Kaylynn Johnson- Kenya Team
Today was our first day in the field and this morning when we woke up I wasn’t sure what to expect. We were told to keep our windows closed and all of our bags down so just from that I knew it was going to be a different experience then I have ever had before. As we drove through you could see the changes. We arrived to the school and the first noise we heard was children singing and it was such sweet sounds to the ears. I brought tears to my eyes that I had to fight back. It was the most beautiful thing to hear. We started into the slums and to some it would look gross and most would feel bad; surprisingly I didn’t as it was so beautiful to see everyone working. There were kids running up to me and the wanted to just hold our hands and touch us. The feeling was more than I could even express over the computer. We left the slums and went to Kiamiko where the children were outside waiting for us to welcome us and sing to us. I started to tear up when they started singing because it reminded me of my mom back home because the sang “this is the day that the Lord has made” and I just thought about how much joy these children had and how blessed I am to enjoy their love. I couldn’t help but think about how blessed I was and am to have the family I have waiting for me back home. I can’t express how much joy these children have and some of them are walking around without shoes but with HUGE smiles and never stop singing.

Alix Constant – Kenya team 2010

First off, we are all praying for Generate tonight and all of the lives that are going to be changed! Praying the eating contest goes well with Pastor Cody. Today was an amazing day, the children at the school are beautifully courageous and strong. To see how they work together, have community, support eachother and grow is an amazing thing to be a part of. There was one moment that I will never forget, it was one of the first nights being here. We were able to go to Sumburu, Kenya and go to the Samburu village. As we were walking around seeing the different huts they lived in, met all the different wives they had and how their culture worked a little girl walked over to me, she was beautiful! But this is where conviction took place in my heart. This girl was holding a little tin can as she walked towards me, my initial thought was “Wow! They have already taught this little girl how to beg for change, how sad!“ as soon as she came close enough I got to see inside the tin…There were  a few pieces of corn left in there that she was able to eat for the day. I began to pray and ask God to please work in my heart, to show me how to hope the best in people even children. I got to feed that little girl the rest of her dinner, I got to hug her, I got to pray over her and I got to allow God to do something in me He had never done before. I was changed by a little girl eating corn out of a tin in Samburu, Kenya, what have you allowed God to do to change your perspective?

Ps. Albert’s new Kenyan name is Wekesa “The handsome one” they all think he is Kenyan and love him!

Albert Kilgore – Kenya team 2010

The trip so far has been amazing, the safari that we had the chance to do was such a blessing being able to see God’s beauty in that form was a once in a lifetime experience. Going into today knowing that we were heading into the slums I had this preconceived notion that I was going to break once I saw the poverty and the kids and the conditions they were living in. This is where God really moved in my heart I continued to ask why am I not breaking why are my emotions not on this roller coaster as I expected. It wasn’t until I walked into the last classroom and saw the smiles on the kids faces and had the chance to play “hot-hands” with them that my whole perspective changed. I was actually preventing God from using me. There is no reason for me to be sad because these kid’s aren’t they have a joy that I can only pray to obtain one day!