I find myself in the middle of transition back home and preparing to leave for Kenya again at the same time. The last 8 months on the novas project God called me out and asked me to trust him in many different areas of my life and in the process He touched my life and transformed me and I will be forever changed by the experience. While in Kenya on novas I did a girl talk with three other girls on my team at a local primary school and it was one of the most challenging but rewarding ministries I was a part of. It was during this time that God began to open up my heart to the desire of pouring into youth and speaking His life into them. I began praying about it and He placed it on my heart to lead an ambassadors trip with AIM this summer. I am so excited to have the opportunity to show them what God has shown me about being in relationship with Him and about His amazing GRACE! I will be co-leading a team of 15 amazing high schoolers to Kenya from June 16th to July 16th this summer. I feel so blessed to be able to walk along side these youth and see them challenged and transformed by God; I can't wait to see how he uses them and how he uses me to pour into their lives. He is a God of many amazing things and I know he has incredible things in-store for our ambassador team this summer. I am needing to raise support of approximately $3000 for the trip and it is a bit of a daunting thought after just getting off the novas project but this is another thing God is calling me to trust him with, so I am asking for your help; please pray and ask God if he would have you support me on this trip. I believe God has called me to this trip and I am believing that he is going to provide for it too. If you are wanting to support me you can do so by clicking on the 'support me!' button to the left of this screen and following the proceeding steps (the support will be transferred from my novas account to my ambassadors account by AIM). Thank you so much for your support and for being a part of my ministry. Please continue to pray for me and my co-leaders Sean and Esther and our team as we get ready to embark on a wonderful adventure with the Lord.
I don't really know what to say. My mind is swirling, trying to grasp the fact that I have 3 more days left in Africa. It's so bitter sweet thinking forward to being able to see family and friends for the first time in so long but leaving behind people I have grown really attached to, not to mention my amazing team! I can't think what it's going to be like without conspiring with my roommates Alison and KC late at night to go jump on the other half of our team in their room, having 10 faces to wake up to in the morning, having numerous volunteers to always play nerts (some of us may be a little addicted!), calling everyone together to speak courage and destiny into eachothers lives and living in a community that has grown so much together. I have been so blessed by my team, it's hard to think I have to say good-bye in a couple of days.
Things are starting to wrap up as we do our final load of laundry, getting ready to pack our bags and as we begin to say good-byes. We will be leaving for Jinja on Sunday afternoon after church where we will be spending the night at Adrift (where we went rafting) so we can do our final souvenir shopping before we leave for the airport in Entebbe on Monday. We will be meeting up with the South Africa and Swaziland teams in Dubai and then carry on together to Houston for 4 days of debrief and then it's home-ward-bound.
I want to take this opportunity to thank all my supporters, I could not have done this without you! I wish that wasn't so cliche sounding and that I could truly express to you how thankful I am. God has changed me on this trip, more than the 'camp syndrome' I have experienced before. He has brought me to a new place with him and you have been a huge part of that, so THANK YOU!!! I also want to thank all my faithful blog readers! It has been so encouraging to read your comments and to know so many people back home are praying for us constantly. (Sheridan, thank you so much for your constant support in comments and prayers, it has really blown our team away knowing that you read and comment on ALL of our blogs, it has been a real blessing, thank you!)
Please keep my team in your prayers as we begin packing and saying good-bye and get ready for a very big transition and for health as well as we prepare for some long travel days!
Thank you so much! Really really thank you to everyone for all the amazing support, you have blessed me so much!
This is a blog Kathleen has been working on for awhile and posted this week...enjoy.
You might be a missionary in East Africa if...
You are a celebrity simply because you are white.
You don't get picky about the pronunciation of your name anymore...as long as it is in the same ballpark, that's good enough!
You respond to Mzungu just as if it was your name.
"Mzungu-how-are-you-I'm-fine" is one word and often the only English the speaker knows
"Yes, I'm fine" is a normal response to hello.
Rather than saying hello, people say, "Yes, I am wanting you to greet me." Hello to you too.
You put your life into the hands of a piki-piki driver... and pray that you live.
Worms, malaria, amoebas, and typhoid are as common as a cold while chicken pox is a deadly disease.
Hot tea is good in any weather.
You consider yourself clean after bathing in lake water.
Walking 2km to the doctor while sick is normal and expected.
Rats and roaches no longer faze you.
