(Jono, Jackie, Kasey and Me)

(Me and Kasey riding a "boda boda" aka a motorcycle in Uganda!)

(My 3rd session Satima girls!)

(Me and Neil!)

(Adrian, Kaelyn, Cheryl and Me)

(Esther, me and Neve)

(Kenya and Kili group at the summit of Mt. Longonot)

(Kenya & Kili group caving in Mt. Suswa)

(Jono, Andrew and Me at the top of Mt. Longonot)

(Jono at the campsite at Mt. Suswa)

in denial... i just rafted in de Nile.

The last few weeks have been incredible...and incredibly busy! We have been all over the place. We spent a week in Maasai Land in Ngagatak, Kenya building a chicken house, a week in Western Kenya in Bungoma, planting trees and visiting churches, and 1/2 a week in Jinga, Uganda where we got to raft the mighty White Nile!

(Jackie Bungee Jumping over the Nile!)

Western Kenya:

The adventure continues: from driving down the dirt road filled with countless potholes at 75 MPH, to running out of gas on the side of the road, living with a random Kenyan family in a mud hut, drinking 3 too many orange Fantas because they are offered at every meal (breakfast, lunch and dinner haha)…I was extremely blessed this past week in Western. We stayed with a Kenyan woman named Mary Stella and her family. We arrived late at night. It was pitch black except for the twinkling stars overhead… and abruptly greeted with the strong embrace of Mary Stella’s HUGE hug. This was the kind of hug that best friends give after not seeing each other for years… you know, the ones where you rock back and forth over and over again. (This hug reminded me of when my cousin Kristee and I were younger. We would try to hide from our moms when it was time to go home after a holiday or meeting half way between Dallas and Ft. Worth at Crystal’s Pizza…we would never want to leave each other so we would just continue to hug and hug. Not letting go because we didn’t want to say good-bye.) Mary Stella was a hoot! We laughed together. And I cried tears of joy when we worshipped together. The family that I stayed with was simply a blessing and a gift. They were so hospitable, even though none of them spoke English.

Uganda:

Fourth of July- However not spent with red, white and blue fireworks lighting up the sky, eating watermelon, and singing the national anthem, the day was still really great! We spent the entire day on Kenyan public transportation (not the best) but still celebrated by singing "America the Beautiful" while crossing the border into Uganda. haha Maybe a tad bit obnoxious? But, we laughed the entire time.

Rafting the Nile was INTENSE. I was in a raft with Kasey Musgrave, Jackie Maldonado, Jonathan Knight, Bradyn Boone, and Tyler Fleet. Aka…The Dream Team! haha We had a blast.

The river is beautiful. Extremely wide. The water and its currents are mighty and strong. The rapids take you under, and you feel like you will never return up for air. We were thrown out of our raft 50% of the time... Nonetheless, it was still a blast! The bank of the Nile is completely green, scattered with splashes of yellow, red and purple flowers, monkeys roaming in the trees, and birds flying overhead creating a tranquil scene contrasting the pure intensity of the class 5 rapids that we were rafting down (or swimming through because our raft had flipped!)

I can’t imagine what it would have been like for Pharaoh and the nation of Egypt when God turned all water in the Nile to blood… What a mighty God we serve!

Tomorrow we head back to Lukenya for three weeks of camp. I am so excited and ready for camp to start again! Please be praying for our team- for stamina, joy and strength that comes from the Lord. That we could boldly and powerfully proclaim the name of Jesus, and rely on him for everything. Also pray that through these efforts children and their families would come to know the amazing grace and love of Jesus Christ.

Little Moments

Maasai boys hanging out after school

The past few weeks we have been on the go, and internet has been very scarce! So here is an update on the past few weeks...

June 18, 2011:

Session two of camp is finished, and now our team is moving on to a new project. During the next three weeks we will be traveling to different parts of Kenya to serve. Next week we will be working in Maasai Land with a missionary family to build a chicken house. After our time there, we will then proceed to go to Western Kenya and Uganda. In Western Kenya we will be serving with some of the church plants by building drains on buildings to catch rainwater so that people in this area can have access to clean drinking water. We will serve and love the kids at Rehema Children’s Orphanage and School, and build relationships with the people there.

(Me and Libon at Little Blue Sky)

God did some INCREDIBLE things this past week at Camp Blue Sky! There were many kids who accepted Jesus as their personal savior for the first time this past week. Praise God! I had the opportunity to work with the middle school age group again this week. I loved every minute of it, we had so much fun together, and laughed the entire week! Most of the girls in my cabin had never heard the Bible stories that we shared in devotionals—we told the stories of Adam and Eve, how God used Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace, Jonah and the big fish. We talked about how all these stories demonstrate how God has rescued his people, is rescuing us in our time of need, and how “he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14). All these stories point to Jesus and the cross, the ultimate story of rescue.

