I wake up in the morning at about 6:30 am to the sound of Paulina's Ipod alarm clock and lay on my what has now become incredibly comfortable sleeping pad snuggled in my sleeping bag, trying to ward of the freezing Kijabe morning. I'm usually one of the first ones up and I treasure the quiet time in the morning where I listen to the Lord, plug in my bright yellow Ipod, or read my bible. Soon, I see Taylore wake up and head to the bathroom with a handfull of bobby pins, ready to fashion her perfect bun.
At around 8 am, Nikki is already full of energy, and her and Neal wake up the rest of the team. Sometimes our wakeup call is a few gently spoken words, but if we are lucky, it is a sweet serenade, sometimes Neal's renditon of "Cotton Eyed Joe".
Breakfast soon follows, and I immediately pour myself a delicious cup of Kenyan coffee and pass it to Dorothy, my fellow addict. We have gained some self control since our days in Karati where we went a little loco after 7 cups, but we still enjoy it. The rest of the team files into the kitchen, bundled up in bedbug infested blankets we found in the attick of the church (no worries, we prayed against them and most of us are itch free at long last). After a delicious meal of kenyan pancakes, mandazi, or toast, we go back to our big tent to prepare for the day. I also usually get the pleasure of braiding Neal's rat tail, which is always a delight.
Ministry usually begins around 9 am. Tuesdays and Thursdays, we get to teach in the schools, where we often learn more than the children. We have learned that squirrels are animals of prey, Kenyan children LOVE to learn our amazing dance moves and American songs like "Party in the USA", and Americans are all fat and they want to know what we eat. On Wednesdays and Fridays, we get to work in the hospital. I LOVE to work in the Kitchen with Jane, an amazing Kenyan woman. At first I wanted to work with her to get out of cutting the raw meat (which Coltan looooves), but I have come to look forward to working with the spunky lady and to bring patients their tea, porridge, and lunch. When I'm not in the kitchen, we go around encouraging, praying for, and talking with patients. I love to go to the pediatric ward with Breanne, who has a special love for the children. On Saturdays, we go to the IDP camp where we share testimonies, give a biblical challenge, woship together, and then hand out food. After we hand out food, we visit the homes of the people there and encourage and pray with them.
After ministry, we often head straight for Dorothy's Place, a tiny little grocery store where I love to buy apple berry juice. Emily C goes straight for the Coke Lite and Ashlee and I head over to Mama Chico's for a 25 cent samosa (a fried meat thing in bread....so yummy). After climbing the hill back to our "home", Paulina usually heads for the kitchen, refusing to tell us what she is making with Margaret or Vicki, and the rest of us wait "patiently" for dinner while we joke around with eachother and appreciate Allegra's antics--I love that girl!!
During dinner, we talk about how good God is, the way He moved during ministry, and enjoy eachother while eating delicious Kenyan food. Sometimes after dinner, I give Kirsten and Kristin a haircut, we play games like 9 holes of golf, whist, we read our bibles and journal, pluck our eyebrows (which is especially fun when Neal joins in), choreograph dances, play telepictionary, or the vegetable game (which is more fun than it sounds). Some of us enjoy and ice cold shower or just talk and laugh A LOT.
At about 9 pm we have "family time" where we worship together, challenge each other to be more like Christ, get awesome teachings, and spend time together in the Word and in Prayer.
Then it is time to fall fast asleep in our two little lines of sleeping pads and sleeping bags, snuggled up, sometimes singing obnoxious Rhianna or Kelly Clarkston songs, sometimes reading, sometimes laughing uncontrollably...but we are all thankful for another beautiful, wonderful blessed day from the Lord in Kenya, our beloved home <3
Friday, December 16, 2011
Moving Where We Move (From 11/14/2011)
Since arriving in Kenya a few months ago, we have done a lot of moving. Our surroundings are constantly changing and there has been very little constancy. BUT...it has been so good in so many ways.
