Isaiah 52:7, New Living translation

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns!”

The Lord called me to Africa many years ago and this trip was His perfect timing. My experience in Kenya was everything I had hoped it would be. I enjoyed seeing the difference in landscape, culture, infrastructure, and food. We were served delicious home cooked meals every day. I ate a chicken foot for the first time, and it wasn't bad. My favorite food was Ugali (Kenyan cornmeal) and fish cooked whole over a fire. One day, I saw a Marabou stork fly by our building, which is a 5-foot-tall bird with a wingspan of up to ten feet! The roads in town weren't bad at all, but as we travelled further out, it became quite the adventure. During their rainy season, these roads will become impassable. Many people travel via motorbike as they don't own a vehicle. I observed that these bikes would carry up to four people at a time. One even had a casket strapped on the back! The culture is one of brightly colored buildings and fabrics and lively music. Worship time at the churches was an enjoyable and uplifting experience. We all danced and praised the Lord in a freedom I don't see here in America. One of the congregations were especially jovial and we formed a line and danced right out the back door of the church and around the building. Another observation I made can be summed up in one word, cows. There were cows absolutely everywhere, blocking the road, grazing, and walking within inches of our van. On our day of rest, we experienced seeing zebras grazing on the side of a road, wild giraffes, elephants, and baboons.            

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I have been on mission trips before, but travelling across the Atlantic to a completely different culture was new for me. A mission trip like this one is something that changes a person forever, I will never be the same! The people of Kenya gave us a warm welcome. And after thirty-eight hours of travel, we got straight to work at the first of eight churches. The team spoke to the congregation and held a baptism. They had dammed up a small creek to create deep enough water and afterward, they allowed the waters to flow free again and as the water flowed, I pictured the sins of the people being washed away forever. Once the service was over, we were blessed to purchase many supplies and candy for the children and return to pass out the items. On Sunday, we completed a church tour which consisted of rising early and driving to four separate churches to greet them and pray over their congregations. The day ended with attending the main church for worship, preaching, and another baptism opportunity. That day forty-five people were baptized, with a total of seventy-six for our time there. After crunching the numbers, I realized that for seventy-six hours of travel, we baptized one person per hour which made it all worth it. My most memorable moment was having the honor of baptizing an elderly man whose congregation had never had a baptism service before. He had accepted Christ and had been counselled on the act of baptism, but was just waiting for someone to come. We held two days of a leadership conference/revival service. Many leaders came forward for anointing in their ministries. Men, women, and children of all ages came forward for prayer with a variety of needs, but not so different than our own.       

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One of the biggest blessings from this trip was the unity within our team. In preparing for the trip, we each sensed that we would meet with spiritual warfare and even personal safety concerns. The spiritual warfare and personal safety concerns did become a reality, but God was faithful to protect us and guide us as we served. God specifically used Psalm 91 to comfort us. I truly believe that the members of this team were hand-picked by a loving Father. I experienced the living out of 1 Corinthians 12:20, "As it is, there are many parts, but one body." I believe that as a team, we moved and breathed as one. If God revealed something to one of us, He always confirmed it with a second team member. One thing I learned during this trip is how important it is to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit as He guides. His leading and guiding was most crucial on the success of this mission. I believe the challenge that God left me with after this trip is to continue to press into Him and cast off the desires and longings of the flesh and focus completely on Him.  

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I have been home now for a few days and although I appreciate the comforts and familiarity of home, there are things I will miss from Kenya. I still crave the fresh truly organic foods that we enjoyed every day. I miss the companions that the Lord provided for us as we travelled. I don't miss the 5am daily call to prayer from the mosque down the street. What I will miss most of all was the ability to be completely focused on the Kingdom work and where the Spirit of the Lord would lead us daily. We often get caught up in the daily sameness that can distract us from our true calling. I purpose to stay focused, putting His work first and all other things second. Our purpose is to do Kingdom work whether at home or across the globe in Africa.

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More details: https://www.lifewithchristministries.org/missions