8,000 miles away

I believe that God works in numerous ways. One way that I believe he works is that sometimes, he takes us away from our problems, and struggles, to get us away. To help take our mind and focus off of those things. To take our focus off things that can distract us and change our focus. To take away smaller everyday things that can slowly take our attention. I believe he does this to take our focus off those things, and put it back on what does matters. To take us away and show us the things we need to focus on. To show us, and a lot of the time, remind us what really matters. To show us what our focus and attention should be on.

God has done just that with me this summer. He has taken me 8,000 miles away from some problems and struggles I have had. He has helped take my focus off of them, and helped put them on the things that they need to be back on. He has shown me, again, that I have to rely on HIM for everything I need, because HE is the only thing that will last. That NO MATTER what I go through, no matter what circumstances or pain or suffering comes my way, HE WILL BE THERE! That I can lean on him through anything. That I HAVE to lean on HIM in times of struggle and need, not the vanishing things of this world.
He has also continued to show me how true His Word is. How when His Word says that it is living and active, that it is EXACTLY that. Everything His Word says is true and that it does apply to our lives, even today. Even stories in the Old Testament that a lot of people say are boring and have no application to our lives today, are actually very good, interesting, and mostly very applicable to our lives today. Most of the stories in the Old Testament and their meaning can be applied to life today. They aren’t just stories from a long time ago, they still teach us things today. There is a reason that the Old Testament is a part of the number one most read book of all time.

I also believe that God can take us far away from those problems, struggles, and distractions to take our focus off them, and to show us new things that we would not have been open to, or would get our attention other wise. To show us insight, maybe to something that we have a passion for that we didn’t know we had.
One way that I know God did this through me was when I spoke to the 600+ high school boys in Kibwezi. I have never thought that there was even a remotely chance for me to speak, or teach in front of a lot of people, similar to a Pastor’s role. I have never thought that there might be a chance for me to do that sort of thing, even though I have always been somewhat of a leader, and felt the call to lead others around me. Even a few months ago I am not sure I would have wanted to do that sort of thing. But God had been slowing changing my heart. He has given me passion & desire to share that passion & to help people understand the things he has taught me and is continuing to teach me. Which when there was talk that someone needed to speak that weekend, inside of me, I knew I was going to be the one to do it. Throughout the day that I prepared for my teaching, I was never very nervous. God had given me the peace and reassurance that I need to know that HE was going to use me to talk to the students I was speaking to; not because he needed me, but because he let me be used by him.
Now after doing that, I have seen that passion for sharing my passions, and things that God has taught me to others, continually growing.

God has also continued to show me my increasing interest in digging into His Word, and trying to understand exactly what is going on, as well as what God is trying to teach us through this story. Working with, and sitting in on the Berith Bible College this summer has continued to show this. I look forward to the times that I get to go there and dive into His Word, and try to figure out what I am supposed to learn from it. Also to be able to have a knowledgeable, strong, christian leading me through this. This has spiked my interest, and curiosity about doing this back in the US as well.


Another huge way that God teaches us when he pulls us away from our normal lives, problems and whatnot is to show us how much we do have. I know personally how anytime that someone goes to a third world country and comes back talks about how fortunate and blessed they are to have what they are. I Completely agree with that, when you are able to go see so much poverty, hurt, pain, suffering, and difficult things; when you do come back to your easy, blessed, plentiful life you should feel that way. God has definitely done that for me again this year, just as he did last year. I think he has increased my knowledge and understanding of how fortunate I am, and we are as Americans.

But the thing that God has helped to show me A LOT this summer is not how fortunate I am in the case of my material possessions; my house, car, phone, electronics, clothes, and things of that nature; but more of how so very very fortunate and blessed I am with the people in my life. I have many AMAZING people in my life that have helped make me the person I am today! People that I know God has purposefully put into my life to help shape, and grow me to who I am today. People that have been great examples of the kind of person I want to be.

