The Adventure Truly Begins

Happy day of Independence from Kenya! Today was a “National Holiday”, basically their 4^th of July! There wasn’t too much celebration but there sure was a lot of relaxing and enjoyment to fill the day. Today we traveled to a local park and arboretum. It was one of the most beautiful parks I have ever been to; in the middle of this crazy city are these exotic trees and lush wildlife. We went to celebrate the “HEKO” project which is one of Mocha Club’s HIV/AIDs projects which focuses on prevention, treatment, and counseling. This was a field-day of sorts for the 300 HEKO members that came out to join us. It was a sweet time to truly share life with these men, women, and children. A few stories stuck out above the rest so I’ll share those with y’all!

When we first arrived we were invited to participate in “exercise” with these groups. I was grabbed by one of the women, Jane Akinyi who I soon came to know and love, and asked to lead her group in this time. Next thing I knew, I was leading 30 middle-aged women in any and all exercises I could think of. It was as if Jillian Michaels came to Africa but I was Jillian…talk about a time to laugh! At first I started with basic stretches and jumping jacks but as I found out I had thirty minutes to fill, I ventured into push-ups and bicycle crunches. Laying in the dirt surrounded by hysterical laughter from these beautiful women was something I will probably never forget! They have such zest for life amidst all adversity. Jane later shared her testimony with our group, and I was so challenged by it: she told us she had been diagnosed HIV+ and was in a coma for over 3 months. Her family had pretty much given up hope. She has two children who are now in college and one elementary aged daughter; they would have been left orphans with nowhere to turn. Somehow, it truly sounds like a miracle to me, Jane was revived and given another chance at life. She praises God for this and has chosen to give back by serving as a counselor for HEKO where she helps women in similar situations. Before Jane shared her testimony, no one would have ever guessed her health situation; she was leading worship and just joyful beyond belief. Jane exemplifies what it means to not let circumstance define happiness and the blessing it is to serve those you are surrounded by. She left an impression on my heart and taught me so much more than I could imagine. I hope to one day be like Jane Akinyi.

Another story that captured my heart was that of three young boys. These boys, Eric, Henry, and Luca, were shy at first but soon opened up to us. One of my favorite questions to ask the Kenyan children is what they want to be when they grow up. Their hope and faith is unwavering; they have truly incredible dreams for their lives that both they and I pray become their reality. Eric wants to be a doctor; Henry an engineer; and Luca a pilot. What hope lies in this next generation! They need leaders like these boys will one-day be. Later, they asked me why we were here. I responded because of Jesus. Eric told me, “That is very good. I go to church and love it.” When I asked him why, he thought for a moment and then answered, “Because I love God’s Word and love learning about it.” I thought about it and decided to venture out and ask if he had a favorite verse; without skipping a beat, he quoted Acts 1:8, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my people in Jerusalem and in Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the Earth”. What a perfect reminder of why I’m here! All power and strength comes from the Lord; He has demanded and called witnesses and disciples to the ends of the earth. What an opportunity to make His name known and celebrate with fellow believers in this! All praise be to Him.