My Family and Friends back home,
It’s so great to be back in the place I call “home”! I was truly blessed to explore rural areas in Masai Mara with other members of our team. While some left for Joska, we traveled to the Mara where we looked at different locations of where they planted water projects to provide clean fresh water to the community. This whole experience was so eye opening, just as if it were my first time walking through the slums again in the Mathare Valley. It didn’t feel like it was real as I watched children washing their clothes with the only water they had in a dirty stream filled with mildew, mosquitoes and bugs. The need of water is so HUGE!! Currently there is a well being dug in the same community as the clinic, which will be used for both the clinic as well as the surrounding community. One of the highlights of the trip was being able to see them strike water 300 feet down where water shot up. It was an incredible moment. I enjoyed being apart of this with the children and families who will soon benefit from this amazing blessing. We also looked at some of the schools in the Mara. It was so hard to watch this but God showed me of how much work needs to be done out in the rural areas. Please pray for this huge need in Kenya!
Love & Blessing,
Jessica
Monday, July 25, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Update from the Team
Today has been, to put it shortly, the most jaw-dropping inspiring day. We
started off our day with orientation at Pangoni where we spoke with some of the
leaders of the schools we will be visiting. After orientation and lunch we
split into groups and were assigned social workers who took us on a walk
through the slums. Seeing the living conditions of these people was so hard but
the attitude the people have here could inspire anyone! These people are so full
of hope and joy and the purest form of love for our God. I had the greatest
opportunity to be invited into a woman’s home where she shared a lot of her
story with us about the troubles she was going through, yet all she wanted from
us was prayer. It’s only the first day in Nairobi and this trip has already been
life changing. God is so good in the ways He shows us things and teaches us
things. Anything is possible with our God.
-Lauren
So, today was our first day out in Kenya. We had an amazing breakfast, then
headed to Pangani to see the school that’s being ran by Missions of Hope. We had
orientation with Mary, took a tour of the school, and got a chance to see some
of the skills classes that they offered. It was neat to see the women progress
with their sewing and how it provides for their family. Afterward, we walked
through the slums and everyone’s mood instantly changed due to the smell and the
conditions of the shanties. On the bright side, the kids instantly lit up when
they saw us, and they had us take hundreds of photos with them. We got a chance
to see the inside of their home. It wasn’t very big but they all had so much
faith in God which was so inspiring. After we left the slums we went to Kiamaiko
to visit the kids in their schoolrooms and they sang worship songs to us. The
team’s emotions were going crazy. The kids were very grateful and were so
excited to see us. What was neat about today was their serving us with worship
songs and our smiles serving them, causing them to light up. Today was an
awesome day, and it was only day one. I can’t wait to see what else God has in
store for us on this trip.
- Bryce Blomberg (bruce smith).
Today we visited Pangani, which is the school through Missions of Hope
International. We got there early this morning and stayed to have lunch and a
tour of the school. We later got to walk through the slums, which was a crazy
hard experience for me. I have never seen or experienced anything like it — from
the crazy smells to the extreme poverty they live in. The kids there are such an
inspiration though because when they see us they just light up and want to know
how we are and to take a ton of pictures of them. They are so happy and the joy
on their faces is so amazing. We got to also go inside a woman named Jennifer’s
shanti. When we got inside there was water everywhere and I slipped into the
house almost taking out the door. But once we got in we got to see how she lives
everyday. She had three children and two of them are enrolled in the Missions of
Hope school. We got to pray for her that the Lord would provide for her family,
which was pretty amazing. Once coming back from the slums we then had the best
lunch and got to do some shopping. Later on we got to go to Kaimaiko, one of the
other schools, and that was amazing. When we pulled up to the gate the kids were
there singing to us and welcomed us with sparkly shiny necklaces. They then also
welcomed us with dancing and singing. We also took a tour of that school and the
kids are so sharp with their memory verses. They sang to us and said their
memory verses in every classroom. So amazing! To say the least it was an
emotional day but the Lord has definitely shown me to lean on him in the hard
times. Can’t wait to see what else the Lord has in store for us while we are
here.
