Remember in our last blog post when we said that we would post more about our adventures with Emily's parents at a later time? That time is now.
What an absolute joy it was to spend a few days with THE Ken and Sharon Stone! We felt like small children on Christmas morning as we were waiting for them to arrive at the airport. They have been so supportive of us from the moment we decided to move to Kenya, so I'm extremely thankful that they were able to experience our daily lives and part of our ministry firsthand. They definitely experienced as much of Kenya as you can in four day's time!
We want nothing more than for people to see how Jesus is working in Kenya when they read our blog, not because of anything that we are doing, but because of all that He is doing. We are so excited that the Stone's were able to witness Jesus' work up close and personal. We pray that as you read this post, you see Jesus as well. He is using us to reveal Himself to the Kenyans and He is using Kenya to reveal Himself to us.
Mrs. Stone, more commonly known as Jenny Rone, offered to write a post about her time in Africa, so keep reading to hear her words about the lessons Jesus taught us in the midst of the adventures.
What an absolute joy it was to spend a few days with THE Ken and Sharon Stone! We felt like small children on Christmas morning as we were waiting for them to arrive at the airport. They have been so supportive of us from the moment we decided to move to Kenya, so I'm extremely thankful that they were able to experience our daily lives and part of our ministry firsthand. They definitely experienced as much of Kenya as you can in four day's time!
We want nothing more than for people to see how Jesus is working in Kenya when they read our blog, not because of anything that we are doing, but because of all that He is doing. We are so excited that the Stone's were able to witness Jesus' work up close and personal. We pray that as you read this post, you see Jesus as well. He is using us to reveal Himself to the Kenyans and He is using Kenya to reveal Himself to us.
Mrs. Stone, more commonly known as Jenny Rone, offered to write a post about her time in Africa, so keep reading to hear her words about the lessons Jesus taught us in the midst of the adventures.
"This is Africa." Katie and Emily frequently use this phrase to describe the challenges Americans face in negating around a different country and culture. A country and culture that the girls have come to love and know as home. Ken and I were blessed to have the opportunity to spend almost a week with them, experiencing just a little bit of what it's like to become immersed in a place so very different from our normal, a place where we learned so much about showing the love of Christ everyday.
We were blown away to see the girls walk in God's grace through every situation we encountered, whether good or difficult. The lyrics from what seems to be their theme song are "God makes a way where there seems no way." Every time we were thrown a curveball, they began singing. Here is just a recap of the adventures we shared while on this trip of a lifetime.
We were blown away to see the girls walk in God's grace through every situation we encountered, whether good or difficult. The lyrics from what seems to be their theme song are "God makes a way where there seems no way." Every time we were thrown a curveball, they began singing. Here is just a recap of the adventures we shared while on this trip of a lifetime.
Our first day started like any other vacation might with a good night's sleep in a nice hotel. We left Nairobi the next day and headed to Narok for lunch with some of the girl's friends, followed by a safari in the Masai Mara. One hour into our trip, our driver, Metah, witnessed an accident and pulled over to see if we could be of any help. The car had flipped down an embankment and as we exited our vehicle, we could hear screaming and crying. In a matter of moments, Metah had gone down the hill and was making his way back up with a toddler in his arms. By this time, a half dozen cars had stopped to assist. All of the men were working to carry an injured man up the hill. In Kenya, there wasn't another option but to stop and help. If passersby had not stopped, the injured family would not have received help. There is no 911 or ambulance to transport the injured when travelling outside of a major city. A good samaritan offered his car and transported the man to the nearest hospital, over an hour away.
We continued on our journey that took twice as long as it should've due to the road conditions. No, not traffic from the hustle and bustle of life, but ruts in the road. The "roads" we were driving on most of the way were made of dirt and rock. After arriving in the Mara, we had a beautiful safari and stayed in a picturesque lodge. However, there were still struggles. Each day, one of the girls woke up sick to their stomach. I won't elaborate, but let me say, it's the sort of thing that might keep us in bed for the day between trips to the bathroom. However, they each continued on with life regardless of how they felt. They chose joy. We learned that this is a regular occurence in their lives as a result of eating foods that are not USDA approved. After a great time of making memories, we were on the road again to visit the school the girls have been working at. It then became an interesting day.
Unknown to us, it had been rainier than normal in the area we needed to travel through. That, along with dirt and clay roads, made for the most interesting ride of my life. After about an hour on the road, we came upon a washed-out bridge. No warning. No alerts. We just arrived and it wasn't there. There was no cell phone service, so there was no way for Metah to know of the road conditions. No worries though, a few locals came and walked through the water to see how deep it was and figure out the best way through it. We plunged down a steep embankment into swiftly running water from a seasonal river. Due to the kindess of strangers willing to give up their time and comfort (they were completely soaked!) to serve us, we made it safely to the other side. Victory!
We travelled on a little longer, and once again, without a warning, we found a washed-out road. Metah spoke with a few locals and one offered to show us a different way around the road, so that we didn't have to turn back. Remember: just a little way back was the washed out bridge.
This was a detour unlike anything I have ever seen. Typically a detour takes an extra 10-30 minutes; ours took an hour and a half. We wound through trails that were meant for walkers only, four-wheeling like I have never done before. Just as we thought we were finally getting back to the main road, we bottom out in a rut, pretty much swallowed up in mud. Seriously? After the hills we've climbed and rivers we've gone through, a muddy rut is going to stop us?
