Day 6 –Time flies when you are serving the Lord!
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Today was another blessing. Every day brings challenges that require perseverance, patience, and flexibility, but there is always joy! We serve a faithful God, and He is with us here in Kenya.
The day started with a little surprise as we made a small detour on the way to our construction sites to visit Ester's mother-in-law's tea plantation and school. Katelynn and Charlotte had the opportunity to try their hand at tea picking on the beautiful property. They soon discovered they were not quite as fast as the professionals! We then stopped at Red Lion School to tour the facilities and meet the students. They were precious and perfectly polite. As we wandered around the grounds, we even got to sample some gooseberries. Yum!
Once back at our sites, my team took a tour of the neighboring farm. It is absolutely fascinating to see how industrious and creative the Kenyan people are with the resources they have. Yet despite having so little, they take great pride in their land and in what they are able to grow. Nearly everyone seems to have cabbage, arrowroot, cassava, and bananas, but the family we are working alongside also grows passion fruit, macadamia nuts, avocados, and cilantro. They are proud that they can provide for themselves and their families and are often puzzled by our way of doing things!
By the end of the day, we had completed as much of the house as our skill levels would allow and were able to dedicate it to the Mukuri family. It was especially meaningful to dedicate the home of a family with whom I have spent so much time. Mary, Helen, Daniel, and Moses have been incredibly open and generous with us. We have spent many hours with Daniel, who has been helping to build the home. He even welcomed us into his living quarters for our daily PB&J picnic lunches. Throughout the day, we chat about our countries and compare the different ways we live our lives. We are truly going to miss this family and our fellow construction team members.
Family Verse:
By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.---1 Corinthians 3:10-11
Our next dedication was for the Nkirote family, an elderly couple who are helping raise their nine grandchildren. Mary and Julius have struggled to survive since Julius suffered a stroke that left him unable to farm. Thanks be to God, they now have a safe place to live while he rests and heals. Sitting with him was truly heartbreaking, as even breathing seemed to be a struggle. Please keep this sweet man in your prayers.
Family Verse:
But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. --- Joshua 24:15
We are continually amazed by the difficult conditions so many people here endure, and the entire community is grateful for this partnership that has blessed so many lives. Not only have the recipient families benefited, but so have the workers who were hired to cut timber, deliver supplies, build the homes, paint, and drive us around town. Unemployment is a huge challenge here, and this project has provided jobs and hope for many.
Every day, we are reminded that God is doing far more than building houses. He is strengthening families, providing livelihoods, and bringing hope to entire communities. We are so grateful to witness His faithfulness and to see His love at work in the lives of His people.
"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." — Galatians 6:9
