BABIES! And then some...

Chris and Lindy have some extremely exciting news for all of you...HOORAY!!!!


So, I just spent the past three days in Cali with my family for Christmas. It wasn't exactly the family vacation I had pictured, but then again I don't know why I would have thought it was going to be all puppies and roses-not too much in life is. Let's just say there are a few dynamics happening in my family that I am not in full support of and instead of keeping my mouth shut to avoid being quarrelsome, my opinions usually come out tactlessly. As mush as I disagree with some of the things that happen, voicing what I think is right in a way that I always regret it later is probably not the best option either. I often feel stuck between standing up when it's necessary but not my place or biting my tongue and watching the effects of it. It's probably all a control issue anyway, I feel helpless most of the time and that frustrates the heck out of me but I am positive God used this weekend to humble me a lot.

Needless to say, I was pretty ready to come home and for good reason because I got to see my BEAUTIFUL Shan, Tori and Breanna. Worship was great in the 5pm service and Jeff did the message so you know that was good. Then we got dinner and Golden Spoon and got to spend some time in good conversations. I even met Jenna finally! This has been a long awaited meeting. I feel like God used this night to lift my spirits again.

Then, I got on Facebook and clicked on Shauna's page only to find that she had posted pictures of her trip to Israel. I literally sat at my computer just crying looking at her pictures. She walked where Jesus walked. Saw where He washed the feet of His disciples. Went to the Sea of Galilee. Saw Mary's tomb. You have got to be kidding me. There was something overwhelmingly sacred, holy, REAL about looking at those images and knowing that Shauna stepped in each of those places. JESUS CHRIST, GOD, WAS IN THOSE PLACES! Can you believe that?! Sometimes I think we get so wrapped up in OUR life, OUR wants, OUR "needs", OUR pains, OUR pressures and we forget that Christ went through the ultimate suffering. "Because He himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted" Hebrews 2:18. This life is about Christ and His kingdom being furthered, not OURs. I think it's crucial that we stop and take a look at our lives sometimes, are we really in pursuit of making heaven on Earth? Are we seeking first His kingdom, are we after His heart, are we pursuing ALL things for His glory? He can only help us through our suffering if we let Him. And, wouldn't you rather be suffering for something bigger than this life? If I'm going to suffer, I want it to be for the sake of the gospel, for Christ, for His kingdom. All I am is His.

What are you spending money on this CHRISTmas?

CLICK ON THIS AND THEN DO (yes, that means take action) AT LEAST ONE OF THESE THINGS! GREATTTTT CHRISTMAS IDEAS :)

North Carolina!!

I just got home from 4 full days in North Carolina (and 2 days of ridiculous traveling-3 cancelled flights, delays, etc.) and I miss it already! I feel like I have so much to blog about from this trip that I don't know where to start.

Chris & Lindy

This is truly a couple after the Lord's heart. After listening to stories from Chris and Lindy about their time in Kenya and everything God is doing through them there, it sparked my desire to be a servant as they are and as God calls us to be. I feel like I have been severely distracted by so many things in AZ since I've been home and it has been effecting my devotional time. Recently, I have been fighting to spend time with God and pick up on His voice; it has been an unwanted struggle. This weekend was a refreshing reminder to slow down and focus my eyes on Christ. Lindy's parents are unbelievably amazing. They were so sweet to welcome me in and let me stay with them (even an extra night). Max's delicious breakfasts were enough to make me gain 10 pounds, and they were well worth it! Lindy's mom is so sweet, I really can't say enough great things about her hospitality. I also FINALLY got to meet Mr. Levi Rollins for the first time! After seeing all of his adorable pictures in Africa, which did not do him justice, it was nice to spend some time with precious baby Levi and meet Beth and Matt (Lindy's brother and sister in law). Their family is tender :)

Friday Lindy, Max and I got the opportunity to go up to Blue Ridge Mountain and stay the night with Lindy's grandma. It was absolutely beautiful and guess what, God even gave us snow! It was only a few flurries, but I was elated! After a delicious home cooked meal, Lindy's grandma beat us all in an intense game of Scrabble. Then on Saturday Lindy and I got to 4 wheel around the mountains, taking in the breathtaking scenery. Lex Luther (their dog) even followed us for a while. At one point we found a horse and I felt it necessary to braid its hair :) Then on the way back we stopped by a creek to look at the icicles and we came across a log. Lindy asked if I thought we could "jump it", in which I responded, "no." Well, we tried it anyway and completely got it stuck! Haha, luckily we are strong ladies and were able to push it over the log the rest of the way! Below are pictures for your enjoyment.












The Beaver family


That night I got to meet another family in active pursuit of God's will. Their story is remarkable and I encourage everyone to check out their blog. Jessica and Luke are truly heroes in my eyes for everything they do on a day to day basis. We got to play homemade Boulderdash. How do you do that you ask...you pick random words out of the dictionary and then everyone has to guess the definition or make up one that they find fitting. Needless to say, it turned out super funny! It was really great to spend some time with them and hear about God's calling for their lives.

