"The Russians are coming!"

We recently just hosted a short-term missions team from Russia. We had 7 Russian guests that stayed with us for 10 days on a short-term mission trip here in Nairobi. During one of the women’s Bible study the Russian ladies shared their testimonies and one testimony in particular struck me. Lena started out her testimony with the statement “You never know what God is going to do in your life.” She was referring to the fact that she never thought she would be in Africa. As she said that thought provoking statement I was thinking to myself, I never thought I’d be in Africa listening to the testimony of a lady from Russia. As the team was in Africa for their first time they carried such excitement with them everywhere they went. This is the fourth time I’ve been to Africa so I have somewhat become numb to my surroundings. The ministry here for me has become normal everyday life. I no longer cry at the site of the barefoot children running around in tattered clothes playing in trash, or get excited when the kids yell out muzungu (Westerner) and run over to shake my hand. I no longer get a huge smile on my face when I hear the sound of worship songs sung in Swahili. I no longer look out the window for wild game in the safari park next to my home or marvel at the beautiful green trees I pass on the way to church. Just as some Southern Californians get used to seeing the beach everyday I have gotten used to seeing Africa everyday. I enjoyed having the Russians here because they brought back that excitement I once had with being in Africa. As we did a small children’s concert at a school in the slums I found myself tearing up as they sang worship songs and prayed sweet prayers in Swahili and I cried as the women in the hair salon sang their tribal songs for us. As my time here is coming to a quick end the tears have returned and I’m starting to grow sad at the thought of going back home to America. I know I shall miss the African life. It’s hard to imagine that in a matter of 24 days I will be back in San Diego returning to the life I left behind 9 mos ago. I’m going from Nairobi to Mombasa to Uganda to debriefing in the FRM office in Murrieta, Ca to my graduation night and finally back to my normal life. It seems like 9 mos of change happening in 24 days. I can’t even imagine packing up and boarding that plane back to the States. I’ve been in much prayer that God isn’t done using me in Africa. To think that this could be the last time my feet are on African soil is a thought that instantly brings tears to my eyes and one I try to avoid. But as Lena so simply said “You never know what God is going to do in your life.” I’m excited to see what God has for me next!

The Russians with our Kenyan church leaders