Not Your Typical Sunday

Today was such an amazing, wonderful, and inspiring day. Our team began the day by going to Stanley Gitari's church in Maua (MCK Athiru Gaiti Methodist Church) and hearing a powerful message about love. The pastor there was preaching his last sermon at the church and still made a point to deliver a message that involved us as visitors. The message was spoken in English and Swahili. I couldn't understand some of the words of the message because of the language barrier but it didn't matter because it was obvious how passionate both men were about delivering the message and translating that message for everyone present, Kenyans and Americans alike. The Holy Spirit truly was present in that worship space this morning. 

After having tea with some of the church members we went to the New Hope ECDE School to present them with a gift for a water well to be dug on their campus on behalf of the West District of the Central Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church. We were welcomed with open arms as they greeted us by walking towards us singing a song of welcome. We then all walked into the courtyard singing together. I was overwhelmed by their hospitality and the singing as we arrived. I have never seen such hospitality in my life. As I began to shoot a video of them walking towards us I got a little choked up because there was a child leading them. How fitting. I believe that I have heard that in the Bible somewhere...

"And a little child shall lead them." ~Isaiah 11:6

One of the smallest children at the school was leading other children and adults to welcome us. I loved how the child was leading the group to welcome us because it means that someone must have been showing her how to be welcoming. That gives me hope. The kids were so excited that they wanted to take pictures with the team. Some of them even knew what a selfie was and wanted to take selfies with our mission team to have on their own phones. It gave me hope because these children and all of these people did not see the color of our skin or where we were from. They simply saw that we came there to them and that we are all children of God. That gives me hope.

I hope that we can always strive to be as passionate about worship as the Kenyan people were today. I hope that we can be as welcoming each and every day as the Kenyan people were today. I hope that we can look past all of our differences and simply see every person as a beloved child of God.

Blessings,

Kevin