The next day I had the pleasure of being introduced to Kim, Casey, Sam and Joe. These are really close friends of Chris and Lindy's. That night we played a game called "Quip it" which turned out to be rather hysterical. "I'm crazy hampster cage lady. I have a cage full of hungry gerbals on my chest so give me some candy!!" (that's for you Chris &Lindy). The next day Kim told Lindy she had something for me before I went home so we stopped by and helped her and the boys bake gingerbread cookies. Some of you know about the framed picture of Kibera with the "God of This City" lyrics by Chris Tomlin on it that Chris and Lindy have in their home in Kenya. Well, I told Kim the story about how when I spoke at Cornerstone they played that song and all I could think about was that picture and I just started crying. Wouldn't you know, she had an extra copy of it and had it framed for me! You know I cried all over again when she handed it to me.
Oh, and just to paint a picture of Joe and Sam (Kim and Casey's little boys), while Chris and Lindy were in Africa they saved up their allowance, which turned out to be $15 to buy Hotwheels toys for the kids in Kibera! How many little boys give up their allowances so that children on the other side of the world can have toys? When Lindy and I were over on Monday Joe asked Lindy when he could go to Africa! Now that sounds like a missionary in the making :) a true servant willing to follow God anywhere, bless his heart. Let's just say spending time with their family was such a blessing.

The Bowers Family

Lastly, my flight was cancelled on Monday night and rescheduled to Tuesday morning at 6am (a flight that was also cancelled, but that's another story). That meant I got to go out to dinner with Chris & Lindy, the pastor of their church Michael and his beautiful wife Emily. Let's just say I was sitting at the Olive Garden dinner table in tears after hearing Michael and Emily share their story. This couple has three beautiful children and is in the middle of adopting a baby girl from Ethiopia. This process has been extremely long and emotionally draining, but God has been noticeably working in their family's lives throughout it. Emily explained that it has given them a fresh set of eyes on what it means to be in the adopted family of God. Michael chimed in with how it has and will continue to be the ultimate way to show their children what this Love looks like. To reach out to this baby girl who might never be shown true love and what it means to love/be loved and then bring her into a family and share Christ's love with her is the perfect portrayal of what God has done for us. They know God has laid this upon their hearts and will fully equip them for the work they are about to do. It's no secret that there will be trials as this blessing is welcomed into their care, but that only makes their reliance on and trust in the Lord that much more inspiring.

I can't even believe all of the amazing Godly families I met over the past few days. Every time Chris and Lindy introduced me to someone new I was blown away by their open-armed kindness and passion for the Lord. I kept thinking, "this is how I want my family to look someday" and every time I met a new family, I felt the same way. I did not meet one person over the weekend that I didn't wasn't motivated and encouraged by to walk humbly with our God.

Previous Blog Explained.

Many people have come to me concerned about my last post so I am sorry I have not addressed it sooner, but here is the necessary explanation and the source of my last blog. I am currently taking a Women's Studies course at ASU and throughout the class numerous issues have come up in relation to feminism, abortion and religion. I am happy to report that I have taken the opportunities to lovingly and tactfully handle all of the arguments made in opposition to the bible. This post in particular caught my attention because at first glance I felt challenged. Nothing about the comparison sat right with me, but I had trouble defining why I felt that way. I posted it on my blog and Facebook to see how other people would respond to it. I was definitely pleasantly surprised with the intense and intelligent responses. Just to make it clear, I do NOT think the two situations are even remotely comparable and I made that very clear in my assignment for the course. It surprised me how many people in my class argued that abortion is essential for "women's freedom". Almost every single response posted took that stance. It just further supports my belief that ASU needs A LOT of prayer, along with countless other colleges across the country. Also, my views on abortion are in complete alignment with Todd Philip's blog which is accessible if you click on his name from my last post. Keep your thoughts comin guys!

Abortion...but probably not what you would expect.

Imagine you wake up one morning to find a stranger in bed next to you. Before you can even scream, another person walks into the room and tells you that this individual in bed with you is a famous violinist whose kidneys failed during the night. Somehow you were selected as a match for this person's blood type, etc., and during the night you were kidnapped, drugged, and brought to this room where the violinist was essentially hooked up to your kidneys. In order for him to survive, you must remain hooked up to him for the next nine months. If you disconnect, he will die.

The question is: Should you be legally required to remain tethered to the violinist? What about morally?

How is this different from requiring a woman who has been raped to carry a pregnancy to term?


I really want everyone's opinions on this one. I will share my viewpoints in my next post.

As for the abortion discussion, Todd Phillips has and EXCELLENT argument that you should probably check out.

I know I haven't blogged since Africa, but I'm hoping that will change soon :)

Keira in LONDON!

Yes! I made it to London! This will be a quick update on the past four days, which have been the longest ever. Saying good bye to Huruma was hard, but it's harder actually being gone. I miss Shauna so much and everything reminds me of her. Chris and Lindy told us we acted like an old married couple and to be honest I understand why. I love her.

London is amazing. I ended up waiting for 2 hours in the airport looking for my mom, turns out she missed her flight from Chicago to London because of a hurricane. I couldn't get a hold of my dad because he was in Mexico so luckily I got a hold of someone in his office who my mom had left the information with. I made it on a train and to the hotel all on my own :) ...yes, I'm a big girl now haha. My mom showed up a few hours later and now we have been walking around London non stop for the past three days. It's definitely good and I could use exercise after the weight that I gained in Africa...I totally thought I would lose weight but turns out potatoes, beans and rice, (along with comfort chocolate everyday) makes you put pounds on, not take them off. Everything in London is absolutely beautiful; the architecture, the lush green scenery, the boys with british accents. Needless to say, I'm having a great time and I'm convinced I have to bring Shannon back here.

