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     Well, it has been a few weeks since arriving in Orange County. My life is now back to normal and it feels so wierd. I started work the week after I got home, school started this week, and I have been to numerous family events. Its hard for me to imagine that I experienced what I did in Kenya. For some reason it almost seems as if the trip was shorter than two months. Looking back, the days went by at a normal pace, but now it seems like only a week.
     I need to slow down a little bit, to really reflect on what I have seen and done. God has given me a life changing experience and I need to be appreciative. People are so impoverished all over the world...I need to share the memories and stories. When I first left I did not even realize how it would affect other people. After a few weeks or so my mom told me how  this and that person had shared about me to their friends...it is an endless cycle. God has a plan in this mission trip; me taking this leap of faith has helped plant seeds in people's lives.
     Lord, I praise you for the two months you provided for me to be in Kenya. I pray that my view on life would forever be changed. Bless all of the people I came in contact with and created friendships with.

Bosnia Family Well

     A few months back my parents had the idea of donating money to put a well in Kenya. On Monday I had the opportunity to meet with Pastor Steve and Ben the hydrologist to figure out where we could place the well so that it would be used properly and have the best effects. We decided on a small five acre compound that holds one hundred families called Bosnia.
     We arrived at the village to meet the elders and talk about the precise location to place the well. The experience in itself was unreal to me. The people were so kind and loving! I was honored to be there and help them have access to clean water. After Steve and I got out of the car, a group of young children came up to say hello. But the first one we said hi to was a girl named Naomi--total God thing. It was as if that was Him saying, yep this is where the well is supposed to be.
     We then prayed together and took some pictures of the final spot for the well. After I prayed the elders sang a song for Steve and I; it was such a blessing.
     Yesterday Ben the hydrologist began the process of the well and they may have it finished before I leave Kitale Friday morning! So if you think of it, please pray for protection over that community and the well. Pray that people would not abuse the clean water. And pray that the village would give all their praise to Him for providing the well!
     Thank you Lord that I was able to witness such an amazing experience. To see that my family is able to help a village of one hundred families to have access to clean water. You are so big God, You can accomplish anything--big or small. I love that about You. Please protect the well and let it change many lives of Bosnia! Amen.

Women of Kitale

     Yesterday a group of girls drove to Kipsongo (a neighboring city to Kitale) and went to a place where women create and make jewelry for a living. The room was very small, but it was filled with tons of beads, from bracelets to necklaces. Each woman had her own section on the wall with a picture of herself and what she had made.  It was so special to be able to see who had created each piece of jewelry, I wanted to buy them all. The jewelry is so unique and beautiful and I am honored to be able to support four different women through my purchases. Here are a few of the women that make the beads.

 

     Later that same day a few of us girls went down to the Shimo women's bible study that we have been involved with for the past few months. This was my first time helping with the study and it was such a great experience. Typically there are around twenty five to fifty women that come every Friday for fellowship in the Lord. Last week the topic was how Jesus washed the feet of His disciples in John 13:1-17, and this week we enacted what Jesus did. About six of us girls knelt down to wash the womens' feet; it was an amazing feeling to not worry about my needs and just focus on what He would do for the people He loves. The women felt His blessings and His never ending love through our actions. 

 

     Lord, I pray your blessings over the women of Kipsongo and Shimo La Tewa. I thank you for each and every one of them that I got the chance to talk and spend time with, as well as financially support. Let them see You in me when I interact with them, let them feel loved by You. Please bless my final week here in Kenya and allow me to be Your hands and feet. Amen.

Beautiful Things

All this pain
I wonder if I'll ever find my way?
I wonder if my life could really change at all?
All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found?
Could a garden come up from this ground at all?


You make beautful things
You make beautful things out of the dust
You make beautful things
You make beautful things out of us


All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You

You make beautful things

You make beautful things out of the dust

You make beautful things

You make beautful things out of us

You make me new, You are making me new

You make me new, You are making me new

You make beautful things

You make beautful things out of the dust

You make beautful things

You make beautful things out of us

     Praise Him, for He makes such beautiful things! This song has become one of my favorites since being on this trip. It has opened my eyes to see how God has created each of us for a purpose in a special way. Thank You!

