Send Me, I'll Go...

It was time for us to depart Kibera. For the next several days we debriefed as we shared with each other about our experiences. I was sad to leave Kenya, but was happy to come home and marry the love of my life. There are so many stories that are left untold of God’s work in Africa. For right now my work in Kenya is accomplished, but I am not sure what God has in mind for the future. I would like to conclude these series with a letter that I sent out to my sponsors summing up my trip in one page.

Dear family and friends,

I hope this letter finds you well. As you all know I returned from my mission trip to Kenya not too long ago. It was the best vacation with Jesus that I ever had and I would love to share my experience with you. First part of the trip we spent in a small village of Owaso, where God’s beauty is reflected in people and nature. We all quickly bonded with local children, and soon I had a 9 year old friend, Lillian. She touched my heart in a way I will never forget. Before the trip I asked the Lord to allow me love the unlovable and touch the untouchable. My God is faithful, He answered my prayer. My love for Lillian grew every day and it was love that was given by God. I never knew that I could fall in love with a stranger so deep and so fast. Through this love the Lord reminded me of His love for us. You see, you and I were once strangers to God’s family, yet His love for me and you was so unconditional and deep, that He extended grace and invited us to be a part of His family. Praise Him!!!

God’s unconditional love for people in Owaso was evident to us. We have seen the power of healing. We witnessed people coming to know the Lord during open air crusades. During VBS we loved on children and prayed that through our love they would see God’s unfailing love for them. God used people of Owaso to teach us as well. I remember the time, when we were picking up trash around the village. Trash was everywhere!!! My team was given rubber gloves and trash bags. As we began to pick up trash, which you didn’t know if you were picking up a bone of a goat or some other creature, children began to pick up trash, too. One minor detail to the story – we had gloves, while children didn’t. After picking up trash for a while, we stopped for lunch. I took off my gloves, and felt some one’s hand grabbing mine. When I looked, it was my precious Lillian’s hands, which picked up trash with no gloves, held on tight to mine. To be honest with you… I believe that my initial reaction would have been jerking my hand away, but at that time it was the beautiful hand of God’s child held on to mine and I wanted to keep on holding it and never let go. The Lord answered my prayer to be able to touch the untouchable. He reminded me of His love for all people from whom society tries to stay away. I love when God shows up, when I am least expecting, don’t you?

Well, before you know, it was time for us to leave Owaso, but our journey continued in Kibera slum, which is the 2nd largest slum in the world. The best way to describe Kibera is with the Christian lyrics “You can’t describe the indescribable”. I don’t think I am able to explain to you what my eyes have seen and my nose smelled in Kibera. When you walk to through the streets of Kibera, you are wondering if it is real. Can a child walk barefoot through the streets filled with sewage and think nothing of it? How can the government not acknowledge existence of 1.5 million people, who live in disparity? As I was walking my heart was breaking, but I felt numb to the pain of Kibera. Once again my God is faithful. He broke me, when He allowed me to share the Gospel with street children. I felt what they were feeling, when the Holy Spirit spoke through me about heaven, where there would be no more pain, hunger and death. I praise my God for what He did in Kibera.

Once again we were able to witness people coming to know the Lord through door to door evangelism, VBS and open air crusades. You know, before the trip I thought that I was coming to Kenya to preach, but in reality Kenya preached to me. In Kibear and Owaso I have seen people know the Lord with the faith so strong that you can feel the Holy Spirit’s presence. They worship the Lord at church so wholeheartedly that I am still longing to feel that experience in America. People in Kenya that I met had nothing, yet they have found EVERYTHING in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

From this trip I have learned that I am a missionary no matter where I live. I was able to experience what it is like to stand in the front rows of the battle, yet have faithful prayer warriors like you at home, who fought in prayer with me. I learned that planting seeds is equally important as picking up the harvest, “for the Lord rejoices over one sinner, then 99 righteous who need no repentance” (Luke 15:7). I learned that the building doesn’t make a church, but the body of the believers does. I have seen from people in Kenya what it is like to be on fire for God even if you don’t know where your next meal will come from. Starving is a natural state that many children in Africa experience. I learned that being tired is not an excuse to not be ready to minister to people. I learned that having lights in your house is a privilege just as washing your face each morning with water and taking hot showers. I learned that God may not always use my words to be a witness, but He may use my actions that speak louder than words.

