Farewell to Kiria

Today was our last day in Kiria. We began our day climbing a small “hill” which turned out to be the side of a mountain. We journeyed to see the source of the water that fills the tanks we were constructing. I have never been so happy in my life to see the top of a small hill.

While the tanks are not finished, the foundations for 2 tanks are finished and we all celebrated and rejoiced of such great accomplishments. At the end of our day the men on the team sat and spoke to the village men about concerns they may have for themselves and the youth. The women on the team painted the nails of the women in the village which was great service for us all.

To sum up our stay we prayed and sang and the villagers gave us Kikiyu names as well as authentic pieces of art. Our names are listed below:

Myron: Mucoki- “to come back”
Lynn: Mumbi-“good mother”
Travis: Muhoro- “the cool one”
Jordan: Muturi- “technician”
Dave: Wahinya- “strong one”
Reah: Wanjiru- “one of us/ belonging to the blacks”
Beth: Makena- “the very happy one”
Kim: Njeri- “one who likes to visit/travel”
Nury: Nyawira- “hard working woman”
Suzanne: Njoki-“one who comes back ”
Kim W: Gakenia- “one who makes others happy”
Larry: Guka- “grandfather ”

Tomorrow we travel to the next town to take part in a Safari! We are super excited!

Until Next Time,
Beth

Coming Together

Today the weather was cool at about 70 degrees. In the mountain ranges it makes for beautiful weather for us Americans.

After reaching the village we spent the morning session digging the hole for the foundation to be laid for the 3rd water tank in the village. At breakfast we all hypothesized that this would be easy. There would be many hands and so the hole would be finished in no time. We were wrong. The deep, red, clay was sticky. Once you shoveled your clay you had to bang it on the ground to get the clay off of the shovel. Then once the team got deeper into the hole, water began to seep in. So more and more people jumped in and the hole was at the proper place for the day.

The latter half of the day was spent with the children discussing the story of David and Goliath, playing games, and doing some art projects! The children absolutely love talking about God and the strength that God can give anyone.

So often we think about how taboo it is to speak of God in schools, in public, and at the workplace in America but here to speak of God is to be proud, to be at peace, to be loved and there is no limitation on where you can speak of Him.

Until Next Time,

Beth

A Day in the Life of…

Today was a beautiful day. The weather was stunning. We broke off into 3 groups of 3 and visited the homes of 3 families. Our purpose today was to become “Wewito” or “One with the family.” Two groups began their day by doing farm work and then sitting down to make Chai and Chipoti (Tea & Bread). My group began by cooking first and sitting by the fire so that we could get to know one another.

Although a patrilineal culture, the women are responsible for the cooking, cleaning, and farm work.

The two groups that began working in the farm first found it to be very hard labor as they were responsible for getting feed for the cows, tilling the soil, harvesting potatoes, pulling weeds, cutting firewood, making Chipoti, and making Chai all before lunch. What we learned was that these families were in need of extra hands as their farms were larger due to larger family sizes. One family also had a widow so she had to do all the work by herself as the children were in school. Majority of their day is from about 5am-7pm and is spent working.

As Nury, Larry, and I assisted in these tasks the family was amazed we had a conception of farming. They believed that Americans never farmed and that as a whole we were lazy people.

So what did the rest of us do? Well Reah, Lynn, and Myron stayed at the hotel to meet with their child that they sponsor through Compassion. It was a great experience as this with the child’s first day riding in a car, leaving her village, and even experiencing the joy of meeting the people that have helped her go to school. The experience was one of beauty as she and her family have officially become Wewito!

Lesson Today:

Here the people of Kiria believe we are poor because we are lazy and we believe they are poor because they lack materials and creature comforts. The best part about all of this is that Jesus becomes our common ground and we become richer than we can imagine.

Until next time,
Beth

Love is a Universal Language

The love of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is greater than we can ever imagine. Love can overcome struggle, fear, depression, and any hardship one can think of. Love can also be humbling and truly genuine especially when you have Jesus as your common bond to a stranger.