-Tori Adams
started off our day with orientation at Pangoni where we spoke with some of the
leaders of the schools we will be visiting. After orientation and lunch we
split into groups and were assigned social workers who took us on a walk
through the slums. Seeing the living conditions of these people was so hard but
the attitude the people have here could inspire anyone! These people are so full
of hope and joy and the purest form of love for our God. I had the greatest
opportunity to be invited into a woman’s home where she shared a lot of her
story with us about the troubles she was going through, yet all she wanted from
us was prayer. It’s only the first day in Nairobi and this trip has already been
life changing. God is so good in the ways He shows us things and teaches us
things. Anything is possible with our God.
-Lauren
So, today was our first day out in Kenya. We had an amazing breakfast, then
headed to Pangani to see the school that’s being ran by Missions of Hope. We had
orientation with Mary, took a tour of the school, and got a chance to see some
of the skills classes that they offered. It was neat to see the women progress
with their sewing and how it provides for their family. Afterward, we walked
through the slums and everyone’s mood instantly changed due to the smell and the
conditions of the shanties. On the bright side, the kids instantly lit up when
they saw us, and they had us take hundreds of photos with them. We got a chance
to see the inside of their home. It wasn’t very big but they all had so much
faith in God which was so inspiring. After we left the slums we went to Kiamaiko
to visit the kids in their schoolrooms and they sang worship songs to us. The
team’s emotions were going crazy. The kids were very grateful and were so
excited to see us. What was neat about today was their serving us with worship
songs and our smiles serving them, causing them to light up. Today was an
awesome day, and it was only day one. I can’t wait to see what else God has in
store for us on this trip.
- Bryce Blomberg (bruce smith).
Today we visited Pangani, which is the school through Missions of Hope
International. We got there early this morning and stayed to have lunch and a
tour of the school. We later got to walk through the slums, which was a crazy
hard experience for me. I have never seen or experienced anything like it — from
the crazy smells to the extreme poverty they live in. The kids there are such an
inspiration though because when they see us they just light up and want to know
how we are and to take a ton of pictures of them. They are so happy and the joy
on their faces is so amazing. We got to also go inside a woman named Jennifer’s
shanti. When we got inside there was water everywhere and I slipped into the
house almost taking out the door. But once we got in we got to see how she lives
everyday. She had three children and two of them are enrolled in the Missions of
Hope school. We got to pray for her that the Lord would provide for her family,
which was pretty amazing. Once coming back from the slums we then had the best
lunch and got to do some shopping. Later on we got to go to Kaimaiko, one of the
other schools, and that was amazing. When we pulled up to the gate the kids were
there singing to us and welcomed us with sparkly shiny necklaces. They then also
welcomed us with dancing and singing. We also took a tour of that school and the
kids are so sharp with their memory verses. They sang to us and said their
memory verses in every classroom. So amazing! To say the least it was an
emotional day but the Lord has definitely shown me to lean on him in the hard
times. Can’t wait to see what else the Lord has in store for us while we are
here.
-Tori Adams
Thursday, July 21, 2011
And She's Off...
Hi Everyone!
I took Jessica to the church this morning (very early if you can tell) and as of now they are all on board and flying to Kenya!
Jessica was so excited and ready to go!
Please keep her and her team in your prayers...
Pray for safety in their travels...
That they will all stay healthy...
and for the Lord's name be glorified as they love on the children and adults they get to be with!
My sister's heart was overjoyed to go back, thank you to everyone who has helped her be able to go and for all of your prayers.
Check back for updates from the team as I will be posting them as I get them myself.
Love,
Cassie
Friday, July 15, 2011
PRAYER FOR THE KENYA TEAM
Hello Friends and Family,
Well......I am boarding a plane to KENYA in 6 days!! I am so excited that it is ALMOST HERE!! My heart is OVERFLOWING with JOY & EXCITEMENT!!
This Sunday the 17th, Pastor Chuck will be praying for our whole Kenya team. This will be at all 3 services at Crossroads at 9:00 am, 11:00 am, and at 5:30pm. Please come out and support our team as the Crossroads church family will be praying for us.
Please continue to check my blog for updates while I am gone. The team will be sending Blog updates on what we are doing during our time while in Kenya, and my amazing sister will be posting those on my blog. :-)
Thank you so much for all your support & love!
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