Jambo (Hello) Family & Friends,
I returned home from Kenya on August 11th. Coming home this year, wasn’t easy. This year in Kenya my eyes were open to so much more out there, and how real everything is, including loosing someone so special and precious to me. Despite this hardship I’ve never experienced before, my heart is exploding with joy thinking of the ways He has blessed me this year by serving in Kenya. God HAS and IS doing mind blowing things in Kenya right now!
The first day we went to Kiamiko to see our sponsored kids. I was so excited to see Felix! I brought him some gifts, as well as some gifts for his baby sister Faith. She was going to be 1 this year. When I saw him walk out of his classroom, I couldn’t believe how big he was getting. This year I got a letter from him, saying that he got glasses because he couldn’t see the board very well. Well when I saw him, the little glasses he had on were the most adorable things ever. He looked like a little man. It has been a blessing to see him grow up. I met him when he was 4 years old and now he is 6! My little boy is growing up so fast.
A translator, Felix and I sat down together and I asked him how his family was doing. He said his family is doing fine. I asked him, “how is Faith? I brought her some gifts.” He just sat there really quiet. I said, “ I bet she is so big now. I know you have been such a big brother to her.” He looked at me and said, “ She’s dead.” My heart suck and I didn’t believe the words he said. I looked at the translator and asked her to please ask him what does he mean. He looked at me again and said, “ She’s dead, she’s dead.” I asked what happened, and Felix said, “she choked on milk.” My eyes filled up with tears, I had a knot in my throat and my hands were shaking. I didn’t want to ruin our time together, so I tried to put that in the back of my head but it was hard. I gave the bag I had for Faith to my roommate and told her to put it on the bus. I gave him all the gifts I brought for him and he loved them all so very much. He always gets so overwhelmed by the gifts, and I understand that, because those are the only things he gets every year. Imaging never getting any new clothes, toothbrushes, blankets, and even toys for a whole year. I look forward to blessing Felix and his family every year I have gone, to give them these special things.
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| Felix's Beautiful Mother Naomi |
This year I was blessed to have the opportunity to go with Pastor Mike Long and the Global Outreach Director Lisa Mitchenson and fly into the Mara for a day and explore rural areas in Maasai Mara and to check out the Over Flow Project through the organization CMF. The overflow project is where they build water wells, in rural areas such as the Mara, the slums of Nairobi and Turkana. These are areas in where they do not have clean water. This experience was so eye opening, just as it was my first time walking through the slums again in Mathare Valley. We visited schools and saw the need for fresh water. What broke my heart was walking down to the river where children from the school wash their clothes, with the only water they have. At first it didn’t seem real, because how could children like this be washing their clothes in such filthy water that was filled with mildew, mosquitoes, and bugs.
It then hit me when a young girl walked up to me and asked if I was there to bring fresh clean water to them. How many times in life do we take for granted clean water? It is all around us, whenever we want it. The head teacher at that school has said that many of the kids have died because of all the bacteria and germs that are on their clothes from washing in that river. They are always itchy, and scratching themselves, and this is because that water is all they have. During the time we were there in the Mara, there was an actual well being dug and planted. I was able to experience the blessing of water shooting 330 feet up from the ground. As I watched the faces of the people and the children in the community when the fresh water was coming up out of the ground changed the way I feel about water for the rest of my life. It was as if they struck oil for the first time, this water is so precious to the families out there. I enjoyed being apart of this with the children and families who will soon benefit from this amazing blessing…..CLEAN WATER! It was such a blessing, yet so hard to watch this but God showed me of how much work needs to be done out in the rural areas. Please help me pray for this huge need in Kenya!
After coming back and joining with my team again, we started VBS that next day in Kiamiko. Getting off the bus, the children were so happy to see us. This year I was blessed to lead out VBS. Everything went so smoothly, and the children were so blessing by us coming to do this for them. My team did such an incredible job in each of the rotations of VBS. Snacks, worship, puppet shows, crafts, games and medical. The medical team saw 1,038 children and adults, and because of your support and contributions to my trip you helped provide the medications for these children and families. This year during Bring In The Light we visited, shared Christ, and brought light into their homes to 26 people. Out of those 26 families, 19 accepted Christ and 9 were Muslim.
CHILDREN THAT LIVE IN THE SLUMS OF MATHARE VALLEY
Thank you to everyone who helped sponsor me in going this year to Kenya. Being
a short-term missionary in Kenya is a gift that God has blessed me with. I am going to continue being obedient with His callings in going to Kenya. I look forward and am so excited to serving in Kenya this next year and for years to follow. I will continue to need your support and prayers. In ministering in Kenya in these ways is something you would like to continue partnering with me in, either in prayer, financially or in any different way, please contact me. I would love to discuss my next trip with you.
The Kenya 2012 Team will be leaving on July 8th – July 21st .
