Courageous Life

     Fastforward and Rewind         Dear Family and Friends,   Hope this finds each of you well and feeling much gratitude filling your hearts this Thanksgiving season! Through our trip toNairobi in June God has moved in greater ways than we could have imagined.  First of all, our home church Crosspoint Community has partnered with Jacaranda Creations to start up a sewing branch in another slum area of Nairobi.  As you may remember, the Jacaranda is a tree plentiful in Nairobi.  Brenda and Garry Kean, the founders of this micro-entreprise have more than 70 women and men sewing at locations around Nairobi.  These men and woman live in desparate situations but are filled joy and hope in the Lord.  They connect to him, knowing he is their vine and they are his branches. Mostly this connectedness comes through the work of Jacaranda Creations.  It is so ex...

I was driving into work this morning on I-40 and looked up to the sky at some clouds and I felt aware of God's presence. Have you ever done that? It amazes me how nature is the quickest trigger linking my emotions to our Creator. It amazes me how small I am in the universe, yet how God reveals himself even to me. My thoughts wondered to 6yo Beatrice with TB in Marurui,Nairobi,Kenya. How miraculous it was to have her been seen by a doctor that cared so much, he actually listened and become an advocate for her. This led to a diagnosis and treatment in a clinic, after months of my friend Brenda Kean, trying to solve the problem at another clinic: Beatrice, coughing, not feeling well often. She weighs 25# at 6 yo of age. It truly was a moment to feel aware of God's presence God provided for Beatrice. It was all Him, there is just no other explanation. And you know what? She is one of millions of children suffering. But God saw her! Do you ever feel like your problems are just n...

thesoundtrackofmydreams: How He Loves Us

thesoundtrackofmydreams: A Visit to Maasai Land

We named our trip Nairobi Hope Now. We felt like we could bring hope to those in need. What we learned is quite different. One team member, stated on our final night "it's like we came to save but they in turn saved us." This profound truth broke my heart further. Yes, we walked in 4-5 slums, visited homes, witnessed poverty that you think you are prepared for from pictures you have seen but in reality there is no way you can feel it unless you are there. Sitting in the homes of the women who sew with the Jacaranda Creations Ministry of Brenda and Garry Kean, (www.gbkean.com) you see the hope of Jesus in their smiles and you hear the hope in their hearts. They trust God to provide. The pray for provision and believe. They retell stories of God's faithfulness in their lives while we sit in their home of tin, cardboard and mud. They share their gratitude for school for their children because on those days a meal is provided on weekends they only have tea to gi...

Sweet Beatrice. I love this girl. I met her two years ago and she was very sick. She looks a lot better, but unfortunately has only gained 3 lbs in 2 years. She is 6 years old and weights 25 lbs. Her cough continues despite Brenda taking her to the clinic many times. My heart sank when I saw her again. But, Brenda was able to arrange a visit with a new doctor this time. I explained to him what has been happening the past 2 years with Beatrice and I do believe he was an angel in disguise. He treated her without payment and walked us to the hospital for x-rays and communicated with the chest clinic on Beatrice behalf. Shockingly, I went in with her for the chest x-ray and the "technician" took the picture with the previous patient, (another young girl) still redressing. No metal shield. I pulled Virginia and I behind a brick wall. Crazy! This is their government healthcare. Anyway, the doctor brought the x-ray to me and allowed me behind the counter to view the picture ...

I haven't been able to write much with limited internet time, but I am not sure I have words to write adequately either. This trip has been wonderful, emotional, inspiring, and tiring. It's great to be able to see the team members experience life in the slums of Kenya, meet the people and share the love of Christ with them. However, often we have experienced the love of Christ from them. It is humbling. Yesterday, we sat in slum homes listening to the testimony of single, HIV positive Moms. I really can't concentrate right now to truly express all the experiences here. Just want to say a huge thank you to all our supporters, to Crosspoint Community Church and our families back home! This team loves you! Today we are having a Jacaranda Conference for all the Jacaranda Women from the many different branches. Plan to share testimonies with them, share the bible, teach some bow making, jump rope with them, teach some health issues, laugh with them and pray with t...