Today we traveled to the village of Kiria. It is here that we will stand alongside the community and help erect a water tank, clean, cook, and cultivate alongside our brothers and sisters. Today all villagers welcomed us as one of their own. They even nicknamed Larry “Grandpa” as a term of endearment and respect for his age. Lynn even became Mama Reah as they associated her with our Team Leader Reah which is also her daughter.

Our task would seem small but was very great. Team members worked alongside others as the hole for the tank was dug and then ALL members of the community came and threw rocks in as the foundation was built. You always hear phrases like “They have so little but they are still happy.” Perhaps it is us that have little. Today I realized that like most of us at home our happiness is wrapped up in status, bank accounts, titles, and materials when the greatest source of joy has been with is always….Jesus! So you see having little is relative when it comes to being filled in your heart with love for Jesus Christ!

So what else is happening here?
Well we have bonded with some wildlife but we are not quite sure what their names are. Here are a few descriptions from our team:

1. Beth: “The Crybaby Bird” sounds like a crying child and is unpleasant to wake to

2. Kim W. & Travis: There is a ferocious-sounding squirrel-like creature without a tale that hangs around. (No one else can confirm this ) hahaha!

The evenings here are very cool but the days are warm. There has been a lot of rain in the village as well so we had to stop off and get “Gum boots” which are rubber boots (see pictures).

I will be writing again soon!

With Love,
Beth

NewHope Kenya is Here!

Today we awoke in Thika to clouds skies and rain. In the states we take this as a sign that attendance for any event will be limited because we don’t want to get messy. In Thika, praising God is more important that anything on a Sunday. After all, it was God that provided the rains.

So after much prayer, devotion, and changing our shoes to prepare for the wet clay we set off to set up NewHope Kenya! We had a welcome tent, big banners, and even Mickey hands to welcome newcomers! As we began at 10am we had just a few people. At 10:30 we had a bit more, then by 11:00am we had a full house! (Kenyan Time is within periods not minutes so as long as someone comes within the designated start hour it’s okay). We were overjoyed! The Holy Spirit was definitely among us as we saw the seed that had been watered for years bloom into a powerful and mighty church! Over 100 adults and over 70 children graced our doors and we know that it is simply a matter of time before we look for a larger building.

So how is Kenya you ask? Kenya is beautiful! The people are gracious and very welcoming! Although we are steering clear of fresh fruit we are enjoying the finest tea and coffee one can find! Many of us are going to bring a lot of it home with us. I cannot lie, I am tempted to just dump a lot of things and bring back nothing but tea 🙂

Livestock here roams free as well so while talking to someone a goat may come by and tip his hat as well. Strange at first but you get used to their interruptions. Mosquitos are a bit bolder here. I have noticed that one mosquito swarms and grabs your attention while another comes like a pick-pocket and takes a pint of blood from you. I am pretty sure I saw an obese Mosquito.

We are now in Naivasha, which is a beautiful place overlooking Lake Naivasha. This is an hour from the village of Kiria where we will begin work tomorrow, well that is if we can catch our breath! The altitude is hard on us but we will get acclimated soon enough.

Until next time please keep us in your prayers as we spread Love throughout God’s kingdom. We love you all!

Beth

Day 1 in Kenya

We made it safely to Nairobi, Kenya this Saturday morning at 7:00am. Big Thanks to God because all of our baggage made it too! Once settled in our hotel we headed to Thika which is the site of NewHope Kenya campus!!!! Wahoooo! We are so excited! We did outreach to surrounding communities! We can’t wait to see what God does for us. The Holy Spirit is moving!

The next part of our day we spent at the Ark Orphanage. This is a beautiful place where orphaned children are able to live, play, and learn responsibility through the guidance of Jesus Christ. NewHope church is working and building relationships with the children and the staff. Today we played and laughed and even cried as God showed us that Faith, Hope, and walking through Jesus is so much more than we can imagine!

God is working on all of us and one of the verses that has come to mind this entire day has been Hebrews 11:1. Faith has made NewHope a movement that has rocked the heart of the Carolina’s and has made its way over the pond to the beautiful country of Kenya and I have assurance that God is about to do immeasurably more!