(Emmie, Amanda, Me, and Gabriella at Little Blue Sky)

In the story of the fiery furnace after the three men had come out of the fire (unharmed, and not even having a scent of smoke on them) King Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! …No other god can save in this way” (Daniel 3:28-29). I LOVE that! What a profound truth. No other god saves in the way Yahweh does! It was a joy to tell these girls that Jesus loves them so much that he came to earth in order that they may have eternal life with him. These stories and discussions led to some great questions from the girls in my cabin (which, of course, I didn’t know all the answers to)…But the Holy Spirit was so evident and working during those conversations. I’m thankful that he gives us everything we need in those moments, and equips us at just the right time! Like Paul wrote in Romans 8:27, “the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.”

(My sweet Satima campers from last summer: Soni, Emily, and Debbie)

Three of the girls in my cabin said that their experience at camp was powerful week. The Lord worked in their hearts by confirming his existence when they were unsure of what they believed, or if they even believed that God is real. The last night of camp we brought our sleeping bags outside and sat under the stars and talked for over an hour. They told me that they had no doubt in their mind that God was real, and that they believed in him. I pray that through this experience they would continue to seek God, and remember the things he did in their lives this past week. I’m so thankful that I have the opportunity to continue to love these girls, be friends with them, and build on these relationships made at camp throughout the year!! ☺

Yesterday afternoon we had our first long term team meeting to discuss the mission and vision for student ministry for the upcoming year. I’m pumped and so excited to see what God has in store. There are about 12 of us who are going to be serving in student ministry, and the harvest is plentiful. I’m amazed at the way the Lord has put this team together, and brought us all to this point. There are many exciting things happening with Brackenhurst Ministries. Blue Sky Adventures is in the process of building a rock climbing gym in Nairobi in an area called Diamond Plaza. The rock climbing gym will be a tool to build relationships, attract outsiders, and will be used for student ministries to have weekly meetings and youth events. Please be in prayer for this upcoming school year, that God would use our team in powerful and effective ways to spread the gospel and love of Christ to students in Nairobi.

(Crazy fun Meru girls at Camp Blue Sky Session 2)

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June 26, 2011

Maasai Land: Ngagataek, Kenya

Slow down a little, life here is full of simplicity and joy.

We had the opportunity to partner with the Cazier family who has lived in Kenya for the past 8 years working under Christian Missionary Fellowship International. Our goal this week was to build a chicken house. Traditionally, Maasai are pastoralists. They herd cows, goats, and sometimes sheep. Usually a cup of milk is a meal. They don’t usually eat meat except on special occasions, and traditionally they never eat chicken. But the chicken house will be a great way for the community to have a source of income and revenue, as well as build relationships.

Martha Moments:

We worked hard:

We mixed tons of concrete. Made mortar for the bricks to be placed. Painted the wood for the outside of the house. Nailed and created the tresses together for the roof of the house Collected rocks for the foundation. The house is not fully complete yet, but most of the labor is finished—all that is left is building the roof.

Mary Moments:

We played hard:

The center we were staying at in Ngagataek at Christian Community Church (CCC) was right next to a primary school. In the afternoons when we were finished working, we would walk over to the field to play soccer or basketball with the children. One afternoon, the head schoolmaster refereed a full two-hour soccer game for the girls. It was a blast to just run around and play together, to laugh, and to play a game unites our cultures. There was a bright white smile on every child’s face that afternoon.

Even though our main purpose and objective was to build a chicken house, it was a blessing to just be with these people, to build friendships with them, talk to them, hear stories about their lives, families, growing up in Kenya, and most importantly to simply share life together. “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our live as well, because you had become so dear to us.” 1 Thessalonians 1:8

We celebrated:

The last evening we were the honored guests, which made us feel so special. The Maasai are so hospitable and giving. We were invited to their boma (a community where 3-5 families live inside mud huts surrounded by a gate of cut down acacia tree braches). They roasted two goats for us. We got to see them slaughter and roast the meat. This in itself was a cultural experience…somewhat gross and yet interesting at the same time. We feasted on goat, chipote (Kenyan style tortillas), rice, stew—so yummy! They even had chai tea and cokes! What a wonderful treat.

(Killing of the goat)

We worshipped together:

Sunday morning I had the opportunity to go to Daniel Tuke’s church. Tuke is the pastor at CCC, he has been a Christian for about 10 years. During this time, he has planted about 6 churches…3 in Tanzania, and 3 in Kenya. I loved worshipping at his church. We sat underneath the shade of an acacia tree on wooden benches. Even though we were singing in different languages, I loved worshipping and seeing their hearts for the Lord. They were so full of joy—so content in his love.