Call a tow truck? No such thing here. And no cell service to call one if there were! But once again, every person who passed by stopped to help. Total strangers were on hands and knees in the mud trying to dig us out. They ran to their homes (mud huts) to bring back shovels, hoes, crowbars, or anything else that might help us. They don't own heavy farm equipment, so it was purely up to man power to dig us out. We had at least six men devote the better part of their day to help us. Finally, after sitting in the truck for six and a half hours, Metah returned with a tractor to pull us out. What a glorious sight to see! We rejoiced and sang the girls theme song.
This was a detour unlike anything I have ever seen. Typically a detour takes an extra 10-30 minutes; ours took an hour and a half. We wound through trails that were meant for walkers only, four-wheeling like I have never done before. Just as we thought we were finally getting back to the main road, we bottom out in a rut, pretty much swallowed up in mud. Seriously? After the hills we've climbed and rivers we've gone through, a muddy rut is going to stop us?
Call a tow truck? No such thing here. And no cell service to call one if there were! But once again, every person who passed by stopped to help. Total strangers were on hands and knees in the mud trying to dig us out. They ran to their homes (mud huts) to bring back shovels, hoes, crowbars, or anything else that might help us. They don't own heavy farm equipment, so it was purely up to man power to dig us out. We had at least six men devote the better part of their day to help us. Finally, after sitting in the truck for six and a half hours, Metah returned with a tractor to pull us out. What a glorious sight to see! We rejoiced and sang the girls theme song.
We were on our way again, following one of our new friends, who was escorting us to the main road since it was getting dark and the roads were not marked. We could not have been happier!
But wait, it's not over yet. The rain made the dirt road as slippery as ice. It was like we were driving in North Carolina in an ice storm! Night fell, and it was pitch black outside, because there was no electricity. We found ourselves sliding and ended up sideways in another rut, unable to move. Our new friend got off his boda boda (motorcycle) and helped Ken push the truck out. Metah proceeded with great caution and got us safely to the main (still dirt) road.
After a quick stop at Legacy School to say goodbye to the children and staff, we headed back to Nairobi. Our day had started in Masai Mara at 7:30am and ended in Nairobi at 12:30am. What might normally be a 6 hour drive turned into a 17 hour "adventure," as we grew to call it.
But wait, it's not over yet. The rain made the dirt road as slippery as ice. It was like we were driving in North Carolina in an ice storm! Night fell, and it was pitch black outside, because there was no electricity. We found ourselves sliding and ended up sideways in another rut, unable to move. Our new friend got off his boda boda (motorcycle) and helped Ken push the truck out. Metah proceeded with great caution and got us safely to the main (still dirt) road.
After a quick stop at Legacy School to say goodbye to the children and staff, we headed back to Nairobi. Our day had started in Masai Mara at 7:30am and ended in Nairobi at 12:30am. What might normally be a 6 hour drive turned into a 17 hour "adventure," as we grew to call it.
There are so many lessons I learned that day, but two stick out to me. First, have joy in all things. Through the difficult roads, sickness, and many trials on the ride back to Nairobi, Katie and Emily sang songs, shared sayings of faith in Swahili, and of course, made jokes of everything out of the ordinary. Let's just say many of the jokes revolved around the fact that we almost had to pay a Masai man for using his cow pasture as a restroom. Through this trial, we laughed harder than most of us have laughed in long time. When life gets hard, find a way to choose joy. The journey is so much lighter.
Second, I was reminded of the importance of helping those in need around you. After leaving the sight of the accident, Metah told us that he always stops, because you never know when you might be the one needing help. He helped others twice (the accident and to help another safari vehicle that was having issues) without hesitation. He served from the abundance of his heart and out of all that God had done for him. Little did we know, our need for great help was right around the corner. God provided in a way that only He could. Never forget to be the hands and feet of our Savior. You never know when He is choosing you to make a difference in someone else's life.
Sadly, the visit is over. I am smiling as I write this and think about how hard we laughed with Metah over dinner as we recounted our "adventure" and looked through some of the pictures. Oh, what peace there is when you trust God, serve others, and count it all joy.
I also smile thinking about all the girls have grown through in this season. Everywhere we visited, we could tell their impact had been great, not because of who they are, but because they allowed Jesus to work through them. There have been many times that they questioned if what they do makes a difference. I can answer with a resounding "Yes!" after seeing the way the people in their lives love them. The teachers, students, bellmen at hotels they've stayed in, waiters and waitresses at their favorite coffee shops, and the families that have welcomed them into their lives. It is clear that Katie and Emily bring the joy and peace of Jesus to every situation.
Kenya has left its mark on these young women, but they too have left their mark on Kenya. Emily has had a favorite Bible verse for many years, and I now know that God was using His Word to grow her for this time in life. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perserverance. Let perseverance finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:2-4). I'm praising God for all He has done in and through them over the past year.
Sadly, the visit is over. I am smiling as I write this and think about how hard we laughed with Metah over dinner as we recounted our "adventure" and looked through some of the pictures. Oh, what peace there is when you trust God, serve others, and count it all joy.
I also smile thinking about all the girls have grown through in this season. Everywhere we visited, we could tell their impact had been great, not because of who they are, but because they allowed Jesus to work through them. There have been many times that they questioned if what they do makes a difference. I can answer with a resounding "Yes!" after seeing the way the people in their lives love them. The teachers, students, bellmen at hotels they've stayed in, waiters and waitresses at their favorite coffee shops, and the families that have welcomed them into their lives. It is clear that Katie and Emily bring the joy and peace of Jesus to every situation.
Kenya has left its mark on these young women, but they too have left their mark on Kenya. Emily has had a favorite Bible verse for many years, and I now know that God was using His Word to grow her for this time in life. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perserverance. Let perseverance finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:2-4). I'm praising God for all He has done in and through them over the past year.