Why We Go

These seven people were going to be visiting Neema this week, but because of Covid-19, their trip had to be canceled. So we asked them to share why they wanted to go...

Brooke

When I first visited Neema and met the students and staff, I listened to their stories, shared my story, and developed friendships that continue to this day. I knew before my feet hit American soil again that I would be back. I really had nothing to offer them other than my presence, my friendship, and my love, but I came to realize that those are the things that matter the most. There is beauty in linking arms with someone and saying to them, "You matter to me." I have learned so much about resilience, determination, empowerment, and love from the students and staff in Kenya, and I look forward to continuing to learn as I go again in the future.

Tim

When I got a new job this spring, the opportunity for me to visit Neema was finally on the table. The thought of meeting the students and getting to see firsthand what it feels like to live in a place so different from my own was intriguing. I've had a tenuous relationship with short-term missions trips, so it was a relief to hear that's not how this trip was intended. Neema is incredibly thoughtful about the impact they have on their students as well as the surrounding area and culture. I get the sense that there's something incredibly special for me to see in Kenya, even if I don't know what that might be. I am looking forward to going next summer and seeing all that God is doing!

Sue

I was hoping to be on an airplane right now, on my way to Kitale, Kenya to visit my friends at Neema. Unfortunately, the world is in a pandemic and it is not safe to travel. The first time I went, I thought I was going to help young women who were growing up in poverty and to bring Jesus to them. I learned that Jesus is already in Kitale and that I was the one who needed the help. My sisters at Neema taught me to sing loudly, dance with abandon, and pray passionately. I went home changed. Here in the States, I can drown out His voice with life and things. There I can sing loudly, dance with abandon and pray passionately but also sit quietly and listen to my Neema family.

Brenna

I believe it can become easier to throw money at something and feel like we are "doing good”, than to actually change our lives by giving time and the willingness to learn from those different from ourselves. I was looking forward to returning to Kitale, Kenya this year because I believe in the mission of Neema and in the women who attend. I want to continue offering whatever I can in friendship, faith, skill, and time to empower the work that is happening there. I want to continue learning and being changed by them as well. 

Jen

When I learned the team had a spot for me to travel to Kitale in June, I jumped at the opportunity. I've not been to any country in Africa and I was eager to go. To be frank, I’ve actively been a part of white saviorism and poverty tourism in my past and while I'm certainly no expert on the matter, I am working to dismantle these thoughts. I cannot ignore the fact that as we would be preparing to fly half a world away, we are in the heat of a battle for justice and human rights in our own communities. If the purpose of our trip to Kenya was to learn, then I must learn here first. If the purpose of our trip to Kenya was to listen, then I must listen here first. If I must humbly seek what I do not know or understand, I must humbly seek here first. Not because black people in Kenya don’t matter, but because black people in America do. I hope to visit Kitale and the women of Neema in the future; I hope to forge relationships and I hope to remain in-community even when oceans separate. But I only hope to do all of these things knowing I have first offered that same hand—the hand that fights for love and mercy and justice—to my own community.

Daisy

I wanted to go to Kenya to meet the woman who I have been developing a relationship with; to expand my perspective and to gain more empathy, wisdom, and understanding. I sometimes feel sheltered in my life - overwhelmed by the day to day, and it can be difficult to see what is beyond my bubble. Writing back and forth with Mercy and before her, Ruth, I was able to see the world and how God is moving from a different perspective. I wanted to go to see that in person, to further develop that relationship and to become more connected with this ministry that we have loved so much. 

Abbie

These days I often feel stuck inside my bubble. The opportunities to really step outside my comfort zone are few and far between, so when the chance to travel to Kenya and visit the women at Neema came around, I felt a tug to go. Over the years, I’ve heard stories and seen pictures of the women at Neema. The thought of being able to go and meet them face to face was/is something I'd always wanted to do; a chance to fill the gap between me and them. I'm nervous to enter into a culture where I know very little of the hardship and struggle these women have endured, but I've been told that there is no better welcome than that of these women. They are vibrant and spirited and loving. They are thankful for the relationship you are able to share. I’m excited for the chance to go, to see their smiles and be welcomed into their lives.