It's such a strange mix of emotions being here. It is taking my attention off Huruma in some ways and reminding me of it even more in others. Obviously Shauna and those kids are in my thoughts and prayers constantly, but the excitement of London has eased the pain of being separated from them. I know it's going to be like a stab in my heart when I'm sitting at home, looking at pictures and realizing how far I am from them. At the same time, being in these classy stores where people are spending hundreds and thousands of dollars on clothes, purses, shoes...it's disgusting. I told my mom I want to take pictures of Kibera blown up and walk around the stores with them in my hands. She didn't think that would go over too well. All of this still kind of feels like a dream and I don't think it's truly hit me that I've left Kenya. On the other hand, I'm ecstatic that I get to see all of my friends and family in 6 days!! Yay!

Tomorrow morning we leave for Paris. This surely is a dream come true and I am overflowing with gratefulness for the blessings God has given me.

Spiders.

So it turns out the bite on my leg is most likely from a spider. It should clear up in a few days and I will be just fine :)

BUT...I think I found the culprit.

Unfortunately, Shauna and I freaked out when we were trying to kill it so now it is roaming around our home somewhere...probably waiting for us to go to sleep so it can crawl in our mouths and attack. Ew. Ew. Ew. I hate spiders...we do not get along well!

Special thanks to Lindy for posting the lovely video!!

Proverbs 21:13

Saturday night was eventful to say the least and probably one of the most amazing experiences. After wandering around the Maasai Market all day with Caroline and Shauna, Chris and Lindy invited us over for dinner. Lindy's best friend Joy is here from North Carolina and staying with them until they go back in October so we wanted to meet her. She is adorable and I completely understand why Lindy is obsessed with her! She is humble, but funny and sweet and has this amazing heart for others. I feel like Lindy and I are long lost sisters because of the way we have clicked so well and we have everything in common, so I'm not surprised at how quickly I fell in love with Joy as well. Anyway, I have a bite on my leg and I showed it to Lindy because she is a nurse. At first, because of how red and swollen it was, it didn't look like a bite and Lindy thought it might be a DVT or blood clot. Immediately she called the doctor to have it checked out just in case. Since it was Saturday night the hospital wasn't open, but they know a Kenyan-American doctor who had someone escort us in and then take a look at my leg. Unfortunately, they couldn't tell me what was wrong with it but they gave me medicine and told me to check back in if it gets worse. It is very clear to me now that it is a bite and it hasn't gotten better but it hasn't gotten worse so I'm sure I will be fine!

Now for the best part of the story. After the doctor finished with me we asked him if we could walk around the women's ward and pray over them, to which he amiably agreed. The first room we went into had visitors. I'm almost positive they were Catholic, it was a man and a woman who were visiting another elderly woman. They were overjoyed at our offer to pray for her and accepted with smiles. After Lindy finished the prayer we walked over to the other two women who were laying in beds on the opposite side of the wall. We explained that we had just prayed for them and introduced ourselves. Both of them, though lethargic, showed their gratitude. After the first room we decided it best to divide and conquer so we split up and individually laid hands on the women and prayed for them. All in all we probably prayed for over 20 women. The last room we entered was truly something out of a movie, later to find out they were the HIV/AIDS victims. The first woman I saw was Elizabeth. She was as thin as the frigid bars that held her makeshift bed together. Her bones seemed to be fighting their way out of her skin, as if they were trying to escape the clutches of disease that was claiming her life. Her rugged hospital gown dangled loosely, awkward and exposing scars across her chest. I grabbed hold of her and begged God to heal her. I prayed for Him to give her His strength, physically and spiritually, to fight for her life. That He would bring her joy and love, in knowing that He was there with her. I prayed the thought of heaven would be comforting and uplifting to her that one day she would be in paradise with the Father. Looking back at my prayer, I can only say another that she has accepted Christ and that promise of heaven is hers to claim triumphantly. The health of the last woman I prayed for was comparable to Elizabeth's. She grabbed my hand and held it tight and I placed my other one around her back. Once again, I prayed for God to heal her and to reveal His love for her as I tried my best to be a symbol of Christ's love through my embrace.

As we left I told the women that we would be continually praying for them. I looked them in the eyes and told them "God bless you", but somehow those words took on a whole new meaning in that context. When you are saying "God bless you" to a woman who is expecting the Lord to call her home, knowing He could do so any second, or a child who goes home to a sewage infested shack at night, fearing starvation, disease, rape, or worse could seek them out at any moment, it really takes on new meaning. I don't think I have ever said anything with such a desire to see it lived out. This was a different feeling than being in the slums of Maithare or Kibera. In Kibera I almost get discouraged because of the overwhelming poverty that has debilitated over a million lives. Praying for these women was actually uplifting. I didn't feel the usual helplessness that has seemed to dictate a lot of my time here. I felt like I was actually truly making a difference in these lives, whether that is a valid feeling or not I don't know but I'd venture to say it is.

This might sound extremely strange, but I'm willing to risk that for the sake of an honest description of what this experience was like. At some moments, when I was holding these women, I truly felt the transfer of the Holy Spirit. I felt as though the Lord broke through the barrier of despair and brought peace. The appreciation shown on their faces and as Lindy pointed out, probably for good reason. I wonder how often people, mzungus no less, come and pray for these women. Their gratitude was probably also mixed with astonishment that someone cared enough to come and share Christ's love. Obviously, this was unlike anything I have ever done and I can only pray that the feelings I felt, faces I prayed for and motivation to share Christ in this way would not fade. I wish I had pictures to help relay the image of this event, but I guess my inadequate words will have to suffice. I know they could never do justice, as usual, to the sights, smells, or emotions that have changed my heart here but they offer a miniscule window into my experience.

Kibera Pictures

                                                           Yes, she's praying...so sweet!

