One to Remember

This post feels a little selfish to be writing.  But if I'm going to share about my time in Kenya, this is a piece I must share.  God's plans are always perfect, but the way he planned for me to spend my 29th birthday in Kenya was beyond perfect.  Most of you reading this probably already know this, but I'm not big on being the center of attention. This often means that I'd much rather serve others in the background than to let them serve me, that I'd much rather give gifts than receive them, and ultimately that I'm not very good at letting the Lord use people to reflect his love for me. I often avoid this, which can rob others of their joy in serving.  While I can't say that I'm much better at being the center of attention at this point, what I can say is that the Lord used my birthday in Kenya to soften my heart, to teach me to be more willing to let my guard down, and to really give me a better understanding of how big his love is for me.  He used about 60 of the most beautiful smiles, hilarious personalities, and hearts for Jesus to do it.

The day started with a walk to the school to meet the students before heading to nearby Brackenhurst Convention Center for activities.  It was Mashujaa Day, also known as Heroes' Day, which meant they had the day off from school and we got to spend the whole day with them.  The moment they walked out of the gate and greeted us my heart was filled.  The sweet girl pictured below, Natasha, came to find me and gave me a huge hug and a "Happy Birthday."  And the girls continued to come and find me to wish me happy birthday as we made our way to Brackenhurst.  Again, I am not one to love having people's attention, but these girls can make you feel like the most special person and I welcomed their love over and over again.

Me and Natasha

The ropes course.  I know it may not seem like a big deal to you.  People do these all the time here. Team building events and such.  Some people love them, some people hate them.  But for these girls, it was an adventure unlike anything they had ever done.  And they were so brave.  A few were very excited, but several were pretty nervous when they looked up and saw the contraption they'd be climbing across.  It was so cool to watch as each one faced their fears and went for it, with little hesitation.  With their friends below them cheering them on each step, it was a beautiful depiction of the importance of community as we face our fears and learn to trust.  One sweet girl named Shazmin got stuck.  Seriously.  Somehow her hook got caught on the guide rope, which meant she had to be rescued by a ropes course staff member.  She was scared, but so brave.  The girls below provided so much encouragement to her and comfort that she was going to be just fine.  As I watched this moment unfold, and the entire experience at the ropes course for that matter, I continued to think about how this represented so much about their lives.  They need each other to get by in life.  They need the encouragement and support.  And praise God the Lord has provided them with exactly what they need.  Through Uhuru Academy the Lord has provided them with friends and teachers and  discipleship leaders who pour into them and support them through the highs and lows of life.  That was a birthday present enough, to watch the way they supported each other and to be reminded of    how faithful our God is to those who trust in him.      

Ropes course action shot of Ruth

To top off the ropes course experience, Loise came running over to find me after the session.  We might have only met face-to-face the night before, but seeing her running over to give me a birthday hug was a moment I will never forget.  (There were several of those during this trip, as you've probably noticed.  There are more to come.)  It's really impossible for me to describe the love that I felt when she ran my way.  Like I said, God's plan for me to spend my birthday in Kenya was beyond perfect.  That's what he wants for us, ya'll.  He wants us to feel the deep, deep love that he has for us.  That moment, standing around the edges of a ropes course, with a high school girl running to find me simply because she loves me and wanted to tell me happy birthday.  The Lord  may never have it in his plans for me to have kids, but I'm pretty sure I got a glimpse in that moment of what it was like to have your kids love you so innocently and so well.  But man, I pray she loves Jesus and runs after him even more. 

Loise and me after the ropes course

During the walk back from the ropes course was one of the highlights I mentioned in my last post.     Those 20-30 minutes spent talking with Margaret were so special.  Really getting  to know her and  listen to her pour out her heart to me.  This was...wait for it...a walk to remember :)  In all seriousness though, hearing more about Margaret's story and the way the Lord has worked and continues to work in their family was a reminder of the tremendous ways he is working through Uhuru Academy to transform lives for his kingdom's cause.