A huge thing I have realized this year and especially this summer has been that exact thing I am talking about when it applies to my family. My family is an AMAZING group of people. They are a family that loves, cares, provides, and would do anything to help me, ANYTHING. They are a family after God’s own heart. Our family is great and it all starts with my mom. We would not be anything near what we are without her. She is an amazing women. She wants to help anyone & everyone she can in anyway she can, no matter what it is, if it takes away from her own self, time, or fun. She has not had it easy, especially having to raise us 3 crazy boys growing up, mostly on her own, but she continued to be our spiritual leader, provider, lover, and everything we needed. She did all this while continuing to serve the Lord and lead us in that path, and showing us what we were supposed to do. I honestly don’t have any idea how she was able to do it. The thing that still amazes me every furtherer is how she continues to do that same thing today. She still does the same things for us, although in different ways since we are grown up. As well as being a phenomenal children’s minister at our church, which she does more than anyone could know for that, while still doing anything that is asked of her.
My brothers are also some amazing men. They have numerous talents, and are very very wise for their age. They both are very gifted musically, as well have servant hearts. Even though we have had our rough patches throughout the years, especially when we were younger, and I was a very angry child; I love them both very very dearly. I have finally realized after all these years how awesome, wise, kind, loving, and willing to serve and help that they both are. Mom has surely raised some amazing men.

But this summer I have also realized how very very fortunate I am with the people in my life that aren’t a part of my close, legal family, even though some are as close as family.
People that have been my sunday school, and youth leaders growing up. They have a huge impact on my life, and especially the growing of my faith. People that have stepped in when I needed guidance and helped show me the way to get me on the right path. People that have helped teach me what is right, have helped to show me the things that I have talked about earlier, things like relying on God’s Word. Also people just a few years older than me, that are helping to mentor me. This has not stopped with just be being in high school either, these amazing people God has put in my life to help continue to shape me. God has continued to bless me with some great friends, and leaders in my life. I am truly blessed to have so many people that I can come to when I am in need, when I need advice, or are just there for me no matter what happens.

God can do A LOT in a short amount of time when you are focused on Him. He has definitely done that for me these last 9 weeks. I am completely grateful for my time here in Kenya, and all the things that I have seen, heard, experienced, learned, and be able to be a part of.

~The Joy Is Rising

A Family Day...

This past Saturday was an awesome day.

First we went to Hope Center about 9 am because we thought that some of the Saint Boys had some Vapor Soccer games, (vapor is similar to Upward). But turns out that this saturday was only registration for Vapor and that the games didn’t start until next saturday. Which sucks because we wont be here for that, since we are leaving wednesday, I would have really enjoyed getting to watch some of the Boys play in an environment with other regular boys. But luckily some of the boys were there anyways to register, so we were able to see them.

There was actually a women’s soccer tournament going on at the Hope Academy field. Teams from all over Nairobi, and all over Kenya, and there was a women’s college team from the US there, ONU from around chicago, Illinois. So we watched some of those games of this tournament. Later on more of the boys began to arrive.

I was able to watch the games most of the time with James & Dan. James sat in my lap & in between my legs, as well as leaned up against me almost the entire time we were there. I absolutely LOVED just sitting there watching football, (soccer) with that amazing little boy. He just laid there, leaning against me, holding my arms around him. Every now and then, when something happened in the game, or just randomly he would turn around and look up at me and smile. That just made me as happy as I could be! To just see the comfort & love & peace he has with me is absolutely AMAZING!

I absolutely LOVE that boy. I am really really going to miss him! As well as all of the boys for that matter. They are some amazing boys. It has really been amazing to see the growth, there willingness to open up to me, how they love on me, and how they just love having me around, over the last 8 and 1/2 weeks. I feel truly blessed to have had the opportunity to be around them so much this summer! I love every moment that I get to be around them. I love there with everything I have!

Later that night Thomas, Zippy, and Dinah invited us five over to their house to eat and fellowship with them. It was an absolutely amazing night!

Dinah and Zippy made dinner. They made an Kenyan meal, which I love!

Then after dinner we just sat around their living room, and talked. We shared stories from our past, as well as things from our cultures. They Zippy shared with us her story of how she came to know Christ. It was a great story. She was very honest with us. It was very encouraging.

Afterwards Thomas began to tell us his story as well. He has a great story. Full of encouragement. He had it rough but His mom helped to encourage him and he raised him up the way she should.

After his story he began to thank us and show his appreciation for what we have done, for being a part of their lives. Then it was a sad & emotional time for us all, even though we didn’t all cry. Because we have all realized that we have become a family. We, although from very different cultures, and from very far places, have came together and become a family. A family that cares and loves for each other.

We have become a family that shares, cares, loves, comforts, and helps each other. We have had meals together, laughed together, worked together, served together, played volleyball together, shared together; we have done everything a family does together.