                                                                             Kibera

We fed them

                               Doors in Kibera are about as sensible as everything else in Africa...

We fed them spiritually

                                                                            Shamim

                                                                   We clothed them

                                                                 We loved on them

Pictures loaded!!!

                                                                    Cutie Helsbey family

                                                                Look at those eyes! (Paul)

                                                                               Melvin

                                                           The stink eye at its finest

                                                                  Shopping in town

                                                                  We ride shot gun :)

                                                                  Baby Kate Helsby!!

                                                           Saying goodbye to Taylor

    Someone donated 19 tons of food! (I got to make banana pancakes as a result...Praise God!)

                                                       Rebecca, Shauna and Penina
                                                                   It gets crazy...
                              Teaching the kids in Kibera about how God created the world!
                                                             Jane, Jacinta and Naomi

                                                                        Baby Jane

                                                                            Penina

Homesick.

“God has you where you are for a reason”- probably my biggest struggle as a believer.  When I am in Arizona, I am dreaming about Africa. When I am in Africa, I am dreaming about Arizona. I’m sure when I get home I will be dreaming about Haiti or Indonesia or something ridiculous, (sarcasm, I undeniably feel called home long term). Usually I can spot those words leaving someone’s lips before a conversation even starts, but tonight I got them when I wasn’t expecting it.

I know a lot of people can relate to what I’m about to describe, but for most of my friends and even my family it seems just plain suicidal so I will do my best to explain. There are times when I feel so in love with God and who He is that I just want to die so that I can meet Him face to face. I know that I will not experience true peace until I am there. There will always be this aching in me until I am with the Father and that’s something I have learned to live with because I know that aching is solely for God and nothing in this world could fill that void besides Him. I know Charlie Hall gets what I mean because he has a song called “Come for me” that articulates how I feel about this issue. Tori has also always been right there with me on this one. Sometimes we joke about how God is going to keep us alive until we are like 120 just because and then we will be in a nursing home crying together ;)


So, tonight after listening to our usual Francis Chan sermon I was telling Shauna with tears in my eyes about how badly I just wanted to know God, (Francis always reminds me how madly, obsessed, in love I am with the creator). I made it very clear how much I love my life and how I get on my knees every night to praise God for the people He has put in my life and the opportunities He has presented me with, but I am so in love with Him that everything else pales in comparison. I want to know everything about Him so that I can be closer to Him. It’s like being engaged and having your fiance keep secrets about who he is from you. You want to know everything about your fiance because you are going to be devoted to him for the rest of your earthly life. How can you do that to your fullest if you don’t know everything about him? Yet, there are things I will not know about God until I am in heaven and He planned it that way. Just like there are things between a man and a woman that are reserved for after the wedding ceremony.


Knowing this, I was still really frustrated. Shauna just looked at me and here it comes… “God has you where you are for a reason. This life is so short, it’s gone in the blink of an eye and you will spend eternity with God. He wants you to spend this time spreading your love for Him through sharing His gospel with others while you are here on Earth”. Despite its repetitiveness, this time I felt like it really hit home. I don’t know why Africa seems to clarify everything for me. Shauna had insight about that too, attributing it to the fact that we are finally being quiet enough to hear what God is trying to tell us, (I really encourage everyone at home to try this). I think she hit the nail on the head. I can hear things from people all day long but until I sit down and am listening to God, nothing is going to sink in. So for now, I am still homesick (for my eternal home that is) but I am inspired once more to make every minute of this life count for the glory of God until I am called home.

Sheep.

I want to share some of the reasons why I ADORE high school students...

They have HIGH

hopes

ambitions

dreams

They THINK

creatively

purposefully

intentionally

They DON'T

take no for an answer

listen when people say they can't (sometimes this is not a blessing)

get discouraged by logistics

I thought I was going to save the world when I was in high school.  I didn't see obstacles or set backs because I was so blinded by my goals.  Reality was a blur and my dreams were in full focus.  I just wanted to do big things.  Somewhere between then and now my big dreams have turned into inspiring others' big dreams.  I still have my own big dreams, but on top of those I want to motivate, help, and be a part of every big dream that comes from my high school kids.  I want to encourage them to look past the obstacles and set backs because 9 times out of 10 those aren't from God.  I want to reassure them that their age doesn't limit their ability, or their responsibility for that matter.  While their peers are out drinking or doing drugs, they are having wells built in Africa and bibles translated into different languages across the world.  They are making it on Earth as it is in Heaven while juggling homework, football games, homecoming dates, band practice, exams, mean teachers, mean girls, and whatever else the devil is bringing along to distract them with.  I just want to remind them to keep their focus on Christ and as Tori always quotes, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up" -Galations 6:9.

Let's go DO something.

Read this.  Then go here.  Or here.

Other ways to DO something:

1. Call the rescue mission nearest you to find out how you can get involved.  Show up an hour early and plan on leaving an hour after you're scheduled to.  Have conversations with the homeless as the stand outside, waiting to get in.  Bring bottled water, baked cookies, granola bars, patience and a sense of humor.  You'll bless those who cannot bless you in return.

2. Go downtown with a friend or friends (don't go alone).  Buy cups of coffee or a bag of take-out food, find a homeless person sitting around asking for money, share your gifts, and enjoy a conversation.  No agenda, no plans, no purpose other than to be with that person.  You'll be amazed at what unfolds.

3. Is it cold outside?  Go to your closet and grab the sweat, sweatshirt, or coat you keep telling yourself you'll wear sometime but know you won't.  Call up four friends and tell them to do the same.  Go downtown and hand out your warm clothing to the men or women huddled under the overpass or in a doorway.  As you stand there thinking of how cold your nose is, you'll be amazed at the genuine thankfulness of someone whose whole body is probably numb.  And your giving will warm your soul too.