You no longer get excited when you see monkeys...in fact, they can be rather obnoxious.
You are asked to be in the weddings (and funerals) of people you've never met before.
20+ people fit "comfortably" into a matatu (taxi)
You happily ride on top of the land rover when there isn't room inside.
Deadly diseases and bodily functions are considered appropriate and normal conversation.
You know the price you are asked to pay is way too high due to the "skin tax."
You are asked daily if you know Obama, are related to him, take family vacations with him... they REALLY love our president over here.
While browsing through the local super market, you come across Obama gum, obama lollipops, obama bags, obama buttons... are we in Africa or America?
Peeing in a bush is the safest decision you've made all day...way more sanitary than the squatty potty that has 30+ cockroaches lurking.
Guarded escort at night is necessary to avoid hippo attacks.
You shave your legs in a bucket on the porch ...that is if you shave at all.
Two showers/hair washings a week seem a bit excessive. They are also usually in a bucket, not an actual shower.
A toilet you can poop in (and don't have to squat over) is a luxury.
A mosquito net protects you from anything and everything...it is your safety bubble.
Electricity is a luxury, one you forget that is even available after not having it for so long.
A traffic jam consists of a herd of cows blocking the road.
Some of the most gorgeous children you've ever seen run up and greet you everyday.
Seeing clean, stinkless squatty is pretty close to a miracle.
Getting peed on by a baby is a weekly experience, you just change clothes and move on.
You get out of the shower and an hour later you still have dirt/grime everywhere.
Everyone you see, young or old, greets you with a smile and a wave. I will miss that in America.
Children fight to be the one to get to hold your hand or sit in your lap.
Everything you touch breaks... bikes, cars, toilets... maybe its us.
You begin interjecting "Amen," "Praise God," or "Hallelujah" into regular conversation as a confirmation to what someone says rather than a simple, "yes.". And when you DO say amen, someone follows you up with "Hallelujah" or "Praise God."
It is considered freezing cold parka and boots weather when the temperature drops to 70.
As soon as it starts raining, there isn't an African to be found outside. They fear the rain.
You eat rice, beans and cabbage for nearly every meal and never complain...too much.
Instead of butter, you use Blue Band or rich in Vitamin A spread as we like to call it. Nothing like butter, but as close as you get.
Women having their knees show is super scandalous. As our dear friend Jared says, "Your thighs are for you, your husband and God, that's ALL!"
The clothes you wear don't really match at all, but since they are the only clean clothes you have, you wear them without shame.
You begin adding extra syllables to your words such as Wellacome, Hellahthy, clothesas, etc.
You use buckets of water to flush your no-longer functioning toilet... which is every toilet you come in contact with.
Slaughtering a goat leads to marriage proposals and dowries sent by strange African/Indian men. Just say NO!
Mosquito bites and acne are mistaken for sun burn. Then when you really are sunburned, they don't believe that is what you have, it must be a rash. Africans really haven't grasped the concept of a sun burn quite yet.
Children and the occasional adult will attempt to wipe away or scratch off your freckles and moles, assuming it is dirt. Nope, that stays there, thanks.
You meet people who have literally never seen a white person before, you're the first. It's especially bad with babies who look at you in terror and start screaming and crying. Yep, that's good for my self-esteem.
You get way too excited when you see other white people. You may even shout Mzungu to them and wave, just like the African children do to you... oh dear.
Children stroke/play with/pull on your body hair. The older ones fear it.... That doesn't bode well for my "No shave Novas"...7 months and counting! (also another thing I would never do in America...)
You know how to say hello, please, thank you and sorry in about five different African languages
And for a special treat, You know You're a Missionary in Africa with...
Tara when you are prepared for any and every situation, especially having toilet paper for sudden squatty needs. That is Tara in a nutshell...and if you're ever the one in the nutshell, she will have a way to get you out!!
Brittany when anything that is said to her may be persecution. I'm not saying she is persecuted a lot, but I'm not saying she isn't either...
Alison when "Chill out girl" is the response you get to anything you say or do. That or "Hey don't freak out."
KC when scandalous shorts make a daily appearance... watch those knees!!
Nadia when EVERYTHING is like death. Really? Everything? It hurts her soul.
Kathleen when she uses her mefloquine as an excuse for her "irritability." One of the many lovely side effects of malaria meds.
