From Arkansas to Kenya -Part 2

Passport? Check!
Clothes? Check!
Shoes? Check!
Personal Items? Check!

The list went on. It was January 11, 2016, and the time had come to make sure everything I would need for the next two months was packed. In just a couple of hours, I would be on my way back to Kenya to serve at Naomi's Village for eight weeks.

I was brimming with excitement, yet there was a weird lump in my throat as we took to the air. What all would the next two months hold? In what ways did God want to grow me?

Honesty isn't always easy, but it's a freeing and beautiful way that God has designed for us to be emptied of the lies that we believe and hold tightly to so that we can be filled with the Truth that sets us free. These next few paragraphs are going to be some of my raw feelings and emotions as I spent sixty-two incredible days in Kenya.

 The first several weeks back in Kenya and at Naomi's Village were filled with getting to know the fantastic team of people who dedicate their lives to raising children who will grow up to lead their beautiful country. Each day proved to be a blessing as I worked alongside this amazing community of house moms, cooks, teachers, and directors but I had a mindset that needed reshaping -a mindset that can be toxic to short and/or long-term missions experiences.


As the days passed, I began to realize that I had a defective mentality that seems to permeate the American mind. It is the mentality that serving among the nations is a lifestyle where most days are filled with miraculous moments of redemption and heaven-come-to-earth occurrences.  It's the idea that the command "Go ye and make disciples of all nations." is more relevant and important if you obey by serving thousands of miles from your motherland. While the first of these views may hold a bit of truth, here are a couple of things that eight weeks serving at Namoi's taught me.

1.) It is simply a privilege to serve others in the name of Jesus.
If we want to think miraculous, it's the fact that the Creator of the universe would invite me, you, to share and live out His story of redemption. It's not the work that makes it miraculous. It's the fact that such a Master would call workers who are a work in progress themselves.

2.) God does not measure our obedience by the things that we do but by our heart posture towards what He has asked of us. In God's eye obedience is obedience. There really is no such thing  as "big" obedience and "small" obedience before God. Our Father looks at my heart attitude towards what He has asked of me -will I be faithful with what He has summoned me to do!? God is not so much concerned about our geographical location as He is about at our heart posture and faithfulness in the task He has given us to do.

As I began to learn these truths in a greater way, the weeks turned into a month, and I had the privilege to revisit Wells of Joy Ministries. It is always amazing how God so often works and clarifies His invitation to us -the invitation to step deeper into the glorious plan He designed for each of His children before the creation of the world.

The weeks leading up to going to Kenya and even the weeks that followed after I was there, I was kind of nonchalant about revisiting Wells of Joy. But that all began to change the morning we were to spend the day at the ministry. The indifference that I had felt over the past few months started to be replaced with happy anticipation for what the day held. After driving through thick traffic for a couple of hours, we arrived at the entrance of the slums and waited for the ministry director, Pastor Geoffrey Mutunga, to escort us in. As we walked along the narrow road scattered with bits of trash, dodging mud puddles, it was like God was flipping back on every emotion that seemed to have been shut down. The emotion that I was feeling the strongest was the same one that was most predominant the first time...

Doing nothing about what I was seeing, touching, walking among was NOT an option.

But what was I suppose to do? What was my response going to be? How might I get more involved with being a voice for the voiceless who call such a dark and hopeless place home?

You might have a good idea of the answer to those questions, but I'll share a bit of the arduous heart journey that leads to some of those questions being answered in other post. Stay tuned for part 3.