Kenya Mission Trip

Mission work changes lives. Dedicating a few weeks out of a summer can make a big difference. I have been on many mission trips, but the most meaningful was a preaching mission trip to Kenya. My team held evangelistic meetings at different sites surrounding Kisii, Kenya. The mission trip to Kenya was an excellent learning experience whether the day was difficult, ordinary, or joyful.

One of the most difficult parts of the trip was preaching, yet I learned to trust God. Every night, crowds came to the meetings to see the pictures in the PowerPoint presentations. The audience sat on a grassy slope surrounded by shady trees while I stood on a platform at the bottom of a hill. There were a few church pews where the choir sang energetic yet meaningful songs. Both the choir and audience were able to watch the PowerPoint that was projected onto a tarp stretched between two tall trees. The outdoor setting was an unusual place to meet, especially during the rainy season. Although I used my computer as a script, I was not concerned about its safety because I felt confident the tin roof that was covering the choir, my translator, and me would keep us dry. But one night it did not just rain, it poured. The faithful few who remained scrambled beneath the same roof under which I was preaching and sat in the choir benches behind me. My translator and I rotated the projector and computer so we were facing our small, wet audience and I continued to preach, trying to raise my voice above the roar of the storm, and inwardly praying, “Dear Lord, please protect my computer from the rain and help my voice to be heard above the storm.” It did not take long for me to notice the tin roof had many leaks, and as a result my computer was soon drenched. The elder who was sitting beside it wiped the screen with his ragged flannel jacket so I could see the words. Usually, if a small glass of water is spilt on a laptop, it is ruined. However, my laptop continued to function without problems. It was exciting to see a miracle that rainy night when God protected my computer. Despite the difficult day it had been, I realized the importance of trusting God.

I especially learned during the ordinary experiences, such as going to the market. This was the central meeting place of everyone in the area to buy food, clothing, and supplies. My friends Taylor, Godswill, and I would often walk through the market, discovering exotic fruit, touching vivid fabrics, and laughing as cows nudged their way through the crowd. After deciding what we needed to buy, Taylor and I would separate from Godswill while he bartered. As an African, he blended in with the crowd. One extremely hot afternoon, we sent Godswill to go buy some giant avocados while Taylor and I talked with people in the market. We had an interesting conversation with a woman who spoke fairly good English and was curious about the work we were doing in Kisii. We explained we were both speakers at evangelistic meetings and invited her to join us that night. She expressively told us her life story and that she had stopped attending church. Her children, however, had been attending the meetings and were trying to convince her to go as well. After talking to us, she promised she would attend the meetings. Being able to witness to her showed me I need to be a Christian example in ordinary situations, not just behind the pulpit.

My happiest experiences taught me the most. The baptisms at the end of the series were the highlight of the trip. It was a beautiful Sabbath morning, and all eighty-three baptismal candidates dressed in white. We carefully walked down the steep hill to the stream where the elders organized the baptismal candidates into two lines, one for ladies and the other for men. Little children watched with excitement, while older women had tears of happiness in their eyes. I was particularly happy to see my new friend, Addis, proudly waiting to be baptized. During the first week, she would not look at me. When I looked her way and smiled, I got a downcast gaze in return. After much persistence, I was able to meet her gaze and eventually we became friends. During the middle of the week, Addis pulled me aside and asked to speak with me. With broken English she let me know that her stomach had been sick for many months, and she wanted me to pray for her. I searched her sincere face as I tried to hide my surprise. Did she not know I was just a teenage girl who did not have the ability to heal and that I had never prayed for a miracle of healing before? To Addis, this did not matter; she put her trust in God. We quietly yet earnestly prayed for healing and for God’s will to be done. The next day I was able to talk with her, and she told me that her stomach was completely healed. During that week, Addis made the decision to be baptized. When that exciting day finally arrived, Addis came out of the water with joy shining from her face. I gave her a hug, even though she was dripping with water. If she were the only one being baptized that day, the evangelistic series would have been worth it. Watching Addis and the other people being baptized, I realized that God was the powerful hand behind all the miraculous events on the trip. He is the one who brought people to the meetings, gave me words to speak, protected my computer, healed Addis, and brought change to so many lives.

Kenya was the perfect place for me to learn. No matter how my day went, I discovered how to trust God in the hard times, day-to-day activities, and in the happy times as well.