Distractions

     Let me just tell you this, it is so hard to focus on this trip. Distractions are a daily struggle. Sometimes my thoughts are with my family and my sister’s wedding, sometimes I think about school or what I am coming beck to in a few weeks. I have so many things I feel like I need to prepare for, but then I realize that my focus should be here in this moment. I am constantly being tempted and drawn away from my daily ministries. Heavenly Father, please keep You at the core of my day. I do not want to worry and think about my future needs, I just want to work for You here and now. Lord, be with me today and each day of this trip. Show me what you want me to see. 

Luke 16

Okay so how crazy is it that I have two weeks left and I will be back home? So many people have come and gone on this trip and soon enough I will be one of them. It freaks me out some. Like, I am not going to be able to wake up and see all of the kids’ precious faces and get to old their hands.

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little can also be trusted with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?”

God wants us to follow His word and do what is right and true at all times. Honesty really is the best policy…it’s not just a common saying. And the next few verses about two masters: it seems so obvious but everyone struggles with this, we all have our worldly possessions that we covet and desire. Most of the time we end up choosing them over spending time with God each day. But He is a million times better then those worldly things. Not only that, people who see us say, “we love the Lord and are Christians” then we act another way. That only ends up turning them away and being confused about what is the right thing to follow.

“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.’”

The rich man and Lazarus story is so real to me, and shocking at the same time. Lazarus loved the Lord regardless of his awful situation and he ended up in Heaven; while God blessed the rich man abundantly, however he did not give Him praise so he went to Hell. Once in agony, the rich man wanted to spare his brothers’ lives and share how to be saved, but the Abraham replied, “they have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.” God wants them to have the same chance as everyone to chose Him over the worldly things. So crazy.

Thank you Heavenly Father for allowing me eyes to see You. Thank you for giving each of us the opportunity to chose everlasting life in Heaven with You. I pray that I will make the time to know You and to love You. You deserve all the worship and praise for all You have done in and for our lives. Amen!

Updates

     Okay so I have a few updates for you! Remember Sarah, the elderly woman who had a horrible jigger problem and was malnourished. Well over the past few weeks with all your thoughts and prayers at home and the help of the doctors and nurses. We have been able to make her almost one hundred percent better! She can now talk with us and make funny faces with us. She eats biscuits (cookies) and drinks chai tea like its her job. I love visiting her every week and getting to see her respond so quickly! God has really shown himself in Sarah's life. Her jiggers are basically gone, which means she is no longer being eaten alive. Praise God!
     After one night at the hospital, Dorkus was taken care of, and her injuries were not as bad as expected. When Kyleigh and I arrived to check on her, we saw her walking around and talking. Wow right? We sat down with her and talked about what had happened. She told us that she had forgiven her sister who had beaten her! If that were me, I honestly do not think I would be able to forgive so quickly. Dorkus is a great example of who Jesus is. About an hour later we paid her hospital bill and she was discharged. God loves her so much and I am honored to have been able to help her through all of that trouble.
     Thank you Heavenly Father for always being present in our lives. You are the Almighty Healer! Amen to that! And thank you for all your prayers back home and keep it up! It is definitely working!

Mysterious Ways

Yesterday Dorsa, Kyleigh, and I were in Shimo La Tewa doing the usual walk through and chatting with people. As we were leaving we came across a large crowd of people who were all just staring at a young woman lying on the ground. She had been brutally beaten and was left unconscious on the dirt. It was unreal to me; I was so shocked and confused. How can someone first of all physically attack someone, and then leave him or her there to basically die. It was awful. We ended up praying over her and had a piki piki (motorcycle) take her and her mother to Sister Frieda’s Hospital. When the piki piki arrived we lifted her off of her back and sat her up, she slowly woke up and then started to sob. So heartbreaking.