-Under the Overpass by Mike Yankoski

A slightly unexpected calling...

I have often heard it said, “God put people in America and blessed them with everything they have for a reason and He placed other people in poverty stricken, corrupt nations for a reason also.  It is all for a purpose, if God calls you to live in America then it is for His purpose”.  That never sat right with me though.  I always cringed a little bit in my stomach hearing those words.  To me, those words sounded like a glorified excuse for the comfortable life people love in America.  It seemed as though those words satisfied their conscious for not trading in their worldly possessions and giving up a life of luxury to follow Christ even to the outer most parts of the world where poverty and corruption overpower a call to love thy neighbor.  I always wondered why God would call someone to a place like America when they had the ability and resources to bring life to countries that are starving, physically and spiritually.  How could God use them in America where people hear the gospel and turn away.  They confess with their lips but live like hell.  They use their wealth to fatten themselves for the day of the slaughter (James 5:5) and turn away from the suffering going on around the world because it’s too painful to think about.  Additionally, there are people starving for the truth of Christ.  I once heard about a woman who walked for a month to find a white man out in the bush in Papa New Guinea who was giving “the message”.  You tell me that woman was not led by the Holy Spirit.  I doubt someone would walk a month to hear a “message” which they knew nothing about just out of curiosity.  No, that is the Holy Spirit leading someone to the truth at its finest ladies and gentlemen.  How could we ignore those people crying out for Jesus?  Doesn’t the bible say that Jesus will not return and end this war until every nation has had a chance to hear the gospel?  Doesn’t it also say that we are to be the messengers that bring the gospel to those nations, how else will they hear it?  For a while I entertained the idea of being a full time missionary.  Sell all of my possessions, leave my home, friends and family included, Arizona, America, life as I knew it.  I know that this life isn’t about any of those things, this life is about accomplishing Christ’s purpose and making Him famous.

 

A month in Africa has changed my viewpoints in a lot of ways.  I still whole heartedly believe in that calling to leave a life of ease if or when God snaps His fingers and I am prepared to do that.  However, I also better understand what people mean when they say God has certain people in America for a reason.  It has been surprisingly hard for me to relate to people in Kenya.  I have attributed that to cultural differences, which I am sure account for most of the disconnect.  I was born in America and raised in that culture, which I see now as such an opportunity to reach people that I can truly relate to.  My eyes have been opened to the America that is much more than a life of luxury and ease, (funny that I had to come to Africa to do that, but God works in mysterious ways).  Don’t get me wrong, a lot of Americans turn their life into a continual quest for material things, but the people who confess with their tongues and live like hell are the ones who need help.  God gave me an amazing gift to be able to communicate and relate to Americans (obviously, because I am one) and I feel like God wants me to use it for those people who are so confused about what is true in this life.  Chris made the comment about how, “No one can reach Kenyans like a Kenyan can.  There are lifetimes of differences between us and them that separate us enough to make some things extremely difficult to communicate.  We have to walk along side some of the people who truly understand what it means to live like Christ and then motivate them to correct and shepherd others within their community”.  This spoke to me immensely.  It reminded me that I won’t be able to shepherd these people to the extent that they need in a few months time.  If God called me full time to Kenya it would be a different story.  I am not discounting the work that I am doing here, rather humbling myself that there are some things I just can’t do. 

 

Still, I have the opportunity to be that shepherd for people in America.  I can build life long relationships in which I can devote my effort to watching them grow and relating to the bumps they go through along the way like I never could with people here.  I am not saying that God isn’t calling me to missions, I just think His definition of “missions” has been adjusted for me currently.  Yes, I want to go out and be a part of something bigger than America has to offer.  I want to help feed the hungry, give shelter to the homeless, take clean water to the thirsty and spiritual enlightenment to those who are dying for it outside the walls of my own backyard, but I don’t want to neglect the needy who are my neighbors in America either.  The bible says to “help the needy in your land” (Deuteronomy 15:11) and my land is America.  As much as I fought that reality, it is something I am growing to love.  That was another question I got a lot before I came to Africa, “why do you have to go across the world to help people when there are people starving here?”  Well, my heart about that has not changed.  The need in Africa is drastically magnified in comparison to America.  Plus, it is easier for people to serve in the comfort of home and a lot more people would not even think about coming to serve in Africa.  God has wired some people’s hearts for over seas missions and those people need to take advantage of that.  At the same time, I am overjoyed at the thought of coming home to do missions there in between over seas trips.  What I once thought was a calling to full time over seas missions has turned into full time missions no matter where I am.  I feel stupid for not acknowledging that like I should have before I came here, yet grateful that God has given me peace about all of this.

 

For those of you who don’t know, I am coming home September 14^th now.  It was something I prayed about a lot and never guessed God would have laid on my heart, but after confirmation in multiple ways I have decided to be joyfully obedient to Him.  I hope this news is as exciting for everyone at home as it is for me!  Don’t get me wrong though, it’s going to be extremely hard for me to leave Kenya.  God has taught me so much and carved a special place in my heart for everyone I have met here.  I know that this will not be my last trip to Africa, there’s no way I could leave this place and never return after all of the suffering I have seen.  For the time that I will not physically be here, I will be raising awareness and support from home (so get ready for that too haha).  Well, as usual this post is super long so I apologize for my boring ramblings but I hope you enjoy the update!  All my love :)

P.S. Kibera pictures are coming soon but the internet won't let me upload them yet!

