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