24 days until departure

24 more days! It feels like the big 'to-do's have been completed and the smaller details are all falling into place. Everyone has been sufficiently vaccinated, tested, prescribed, and all those not particularly enjoyable, but necessary things. Logistics, travel details, and rough daily schedules are all hammered out and the reality of the trip has set in.
It has been a long time coming for many of us. Waiting 6 months between finding out we're going and actually going has in many instances felt like the departure moment would never come. But, this past week in my case, another fire has been ignited -the same one that I felt when I learned of this opportunity to go to Kenya. It's hitting home that the wait is almost over and it's almost time to go be a part of and a witness to something incredible on the other side of the world. Since vaccinations and logistical details are now fairly set, I feel like this is the time for all of us to really just open up and let our hearts be prepared. Prepared to listen, to learn, to ask questions, to respect, to empathize, to absorb, to celebrate, and above and in all, love our God, teammates, and fellow Kenyan brothers and sisters as we're all underneath the God Umbrella (if you will).
Another aspect of this trip that I'm particularly proud to be a part of is this mission's idea of evangelizing. Many very respectable American churches do mission trips to foreign countries to bring The Word of God - preaching, teaching, evangelizing. While it is clear that bringing God's word to others is essential and good, I feel that sometimes this gets out of hand and creates a self-righetous image of Christians/Americans/Christian Americans, and maybe even a sense of pride and superiority in some of those mission go-ers. This Kenya trip is visibly different. Kenya has more self-reported Christians (by percentage) than the United States. If we looked at who needed to hear The Word in terms of percentages, we should be turning to our own country. Like Blackhawk's Love Madison project that sent God's people out into a community to do good works, we are going to Kenya as God's people to do good works and build in fellowship with other believers as well as non-believers. Our fellowship under Christ is not and should not be limited to those people who happen to reside in our neighborhood, classrooms or workplace. God's world and what he offers us extends so far beyond what is immediately accessible. Here is an opportunity to impact lives not simply through evangelizing in word but by deed, action, and relationship, to name a few. Also, here is an opportunity to experience God in new ways through unique situations that we have not yet encountered in our lives that will challenge us in ways that, without Kenya, we would not be challenged and thus would not grow. What an incredible opportunity to be people that exude and experience Christ's grace. In closing: a favorite quote of mine that has been dancing in my brain tonight that applies to all of us in many ways: "Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary, use words." - St. Francis of Assisi.

-Emily