I felt as if there was nothing I could possibly do but pray for her health and safety. It makes it even worse to hear that she had good intentions. A neighbor told us that she was going to take her younger sister away from her boyfriend because they were living together at fifteen. They beat her and ran away…also known as a hit and run.

God had us walk by at just the right time; He planned for us to be apart of all of those people’s lives. Because we showed that we cared in the first place by stopping and seeing what had happened, people were influenced in a good way. Our prayers and loving hearts was just another sign of God’s love for everyone. He works in such mysterious ways and I absolutely love that. We got the chance to help someone in need and we took it. Praise God.

Tomorrow we are going to Sister Frieda’s to see what has happened and how she is doing. If you can, please pray for Dorkus’ physical and spiritual health. We do not know if she loves the Lord, so pray that she would see Him in this situation. I will keep you all updated on her status. Thank you!

Busy Busy

Last Friday afternoon some of us went to the Nature Conservatory in Kitale…also known as the funny farm. Just know that it started pouring rain and that I definitely fell on my butt. The first half of the tour we walked through and got to see how beautiful Kitale is, but let me tell you it was slippery. Then we got to the funny part, but a little bit sad at the same time, deformed animals. There were cows with extra parts in weird places and midgets with legs half the size as normal. It was quite the scene. We also noticed a cow who was about to give birth. We stood and watched for a half hour then walked away and there and behold a baby calf was born. So adorable! Oh and by this time we were all sopping wet from the downpour.

Saturday half of us went to Kipsongo to help build homes and the other half did a Shimo walk. The goal of the day in Shimo was to ask different families questions about their iives and to see if they are saved in the Lord. We ended up going into around thirty huts and seven people committed their lives to Him. It was such an experience getting to pray with the people of the slum and see them give their lives to the creator. It brought them so much joy and me as well!

Sunday the team drove up to Mount Elgon, which is about two or so hours away from Kitale. We went to a local church and had a service prepared. We sang together and a few of us shared testimonies of how God has taken us from sadness and brought joy, love, and peace to our lives. After the service we shared lunch with the pastor and his family. Afterwards we hiked up to the caves of the mountain and saw God’s beautiful creations. It was such great experience.

I love what God is allowing me to do and see on this trip. He has opened my eyes to a world that is so much bigger than me. It makes me think about how I have been living my life until now; I have been so selfish and needy. My prayer is that I can change that about myself. Lord allow me to be more and more like you each day that You give me. 

Jambo

     Life here is so different, people get on a more personal level and are so welcoming. Walking through town and Shimo it is almost guaranteed you will say hello and shake hands with at least fifty people. I love that about the culture here in Kenya. People in America are so focused on ourselves and we do not want to take time out of our lives to talk with random strangers. We are always told “stranger danger,” but that is definitely not the case here. Kenyans are so welcoming it is amazing; they will invite anyone into their homes. They are so proud of what God has provided for their families, even if that means a small one-room mud hut with a sheet to make two rooms. They are blessed people that love the Lord with all of their heart. Their faith in Him is so inspiring! 

Pure Joy

     About two years ago a friend of a friend gave me a sticker with a bible verse on it. At the time I chose the sticker based on the design she had drawn on it (superficial I know), not knowing how God would use that verse in my daily life in the next few years. Since then I have used it as a bookmark; so whenever I turn to the page where I had previously left off, I take out the sticker and read the verse once again. Every time I re-read that verse, it brings me pure joy.

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again-rejoice! Philippians 4:4 

     I just think it is so cool to see God working in my life and how he has such a big plan for each and every one of our lives. He brings me joy every single day. I love seeing when His people are happy. Seeing how the simple things of life can put a smile on a face. Even just throwing a small ball back and forth is so exciting for some kids. Or taking silly pictures.

