Mission Trip 2017 Day 1

Africa we have arrived.....

Day 1

Sometimes in life it feels like we are constantly hurrying up just to wait.

Let’s hurry to get to the airport to check our bags, wait in line to get thru security to wait in line to board the plane, to wait in line to get off the plane to run thru Airport in Amsterdam to get to our Gate to wait yet again to board our next flight. Well, you get the picture, that is what the first 24 hours of our Mission trip are like. So let’s just chuck day 1 away because that’s all there is folks.

Now, on to the fun part.... Que the Smiles

The real reason why I’m smiling is because at the ticket counter in Houston I prayed over our luggage tags the lady at the counter gave me (yes I did it with her as a witness) and asked God to please, pretty please with Sugar on Top let all our bags full of school and VBS supplies arrive in Kenya with us this year. Please God I do not, for the third year in a row want to wait in the lost baggage line at the Nairobi airport. And as usually God answers my crazy prayers. I’m finally getting smart about this and praying before things happen. I know God is up there just shaking His head at me saying, yep she’s finally getting it folks.

Here we are after having had a restful night’s sleep at The Mayfield! We are all loaded up and heading out to Haven on the Hill Children’s Home where the real magic begins. Before we left on this trip we had to adjust our schedule to put or VBS portion of the trip first and move our home visits to the families in the area to the second week before we headed back out. We made this adjustment due to the upcoming Kenya elections, which ironically are today Aug the 8th. So if you are reading this send up a prayer for God’s will to be done for there next leader. Just like here in America, there were election posters everywhere, political demonstrations, crowds gathering and of course political unrest due to uncertainty of the future. But like I told everyone here, God’s got this!

 This is the front of the bus! Kathy sitting with her Baby... no not Austin her grandson, the box holding the special equipment for the deaf school we would be giving on Saturday to Ear Trek during their special VBS day at Haven.

 So after several stops to get all the supplies we needed for Haven/VBS we finally arrived at Haven on the Hill. As we arrived there were about 30 school kids waiting for us and greeting us. It was so awesome to see their sweet faces and some of them were even singing the song Lisa taught them last year at VBS-New Creation. 

Yep, you are looking at this picture and thinking that sure looks like more than 30 sweet little school kids. While in Nairobi I picked up a few bags of sweeties to give these sweet little kids. After the bus driver helped to unload all our bags I went inside to get these sweeties and give them to the kids to get them excited about seeing us at VBS on Wed. As I walked out with a bag of Sweeties; in my hand, I was instantly swarmed by over 80 kids....Where in the world did they all come from??? I’m still trying to figure that out...... Quickly I obviously ran out of sweeties and made a mental note for next year to never to pass out sweeties upon arrival again.

After sorting out our duffels containing school supplies and backpacks in Haven’s laundry room, the Boys that call Haven their Home arrived. This is the best part of the first day to see them running thru the gate and see us the group that has come for several years in a row now. I got about 5 hugs before Collins asked me the all-important question???? Where’s Bria?? Yep, those boys at HAVEN  love their Bria and she loves them.

As our welcome, the boys at Haven after dinner did their praise and worship with us. They are all dressed and ready for bed. After this, we all got back to our beds to get ready for Day 2.

Stay tuned for Day 2 tomorrow....