Exciting. Hard. Beautiful. Frustrating. Centering. Healing.

Just a few of the words that describe our recent time in Kenya.

But first, I must say how deeply my husband and I appreciate your partnership in this adventure. Your gifts of words, prayers, and finances exceeded our hopes and we are grateful. “Asante Sana” (thank you very much in Swahili).

There is much to share and I wonder how to do it well. Whether it can be said in one little blog post or whether the words will come in a slower pace in the days to come. We shall see.

To say it simply, our two weeks in Kenya were more than we could have hoped for. Travel days were as they go these days, but with no major problems just inconveniences. The weather was pleasant, the food tasty, and the accommodations challenging but adequate. The project for the Nduluku Bible Institute was completed on time. We were able to put feet on the ground and see the ongoing Nduluku Well Project, currently in the permit stage, still with opportunities to be a part of the dream. We visited Mark’s accident site, the doctor who saw him in route to Nairobi, and the Kijabe Hospital where he spent a week in 2014; giving good closure and healing, not just for us but for others as well. We made lifelong friends, visited several schools where we presented the J316 Ministries soccer balls and enjoyed the children, and visited Nairobi Game Park where we saw lions, zebras, giraffes, water buffalo, and more in their natural habitat. Everyday activities took more time and effort than here; we did laundry the old-fashion way, prepared a meal beginning with live chickens, cooked on a propane tank, and used outhouses and toilet-less bathrooms. There were some tears and attitudes, but so much more laughter and peace. We were part of an amazing team of people, experienced the Kenyan culture firsthand, traveled in crowded vehicles on busy third world roads, listened to stories of hardship, faith, and joy, and brought a little red Kenyan dirt home in our shoes.

Our hearts are bursting. We miss our days there – the simplicity, the pace, and lack of first world problems. Enough for now. More words and photos will come in the days ahead but for now here’s a little taste of our time in Kenya.

 

• Learn more about DeJong Ministries
• Interested in learning more about the soccer balls we gave to the schools? Go here J316 Ministries
• Would you like to partner with us in the Nduluku Well Project? Donations can be given directly to us or for a tax deductible receipt through Interlink Ministries Inc Be sure to designate funds for DeJong Ministries – Nduluku Well Project.