God is Moving Here!

God is moving!
I think to start off this blog I just have to say wow! Kenya is beyond what I imagined and the most beautiful country I have ever seen. I am so in awe of God's power, and I truly feel His love for this place. I feel so honored that He would choose me to come here to do His work. It's so obvious that His hand is in this ministry. There is so much to say, yet no words to truly communicate what I have experienced here. Monday was our first day in school with the kids. When I saw each of those precious children walk into school, my heart just went out to each one of them. I just wanted to pour love on them. I was in awe of their morning routine. They were so well behaved, and they were just so joyful! They LOVE coming to school every day, even though some of them have quite a hike to even get there every morning. I started out in the baby class with the three and four year olds, but then Lisa asked me to help out in the medical clinic, so I switched to that. I learned how to treat the ringworms and other fungal rashes, so I would be able to do it the next couple of days. I loved being able to gain that experience while loving on the children that I treated. When we were finished in the medical clinic, I was switched into the KG3 class which is kindergarten. There I helped teach the kids English, and we also taught about the Ten Commandments and did a craft. The kids were so excited to have us there, and I couldn't have been more excited to be there with them. Their childlike passion is an amazing thing to be a part of. After school ended, we had the most incredible opportunity to split up into three groups and walk a child home. What an experience! This was the first time I was really able to get out and see the country. It is so beautiful that it's indescribable. Pictures and even videos can't capture it. God really revealed His awesome creation to me on the trails. My group walked home a child named Evans. The walk was 45 minutes long through very rough terrain, narrow paths, and steep hills. Many kids walk it barefoot and start walking it by themselves or with siblings at the age of three. It just blows my mind! When we got to the mud hut I was just in awe. It was so small that we couldn't even all five fit in it at the same time. We had to take turns going in. Chickens were roaming around in the house. The two kids that live there, including Evans, live with their grandmother. They all sleep in one room and the other room was for drying out corn. It was basically a huge fire pit. After viewing their home and asking them many questions, we had an opportunity to share the gospel with the grandmother! It had never been directly presented to her before. It was by far the best part of my day. I was blessed with the opportunity to share my testimony with her. So I shared my story, and then Cayla shared the gospel with her. She told us that she had things to take care of before she accepted Christ, but we planted a seed, and I know God will grow that seed. We have spent four days at Mbewau Academy and already I have been impacted. God is MOVING there, and it is so awesome to be there to see it and be a part of it! We are back at the host homes to stay the night here and have a big day ahead of us tomorrow. I can't wait to see what God has in store!
In Christ,
Jaylyn Gramer

Sunday, July 10: Church at Mbweau!

Today I woke up at 7 am, I could have slept at least another hour!  But I knew today would be busy and I wanted to be still for a bit.
Last night I shared my testimony with the girls on my team who were staying with me, and I had the priviledge of hearing Whitney's.
When sharing your life story, the good the bad & the ugly, you become aware of what makes each of us who we are. I feel much closer to Whitney now & I hope that relationship will continue to flourish.
After we woke up Whitney & I (the two coffee drinkers) made Kenyan coffee (so good!!) and we all had peanut butter toast.   We then got dressed and ready for church.
At 9am, Johnson, our driver pulled up in the bus.
We gathered all of our belongings and prepared to rough it for a few days at the school.  We then went to pick up the other half of our team from Chris and Lisa's.  Once there, we stuffed all of their luggage onto the bus along with the mattresses we would be sleeping on, which btw are 4 in. thick foam!
We then headed to Mbewau church.  Mbewau is absolutely beautiful!  Driving up there are mud huts and cows and goats!  But once thru the gates...wow!  Chris & Lisa have done a fantastic job building this place. We immediately took our luggage off the bus, placed it in the empty classrooms we would be staying in, and headed to church. Church is held in an open room, kind of a pavillion, this pavillion doubles as a feeding center for the children and staff during the week.  As church began the choir began to sing and you could see worship in their expressions. They began clapping and dancing and yelling AMEN!! I couldn't help but think, why don't we get this excited when singing praises to our Lord?!  It is such a different culture, one where expression thru music and dancing is not only the norm but a way of life.
Once the choir was done they began a short message, we of course didn't understand as it was in Swahilli. I do know however we read from 1 Chronicles 22:11-13 "Now, my son, may the Lord be with you! May you succeed and build a temple for the Lord your God, just as he announced you would.  Only may the Lord give you insight and understanding when he places you in charge of Israel, so you may obey the law of the Lord your God.  Then you will succeed, if you carefully obey the rules and regulations which the Lord ordered Moses to give to Israel. Be strong and brave! Don't be afraid and don't panic!"

