I was a relatively "normal" child...at least that's what I like to think. I played with Barbie dolls, I loved to draw and color, I played computer games, I hung out with my next door neighbor on a daily basis, and I strived to be the best I could be in all aspects of my life. I've been blessed with growing up in a Christian family that has invested in me by teaching me how to become a good Christian woman, how to serve God & others, and how to respect & love people unconditionally. I've been through a decent amount of heartache in life - broken friendships, relationships with people who have come into my life for a length of time and then disappeared, and death are not strangers to me. Yet I am grateful for these experiences. Although it seems that life wouldn't be so hard without these things, it is difficulties and brokenness that shape us into the human beings we become. And often, the most difficult situations are the ones that change us the most.
I've been fortunate enough to have spent 2 weeks of the past two summers in Kenya, serving alongside fellow Port City Community Church goers. Our church has a partnership with a pastor in Nakuru, Kenya, and thanks to his obedience to God there has been a great bond established between our two churches. It's amazing how God uses His word to connect us to a group of people half-way around the world. As a result of this partnership, Mama Hellen's Rehabilitation Center for street children was established in 2006. Because of this, there are now about 80 children in Nakuru who were previously poverty-stricken (malnourished, homeless, drug addicted, hungry, parentless, and/or struggling for survival), but now have a place to call home. They have a bed to sleep in at night, clothes and shoes to wear, food to eat for every meal of every day, and a community of other children who have been in similar situations. Probably one of the most amazing things about this is that even though they have ALL gone through extremely difficult circumstances, they are by far the happiest, most faithful, and most wonderful individuals I have ever met!
In July/August 2009, I took my first trip to Kenya and had the privilege of meeting about 60 of these children. They range in age from about 6 years old to 18 years old. Mama Hellen's started out being an all boys Rehabilitation Center, but as time progressed they added girls into the mix. When my team went in 2009, the Center had just received it's first intake of girls, so we were all excited about that. This trip had been a dream of mine for years - I had wanted to go to Africa and felt called to go there for as long as I could remember. I really wasn't sure what to expect going there for the first time. I began a lot of relationships with children at Mama Hellen's and with other Kenyan people we came in contact with. Relationships that I feel certain will last a lifetime. And although the trip in 2009 was absolutely incredible, I wasn't aware of the fact that the 2010 Kenya trip would blow 2009 out of the water.
Going into my trip to Kenya this summer, I had a list of things in my head that I expected to learn through this experience. At the beginning of the trip I was frustrated because God wasn't showing me the things I wanted Him to show me. After being still for a little while and trusting in Him, I realized it was because He was showing me other things. Things I NEEDED to see, not the things I wanted to see. The two things I learned most about on this trip were FAITH AND LOVE. Hebrews 11:6 says, "Without faith it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists, and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." This was the memory verse we had the kids memorize for the week, and all of the Bible stories we talked about for the week focused on faith. Little did I know, I would end up learning more about faith through them than they learned about faith through me. In my small group of kids I had the honor of listening to some of the kids tell their testimonies. To hear them talk about where they came from and their experiences while out on the streets, followed by how much their faith has grown because of God's unfailing mercy and love was truly inspirational. These kids have been through more pain and misery in just a few years of their lives than I probably will in the entirety of mine, yet their faith is so incredibly strong! It amazes me how God takes people from the worst of circumstances and takes them to a place where they can have hope.
Love is something we talk a lot about in Christianity. Everyone knows 1 Corinthians 13 - "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud...It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." God tells us to love our neighbors. But who can honestly say that they ALWAYS follow this command? There are people in this world that are very difficult for us to love. That person that alwaysss somehow does that one thing that just really gets on our nerves. Those people who drive about 20 mph UNDER the speed limit. The ones who always know just what to say to irritate us at that very moment. It's near impossible to react well in these situations. But God uses this to help us learn how to love people the way He loves us. It will not happen overnight, it's a slow and sometimes painful process. But these situations are put in our lives to help us learn how to become more like Him. The children in Kenya have taught me more about love than anyone else I've ever met. Those kids are constantly loving on each other (and on those of us who get to go over there every so often). Holding hands is the ultimate sign of friendship over there, and they are not afraid to do it on a regular basis. Boys hold hands with boys, girls hold hands with girls, and their sexuality is NOT questioned. What a beautiful thing. I wish we were more like that here - quick to show love to each other. And the beautiful part is that it IS possible for us, however most people don't dare to move when it comes to going against the common culture in America. If we spent more of our time being intentional with people in our own communities and less time being overwhelmed by the things of this world (work, school, errands, and doing this and that) and the fear of man, we may actually become the people God intended for us to be - full of happiness, faith, and love - and on fire for Him!
Romans 12:2
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be TRANSFORMED by the renewing of your mind..."
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