Mt. Suswa, Masaai Land.

Between camp sessions there is a 3 week break where our team is given the amazing opportunity to serve in different parts of rural Kenya. This year we were blessed to spend 4 days with the Masaai tribe at the foot of Mount Suswa in the Great Rift Valley. The Masaai are very traditional people- they are cow herders, minimalists, and are known for being strong warriors. They live very different lifestyles than we do as Americans...But we all learned so much during our time in the Valley.

 Our Covenant Group on the way to the Great Rift Valley

 ACU Grads, 2010. 

 

During the week our team served by working on the road leading to Mount Suswa for the Masaai Conservancy. We moved rocks, filled in pot-holes, dug up more rocks, and got stronger as we worked. haha (: We were happy to help as this community desires to build a road to the mountain for tourists to come visit, get exposure to their culture, and to create some revenue for the people living in the crater of the mountain. There is a beautiful campsite that we camped in, that when the road is finished will be open to the public for many people to come and visit the Masaai people. 

During the week, we camped in tents outside a church. Pastor Jackson hosted us- their church cooked for us, and blessed us by sharing life with us during the week. This is Pastor Jackson's wife, Esther. She is a kind friend, a beautiful woman and an incredibly hard worker. They have three children who are adorable! Pastor Jackson leads a church near Mount Suswa, and is a great example to me in the way he trusts God with everything, is joyful, thankful, and generous in every situation. God is using him to share the Gospel to many people in the Valley. His church has planted a large number of other churches throughout the region to reach many people. Pastor Jackson disciples these other pastors. 

 

When we were not doing road work, we got to play with the kids in the community after school. We played soccer, sang songs, made lots of new friends, and were able to learn some of their language which is called Ki-Masaai.

The soccer game ended with an intense shoot-out! haha 

 

 Me, Andrew, and Lindsay

The last night, we were so excited to stay on top of the mountain! This was our beautiful campsite!! We all woke up at 5:30 the next morning to hike to the top of the mountain. It was an incredible experience.

 Here's our team!

View from the top of Mt. Suswa

 

O Lord, our Lord, 

How majestic is your name in all the earth!

From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise, 

because of your enemies to silence the foe and the avenger. 

When I consider your heavens, 

the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars,

 which you have set in place, 

what is man that you are mindful of him, 

the son of man that you care for him?

You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings

and crowned him with glory and honor. 

You made him ruler over the works of your hands

you put everything under his feet: 

all flocks and herds, and the beast of the field,

the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,

all that swim the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our Lord, 

How majestic is your name in all the earth! 

 Psalm 8

Chronicles of Gnarlia- Rise Up

"For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:40

(Photo taken at Nairobi Game Park)

Inuka. Rise Up. That is the theme for Camp BlueSky this summer:

 "Rise Up- The Chronicles of Gnarlia"

Using the writing and illustrations of C.S. Lewis' writings, The Chronicles of Narnia, we have been discussing our story, all of humanity, and how God is writing something beautiful for his children. Even though we live in a fallen world, God's plan is good and he desires to raise us up through his Son, Jesus. God is writing a beautiful story for his people... and is calling us to a gnarly life with him. A life of adventure, joy and abundance through Jesus! 

Throughout the week, the counselors and leadership team teach different Bible stories along with showing clips from the movie, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. We begin with the story of creation and the fall of man in Genesis. Throughout the week we talk about the Israelites and how God has always been faithful and never left them. We have the opportunity to tell radical stories of the life of Jesus, how he is 100% God and 100% man. God came to earth, put on flesh, and moved into our neighborhood (John 1). He performed many miracles... such as raising Lazurus from the dead, he raised Jairus' daughter and healed the woman in the crowd who had enough faith just to simply touch the hem of his cloak. We talk about how Jesus walked on water, lived a perfect life, and how he died on the cross because he loves us so much. But the story doesn't end there... he was resurrected and raised to life again! It is through the miracle of the resurrection that we too are given the same invitation to life! 

