Why Kenya?

Last weekend I was invited by a couple friends to an African party the African Student Union was having. There would be African food, games, and dancing. At the party, a friend of mine asked me, “Why do you love Kenya so much? What is it about Kenya that you like the most?” I replied, “ I love the people, they are so kind and hungry for the Gospel.” Apparently, my answer was not good enough for him so he pressed on for another answer. Honestly, I listed a bunch of other things, but that challenged me to go deeper into his question. “Why do I love Kenya so much?”

Why Kenya?

• ·        I love how inviting and friendly the people are. They are so interested in you, and will always take time out of their day to talk with you. They are very inviting and humbly generous. They will do their best to make you feel welcome in their homes, even if it meant offering you something to eat, which may be their one meal that day. They are so selfless, yet so happy. I wish I could be more like them.
• ·         I love their everyday life. Life is so simple in Kenya. You wake up in the morning, maybe do some laundry and hang them outside to dry, usually the house worker comes in and cleans the floors and dishes, you might sit down in the shade and read a book or watch the world go by, maybe walk down to the corner vender to buy some vegetables for dinner. Start making dinner, which could take a few hours, sit and chat in the shade with a neighbor, and go to bed when it gets dark. So simple.  You may plan to do three things in one day, but usually you only get around to doing one of them, and it’s ok! At least you got something done!
• ·         I love the experience. I mean, doesn’t everyone want to say, “When I lived in Africa…” or “When I went on a safari in Africa…” It is quite an adventure! Thankfully, I have been to multiple game parks, got to feed and kiss a giraffe, pet a lion cub, be chased on foot by a buffalo, feed chickens, eat vegetable from the garden, ride the public bus, be treated like a celebrity walking downtown, watching African kids experience bubbles for the first time, learning new games, going new places, watching the beautiful sunsets… The list goes on and on!

But is it more and than that? Does Kenya represent something in my life? Does it represent my obedience to God’s call? Does it represent a pilgrimage of faith? I believe I love Kenya so much because it symbolizes a huge growth spurt of my faith. God taught me the weight of his call and the cost of following him. It costs us everything. I left everything I knew, everything I was familiar and comfortable with, my family, my independence and I jumped into the unknown, literally. It was exhilarating!

 Like sky diving, you are strapped to a professional , who has seen the world from the air, knows what to do, and where to go. You, on the other hand, have no idea what it is going to be like or where you are going to land. Your job is to trust the professional, and jump.

That was my jump. Where I put all my trust in him and jumped into his will. God knew what he was doing all along. When I was free falling, I had to depend on God for everything. The courage to jump, the ability to trust, the next breath I need, and the open landing spot. My job was to say goodbye to my family, to jump on the plane, to trust God to provide safety, a place to live, and food to eat. That kind of dependence showed me who God is.  

God provided the Israelites the opportunity to leave Egypt and food to eat in the wilderness for 40+ years! They trust God through the good times and bad. Kenya wasn't all sunshine, roses, and ice cream. It was tough living there for 5 months too. There was culture shock, adjusting to different ways of life, people breaking into our compound, taking public transportation, walking 2 miles to the grocery store and having to carry groceries back. There were days I loved Kenya and never wanted to leave, and there were days when I ached to be home with my family, driving my own car and spending time with my friends. There are days when I cried myself to sleep. There were days I didn't know why God would pick me to come here to tell people about him.

However, I wouldn't have traded that experience for the world. God taught me so much about myself, about life and about himself. It changed my life. It changed how I look at people, and my everyday life.

Is God asking you to jump and free fall into his arms? Is he asking YOU to let go, give up control, and trust him to provide? Will you trust him?