times while I was in Kenya. I shared my testimony in chapel both at the town campus and the main campus of ANU, I did a Bible study one morning for the ANU maintenance team, I preached at Christian Union one night, and Flora asked me to bring the morning sermon while we were at the New Scent Center (which you will hear more about later). While each of these preaching experiences brought me joy, Jesus chose to rock my world in an unexpected way… through a ministry that terrifies me: worship ministries. I first felt a calling toward a life of ministry when I was 8 years old (affirmed at age 12). I feel called into almost every area: children, youth, senior pastor, homeless ministry, human trafficking, creation care, college ministries, the elderly and disabled … but the one area I have ALWAYS known to avoid is worship ministries. Don’t get me wrong - the worship set of a service is almost always my favorite part, but my talents and passions do not lie there. So as we sat with Pastor Shaun at ANU delegating tasks for Holiness Week, I found myself ready to pray, lead a Bible study, and preach (at the time I had only signed up to pray though). At the end of our meeting, he asked if anyone wanted to help lead worship. Kendall was the only one who raised her hand and it was clear that he was waiting for someone else so I said I could do it. Let me be very clear that I was enjoying singing songs in Swahili IN THE AUDIENCE and in no way thought I would actually be asked to lead worship - but God had different plans.

I was walking to Holiness week chapel on Wednesday May 22 and Farajah (wife to Pastor Shaun and in charge of worship ministries … also I am so sorry - I know I probably just spelled your name wrong) happened to walk past. I told her how powerful the worship set had been the previous day and she said “Shaun said you were going to come help us lead worship! Why haven’t you come by yet?” I agreed to come that day to practice for Thursday morning. At 4pm that day Kendall, Kori, and I found ourselves ready to sing. Practice itself was such a blessing - the last time I had been in a choral setting like that where everyone knew how to harmonize and do it well was when I was in show choir in high school. All of the songs we were singing the next day were in English and the harmony parts sounded beautiful. There had been 15 people there - the biggest number of students that had attended all week. As Kori and I left to go to the soccer pitch to play games that night, I told Kori that I wasn’t going to lead the next day. There were too many people, not enough mics, it was outside of my comfort zone, and I had already been blessed by the opportunity to sing in that setting - that was enough for me. Gracious sakes - it seemed like I had a million excuses to avoid THE moment that God was calling me into.

I showed up the next morning to chapel and I was SO certain that Farajah was going to let me off the hook that I hadn’t worn my “African Wear” which was the wardrobe theme of the day. As soon as I walked in the door, I ran into Linnah. Linnah is the first ANU student I got the privilege of meeting. She is beautiful, funny, a talented singer, and has a kind and gentle spirit that draws others to her. I asked her where Farajah was and explained that I was going to sit this one out. She immediately reassured me that the team wanted me up there with them, I had enough time to go change, and that I just HAD to sing that morning. Thank God for Linnah. Tally and I ran back to the flats, I changed clothes, and by the time I got back the team was on stage singing a few songs before chapel got started - but the songs were in Swahili. Kendall motioned for me to come on stage and I walked up and stood between Kori and Comfort. Comfort seems quiet, but she uses her voice loudly to praise the Lord. She lives up to her name (as you’ll soon find out) and she is as beautiful as she is compassionate. As I jumbled over the Swahili words, I kept telling Kori that I was terrified, it wasn’t my thing, and that I was just gonna go sit down - but Kori kept encouraging me to stay up there. Kori and I stood there 50% singing, 50% standing, 110% trying not to look foolish - but it was comforting because we did it together. As chapel started, all of the harmony parts came back into my brain. Even though I didn’t have a mic (thank the Lord honestly), I had a lot of fun and the Lord granted me peace as we led worship that morning.

When the worship set was over, I went and sat down with the team next to Linnah as we got ready to hear the message Pastor Shaun was brining that day - a message about death. Over the course of the week he had been speaking out of Genesis 1-3: creation, the fall, and redemption. Shaun said that there are three stages to death: the first stage where you are separated from the spirit (sin), the second stage where you are physically separated from the presence on God (being expelled from the garden of Eden), and the third stage which is the physical death that we know. When Jesus died on the cross, He resurrected us and gave us life through Him for those first two stages of death and that makes the third stage a lot less scary.

The sermon ended and the worship team gathered to pray together. The prayer team (which I had also been apart of that week) was gathering with some of the adult religion faculty at the altar and crying out to God. The spirit of the Lord was flooding into that place. I grabbed hands with Kori and with Bianca. Bianca is an amazing singer. She’s also beautiful, incredibly feisty, sassy in the best and funniest ways, and outgoing. When the prayer ended Bianca didn’t let go of my hand - she had started to cry. My heart broke for her and I started to cry too. Comfort came over and sat with Bianca and when she let go of my hand I sat down in a chair nearby where Linnah joined me. I took it all in - Bianca and Comfort together, the religious leaders of the campus crying out in prayer fervently to God, and all of a sudden it hit me - I wasn’t crying for Bianca or because I had empathy for those whose hearts were saddened in that room. I was crying because the message from Pastor Shaun had answered a prayer that I had been praying for 6 months. Back in December of 2018 God told me that it was time to transition into a new season of my life where I would have to practice patience and come to terms with the fact that there were some things that I cannot control that I had to surrender to God. I have 3 terminally ill family members but the deepest burden on my heart is my mom. Mom is a walking miracle. She had a brain tumor when she was 12. Doctors told her she would never have kids because of the radiation she had received but she prayed like Hannah in 1 Samuel and God gave her a child. She was diagnosed with Stage 4 Breast Cancer when I was 9 and underwent chemo, countless surgeries, and radiation. She’s a survivor but you don’t just survive cancer - it always comes back to haunt you years later. Last summer we found out she had radiation neuropathy - which is terminal. The same radiation that had saved her life twice is now slowly shutting down her nervous system. I won’t tell you all of the details but last July she could walk with a cane and now she can hardly walk to the kitchen without help or her walker. This past semester as I entered into this new season, I was faced with an overwhelming feeling of apathy and decided to go to counseling to talk through it. I was trying to prepare myself for her death - which will not be soon, but still lurks. The semester was very successful and my counselor and I both agreed that I was ready to handle my emotions by myself as we entered into the summer season. I was not expecting God to answer my prayer and ‘make me whole’ this quickly but sure enough my answer to prayer was right there in Pastor Shaun’s message: Jesus saved us and gave us life in the first two stages so the third isn’t that scary. I don’t have to be afraid of death for any of my family or friends who know the Lord because his blood has saved us for eternity. I dislike being one of those people who goes on a mission trip and finds their answer to prayer, but at the same time I am so thankful that God knew. God knew that I needed to be away from the situation for a little bit to clear my head and he knew that I needed to be in a mindset where I was waiting for him to move - no expectations, remember? God knew that I would have just skipped along to tea with the ANU chancellor if I wouldn’t have been forced to stop, pray, and reflect that day. He knew that leading worship scares the crap out of me but that death scared me too. He sent Linnah, Farajah, Kori, Comfort, Shaun, Kendall, and Bianca into my life to help guide me to that moment. He knew I would stay with Bianca and he knew I just needed a few more seconds soaking in the message to understand what he was trying to speak to me.

Thank you God. Thank you Comfort for being so comforting. Thank you Linnah for praying for me and crying with me. Thank you Bianca for sharing what God was speaking to your heart and letting me in on that conversation. Thank you Pastor Shaun for speaking life into my doubts. Thank you Farajah for seeing the need in my heart and calling me out of my comfort zone. Praise God. Amen.