The Journey Begins...

Tomorrow I leave for Kenya, which will be by far the longest trip in my brief history. I am so excited to leave, but I am a little nervous about being in Africa for almost 5 months. I wanted to write this initial blog just so everyone can know exactly what is going on and when.

The first part of my journey will take place in Malava, Kenya. If you look on the map, it will probably not be there. The closest cities you will see on most maps will be either Kakamega or Kisumu. I leave from Daytona tomorrow on August 1st, and I will go through Atlanta, London, Dubai, and Nairobi before I get there. The first part of the trip will go until the middle of October. While there, I will be working at an orphanage called Tumaini Miles of Smiles Centre. Tumaini means “hope” in Swahili. Here is their home website: http://www.tumainimilesofsmilescentre.org. There is also a cool little video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qak5yqabvd4. At the orphanage I will be teaching the children the Bible, teaching them English, coaching them in soccer and basketball, and simply being there for them as a positive male figure in their lives. I know this sounds funny, but ever since I saw the American Idol program “Idol Gives Back” where they took several groups to help in Africa, I have wanted to go and serve the orphans there. My heart really hurts for them. Now, God is giving me the incredible opportunity to do this. There will be a few people with me from the organization Sports Plus for a couple of weeks, but after that it will be the orphans and supervisors (who are Kenyans) at Tumaini and I until October!

For the second half of the mission trip, I will be staying with the Tidenbergs from the International Mission Board. The team of 4, which includes Matt and Andrew Potochnik, Erin Lombardi, and myself, will be staying at the Tidenberg’s missionary house in Nairobi, Kenya. There are still some details to be fleshed out concerning exactly what we will be doing on this leg of the trip, but we know most of what will be happening. We will be serving missionaries in Tanzania at a prayer retreat, doing discipleship work with the college students at a university in Kenya, and taking part in evangelism out in the bush of Kenya. I am thrilled about this part of the trip as well.

I love you and will miss all of you who have played such an important role in my life and those who have made this trip possible both financially and through their prayers and support. Thank you, thank you, and thank you again to all of you who are praying and those who are reading this in Daytona, Gainesville, Fresno, North Palm Beach, New Jersey, Memphis, Destin, Panama City, Jacksonville, Naples, Arlington, etc. The prayers of His people are so powerful and effective, and I am asking for your prayers to surround and cover this trip. I am praying that God will not only use me to impact the orphans and college students of Kenya, but also that He would radically transform my heart as well. I have given my mom some prayer requests for the trip, and she will be sending out prayer cards to many of you. I am so sorry, but it is inevitable that someone will not get a prayer card that should get one, so please send her a Facebook message or email her at ces921@earthlink.net if you want one. Again, I covet your prayers on this mission trip, and I am pretty sure my parents would love for you pray for my safety. I know that we serve an awesome God. He is sovereign, and everything will happen as he sees fit. I am trying to trust Him outside of my own finite understanding. I know that He is going to move on this trip.

Here are a few theme verses that I will hold near to me while in Africa:

Ephesians 6:7 “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men.”

James 1:27 “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.”

Psalm 91…all of it. Read it—it’s good stuff.

Thanks again for taking the time to read this. Hopefully, these will not be extremely long or too unbearable for you all to read. I am new to the whole blogging scene. Also, I am not sure how often this will be updated, but please check back whenever you desire! I hope to be in contact with everyone soon. We serve an Almighty Father!