Missions Blog

Wednesday (Lion of Judah School Emali, Kenya)

This was our last day at the Lion of Judah School in Emali, Kenya. We celebrated the 7th anniversary of the construction of the school. The school started with just a plot of land, and today, God has provided a kitchen, two dormitories, a farm, and most recently a large dining hall. The students all got a piece of cake which is possibly one of the only times in their life they get to experience that. This whole celebration was so special to see God’s hand in this school and the results of fervent prayer. Finally, we said goodbye and see you next time to all the students of Lion of Judah.

Thursday (AIC Zion School Nairobi, Kenya)

We returned to the AIC Zion School to spend some time with the 500+ students that they have from the Mathare Valley. As missionaries we spent time teaching the gospel in classes up to grade 8. We also had the privilege to go with a student to their home and prayer over them and their families.

Dear Team,

Sunday (AIC Zion, Mathare Slums Kenya)

In the morning, we went to the AIC Zion church service with Reverend Wambua. The church was packed to the last seat and many members of the congregation participated at some point or another. Their worship team was so talented with a mix of worship music we are used to and Kenya-rooted worship songs.

The AIC Zion church also has Sunday school after the service that students all the way up to 25 participated in. We as missionaries, spread out and taught in different classrooms across the church. We had the blessing to meet all the students in our classrooms and even share our testimonies with them while teaching them the good news.

Monday (Lion of Judah Wisdom School, Emali Kenya)

On Monday, we were warmly greeted at the Lion of Judah Wisdom school in Emali, Kenya. The students performed both songs and dances to greet us and show some of the fine arts they have learned. The best part was that these songs and dances both glorified God and directly spoke worship over the school.

Additionally, we spent a lot of time getting to know and playing with all the many students of the school. We had the opportunity to both care for and love on all the unique and talented children. Many of us were able to talk to the kids about God’s hand in their lives and the gospel in its entirety.

 

Today, we went to the other school, Lion of Judah, which is a few hours out of the city in the countryside. When we arrived, the whole school was assembled outside singing to us as we drove through the gates. There was also a group of Maasai performers in traditional dress, singing, and dancing. The Maasai group led a dancing procession eventually calling us to join in (one of many times they called us up front to dance with them!).

Pastor Wambua took us on a tour of the Lion of Judah classrooms and the school farm where they raise a lot of their own food. The Bible Chapel has provided help for much of the infrastructure of the campus, so it was wonderful to see all the changes and progress and hear the hopes for future plans. Lion of Judah is a boarding school, with dorms for both girls and boys, but they had been in need of a bathroom for the boys. The Bible Chapel helped pay for the construction of a new bathroom, so they wanted to dedicate it while we were visiting. They sang a song.... "look what God has provided", and prayed their thankfulness to the Lord. Then a member of our team cut a big ribbon tied on the entrance. We then had the honor of being guests for a wonderful program put on by the students.

Each class performed songs, Bible memory verses, poetry performances, and dancing. There were speakers and prayers and more Maasai dancing. After this, they dismissed all the students except for the Maasai girls. They stayed back to do a smaller program for us. The girls wanted to thank Pastor Wambua and the Bible Chapel for providing scholarships for them to go to school/live there. Several girls shared with us what life was like for them before coming to Lion of Judah. They told their personal stories of the problems they faced, including stories of physical/sexual abuse, being forced into marriages at a very young age, having to work rather than attend school, and the lack of food, clothes, and daily needs. All of this changed when they came to Lion of Judah, and that is why they call the school "paradise". It was a very emotional experience for us all.

After this, we went out to the sports field (big, red dirt field) to play field games. We played a group game, and then our team members competed with the students and staff in a 100-meter race carrying an egg on a spoon race, and gunny sack races. The male team members played volleyball and soccer with the students and staff while the female team members hung out with many of the girls talking and letting them play with our hair. After lots of hugs, songs, prayers, and goodbyes, we left for our return trip back. We were all very tired and covered with red dirt, but our hearts were filled to capacity with the warm welcome and love we experienced at Lion of Judah.

We were treated like rock stars today as we served at the AIC Zion school.

The children had an assembly for us where they performed poetry, songs, and dances. They followed our team members around all day wanting hugs and affection and asking many questions of us.

Here are a few highlights of each team member's day: Cody and Jonathan visited the grade 6 and 7 classes answering questions about the U.S. and asking the children questions about their culture. Cody also taught U.S. geography and the science behind seasons. 

Matthew and John led sports and games for much of the school during structured playtime. John also taught aviation basics to the year 4 class.

Tiffany spent time observing the grade 6,7,8 classes and made plans to teach geometry during her time here. The teachers are very excited for her to demonstrate methods for teaching geometry, and the children are equally happy to play with her long, blonde hair.

Ellie spent time with the grade 6,7,8 classes as well. She beautifully sang our national anthem for the children, and they, in turn, sang the Kenya national anthem. The children were equally enamored with Ellie"s long, curly hair. 

Karen and Cindy spent time in the younger children's classes helping the teachers check work, do lessons, and serve porridge for breakfast. Karen taught the children how to jump rope, and Cindy taught several songs and games. It was a fun, exhausting day!

We arrived in Kenya today after a very long flight, much dragging of luggage, and a few trips through security and then customs. It is amazing that our planes flew at speeds over 500 mph, and yet, it still required two flights with the second leg taking 13 hours to arrive in Kenya. It makes me realize how huge this world is that God has made, and yet, He controls it all.

We settled into the house where will be staying and then drove around the city to do a little shopping. This was a planned activity to keep us awake until the evening so we can adapt to the Kenya time zone. As our driver, David drove us around the city, we were excited to see baboons on the side of the road (and to see zebras in the distance on our earlier drive from the airport), as well as experience driving on the left side of the road through intense traffic and throngs of people.

David also took us to Kobe Tough. This is a business that provides work and a source of income for Maasai women who create clay beads and hand-sewn leatherwork and beading. We enjoyed seeing the ladies work, and they even treated the group to a spontaneous song and dance. After dinner, we all retired early to try to make up for the lack of sleep the last couple of days. Tomorrow we will head to AIC Zion School!!