Next stop, Kenya!

***photos will be made available soon! Unfortunately, the platform that hosts my blog was changed recently, and makes it difficult to handle photos.***

We began our time in Kenya with an orientation led by Megan, a World Race alumna, and her Kenyan husband Erick. They prepared us for Kenyan culture and evangelism before we split into new teams. My team of four was assigned to New Dawn African Girl, a home run by Erick’s mother, Mama Nancy.

To get there, we took a four-hour ride in matatus (15-passenger vans with way more than 15 passengers) followed by boda bodas (motorbikes) to reach the house in Isiolo. We stayed in the guest house on the fifth floor, which offered a stunning view. 

A few days into our stay, we went on safari with Erick’s sister while she was in town with us. We saw giraffes, elephants, leopards, and more in their natural habitat, which was so much fun! 

New Dawn African Girl is a girls’ home that currently houses 15 girls (ages 5–16) but has the capacity for 60 with the new five story house they have. While the girls were on school break, we ran VBS-style programs with crafts and Bible lessons. Once school resumed, which required the girls to be gone from 5:00 AM to 5:00 PM, we shifted our focus to local schools, performing skits and sharing the Gospel in classrooms and courtyards.

We also had the opportunity to hear Mama Nancy’s testimony about how she came to start and grow New Dawn African Girl and how she persevered through so many trials and setbacks, and trusted the Lord through it all. She also taught us how to make chapati, which is similar to tortillas, made with flour, water, and oil, and commonly used in Kenyan dishes.

We also had one of the school leaders over, along with her daughter, and got to hear the daughter’s testimony. She was in the process of trying to figure out if she should move away to do missions, especially since her grandmother was worried about her. We shared how we all faced very similar decisions about doing the World Race, and how it would be an opportunity for her to grow, as well as an opportunity for her grandmother to grow in her trust in the Lord. It was so encouraging to use our own experiences in this crossroads to help her. 

We also had the opportunity to visit several churches while we were there. At some of the services, we gave messages, words of encouragement, and led some worship songs. It was fun to see the Kenyan culture and their love of music and dance. We attended the ordination of a pastor, and the celebration lasted all day until sundown! We also got to visit a local village where New Dawn African Girl went to help distribute food. Our eyes were opened to the level of need in villages like that. Many of the girls at New Dawn African Girl come from villages like that. 

During our time at New Dawn African Girl, it was so great to get to know the girls and watch them open up as they got to know us. It’s also so heartwarming to know that they are all being cared for and are getting the schooling they need to set them up well for life. They not only are having their physical needs provided for, but they are being poured into spiritually as well. They sing worship songs, each individually recite memory verses, and they do devotions and prayer as a big group every night before going to bed. It’s so clear that Mama Nancy has a huge passion for these girls and ensuring they are loved and cared for in all aspects. She has such a big heart for these girls and she loves them so much! 

If you feel led to support them or help them reach their 60-girl capacity through sponsorship, you can donate here or contact me directly!

After leaving Isiolo, we took a 16-hour bus ride to the coast and stayed with Megan and Erick in Mombasa for a virtual "Parent Vision Trip" via Zoom, where the squad’s parents got to hear about the race so far.  We then headed an hour south to Diani for our squad debrief. Staying right on the Indian Ocean, we had more teachings, team debriefs, and one final team change. We also had time to relax, go swimming, and some of us went snorkeling and riding camels on the beach! It was a nice chance to recharge and relax a bit before beginning the last leg of our race. 

The most incredible moment happened during our squad baptisms. My squadmate Brice, who had been battling a mysterious illness and a lifelong fear of water (as mentioned in my Ethiopia blog), had received a prophetic word that he would be healed after performing a baptism. Despite his past trauma, he waded into the ocean without fear to baptize two squadmates. When he performed the baptisms, he was fully healed! I also had the profound honor of baptizing my dear friend Lillie, which was my first time ever baptizing someone. It was a refreshing, miraculous end to our time in Kenya.

Things to pray for: 

Pray that New Dawn African Girl would be able to continue to grow and they would have the resources to be able to fill the house! 

Pray that the girls would continue to learn and grow academically and spiritually!