God is working things out, will you join us in prayer?

We went to turn in the registration paper work today for the BABY HOUSE. (I think I should mention that I drove all the way back home, Trena is so trusting after only a day of practice)
We were very encouraged as we talked with the assistant children's director of the area, because he was very interested in hearing Trena's heart with the ministry and listened to her desire to be so specific in how God is directing her to serve the community.

So as we walked away we prayed:

*For the senior children's director of the area to be open and willing to listen to the explanation of the assistant, who heard us speak today, so that he can also hear the heart of the ministry
*That the assistant is able to communicate the goal and vision of the ministry the way we have expressed and God would have them see what He is doing in that area
* For the committee who has to meet to give approval to meet quickly and agree that they should allow the go ahead of the babies to be accepted by the baby center
* That all the remaining staff (cook, ground keeper, night watchman) travel safely to the house this week
* The certificates of good conduct, resumes, and all remaining paperwork for staff come in quickly, so the registration process can be complete so we can submit to the government headquarters.

So amazing to see God go before and after us, please continue to walk with me as we go.

Mombasa, Kenya: Fort Jesus and Meeting Barisa-my sponsor child
Going to Mombasa: Longing has been in my heart to return to Kenya since I came on my last mission trip in 2006. I just knew I would come back, so at a conference over a year ago when I saw the World Vision table, I wanted to pick a child from Kenya. Two things helped me find Barisa, his picture had him standing in front of a Masi blanket and the second was his birthday is May 8th, a day before mine. It was exciting to think that I would be so close to sharing a birthday with someone who lived in a place I loved.
When contacting Trena to come to Kenya, the thought didn’t even cross my mind that I was going to be in the country and to arrange a visit with him until well into my planning with Trena. As soon as I realized it, I was on the phone with World Vision to see what the process would be to make it happen.
Many phone calls during odd hours, waiting on background checks, and a final clearance to learn that Barisa lived near Mombasa, I was ready to make plans to visit and decided it would be best to have someone travel with me. I was blessed to have Jamie and Mimi Johns offer to travel and experience the adventure with me. Many thanks go to Jamie for making and generously blessing me with all of the travel arrangements for us to travel to Mombasa on June 22 and then visit on June 23.
Trena, Kirsten and I got up that morning to meet Jamie and Mimi at Java Junction (a restaurant in town) I called World Vision at 10:00am to be sure about the details of meeting before we all got on the airplane and flew to Mombasa. The lady on the phone said she knew who I was, the name of the hotel where I was staying, and that they would take care of it all. I asked if we would have to travel and she said about 100 kilometers. I felt better, but still had an uneasy feeling about the full details, I waited for someone to call me all day, but nothing.
While in Mombasa I was also eager to visit Fort Jesus, as recently God has put another person in my life with whom I feel call to get to know more. He is a Kenyan living in Houston and when found out I was going to his home country asked if I would take some pictures of a few simple things to bring back for him. Fort Jesus was one of those places. I was amazed again at being called to be a part of God’s work (which He is always doing around us, we only have to be available and willing to be a part of it) and feel that this connection will open more chances for me to get to know what God is doing in his life. What an amazing blessing!
HOWEVER…The beginning of the adventure started at 9:00 pm that night when I got a phone call to my room telling me someone from World Vision was downstairs wanting to talk to me. I thought it best to go find Jamie to come with me (my mom told me to listen to my heart when making wise decisions, this was one of those times : ) and boy was I glad that he came! As we entered the lobby I saw the man and introduced myself, he then went to say he would be there at 8:00 in the morning so that we could drive the 246 kilometers and then 45 more. I was instantly distressed because I knew we couldn’t drive that far and still make it back for our flight at 4:00pm that same day. Thanks to Jamie and his willingness to be my voice, an hour and a half later after “negotiations” Jamie had convinced our driver that he needed to go pick up Barisa with his father and bring them back to us at the hotel by 11:00 the next day. (A conversation and process I will never forget! Lesson learned: Always finish the deal before you leave.)
So… Jamie and I went back upstairs, still uncertain that the Kenyan driver would hold true to his word and I would be meeting Barisa the next morning. I went to my room ready to burst into tears and prayed for all the details we had talked about until I knew the only part left was to just trust. Trust that God knew better and had our best interest in mind.