Dear family and friends, your actions spoke louder than words, when you supported me financially and prayerfully on this trip. I thank my God that He called me to Kenya and I thank Him for you. I pray that He would bless each one of you. I would love to close my letter with a quote from one of my team members; she said “I'll admit that for a while our American culture had me convinced that I pretty much rocked and that on my own power I had earned the right to live so comfortably. But when I went to Kenya, and looked into the eyes of a three year old orphan, I realized the only thing that kept me from being born into in her situation, was God's will. Each and every one of us could have been born into Africa's largest slum, and realizing it has made me more humble than ever before.”

In His precious and glorious name,

Oxana

Send Me, I'll Go...

It was almost time for us to leave Kibera and debrief before traveling back to the US. I was really bothered by the fact that I have yet to cry during our stay in Kibera. My God has blessed me with extra dose of emotions so I was confused by the fact that I cried watching infomercial about poverty, but when I finally faced it I was numb to it. On the way to the Nakumat (grocery store) I shared my burden with my amazing leader. I shared with her that prior to the trip I have been praying that God would allow me to feel what people living in poverty feel. Her response was this…”Don’t you think God answered your prayers? You feel numb to the surroundings because that is how people of Kibera feel. If they allowed the true feelings to come out, people of this slum would be swimming in their own tears.” Good point, I never thought of it that way.

Before the end of our stay in Kibera I shed my first tears. Several days before the departure, we decided to have unscheduled crusade in the yard near our house. We would do the usually drama, songs and a lesson. One of our leaders approached me and asked if I would be interested in teaching that evening. I was certain that during the trip God called me just to love on children as He planned for someone else to teach. But I agreed and went back to the room to prepare the lesson.

I knew what God wanted me to share and oh boy did the Holy Spirit came over me when I shared with small children gathered around the court yard. I shared with the kids Revelation 21:4, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” For a split second I felt the burden of the small children living in such poverty that is beyond my comprehension. As tears rolled down my face as I held on to the promises of one Mighty God that I serve. I absolutely love what Ps 56:8 say,” You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book”. Are you in awe of how amazing our God is? I am!!! God loves and cares for His children and can use you and me to share His love with others.

Send Me, I'll Go...

People in Kibera are thirsty for God’s Word and I mean it! The best part is that their thirst for the Word is contagious and sincere! I recall one night part of our group went to a local Bible college, where our leader taught a lesson to the local pastors. At the end of the session questions poured non stop as pastors were thirsty for the truth. It made me stop for a second and think about my walk with the Lord. Am I fed or thirsty? Is reading my Bible for 5 minutes a day enough to know my God? I knew the answer to my questions. In order for me to really know my God I have to spend more than 5 minutes with Him and thirst the truth just like local Kenyans.

Our Q&A session came to an end as it was getting dark outside. We were advised to not go back to the house through the “heart” of Kibera for safety reasons. Instead we walked on the outskirt of the slum and let me just tell you I was scared. Night life in Kibera slum is not quite. The presence of evil was so real that many times I closed my eyes and held the hand of my teammate as we walked in line back to the house. Reciting scripture and singing Christian songs out loud calmed our fears. Isaiah 41:10 says, 'Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand

When we arrived to the house we enjoyed dinner, fellowship with our team and finally it was bed time. Every day when it was time to go to bed, I felt exhausted. In part I felt tired was because we didn’t eat nutritious meals, however it allowed me to have a glimpse of hunger that children in Africa experience daily. Another reason is that we stayed busy from the time we woke up until bed time ministering to local people. The Word of God says in 1 Peter 3:15, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” I learned in Kenya that I am a missionary 24/7 no matter how tired or cranky I may be.

Send Me, I'll Go...