I left my house 3 days before I had to leave for training camp and stayed in River Falls, WI with some of my best friends. Then, I flew to Atlanta, GA. The first night we stayed in a homeless shelter and then moved to the training camp in Gainesville, GA for 3 days. Finally, we arrived in Kenya after a stop in Amsterdam. We stayed in Kijabe for one night, where all 11 of the girls on my team stayed in one 6 person tent and got to know each other very well.
The second day we were in Kenya, we piled into a matatu to drive down the bumpy remote roads to the Tangitatu tribe where we stayed in tents under the beautiful African sky surrounded by mud huts, mountaints, and donkeys, sheep, and goats. After 2 weeks there, we moved back to Kijabe for 2 days where we stayed in 3 tents in the church's youth center and had some days of rest. Then, lickety split, we moved to Karati, Kenya where we stayed in tents inside a church surrounded by chameleons, beautiful acacia trees, muddy roads, and singing pastors. After two weeks there, we moved baaaack to Kijabe for a few days of rest in our beloved tents and then it was off to Pokot, deep in the bush. In Pokot, we stayed in an old missionary's house, but once again, stayed in our tents to ward off the bugs crawling all over the house (I have come to love and cherish my sleeping pad and sleeping bag and actually find it incredibly comfortable:) After two weeks in Pokot, it was back to beloved Kijabe where we once again moved into our big tents for a few days and then took off for Uganda, where we stayed in very damp tents on the banks of the Nile River. Now, we are finally in Kijabe for good, but have still been moving from tents in the youth center to tiny rooms upstairs in the youth center to our contacts house (where I slept in a BED for 2 nights!!!!!!!) and now fiiiiinally back to one big tent in the youth center in Kijabe.
Things have changed so much in our short time here in Kenya. But, everywhere we go, God is CONSTANT. He never changes and He never will. When everything around me is new and foreign and confusing and hard to look at, God is the same. He is familiar. He is faithful. He is beautiful. He shows Himself to me in each new place. He comforts me when I am having a hard time with a new village or country and shows me His love for the people there and asks me to love them as He does. Although we have been in each place for such a short time, the Lord has used that time in such powerful ways. We have not gone the places we have by accident. The Lord has had a purpose in all of it and has been moving everywhere we have moved.
This give me so much HOPE and EXCITEMENT for my future. I still dont really know what I will exactly be doing when I get back home (although the Lord is revealing that to me more and more which is exciting :) What I do know is this: Where I move, the Lord moves also. He will never abandon me. My circumstances and address to not determine how good God is and do not change how faithful, loving, and just He is. <3
I left my house 3 days before I had to leave for training camp and stayed in River Falls, WI with some of my best friends. Then, I flew to Atlanta, GA. The first night we stayed in a homeless shelter and then moved to the training camp in Gainesville, GA for 3 days. Finally, we arrived in Kenya after a stop in Amsterdam. We stayed in Kijabe for one night, where all 11 of the girls on my team stayed in one 6 person tent and got to know each other very well.
The second day we were in Kenya, we piled into a matatu to drive down the bumpy remote roads to the Tangitatu tribe where we stayed in tents under the beautiful African sky surrounded by mud huts, mountaints, and donkeys, sheep, and goats. After 2 weeks there, we moved back to Kijabe for 2 days where we stayed in 3 tents in the church's youth center and had some days of rest. Then, lickety split, we moved to Karati, Kenya where we stayed in tents inside a church surrounded by chameleons, beautiful acacia trees, muddy roads, and singing pastors. After two weeks there, we moved baaaack to Kijabe for a few days of rest in our beloved tents and then it was off to Pokot, deep in the bush. In Pokot, we stayed in an old missionary's house, but once again, stayed in our tents to ward off the bugs crawling all over the house (I have come to love and cherish my sleeping pad and sleeping bag and actually find it incredibly comfortable:) After two weeks in Pokot, it was back to beloved Kijabe where we once again moved into our big tents for a few days and then took off for Uganda, where we stayed in very damp tents on the banks of the Nile River. Now, we are finally in Kijabe for good, but have still been moving from tents in the youth center to tiny rooms upstairs in the youth center to our contacts house (where I slept in a BED for 2 nights!!!!!!!) and now fiiiiinally back to one big tent in the youth center in Kijabe.