IN LOVING MEMORY OF FAITH
It was such a Blessing to meet you last year! Your mommy surprised me by showing me YOU!! You were the most gorgeous & beautiful little baby I have ever met! You even fell asleep in my arms when I was holding you. I was so excited to see you this year, hold you in my arms again and see how big you grew. I even brought you some big girl clothes, sandals, and a soft blanket. The day I went to go see your big brother at school, my heart broke into pieces when he told me that you choked on milk and that you were now with Jesus. Your mommy, daddy, Felix, and your mommy in America miss you more then you can imagine. I know I am being selfish but I still don't understand why He took you away. You were only 8 months old. I have been praying to Him everyday for comfort, and that in time He can show me why He took you away. I am jealous you get to meet Our King before I do, but I know He is taking good care of you up there! You will ALWAYS have a place in my heart little angel & I can't wait to see you again in heaven one day! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH FAITH!!
4/1/10-12/12/10
The first day we went to Kiamiko to see our sponsored kids. I was so excited to see Felix! I brought him some gifts, as well as some gifts for his baby sister Faith. She was going to be 1 this year. When I saw him walk out of his classroom, I couldn’t believe how big he was getting. This year I got a letter from him, saying that he got glasses because he couldn’t see the board very well. Well when I saw him, the little glasses he had on were the most adorable things ever. He looked like a little man. It has been a blessing to see him grow up. I met him when he was 4 years old and now he is 6! My little boy is growing up so fast. 
A translator, Felix and I sat down together and I asked him how his family was doing. He said his family is doing fine. I asked him, “how is Faith? I brought her some gifts.” He just sat there really quiet. I said, “ I bet she is so big now. I know you have been such a big brother to her.” He looked at me and said, “ She’s dead.” My heart suck and I didn’t believe the words he said. I looked at the translator and asked her to please ask him what does he mean. He looked at me again and said, “ She’s dead, she’s dead.” I asked what happened, and Felix said, “she choked on milk.” My eyes filled up with tears, I had a knot in my throat and my hands were shaking. I didn’t want to ruin our time together, so I tried to put that in the back of my head but it was hard. I gave the bag I had for Faith to my roommate and told her to put it on the bus. I gave him all the gifts I brought for him and he loved them all so very much. He always gets so overwhelmed by the gifts, and I understand that, because those are the only things he gets every year. Imaging never getting any new clothes, toothbrushes, blankets, and even toys for a whole year. I look forward to blessing Felix and his family every year I have gone, to give them these special things.
Thank you to everyone who helped sponsor me in going this year to Kenya. Being a short-term missionary in Kenya is a gift that God has blessed me with. I am going to continue being obedient with His callings in going to Kenya. I look forward and am so excited to serving in Kenya this next year and for years to follow. I will continue to need your support and prayers. In ministering in Kenya in these ways is something you would like to continue partnering with me in, either in prayer, financially or in any different way, please contact me. I would love to discuss my next trip with you. 
Going to Kenya for the past few times (2 years with missions & a Christmas vacation to visit my sister), it always feels so good to be back. A piece of my heart will always stay in Kenya and when I am there I feel completely at home, and filled with joy. My heart continues to grow bigger and bigger for Kenya. I am so excited to return back to Kenya in July. 
In 2009 was when I first met my sponsored child Felix, which was the most incredible moment ever. The part of going to Kenya I anticipate the most is seeing him again. He didn’t know I was returning last year, so when our team arrived at his school, all the children were singing for us. I was looking around for him and at that moment we made eye contact. At first he had a shocked look, as if he couldn’t believe it was me. Then his smile just blew up and he started singing louder and dancing more while jumping up and down. It was a precious and very special moment we both shared. The 3 days we did Vacation Bible School I just loved spending time with him. I visited with his mother and it is such a blessing that she speaks very good English. She shared with me that Felix has a new baby sister, Faith. 
That was the biggest surprise ever, I even got to hold her. His mother also told me that Felix always asks about me. He has all the pictures I sent him of us where he sleeps, and cherishes them very much. That was so touching to my heart, and all I could do was smile in happiness. The last day I was with Felix, I was able to give him some gifts I had brought for him. He loved and cherished them all. The translator that was with Felix and I was a blessing. Felix would tell her things to tell me. One of the statements Felix told her to tell me touched my heart. He said this, “ Please tell Jessica to save her money to come see me next year.” My heart melted when she told me this, as I looked down at Felix with his big eyes looking into mine, trying not to cry, I told him, “If God allows me to return I will.” I love this little boy so very much, as if he were my own son. We are so close in each other’s hearts, but yet so far in distance but that does not matter because the love we have for Jesus Christ is unfailing. This is what binds us.
Not only do we have the opportunity to provide a Vacation Bible School for hundreds of children, but we also go into the worst slums in Kenya and share about Jesus Christ and bring light into their homes. This is another opportunity where we are able to be Jesus’ hands and feet. 
Thank you for supporting me and allowing me to share and experience Jesus in Kenya. God has called me to be a part of Kenya, my heart and passion is out there. In the Bible God tells us all to go out and make disciples of all nations, Matthew 28:19. I have really grabbed a hold of that verse and wanting to be obedient to the Lord, I am acting on it. I left my family, friends & loved ones and where I am most comfortable, to go out into a third world country and share the love of Jesus Christ and love on all the children. I am blessed that God gave me the most incredible gift ever, and that is serving and loving others in Kenya. 
