They Have Arrived

Our 2015 Neema Team left this past Sunday for Kitale, Kenya. They arrived safe and sound yesterday, after 3 flights + a 2hr van ride. Though I am sure they are tired from the travel, the excitement of building and renewing relationships with the girls will give them energy (as well as Java House coffee!)

Here is Kesh's "faith testimony" on how she prepared for this trip:

"I like lists. To do lists, grocery lists, all the lists. I get a rush from putting that little check mark next to a task that has been accomplished. It makes me feel good to see immediate results...to feel like I’m making a difference. But this began to translate into me just doing things all the time and never actually spending time with the people I was doing the things for.

Almost a year ago, God convicted me of this “Martha” mentality. In Luke 10: 38 Jesus is at the home of sisters, Mary and Martha. Mary is sitting at Jesus feet hanging on his every word while Martha is so busy doing that she is not only missing out on the fact that Jesus is in her home but she is growing bitter that Mary isn’t helping her. Jesus tells her that Mary has chosen what is better. God has been leading me on a journey over the past year, moving me from a “Martha" to a “Mary". Its been hard and beautiful all at the same time.

I now realize that God has been preparing me for this trip to Kenya. It has been on my heart to go for a couple of years, but I was afraid. I have 4 young kids and I told myself I couldn’t go because "how would I be able to find help for my husband for that long?" But this winter in the midst of God working in my heart in the other area of just being with people and enjoying them, He also really stirred up my heart that this was the time for me to go to Kenya. God knew my fears and He knew that in order for me to take this leap he would need to reassure me that my husband and kids would be taken care of.

So one night, just before the deadline to sign up for the trip my mother-in-law came over and said, “I heard you’re thinking of going to Kenya and I just want you to know that I will be glad to help out in any way you need me to so that you can go.” And that was it. I turned in my application and deposit that week.

As we’ve been meeting and preparing for this trip to NEEMA, I am being stretched by the fact that we aren’t going to DO anything, but rather to just BE present in the lives of these girls and to encourage them in their faith. We’ve been in our series “by faith” at Providence Church and in verses 39 & 40 of Hebrews 11, referring to the believers before us, it says “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect”.

I’m not taking a list to Kenya. Im just taking myself and God’s love. I’m stepping out in faith, leaving my family behind, to just be present with these girls at NEEMA knowing that I might never see the results of what my time there produces. But believing by faith that God’s plan is bigger and that it’s ok if I don’t see the immediate results because I trust that He is at work even when I cannot see."