The smell of trash no longer bothered me, but I still couldn’t believe what my eyes witnessed every single day as we walked through the slum. The level of poverty was unreal. Even the smallest house in the US seemed liked a mansion in comparison to the Kibera’s mud huts. Thrift store clothes seemed like the designer clothes compared to the worn our dirty clothes that children of Kibera had on. McDonald’s kids meal would most likely taste like a five start restaurant to many residents of Kibera, because starvation was a norm to many. Oh yeah, how could I forget hot water! It was non existent to most along with TVs, cars, and latest electronics just to name a few. During one of our door to door visits, I met a woman who had nothing. From her story I learned that she lost a baby and had nowhere to go. She came to Kibera to look for relatives, but could not locate them. Her feet were unbelievable swollen and someone gave a chair for her to seat on. She didn’t know what she was going to do and look so hopeless. My teammate and I laid our hands on the woman’s feet and prayed, prayed and prayed. My friend, do you feel blessed right now to have a job, a roof over your head and hot meal every evening? Stop right now and thank God for your blessings!!! Those who know God and reside in Kibera are blessed too. Yes, they do not have all the material things, but they have faith that can move the mountains. The Word of God says in Matt 17:20, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." I will never forget the church service that we attended while we lived in Kibera. Quickly I learned that the building does not make up the church, but the body of the believers does. Locals worshiped God so wholeheartedly and with such joy that I still long to experience that in the US. It was normal for the church service to last 3 years and no one around me looked at their watch as lunch time approached. The simple truth was that most of the people didn’t have lunch plans but their growling stomachs didn’t interrupt their time with the Lord. Every moment of worship with God was treasured by Kenyans as they danced and praised Him. And for the first time the Bible verse 2 Sam 6:14 became a reality for me, “And David danced before the LORD with all his might”. It was so amazing to be real with God not worrying if my pew neighbor going to think that I am crazy for jumping up and down or singing every other verse to the song that I have never heard before. When the Holy Spirit does cartwheels inside of me, which happens often when I am listening to the Christian music, I should join in and not worry about what someone else thinks of my worship style. As I hummed a very well known song, my God was right there with me. “When the music fades and all is stripped away and I simply come. Longing just to bring something that's of worth that will bless Your heart”.
To be continued…

Send Me, I'll Go...

In about two hours we arrived to Kibera. If you are not familiar with Kibera, it is Africa’s largest slum with population of 500,000 to 750,000 people whose existence the government of Kenya does not recognize. Kibera was everything that I imagined for it to be. If you watch infomercial about poverty in Africa, this was 100 times worst. The smell of sewage was so strong that until your nose adapts to it, you fill sick to your stomach. My eyes couldn’t believe that it was actually possible to live in such poor conditions. Our group stayed in a house on the outskirt of the slum. The house was small and simple with running cold water and it made me happy that I can actually wash my face. Before too long our guide (local pastor) took us on excursion around the slum.

It was hot outside and as we carefully walked through what looked like a trash dump I was in disbelief that I was walking through the land that people reside on. Little children would run up to us shouting, “How are you?” with an accent. We were told prior to the trip that was the only phrase that little children knew and loved letting others know about it. Before too long we came to a building, which turned out to be the local Bible school. As the pastor was talking to the group, his words became a blur to me and I felt that at any moment I was going to pass out. I have never felt that way before and became very scared. I grabbed my leader and told her that I had to seat down because my legs were barely holding me. The next thing I know the whole group gathered around me and started to pray as the guys took their hats off to fan me. I know that God was watching over me as Is 40:29 says, He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak”. I felt better but my leaders weren’t sure if I would be capable of walking around for another hour. One of the leaders and a group member walked me back to the house, where I rested until the rest of the group came back.

The following morning I felt much better as we prepared to go to the local school to teach kids God’s Word. As we jumped over the sewage puddles, local kids barefoot would walk through them. To them it was not a big deal since their surrounding was all they have ever known. When we arrived to school, each one of us was assigned a classroom. I had girls around 11-13 years old, who were extremely shy. As I tried to remember their names and asked questions, none of them wanted to share too much information about their families. Later on I learned that some students drop out of school in order to work to help feed the family. Most children had one parent while others were either orphans or lived with extended family members. Unlike children in Owasso, these children were reserved and held their distance. I didn’t bond with any of the girls and I wondered if they dreaded the hour that I spend with them each day. As I prepared different devotions to share with the girls, every day on our way back to the camp I couldn’t stop thinking if the girls learned anything. However, I must leave the speaking part up to the Holy Spirit and keep praying earnestly for the girls’ future.