I really love our Kenyan family!

I am really going to miss the time we have spent together. I am going to miss helping Zippy clean, or driving her home, or talking and laughing together. I am really going to miss all the time I have been able to spend with Thomas. The time that we have spent talking, helping him with work in the yard, helping him with the chickens, riding to go places with him, playing volleyball with him. I am really going to miss the time we have been able to have together.

I am really going to miss my Kenyan Family!

Although this is a sad time because I am leaving them, I know God has helped to use this time to strengthen me and has used this time for HIS GLORY. So I know that God is strengthening me through this.

~The Joy Is Rising

James Kamau

The Saint Boy that has really touched my heart the most, and that I have had the biggest connection with has been young James Kamau. James is a young boy who is about 10 or 11 years old, although because of his size he does not seem that old. He is a very small boy. He has been malnourished. He looks younger because he has lived on the street. He doesn’t exactly know how long he has lived on the streets, but he knows it has been a long time. He was chased away from home by his own mother, she didn’t want him there any longer because she could not afford to provide for him. She could not pay for his school fees. She drank alcohol a lot & beat him and his brothers, Patrick, and Nicholas, other boys that are a part of the Saint Boys Project.

He has never had great hearing, and while he actually did go to school as a younger child, he couldn’t hear the teacher very well, so would continually ask. The teacher thought that he was being smart and rude so they would beat him.

James does not know much english at all. He only knows how to say a few things. He also has hearing problems, so it normally is very hard for him to understand. When he cant hear you, he will make this noise telling you to say it again because he didn't understand you. He normally says aye? or something of that nature. If you saw the video I made that I posted before on my blog then you know his awesome & funny voice, that he has. I love just thinking about his voice.

James is one of the funnest boys to be around. He ALWAYS has a smile on his face. He will look to you randomly and just smile, or wink, or stick out his tongue and smile, or even give you a thumbs up. For no reason at all. Just because he is so happy & glad to see you.



James just tries to be a normal kid. He just wants to do normally things like get stories read to him, being held in your arms, getting on my shoulders, playing football (soccer)just to have fun and goof off, and being told he’s doing good. He is always so excited to hear that he has done something well. During our tutoring sessions I have been teaching the younger boys, James, Dan, Nicholas, and Dennis. When we have gone over numbers, letters, shapes, or simple addition in math, and he is told he has done well, he is SO happy! It makes me smile every time. He wants a fist bump, EVERY TIME!

I love EVERY Minute that I am able to spend with James Kamau. He has indeed blessed my life. I am very glad that I have been able to be a part of His life. I am glad that I have been able to just hangout and play and teach and read to him, just so that he can take his mind off of his troubles, pain, suffering, and rough life that he has compared to mine. I am grateful that even though we don’t always have the easiest time understanding each other, since we both know very little of each other’s language, that I have been able to help him just be a normal, little kid, even if it is just for a little bit each week.

I am very glad that I have been able to help show him the Love of Christ, and help show him that they are people in this world that TRULY LOVE HIM and are there for him.

The Joy Is Rising.

The Boys

My highlight for this trip has been being able to spend time with the Saint Boys. The Saint Boys are boys who live on the streets of the Kawangware slum. To learn more you can watch the video I have made about them, which the link is in my last blog.

I love every minute of every time we are able to go to see the boys. Whether it is on Mondays, where we spend the entire day with them, or wednesday and thursday when we go to tutor them. Every monday we spend the entire day with the Saint Boys. We normally arrive there around 930 am and will stay until around 3 or 4pm. We teach them Bible stories, we sing songs with them, we read them children’s books, we play games with them, we play soccer with them, and we tutor them some as well.

I have had the opportunity to be able to be the one that is able to read them the children’s books to them each week. Each week we read about 2 books. I read the words and then we get someone to translate for us so the ones who don’t know english very well can understand. Then I show them the pictures that are on each page and get to be blessed by seeing there faces while they look at them. They laugh or smile really big, show the person sitting next to them a certain part that they think is really funny. It is absolutely AMAZING. I love it. I love just being able to read to them and letting them be normal kids again. Letting them experience what most of us, in america, experienced as a very young child, being read to by our parents. It is just simply amazing to experience that and see them just being so happy and having so much fun while just being read a book to.