Things have changed so much in our short time here in Kenya. But, everywhere we go, God is CONSTANT. He never changes and He never will. When everything around me is new and foreign and confusing and hard to look at, God is the same. He is familiar. He is faithful. He is beautiful. He shows Himself to me in each new place. He comforts me when I am having a hard time with a new village or country and shows me His love for the people there and asks me to love them as He does. Although we have been in each place for such a short time, the Lord has used that time in such powerful ways. We have not gone the places we have by accident. The Lord has had a purpose in all of it and has been moving everywhere we have moved.
This give me so much HOPE and EXCITEMENT for my future. I still dont really know what I will exactly be doing when I get back home (although the Lord is revealing that to me more and more which is exciting :) What I do know is this: Where I move, the Lord moves also. He will never abandon me. My circumstances and address to not determine how good God is and do not change how faithful, loving, and just He is. <3
Beauty For Ashes (from 10/28/2011)
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because the Lord has annointed me to proclaim good news to the poor, He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives...to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead or mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." Isaiah 61:1,3a
Pokot was a breathtakingly beautiful tribe filled with red dirt, thorny trees, mountains, rivers, adorable camels, exotic bugs, and beautiful people. Our ministry centered on teaching at Amaya Primary School where I taught class 6 CRE (Christian Religious Education) and the occasional dance and American song class :) We also did door to door ministry.
Door to door evangelism at this tribe was incredible. First of all, the Pokot live in an incredibly remote part of Kenya, deep in the bush that took us almost 12 hours to get to from Kijabe. When we went out to evangelize, I was able to share the gospel with people who had never heard of Jesus before. At the end of our time in Pokot, over 50 people had given their lives to Christ, the church was strengthened, and I left changed forever. One ladies story stood out to me:
A few teammates and I stopped by a small hut in the bush and our translator called out an old lady. She was beautiful, tiny with sparkling blue eyes that couldn't see. She was blind. As I greeted her with the Pokot hello, "karam", she lit up with a smile. She had heard of Jesus before but had never quite understood of accepted His love for her. That day, she prayed to receive Christ. Her eyes sparkeled even more with her newfound realization of Christ's boundless love for her and thankfulness for her salvation.
She went on to tell us that she was ashamed to go to church because she was dirty and didn't have soap or a nice dress to wear to church. We went on to tell her all about how God accepted her just as she was and that she didn't have to impress Him, just to come as she was. But, the Lord broke my heart for her and I knew I had to do something for her. So, the next day, my teammates Dorothy, Coloton and I went to the market and bought her a dress. We went back to her hut and gave her the dress along with my soap.
The next sunday at church, the old blind lady arrived at church, sparkling clean, dressed in her new teal dress praising her Lord and Savior. It was such a beautiful thing to see and brought tears to my eyes. The Lord had given her a garment of praise-He had taken her out of the ashes and had made her even more beautiful...not because she was clean and had a new dress, but because her life was changed forever by the Love and hope she had in her heavenly Father and she was made new in Him.
After the service, my teammate Dorothy and I went up to her and told her she was beautiful. She completely lit up, beaming and threw her hands up and cupped her wrinkled face, holding her cheecks with an expression reminiscent of a a timid little girl dressed up like a princess. She embodied the verse, "Let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious." 1 Peter 3:4. Although she was dressed in new clothes and was clean, the most beautiful part of her was her new heart; her gentleness and humbleness were inspiring.