We had an early start to a friday morning on outreach as the team headed off to hike up a mountain. KC and I the typhoid twins at the time decided to go with Paul and a few others to distribute mozquito nets in a near by village instead. Ten minutes into the ride we heard a loud bang which Kyle explained later that he thought it was a gun shot, followed by loud clanking. Something had happened to the land rover. We waited int eh car in the middle of the road watching herds of cows and moter bikes dodge us, while Paul caught a piki back to town in search for a mechanic.
Before the truck was patched up enough to drive we were able to eat all the popcorn intended for snack, hike down a dirt road which seemed alot longer than it probably was in my exhausted state adn drink 1/2 L of soda all before 9am.
We managed to distribute the nets and get back to Homa Bay without any more hiccups.
We arrived back and headed straight out for lunch at an indian man's house who some of the team had met earlier int he week. On our way a man called us over and when we didn't come he threatened to beat us with fises. We crossed the road quickly not quite sure what he had said. I thought he had threatened to beat us with feces but apparently he said fishes.
We arrived for lunch and were greeted by an elderly indian mama who welcomed us with a hug and a pat on the cheek and then out of nowhere 'pow' she slapped me, in shock with what just happened I stood in awe as she took on her next victum, the innocent cheek pat as she smiled and then finished off with a harsh slap to the cheek.
We sat outside as we waited for lunch and as I looked up I noticed two goat leg stubs hanging fomr the tree opposite me and below them the head; apparently we were having goat for lunch. As I sat trying to avoud mama and looking at the severed head on the ground I started to rebraid one of the two french braids I was wearing; when mama came and took over, when she was finished I had two unusually placed braids that she fashioned into a loop to on half of my head to accompany my french braid on the other. The rest of lunch was interesting, I was slapped a couple more times as she stood and watched me eat and said I didn't have enough food so snatched my plate form my lap and added tons more. Peopel started scoffing down the food so they could get rid of their plates before she added more, some cleverly stood up as she approached them and pretended to add more food themselves, others like me weren't so fortunate and were made to eat 3 or 4 times more than they wanted.
Kyle, Jess and I were able to sneak away early to find the clinic as Jess wasn't feeling well. After a little confusion we found the clinic but no doctor. We went to the bar next door and were told that he was at a sports event at the hight school. Now we had to decide, do we go on a wild goose chase to find a doctor that only I knew what he looked like or do we brave the lines at the public hospital. 100% sure that I would recognize the doctor we decided to chance the school. We gound the school and as we entered the gate I asked God to help me to find him as I ws feeling the pressure of being the only one who would recognize the doctor. We were directed to the field at the back of the school, where we were dismayed to find over 1000 people. How in the world were we going to find the doctor in this craziness? As I stood on the side of the field serveying the crowd and feeling hte emense impossibility of the situation, I could hear Jess telling Kyle that it was pointless and we should just go to the hospital. I turned to my left and suddenly I spotted him walking away from us off in the distance. I took off running as I yelled for Kyle to follow me. I ignored the laughs and comments as the mzungu ran down the field, I was too overtaken by amazement and relief that I found him. It was so God! It was a really cool moment, feeling so defeated and helpless and suddenly turning and God showing me him out of the entire crowd.
We went back to the clinic and Jess was tested and discovered she had typhoid, so we went back to the house and took it easy after our crazy day in africa.
Quick summary: thought we were being shot at, ate tonz of popcorn and drank 1/2 L of soda, then threatened to be beaen by feces, slapped around by an indian mama while looking at a goats legs and head and finding a doctor in a crowd of over 1000, then finding out a team member has typhoid with you!
(This blog was meant to be posted 2 weeks ago before we went on our vacation but due to the power going out on me while trying to post it and the generator not working, here it is now)
As our team packs up and prepares for our weeks vacation around Kenya we find ourselves packing up everything we have. As the base goes through many changes we are constantly looking toward god for directino for our ministry adn our team. After our week of Safari,
touring Nairobi and swimming in hte indian ocean at Mombasa we will be moving to Tororo Uganda.
We will be working with a wonderful ministry and church called True Vine, who we had the pleasure of spending a week with at the beginning of Janurary. We are all really excited to have the opportunity to spend more time working with True Vine and visiting Smile Africa (organization
that feeds and helps up to 450 orphans).