Lately we have began to tutor the boys as well. We have spilt the boys up based on their education level. I have had the opportunity and privilege to teach the younger, and lower educated boys. I have been assigned to them because of my strong connection with most of them. I am teaching James, Dan, Nicholas, and Dennis. Most of them have either never had schooling, or have had very little of it. I have been working mostly with them on learning the alphabet, shapes, numbers, and basic math like addition problems. I never thought that I would like teaching, but I have really enjoyed teaching these young boys these simple things. Although sometimes it is frustrating, getting them to calm down, to just finish their work, and not help each other. But I really do like teaching them. Also I absolutely love being able to tell them good job once they finish their work and do it correct. They always want you to mark their books, showing that they did it correctly. They absolutely love when I write Good at the top of their page. They give me the biggest smile, stretching from ear to ear, and normally accompanied with a fist bump.

Also some of the boys always want to play football (soccer) with me every time Im there in the afternoon. One boy, Nicholas, who is an absolutely amazing boys, who is always happy and smiling, no matter what he is doing. Every day when I see him, he comes to me gives me a high five, grabs my arm and tries struggling to say it because of the very little english he knows, “Kevin, today today you play football?”. Everyday I love hearing him saying those words to me. Everyday I say to him “Yes Nicholas, we can play football” as I look back at him. Then he looks back up to me and gives me a humongous smile, just showing his joy. I absolutely love Nicholas, he is an awesome, happy, and fun boy.

These are just a few stories that I have from my interactions with the Saint Boys. They are some amazing boys and I absolutely love being around them, No matter what it is I am doing.

The Joy Is Rising.

Saint Boys Video

Chris had come to me last week and asked me to make a video about the Saint Boys Project. He wanted a video just showing an overview of the entire Project. This was going to be seen my most of their ministry and supporters. It was going to be used for his sister’s vacation bible school, which is highlighting Only Servants Ministry as their focus.

The Saint Boys Project is a part of Only Servants Ministries, who I am interning for this summer. The Saint Boys Project is centered in the slum of Kawangware, in Nairobi, Kenya. It is the 2nd biggest slum in Kenya. It is about 3 square kms and holds around 800,000 people. There are a lot of boys that live in the street of Kawangware. They are there because of dead parents, ran away from home from abusive parents,or were told to leave. Street boys are not accepted in the community, they are looked down upon from everyone. No one wants anything to do with them. The Saint Boys Project helps take them off the street. It helps educate them, which is a HUGE thing in Kenya, feeds them, and comforts them. It helps show the love of Christ to them, and helps them to be a normal kid again.

This is a video showing all about this project. All five of us helped work on this video as well as putting input on what we thought should be in it or how certain things should happen. I was put in charge of putting the whole video together as well as making the final calls on it.

After a lot of work put into this video I was able to finish it. I think it came out very very well. Here is a link to it.
i couldnt get the link to work so you just have to copy & paste this address.

http://vimeo.com/12871768

Amboseli

This past weekend we were able to go to an area of Kenya called Amboseli. There is a National Park there, which is a park that is used for safaris. We went there for a few days just to relax and enjoy our break. To be revived of our energy since we have a a really busy time lately, including our weekend in Kibwezi. We stayed in a resort there. It was an amazing resort lodge.
There was chef prepared food each meal. There was buffets for breakfast and lunch, including meat, bread, vegetables, and fruit. Then for dinner there was chef prepared meals that you could chose from.

We were able to safari 5 times for about 2-3 hours each. We were able to see lots of zebras, wildebeests, water buffalos, antelope, giraffes, lions, and a ridiculous number of elephants. There were some great pictures. Here are some of them.

Be Ready and Willing

"but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;" -1 Peter 3:15

This weekend we all went to a town about 3 hours from Nairobi, named Kibwezi. We went to Kibwezi to do a youth weekend. We went to 4 different secondary schools, high schools, in the surrounding areas. We went to go to try to change the life of some of Kenya's young people. We went to make a difference in their lives, to show them the love of Christ. To try to disciple them into healthy disciples of Christ.

We tried to speak to them through songs, skits, dramas, poems, and teaching the Word of God. We were able to speak to about 2,000 high schoolers. We went to secondary boarding schools, where the students live there as well as learn there.