Once back at the school we had lunch and spent time in bible study groups, which we had been divided into at the ropes course.  During this time we were to debrief and discuss some questions related to the ropes course and how it can teach us about our relationship with God.  This was a great discussion, but there was much more to our debrief time.  As we sat eating lunch and beginning to introduce ourselves I noticed that some girls who were not in our group began to come in the room.  Soon enough there was a group of them gathering together in the corner.  They looked over at me with big smiles and said, "we have something for you."  And with that Vanessa began to play the guitar and Nimmo and the others began to sing a birthday song to me.  I titled my last post "Pure Joy"....this moment....PURE JOY rushed over me, into me, all around me.  Have I mentioned how much I don't like being the center of attention?  For that moment though, I would gladly stand in the center.  It was beautiful, it was funny, it was sweet....but most of all it was another moment the Lord used to show his relentless love for his children.  For me and for these girls.  A group of high school girls from Kenya singing happy birthday to a mzungu they'd only met a few days before.  And He orchestrated this moment to reveal so much of himself.  At the time, there were tears of joy and a huge goofy grin as I listened to them sing.  It was only after I came home and have had time to reflect that I see more and more of the beautiful friendship God designed.   And even if I never see those girls again (I pray that is not the case!!), through a catchy (and perhaps Drake-inspired) birthday song they loved me in a way that will certainly never be forgotten. (I have a video, but it wouldn't load/play properly on the blog.  Just ask me next time you see me, I love sharing it.)

Oh but the fun had only just begun for me.  So lets flash back for a moment to Wednesday when I first met Loise and Margaret.  During our conversation, my girl Shariffa came by and informed them that my birthday was on Thursday, just like hers.  With that news, Loise and Margaret gave me a grin and said "ooohhhh, you're going to get watered."  Not all that sure what "being watered" looked like I reluctantly asked, "so, should I bring a change of clothes with me?"  They laughed and just shook their heads.  So back to Thursday, after the birthday song and our debrief time (which came to a pretty quick ending because there were screams coming from outside...the watering session for the other birthday girls had begun) the girls instructed me to remove my shoes and anything I didn't want to get wet.  They led me to a grassy area outside the dorms and there was no turning back from there.  Immediately there were large buckets of water coming at me.  This went on for about 10 minutes.    Water buckets coming from every angle.  And I couldn't think of a more fun birthday experience.  There were two other girls celebrating their birthdays, Shariffa and Mary, so I was not in it alone.  Which perhaps meant all the more water coming at us.  Another birthday moment I will always remember...the squeals, the laughs, the shouts, and the sprints I ran trying to dodge the next water bucket.  Again a moment of pure joy and unconditional love.  They were so excited to celebrate my birthday with me...and now I will always be excited to think back to that moment that I got to  celebrate with them.  At the end of getting "watered" the whole group sang happy birthday to us as the soaked birthday girls stood arm-in-arm.  Few moments in life  will be filled with that much joy and love.  A birthday celebration that I will never forget.  

Getting watered...

...and some more....

  

Birthday buddies...very wet.

   

The rest of the afternoon we played field games.   It was like back in the day when we had Field Day at Shoals Elementary School.  Think relay races with about 60 high school girls.  Turns out they  cheat...a lot!  But in the most hilarious ways that they fully embrace.  For instance, we did a relay race similar to dizzy bat.  They were supposed to spin 20 times.  They didn't come close to that.  Most would spin about three times and race back.  It was hilarious to watch though as they talked strategy (in cheating) and watched other teams to figure out how to beat them.  My team was super competitive and overly obnoxious... and of course I loved every second of it. They would scream and cheer after every game, making you think we had won every time.  We did not.  But they would try to convince you otherwise, and it was awesome.  The "Troublemakers," as they referred to themselves, lived up to their name. Such a fun time.