To me these verses are so relevant to where we are at, at what Chris and Lisa have done with the ministry the Lord has given them.
Chris then came up on stage, he welcomed the "Mazoongos" (white people aka the team!)
He had them compete for who could clap the loudest for the team, it was great!
Then he asked each of us to stand and say who we were.  But as our side began to go, Chris looked at me and whispered "come here".  So I got up and went to him and then he said..."I want you to give a short testimony to the church....oh, and I want you to sing, you don't mind singing a praise song in front of 150 Africans right?"
WHAT!!!! I had a lump in my throat and started panicking!! My sister is the performer NOT ME!!
So back track to the night before a bit, when we were eating "Baby Baby" by Amy Grant came on the radio, if you knew me when I was younger, I loved her! So under my breath I was singing it, I know every word.  He happened to hear me and said "you have a good voice!"  I thanked him and thought that was the end of it...I THOUGHT WRONG!! LOL! So he didn't give me a song he just said sing, at this point my heart was pounding!  I could feel my face turn red!  And the only song I could think about was Amazing Grace.  So, I got up in front of 150 Africans, our team and Chris & Lisa, and I told a short version (very short) of my testimony thru a translator.  This part was such a blessing, just to be able to thank God for what He has done in my life and how far He has brought me in the past 5 years even!
Then, I started to turn to walk away thinking, he won't really make me do it.. wrong again!  Chris looked at me and said "Oh no! You are gonna sing!! They will love it!"
So, I sang the only song I could think of, and it truly was appropriate.  I feel I could have done 10X better, but I was super nervous!  I did it though!
Chris then got up and said "I know most of you think Americans live a perfect life.  That they don't have struggles.  But that isn't true, we deal with heartbreaking situations every day, and the Lord is good to deliver us from this.  The song she sang talks about the Grace God extends to us, about how we were sinners and now are saved."
It was beautiful.  It began a journey that isn't over yet, but one that had scarred my heart forever.  Africa is forever going to be a place I dream about, I hope for, and I pray for.
I will be working on pictures tonight and as soon as I have uploaded some we will add a link to think blog so you can check them out!

May God bless you! Amen!
Rachel Driskell

Off to the village!

Hey Everyone!

I forgot to mention this, but the team will be at Mtepani village from Sunday until Wednesday night. We will not have any internet access, so updates will come as soon as we get back into Nyali.

Eveyone will be keeping journals and writing down their experiences, so we will post journal entries and different things on Wednesday along with pictures.

Keep us in your prayers!

In Him,

Jenny

Overcoming Obsticles

God is good! We finally made it to Mombasa, Kenya!

As we left Thursday bright and early, everyone was really tired but super excited. We made it to the airport with no problems, but Satan was of course ready and waiting to slow us down. At check in, we had a slight issue with the airline promising us free baggage and then not getting it. However, God came through and we got past our first hurtle. First plane ride was short and sweet. We had some fun bonding time in the Miami airport doing handstands and playing catch phrase. Good times. Second plane was long but smooth. Then the fun began in London as we waited for our plane to Nairobi. First it was delayed as we waited in the airport, then we boarded and was in the plane for 2 hours before take off. I was lucky enough to sit next to a very nice Kenyan man named Ruben who works in Afghanistan as a humanitarian. He was so amazed at our purpose and journey to Africa. He had a ton of questions and was so supportive and excited for us. We finally arrived in Africa and was late for our connecting plane to Mombasa. We were directed to leave our luggage in the airport and run to our flight that had been waiting for 3 hours for us to arrive. Well, we finally made it to our host homes at 4 am Kenyan time. Our host family (Chris and Lisa Moore) are so warm and welcoming! Luckily our luggage came through today all safe and sound. I am so excited to be here in Mombasa and am ready and waiting to see what God does through our group and in my life!! 

Quick shout out to my family and friends! I miss and love you guys! Keep praying for our safety and for God to really move through our time here! 

I still can't believe I am in Africa! 