While planning for the weekend on thursday, God began to show me the opening of a door for me. We had 5 sessions for these schools. Our team leader, a partner of Only Servants Ministries, Pastor Meshack was teaching 3 of those sessions. The other 2 were needed to be filled. Another member with us Ben volunteered for one of the sessions. I began to pray to God to see if this was something that HE wanted me to do, if this was something that HE was leading me to do.

God began to show me that this was an opportunity that HE wanted me to do. I could feel HIM leading me to do this. So I volunteered to teach the other session. I was able to speak to a all boys secondary boarding school.

I have felt a calling to speak about suffering and persecution. I have struggled with these things a decent amount this year. Something I have felt a lot of churches and people have failed to talk about was that we will be persecuted & indure suffering in our Christian walk. Many people today preach about the prosperity that comes with our Christian walk. They speak of the verses that show happiness, prosperity, joy, and comfort. BUT they fail to speak about the verses that say we will indure suffering and face persecution because of HIS name. Verses like Acts 14:22 that says "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God" and Mark 13:13 "all men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved". Also that God calls us to live a different, changed, and transformed life. Different from non-believers, a life that does not make sense to non-believers. Changed from our old ways, "a new creation, old has gone, the new has come." Transformed, "being transformed into his likeness". God calls us to get uncomfortable, to do the dirty things, to do things that go against this world. Doing these things will be hard. You will be persecuted when you do these things. BUT in these times and when things get hard you have to be faithful to God. Colossians 2 says "continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him."

This year was hard for me because God brought a friend into my life. He is a great guy, and an amazing man. We became great friends, and I knew God brought him into my life for big things. That he would be with me through the calm and the storm. But that wasn't God's plans. He decided to move away, which would separate us and we would not be anywhere near the big parts of each others lives. I really struggled with why God was doing this. Why he brought this friend into my life to have him taken away. God used this to show me that I have to lean on Him. That HE is the only thing that will be there for me no matter what. So I had to lean on Him, and stay faithful. God helped me learn a lot through this and has brought me to where I am now, leaning on HIM and staying faithful to His Word.

Also I began to see in His Word that suffering & persecution is also a very good thing. Suffering & persecution strengthens our faith. Just like it did for me, it makes us lean on God more, and see How much we need him because we can not do it by ourselves. It says in scriptures that "rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, character, and hope". Also in James 1 when it takes about "consider it pure joy when we go through trials, and temptations, because it develops perseverance.

Then I found that scripture shows that we should feel blessed that we endure suffering or persecution for His name. In matthew 5 it says "blessed are the ones who are persecuted". Then also in 1 Peter 4 "If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you." We should feel blessed that we get to endure the suffering for His name. Even going farther than that in the Word, it says that we should feel blessed because "we are to share in suffering with Him to share in His glory". WE GET TO SHARE IN HIS GLORY! How awesome is that? God's Glory! The name that is above all names, the creator of all things, we get to share in his everlasting and eternal glory! Then even farther in Romans 8 it says "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." God is going to use our sufferings to show even more glory that we will be able to compare.

Suffering is not always a bad thing. God will use these times of suffering to show His glory, and we get to share in that glory, and He will reveal HIS glory in US. That is amazing! I can't believe that He will let me, Kevin Huff, someone who is just a college student, trying to follow after him, trying to get to know Him more each day. Trying to help advance HIS Kingdom and Glory more and more, but not doing it with what I can do, but He is letting me be a part of it. Im am just so grateful that He lets me be a part of HIS work and HIS glory.

I was able to speak the Word of God to 630+ high school boys. God used me to speak to these young men. I was able to help these young men where they were. I was able to speak to some of them afterwards, and they said that it really helped them. Some of them were really struggling with suffering and trials. It was amazing to think that God used me to help these young men. God spoke through me to touch the hearts of some young men. I am forever grateful for that opportunity.

I really enjoyed speaking the Word of God. I enjoyed just speaking what I have been struggling with and things that I have realized. I was grateful to be able to show them things I have realized while pursuing God & staying faithful to His word. I am looking forward to seeing how God is going to use this situation.

I have a few minute video of it, but I can not upload it because of the internet here is very slow. I will update a post later that just has my video on it hopefully next week.

The Joy is Rising!