Troublemakers, the best team

Field game team celebration

Following field games it was time for us to head to Cheshire for GLOW Club.   Another special moment with Margaret and Loise happened. As we were waiting to load up and head out I found Margaret among the girls who were going with us, but Loise was nowhere to be found.  I asked Margaret if Loise was coming with us or if she knew where she might be.  (At this point I did not realize we would have the chance to see them again on Saturday to say goodbye...so I thought this was my last opportunity and I couldn't leave without a proper goodbye.)  Immediately Margaret passed off the craft supplies she was  holding and went to find Loise for me.  She brought her out and I shared that this might be goodbye.  I asked if she was going to Cheshire with the others or if she needed to study.  At first she said she needed to study for her exams the next day and that was so awesome.  To hear and see how invested she is in her education is incredible.  ...But then I mentioned that I would be going to Cheshire and her eyes lit up.  "Ooohhh, then I will go too," she said.  Ya'll, it was a simple moment, but it overwhelmed me with love.  She wanted to come because I was going. One day I'll probably have to tell my nieces or my own children that they can't come with me  somewhere because they have homework to do or I'll have to encourage them to choose to study instead, but this moment was different.  A few more hours to spend together with a friend was precious time to both of us.  While education is extremely important, there are other days (and I'd argue there should be more) you must encourage them to invest in relationships and spend time with those they love, even if it means a little less time studying or getting the job done.  I certainly did not discourage her from coming, nor encourage her to go back to studying rather than joining us.  For me, seeing her eyes light up when she found out I would be going to Cheshire, that was one moment I was not going to let go. So we walked together to the Land Cruiser and hopped in for a few more hours to hang out.  And I had one more birthday moment I will always remember.

So you might be thinking, what is Cheshire?  Great question.  Cheshire is a vocational school for girls with disabilities.  The girls range in age and have various disabilities from physical to mental and at  varying degrees of severity.  The Uhuru Discipleship Team holds GLOW club at Cheshire.  To remind you, GLOW stands for Girls Leading Our World.  It's a program adopted from the Peace Corps and it teaches life skills.  At Cheshire, Uhuru Academy students who are members of the Service Club come along with the Discipleship Team to lead GLOW Club. Immediately when we walked in the room with the Uhuru students you could see the Cheshire students light up with excitement.  But I also saw the Uhuru students light up the same way.  This was a special time for both groups.   We spent time introducing ourselves and then sang  worship songs together. To his surprise, the student leading the worship time (Mariet) asked our Mercy team member, Zach, to lead us in a song.  We joined together in "Amazing Grace."  Each time we sang that on our trip it got better and better.  This was the pinnacle.  A room full of Kenyan high school girls, girls with special needs, nuns (who run the school), Uhuru staff, and mzungus visiting from across the world, all joining together to sing about the amazing grace of our Savior, his grace to save a wretch like me.   It is in moments like that that we get a taste of the sweetness that Heaven will be.   All fears, ailments, tears, and differences cast aside, joining together to sing praises at the feet of Jesus.  What a sweet day this was...but what an even sweeter day that will be!

Making lanterns at Cheshire

The rest of the time at Cheshire we spent making a craft with them.  The Uhuru students led groups and we helped the Cheshire students make paper lanterns.  It was a joy to watch both.  To watch the faces of the Cheshire students light up as they saw their lantern come together.  To watch the Uhuru students light up as they talked through each step and helped the Cheshire students finish their masterpiece.  We ended by singing "This Little Light of Mine" and it could not have been more perfect.  The girls in that room shine their light in the brightest ways. Praise God for that!

And then came another sweet, sweet birthday moment.  One of the Cheshire students was also named Catherine.  She LOVED that we had the same name.  She was sitting with her friend, Phyllis.  When Catherine and Phyllis found out it was my birthday they got so excited.   Together they sang the most beautiful "Happy Birthday" to me.  A few of their friends joined in too.  I wish I had it on video to share because they truly were the sweetest voices.  Voices that again our gracious Heavenly Father used to share his love for me and reflect the beauty of his love in them.  These girls had literally just met me and yet they lit up to be able to sing and celebrate with me. What a blessing they were in that moment...and will continue to be.