Beth

Small day facts:
Weather: cloudy with a might chance of rain
High of 60 but felt like 70 due to the humidity

Tea Anyone?

The team landed in London about 2:15am EST which was about 7:15am in London! We made it
through the UK border after snaking out way through a long line, freshened up from the flight and began an awesome bus tour of London and Westminster. True to form the day began with bright sun and then the clouds rolled in to provide us with drizzle and gloom. The weather didn’t stop this team though. We saw Buckingham Palace, Parliament, the Jewelry Tower, London Bridge, London Tower, Westminster Abbey and a host of other great landmarks. Our host for the day was Jon and he assisted in providing fun, history, and afternoon tea!

The next leg of our journey is an 8hr flight from London to Kenya. We will get there about 7:00am their time and immediately begin working. Needless up say this team will be catching some much needed Zzzz. Look forward to speaking with you all soon!

Beth

And So it Begins!

The Kenya Mission Team is officially on the way! We all made it through the baggage check, passed security ( well my braids had to be inspected), and we have all found some pre-flight munchies for the awesome price of $Expensive.99.

So I asked some of the team how they felt and here were some of the responses!

“I am totally excited about experiencing the culture!”

“Perhaps we can get a magazine in London since the young Prince has turned 1 yrs old and bring them back as souvenirs!”

“I’m going to tweet like I’ve never tweeted before.”

“We are really doing this y’all!”

So keep us in your prayers as we walk around London and Nairobi and hope that we don’t get mistaken for the Incredible Hulk in our bright green shirts!

I’ll be blogging the whole way and hope that you keep up with us!

Beth

Pray for Us: Team Kenya 2014 (!!!) … July 21, 2014

Pray for Us: Team Kenya 2014 (!!!) … July 21, 2014.

Pray for Us: Team Kenya 2014 (!!!) … July 21, 2014

Greetings!!!

It’s hard to believe that our trip is almost here. Speaking for all of us, we can hardly wait!

In just three days, twelve of us will be leaving Durham, North Carolina, for Kenya, where we will get to spend about a week and a half with our friends in Kiria, Kenya. This will be our fifth trip to Kiria since we first began going there in July 2010. On this trip, we will also have the deep privilege of being present with our new friends in Thika, Kenya, as we celebrate the launch newhope Kenya.

Provided below is some general info about our trip as well as the team and their prayer requests.

May God bless you richly!!

Dave (on behalf of Team Kenya 2014 and newhope church)

 

Our General Flight Itinerary

Going…

July 24, 2014: Depart RDU at 6p (Flight AA 174)

July 25, 2014: Arrive in London (LHR) at 655a

July 25, 2014: Depart LHR at 800 (Flight Kenya 101)

July 26, 2014: Arrive in Nairobi (NBO) at 630a

Returning…

August 2, 2014: Depart NBO at 1145p (Flight Kenya 102)

August 3, 2014: Arrive LHR at 645a

August 3, 2014: Depart LHR at 11a (Flight AA 173

August 3, 2014: Arrive RDU at 240p

Our Trip Blogger

Please join me in welcoming BETH Walden, who will be our blogger on this trip.  Please feel free to journey with us as Beth does her best to post daily while we’re in-country. The link to the blog is as follows: hopemissionsinternational.wordpress.com.

The Team and Their Prayer Requests

BETH Walden

I pray that as a group we grow and become a family as we complete our mission to change lives and that ultimately each life will be blessed and changed like never before. May we all enter Kenya with peace and return as changed servants for the Lord.

DAVE Brown

That God will bless our Kenyan brethren as they seek to follow Jesus and to create a sustainable community devoted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

That God will prepare the heart of every travel team member to be an open conduit of God’s loving kindness to every other team member and to our Haitian brethren.

That God will erect a high hedge of protection around every team member.

That God will bring our team together as a family.

That I will live a surrendered life.

That I will think and feel the way God does and about the people around me.

That I will, in selfless humility, empty myself into my team members.

JORDAN Weck

Pray that God uses us all to draw us closer to Him and to each other.

Pray that we let God change us so that when we return we remember and that we will never be the same.

KIM Canipe

I pray for healthy and safe travels for our team throughout the trip.

