Crossing into the Promise Land

 

Crossing over into Kenya was a breath of fresh air; it was a weight lifted off of our shoulders. We had a very long journey that included several hours on a bus with roads that had more pot holes than road, a stop and slight culture shock into the city of Kisumu where I ate A CHEESEBURGER (it doesn’t sound like much to you but in Africa meat is either sketchy or non-existent so it was an answered prayer), another two hours through gorgeous rolling hills and country with more shades of green than I had ever seen, and finally a ferry ride across Lake Victoria with the sunset ahead of us promising the end of this desolate season and bringing us into the Promised Land.

I feel like the Israelites when Moses led them out of Egypt and into the desert. At first, it seemed promising to leave the land that I had known my whole life, because I didn’t feel like that is where God had me. So I left, but little did I know that I would be entering the desert. In this desert time, God stripped everything from my life, from my identity to literal resources needed to simply survive. I was left feeling naked and hopeless. But I look back on my time in Uganda and I see how much He really worked through that time.

We get to a point when we run out of all others options but God. It is quite sad how often we think that we can survive and make it through without Him in our lives, so much so that (at least for me) He had to take everything away from me, even my own identity, for me to start looking to Him. In this desert time, the Lord provided just as He did for the Israelites and He taught me about how to really trust and worship Him. 

From the first day that we had a bad feeling about where we were to the day that we solidified our stay in Kenya was exactly 40 days. We were in the desert for 40 days just as the Israelites were in the desert for 40 years, just as Moses was on Mount Sinai for 40 days to receive the laws and instructions for worship and just as Jesus had been led into the desert for 40 days to be tempted by the devil. We were led into this desert land by God, according to His plan because He knew of the promises that He had for us and knowing all that He was going to teach us and reveal to us not only about ourselves but about Him.

We live on about three acres of land right on Lake Victoria that is used for all kinds of agricultural work, so it is definitely very lush and very beautiful. I am now sitting at the picnic table outside of my stone cabin, watching 3 monkeys run by through the lush jungle of trees, bushes and grasses that surrounds us. I look ahead and see the sun slowing setting behind Lake Victoria leaving a reflection on the water that hurts my eyes a little. I can hear the rolling waves and there is a slight breeze that whistles softly through the trees. The beauty and the harmony that comes from it cannot be described with words.

Life here is simple but exciting. Our main mode of transportation is a motorcycle called “piki piki” and we have a safari Land Cruiser (that’s right). Last night I ate fish that had not yet been de-scaled; it was quite an adventure. We have flushing toilets and a shower but no electricity. I got to plant a tree that I am not quite sure the name of but it sounds like brownie so I like to think that this is a brownie producing tree but the coolest experience that I have had so far was yesterday when we went to visit one of the schools for environmental club. We drove out into the middle of nowhere and were dropped off at this trail that was too narrow for the car. So we had to trek up this hill, through this jungle of trees and across two should- be- rivers- but- really- just empty- banks up to this tribe of mud huts and stone cabins (very common here). It was looking over the lake and was up on this hill, it was absolutely gorgeous and the most amazing “Oh my gosh I’m so totally in Africa moment”. So ya there is a random tangent of random facts. 

The people here that we live with are absolutely AMAZING! We have stepped into this community that can only be described by the verse “for the joy of the Lord is our strength”. They work with us, we live with them, we worship the same God together; we truly are the body of Christ here. They are like angels who not only protect us both physically and spiritually, but they remind us of who God is and why we are here. They are encouraging and loving to us . . . oh man they are just incredible and I am so excited to learn from them and work with them.

And in this promised land there is ministry that sends peace to my heart. I don’t know exactly all that we are doing but so far everything that we have done is awesome (and it’s a lot . . . we are definitely never bored thank God). SEEK is an agricultural ministry so amongst spreading God’s love for His people,we are teaching people around here all about conserving the environment and growing plants and making fish ponds that will help provide and sustain the people in the community. I am really excited to work in this aspect of their ministry, I didn’t even realize how passionate I am about this ministry until we started really working in it and I can just say that I am stoked to dig deeper.   I feel like I am so totally part of the hippy Christian movement and I have to say that it feels awesome!!!   But I will update you more as I do more.

I could go on and on, but time is precious and words cannot truly describe how sweet life is.

What I can say is that there is life, in the land, in our faces, in everything. There is joy and hope that has been promised to us. Isaiah 30:19-21 says “The Lord is compassionate, and when you cry to him for help, he will answer you. The Lord will make you go through hard times, but he himself will be there to teach you, and you will not have to search for him anymore. If you wander off the road to the right or to the left, you will hear his voice behind you saying, ‘Here is the road. Follow it'”. Although, I can say that there is still a lot of progress to be made and that there will still be very difficult days, I honestly believe that God has brought us through the desert and into this place of promise and of life.  He is teaching me more and more each day and with each day, I am filled with moiré confidence in Him and also in myself. He is faithful to the end and I can only find words of thanksgiving for the God that works outside of my what I can see. I am transforming into a new person and this place is the beginning of letting my true self shine.