Kenya is a beautiful place for so many reasons!

Kenya is a beautiful place for so many reasons, but the beauty that stood out to me was the beauty of God’s people. As we visited our partners, we came face to face with with 1 Peter 4:10 in action. “Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God.” 

Julie & The Living Room (The first hospice in Kenya)

Our team took a day and flew to Kipkaren River, Eldoret…a place I didn’t even knew existed. We found a refuge of hope. We saw the faces of people who were sick and dying and we also saw people who were good stewards of the varied grace of God. Julie is someone I will never forget as she lives to give her life away. She is a picture of meekness and strength. Pastor David was a picture of what the church could be in their community. He came to this community many years ago with a mission to discover the injustices and fight to end them. He told us story after story of how God used him to impact his community.

We had the privilege of meeting some of the guests. We met a boy named Marcus who had a skin disease. His whole body was covered in what looked like 3rd degree burns. He was sitting under a mosquito net as we heard about his condition and how they haven’t found a solution to help him get better. As someone on our team prayed for him, I tried to fight back the tears as I looked at this sweet little boy. As we turned the corner to the next room the tears started to flow. The finality of sickness with no solution made me feel so helpless. As we walked into the next room I was asked to pray over the next patient. Her name was Eddah. She wanted to sit up as I prayed for her. She was so weak that it took a few people to help her up. I put my hand on her and prayed through the tears. Our team was rocked by the sickness and looming death. At the same time, we were in awe of God’s people demonstrating His grace to everyone that was there. A few days after we met Eddah, we got word that she passed away. While we mourn the loss of Eddah, I am grateful that she was loved well till the very end of this life. I’m grateful that there is hope beyond the grave!

Julie told us story after story. Some stories ended with a miracle and others with death. She said “What we’ve been invited into is love and the outcome is up to God.”

In 2009, Living Room International was created to meet the needs of the seriously ill in Western Kenya. Through the small but essential act of listening and loving, Living Room saw a tremendous need to work with the community to bring hospice and palliative care services to the small Kenyan village of Chebaiywa. Over the past 10 years, Living Room has been a life-giving and transformative refuge for thousands of people all throughout Kenya.  We have developed community partnerships to work side-by-side with other Kenyans to build two hospices/hospitals in Western Kenya, a home-based care program, and a funeral home. We are challenged daily to learn more, listen better, and love deeper.

Jackie & Logos School

God has been at work through Jackie and the principals and teachers of Logos Schools. They bring more than just education to the communities they are in. They bring hope. I was inspired by the passion of the team to bring the gospel to kids and families. We heard about how one of the principals noticed a child had missed school for a few days and personally went to his house to see if he was okay and bring him back to school. This is not just a job for this team, this is a sacred calling. They have strategic ways for people and organizations to partner with them to educate even more kids. Their vision for expanding their reach to impact more kids and families is big and beautiful!

Anne and Andrew & Bawa Hope

Anne was in the fashion industry and going to Mavuno Church. While she was in her 10 week Rooted Group, she came to the week where they talk about calling. She felt God call her to use her love for fashion and use it to help others. She gave up her job and founded Bawa Hope. Anne along with her husband Andrew lead this business that employs artisans from marginalized communities. I’m blown away at the impact Anne and Andrew make everyday. They give people from marginalized communities a way to earn a living and provide for their families.

Pastor M & Mavuno Church

Pastor M started Mavuno Church in 2005 and now has churches all over Africa and Europe. We had the opportunity to attend The Fearless Conference that Mavuno hosts every year. I met so many leaders whose lives have been so impacted by Pastor M. While it was amazing to meet people in Kenya whose life has been impacted, this was not the first time I’ve seen people benefiting by Pastor M’s faithfulness. He wrote and developed a 10 week small group discipleship program called Mizizi. Mariners Church saw all that God was doing through this program, brought it to America and translated it to English and called it Rooted. I’ve been through Rooted and lead a few groups through it. I’ve seen first hand how God meets people in this environment.

Paul: Our Guide on our Safari

We had the chance to experience a beautiful African Safari! What a trip of a lifetime! We got to know Paul, who was our driver and guide. He sat down to have breakfast with us one day and we asked him to tell us his story. Paul talked about how in love he was with his wife. He told us about how when he was engaged to his wife she was raped and became pregnant. He was devastated at the pain and shame his future wife was experiencing. He said that she had a baby girl. When the time came for him to pay a dowry, because there was a daughter in the picture, he had to pay twice as much. He said he worked hard to be able to pay and with so much love and joy he married his wife and took this little girl as his own daughter. He said that he wanted to take away any shame that his wife and daughter would feel taking them both as his. With a smile, he talked about his daughter in school and her hopes and dreams for the future. As he talked about his family, I was blown away by Paul’s sacrifice. I was blown away by his love. I told Paul that he is a picture of God’s love for us!

We all have gifts! We are invited to be good stewards of the varied grace of God!

I want to thank all of the people who have prayed for me as I went on this trip. I want to thank you for the gifts many of you gave to fund this trip. I am so thankful for your generosity. My trip was 89% funded before I even left. You can see the status of my funding here. If anyone is interested in getting connected with any of the partners we visited, I would be happy to connect you. Thank you!