To be continued….

Send Me, I'll Go...

Kibera Slum

It was time to leave Owasso and head on to Kibera slum, where we would spend the remainder of our mission trip. I will never forget our last evening in Owasso. It was the toughest day during the whole trip, when I had to say goodbye to my sweet Lillian. All the locals were invited for dinner at our camp, and guess what we ate that night?! A goat! I actually met that goat the day before when he was tied up to the pole next to our shack. Needless to say, I went hungry that night. I was dreading for dinner to be over, because I am not very good with saying goodbyes. As I hugged my Lillian, I didn’t want to let go of her. God showed me through Eph 3:18, how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ”. My tears ran uncontrollably while my Lillian sobbed. Her tiny arms were wrapped around my waste would not let go.

All the local adults started to call children to come home and that is when Lillian’s arms became unglued and she ran away as fast as she could. As I watch her run and her slim figure was disappearing in the distance, my heart was torn apart. Two of my other teammates were seating on the grass crying also. I joined them and we shared with each other how much this children meant to us. We then prayed for God’s hand to be upon them protecting and providing for them.

In the morning it was time for us to leave Owasso. The problem arose when our bus didn’t show up to pick us up. For the next three hours we sat on the grass talking what foods we will eat upon our return to the US. We were so tired and hungry that I would have probably eat en cheese if someone offered it to me (just a side note, I do not like cheese). After a while we began to wonder if our bus drivers forgot about us, but we were then informed that we were in Africa where concept of time does not exist. Finally our bus arrived and we were ready to see what God had in store for us in Kibera.

To be continued…

Send Me, I'll Go...

Before coming to Kenya, I thought that God would use us to minister to hundreds of people and they will all come to know Him. That was not the case when we actually arrived to Owasso. Almost every evening we would have crusades in the middle of the village. We would sing songs, perform drama and then a group memeber would share God’s Word through a translator. People would gather and watch, but very few took the opportunity when invitation was given. I recall guys in my group praying for a man who was suffering from back ache. Boys prayed over the man and the next day this elderly man came to our camp to share with us that his pain was gone. Some girls in our group ministered to older women, while the rest of us loved unconditionally on local children.

God reminded me of His love for people of Owasso, when He placed Bible verse (1Cor 3:6) on my heart “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow”. You see, before picking up the harvest someone first must plant it. God was using us to plow the acre and plant the seeds. Next year when a group of students come, God perhaps would use them to water the seeds. And in His time He will make the seeds grow. Sometimes as Christians we get disappointed when we do not see the fruits of our labor right then right there. When we are witnessing to someone and they reject, we feel discouraged. But during this trip, God reassured that it is just as important to plant a seed as it is to pick up the harvest.

Planting a seed can be through our actions and not necessary through our words and one evening the Lord reminding me just of that. Ever so often we would have a Bible study where our leaders would pour their hearts in sharing God’s Word with our group. Sometimes older local kids would come and join our Bible study. That night it was very cool outside and I put on a sweatshirt over my short sleeved shirt. I am cold natured and my co-workers would agree with me. I have a heater at my desk on during the winter months and summer months. I am miserable, when I am cold. Our group leader began to teach and I couldn’t help but notice a local boy who was seating next to me shivering. I started to pray, “God, would you please warm him up. He is very cold…please!” The boy kept on shaking and then I began to pray differently, “Lord, you know I am miserable, when I am cold. Would you warm me up?” I took my sweatshirt off and offered it to the boy, who gladly accepted it. And this when my God showed up and showed out. During the next 20 minutes of the Bible study, gentle and warm breeze would touch my skin softly as I listened to my leader. This gentle and warm breeze was so familiar, because I have felt it the first time I encountered God’s presence during high school years. God kept me warm, so the stranger could see through my actions’ God’s warm and carrying love for him. God gets all the glory, honor and praise!

