Gratitude and Humility

There are a lot of little pieces that go into any trip like the one my church is planning at the end of June. Travel expenses, both getting to Africa and getting around the communities in Kenya, living expenses--food and lodging, vaccinations (thankfully many of mine are up to date) and the list goes on.

I've never been someone who is good at asking for help or even sometimes receiving it. It's gotten me in trouble more than once and God is constantly reminding me that we are a community for a reason, sometimes you are the helper and sometimes you are the helpee. I think a lot of times it is easy for us to extend grace to every other person in the world but not ourselves. We feel guilty, we feel burdened (I know I do!) when really if we can humble ourselves and ask others for help, that are often happy to do so and we save ourselves a lot of trouble and pain in the end.

So this is me, attempting to humble myself and ask for your help. I can't make a trip like this without your help. The first thing I ask for, are your prayers. Please be praying for our team, for unity and good communication in our group. For organization, that we would all stay on task and not give Dana any additional work to do tracking us down. For safe travel to Kenya and back as well as around the communities while we are there. Pray that God would prepare our hearts for this adventure and be preparing the hearts of everyone we will be meeting in Kenya. For awareness of spiritual and other gifts, God has blessed each of us in so many unique ways and it is a beautiful thing when we work together to follow His plan and bring glory to Him.

Secondly, and the part that makes me cringe, I ask for assistance financially. As a mentioned above, it takes a lot to make a trip like this happen. Would you please consider sharing in this adventure with me and sponsoring me to help me go? No amount is too little, every penny, every dollar helps get me closer to Kenyan soil.

Lastly, I would be remiss if I did not mention how grateful for each of you who has already partnered with me, whether in prayer, or financially. Every time someone reached out to pray, offer support or just asked about the upcoming trip, I did a happy dance. Thank you for loving me, thank you for caring about something that is so close to my heart, thank you for hugging me, praying for me and getting excited with me. I don't have the words and thank you does not seem like enough, seventy times seven thank yous to each one of you. All of you have been and continue to be such a blessing to me.

If you are willing and able to donate, please visit the link below:
https://graceinkenya.managedmissions.com/MyTrip/gingerk88

Mungu akubarki na ahsante sana
(God bless you and many thanks) 

It Took a Miracle for Me to Get to Africa.

There was no parting of the Red Sea. No walking out of flames unscathed. No crossing on the top of the water. But just as powerful, and more significant to me, God did a changing in my heart. In 3 short days time, a complete 180 of desires and reasoning.

I was an 18 year old and relatively care-free college freshman. I spent my first week on campus, running around buildings, trying to climb the moose, drinking WAY too much raspberry tea and forging friendship that several of, unbeknownst to me, would be lifelong friendships. During that first week and at one of the freshman bonding activities, I found myself pouring my heart out to a lovely senior woman named Jen. I shared of my struggles, my battles with depression, my low self-worth and my lack of identity. Jen, God bless her, listened patiently and kindly without interruption.

I reached the end of my story, both of us in tears and Jen just kindly hugged me and offered few words the context being that I was loved (by her and by Jesus) and that I had made a new friend. Jen became a constant source of hope and wisdom in my life. She was gentle and fierce, passionate and understanding, and exactly the kind of person I needed in my life.

A few weeks later, over lunch she was sharing stories of some of the adventures she had taken, and most recently to Africa. I listened and was interested but remembered telling Jen, I was not the kind of person that could go to Africa, that I could never be that selfless, and I wished her well on her next unplanned adventure.

I really thought that that would be the end of the Africa conversation, I did not expect that God would have bigger plans for me.

I should back up and tell you that the church that I grew up in (from 7th grade until the time I went to college) was very mission-minded. I was heavily involved in the youth group and often we would have missionaries come in and talk to us about what God was doing in their lives and in the lives of the people they served. I would always get these intense bursts of passion and think to myself, "I can do that." and then I would forget about it. And not that I changed my mind but that life happened and those ideas were no longer in the center of my mind.

I really didn't remember these thoughts until about three days after my first conversation with Jen. At the time, in college, I was also pretty involved in a local non-denominational church called Deliverance and I was a part of their worship team there. Deliverance opened up something in my hear that I had not fully known had been missing until I started attending this church.  The way they worshiped was beautiful, with song and dance, with flags and instruments, it was one of the most amazing things I had experienced in my life. (And still is to this day.) Throughout the sermon you could usually here echoes of "Preach it, Preacher" and "Amen," just further reinforcement of the powerful message that was being delivered. Deliverance was the first church I began to understand the power of and beauty in worship and it was an amazing reflection of what I imagine worship will be in Heaven. God was also cultivating friendships in that church..I got to meet so many amazing men and women and they shared their stories with me. A lot of them having done mission work in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.

In those three short days, and the days to come, God kept opening up conversations around mission and service work, especially in regards to Africa. He also was putting memories in my head that I hadn't thought about in years, like those moments of intense passion for mission work. Over and over again, God would bring connections to Africa into my life. He was preparing my heart for service, and reminding me that He had been preparing my heart for a long time.

Three days after that first conversation with Jen and not only could I go to Africa but I needed to go to Africa, it was like I already knew that I would meet family and friends there, the impact of those relationships changing my life forever. It took more encounters and about 4 and a half years, but I was blessed with the opportunity to go to Tanzania shortly after my college graduation.

My main placement in Moshi, Tanzania was teaching at an elementary school. I also shadowed at a hospital, in a juvenile center and with a women's group. Cross Cultural Solutions (CCS) the program I traveled with strives to give adventurers a cultural learning experience in addition to the service piece so over my ten week stay in Moshi, there were language lessons, cooking lessons, cultural dance as well as visits to local tribes and historic relics.

Those 10 weeks, and the week after my program spent visiting missionary friends in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia were the most incredible and one of the most humbling experiences in my life. I learned a lot about myself and the person I wanted to be, the person God created me to be, and it was truly life changing.

In a little over three months, I have the opportunity to do something amazing again. At the end of  June, I will be traveling to Kenya with a team from my church, Grace Community. GCC partners with two communities in Kenya,  Katito and Kandaria. By the grace of God and by His provision over the last 9 years, we have been able to assist in bringing clean water and a medical center to Kandaria, and we have assisted in establishing a church, school and children’s home in Katito. We have also distributed thousands of Bibles and shared the Good News of Jesus, seeing many Kenyans come to Christ.   We are specifically working with House of Hope, a ministry to widows and orphans.  We will have opportunities to work in schools, speak in churches, assist in medical clinics and participate in construction projects as well as using our gifts and talents in various ways. 

I'm very excited about these opportunities and to be on African soil again. Please pray for the team and I, espcially team leads Matt H and Dana K as we prepare for this trip.

I will continue to keep this blog updated throughout the preparation process and hopefully, internet willing, while the team is in Kenya.

Thank you for taking the time to read about my heart and this next adventure. If you have any interest in supporting me in addition to the prayers I have already asked for, and so appreciate, please visit my fundraising page: https://graceinkenya.managedmissions.com/MyTrip/gingerk88

A lot of what is on that page is echoed here so please be patient with the repetition. Again, I am so thankful you took the time to read my story and consider donating.

Mungu awabariki na safari njema,
Tangawizi