The Saint Boys

The thing that I have always felt as the biggest pull in Kenya has been the street boys, newly renamed by themselves as the Saint Boys. The Saint Boys Project is a part of Only Servants Ministry. It takes boys who live on the street off and helps educate them, teach them about Christ, and show them the unconditional love that Christ shows us. These boys, before they come into the program, have no one to take care of them or watch over them, live in the streets, are normally addicted to sniffing glue to get them high, as well as sometimes addicted to other drugs and alcohol. They are looked down upon in the community, sometimes considered criminals, and also looked upon as untouchables. This program gives them a place to come, learn, have fun, learn about Christ, and see that there is much more to life than the lifestyle they are currently living. A place that they can come and be accepted as they are, and not looked down upon. The purpose is to help make independent people that can be successful, and make healthy disciples of Christ. To help show them that they do not have to be a part of the street for their whole life, that they can be much greater than that.

These are some amazing boys. I love spending time with them. I look forward to the things we are able to do with them. They are very open and love to be around you. They are very excited to see us every time we come. I love just being able to be in their presence. I feel very blessed that I have had the opportunity to work with them as much as I have.



We have been able to do a lot of different things with them so far. We have done arts & crafts with them (mainly a salvation bracelet). This bracelet has different beads meaning different things including, black for sin, white for purity, red for Jesus’ blood, and green for growth in our relationship with Christ. They really enjoyed making these. We have also played different random small games just to get comfortable with each other. We also made up a scavenger hunt to do with them, where they had to work in teams against each other. Of course we had to play futbol (soccer) with them. They are really really good. It just amazes me how they are able to have such joy and fun in whatever they do with us. It also makes me think how selfish and ungrateful we are, as Americans, because we complain about doing some small thing that we don’t like as much.

This has really made me think a lot and made me somewhat disgusted with myself. When I think of their situations, and how they act, compared to how we as Americans, with myself included, act. It sickens me. It is unimaginable for me to think of how I would react if I was in their situation. I can NOT imagine not having parents or family to take care of me. I can NOT imagine not having shelter or a place to live. I can NOT imagine not knowing where my next meal would come from, or if I was going to eat again today. I can NOT imagine being an outcast and looked down upon in my community.

Thinking about this has really made me sick. To think about when we do have SO much and yet we are so picky, greedy, ignorant, and ungrateful. We get upset or frustrated when we don’t get to eat exactly what we want to eat, when they just want something! We don’t eat everything we have, when they just want to eat! We get angry and upset with our parents, when they just want parents or someone to take care of them! We say our house isn’t big enough or nice enough, when they just want some shelter. We want new and extra clothes, when they have just 1, maybe 2 pairs of clothes. We have numerous pairs of shoes, when they have 1 pair, mostly old and torn.

We are so ungrateful! They have so little but can have so much joy when they are doing things, even if it is just the little things.

This really breaks my heart. I can’t imagine being in their situation.

I think the thing that pulls me towards this program above all else is that I think this is the exact thing we are supposed to do as Christians. This is exactly what God wants us to do. He wants us to go and meet the unbelievers where they are, and accept them. He wants us to go and show them the Love of Christ. He wants us to love them where they are, not where we want them to be. He wants us to show people that there is more to this life than the things of this world. He wants us to show people the joy he has given us. He wants us to do the dirty work, to get uncomfortable. He wants us to do the uncomfortable things, that no one wants to do. He wants us to go touch the untouchables. That is exactly what we do as a part of the Saint Boys Project.

First Few Days

My first few days in Kenya have gone really well. We made it safely to Nairobi. We made all of our plane rides. The only trouble we had was from flying to Philadelphia to Amsterdam. Before we took off in Philadelphia, we were taxing to the runway they came over the speakers to tell us that there was going to be a delay. The pilot said that “sorry ladies and gentlemen, it seems that we are going to be delayed for a little while. There appears to be something on the runway stopping us from taking off. It appears to be a turtle.” We thought really a turtle? We in this big plane can’t take off because of a turtle? We had worried about volcanic ash closing the airport, but instead we get delayed for an hour because of a turtle. wow. We were able to make our Amsterdam flight in time even though we had to nearly run to make our flight. We made it to our gate with about 5 minutes to spare. Then we slept most of that flight and made it to Nairobi safely.

Our first few days have been great and filled. We have been able to deliver food to some of the schools we will for the rest of the summer. We have gone to meet some of the partners of Chris & Lindy’s ministry, the people we will be working along side for most of the summer. We have also been going and hanging out with the street boys. Hanging out with the street boys have been some of my favorite things to do. They just love to be around us. They also are very open and will say or ask whatever is on their mind. It is really awesome to hangout with them. They are just so happy that we are willing to come and hangout with them. I love it.

