Life As We Know It - Kenya

Three and a half years ago, I was blessed to have the opportunity to go to Kenya (despite Hannah not wanting me to go). Since then, I've had a special place in my heart and prayers for Kenya in general, and for our partners there. I even used Project Kenya as a means to help kids in Allendale think outside themselves.

Grace Church has been sending teams to Kenya throughout the year. Sometimes these are teaching trips, where leaders can train Kenyan pastors and other church leaders. Other times the trips are for medical teams.

It was encouraging to read the recent article on the Grace Church Pastor's Blog, with insights from some of the members on the most recent medical trip. Some of my favorite parts:

• "I was able to see how important it is to visually demonstrate the Gospel, and how people are more receptive to the Gospel when it is connected to their physical needs being met at the same time."
• "There was something really powerful that happened Easter Sunday at Koinonia Baptist Church.  I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing (and I hate to cry!). We worshipped with the Kenyans. . . . It was a beautiful moment in which two cultures were joined in worshipping the Lord. It really felt like a small glimpse of Heaven, when there will be many more than just two cultures joined together, bowing together, confessing together our love for the Lord."
• "If you are reading this and have been deciding whether or not to take the plunge and step outside of your comfort zone by becoming involved in missions, be it foreign or domestic, do not ignore that call. God has great plans for you and will reveal himself to you in ways that you never thought possible. You may not even like what He is revealing to you initially. But He will use it to draw you closer to Him, and the reward of that far supersedes any discomfort you may encounter along the way."
• "I pray that I will carry with me the trust that I had while in Kenya. I pray that I would live my life with the sort of reckless abandon and freedom that only a child of God can fully know. I pray that I will be able to live in the moment, for every moment that God chooses to give me."

To learn more about being how God is using Grace Church in Kenya, see the Culturally Engaged website.