My family and I took a Vision Trip this summer to see Tumaini’s work in Kenya. I had been to Kenya 10 year prior, but this time I was bringing along my wife and kids. We have 5 kids (ages 9 to 19), so as you can imagine that changed the dynamic from my first trip just a bit! All the things that weren’t a big deal the first time (travel logistics, food, vaccinations) seemed a little more important. What happens if one of my kids get’s sick? What if they won’t eat the food? What if we meet a lion or crocodile? Can my kids survive without WIFI?
But God made it clear he wanted us to go. And through it, he opened the hearts and minds of 5 kids from North Carolina who will never be the same. We had so many highlights, I wanted to share two:
Church
I have the pleasure of serving on the board of Christian Chapel International, which supports several churches in Kenya that have been planted in partnership with Tumaini. On our Sunday in Kenya we attended one of the churches, Masii Christian Chapel, and where so blessed to be there. I was especially moved by their focus on the next generation. The church had recently built a new Sunday school wing, and also hired a children’s pastor to provide spiritual direction and support for the youth.
We also visited the location of the newest church, Kolewa Christian Chapel in the coastal area of the country. It is located in a beautiful area of Kenya with great physical and spiritual needs. That church, along with its sister church Gongoni Christian Chapel, also know the future of the church is in the next generation, with both churches providing after school care to vulnerable children in the region.
Family
We have a big family, so when we go anywhere we are always counting the children (1…2…..3…..). But meeting our sponsor kids and their families in Kenya, I realized just how big our family really is. Sitting down in the house with the mother of one our sponsor kids, she looked at us and said “Thank you for adopting my son into your family.” Then she turned to my wife and said “Thank you for loving him mama”. Oh the tears came! What we might have seen as giving a few dollars a month for schooling or food, was way more than that. It was growing our family. Leaving that family, my twelve year old said “I want to buy them a goat. How much does a goat cost? Maybe we could buy them a cow?” My kids are now fundraising to buy a goat and a cow for our sponsored kids in Kenya! His heart was changed.
If you feel God’s leading, please consider a vision trip. The Tumaini staff takes amazing care of you. We needed some medicine for my son during the trip and the staff was able to get it for us immediately. We had team members share peanut butter and jelly to change up the standard Kenyan diet. Stanley and our driver found us on our arrival at the Nairobi airport even though I gave him the wrong arrival airline. We did see lions and crocodiles, but on safari, and at a safe distance! And the guest house does have WIFI. So don’t let the logistics or other concerns scare you off. You will feel out of your comfort zone and you will grow. You will see your life with greater context. You will be a blessing and be blessed. And you will give your kids a gift that will really last. You will give them a heart that will be changed forever.
Sincerely,
Eric Carlson