Kibera

Africa is making it really hard to write short posts...I have a feeling this will be another long one so bear with me!

First, I want to say thank you SO much to all of Chris and Lindy's friends and family who posted on my blog.  I feel so blessed to have met them and in turn been introduced to you.  Paige, I did see the picture of you on the fridge! You are absolutely beautiful, know that the Thompson's miss you so much.  Beth, Levi is the most precious baby ever!  Lindy was showing us pictures when we went over for dinner and we all fell in love.  Thank you for commenting, you're right- Chris and Lindy are amazing so thank you for sharing them with Kenya!

Well, on Thursday we had the privilege of going to Kibera with Chris and Lindy.  Chris does street evangelism with some pastors there and Lindy helps out in a school.  We predicted that the weather would be a good indication of what kind of feelings the day would bring and we were right.  Grey skies and drizzly rain mirrored the tears I would cry when I got home that night.  We were greeted with open arms by the sweetest family when we got there.  After taking some chai and officially meeting the pastors family, we were taken over to a small school behind their home.  The children were so sweet as they recited bible verses and sang songs about Jesus' love.  This was only the beginning of adorable children and songs of worship that filled our day.  From the school we left to pray for a woman who has been sick with pneumonia.  We piled into a cramped living room, gathered around a woman who was shaking from fever and we talked to her about salvation then prayed for her health, family and born again husband.  Then we parted ways with Chris so that he could talk to the people off the streets about salvation found in Christ and we could go to the school that Lindy helps at.  The walk was certainly eventful as we straddled a moving train and a trench that led straight down to a current of sewage.  This led us to a small area of town where vendors sold fruit, power strips and skirt wraps, typical combination of goods I know.  These little shops had a foundation of garbage and human waste, just like all of the ground in Kibera, and utilized rusty tin and decrepit wood as their walls.

To get to the school we had to climb down hill a little ways...Now imagine this, four mzungus (white girls) trampling down rocky, uneven ground in every attempt possible not to slip and fall into the mounds of wet human waste and mud that lurked below our feet.  Let's just say it was quite comical but God heard our prayers and carried us cleanly to our destination.  When we got to the "school", which was more like a release from the monotony of staying at home from 5am to 9pm while their parents work, the children were screaming and cheering for us.  It was quite the welcome!  There were 12 of them that gathered around and sang songs about "happy families" and praising God, (it took everything in me not to cry).  In return, we performed songs for them and then fed them lunch.  Lindy made amazing rice, beans and chicken and the children were more than grateful.  One of the little girls was 10 years old and she took care of her brothers who were 7 and 4.  Brian, the 7 year old, looked like he was 2 because of the worms in his body that devoured the little food that he did receive.  His brother was about the same size for the same reasons.  Lindy guesses that they rarely get food because the last time she came they were stuffing their pockets with the left over food.  You could guess that they have never seen a camera either because they all started screaming with joy when Taylor took their picture.  Their little faces lit up and produced smiles that were comparable to all of the children in Kenya, captivating.  At 12 the children left to go back to their homes and wait until their parents got home.  Leaving there was so hard.  I wanted to stay and spend the night with the children.  I felt guilty coming home to Huruma after being at Kibera.  It made me realize how much Mama does for these children at the home and how fortunate they are here.  The children at Huruma have food, clothes on their back, clean water, a warm bed.  Kibera made Huruma look like paradise, if you can imagine that.  I came home feeling completely selfish and to be honest, pissed.  I was so frustrated with my lifestyle when these people have nothing.  I know they have God and that is so comforting to see, but as for basic, physical necessities they have nothing.  I kept thinking about how hard it is going to be to come home to the US after seeing all of that.  Shauna was talking about how she has heard about the poverty and how deeply it affected her after hearing it, but now that she has faces and names and stories to associate with the poverty it is almost unbearable to think about.  I completely related to that statement.  I read on one of Lindy's friend's blogs that said, "with knowledge comes great responsibility" but I don't know what God wants me to do about the injustices I have seen.  I wish it was in my power to control everything in Kibera.  Control in the sense that I had the ability to provide clean water, food, decent shelter and love for all of these people but I know that isn't possible and that it is going to take more than all that I have to give to free them from the poverty they are slaves to.  I read Deuteronomy 15:12 today that says, "There will always be poor people in the land.  Therefore, I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land."  It reminds me of something that Jeff Royce taught me, God will never ask you for more than you have to give but what He does bless you with, He wants you to use it all for His glory.  I think this is what God is going to hold me accountable for, doing my part with what I have.  To not let the circumstances of Kibera overwhelm me, but instead to be empowered by the ways that I can contribute no matter how small that contribution may be.  Please pray for the people in Kibera and the children at Huruma, that they would trust in the Lord to make straight their path.  As you lay down to sleep in the comfort of your home, remember these children and pray that God would shower them with His love at night when they sleep in streets of corruption and disease.  My heart is not to give a guilt trip, but rather to open people's eyes to the injustices that are taking place across the world in hopes that they would make a choice to take a stand against it and aid in the efforts to make a difference.

Awkward Turtle.

For Tori and Kevin:

Your video of the awkward turtle was nothing short of amazing. I literally have tears in my eyes from laughing so thank you for that!!!  I miss you guys so much.

In the words of Mandy...I luuuuuuuv youuuu!

New Friends!