     When moments seem dull or boring, I try to pray and think about how wonderful our Lord is. How He created each of us so unique and different. How He loves us no matter how "badly" we sin. In His eyes we are all beautiful. How He knows our thoughts and prayers before we do. That is mind boggling. How he provides for us, from food to a safe, warm shelter. How He allows us to make decisions (we are not forced into following Him--it is a choice). How much joy He brings to my life.
     Lord I choose You, take my life, I am letting go. Lead me where you want me to go, show me what you want me to see. I know I will feel joy because of Your never failing love.

His Presence

God has really been teaching me so much. I feel like I have never seen Him so much in my life like I have in the past month. I know the Holy Spirit has always been with me, but being around an entirely different atmosphere has taught me, in a way, to recognize that more. I do not know how to describe it; His presence is just more recognizable. And I absolutely love it.

I feel like Sister Frieda’s Hospital is where I really feel the most used. Whenever I am there (twice weekly), God always shows me someone really in need of prayer and love. Numerous times I have had the opportunity of holding and praying for the lives of blessed newborn babies. God’s presence is so prominent when I have a hand on them; I just know that He is speaking through me in my prayers.

Last week I met a group of ladies and a day old baby boy. They still had not chosen a name for him, so I suggested a few names. They ended up liking the name Connor, but changed it to Connard. I learned a little bit about their family and where they are in their walk with the Lord. It was so special to see how much sisterhood they had and the love they had for one another. I was honored to pray for them and for the future life of Connard. I know that God will bless them abundantly and I am so excited about that.

An elderly woman named Sarah who is extremely malnourished and has a bad jigger problem has been in the hospital for a few weeks now. Numerous times I have had the chance to just sit with her, hold her hand, pray with her, and share God’s word. I am honored that God allows me to spend a few hours here and there with her. Of course she speaks Kiswahili so it is difficult to communicate, but God is the translator.

Since being in Kenya I have been learning a few words of Kiswahili, basic words like: Jambo (Hello), habari (how are you?), mzuri sana (very good), kwaheri (goodbye), wewe (you), mimi (me), kuomba (pray), kidogo (little), asante (thank you), karibu (welcome), cheka (smile), cheza (dance), sema (whats up? or say), and poa (cool). The language barrier is difficult to get past, but somehow God gets my points across when needed.

Lord, I pray daily that I will get to see You in a new way. Open my eyes to the things unseen, show me how to love like You. Bless this day and be with my friends and family back home. Amen.

Give me Ten

Growing up, whenever I was upset or acted bratty about something, my mother would always tell me, “give me ten.” Which meant immediately reporting ten things right that I was thankful to God for. Let me be honest here--at the time, I seriously hated that and it really only seemed to make me angrier. But looking back, I realize that it really did change my outlook on whatever silly thing I was upset about and deep down, usually made me feel better. That is so cool to me; who knew that my mother doing something so simple would be so heart changing? God, thank you for my sweet mommy. Thank You for my entire family for that matter; they have helped shape me into the woman I am today.
        Being here in Kenya has shown me so much that I am thankful for. Most people here are so poor that they live in mud and dung huts, and many kids and even adults are forced to sleep on the streets at night. Thank God I have a safe and warm home to sleep in every night. All students are required to pay for their education, books, tests, uniforms…everything, so if a family can not even afford food for the next day it is highly likely that the children do not attend school. Public schools in the United States are virtually free, occasionally we have random dues, but the government pays for every child's basic education. Here, new clothing is rare, in fact most children or adults have holes in their clothes. If I have even a small hole in a shirt, it gets tossed aside. Not having new clothes isn’t something we have to worry about in Orange County. I thank God for allowing me the chance to buy a new shirt when I need one.

All of this is just so shocking to me. God has given me so much and I never seem to recognize that. I need to be in constant prayer thanking him for things I really do not need. Kenyans seem so content with what they have and Americans in general always want more. We can never have enough, but people all over the world are struggling to stay alive. I want to stop taking my life for granted.