It was so incredible to be used by God to share with her the freedom in Christ and the life transformation that comes with it and to "be Jesus" to her. Our time in Pokot was amazing and I will miss it <3
Pokot was a breathtakingly beautiful tribe filled with red dirt, thorny trees, mountains, rivers, adorable camels, exotic bugs, and beautiful people. Our ministry centered on teaching at Amaya Primary School where I taught class 6 CRE (Christian Religious Education) and the occasional dance and American song class :) We also did door to door ministry.
Door to door evangelism at this tribe was incredible. First of all, the Pokot live in an incredibly remote part of Kenya, deep in the bush that took us almost 12 hours to get to from Kijabe. When we went out to evangelize, I was able to share the gospel with people who had never heard of Jesus before. At the end of our time in Pokot, over 50 people had given their lives to Christ, the church was strengthened, and I left changed forever. One ladies story stood out to me:
A few teammates and I stopped by a small hut in the bush and our translator called out an old lady. She was beautiful, tiny with sparkling blue eyes that couldn't see. She was blind. As I greeted her with the Pokot hello, "karam", she lit up with a smile. She had heard of Jesus before but had never quite understood of accepted His love for her. That day, she prayed to receive Christ. Her eyes sparkeled even more with her newfound realization of Christ's boundless love for her and thankfulness for her salvation.
She went on to tell us that she was ashamed to go to church because she was dirty and didn't have soap or a nice dress to wear to church. We went on to tell her all about how God accepted her just as she was and that she didn't have to impress Him, just to come as she was. But, the Lord broke my heart for her and I knew I had to do something for her. So, the next day, my teammates Dorothy, Coloton and I went to the market and bought her a dress. We went back to her hut and gave her the dress along with my soap.
The next sunday at church, the old blind lady arrived at church, sparkling clean, dressed in her new teal dress praising her Lord and Savior. It was such a beautiful thing to see and brought tears to my eyes. The Lord had given her a garment of praise-He had taken her out of the ashes and had made her even more beautiful...not because she was clean and had a new dress, but because her life was changed forever by the Love and hope she had in her heavenly Father and she was made new in Him.
After the service, my teammate Dorothy and I went up to her and told her she was beautiful. She completely lit up, beaming and threw her hands up and cupped her wrinkled face, holding her cheecks with an expression reminiscent of a a timid little girl dressed up like a princess. She embodied the verse, "Let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious." 1 Peter 3:4. Although she was dressed in new clothes and was clean, the most beautiful part of her was her new heart; her gentleness and humbleness were inspiring.
It was so incredible to be used by God to share with her the freedom in Christ and the life transformation that comes with it and to "be Jesus" to her. Our time in Pokot was amazing and I will miss it <3
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Listening
Hello :) We spent our last two weeks in the incredibly green and lush city of Karati with the Kikuyu tribe. It rained (POURED) each day we were there. These two weeks were totally different than the ones we spent with the Masaii in Tangitatu, but they were wonderful. We spent each day going door to door in the village to encourage believers, share the gospel with non believers,and to pray for the sick. I saw many come to Christ and realize the hope, joy, life, and restoration that come from a relationship with Him. I also had an amazing opportunity to work with a little girl named Elizabeth. Elizabeth was 10 years old and her parents told me she was "sick", but it became apparent right away that she had pretty severe autism. I was able to use my background in speech language pathology to explain to her mother why she acted the way she did and to teach her new techniques that would help her to communicate and to have relationships with those around her. It was really cool to be able to use my college degree for the glory of God!
Last week, I was able to pray over a boy who was deaf. He was 22 years old and had never heard a sound. While I was praying for Him, God gave me a vision of trumpets blowing into his ears. The mouthpiece of the trumpets said "The voice of God." I knew that even though this boy couldn't hear the people around him, he could hear clearly from the Lord.
Hearing from the Lord and listening have been two things that I have been learning about these past two weeks. "Listen to me in silence, O coastlands; Let the people renew their strength. Let them approach, then let them speak" Isaiah 41:1.