We have just been doing smaller things around the house getting ready for teams to come. We have been cleaning things, arranging things, and just doing small things around the house.

Things are going good. Thank you for your prayers, and please continue them. I will blog again later this week and include some pictures in that one.

Grace be with you.

Kev

The Journey

I would just like to let everyone know my journey begins May 25th. I will be traveling to philadelphia then to Amsterdam finally to Nairobi. I will be flying with the other 2 interns for the summer, Lauren and Grace. We will be returning on July 29th. Please keep us all in your prayers during our trip and during our traveling.

Please pray for our safety, pray for peace for our families while we are away. Also pray that we do not let anything get infront of our goals. That we don't put our own selfishness, laziness, comfort level, or anything get infront of us giving everything we are to be servants to others. Also that we show the Love of Christ to everyone we meet. Thats what it is all about. We are wanting to show what Christ is about. We want to people to show the Love of Christ. God tells us in the bible that Love is the greatest thing.

• 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:37-40 NIV).

There is nothing more important than showing the Love of Christ to people the way that it has been shown to us.

That is what I want to do above all else on this trip. Show people the Love. Show them the Joy that they can have in Christ. Let them see that the 'Joy is Rising'.

Radical? Nah I just call it Expected.

Radical? Nah I just call it Expected.

Some people have told me that going away for a summer to do missions work is 'radical' or 'crazy'. People say that they can't believe I would give my summer to go help these people in need and to spread the Love of Christ. When I tell people what I am going to do with my summer, and they respond 'wow, thats radical' or 'wow that's crazy'. I think to myself 'is it radical? is that crazy?

Wouldn't it be more comfortable to stay here? Of course it would be more comfortable to stay and have a good, relaxing summer in North Carolina. But God doesn't call us to be comfortable. He doesn't call us to do what is easy. He calls us to be different, to do the hard things, TO BE UNCOMFORTABLE! He tells us to put my selfish desires aside, to put daily things of this world aside, and to put the comfortable things of this world aside.

When I think about that I think NO its not radical!!! Jesus calls us to give Him EVERYTHING we have. To give HIM EVERYTHING we are. ALL of our strength, our focus, our time, and our lives. Jesus wants to be the center of our lives. He wants to be 1st place in every aspect of our lives.

People have also said 'wow, 2 months thats a long time. I don't think I could do something like that for 2 months. That is a long time, or thats your whole summer!' I think to myself I'm doing what God has called me to do. I couldn't think of a better way to spend my summer. If we truly love God and want Him to be first, then how is that a long time? Are you not willing to give your time to God? But you are to friends, work, summer vacations, or just having time off? What do you love then?

Now I'm not saying that you have to travel to make a difference. A 'mission field' does not mean it is across the ocean or you have to travel to get there. Our mission field as christians is everywhere there are non-believers. Which is EVERYWHERE! There are non-believers everywhere, in your work, school, neighborhood, local stores, everywhere you go. So just because you aren't leaving your town this summer. You are still called to do God's work, to be His hands and feet. You are still called to show His love. SO please show His love to everyone you meet this summer.

Our lives aren't supposed to make sense to non-believers. "Having faith often means doing what others see as crazy". Do non-believers see a difference in your life?

I think to myself 2 months out of 12, thats not radical. I am giving Jesus 2 months of my life to be completely controlled by Him, and to do what HE wants. To do what HE has called us to do. To take away distractions of this world, and focus on HIM and giving everything I have for HIS GLORY!

2 months to do what Jesus calls US as christians to do "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations". Thats what I am going to do. To make disciples of Christ Jesus.

Background

This blog is to show how the Joy Is Rising for Christ in me. This name I stole from my brother's cd, but I think it is a great title and can really help me show the things going on in my life, and the things that are going to go on.

I will try to blog some while in Africa this summer doing missions work with Chris Thompson. I will be there from May 25th - July 29th. Please pray for me throughout this trip.

The whole purpose of this is to just show how The Joy is Rising. To show how my relationship with Christ is growing, and hopefully to give other insight on the things I am learning, and to possibly help them as well.

I am just wanting to be His hands & feet. To be a light in the darkness.

with love,

Kev