Catherine (next to me), Phyllis (middle in pink) and friends at Cheshire

My birthday ended with a bonfire at the team house.  Anyone who knows me well knows that I LOVE a good bonfire.  A bonfire in Kenya...what better way to celebrate your birthday.  On top of that, our sweet cook, Petty, surprised me with a delicious birthday cake.  We also had the opportunity that night to pray over the staff of Freedom Global/Uhuru.  I want to share more about the amazing staff, but I'll save that for later.  But I can't think of a better way to end a day like this, where God had blessed me with so much love from the students of Uhuru Academy, than to pray back to him thanks for the staff.  Thanks for the ways he is using the staff and their willingness to pour out their lives, so that these girls may know him and share his love with others.

With our amazing cook, Petty

Finally, I must also give a HUGE shoutout to the rest of the volunteer team, the staff of Uhuru, and certainly my roommate/mother goose/accountability partner/God-send of a friend, Lynn.  These people also loved me so well throughout the day.  They celebrated with me, laughed with me, captured the moments for me, decorated a cake for me, and sang to me multiple times. More than any of this though, throughout the week and especially this day with the students, they exemplified the beauty of the gospel and loved on the girls with all they had to give.  I am so grateful for their hearts and the work the Lord is doing in and through them in Kenya and in America.  So thank you to the volunteer team and the Freedom/Uhuru team, you guys are THE BEST!

In the book of Psalms we read, "Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you."  Psalm 63:3.  His love is better than life.  And he wants to shower us with that love.  He used my birthday in Kenya to reveal that to me again.  May I continue to rest in that love He has for me and may my lips praise him, now and forevermore.

My ride-or-die and roommate

Meet Zach and Dennis...

Mercy Team 

Pure Joy

So as you might have noticed, I didn't post at all while we were in Kenya.  We had very limited access to wifi and I didn't want to spend my time at the school staring at a screen when I could spend it making some of the most precious memories of the trip.  So, as promised, I will be blogging this week to share stories, photos, and moments from the trip that completely changed my life.  I started to organize my posts in the most simple way, a day-by-day description of what we did each day.  But instead of making this a diary of our every move, I've decided to take a different approach.  For this first post I'm going to share some highlights and in the rest of the posts I will focus on a specific area(or a few areas combined) or a specific part of the trip to give you a better idea of the many ways the Lord is using Freedom Global and the people in Kenya for His Kingdom's cause.

Painting outside the classrooms at Uhuru Academy

Since returning, several people have asked me to give highlights of the trip.  I'm guessing they think I'm either too jet-lagged to share too much or they know I will go on for hours if they don't limit me.  I am tired, but far more than being physically tired I am emotionally exhausted because I quickly grew to love so many beautiful faces in Kenya and then too quickly had to say goodbye.  Which means highlights are hard to give because the entire trip was a highlight.  God was using each and every moment and experience to teach me something about him.  So to give highlights is a difficult task, but I'll share a few of the most special moments of the trip.  There are many, many more highlights to come in later posts and ones that I would love to share about in person, so please stay tuned and feel free to ask me anything.

When I wrote about the song "Signature of Divine" in my pre-trip post I had it all wrong.  Or at least didn't have the complete story.  To refresh your memory on those lyrics I wrote of prior to the trip, it begins with "Cathedrals have tried in vain, to show the image of your face.  But we are, by your design, signature of divine." While I first wrote about how crazy it is that we are created in his image and get to be called "his" and focused on the amazing opportunity before us to be the signature of divine in Kenya, which is all true, it turns out God had so much more to reveal to me about who he is and who we are in him through the people I encountered in Kenya.  I saw the image of God's face in a way I've never experienced before when I looked at the students at Uhuru Academy.