So often in my walk with the Lord, I had struggled with hearing from the Lord and knowing whether or not what I did hear was from Him. But then I realized how little time I spent actually intentionally listening for His voice. It has been to good to be able to spend that time listening and to hear from Him in new and exciting ways!
God is good, life is good :)
Last week, I was able to pray over a boy who was deaf. He was 22 years old and had never heard a sound. While I was praying for Him, God gave me a vision of trumpets blowing into his ears. The mouthpiece of the trumpets said "The voice of God." I knew that even though this boy couldn't hear the people around him, he could hear clearly from the Lord.
Hearing from the Lord and listening have been two things that I have been learning about these past two weeks. "Listen to me in silence, O coastlands; Let the people renew their strength. Let them approach, then let them speak" Isaiah 41:1.
So often in my walk with the Lord, I had struggled with hearing from the Lord and knowing whether or not what I did hear was from Him. But then I realized how little time I spent actually intentionally listening for His voice. It has been to good to be able to spend that time listening and to hear from Him in new and exciting ways!
God is good, life is good :)
Blessings in the Airport (from 9/7)
I am writing this blog from the Atlanta airport, which has seemed to be my home for the past two days. Yesterday, my whole team and I were supposed to fly out of Atlanta to Amsterdam at 5:30 pm. I was so excited to finally get to leave for Kenya and to begin ministry there. After spending the entire day at the airport ( a wonderful day, full of conversation, laughter, and anticipation), we arrived at the gate, brimming with excitement. It was there that we found out that the airline had overbooked the flight, and 7 out of the 14 people on our team didn't have a seat on the plane, and I was one of them. I was so disappointed, but I knew that God could provide a miracle and get all of us on the plane. As we waited, seats kept opening up. By the time the plane left, 5 more of our team were able to board the plane and leave for Kenya. My teammate Allegra and I were the ones who didn't get on the plane, and my leader Nikki (bless her heart :)stayed back with us. I am not going to lie...I was crushed. I had been waiting for this moment for so long. Although we are only a day behind the rest of our team, it was so hard to be the ones left behind waiting, wishing we could all be together experiencing the travel adventure.
BUT....God is SO GOOD. Before I had left for this 4 month long adventure, I had so much anxiety. I had struggled with trusting the Lord in everything. Most of this anxiety spouted from the fact that I had just graduated college. I had just boughten a car. I had a mountain of student loans, car payments, phone bills, insurance..etc etc etc.... I questioned whether or not I could commit to leaving and not working so long because I was so worried about money. I brought it to the Lord and prayed that He would provide for my every need, knowing full well that He could and that He would. I knew that this was right where he wanted me and that when I was in the cross-hairs of His will, everything would be alright and provided for. I just didnt know how...yet.
Well...as it turns out, when Delta overbooks a flight, and you involunarily have to stay behind, they compensate you. In fact, they compensate you quiiiiiite well. Delta airlines straight up wrote me a check for a rather large sum of money. This was a COMPLETELY unexpected blessing straight from the Lord. What an incredible, creative answer to prayer. God answers prayers in His timing. I had been praying that God would allow us to be on that flight. He didn't answer that prayer in the way that I wanted, but He answered a different prayer. I am just so blown away by God's faithfulness, creativity, and sense of humor. What an unexpected blessing in the midst of unfortunate circumstances!!
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.-Philippians 4:6
BUT....God is SO GOOD. Before I had left for this 4 month long adventure, I had so much anxiety. I had struggled with trusting the Lord in everything. Most of this anxiety spouted from the fact that I had just graduated college. I had just boughten a car. I had a mountain of student loans, car payments, phone bills, insurance..etc etc etc.... I questioned whether or not I could commit to leaving and not working so long because I was so worried about money. I brought it to the Lord and prayed that He would provide for my every need, knowing full well that He could and that He would. I knew that this was right where he wanted me and that when I was in the cross-hairs of His will, everything would be alright and provided for. I just didnt know how...yet.
