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!
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!
You are a stud (this is Garrett and Cheyne, btdubs)! It's so great to see you out in the world, fulfilling the great commission! Cheyne and I are SUPER excited for all of the amazing things that God is going to do through you. Jesus said that we would do GREATER WORKS than Him, if we'd simply have faith in Him (John 14:12).
ReplyDeleteHere's a couple of scriptures that I hope are helpful for you in the things that you're doing out there. 2 Timothy 1:7 tells us that God has provided us with a sound mind; we also know that the righteous (as in, those who are in Christ) have a blessed (prosperous, peaceful, good) memory (Proverbs 10:7). I am fully persuaded that Esther's memory will improve to perfection if she and her family become fully persuaded that our God is a healing God (Exodus 15:26).
In Deuteronomy 28, God gives a list of diseases that are the result of the "curse of the law". One of them is "consumption" (v. 22, Hebrew word "shachepheth", which in modern Hebrew translates to "tuberculosis"). When read in the context of Galatians 3:13, which says that through Christ we are FREED from the curse of the law, Deuteronomy 28 becomes a list of sicknesses and diseases that we are FREE FROM (and fun fact, v. 61 says that we are free from EVERY DISEASE, even if it isn't listed in this chapter). Suffice to say, it is 100% God's will for Allen to be healed from Tuberculosis (and any other disease that the devil throws his way)! Be confident and bold that our God is exactly who He said He was in that awesome book He wrote us, and you will see GREATER THINGS than you could ever imagine (starting with the awesome healing of Esther and Allen).
Like I said, you're a stud!!! Keep up the GREAT WORK, and Cheyne and I can't wait to hear your awesome testimonies!
God bless you!
Garrett and Cheyne