Meeting Barisa:

The next morning at 11:05, (a miracle when working in Kenya) the World Vision van pulled up to the hotel with Barisa and his dad all the way from the village where they lived. It was so neat to see God at work as He brought us a greater plan than what would have been done. Barisa and his father ate breakfast and then after the father wanted to thank me for how much I did for Barisa. He also wanted to tell me that he has saved the letters I sent and even wanted to answer one of the questions I asked. It was really a “how did I get here moment” J I then gave him a soccer ball, and we looked through a picture album I had made for him. With the World Vision people gone and the Johns upstairs at the hotel, Barisa’s dad was able to tell me that Barisa needed a school uniform, so later in the day we went to a uniform shop and bought him 2 pairs of shirts, shorts, belts, shoes and socks for him. The rest of the day we made and threw the airplane models, colored, and then went to play soccer at the park off the Indian Ocean.

I had brought a machine called a Pogo, which prints pictures straight from your camera, so was able to give Barisa pictures of us together from throughout the day. The Ocean was my favorite part of the day, because as we approached the water and Barisa saw it, the biggest smile he had all day came over his face as he saw that much water for the first time in his life. The day ended with a huge tanker truck coming down the canal and Barisa watching it pass by.

I have come from the other side of the world to met the child that I sponsor, I have seen him experience things that he would have never had the chance to see before, and I have hear the heart of a father who struggles to feed his family on a daily basis. My memories are so full as I walk away from Mombasa and remember the place where I learned the practical lesson of finalizing plans, but more importantly the cemented reality of what I say I believe about God has being tested. I feel to have been found faithful, blessed and continuing to growing in the direction of believing what I say I do. Will you ask what He is calling you to believe?

Visiting my world vision sponsor child on June 23

Thank you for your prayers for my time in Kenya. I will be traveling to Mombasa tomorrow to visit my world vision child on June 23. Please pray:

*safe travel to the airport and flight to Mombasa
*clear communication ahead of time with the World Vision representative so that I know what time and location I will meet him
*excitement and love as I meet Barisa, he is a 13 year old boy
*fun time together as we meet on Tuesday, not an awkward time, but quick unity
*that I can share with him how much God loves him

Thanks for your prayers as this is something I have been planning and waiting for a long time to do, but am a little anxious to have happen.

How to eat a Haagen-Daz Ice Cream bar-a tribute to my dad on Father's Day

Many people do not know there is a right and wrong way to eat an Haagen-Dazs, however a few weeks ago my dad enlightened me on the process, so I thought I would share on this Father’s day about a subject so near and dear to his heart.

After a stressful day, dinner was done and my dad was going for a walk, so I joined him along with my dog Abby. (I don’t think he knows that although we workout together this walk and one other will stand out in my mind as special times together because instead of wanting to do something else, he wanted to spend time with me, what an act of selflessness, thanks dad)
So the conversation went:
Dad: “Boy, a Haagen-Dazs sure would be good right now.” (this said as we were passing Highgrove, the street that leads to the Walgreens which sells the ice cream)
Me: “Dad, you just said on the other block that you were so full!”
Dad: “I know but it sure does sound good. You know there is an art to eating a Haagen-Dazs.”

Here’s the process:
1. After dinner, or before dinner,(or really anytime you all the sudden get a craving) jump in the car and drive to the local Walgreens. When at the store, look for the Haagen-Dazs ice cream bar box that contains three bars.
2. Come back home and offer the other two bars to a family member, while opening or already having opened your own. When they say no thank you, put the remaining two in a safe spot in the freezer for later.
3. Begin eating the bar, but be careful to bite slowly as the chocolate covering is different than any other ice cream and will crack off falling onto the couch or floor.
4. Once the first bite is taken, plan your next bite carefully and accordingly to where the last piece of chocolate cracked. Sometimes this might require turning the ice cream stick to the side to prevent the chocolate from falling.
5. Once you have eaten most of the ice cream and are at the bottom of the stick (which is a short one, not like those of popsicles) bite the remaining chocolate and ice cream off into your mouth.
6. Congratulations! You have now eaten one of the most delicious desserts sold in stores. In about 5 minutes begin thinking about when you could eat the next one. (remember since your family members politely refused the first time you can skip step two this time) Enjoy!

Hope you are enjoying your Father’s Day, wish I could be there to share an ice cream with you. Love you bunches, you are the best dad ever!

A trip to Haven to visit the boys.