Heavenly Father, thank You for all You have given me, allowed me to do, and for what you have planned for my life. May my life forever be changed by what I have and continue to witness on this amazing journey.

The Little Things

     God has been teaching me so much over the past two weeks here in Kitale. I have   realized that the little things are what really matter in life, encourage and touch my heart, as well as minister to those in need. Even holding a little girl’s hand or help cleaning dishes after lunch are part of God’s ministry. He wants us to put others before ourselves in all things.

     The other day at Sister Frieda’s Hospital I was spending time at the baby class, which is the equivalent to kindergarten through second grade. The children were given a snack similar to malt-o-meal at their break when one of the boys accidentally dropped his full cup on the ground. He then proceeded to get on his hands and knees and eat it off the floor. The first thing that came to mind was, “What is he doing? The ground is so dirty…that’s disgusting.” But then I realized that this young boy was hungry and it is a fact of life for him. Dirt does not bother him, and if he is hungry, he is willing to do anything to fill his tummy. This idea is shocking in American culture; if we are hungry we walk into the kitchen…we would never lick food off the ground.

     Children in Shimo (a community of slums) and Kitale have been showing a new infection on their heads and bodies that start as a small pimple like thing, which burst and turn into giant scabs that cover their heads. This infection has been spreading all across town and more and more kids have been getting it. It is scary, to say the least, and is not very appealing to the eye, and we have been very worried about it. For the past two days we have been bathing the children at Discover to Recover and scrubbing the scabs off using gloves, warm water, soap, anti-septic, and a washcloth. For some of the kids it went smoother than for others. One of the little girls who have a pretty bad case began to sob while getting her head scrubbed. It was so awful to witness, everything in me wanted to save her from her pain and sadness. I know that God has a plan and that He will heal them on His own time, but I pray that He will cure it now. I hate seeing the children in pain. All we can do is use medicine and pray that it will work.

     I feel like I have been sensing God’s presence more and more each day. When I read the Word I feel so rejuvenated and excited to live a life like Jesus did. I love hearing great stories about what He did when he lived on Earth. Luke has some amazing stories of how He healed and showed His love to all the people. Thank you, God for sending Your one and only son to die on the cross for our sins so that we may live for eternity with You in heaven. That in itself is beyond me. You are so great, indescribable. 

Day Ten

After a thirty-seven hour travel period (LAX to London to Nairobi to Kitale, that is) we arrived to the compound. Long time, huh? And I was surprisingly happy, I mean normally I would be pretty grumpy, but I was so excited to see familiar faces that I didn’t feel the jet lag. The time difference here in Kenya is ten hours ahead of California. Quite a difference, but after the red eye flights and just being tired in general it was pretty easy to get used to the time-change.

     Over the past week we have visited numerous places, some of which include Oasis of Hope, Discover to Recover, Sister Frieda’s Hospital, Purpose Driven School, Gilgal Secondary School, Lighthouse church, and Shimo. At each of these places we spent a few hours getting to know how they work, who can attend, and how we can serve them. Even just visiting them for a short period of time I feel like I learned so much and saw so many things that God needed me to see.

           
     For the next few weeks we will have the opportunity to serve at a few of these places. I will be able to create friendships and bond with orphans, street kids, and Kenyans from many different broken backgrounds. Even just spending a few hours will make all the difference, which is so great! A few things have really hit me hard when I am out and about here in Kitale. At Discover to Recover I met a little girl named Esther, which is my grandmother’s name. For the past few years she has really struggled with her memory and currently is at its worst. I feel like God brought me to Esther for a reason; He wants me to influence her and share God’s love but all the while to keep Grandma Esther in my prayers daily.

            

     Today we walked around the slums of Shimo. A few of us met a man named Allen who a little over a year ago was diagnosed with Tuberculosis. He told us his story and how he is living his life for the Lord. He has so much faith and puts all his trust in what God has in store for his life; I am so amazed at how much he loves God even though he is in so much pain and has such an awful disease. He is a joyful man and I pray that if it is God’s will that He would miraculously heal him from TB.