I pray for an open heart to what God has in store for me.

I pray for physical and emotional stamina.

I pray that I can “be there” and enjoy the time we have with the Kenyans.

KIMBERLY Williams

I pray for spiritual growth, sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, thankfulness, healing of my eyes, and an increase in my prayer-life.

Pray that the families we serve will find (and receive!) what they’re looking for and that they would increase in their relationships with God and each other.

LARRY Stogner

I pray that God uses me to improve the lives of the Kenyan people.

I pray that this mission helps soften my heart regarding the needs of others.

I pray that I can help at least one Kenyan understand the power of the Holy Spirit.

I pray that I can get to konw and to serve the other newhopers on this trip.

I pray that I will return with a new sense of service to others.

LYNN Nicholson

I pray for safe travels for all of our team.

I pray that my spiritual journey will continue to grow.

I pray that with GODs guidance, I can be a disciple and bring the people of Kiria to know Christ.

I pray that as GOD wakes me every day, I can live each day as HE would have me and that I can go about each day doing his will.

I pray that this mission trip will strengthen my love for Jesus in ways that I never thought possible.

I pray for my family at home, that they will be safe and that they will know that we are in GODs hands and therefore, we are all well.

I pray for my health during this mission trip and hope that my knees will be ok.

I pray for GODs blessing on each one of us and thank him for this opportunity.

MYRON Nicholson

I ask The Lord to grant us safe travels.

I ask for godly insight during our mission.

I pray that our mission team develops a sense of oneness, purpose and care for one another.

I ask the Lord for protection and blessings to all family and friends while we are away.

I pray for the development of a brotherly and sisterly bond and sense of oneness in Christ with our Kenyan brothers and sisters.

Help me be an encourager as I am encouraged.

Lord help me to surrender all to you.

NURY DeLeon

I pray that I might be a servant of the lost.

REAH Nicholson

I pray for safe travels and good health for all of our team members.

I pray that each member of the team will open their heart to what God has planned for them on this journey and in their lives.

I pray that the people within the Thika and Kiria communities will open their hearts and see God through each of us, and that we will be able to show them God’s love, mercy, and grace.

I pray that God will equip me with the skills needed to lead this team successfully and that they will see the passion that I have for missions, the love I have for Jesus Christ and the heart I have for my Kenyan brothers and sisters.

I pray for the strength to lead this team and the ability to be there for them to help with the uncertainties, the unknowns, the battles in their hearts, and the emotional struggles that will come along the way.

I pray for Pastors Joshua and Gloria and newhope Kenya as they prepare for their Grand Opening Celebration, and that we will be able to reach so many people within the Thika community.

I pray that my relationship with Jesus Christ will continue to grow stronger and that my life will be changed in ways I never thought possible.

I pray that God will use our team as a vessel to spread His love, grace, and mercy to our brothers and sisters in Kenya, and that through our mission, more and more people will be saved.

I pray that our team continues to build relationships with our brothers and sisters in Kiria and that we continue to show them the love of Christ.

I pray that God will use each of us as His servants to do His will.

SUZZANE Canipe

I pray for safe and non-eventful travels for the team.

I pray for good health.

I pray that God will open my heart and eyes to all He would want me to learn. That he would help me to be receptive to His guidance.

I pray for the people of Kenya and that we can show them God’s love and mercy.

TRAVIS Grindle

Prayers for our families, whether you are like me with two small children (one who will start Kindergarten right before we leave), have an empty nest, or are single. I pray that our families are provided for in our absence.

prayer for safe travels, safety and health of our entire team.

I pray for strong relationships to be developed from our mission.

I pray that we are open to God’s call on the mission.

I pray that Satan and his retaliation for the good will of this trip are kept at bay.

I pray that I am able to handle the apprehension of leaving my kids and homesickness if it occurs.

I pray that my relationship with God is strengthened more than I can ever imagine during this trip.

I pray that if God’s plan and outcome for this mission is different from what we expect or anticipate that we and our families never waiver, always understanding that God knows what’s best, and that God is good all the time and that all the time God is good because that’s His nature (Woot!! Woot!!).