What a fun day! A trip to Nakumatt for “treats”, picking up friends, sitting in traffic to realize we were passing the football stadium at the “right time” for traffic, and winding through the bumpy dirt road to finally see a small face peek around the corner of the house when we honked the horn at the gate. We were finally at Haven. The four boys that live at the orphanage, Kelvin, Joshua, Godrey, and James greeted us with smiles and helped unload the car with the treats we had brought. They were soon giggles as the three of us (Kirsten, Alisha, and myself) chased them around the car to tickle each other and they had even more fun climbing on and off the car. At one point, kids from the road noticed there was fun going on in the yard, so they wandered in through the gate. Concerned they were not allowed into the yard, I went to get Trena and the house mom. They said it was fine and even had the boys offer sweets to their friends. (what a great skill to teach them in sharing and making friends.) The best part was we had just talked about playing Duck, Duck, Goose, so we went up the hill to the flat portion. I explained in English how to play and then one of the house mom’s translated for the kids and the game was on! What fun to watch these kids interact and take turns being sure that everyone had been picked at some point to chase. They caught on quickly and we told them we would be back next Saturday to play some more games. So we brainstormed already: red light, green light; Simon Says; hopscotch; red rover. Any other suggestions? :)

What I say I believe and what I really believe

I’m here and what a fun journey!

Most of you don’t know the Sunday before I was to leave, I received a phone call from Trena’s friend letting me know that there had been a mix up in our dates and Trena would be away on safari with her friend when I arrived in Kenya. After the shock of what I had thought might happen (no one to pick me up) Trena did an amazing job arranging for her neighbor to pick me up and for me to spend the night at her place. The whole experience gave me the opportunity to realize that what I “say” I believe in God, doesn’t always match what I “do” believe in who God is for me.
After a great dinner the night before, prepared by my aunt and a wonderful surprise by my sister-in-law (giraffe cookies, I wish I had a picture to share, but now their legs are all broken, well more than their legs) The day started with the crucial help from my dad. We went from errand to errand, without him we would not have gotten much done. Thanks dad! J
The fun started when we got to the airport and started weighing the 7 bags that were packed full of school supplies, children’s clothes and shoes. On the scale one bag would go, and out would come a pair of shoes, or notebooks until the check in lady would say it weighed 50 pounds. After 6 bags of doing this, the last bag is what got the BIG red flag. It weighed way over 50 pounds and would need to reach a certain amount so I could pay the $45 extra dollars so it could go. The problem was I could just not get it down to weight. The climax reached it’s height when she looked over at my carry on suitcase that I had all of my personal clothing in and said that it was not going to be allowed as a carry-on because it was too big. She said “you know you will have to pay $162 for the extra bag fee.” With tears in my eyes, I said I know that I will and frustrated, swept my hair up with a sad huff. Seeing my despair she said, “hold on, let me go talk to my supervisor.” So I guess long story short (well I guess not really short) God decided to bless me through others many prayers, by bumping me up to World Traveler Plus, giving me the ability to have another suitcase. So onto the plane I went!
My connection through London was smooth and off the plane in Kenya I was able to meet my connecting person and onto Trena’s house. I know that God had planned for me to have the day to myself while they were still on safari, as I was able to sleep off and on throughout the day. Now I feel rested and ready to go.
Today we traveled to the government offices to find out the steps for registering the baby house and then also visited the house.

Lesson learned: Don’t worry in the moment for you will miss the presence of God if you try to solve it on your own power. What are you saying that you believe about God, that you might not have experienced yet to really believe about Him? Having walked into the uncertain through this experience, I encourage you to be obedient, let God take you out of your comfort zone to see His greatness.

I'm here!!!

I am safe and here in Kenya! Just wanted to let all of you follower know. I will write more later. :)

PACKING...but more than that....

So too many amazing things have happened in such a short time period to give them all their own posting. :( But I wanted to share the amazing time I had on Thursday when I was packing with some new friends.

What do you do when someone offers something so generous, it leaves you speechless and stunned? That's the question I had to answer about a month ago when I received an email from an amazing mom from the school where I teach in Houston. Her email confirmed the strong instance from my two advisers who have helped me plan the trip, to ask those around me for support. Now about 100 lbs., 2 hours, 5 sets of hands and many generous families later, I have two extra bags full of donated clothes and shoes for the children of Kenya.

The story does not stop there, and again left me even more speechless with how this mom is instilling in her children the value of giving through her daily life and passion to serve Christ. Prepared to leave with the bags already in my car and feeling full of blessings, her 13 year old daughter turned to the mom and said, "can I go get the card now?" She returned quickly with a folded hand-made card clipped around the edges with paper clips, holding money inside. As she handed it to me she said, "this is for your trip, for a child in Kenya who needs it more than me. I don't really have anything that I need to buy right now anyway." Inside the card, I later discovered was a VERY generous amount of money for a child her age to be giving. I was not only impressed by her desire to be apart of something she had seen her mother so passionately model, but her willingness to sacrifice her savings for someone else, over something she had been saving to purchase, that she now saw as only a material item.

Scripture clearly says in 1 Timothy, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."