To be continued…

Send Me, I'll Go...

me and my sweet Lillian

We slept in tents inside the metal building that really looked more like a shack. Every morning, we would get up and be ready to eat breakfast. Every morning for breakfast we would have homemade doughnuts like pastry and they were simply amazing. We were told that girls usually gain weight during the trip because carbs become your best friend. After breakfast we would take turn washing dishes and spend an hour in quiet time with the Lord. VBS was next on our agenda, where I would see my sweet Lillian laughing and having a good time. She would always take my arms and wrap herself in them. During VBS we would teach kids of God’s love, sing songs and play games with them. For lunch we would eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (every single day…sometimes twice a day) and then we would go off to the near by villages to interact with locals through community service.

I recall a day, when we went to pick up trash in the near by village. The place was covered with paper wrappers, animal bones and all kinds of yucky items. After gloves were distributed we started to work. Some locals couldn’t understand why Americans came to their village to pick up their trash and were pleasantly surprised by our actions. Before you know local children started to mimic our action helping us pick up the trash. My Lillian was my helper and her bare hands would grab whatever was before her and throw it in the trash bag. At times I wasn’t sure if I was picking up the bones of a goat or some other creature. However, children did not care one bit that they were picking up odd object without gloves. We finished our task and it was time for us to go back to our shack for lunch.

As we were walking children started to follow us and all of a sudden I felt someone grabbing my hand so tight that it scarred me. When I saw that it was Lillian’s hand my initial reaction would have been to jerk my hand back. As I have mentioned before, kids did not have gloves when they picked up the trash. However, at that time, I didn’t care about her dirty hands and instead my hands tightly held on to hers. Before going on this trip, I prayed that God would allow me to touch the untouchable and love the unlovable and He was faithful in answering my prayer. Through Lillian God showed me how much He loves His children. He doesn’t care about our dirty hands or our dirty past; He loves us all the same with love that is beyond our understanding. Psalm 58:8 says, “But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever”.

The love that God gave me for Lillian was unexplainable. I never knew that I was capable of loving a stranger so much in such short period of time. It was as if God kept on pouring in to a cup that was overflowing with love for my sweet Lillian. One day our group went to a local school to teach children about God. On our way to school I saw Lillian going home with her friend for lunch. After hugging me, she didn’t just walk home she ran home. That child must have been moving 70 mph because half way through our walk to school she ran up to me and grabbed my hand with a bowl of food in her hands. That day, one of my teammates preached God’s Word to the little ones and a big crowd of children came to know Jesus! AMEN!!! My Lillian was one of them. She frantically was searching for me in a large crowd and when our eyes finally met, I felt like I was a proud mother of this beautiful little girl.

To Be Continued….

Send Me, I'll Go...

me and mama Virginia

I was anxious about seeing the real Africa and couldn’t wait get to work! We finally arrived to Nairobi, capital of Kenya, where we spent our first night. In the morning, while waiting for our bus to arrive I met a woman, whose name was mama Virginia. She shared her life story with me and oh boy was I touched by it! Mama Virginia was a single mother who hoped that one day her children would attend college. I learned that it was not unusual for her to walk 2 hours one way to work. In fact, she didn’t have a steady job and often relied on small tasks that would pay enough to feed her family. She wasn’t sure what kind of task she was going to perform tomorrow, but she was certain that God would provide. Faith and love for God were evident in mama Virginia’s life, which made me wonder how I would act and react in her situation. I was compelled to pray and as I held this woman’s hard working hands tears began to run down my chicks. I was ready to pray, but was lost for words. Imagining what she has to deal with everyday was not comprehendible to me, making me unsure how I should pray for her. I love what God’s Word says in Romans 8:28 “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” After the prayer time we hugged and said our goodbyes since it was time for us to leave for Owasso village.

The ride to Owasso was bumpy and scary at times. Infrastructure is not the best on the outskirts of Kenya but what made the ride frightening was that none of the drivers obey road signs. If they do not want to stop at the stop sign they keep on going beeping at each other letting each other know that they are moving. Because we were all so excited to reach our final destination we tried to ignore the crazy ride. And finally we arrived to Owasso where we were greeted by a group of women with children. We dropped off our bags and began to interact with children.

It was difficult to interact at first, since the language was a barrier. However we quickly learned that we can point at objects and draw pictures in the sand to communicate with one another. I quickly bonded with a little girl Lillian. She was 9 years old, spoke very little English and loved to play games. During the next 10 days, Lillian captured my heart in the way that I have never imagined.

