Sending and Receiving

Phew! We finally finished what has been a rather challenging semester for all of the Kenya girls. Now it is summer and we have time to reflect on the great experiences as a team that the last few weeks of our time together at Biola brought us.

            The first great, inspiring thing we were able to do as a team in theses last few weeks was to attend church with Steven and Rosemary, the founders of By Grace Children’s Home. Their church is comprised of people from Kenya living in the States, and the atmosphere retains much of Kenyan culture. We arrived at church and Rosemary reminded us that church started on “Kenyan Time,” which meant that there was no strict time when people should arrive, but that people trickled in to fill the building throughout worship time. This is a big contrast with what we are used to as Americans, who focus on getting places at a certain time as a sign of politeness. We shared a joyful, inspiring, time of worship in the congregation and were blessed by a great message from the preacher, encouraging all to be courageous for Christ. We were also blessed with prayer from the congregation for our trip. Finally, we were able to experience the warmth and kindness of time spent with Kenyans, as we served and met the congregation after the church service.

            Another beautiful time we experienced together during the close of the semester was the Summer Missions Send Off Chapel at Biola. Not only were we able to pray for our fellow missionaries going out this summer, but we were also blessed with prayer for our trip. Each team came to the front of the room to be surrounded with love and prayed for with laying on of many hands. We were able to both send off our brothers and sisters and we were able to receive commissioning and encouragement ourselves.

            A third strengthening experience we had as individuals and as a team was at the Student Missionary Union Commissioning. We worshipped and experienced communion with fellow missionaries; we prayed and were prayed for. This time was especially meaningful because it was our final send-off from Biola. Through the experience of commissioning and prayer at the SMU Commissioning time, I became more aware of the strength, confidence, and preparation required for a mission trip such as the one we are going on. We are so grateful for your prayers, and we ask that you will continue to ask God to strengthen us and prepare us for our time in Kenya.

Team Kenya Goes Camping

On a beautiful Friday morning, the girls from Team Kenya loaded up their three cars with excitement, camping supples and yummy snacks (but of course none with gluten, nuts, or animal by-products) and left Biola to begin the trek up to Santa Barbara.  The drive was beautiful, and all of the girls loved to see the ocean pass by.  After a few stops and a very beautiful drive that resulted from taking a wrong turn up a mountainside (with some BREATHTAKING views) the happy team pulled into their campsite tucked in the hills of Santa Barbara.

Unpacking and setting up camp began.  One of the tents was partially missing so the girls had not choice but for all eight of them to share one tent, though many of the girls were happy about this blessing in disguise :).  Dinner was made and a fire was built and the girls sat around and talked as they ate their porridge . . . I mean pasta.  As it got dark, the girls bonded over games, testimonies and banana boats (yumminess on steroids: banana that are cut open, stuffed with marshmallows and chocolate and then wrapped in foil and cooked until heavenly).  As the eyes got heavy and the fire died down, the tired girls piled into the tent for bed.

The next day, the fun continued.  The girls ate breakfast and shared more testimonies.  Each girl got to hear about how God had worked in her teammates lives and saw how truly amazing and wonderful they all are.  After testimonies, the team went on a hike that included swimming in the river and sitting on the rocks and talking till they were all sunburnt.  After the hike came lunch and then the girls packed up to head back to Biola.  The girls were tired, but it had been a great trip and they were all very thankful for the wonderful support and honesty of the team and couldn't wait to spend three weeks in Kenya with each other.

The End.