Kenya
One of the best parts of Bridgeway’s missions and outreach focus is being connected to brothers and sisters around the globe. We took a missions team to Kenya earlier this year, and I got to spend time with local church leaders and our own missionaries.
God is doing tremendous things in and through them in Kenya. It was so encouraging to visit and hear stories of God’s faithfulness. One evening at dinner, Jake described how so often on missions trips we see God everywhere because we come expectant. Yet often in everyday life, we don’t anticipate God working in the same ways and so we don’t see Him as much. It’s not that God is less active, it’s that we are less expectant. Wow! This truth will stay with me beyond our short visit.
One afternoon we had the privilege of doing some teaching with the youth leaders on how Jesus built bridges across cultural barriers. This led to some great conversations about the tribalism that still exists in Kenya and how youth leaders can equip their students to build relational bridges between the tribes. Our entire team was encouraged to see the heart that these Kenyan youth leaders have for the young people of their country. We join them in prayer for ongoing unity that can only come through Christ.
I appreciated the opportunity to speak in Kenya, but I enjoyed the conversations that followed even more. I came back to my own work and ministry with a renewed gratitude for the global church and an increased desire to be expectant so I can better see the work God is doing all around me.