For just over a year now my mom, my aunt, and I have been praying for and sponsoring a scholarship for a student who attends Uhuru Academy.  Her  name is Loise Wafari.  Last Wednesday, I finally got to meet Loise and my heart was forever changed.  We attended chapel at the school that evening, which I will share more about in another post, but after chapel I was called over to meet Loise.  We quickly connected as we shared stories of our families and talked about our favorite subjects in school.  Loise is a Form 2 and will graduate in 2018.  (Their academic year ends in October/November.  Their closing ceremony for this year is Wednesday.  So Loise will graduate in late October 2018.) She loves history and math, but dislikes chemistry.  Loise wants to be an accountant. Did I mention that my mom also helps sponsor Loise? My mom, the retired accountant, who continues to work long hours crunching numbers as a "part time" accountant. Loise loved that. I took photos to share with her of my family and a photo of Pilot Mountain to show her where I was from; her eyes lit up as I told her about my parents, my sisters, my aunt and uncle, and my home.  In those first few moments of embracing her, hearing stories, and sharing laughter together, the Lord revealed a joy and love that can't be described.  Yes, it was a cool moment to meet and talk to the girl who I've been sponsoring, but it was so much more than just that.  It was full of pure joy and grace and a moment where I experienced the deep love of our Heavenly Father.  Here I had come thousands of miles hoping to meet her and be the hands and feet of Jesus to her, but turns out the Lord used her to completely change my heart.

Margaret (left), Loise (middle)

Another highlight was intertwined with the first highlight of meeting Loise.  This highlight was a girl named Margaret.  I first met Margaret on the football (soccer) field on Monday.  We joined the girls for sports on Monday and despite my limited soccer skills I decided to join that game.  There were lots of brief introductions on the field during periods where the ball was being retrieved from the volleyball court or from the bottom of the hill.  One of those brief intros was with Margaret.  The meeting where I really began to get to know Margaret though happened shortly after I met Loise.  As Loise and I were talking away from the crowd after chapel, another girl walks over and sits down next to Loise.  Meet Margaret.  Turns out Margaret and Loise are best friends.  They have a friendship that reflects the love of Christ in a beautiful way.  Watching them together and hearing them laugh with one another was yet again a moment of pure joy.  The next day we did a ropes course and had a field day with the girls (another portion I will share much more about in another post) and Margaret was on my team.  I would love to say this gave me the chance to pour into her (and I hope the Lord used me to do that), but it was she who really poured into me.  During our longest conversation, as we walked back to the school after the ropes course, Margaret says, "I think you know my sister."  At first I was a little confused, but she then explained that she is the younger sister of Gladys.  I met Gladys three years ago when she was a young Form 1 student.  Gladys is now a Form 4 at Uhuru Academy and about to graduate.  I was able to see her, hug her, and share a very special moment on the soccer field on Monday.  But the Form 4 students didn't get to hang out with us very much because they were focused on reviewing for the KCSE (Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education), which is the Kenyan version of the SAT on steroids.  So I didn't get to see much of Gladys.  But I got to spend a lot of precious time with her sister Margaret.  Margaret wants to be a pilot.  She loves sciences.  She shared with me about how her sister was the only one to believe in her before she arrived at Uhuru Academy.  That even she didn't believe in herself.  But Gladys continued to encourage her to come to Uhuru, that with God's help they were going to change things for their family.  I have no doubt the Lord is going to use Margaret and Gladys in mighty ways.  Their faith is unshakeable.  After the 2007 post-election violence their family spent seven years in a tent with ten people sleeping on a queen size mattress.   The Lord provided a way first for Gladys to attend Uhuru Academy and then for Margaret to attend Uhuru Academy and both to receive a quality education.  He then used the students of Uhuru to begin to change their family's physical circumstances.  The Uhuru students visited their home and then decided to give up meat for two months in order to save money to help build a home for Gladys and Margaret's family.  A true testament of the Lord at work through this ministry.  Along with the educational and physical needs, he is also very clearly at work in their lives spiritually.  Margaret  passionately shared with me that first and foremost she must keep God first in her life.  That he has provided for their family and she knows he will continue to do so.  One day Margaret is going to fly herself to my country to visit me and then fly me back to visit Kenya.  I am praying for that day, would you pray with me too?

After the intense football (soccer) match.  Gladys is next to me in the middle with the shirt that reads "Blue."