This was a perfect reminder and example that this world is not our home. I can’t wait for the day when we reunite in heaven with my Maasai brothers and sisters and get to worship God together. What a happy day that will be!

At the Home of Mary and Martha:

“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to come help me!’
‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’” –Luke 10:38-42

This week we got the best of both worlds. Like Martha, we got to work hard, play hard, serve by building, painting, and constructing. However, we also learned from Mary’s example of resting at the feet of Jesus. We got a chance to rest, to find solitude, and to sit in God’s presence in the beauty of his creation. We got to worship with, pray with, and share life with the Maasai who, while very different from us culturally, are still all created in the image of God.

I’m so grateful for these people and the pure joy they have. They have such great faith, and trust and depend on God in ways that I probably will never understand because of the time driven, materialistic and western culture that I come from. Yet, there is beauty in simplicity. In slowing down. In simply BEING in God’s presence and in the presence of his creation.

Tuke said: “These words are simple, but they are powerful: ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.’ John 3:16”

There is great power in this simple truth.

(Me and Kasey- always laughing!)

redemption songs

(Session 1 Campers: Zite, Arden, Me, Rachel, Mary Shae)

We just finished our first week of camp- Oh, how time flies! Working with the Middle School girls (Meru Mountain Group) was so much fun! Even though we had a small cabin (there were only four campers in my cabin), the Lord definitely used that time to build deep relationships quickly. The girls in my cabin were all MK's (missionary kids), and one girl was in my cabin last summer! It was a blessing getting to connect with her again this summer, as well as really relating to these girls and getting to disciple them and encourage them in their faith. The girls were stretched by new activities such as camping, rock climbing, and other activities. Each girl was so different, but much like the Body of Christ, it was beautiful seeing how they worked together, complimented and encouraged one another, and how each of their personalities fit together.

(Rock Climbing with Stephen)

After camp ended on Saturday, we packed up to move to Nairobi for the week. This week we will have the opportunity to serve in different capacities here in the city. Sunday, Bradyn Boone and I got to teach the 4-6 year old class at the International Christian Fellowship Church (which is the community I will get to worship with throughout the year). Yesterday a group of us got to visit Eastleigh to serve and do street evangelism. We got to share the gospel with many people living on the streets in poverty who we met, encourage and pray for people who are sick or injured, and serve alongside Made in the Streets Ministry. Seeing Eastleigh is so difficult, and I wrestle daily with what my response needs to be. Seeing young children living in such extreme poverty on the streets in the middle of piles of trash is heartbreaking, and almost a hopeless feeling. At one base we visited (a base is where a group of people will live together, usually about 5-15 people who help each other survive and get food) there were about 15 young children who were all sniffing glue to get a high in order to escape the feeling of hunger. I don’t understand, and it breaks my heart—Yet, I still trust that God is greater than that darkness and sin in that place.

Today has been an incredible reminder of God’s faithfulness in bringing me here. Today we visited Kimulu. Kimulu is the farm where children who have been rescued from the streets of Eastleigh through Made in the Streets Ministry. Children who live at Kimulu are in between the ages of 12-18. The kids come live in Kimulu to get an education, learn skills to get a job after they turn 18, and are taught about the Bible.

We worked with Aggies for Christ to run programs today at Kimulu. And I saw Kelly Davidson! What a small world! (:

Today I met lots of new friends…a couple of them were Mary and Mary. These girls had just come off the streets 9 days previously. They had been living at a base that we visited yesterday. They had to leave their mothers, sisters and brothers on the streets…they had been told if they went to Kimulu that they would be killed and eaten. They had previously done drugs, and said they were forced to eat rotten food to survive. They told me how living on the streets was a hard life, but they prayed every night that God would protect them. When they were sick they prayed and had faith that God would heal them. And he did! Not only physically, but now they are a living example of Gods redemptive power in their hearts and souls. They were so full of joy. It was powerful seeing where they came from and where they are today.

(At Kimulu: Me, Mary, Melody Taylor, and Mary)

The kids at the farm showed me once again how God is our refuge and strength, and ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). How we need never to forget the things God has done for us… “Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins, and heals your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, and crowns you with love and compassions, who satisfies your desires with good things…The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love” (Psalm 103: 2-5, 8). God healed Mary and Mary from physical disease on the streets and is now in the process of healing their broken hearts and binding up their wounds. (Psalm 147:3)

What a vivid and evident reminder of the hope we have through Jesus Christ and God’s redemptive power!