It’s amazing what the Holy Spirit can reveal to you when you allow it to take reign of your heart. My prayer leading up to this trip was just that; to break down the walls around my heart and let God reveal himself to me in a new way. This trip has been nothing short of amazing. The fellowship, laughter, traveling, serving, ministering, being ministered to, and so much more have been so fulfilling. The biggest thing God has revealed to me here is Hope in Him. In the US, we have so much to put our hope in to such as money, fame, status, materialism, etc. Most people here around Mombasa are in a constant state of survival. The only thing they have to put true hope in is Jesus Christ. I’m ashamed that it took me coming half way across the world to see that. As soon as I stepped onto Massai Corner, I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit just tugging on my heart. This is where I got to experience my first church service outside of the Americanized services I am used to attending. From the beginning of the first praise and worship song, tears just began to fall down my face. The only thing I could do was cry out to God to forgive me for not giving him the praise he deserves. These people, my brothers and sisters in Christ, praise, sing and cry out to Jesus with their whole hearts. I felt a supernatural unity with these people singing, praying, shouting, dancing, and crying out to our Lord and Savior. That service was really a pivotal moment in this trip for me. Chris Moore asked if we would like to baptize a few folks after service. WOW! I felt so unworthy to do this, but I jumped on the opportunity. What a HUGE blessing to baptize my brothers and sisters in Christ for my first time deep in the heart of Kenya!!!! I definitely miss my wife and two daughters back home, but before I left, Mabrey agreed to let me give the same love to the school children here as I give to her. Before leaving, I asked Mabrey if I could give the African children a bunch of hugs. She replied, “YES! And kisses too Dada!” She is such a sweetheart like her Mommy! The first hug I received from a child just melted my heart. These beautiful children just love to hug you, rub your arms, look and laugh at the pictures you take of them, and just to simply show them love. Something that will remain vivid in my mind and heart was something I experienced after playing soccer a couple of times with the boys. I will never forget one in particular boy named Yehfro (I know I am misspelling his name but it is pronounced yeff-row). He is a very shy boy, but a phenomenal soccer player. We had tons of fun playing soccer together. Every time he or I scored, he was the first to come give me a high five and a smile. It was almost as he was seeking approval from me. Little does he know that I was on the verge of tears just in amazement at what a blessing this was to me. He wasn’t sure of my name, so he finally came up and asked me my name. I told him and he repeated it; “Wheat-ney.” As we were all packed on the bus ready to leave, the windows were cracked as all the kids were waving and shouting “Bye.” I was looking forward and heard someone say “Wheat-ney.” I looked down from my cracked window to see Yehfro standing with his hand reached out as far as he could to touch my hand one last time. That moment in time was such a huge blessing to my heart. Through these children I have witnessed the work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of them and the staff.
The dental services we have been able to provide throughout this trip has been a huge learning experience, great success, and again a blessing to me. We have been able to provide hygiene education and multiple extractions. I have been so humbled at the serving hearts of my team who really have no dental experience. Every single person has stepped up and helped in some way. The kids and adults we treated were unbelievably well behaved and cooperative!!! I was also impressed at the amount of kids that had healthy teeth and gums. I KNOW this is because of the work Chris and Lisa have done to provide these children with nutrition and proper medical care. The dental portion of the trip has really been icing on the cake compared to the other things we have been able to experience.
I could write another 20 pages about my experiences, and what else God has shown me so far through this trip, but I will just mention a couple more things. I was sad that I would experience my birthday away from my family, but I received an unforgettable birthday today. Having 200 school children from Kenya sing “Happy Birthday” to me was something that I will never forget. I feel so unworthy of how much I have been blessed on this trip, but so grateful for what God has allowed me to experience here in Kenya with a handful of very special people.
This trip was a spur of the moment thing for me, but I know things don’t happen by coincidence. The bible tells us that all good things come from God. I feel this trip has exposed me to certain things for certain reasons, prepared me for the team I will lead here next year, and placed people in my life that I have learned so much from. I will leave Kenya with some specific burdens in my heart, focus on what really is important on this side of Heaven, and total amazement of what is outside of the little bubble in which I live. I pray the Holy Spirit would guide each day of my life, and that I would follow. The good thing is we still have 3 more days here!!!!! J
Whitney Gomez
Wow! Where to begin… This trip has truly been amazing. When I kissed my beautiful wife and 2 sons goodbye, I had no idea what I was getting into. From the very beginning, God has kicked down the door to my heart and changed my outlook entirely. What a privilege and an honor to travel to Mombasa, Kenya and to be so loved and accepted. I had the misconception that I would be a great blessing to the people I encountered. The exact and total opposite has happened. From Massai Corner to Mbweau, I have been blown away by the compassion and sincerity pouring from the kids and staff. These beautiful people have exposed me to the true meaning of selfless love, and unconditional compassion. Both of these powerful ministries are true pieces of heaven. Through the humble and serving lives of Chris and Lisa Moore, God has developed and organized a powerful ministry that is growing His Kingdom by leaps and bounds. Though there is lots going on such as; dental clinics and education, baptism services and unified worship services, crafts and teacher enhancement sessions, fellowship and music, nursing clinics and soccer games, God truly shows his face when we love others like He has loved us. A simple hug and an “I love you” lights up the faces of these amazing children. Thank you Father for these children and how they have taught me volumes about your heart.
There are so many people behind the scenes who allow experiences like this to manifest, but quickly I want to thank some key people for making this trip possible. I want to thank God for calling unworthy people like myself to the greatest work on the planet. I want to thank Whitney Gomez for bringing me along for the ride and making this a possibility, you are such a cool guy and great friend. Big hugs and kisses go out to my perfect bride of 7 years and our 2 wild and crazy boys for letting me go and holding down the fort while I’m gone. I’m grateful to Chris and Lisa Moore for their footwork which has made this trip a huge success. David and Kim have been awesome leaders and for their organization and hearts I’m extremely thankful. To the gang back home at Fellowship, thank you for doing what you do and for allowing the freedom to experience this trip.
In a nutshell, God is doing wonderful things in Kenya and to be allowed to see it and experience it brings me goosebumps. This trip has opened my eyes to the need, shattered the veneer of Americanized religion from around my heart, and has given me a fresh and determined burden for those in need. Yes there is a gigantic need of love, provision, and the truth about Jesus in this country. It is so refreshing and encouraging to see God work through organizations like Real4Christ ministries. To see this kind of progress is a breath of fresh air. God you never cease to amaze me.
Both of your testimonies are such a blessing to me. Thank you Whitney and Chris for sharing your heart.
ReplyDelete