It’s hard to capture “what to expect” when you embark on a mission trip to Kenya – except to say that you should embark upon it expectant at what God will do – because He will most assuredly exceed anything you could ask or imagine!
Is there sacrifice? Of course. Whether you give up Friday night dinners out or you take a chance on international travel when you routinely get motion sickness – you have to give something of yourself. The reward though, is immeasurable. When you take that step of faith, you begin to see God working in and through you long before you even set foot on the plane.
When you land, you quickly realize you are not in Kansas, or in our case, Wisconsin anymore. When you arrive at the schools and you hear the joy of the students singing to greet you, you realize how big God is! You begin to take in the countless choices you made along the way to get to this faraway place and you realize that the sacrifice you made pales in comparison to the sacrifice Christ made for us all and that these kids love YOU because you are there to share HIS love for them!
I am rarely found speechless but these and the many other moments in Kenya cannot help but astound you! Your time on the ground passes quickly and while you may settle on a routine and adjust to a new time zone, no two days are alike and each day holds its own gift of God’s amazing grace. By the end of your time, you bond with the children and the family of believers who make up their teachers and staff in ways that would otherwise take years in our “normal Western life.”
When we left, we left a piece of our hearts there. You go expecting to change Kenya – to make a difference in the lives of the students and their families – and you do. However, what you can never truly be prepared for is how much YOU will change in the process. I once heard someone say you should experience at least one international mission in your lifetime – I get it now, it helps you better grasp the vision of God’s love for our world. I would add you should experience Kenya at least once in your lifetime because it helps you grasp Gods’ vision of how He can use YOU to share that love!
Fox River 2018 International Mission Trips are now open. Click HERE for more information.
- Nicaragua Men's Construction Trip: April 13 - 22
- Nicaragua Mission Trip: June 21 - 30
- Kenya Mission Trip: July 15 - 28