     Soon after stopping at a few other huts, a woman came up to us. Her eyes were fully glazed over, her feet swollen, and her drunkenness overcame her entire body. She stared into my eyes as she was speaking in her native tongue; I began to sweat and pray for her because her spirit was not of God. All I could do was pray that the Lord would show Himself to her. I sensed so much sadness in her life and how she is in dire need for God. I pray right now that she would stop giving into temptation and find something greater to fill the hole in her life. “For God is the way the truth and the life,” in Him life is better. Lord let this woman feel Your love and let her realize that she was beautifully and perfectly made in Your image. She needs You. Thank You that I had the chance to shake her hand and pray for her today. I know that she saw something in me, something in my eyes, and felt You in the touch of my hands.

     Over the past ten days I have seen and done so much, it is impossible to tell about it all. I plan on sharing things that really touch my spirit. I look forward to blogging and telling stories for the next two months. God Bless!

Freedom from Fear

     Last night I had another great opportunity to learn of God's great love for me and all of His people. I am not going to lie the service started a little slow for me and I was getting sleepy, but I asked God to show me something...and He did.
     The pastor started his serman with a story, this was what initially caught my attention. He told us about this fear he had when he was young and how in the end his mother (as it was mother's day yesterday!) rescued him. This was to show that of course his mother was his rock, the one who knows everything and can always protect him. We know that God can help us overcome all things, for "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" Philippians 4:13. "[He] is the way, the truth, and the life" John 14:6. God can truly help us, save us, for he knows all.
     As the pastor continued in his teachings he spoke of giving God your full trust, trust that he will guide you and protect you. This is what I needed to hear...as you all know I am heading for a two month trip away from my family who love me and provide a sense of safety and security in my life. I have fear, I am afraid of this long journey, that I will miss out on something, that I will lose my job, that I won't make friends, I could go on and on, but we all know that Satan is putting all of these thoughts and ideas of fear in my mind. But, with God on my side I do NOT need to be afraid. "So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, 'Abba, Father.'" Romans 8:15. The Lord Jesus Christ is my father, he will protect me from all fear and evils.
     After the serman, while in prayer the pastor stopped and said that he wanted those with fear in their lives and their hearts to stand up, right then and there to recieve prayer. I immediately felt this tug in my heart, God spoke to me. So I did what he said, then the pastor asked that those around to stand as well and put their hands upon those in fear. We all prayed together that God would overcome the fear in our lives and that He would give us freedom.
      God you are so good to us, thank you for showing me that You care. Father, please continue to work in my life and help me to be strong in Your love. Forever and ever, AMEN.

Welcome

     Hi there and welcome to my blog! On June 15th I will going on a life changing trip to Kitale, Kenya for two months. How nuts is that? Honestly I am nervous and excited to see what God has planned for me and this trip. I can not wait to create new relationships with all the people I will meet and get to spend sixty days with.

     A few months ago God put this trip on my heart. I was shocked at first, but He really spoke to my heart. I just knew it was the trip I had to venture on. I went straight to the post office. Normally a passport is supposed to arrive between four and six weeks, but I got my passport three weeks later. What a God thing! As a child, I grew up getting no shots whatsoever. Which means that I have to get a lot for this trip to Africa. So far I have recieved three, with a few more to go. Almost there. God has really been providing for me; thank you all for your financial support and prayers.
     Today I took in half the money for the trip to the church office. As I was driving, the idea of me really going to Africa hit me. And it hit me hard. It is really happening, which makes me so scared. All I can do is pray and tell myself that this is God's plan and that I know how wonderful of an experience it will be.
     Father God, please keep my spirits high. You know that I have never been away from my family for more than two weeks, fill my heart with your love and prepare me for this journey to Kitale, Kenya. And bless all those people who have supported me and for those who are currently. Their support is not all for me, but for who You have planned for me to come in contact with. Thank you, Amen.

Blessings,
Naomi