Well...as it turns out, when Delta overbooks a flight, and you involunarily have to stay behind, they compensate you. In fact, they compensate you quiiiiiite well. Delta airlines straight up wrote me a check for a rather large sum of money. This was a COMPLETELY unexpected blessing straight from the Lord. What an incredible, creative answer to prayer. God answers prayers in His timing. I had been praying that God would allow us to be on that flight. He didn't answer that prayer in the way that I wanted, but He answered a different prayer. I am just so blown away by God's faithfulness, creativity, and sense of humor. What an unexpected blessing in the midst of unfortunate circumstances!!
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.-Philippians 4:6
Can You Hear the Prayers of the Children? (from 9/23)
The first night we arrived in Tangitatu to live with the tribe for 2 weeks, I cradled a child named Ellen in my arms and sang her my moms lullaby "Like a Ship in the Harbor". I felt overwhelmed with love from the Lord and wanted to show it to this little girl. I could almost her her prayer for love, attention, and comfort.
The third day of ministry, I prayed over a little girl named Tiotoni, who was 5 years old but could not hear or speak. She was so precious, so beautiful, so full of life. I could almost hear her prayer for healing, for a voice, for freedom from this affliction. Later, the Lord gave me a vision twice that her mother was dancing and praising the Lord, for her daughter had been healed. I know that Tiotoni will be able to hear and speak so soon :)
Last week, we attended a wedding of a 42 year old man and a 16 year old girl. Women here are still affected by arranged marriages and female genital mutilation. Those girls are robbed of so much at such a young age. The girl looked so sad, desperate for a way out. I could almost hear her prayer for rescue and freedom.
I made a wonderful friend named Alice in the tribe. She is 22 like me and is so beautiful and full of love and joy from the Lord. She encouraged me so much in my faith, and the Lord used me to speak truth into her life. Her friendship was one of my best memories from the Tangitatu tribe. She has a baby named Patrice. Patrice is malnourished and as a result, her hair falls out and she is sick often. I heard Alice's prayers for healing, wholeness, and nourishment.
It is so beautiful to see the childrens joy and excitement while we are here. It is beautiful to be able to be Jesus" hands and feet and to love the children and hold them in my arms. But, it is so difficult to leave knowing there is so much work yet to do. There is so much more restoration that needs to happen, so much more freedom and life that needs to be spoken over the people and children of Tangitatu. The pastors of the tribe have such an increidble ministry. Only the love of Christ and the freedom and hope that come from a relationship with Him will answer those children prayers.
I will continue to pray for workers to be sent there. I will continue to pray for the children to be filled, to see freedom, to be nourished, for wholeness, for rescue. And I ask you to pray, too :) Hear the prayers of the children.
The third day of ministry, I prayed over a little girl named Tiotoni, who was 5 years old but could not hear or speak. She was so precious, so beautiful, so full of life. I could almost hear her prayer for healing, for a voice, for freedom from this affliction. Later, the Lord gave me a vision twice that her mother was dancing and praising the Lord, for her daughter had been healed. I know that Tiotoni will be able to hear and speak so soon :)
Last week, we attended a wedding of a 42 year old man and a 16 year old girl. Women here are still affected by arranged marriages and female genital mutilation. Those girls are robbed of so much at such a young age. The girl looked so sad, desperate for a way out. I could almost hear her prayer for rescue and freedom.
I made a wonderful friend named Alice in the tribe. She is 22 like me and is so beautiful and full of love and joy from the Lord. She encouraged me so much in my faith, and the Lord used me to speak truth into her life. Her friendship was one of my best memories from the Tangitatu tribe. She has a baby named Patrice. Patrice is malnourished and as a result, her hair falls out and she is sick often. I heard Alice's prayers for healing, wholeness, and nourishment.