To be continued…

Send Me, I'll Go...

Before going to Kenya I had high expectations of watching people coming by hundreds to know the Lord. I thought that we would see healing right and left but most of all I thought that God was going to use my big mouth to share the Gospel with others. Just to give you heads up, God has taught me lots of lessons about my expectations. My prayer prior to the trip is that God would allow me to touch the untouchable and love the unlovable and I can’t wait to share with you how God was faithful in answering my prayer.

I knew that others were praying for me too, especially my soon to be husband. The day came when Daniel took me to Atlanta airport where I met up with my teammates. It was hard to tell my future husband good bye, but I knew that two weeks after the mission trip we would spend the rest of our lives together. Once all the group members arrived we departed to a camp for one week, where we would be preparing for what God had in store for us in Kenya. During the week of training we bonded as a team praying for each other and encouraging each other on during the team building activities. We were told that during the next 4 weeks, we are going to become best friends with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. When God spoke to me on my way to work and I complained about eating goat meat, He faithfully provided peanut butter sandwiches in its place. And trust me, they weren’t kidding when they said that peanut butter would be our lunch every day. Oh, and by the way, we were also informed that showers would be a luxury. If fact, during the 4 weeks trip, I only took about 5 cold showers. Baby wipes and I became very close! Moving on with the story, at night our team would worship together as God’s presence would fill the room. Matt 18:20 says, “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." That week on several occasions the Lord revealed to me that He not always going to use my words as a witnessing tool, in fact He showed me that my actions speak louder than words.

The Lord continued to speak to me when we were all gathered together to be commission and prayed over before leaving for Kenya. As I waited for my turn to be prayed over, God brought to my attention that I am safe in His arms. About 6 months before the trip, I was shopping at Wal-Mart. On my way out some kind of organization was doing a fund raiser so I bought a key chain for $10 dollars. The key chain was supposed to serve as a protective tool, in that if someone was to attack me, I press the button and the loud siren noise would scare them away. When I came home, I put the key chain in the drawer and forgot about it until I was packing for Kenya. I decided to take the key chain with me; just in case someone was going to kidnap me (I have a wild imagination). As I removed a piece of paper that was going to activate the alarm, I found out that my key chain likes silence rather than a loud noise. I was so disappointed that I wasted $10 on a key chain that doesn’t work, so I tossed it in a trash can.

Back to the commissioning prayer time. As I was standing the Lord started to speak to my heart. He reminded me that the key chain did not go off not because it was broken, but because God wanted me to fully trust Him in protecting me. Isn’t our God awesome?! Yes, He is!!! Psalm 121:3-8 says, “The Lord will not let your foot slip – He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watcher over you – the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm – He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over our coming and going both now and forevermore”.

To be continued…

Send Me, I'll Go...

Even though I knew that God would provide for my trip to Kenya, I still managed to stress about it because I did not know where the money would come from. I sent out a lot of support letters to family and friends but did not receive good response. This intensified my worries as the time was ticking and only small potion of the total costs was covered. My best friend suggested that I speak at her parents’ and grandparents’ Sunday school classes. However I still doubted that my trip would be possible because no way would $30 or $50 donations would cover the cost of my trip. But God proved me wrong! The Word of God says in 2 Tim 2:13, “If we are faithless, Christ will remain faithful”. Amen.

It was bright and sunny day. As I was driving to church to speak about my upcoming trip to Kenya, I was a little nervous about asking for people’s support. During the first Sunday school class, I received several checks and promises to support my mission trip. As I was walking out of the class to go to the next one, one lady stopped me and handed me a check. While walking to the next room, I opened the check and saw that it was for $500 dollars! “O, ye of little faith (Matt 8:26)”, the Lord gently spoke to me. I felt ashamed that I did not trust God’s provision. While sharing my calling to go to Kenya with another Sunday school, I felt much more confident that money will not be an issue. In fact, I received several more checks and promises of support along with $1000 dollars donation from one couple!!! Did you get this? Within two hours God covered almost half of my mission trip cost. I was so thankful for the obedience and kindness of the people that donated money to make my mission trip possible. The Word of God say in Phil 4:19, “God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Jesus Christ”. God had a plan for me to go to Kenya on a mission trip and He met all my needs.