Today was our 3rd Day in Nairobi. It's difficult to believe that we have only been here for 3 days! So much has happened. The team is awesome. It's exciting to see their smiles as they interact with the people/children and exciting to witness God using each of their gifts and talents! Before I say more though I want to THANK ALL OF YOU for your prayers. We arrived safe and sound and other than a few upset stomachs and fatigue from 28 hours of travel the team was awesome. There is so much to share but the internet has not been very cooperative, so while I have this "gift" of internet time I really want to share about today! Kiambu hospital is a public hospital we visited today. It was just a few of us because we were concerned about not being allowed in. We walked through the pediatric ward into rooms with babies 3-4 to a bed. I really am speechless. These babies have pneumonia, severe malnutrition, yellow fever, meningitis, HIV. Their Mom's are cling...

So we are down to less than 24 hours... ...packing, repacking, packing, repacking, bank errands, last minute items, team is checking in online, receiving texts and calls,working my last day(full of meetings and turning over my workload) woo hoo, it is exciting and overwhelming. Here is our tenative Schedule: Leave Friday June 3rd 11:50am Delta Airlines, Nashville to Atlanta to Amsterdam. Change to KLM after 6 hour lay over and arrive in Nairobi Saturday June 4th 8pm ! Sunday: New Song Nairobi Church Service: John and Rhonda speaking; Beth leading worship. Sunday afternoon computer lab with Dave Lewis Monday: Marurui Slum and Jacaranda Head Office Tuesday: Alberts school and Tassia Slum Wednesday: Kaimbu Hospital Thursday: Massai Land Friday: Massai Market/ Sight Seeing/ Justin and Elijah Davis arrive Saturday: Marurui Outreach(sports and fun)Health Clinic Sunday: New Song Nairobi Justin speaking/Beth and Joby leading worship/ Afternoon Computer lab with Dave L...

It’s been an incredible journey the past 10 months. Last August no one knew how they would afford this trip, how they would leave family behind, how they would get off work. I personally didn’t know how to lead a team like this! I didn’t feel equipped, not popular enough, not young enough, etc, etc…. But God has proved to be in this journey. My faith with each mission trip I have taken has grown to new levels and my heart is changed. I now hope the changes never stop. The best part of this is trusting HIM. I love the part in the book, Sun Setting Prayer when he talks about stepping into the water, applying wisdom and then swimming like you never have before. And never, never turning back, because ultimately, HE is the wave jumper, not me. The great thing too for me is that my focus is so much more on what God has given me in life(my family) and what he has given me to do, (my service) and no longer on my outward appearance, my status economically or socially. It’s is ...

Yep, 2 Weeks until the "Africa Team" / "Nairobi Hope Now" team leaves for Nairobi, Kenya. Thank you to so many of you that have contributed through prayers, encouraging words, donations, and financial sacrifice! YOU are part of this team. I hope and pray you feel it. Once again, we will be working alongside Garry and Brenda Kean, their church, their sewing ministry(Jacaranda Creations) and their outreach in the slums. Our to do list is very long and possibly unrealistic. Garry and Brenda are in the process are coordinating the final daily schedule but here is the general activities: Speaking and leading worship at New Song Nairobi Speaking/Ministering to the Jacaranda Sewing ladies in their different communities Neighborhood door-to-door visitation Loving on and playing with the some kids including sports camp Computer training Visiting in homes located in the slums Volunteering with a mobile medical clinic. Visiting childrens ward in a local char...

Transitioning to a new role as a nurse I attended a health coach training. There I was exposed to a speaker by the name of Brene Brown, she spoke on connnectedness and vulnerabilty. Brene is a social worker turned reseacher setting herself on a journey to "cure" lack of connectedness. Guess what she learned? "VULNERABILITY: The Core of Relationship" Here is the deal, people who had more of sense of connectedness did not necessarily have less struggles. Instead she named this group of people "The Whole Hearted". Because these individuals had a strong sense of "worthiness". There are 4 strong characteristics of The Whole Hearted defining the worthiness they feel. 1. Courage: "Cour" latin word meaning who you are with your whole heart 2. Compassion: Treat yourself kind. If you can't treat yourself kind, how can you be truly kind to others? 3. Authenticity: Those who let themselves be seen loves greater 4. Vulnerab...

