August 12, 2018
This morning I sat in my church in Troy, Alabama, singing along with the congregation proclaiming “what a beautiful name it is, the name of Jesus!” Just over a month ago I sat in a local body of believers across the world in Kenya, Africa, singing the exact same song. My mind drifted back to those moments of worship when I was surrounded by people that spoke a different language and walked a different life, but were one with me in the body of Christ- brothers and sisters united. Life has picked back up again here in States as I’ve settled back into my dorm room at Troy University and will soon begin classes and work. Though life continues on in its normal fashion for me today, I can’t seem to brush away, nor do I want to brush away, the thought of all those that are gathering today somewhere way across the ocean singing together “what a beautiful name it is!”
I’ve spent time in my last two blogs telling you of all those that I got to pleasure of teaming up with during our trip to Kenya. I walked you through each member of Troy 7 and what each of them brought to our team, as well as sharing with you about the Kenyan students that impacted my life in such lasting ways. What I haven’t done, however, is tell you about all the people in between that I got to meet, share laughs, hugs, and meals with, and who I saw through Christ through in such magnificent ways while in Africa. I cannot move on until I do just that!
During our month in Kenya one of the coolest things we got to do was stay in host homes, where families took us in and cared for us during our stay. I’ll be blunt- I was VERY nervous about this. I knew that their homes would look different than ours and my comforts or what is normal to me would be taken away, and I was nervous about that transition. What I had disregarded, however, was the love I would receive from the people that made up those homes. We stayed with three different families while we were there: The Simmons, Lilian’s family, and the Bulimu’s. We also spent a lot of time with the Mugo family, though we never actually stayed in their home overnight. Each of these families showed us such unconditional love as they fed us and provided a place for us to sleep. We never went without! During each of our stays I saw so clearly their faithfulness to the Lord as they served Him by serving us. Some of my favorite memories from the trip happened under their roofs.
At the Mugo’s home, where we shared many meals, we got to experience Kenyan farm life! They showed us their corn fields, dairy cows, and they even let Caleb and Kevin kill a chicken that we got to eat for lunch one day! Talk about an African experience! Their property was beautiful, and their family was lovely. Mrs. Mugo was one of a kind and truly a woman after God’s own heart! She kept us laughing (and eating- Rachel!) After our very first meal at their home the sun had gone down and we had gotten pretty chilly, so some of the girls climbed into the van to warm up! She quickly came to find us to let us know that there were dishes to be done! We followed her to their outdoor kitchen where we were shown how to wash dishes in outside pans. As we tried to learn their way of washing, we shared lots of laughs because I think they thought they knew how to do it better than us 😉
The Simmons family was the first home that we stayed in as a host home! They live out in Namanga, a town near Tanzania! Here we used our first latrine (outside bathroom) and took our first bucket showers- some more African culture that we Americans had to figure out! Each night we were here we sat in their living room surrounded by each other and their family and shared a meal and so many laughs! The Simmons housed missionaries throughout the year and we got the pleasure of staying in their mission house which was named after a boy who traveled to Kenya on mission and passed away during his time there. It was an honor to be in a place where I’m sure many others have also laid their head during their time laboring for the Gospel. The Simmons family impressed on my spirit such a dedication to serving the Lord in mighty ways but aiding others in that process, as well as engaging in it themselves as Mr. Simmons was the pastor of a local church that we got to visit.
One of the most special stays for us was a visit to Karatina where we stayed with Lilians family! We got to meet her grandmothers as well as some aunts, uncles, cousins, and her mom and siblings! It was so neat to get to see this side of Lilian’s life and her family- you could see how each of them loved her so dearly, and how greatly she also loved them. We got to tour their coffee farm and pick Macadamia nuts which were so yum!! Two worlds were colliding as we all sat together for a meal the very last night and the Lord’s sovereignty was so evident in that moment. All of these people from different places all over the world in this moment seated together, enjoying the fellowship of one another, all due to the beautiful work of God weaving our stories together! How incredible!
The last family we had the pleasure to stay with was the Bulimu family. This family truly overwhelmed us by how welcoming and hospitable they were towards us. We got to meet Ms. Bulimu, as well as her son and three daughters, and grandson and their grandmother. This is the home we stayed in when we visited the school in Njoro built in memory of my dad, so it was a very special week for me. What was so incredibly neat about this stay, was that Ms. Bulimu had recently lost her husband to cancer. I got to share my story with them, and she was there to comfort and encourage me in the pain that her family had faced in losing their husband and father. I was so thankful for to have that surrounding me in that specific time, knowing that she knew the pain of losing someone so dear. Leaving them was difficult, as we grew to love them so quickly and truly felt at home in their presence.
I could write 10 more blogs on the people I got to meet while in Kenya, because the hearts that we joined with during our time there truly left the greatest impact on my life. From each child running around a school ground, to each person who shook our hands and welcomed us into their churches on Sundays, to each family that opened up their hearts and their homes to us. I learned so much about the Lord in that place. I saw His beauty on display in each smile I saw and each heart I joined with. He is the God of all people and of all nations, and I’m so thankful to have gotten to see that at play.
Two people who I cannot go without mentioning are Michelle Stark and Ms. Ann, AKA Mama Nana! These two women are full of passion and love for the Lord and have dedicated much of their lives to the service of the Gospel in helping these children and their families. Ms. Ann has traveled with Matanya’s Hope for several summers and we got the joy of working with her for two weeks of our trip! She has been able to build relationships with many of the university studetns, as well as the grade school students over her time going to Kenya and you cannot help but see the love that she has for each of them. Michelle is the founder of Matanya’s Hope and I’m just not sure I have enough words to describe fully the impact that she is making on so many lives- in both Kenya and the States! She works tirelessly to ensure she loves on these kids with her entire being and to bring them the education, the community, and the provision they need to not only survive but thrive and reach their greatest potential. She knows them each by name and you can tell that they know her, love her, and appreciate her in massive ways. She truly is a world changer and I look up to her in so many ways.
These are the faces of real people living real lives way across the ocean on this real planet. I cannot fully express the impact each of these souls have made on me. I am eternally grateful that for a brief moment our worlds got to collide, and I pray that wasn’t the last time I will get to experience such a beautiful occurrence as the body of Christ coming together from all nations.
Remember + Rejoice 