In Him, 

Elyse DeBuck

Landing in complete darkness and reluctantly leaving all of our bags in Nairobi, we finally made it to Mombasa.  Although it was not the preferred arrival time, and the airport literally re-opened to receive us, getting our first glimpse of this new world in the early morning hours was an amazing experience.  Cruising through half paved gravel roads only partially illuminated by street lamps and advertisements cast an eerie glow on the few citizens still out walking the streets.  Motorcycles rambled past and the team was silent in awe of the utter strangeness of this new place.  Arriving at the Moore residence exhausted we went to sleep to the sounds of Islamic prayers being pumped into the early morning air from the multiple Mosques surrounding the area.

That afternoon we woke to fresh fruit and the warmth and love of Chris and Lisa.  They treated us as if we were their own family, beckoning us to stir through cabinets and kitchen to find anything we like to eat.  Chris and a few of us then left for the airport to fetch our luggage that had hopefully all arrived at the Mombasa airport.  After a few cliffhanger moments, when only a few of our bags were visible, we found the rest in the lost and found luggage closet.  Seeing the city by daylight was a completely new and spectacular moment.  Crowded streets, bustling markets, roads without any real laws to abide by, yet Chris confidently navigated through the mad traffic.  Motorcycles weaving the opposite direction through traffic, while men, women, and children scrambled back and forth.  Never have I seen a such place so confusing and wild, yet totally alive.  There is a visible pulse here, but it is a pulse without God, and that is palpable.  

For the remainder of the evening we relaxed and enjoyed a delicious homemade meal, along with great team fellowship.  We are all getting closer every moment, and after dinner we met to organize our mission supplies to prepare for the rest of the mission.  While separating the contents of our bags the power went out, without falter we all grabbed our flashlights and headlamps, then continued in the dark.  We worked happily together through adversity.  Once the power came on we circled up and prayed for Gods presence in the the rest of the week, and Chris debriefed us on what to expect tomorrow.  

The journey has just begun and God is already working in our hearts in a big way.  Confident in Him we will do everything we can to proclaim his glory to the Kenyan people.  Of course regardless of what we do or do not accomplish, his Glory will be revealed.

Austin Lewis

We made it!

Okay, after 38 hours of traveling we have finally made it! We are all safe and sound in Mombasa, so praise the Lord! It is 5:10 in the morning here, so we are going to get some sleep then get up and get some work done tomorrow!

Keep us in your prayers!

In Him,

Jenny

College Station Missions Team!

Our second missions team of the summer will be leaving College Station today for Houston then on to Mombasa.  Please keep the team in your prayers the next two weeks.  They will post as often as inernet access is possible.  Below are the names of each team member.


Mission Mombasa July 2011 Team:
Jenny Jenkins
Rachel Driskell
Jaylyn Gramer
Allison Stroud
Elyse DeBuck
Stephanie Box
Cayla Newkirk
Kaylene Ullom 
Whitney Cloud
Austin Lewis
Tyler Hayes
Matthew Schilling


God Bless!

A Final Word from Pastor Haley

Mission Mombasa 2011

The thoughts of our trip to Kenya are still running through my mind as I review  the pictures and review the two videos that were made.  We met so many wonderful people and we were able to share the love of the Lord Jesus to children and parents.  Even during our travel to and from Kenya we met Christians and were able to share the good news with others who were only curious about what we were doing. 

The testimonies at Hallmark last Sunday only re-enforced the belief that going on a short term missions trip forever changes us.  We all feel challenged to share Christ with those that surround us every day.  However, there is a special joy in sharing the love of Jesus in a distant land in a different culture and witness the joy they experience when they pray and receive God’s gift of forgiveness and everlasting life. 

As I review this trip I know that God’s Hand was truly on us.  Our team leaders,  David and Kim Hayes prepared us well.  They led us to prepare, to pray, to anticipate God working in us and through us.  God bless you David and Kim.   We set a goal to encourage and strengthen our missionaries, to minister to the children of our feeding centers, and to our Kenyan brothers and sisters in the churches, and to witness to the lost.  I believe that Mission Mombasa 2011 accomplished all of these goals.  To God be the glory!  He brought us full circle.  We are home safe and sound and we are praying and thinking about next year, God willing. 

Thank you to all our team members.  You are a very special group.   I learned to appreciate each one of you.   Thanks to all our prayer partners and financial partners we could not have gone without you.  We must work together, for the harvest truly is great, and demands many laborers to bring it in.  God Bless you all!   Mission Accomplished!

Pastor Mike Haley