On Saturday Taylor, Shauna and I went into town to do our usual market run and get things we need for the week.  Since Shauna and I have a ridiculous addiction to coffee we had to stop at the coffee stand before we went into the store, but wouldn't you know that God used our silly addiction to deliver blessings!  Taylor noticed a man sitting alone with a bible on his table and brought our attention to it.  Immediately, I told them we had to go talk to him.  They were hesitant at first but I felt strongly about approaching him so I walked over and asked if he was a Christian, to which he answered yes.  I asked if he was a missionary here and where he was from and it turns out he is here from North Carolina to start a ministry with his wife.  We ended up sitting down in the three empty chairs surrounding him and got to know one another for about 30 minutes.  After hearing his heart and all about his ministry and what he is doing in Kenya, it was obvious that our meeting was divine.  He told us that we had to meet his wife and invited us over for dinner.  We gratefully accepted the opportunity to have an American, home cooked meal!  

Part of the ministry that him and his wife run is a bed and breakfast for missionary teams that holds a little over 20 people.  It is absolutely beautiful!  After meeting his amiable wife and the current family staying in the home we sat down for the most delicious meal ever.  The family staying there is a husband and wife from Tanzania.  They are starting an orphanage down there but came to Kenya to have their sixth child.  All five of their children have blonde hair, blue eyes and are just precious! Each was surprisingly polite and my first impression proved valid because the rest of the night only confirmed how obedient and pleasant these kids were to be around.  Becky, the mother, was simply amazing.  She is a week passed her due date and ready to pop but had been playing kickball with the kids the day before.  Can you imagine being over 9 months pregnant and playing kickball?  Now that's a dedicated mother!  Our dinner conversation was filled with God glorifying context dripping with irony.  It seemed as though everything Chris (the missionary we met at the coffee shop) talked about, the three of us had just discussed or read in the bible that past few days.  They work with high school kids at their church at home and it was so comforting to see pictures of their kids and here stories that I could completely relate to.  It made me miss Merge though!  

After dinner the kids went to bed and the seven of us took the opportunity to get to know one another.  Since all of them were raised Christian they were extremely interested as to how Taylor, Shauna and I became Christians so we shared a little bit of our testimonies with them.  They shared with us everything they were doing with the people in Kibera (the largest slum in Kenya with 1 million people living in 1 square mile).  At the end of the night each of them prayed for Taylor, Shauna and I.  It was the most amazing experience and I left with tears in my eyes, just astonished at how faithful our God is for bringing these people into our lives.  God knows me so well and He knows that I like constant reassurance.  Meeting Chris and Lindy felt like God telling me, "Please remember I am still here and I will encourage you and provide for you as you stay here in Kenya".  I haven't doubted God's presence but reassurance that this is where He wants me is definitely nice to receive!  If you want to know more about Chris and Lindy and what they are doing here, they have a blog (Yes, they are part of the blog cult- yay!!) Onlyservants.blogspot.com.  You can also check out what Dave and Becky are doing at www.mavunovillage.org/Helsbys.shtml.  I encourage everyone to check out their pages! 

All my love to everyone back at home!  Bwana Asifiwe!!

I love Helen.

Everyone, I would like to introduce you to Helen.  These pictures by no means do her justice but I had to get them out there.  She is a precious angel from God but don't let her fool you, she is sassy!  She stopped teacher Jimmy the other day in the hall, put her hands on her hips and said in Kiswahili, "Teacher Jimmy, we are no longer on speaking terms." He answered, "Ok Helen, why are we no longer speaking?" Her reply was, "You passed me in the hall this morning and you did not greet me!"  Hahaha I love it!  I hope you enjoy her sweet face as much as I do!

The slums (Prepare youself...it's long, as usual)

1 Corinthians 1:18 “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God”

I said before that I was going to write about the slums.  I have kind of been putting it off because I don't know how to explain it. I have tried to email people to describe what I have seen but I know that my mere words will not do justice to what I have seen.  I feel God telling me to at least try to share with you what the slums were like so here goes.

 

A week ago I set off to Ngong in order to try and track down some of the living relatives of the children at the orphanage in hopes of reuniting them with their families or at least updating information about how the kids got to Huruma in the first place.  I had been to the slums on Sunday so I knew the circumstances were bad but bad does not come close to what I saw. 

 

 I'm going to flash back really quick; Sunday the Cornerstone team and all of the kids from Huruma went down to the slums to sing, perform a dance and feed the children at the slums.  It was so humbling to see the kids of Huruma, who barely have anything themselves, serving those who have even less than they do.  God truly convicted me about serving back in the states.  He showed me these children who have servants hearts and reminded me that He wants my heart to mirror theirs.  I didn't take time out of my days when I was home to spend serving the least of these in my own backyard and I will not make the same mistake when I get back in October.  It was so fulfilling handing out bread and milk to these little faces that might not see another "meal", if you can call 3 pieces of bread a meal, for God knows how long.  I praise God for that opportunity and all He accomplished through our team that day.