Lauryn and Jessica are well! Woo hoo! Lauryn's final testing for lupus was negative. She has had no further strange symptoms of an autoimmune dysfunction. Jessica developed viral hepatitis from mono, but that has resolved! She still has some moments of fatigue, but she is feeling great. In her words, " The fog has lifted. This fog I felt for a month finally gone." THANK YOU for your prayers!!!! I know there was power in them and am humbled and grateful for healing. We have also raised 9,000.00 of the 12, 000.00 needed for our trip to Africa. This means our plane fare is covered for sure and we just need the rest so that we can all have a safe place to lodge, transportation on the ground there, food, etc... Again: Woo Hoo! THANK YOU to all of you that have given us so much support! We are humbled greatly and grateful extremely. "Cease striving (let go, relax) and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10.

I thought I would write in here tonight to simply ask for your prayer. Its seems my sweet girls have strange unusual illnesses associated with us and trips to Africa. Last time is was bacterial pneumonia and H1N1 virus. This time the Raynaud's phenomena with the threat of associated lupus and now Mono with viral hepatitis. I honestly, have said, if this is because of my attempts to go to Kenya, forget it. But just maybe that is the whole purpose straight from the evil one himself. So, NO. He can't win. He has no stronghold over me or my family. The scripture says he flees at the mere mention of Jesus. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! Take that! But with that being said, I covet your prayers at this time. We all need to be healthy and able to fully focus on the task before us. "Keep your eyes focused on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, our healer and redeemer." These words came to me in an email from my sweet friend Brenda. She was communicating detai...

Almost two years ago I had the opportunity to go visit my friend Brenda in Nairobi. What I experienced in Kenya was big movements of God. I heard stories from woman in desperate situations full of hope because of their faith. I also witnessed a woman my age with 5 kids, 2 of them critically ill and malnourished turn her heart over to Jesus. She was a "brew maker" with a bad reputation in the slum. Another woman my age dying in pain from untreated metastatic breast cancer relinquished what she called "a bitter heart" and "bent her knee" to accept Jesus. Now, I am leading a team of people back to Kenya this June. I am amazed, excited that God is allowing me to go back. Even greater, taking others with me. Life has been full lately with lots of distractions and worries, from sick children with possible autoimmune disorders and mono; to children traveling far distances for the first time alone; to children being away from home and under Tsunam...

This summer our team will meet many of the women who sew with Jacaranda. This is an amazing ministry started by our friends Brenda and Garry Kean. These women live in and around the slums of Nairobi and have desperate needs. Most are single Moms. Many are HIV positive. Sewing and bible study continues to lead them away from the familiar beer making and prostitution that can consume their lives. Jacaranda trees are prevalent in Nairobi,Kenya. They have deep purple flowers that bloom before the rain falls. The Jacaranda tree represents the hope that the rains will indeed come. Rain needed by a dry and parched land. We hope to represent that rain sharing God's love and hope with people in need. Thought I would share some pictures of these beautiful women. This is Sarah, the Production Manager. Sarah is the "one woman" that Brenda started this ministry with. We now have 67 plus women in 13 different locations around Nairobi. Sarah is training trainers, and is...

Romans 12:"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people in need." That is the verse for our team heading to Nairobi, Kenya June 3rd 2011. Be careful what you pray for because I would have never imagined I would be leading a team on a missions trip to Africa. It's true. This was not in my plans. I have prayed for years for the ministry of my sweet friends Brenda and Garry Kean. I have prayed their ministry would grow in ways that would amaze them. In those prayers I never saw myself as part of their ministry. So watch out! You never know where God will grab you! I learned three things from my trip in 2009 1. It is not only ok, but it is essential for my heart to break for the what breaks the heart of God. 2. Always be obedient to the small, soft promptings in my heart. Like giving my socks to the lady at hospice. That act sweetened a bitter heart. 3. God is bigger than my im...

I am sending this information out to a few of you who may feel led to help with a specific need for uniforms and backpacks for a group of children in the slums of Kayole. One of our church members, Albert, has established a school in the midst of utter poverty and chaos. He has 135 students and they are actually learning the Word as well as regular school lessons despite very difficult circumstances. A government regulation here in Kenya is that every student must wear a school uniform in order to attend school, and they must have school supplies. Many children are turned away because they cannot afford a uniform, it is so sad! Our women of Jacaranda Creations are making school backpacks which we put school supplies into, as well as we are sewing school uniforms for children. We need help right now to purchase the material necessary to make these uniforms. We also like to pay each woman who makes the uniform, so it is a win/win situation. A child gets a uniform and backpack wit...