The last highlight will be a brief overview because I'll share a full post on it later.  I spent my birthday in Kenya.  I have been blessed with an amazing family and friends here in the States for my entire life and thanks to you all I've had some awesome birthdays.  But I have to say that this year was THE BEST birthday.  It was spent playing field games, encouraging students on the ropes course, building new friendships, getting "watered," and visiting a vocational school for girls with disabilities.  But the thing that stood out far more than what I "did" on my birthday was the genuine, deep, pure love that I was showered with (both literally and figuratively) throughout the entire day.  Girls I had hardly even met were coming to give me huge birthday hugs. There were many renditions of "Happy Birthday" sung, a lot of water thrown at me, and a continuous joy stirred in my heart.  Pure joy that only comes from the Father.  Our Heavenly Father was so gracious to me as those girls revealed how deep his love is for us.  And once again, my heart was forever changed. How deep the Father's love for us, how vast beyond all measure.  I pray that He continues to be glorified because the sweet love and joy I experienced on my birthday was not about me, but about the relentless and beautiful love he has for us, which he reveals through others.  For me, it was clearly revealed in the eyes, words, songs, hugs, and smiles of 77 incredible Kenyan high school girls.

With Loise on my birthday.

We sang "Amazing Grace" several times on our trip.  The words are such a true depiction of not only what I was able to experience this trip, but also the reason I was able to experience it all.  What amazing grace Christ has shown me to save me, that I might share in the pure joy and love that he desires for me.  What amazing grace he has given to those beautiful girls.  And what amazing grace that one day we will all get to bow at his feet together, worshiping him forevermore.  I pray that Loise and Margaret and the many others who you will hear more about, always know how much they are loved by me.  But much more than that, I pray they will always know how much they are loved by our Heavenly Father and how sweet his amazing grace is for them.

TOMORROW.  After months of praying, planning, and preparing, our trip is happening.  I know some of you will look at this and immediately put it in the TLDR pile ("too long, didn't read" pile, for those of you wondering what that means), which is totally fine, but at least read this first paragraph as I want to thank you. A huge thank you to all of you reading this who have prayed, offered words of encouragement, listened to me share about my excitement, and several who have  supported my trip through your generous donations.  While I may be the one getting on a plane and spending a week in Kenya, in many ways I'm taking all of you with me, because without you it would not be possible. I am so grateful for your hearts and investment in His kingdom.

I wanted to write this pre-departure note because many of you have been asking whether I will be documenting the trip and if you can follow along somewhere.  Internet access will be very limited during our trip (we are going to a third world country after all), so updates will be limited, if they happen at all.  But I will certainly be sharing about the trip once we return. If you followed along with my trip in 2013 you may recall that I was able to post almost every day.  We are staying at a different location this time, which does not have wifi. But I'm excited about the new spot and also welcome the time to be disconnected.

Since I won't be posting daily, I'll provide a brief overview of what our itinerary looks like.  When I get back and share with you what actually happened on our trip there is a strong chance that it will be very different from what the itinerary says.  Why you ask....well, because it's Africa. We'll be flying out tomorrow afternoon, Charlotte to Atlanta to Amsterdam to Nairobi. (Pray that this part of the trip does NOT change from the itinerary 🙂) We are scheduled to arrive in Kenya on Saturday night, which will be early afternoon back home. We'll be going to church on Sunday to a church plant that was started by a group of Kenyans a couple years ago. It wasn't around when I was there last, so I look forward to this. After church we'll be visiting the homes of some of the students. On Monday, we will work on the farm and then go hang out at Uhuru Academy for a tour of the facilities and sports/games with the students. Tuesday will mainly be spent working on projects on the farm. On Wednesday, we will have a chance to see the area and then participate in GLOW club, which is a girls discipleship program. Thursday will be more farm work and helping with another GLOW club event. During these work days there are various other projects, but more importantly time to get to know the Kenyans and build relationships with them. On Friday, we'll be heading to Maasai Mara to go on safari! Saturday it's back to Limuru to pack up and say goodbyes before heading to the airport for a late flight and eventually arriving back in Charlotte late Sunday afternoon.