It is so beautiful to see the childrens joy and excitement while we are here. It is beautiful to be able to be Jesus" hands and feet and to love the children and hold them in my arms. But, it is so difficult to leave knowing there is so much work yet to do. There is so much more restoration that needs to happen, so much more freedom and life that needs to be spoken over the people and children of Tangitatu. The pastors of the tribe have such an increidble ministry. Only the love of Christ and the freedom and hope that come from a relationship with Him will answer those children prayers.
I will continue to pray for workers to be sent there. I will continue to pray for the children to be filled, to see freedom, to be nourished, for wholeness, for rescue. And I ask you to pray, too :) Hear the prayers of the children.
Jina Langu Ni Nashipae {My name is Joyful} from 9/23/11
Jombo from the Tangitatu tribe outside of Naivasha, Kenya! Summing up these past 2 weeks is nearly impossible, so I will give you a small glimpse into our time here and what the Lord has been doing in and through me.
We saw so much fruit in Tangitatu. Each day, we did door to door ministry and met with people in their homes. They would greet us with love, excitement, chai tea, and maize. I personally saw over 8 people come to Christ and realize the hope and joy that comes with a relationship with him. I have seen questioning hearts be filled with hope and assurance, and I sang lullibies to children in my arms.
As I saw one young man come to Christ, his mother cried with tears of joy, so happy that her fervant prayers had been answered. As her tears ran down her face at the top of a hill overlooking the gorgeous landscape of acacia trees and the bright blue sky peppered with clouds, I marveled at the life changing gift of salvation and how blessed I am to be a part of Gods work in this tribe.
I loved out time with the Tangitatu. I loved the breathtaking beauty of the place, the smiles on the peoples faces, the shrieks of excitement of the children, the early morning symphony of donkeys, wild dogs, crazy birds, and cows-but let me be real with you...it hasn't been easy. Only showering every 6 days with a bucket half full of water, walking 5-9 miles each day and having more blisters than toes on my feet, being hot during the day and freezing during the night....but it has been so worth it. The Lord gave me such joy and happiness to be in that place.
We were waking around one day when we came upon 5 Masaii shepherds of the tribe who decided to baptize my 5 teammates and I with Masaii names. They gave me the name Nashipae which means Being Joyful to all Peoples. It meant so much to me! God has definately been teaching me about not only being content in all circumstances, but to be joyful and to be overflowing with His love in all circumstances.
I will miss the Tangitatu so much, but I will remember their joy and how it changed me forever.
We saw so much fruit in Tangitatu. Each day, we did door to door ministry and met with people in their homes. They would greet us with love, excitement, chai tea, and maize. I personally saw over 8 people come to Christ and realize the hope and joy that comes with a relationship with him. I have seen questioning hearts be filled with hope and assurance, and I sang lullibies to children in my arms.
As I saw one young man come to Christ, his mother cried with tears of joy, so happy that her fervant prayers had been answered. As her tears ran down her face at the top of a hill overlooking the gorgeous landscape of acacia trees and the bright blue sky peppered with clouds, I marveled at the life changing gift of salvation and how blessed I am to be a part of Gods work in this tribe.
I loved out time with the Tangitatu. I loved the breathtaking beauty of the place, the smiles on the peoples faces, the shrieks of excitement of the children, the early morning symphony of donkeys, wild dogs, crazy birds, and cows-but let me be real with you...it hasn't been easy. Only showering every 6 days with a bucket half full of water, walking 5-9 miles each day and having more blisters than toes on my feet, being hot during the day and freezing during the night....but it has been so worth it. The Lord gave me such joy and happiness to be in that place.
We were waking around one day when we came upon 5 Masaii shepherds of the tribe who decided to baptize my 5 teammates and I with Masaii names. They gave me the name Nashipae which means Being Joyful to all Peoples. It meant so much to me! God has definately been teaching me about not only being content in all circumstances, but to be joyful and to be overflowing with His love in all circumstances.
I will miss the Tangitatu so much, but I will remember their joy and how it changed me forever.
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