This young lady, was a model for me that day of what it looks like to live for others, not yourself and will be carried with me as a reminder that nothing is of too great a value to be firmly gripped in my hand. Thank you Dickinson Family!

Also a huge thanks to others (Cooksey family, aunt Pam, Denise) who have generously giving out of their supplies and desire to provide for those in need. I have collected many towels, washcloths, sheets, and pillowcases. Thank you for listening to the need and answering in this way.

How can I donate?

Many are still asking how can they donate to help me finish my goal financially. I still need $1,282 towards my total budget of $3,327. If you would like to help contribute towards this goal, you can send a check to His Cherished Ones Inc.
11307 Travelers Way Cir
Houston, Tx 77065

Be sure to write Kenya 09 in the check memo line, so the donation goes towards my trip.

Those going with me....

Blessed beyond measure is the thought that comes to mind right away. I have put off writing this post, since I am not sure I can fully express what I even want to say.

The list just goes on and on of those who have responded to go with me. Last Thursday my prediction came true as I cried in front of a room full of students and their moms, knowing that I would not ever be able to call that group of students my own again. These students have been a large part of my preparation in going. They have listened with ears of curiosity as I described what Kenya is like, questioned how students are alike and different from Americans, and given me such a vibe of energy for what I am doing this summer as they watched me share pictures of Trena and her mission. These are the students I will take with me, and as I look into the eyes of the Kenyan children, I will say HI FROM AMERICA! for these are the students who have taken the most steps with me on the journey, yet will not be able to board the plane to go with me physically.

For my birthday I was gifted with a large donation from the parents in support of my trip, so little did I expect anything for an end of the year gift from them. With emotions already on the edge of escape, one of the room moms handed me a book with a beautiful purple bow tied around it. As I removed the bow I realized it was a journal, but the undoing of my emotions was an even larger donation towards my trip and the signatures of all 21 students from my homeroom class. Pictured are the quotes the mom included in the journal, a very appropriate tie to my theme of going, and even more treasured as I will be able to take their sweet names with me into the heart of Kenya.

Update from Trena and her pictures of the house for the babies.

Just to update you.....I signed a two year contract on Friday and will go through the house tomorrow with the owner's son to finalize all the updates/repairs they need to make and to exchange keys. So exciting!





I am SO looking forward to having you here as we set up the baby house!!! It would be overwhelming to think of doing it myself. I see God is so sovereign in His timing and I am so thankful that you will be here when you will. I somehow knew that He would work everything out this way; I had a great peace in His timing and thought it would be so perfect for you to be here.





I don't know if we will be registered by then or not, but I am hoping to "open" or at least move there July 1st.

Side view of the house

Front room-big enough for toddlers and babies to play

One of the bedrooms

The goat and cow pens

A gift from the Girl Scouts :)

After school today the girl scouts presented me with a gift for the Kenyan children. The gift is beautiful counting ropes with handmade beads. The girls put 10 beads on each string, so the children will be able to use it for counting during math lessons. Thank you for the thoughtful gift, I know that they will love them!

June 1...

I try not to BE overwhelmed when I think:

• only two more weekends left before I leave
• I won't be sleeping in my own bed for 6 weeks
  am I really getting on a plane alone, flying across the ocean to another continent, then getting my own VISA, and finding my friend in a foreign country to pick me up
• being homesick for my family
• will I be able to stay healthy and eat enough
• what exactly am I going to be doing while I am over there
• will I be accepted

But then I AM overwhelmed:

• By a God who wants to tell His story of how much he loves us
• the generosity of those willing to "go" with me
• how He can speak a gentle assurance through walking at the lake, with the sun on your back, as a heron swoops down to skim across the water and YOU JUST KNOW He is there
• how He wants us to be apart of what He is doing through our willingness to be moldable and available to His plan
• how details are His speciality and everything just falls into place
• That in the end the things that overwhelm me are not the things that overwhelm Him!

I am reminded as I type that when I focus on the earthly things I overwhelm myself, but when I look at what God is doing through my steps of faith, I am able to see far past myself and see the faith of those around me.
Those who ask me questions that cause me to doubt my safety and decision to go all summer are far less than those who have stepped in faith with me to believe that I am called to go and help.
They are the ones who are courageous!
They are the ones who have listened to the call to support me and in turn have strengthen my faith to keep stepping in the right direction.
As I have reflected this weekend about all I have seen God do this last two weeks, I am overwhelmed with thankfulness and that has left a joy and strength in my heart to overcome my fears and instead be overwhelmed in His presence.
A huge thank you to all of you who have decided to "go" with me (that includes the excitement from my students who ask questions at school) Your joy, dedication, generosity, and support has given me courage. Thank you!