We proclaim that out of the tomb, and even out of death, God can bring life! He wants to raise us up. 

Picture taken at "Summit Fires" - the last night of camp where we have a big bon fire, play games, sing songs, and celebrate Christ's love for us.

Picture of Middle School girls on the ropes course. It's been so fun getting to facilitate these activities with the girls and watch them "experience changes"as they learn to trust each other and work together. (:

Campers from 2 summers ago! Sweet reunion.

BlueSky Youth- Reaching the Nations

Pole Sana. (I'm very sorry...) It has been a while since I've last updated my blog! But, here's a quick update: There are lots of exciting things happening in Kenya these days :)

 As the rock climbing gym is still being built, BlueSky Youth continues to reach out to students. This last semester we hosted a high school lock-in at the gym in our youth space called "The Crux" (See pictures below from the Lock-In). We hope to host all of our youth events at gym next semester and that God will continue to open the hearts of his children to experience his love and hear the Gospel. 

 This summer our youth team is spending time building new relationships and going deeper with students by serving at Camp BlueSky. My role this summer is working with "Senior Camp" (the high school and middle school students) who come to camp. I've been given the responsibility of developing curriculum for devotional times for the students, planning out evening programs (games, skits, songs, talks, ect.), taking lots of pictures, and have the privilege of pouring into the university students who have come to serve with our team for the summer as counselors. I also get to take middle school girls rock climbing each week- which is SO fun!! (: It's been an absolute JOY to serve at Camp this summer, and God is moving in BIG and mighty ways. We have seen so many campers, in just the first 2 weeks of camp come into relationship with Jesus Christ for the first time. (I'll post more specific stories later.)

We've seen the Holy Spirit move in the hearts of children in miraculous ways. Please join our team in praying Psalm 67 over our team and the students for the remaining weeks of summer, and for the upcoming Fall semester:  

May God be gracious to us and bless us

  and make his face shine in us—

so that your ways may be known on earth,

 your salvation among all nations.

May the peoples praise you, God;

may all the peoples praise you.

May the nations be glad and sing for joy,

 for you rule the peoples with equity

 and guide the nations of the earth.

May the peoples praise you, God;    

may all the peoples praise you

The land yields its harvest;

God, our God, blesses us.

May God bless us still,

 so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.

Psalm 67

Anita and Cynthia- Some of the girls in my Covenant Group

Indian food at Diamond Plaza

Climbing at the Rock Gym

Premier Academy

This semester the Lord has opened an amazing door that, through faith, we have stepped into. Tyler and I have been given the incredible privilege of coaching students in sports at Premier Academy. I am coaching girls basketball, and Tyler is coaching guys American Football. It has been so much fun building relationships and meeting so many kids through sports! The girls didn't know ANYTHING, and I mean anything about basketball a couple of months ago. We started from square one: how to dribble, pass and shoot... went over simple things like the difference between offense and defense. Day one was hilarious. But now, they are actually improving and getting better! We have been scrimmaging and playing fun games, and having a ball! I seriously laugh the whole time during Club. It's such a joy to serve in this way!

Through this experience, I'm re-learning that God can overcome in any situation. Against all odds, and when everything seems impossible, it is not for Him.

He has given us so many opportunities to love people in this Hindu community, be Christ to them, and just share life with them. (1 Thessalonians 2:8)

This past weekend we were invited to a sweet 16 birthday party- which was SO fun! haha It was unlike any party I had ever been to. Dance floor, strobe lights, DJ, big white tent set up in the backyard with lots of chairs and tables for dinner... it was a big deal! Tyler and I went to the celebration and got to meet tons of students and connect with the ones we know and love already. It was fun seeing them outside of school, and in a more fun/relaxed environment.

Two weekends ago I was asked to help lead a group of students on our ropes course at Lukenya Getaway! It was a blast. There were 19 Premier students who came.