So, in case I haven't mentioned it, we leave tomorrow! That means I've got a lot of excitement, but full disclosure, I also have a good bit of anxiety.  With that range of emotions, I want to share a little of what's on my heart pre-trip. As I shared with my roommate (who is also going on the trip!) this morning, I feel very unworthy to be going across the world to be the hands and feet of Jesus and leading an incredible team of people from Mercy Church, and yet in light of the cross, I have never felt more called to go and serve and share Jesus with the nations.  Before work this morning it really hit me that I am headed back to Kenya, a place I fell in love with three years ago. But what also hit me was the joy that comes in obedience, the undeserved grace that Jesus provides, and the incredible mission we are called to as believers. And as these emotions came flooding in several songs came on that help share what my heart is feeling right now. First was the song "Signature of Divine" by my favorite band, NeedtoBreathe. To be completely honest and vulnerable with you guys, the moment I began to hear the words and sing along, the tears began to flow. (This resulted in me having to get myself put back together before rolling into work with mascara everywhere.) Here are a few of the lyrics:

"Cathedrals have tried in vain
To show the image of your face.
But we are, by your design  

The signature of divine. 

We'll always sing your name,

Forever and today. 

Yahweh, Yahweh,

Great is your glory, when you go before me.

Oh, we sing, 

Holy, Holy,

Your ways are lovely, so high above me,

Yahweh"

As I sang those words to a song I've sung hundreds of times, I was struck by both the weight of that calling and the beauty of it...by His design, we are signatures of DIVINE.  To be the signature of divine..God, the holiest of holies, saying these are the ones to be identified as from me, the image bearers of me, the divine one. That's huge! He designed us to be exactly that. With the joy, beauty, and weight of that calling, we can rest in knowing that THE divine one, the one who created us, the one who sits on the throne...He goes before us. His glory is great, his ways are lovely, and he is Yahweh. It's about him, not about us. So as I prepare to go serve his kingdom, I rest in knowing that he has chosen me but does not send me alone, instead he goes before me, and by resting in that I pray this trip would bring glory to his name. Side note: so much more we could dig into here, but I've already rambled enough. Go listen to the song!

"Signature of Divine" was followed by "All Creatures of Our God and King." (Shoutout to Mercy Worship for their recently released EP which includes this song sung by my girl Kalli, shoutout to her amazing voice, too.)  This song always reminds me of a few things: how worthy our God is to be praised, the beauty and vastness of his creation, and that one day all of creation will bow at his feet and every tongue will confess that he is Lord. It also takes me back to one of my favorite parts of my last trip when our team worshiped with the girls at Uhuru Academy. We got to experience the awesome praise that they give to our great God. The same God I worship in the US. The same great God I fail to praise enough in the midst of my privileged first world "problems." That same God is present and praised in Kenya. That same God who created all the earth and everything in it. And I get the opportunity to go across his world and lift my voice and sing praises to him with his creation, on a different continent, in a different language (sometimes), with people of a different tribe. Whoa! "Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son. And praise the Spirit, Three in One. Oh praise him, alleluia."

And the last song that came on before I arrived to work was "My Solid Rock," another one found on the Mercy Worship EP. (Y'all, you NEED to download this EP!) Some of the lyrics for this one:

"My solid rock, it is Jesus. 

My only hope, is in your Name. 

Through it all, you are faithful. 

Forever we will praise the name of Jesus." 

If you take nothing else from this post, would you take a few seconds to pray just that...that Jesus would be our rock during this trip, that he would be the solid rock for believers in Kenya, that people  who don't know him would come to know the unwavering hope we find in Jesus and that he would become their solid rock, and that the name of Jesus will be forever praised, all across the world.

Despite how good it was for me to hear those songs this morning, to take my mind away from the list of all the things I needed to do before tomorrow and focus it back on Jesus, no song lyric compares to the words of Jesus himself. So I want to finish with this: "Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds he had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.'" Matthew 9:35-37. My words would be so inadequate, so Thank you Jesus for sending me. Would you continue to teach my heart to show compassion to the harassed and helpless through this trip and may my labor be glorifying to you.

Thank you for taking time to read this ridiculously long post. I can't wait to share with you all the fun and memorable moments from or trip, but more than that, I hope to tell you stories about people and the lives being changed by the gospel!

Love in Christ,

Catherine