July 11, 2012 | Expeditions 2

Kenya, beautiful Kenya.

It feels likes I was just making my first Ken-Ya jokes (ex: “Ken-Ya Believe It?” “Ken-Ya pass the chipati?”) It feels like I just witnessed the first of many Kenya jerseys being bought by our team. Like I just met our translator/guide/friend Phillip for the first time. Or heard my first all night worship session on full volume from our church across the street. Or saw my first Kenyan street child and didn’t know how to react. It feels like Jerusa just woke us up to our first “African babies!” screams. That I did my first door to door Kenya experience or ate my first mendozi. Wasn’t it just yesterday that I walked into the clinic for the first time to volunteer and realized that that’s exactly somewhere I could be? It definitely feels like it should not yet be time to leave Bungoma, Kenya.

Kenya has been amazing for me. No matter how fast I felt it went, God did so many things in every heart involved in all of our ministries. And amazing things in our team.

The people that have taken care of us?

Jerusa, Lillian, Sarah, Bishop, Phillip, Geoffrey, Jackson, Elica, Mirium, Daniel – and so many more – are not just generous people who have offered countless hours to serve us, they are our family. And I truly mean that with every bit of me.

The street children that we pass every day in town?

The ones with no shoes, no money, no food, and no shelter? Junior, Brian, Julius – just to name a few – they have become our children. Not a day goes by that our hearts don’t re-shatter for every one of those children. And the love that we have in our hearts for them is unexplainable.

The houses that we have visited going door to door?
Even on days when we know we don’t have enough energy or even the will to go evangelize, we constantly reunite as a team proclaiming in joy how God truly worked in lives that day. That even though we woke up without drive to go, we are so glad that we did not hold back because the Lord is more powerful than our insecurities.

The churches we visited on Sundays?

As we were split into groups of 3 or 4 to go out to the various branches of King Jesus Faith Ministries – our home church – we were accepted with such open arms and joy filled greetings – we were never happier that we worked all night on a sermon we found out about giving just hours before.

What did Jesse experience in Kenya?
My 19th birthday, the most beautiful starry night sky, beautiful street children’s faces as we served them in ways that we could, encounters with people that hit me so hard that I had to dry my tears before we went to the next house, one terrible migraine, one amazing healing, giving my first full length sermon, my first opportunity to volunteer in a clinic, potentially saving my first 14 year old girl as I gave her a shot for Malaria, joy in the simplest of things, the life of market shopping, seeing God use my words for His glory even when they feel empty, a LOVE for Kenyan nature, countless misquito bites, realizations on things God is calling me into that I never fully accepted, thankfulness for being blessed with a heart that can forgive, fervent prayer that those that I know would yearn for the same, a ton of carbs, roof top worship, roof top conversation, roof top silence, amazing people with amazing purpose. – GOD.-

As sad as I may be to leave this beautiful, beautiful nation – I know there are great plans for Tanzania. I know that we have no idea what it will look like at all, but there is something so powerful in store that I better plan on being wrecked all over again. When we leave Bungoma, Kenya this evening, I will be leaving a piece of my heart, a whole lot of the Holy Spirit, and be headed for a land of unknown beauty.

Here we go, Tanzania,
Ready for my heart? Well, I hope so.
Cause that’s what you’re gettin’.

Kenya, beautiful Kenya.

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