 

Now, back to my story about Thursday.  Being in the streets of the slums was one thing, but walking through their neighborhoods and sitting in their houses was a completely different experience.  I went with Grace who is the social worker at Huruma.  She took me to another lady who was our tour guide of sorts.  She led us through narrow dirt paths enclosed by jagged, splintered, shanty pieces of wood that compile make shift shelters for these people.  I can't tell you how many streams of human waste, corn cobs, egg shells, oil and anything else disgusting that you can think of that I stepped over as I weaved in and out attempting to keep up with Grace.  When we got to our first home I ducked down about 2 feet to fit through the door.  The walls were decrepit wood covered with paper off of canned vegetables.  The floor was a mixture of dirt and insects and there were dirty clothes/dishes stacked in piles that consumed the one room structure. Inside there were two, half naked, toddlers covered in food, one of which was crying and the other who had the biggest smile I have ever seen.  A young girl who looked no older than 15 was their mother and she was the one we had come to see.  This was the sister of one of the children at Huruma and we hoped that she could tell us the whereabouts of the biological mother or father.  Unfortunately, she did not know where the mother was because she had left years ago never to return.  She told us details about the girl we were asking about and her life in the slums.  She said their father would send her out on the streets of the slums to prostitute her in order to make money for the family to eat.  She was 8 years old at the time (and only 10 years old now).  It took everything in me not to break down right then and there but I knew I had to be strong and God blessed me with His strength.  That was our first home.  The next 2 stops we made were not any better and the stories remain unmentionable.  I left the slums feeling helpless.  There was so much corruption, so much poverty, so much pain and suffering that I just felt disgusted.  Disgusted at the situations I had just witnessed, disgusted at how selfish I am because I thought that suffering was sitting in the home for more than 10 minutes.  The smell alone of the house made me cringe and it took a lot for me to hold down the vomit.  It killed me to think that I could barely handle hearing these stories but this was life for so many.  10 minutes is nothing in comparison to actually living in this place.  These people have nowhere to turn.  They can't just walk away from this wretched life they live, they are trapped there day in and day out.  I don’t want to think about nighttime in the slums because just being there during the day gave me the creeps.  I am a grown adult feeling this way…I can’t even begin to fathom what it felt like for an 8 year old girl to be forced by her own father to roam those streets for sex.  I am so overwhelmed with Africa, but every time I sit down and get tears in my eyes thinking about it I feel peace.  It’s a peace that can only come from God.  I know He is telling me that He loves everyone single person that is stuck in the slums and that He has His hand on all of them.  It is not my place to worry about what is happening in the slums because worrying is a sign that I don’t trust God and that could not be farther from the truth.  I trust that God is the only thing that can come in and change Africa.  We can’t throw money at the problem because money will not change hearts.  These people have been corrupted by their impoverished lifestyles.  Half the time if they get their hands on money it goes to alcohol or drugs to numb the pain of reality.  No, money is not the only answer to Africa’s plight.  Mama Zipporah once said of her volunteers, “How dare you come and feed my children and not share the gospel with them.  What good is a full stomach going to do them when they are spending eternity in hell?”  Jesus Christ is the only thing that is going to change our world.  A full stomach will soon become empty again.  Clothes will become outgrown and warn.  Buildings will rust with time, but the love of Christ is never changing, never fading, never failing and eternal.  I know that my God is bigger than anything going on here in Africa and no matter how overwhelmed I become with the circumstances that I am faced with, it is impossible not to come back to the fact that God is all-powerful.  If you get Christ into the hearts of these people and then work with them to build loving communities, then money and resources are absolutely essential but without Christ the resources will be useless for long term change.

 

I hope that God breaks your heart, as He does mine, when you hear about what is going on here.  Africa can’t be saved by Christ if there aren’t people willing to leave the comfort of their homes for the sake of spreading God’s word.  I pray that God uses me to show these people love like He has shown me, to encourage and inspire these people.  To let them know that they can be the generation to make a difference.  A good friend of mine told me today about his plans to start raising money at his school in order to build wells for clean water in Africa and with the extra proceeds he was going to have New Testaments printed in different languages for people across the world.  He had counted out how many people went to his school and how much his endeavors would cost, all he needs is the helping hands of friends and teachers.  Then, he ended by telling me to let the children here know that they can make a difference and that people on the other side of the world care about them.  He wanted the people in Africa to know that people in the US were working to make a change so that this country can become everything that Jesus intended it to be.  I felt so inspired by my friend’s motivation.  He isn’t letting the fact that he is on the other side of the world stop his efforts to change Africa.  He isn’t allowing himself to be consumed by the things of his culture like who is wearing what, who bought what new material thing, who is dating who, what celebrity is pregnant or divorced or on drugs.  He isn’t letting himself be comfortable in a culture that is so devoured by themselves that they turn their eyes to the injustices across the world.  He understands Jesus call to action and the fact that this life is NOT about things that are fleeting, which the world covets and clings to.  Jesus tells his disciples to leave everything and follow him.  So we praise His name with our lips but deny dropping our stuff to take up His cross and then we claim we are worthy to call ourselves “Christians”.  This is not a blanket statement because so many of friends and high school kids understand this so well and are probably getting fired up reading this (I hope).  I just think it begs repeating because I sure as heck don’t want to be someone that grows numb to the calling of Christ and the implications of that calling on my life and I don’t think any one else can afford to belittle them either. 

Update!

I have been working hard to put together an excel spreadsheet for Huruma to use in order to organize their sponsorship information.  It has been a tedious task but I think it will be extremely useful when I'm all done.  A lot of things are really disorganized in the office, they still use filing folders from around 1965 , but somehow it works nicely for them.  I have been trying to reorganize and put a lot of their information onto the computers so it is easier to keep track of but they are so fond of their folder system that I don't even know if they will use the information I have updated in the computer.  However, everything I do here I do for the glory of God, which means I am doing everything to the best of my ability no matter how futile it might be.  Just a short update to let you know that I actually am doing work here and I’m not spending all my time playing with the kids haha.  Most of the day they are in school but I get to spend time with them at night and help them study, (they all have big exams on Friday).  Hope all is well at home!

All my love and joy in Christ Jesus,

Keira