Encouragement

In just two short weeks I will finally be in Kenya. I can hardly believe it is time to go and at the same time I feel like I have been waiting to go forever! I am completely amazed and overwhelmed with how encouraging people have been to me. Everyone has been more wonderful than I could have fathomed; so many encouraging words have been spoken to me. I can’t wait to share the adventures I get to experience this summer with all of the wonderful people who are loving and supporting me. Thank you so much to everyone. Thanks for your prayers, for writing on my blog, and calling me and just letting me know you care. There are many amazing stories of things people have done to support me. God has already been so good to me as I prepare to go. I just can’t wait to see what He will do once I am on the field. I think I am ready…well as ready as I can be. I have all of my vaccines and all of my long skirts (which are the required dress while I am in the slums). I am in Oklahoma right now visiting my brother Michael and sister-in-law Ashley, and I was able to visit my aunt and cousins earlier this week. I have also spent time in Virginia with my parents and sister. It has been a wonderful time of rest before I head off for my busy summer! Hopefully I will soon be able to actually post on here from Kenya!

Michael and I in downtown Oklahoma City

What We're Doing

So it has been a while since I updated with news on Kenya. Things in Kenya have really calmed down a lot. Things are almost completely back to normal in the region I will be serving in. I have found out who my team leader will be this summer. A wonderful woman named Peggy who has a relationship already with the Makukus, the Kenyan family whose church we will be working with this summer. My other teammates will be 4 guys and 3 other girls. So there are 9 of us in all, including Peggy. I am getting so excited to go and I know the time to leave will come so quickly. Support raising is going great. I can’t thank all of my supporters enough. Thank you for your financial support as well as your prayers. There are still a lot of displaced people in Kenya and things are not “back to normal” everywhere so prayers are still greatly appreciated.
I found out a little more about what I will be doing this summer along with my other teammates. This is some information that I received from Peggy. She recently saw Imbumi Makuku, who is in the States raising support.
We will be going to Mathige, a slum out in the countryside next to a stone quarry 1-2 times a week. There is a Bible study there in the daytime and they hope to have an AIDS support group soon. The girls will go there, and the guys will go to Kawangware (another slum) to do sharing and counseling and personnel testimonies for a group of young men ages 12-20 who have been involved in substance abuse but are now attending the church and the group regularly. There will be tutoring times for the girls in the shelter (girl’s home the Makukus have) and Saturdays will be a fun day with the girls. There are 7 classes in the Kibera school and we will help as teachers or aides. There will be a opportunities for many of us to lead the Sunday school class. One Saturday per month the youth from the church meet at the huge park across from the church and have a sports and Bible time which is a great opportunity for outreach.
Please play that there would be unity among the teammates so we can work well together. And please pray that God would be preparing us all physically and spiritually as it gets closer to our departure.

Prayer and Support

God has been so gracious! Over half of my support has come in for Kenya and I feel so blessed. God truly has been faithfully providing. Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed to my trip. Also I am so thankful for everyone’s prayers. The situation in Kenya is still not looking very good. I learned that there are 150 people who attend Kibera Reformed Presbyterian Church. And the girls home the Makukus run has about 20 girls and even 3 boys. My heart just aches for the Kenyans suffering due to the political unrest and violence in the country. My team leader sent out a list of prayer requests and I would appreciate your prayers for these things:

1. For safety for the Makukus (the pastor of the Kibera Reformed Presbyterian Church) and for the dear people of his congregation.
2. That the people who are there trying to negotiate peace would make headway.
3. That God would bring peace and calm to the country.
4. Please pray for the Sudanese boys (friends of the Makukus). They are pretty much staying in their house.
5. For the children who are housed in the church (they are displaced because of the fighting). Getting supplies in right now is difficult because of the violence.

I hope and pray that the fighting will end and the leaders of the country will make a peaceful agreement. Thanks again to everyone who is praying.

To Visit Orphans

Hello All,

My name is Pamela and welcome to my blog. I will be spending the summer in Kenya as an intern with Mission to the World. I am going with a team of seven other interns, and together we will be working with street kids and orphans. I leave in May and it can't come soon enough! Please be in prayer though because there is much political unrest in Kenya due to the recent presidential elections. Please also pray for the hearts of the Kenyans my team and I will be interacting with. And I also ask that you pray for the team as we prepare to go. Your prayers are certainly coveted!

"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans, and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." James 1:18