It is extremely hard having to say goodbye to peopel who I have lived with and worked along side for the last two and a half months. They are like family and have touched my heart in such a special way. I met people in Kenya who truely follow God in everything they do and have been true examples to me of what it means to love everyone friend or foe.
As this blog is two weeks late our team is already in Tororo at True Vine and being blessed by all the hospitality and amazing kindness of the people here.
We are all called to trust; to live abandoned to ourselves and walk blindly following Him into greater things than we could ever imagine.
Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted
by water, that sends out it's roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes, for it's leaves
remain green, and is not anxious in the year of
drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.
Jeremiah 17:7-8
I was thinking about this, this morning, what it means to trust God and for your trust to be God. I still can't fully grasp what it means for your trust to BE the Lord.
He is our dad and he calls us to bigger and better things. He calls us to live and be MORE. And it all starts with trust. Trusting him with everything is no easy concept; as man we are so used to people letting us down in everyday life it is hard to wrap our minds around the idea of putting our trust fully in someone and them not letting us down.
As I was thinking about it this morning, I came to the conclusion that sometimes it's easier to trust God on a grander scale than trust him with the details.
Before moving to Kenya, I found myself being challenged by God to trust him with my future and turn down a job offer I had for when I returned home. He is calling me to MORE. Although making the final decision to trust God was not easy, I know in my heart that he has something better for me. But it's trusting him with the details that seems harder.
I now find myself surrounded by teammates making plans for college and enrolling in classes and I sit unsure of what my future holds. I feel like a little bird that had the faith to jump out of the nest but as it falls it wonders where the ground is, if it's there and how it is going to land.
How do we have the faith to trust God to open the door wide for us but we struggle to believe that he will provide the steps down from the door for us?
It only makes sense that if God calls us from something he will provide something else and when he opens a door for us he will provide what is needed to not only enter the door but succeed in it too. It only makes sense yes! But there is a disconnect between our heads and our hearts that often stops us from truly believing it and living it out.
That's why a baby doesn't begin by running but by sitting and then crawling. God doesn't call us to jump off the mountain before we have trusted him enough to climb up it first. None of it is easy, but we learn from each step and he knows when we are ready to jump off the ledge, even when we don't think we are.
Jess posted this blog and I couldn't say it better myself, God is really showing me that it's all about me and him and the other things follow and come out of that. He is transforming me in ways I couldn't have at home and using this time to grow my dependence and trust in him.
This is the revelation that none of us wanted to admit in the first place - that Novas was never about ministry. It was never about Africa or Central America. It was never about works or good deeds, though God in His grace allowed us to do those things.
Novas - new way. A transformation. And it begins in our hearts and it never stops beginning. There will be no end, as long as we live and beyond.
This is the message, the journey, the road - that Jesus doesn't care about your deeds or your ministry. Do you want transformation? Do you want the new life? Walk in the new way of being loved in your brokenness. Jesus was always about people, about hearts...why would we think we are any different?
Ministry will come and go, but this is the core:
Be loved.
Be broken.
Be willing.
Be open.
Be filled.
Be poured out.
Be ready.
This process will kill you. Awake at your own funeral, giving the eulogy; you stand and testify that you're burying everything you thought integral to who you are. You testify that you believe in the resurrection, not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually; that what you are burying, the shards of the reflections of beauty, will be resurrected into something more. Something more.
"Beloved, the life I have for you is more than you can imagine. I have better things for you than death. But you have to walk this road with me, the same road that I walked before you were born, because the gift I have for you is righteousness. Abide in me, and I will abide in you."
The weeks that we are at SEEK, our base in Mbita, a couple of us girls have been going to a local schools called Mbita Primary for a girls talk. I never though I would find myself standing up infront of a class of 40 teens explaining how to use a pad and talking about sex but it has been so cool. Although it has been one of the hardest ministries I have done in Africa because I often feel helpless and extremely unqualified to answer these girls questions about abuse and such, but God is teaching me to go to Him for these girls. He has really put it on my heart to minister to these girls at Mbita Primary and to speak truth and life into them. Please pray for Jenessa, KC, Alison and me as we minister to them and try to build relationships with them; and for the girls that they will feel comfortable with us and continue to open up. I have been so encouraged because we have only been twice so far but the teacher in-charge has said that they are already more open with us than they are with her. It is totally God, he has something powerful for these girls and I am so excited to see what it is!
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