As a mission trip date was approaching fast, I was amazed at how fast my account was growing that would cover my trip expense. Not only did God provided money to cover my trip, but He also provided enough to cover all the medical expense that was associated with going to Kenya. I should have never worried nor doubted God’s abilities as an ultimate provider. He knew my needs and He blessed me beyond my imagination. Now it was time for me to seat and wait until it was time for me to depart on my trip.

To be continued…

Send Me, I'll Go...

Shortly after my trip to Kenya, I was on my way to work (internship). Because I always parked 15 minutes away from work (not by choice), I would bring my ipod to make my hot and humid walk survivable. As I was humming to the tune of the song that was blasting in my ear, I felt that God was trying to get my attention. My heart began to race as the Lord began to call me on a mission trip back to Kenya. I started to gasp for air, as if I was having a panic attack and the calling was stronger and stronger for me to go after graduation to Africa.

“God, I don’t think I am ready. Ok, so I wanted to go back to Kenya, but not that soon. Plus, I really didn’t like eating goat meat, so how am I going to survive several weeks with no good food. Oh, yeah, showers… I am sure on a mission trip I will not have that luxury so what am I going to do? I really think you picked the wrong person for this task”, I told God quietly and continued to walk. At that moment, I was a mirrored image of Moses who gave lots of excuses for why he was not qualified for the job that God called him to do. But God’s reassured promise to always be with me was a gentle push to step out on faith and trust that God indeed hand picked me to go to Kenya. I love what Judges 6:16 says, “Surely I will be with you”

Feeling God’s presence made the rest of my walk to work enjoyable. I couldn’t help but smile and evidently it was very noticeable. As I passed by my co-workers, they asked me why I was glowing. “Because I am going to Africa”, I said without hesitation. Now I just had to figure out how I was going to get there. When I came home I started to look on internet for a Christian organization that would go on a mission trip to Africa during the summer time. I wanted to go for more than just 1 or 2 weeks, so my search began. Most organizations that I came in contact would travel to African countries for only 1 week. I began to give up hope until I came across AIM (Adventures in Missions). I found out that the organization is sending a group of young adults to Kenya for 4 weeks shortly after I would graduate from college. My application was complete and submitted within an hour. I now had to wait for AIM worker to conduct a phone interview after which I would find out if I would be going to Kenya.

It wasn’t too long after my application submission that I received a phone call for an interview. I shared my story about how God changed my desires and is calling for me to go on a mission trip to African countries. We prayed about it over the phone and before we hung up I was told that I was accepted and now just needed to send $100 to secure my spot. After I hung up the phone I wondered where in the world I am going to get $100 in two weeks to send for a deposit. I began to feel anxious despite the fact that the Word of God teaches us in Phil 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” It was almost bed time and I went to my bathroom to get ready. “God, I don’t know how I am going to afford this trip. I don’t even have $100 to send for a deposit”, I said with the sigh. As I opened the cabinet in my bathroom to put all the toiletries away, I jumped. There was two $20 dollars bills lying folded in the corner of the cabinet. How the money got there, I still do not know to this day. But what I do know is that God reassured me that day that He is my ultimate provider and that He will take care of my expenses for this trip.

To be continued….

Send Me, I'll Go...

As I wrote monthly checks to World Vision, God has faithfully provided for me every time I had a need. I love what Luke 12:29-30 says, “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things”. Seriously, I can tell you story after story on how God blessed and provided for me in some unexpected ways. Please know that when God calls you to do something, He has already provided you with all the means to do it. My God continued to develop my passion towards people in Africa. Many times on Saturday morning I would watch infomercials about sponsoring a child and tears uncontrollably would run down my face. I couldn’t believe that it was possible for people to live in such poverty. God has also begun to speak to me through His Word in Isaiah 61:1-3.

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to
Those who are bound;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified”.

