Kenya Timeline 2014

Mombasa Kenya, HERE WE COME!!!!

I am privileged to travel with George Stevens, Jeff Smith and my hubbie :) Here we are at the gates of the Houston airport...the journey begins!

We arrived, 30 hours of travel later, HERE! To this American girl who as only been on an airplane 4 times (yes, including 2 trips to Kenya) I never dreamed I'd sail over the Atlantic and actually smell the air of the Indian Ocean.

Moving on to a town off the South Coast, we settled into this beach house. Now, only 1.5 hours away from the build site, the men could come home easily and enjoy the evenings with Maggie and I and the boys. Oh, how naive we were!!

After a rain-interrupted Day One of build, this is what the Team met with on their trip back to the beach house. NOT GOOD! After much prayer and  failed attempts to break free, everyone hopped on a "piki piki" to (cross your fingers) meet Maggie at the end of the dirt road. Did I mention it was DARK!? God was faithful, and answered the arrow cries of help from his children. All arrived safe, a little battered, but sound and rejoicing at the work He did.

Where this church was located there had never been a vehicle or a white man to travel it! But, in the end, Praise God, all but a few end pieces were finished and this pastor has an amazing facility to proclaim the Word of God! They went from meeting in a mud hut (below) to this (above)!!

One of the highlights of the trip... George (in the red cap) sharing the gospel with a group of kids and about 15 raising their hands to accept Jesus Christ as Lord of their life! Amen!

And now back to the beach...

While Maggie and I are having heart to heart conversations, these crabs just pop out of everywhere! Can you find the him? :)

The view from my lawn chair!

But don't worry...there is productive thinking going on here, it's not just fun in the sun ALL the time! The Ladies Conference that I was apart of last year, was cancelled for this year. The Lord laid words on my heart to write before I knew that. I wondered if these words held any benefit to the women in Kenya. This trip gave me the ability to talk with some ladies and ask about family life, marriage, church relationships, what issues they face and what ingredients would make up future conferences. For I don't know the culture there. The Lord confirmed, those words He gave me were indeed from Him and for these ladies. O why do I doubt? But Excited to see what the Lord will do from here. I came hoping for a vision for this conference and He gave me one!!

Follow HIM!

Sometimes this is what I feel like - 
the tide goes out and leaves all my ugly seaweed exposed! Thankfully, the Lord sees that and still loves me - because I am HIS. 

Starfish and sea urchin in crystal clear ocean water...

The whole gang as we say good-bye to the South Coat and prepare to hop the ferry and head back to the city.

Buddies in Blue

And girlies in green (Ok maybe it's yellowish)

This is Doris, Maggie's house help, and those bags.... they're a secret! :)

And THIS, my friends, is my first time in the car with my kiddos!!! MOM's HOME!!!

First time seeing Daddy! Love the facial expressions!

Last day on the beach, we built a campfire and roasted marshmallows for an African-style SMORES. I brought home a box of the cookies we used that have chocolate already on them and we made our own....in the oven though...kids didn't complain :)

What an amazing trip! Thanks to Josh and Maggie and Tim and Toni and all the Lighthouse for Christ staff for hosting us. Can't wait to be there again!!

Putting it In Our Own Words,

~Julie