While I wrote in my Bible that I feel God is telling me to share the good news in Africa, I wasn’t sure how I was going to go there. I envisioned one day traveling to Mozambique to visit my little boy that I sponsored but I knew that I couldn’t afford that trip any time soon. However, God’s plan was different from mine. He opened the door for me to travel to Kenya instead through a class that I took at USC my junior year. In fact, I was able to qualify for a scholarship that partially covered the cost of my trip. And God provided money for the rest of the trip through student loans. I was so excited to have a chance to walk the streets of Kenya yet I have to admit I was a little nervous about the trip and what my eyes would see.



My nervousness continued as I boarded the plane with about ten other students from my college. I am not a big fan of flying so seating for 16 hours on the plane was definitely not fun. Finally we arrived to Nairobi, capital of Kenya and I was confused. I thought that we must have taken the wrong plane, because this town looked like down town Charlotte, NC and not the place surrounded by poverty that I have seen on TV. My teacher confirmed that we were in Kenya. To be honest with you, I was a little disappointed in what I saw around me that day. However, during the next two week I was able to have a glance of real poverty as I saw from afar Africa’s largest slum. I witnessed disparity when two young boys stole my classmate’s purse. But my heart was broken when young children begged for money and food as we drove through the down town Nairobi. Before the trip was over, the Lord has soften my heart and I knew that one day I would like to visit Kenya again.

To be continued…

Send Me, I'll Go...

Never in a million years was I expecting that God one day would place such heavy burden on my heart for people in African countries. In fact, if you were to tell me during my freshman year of college that I would be going to Kenya in several years, I would have probably laughed at you and said “No, thank you!” I was set in ways of what I was going to do after graduation and going to Africa was not part of my plan. After graduation I was going to move to New York City, become a CEO, wear business clothes, high heels (I hate heels) and drink Starbucks on my way to work. Since I do not like the taste of coffee, I was going to work on my last part of the plan and learn how to enjoy drinking coffee. Today, I am so happy to report to you that I do not live in New York City; I am not a CEO who has to wear business clothes and hurt my feet with high heels. Most importantly I do not have to force myself to learn how to enjoy coffee. My plan was pitiful compared to what God had in store for me. During my four years of college God had reshaped and remolded me and my desires all while showing me glimpses of what He had planned for my future. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”.

God began to reveal His plan to me during my sophomore year at USC. I started to pray asking God to use me. In my mind I thought that perhaps He can use my time or my talents; however God’s plan was once again totally different from mine. During a Christian concert one evening, a performer started to talk about World Vision encouraging the crowd to sponsor a child from a developing country. All of a sudden my heart began to race 100 beats per second and I knew that God was calling me to sign up to sponsor a child. Nevertheless my excuses began as I told the Lord that I did not ask Him to use me financially. I then explained to God that I was a college student living on a tight budget as if He did not know that. Giving money every month was not what I meant when I prayed and asked for Him to use me. But the Lord continued to press upon my heart to go and pick out a child to sponsor.

As I turned around, I told my friend that God was calling me to sponsor a child. My friend and I made our way through the crowd and came to the table that displayed pictures of children from different countries. I randomly selected a picture just to learn that my little boy was from Mozambique, Africa. Isn’t it amazing how God works? I could have picked a child from Russia or China, but God has strategically placed a child from Africa to begin His work of molding me and preparing me for what was to come. I love what Isaiah 64:8 say, “Yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all work of Your hand”. God (the potter) has taken me (the clay) in His hands as He bended, twisted and shaped me to become a beautiful pottery to be used for His purpose in Africa. I must confess until I fully submitted to God’s control, there were a few bumps during the molding process, yet God never gave up on me! He took my once selfish desires and replaced them with compassion towards people in Africa for which I will be forever grateful.

to be continued...

Send me, I'll go...

For the next several weeks, I am so thrilled to be able to share with you how God has molded me and prepared me for the trip to Kenya several years ago. I will schedule a post every evening in addition to the money saving post in the morning. If you wonder what this trip has to do with being a good steward of His riches. Everything! As Chris Tomlin’s lyrics say, “Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God You are higher than any other. Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God!” God is much bigger than a coupon with the expiration date and the occasional discount that you can find. I want to share with you how God provided for me financially, when I didn’t have any money, how God protected me when I was fearful and most of all how God was faithful, when I was faithless. So stay tuned.