The Journey Home Begins

Hey everyone! We are back at Heart House getting packed up! Our first flight has been delayed an hour due to a runway closure so we are estimated to depart at 2:30am. We should still make our connection in Doha, Qatar, but keep checking here and we will keep you updated as soon as possible! See you tomorrow!!

Love you Mallory and Ridge!!

Day #8 (Safari)

From Nick Cavanaugh:

After a long drive yesterday, today was our first safari adventure, and it was amazing!

I have heard that you should learn something new every day...well today I learned enough to last many years. Not only was it educational, but it truly was a worship experience to see God’s creativity up close. As I reflected on His workmanship, I related it to my life and what He can teach me in these moments. 

First the light moments:

Never take parenting tips from a male lion as he eats his young.

Never make your fellow wildebeest mad, as they will ban you from the group until you get your attitude right.

Never be on the bottom rung of the monkey family, so you don’t have to eat bugs off your siblings……a very humbling experience.

Now for the deeper take away from today:

God doesn’t make mistakes!!......but you already knew that….but let’s take it a step further. God has a purpose for all things under creation. 

The zebras, elephants, and giraffes we saw today instinctively know their God given purpose and they don’t question it. They just do what comes natural, but man struggles to find purpose in life, and, without it, living just becomes existing.

Several years ago Rick Warren wrote a best selling book, “The Purpose Driven Life”. It flew off the shelves, because people are searching for purpose. As Christians our purpose is simple, but not easy, “bring glory to God.”  But, we want more details, easy to follow instructions. Years ago as I searched the Bible for those instructions and found, “Be joyful always, pray continually and give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will in Christ Jesus.” 

People that know me well will tell you I am nosey and I ask a lot of questions….I want to know what’s going on!! But, this is what I have learned on this trip, I don’t need to know everything. One word sums up a way to actively seek our purpose….obedience!!!

I never had the desire to come to Kenya, Africa, but God’s tug on my heart brought me here and it has been such a Spirit filled adventure, as always His plans (purposes) for me are far greater than I can imagine!!

Love you Michelle, Logan, Nathan and Jack….Go Heels!!!!

I love you Mallory and Ridge!! (From Jameson)

Day #7

From Mary Norris:

Jambo from Kenya!  (Hello)

Today was a day of Worship! We were special guests at Parklands Baptist Church. When I say special guest it is an experience that I am certain not one of us will forget. We took a tour of the Church earlier in the week and we were greeted with warmth and sincere affection. The Worship Pastor shared with us that their country believes a home with visitors is blessed. Today was no different in the warmth of the reception.

This is the day I have waited for all week. If you know me then you know I LOVE worship. I look forward to worshipping with every nation when that day comes and I anticipated this day to be a glimpse of that day. I woke up today with a very heavy heart. I have seen so much on this trip, things that will never be earased from my mind.  When you see such poverty it is heartbreaking.   

Before coming on this mission trip I was praying, studying scripture and listening to sermons daily. I knew God had prepared something very special for my spiritual life. What I discovered this morning is that I packed a few more bags than I realized to come to Kenya. As a matter of fact, I didn’t know I carried them with me until this morning.

During the first service I could not stopped crying, I had misplaced a Bible that did not belong to me and I was very upset with myself for doing that. During the first service worship music I could not open my mouth to sing.  All I could do was pray the words of each song. I was carrying so much with me this morning, the faces of the Mothers we had visited on our home visits. Mothers on the streets begging for money to feed their babies. We began our service with singing, "I'm trading my sorrows, I am trading my shame."  I was feeling so much shame, isn’t it just like God to do that? He heard my heart and was telling me to lay it down. Just in case I didn’t get that, we then sang I Surrender All.  Then the worship team sang the song in Swahili “Yote Kwa Yesu”  (I surrender all). This was the beginning of the Lord unpacking the rest of my baggage.

The service was truly an experience of what community looks like. We celebrated birthdays, weddings and condolences in deaths as a body. After worship the children were called to Sunday school and we prayed over them as a body before they left the sanctuary. The Missions Pastor came up and we prayed over the nations who do not proclaim Jesus as Lord. The Pastor spoke on Isaiah 55:1-13 and I am very thankful to know I can listen to that sermon again on line once we get home.

We  were served Kenyan Chai Tea and Mandazi (like a donut) then off to the youth service.  Pastor Jameson would be the guest speaker in this service. We started with worship once again. It was an amazing worship service! The words used to describe Church services today from our team were: Alive, long, firey, cleansing, amazing, lively, active, glorious, joyful, celebratory, igniting, soothing, worshipful and genuine.

We sang about letting the chains fall off: chains of unforgivness, chains of addiction, chains of all types of bondage. This is where God unpacked the rest of my bags.

God indeed had something for me on this trip, and I know in the days and weeks to come he will reveal more and more to each team member.

Baraka! (Blessings!)

Mary Norris 

Love you Mallory and Ridge!! (From Jameson)

Day #6

From Morgan Trendel:

Kwaheri, means goodbye which is what we said to all the kids today.

Knowing today would be goodbye was hard for me. When I came in 2013 I left my heart here. I knew the trip would come to an end which would be accompanied by a lot of tears. I knew that what we have accomplished here was a blessing to them. The number of tears were worth what an amazing impact we made on them for the many years to come. Now all we can do is cover all the children and Project Lucas workers in prayer.

Today we woke up and ate another delicious breakfast at the Heart House then we were on our way to the Giraffe Center. We thought we would get there around the same time as the kids, but here you're always on Kenya time. We ended up stopping at a mall near the Giraffe Center and still managed to be there about an hour before the kids. While we were waiting, the team fed the giraffes so that when the kids got there they would be our primary focus. Some team members placed the food between their lips so the giraffe would kiss them. Others were too grossed out to think about letting a big slobbery giraffe tongue lick their face.

After waiting patiently on the kids they finally arrived. We all went into a room where a worker told them about the giraffes and then they lined up to feed them. For some kids, it was their first time being there and others had been there before. It was amazing to see all their faces light up with smiles. The younger children were scared to let the giraffe take food from their hands and others didn't mind. I enjoy taking the kids to a place they may only be able to go to once in their life. It was truly something amazing to be a part of.

The few hours we spent with them feeding giraffes and listening to the workers flew by. Really every day here has flown by but today is one day you really wish would go slower. The original plan was to take them to the Giraffe Center, go to lunch, and then meet the kids back at the facility, but sadly that didn't work out. With the kids being late we had to say our goodbyes at the Giraffe Center.
It was difficult to say goodbye to them just because they were eating lunch and we couldn't really pick them up and play with them. Some of the older kids began to cry which really made me start to cry as well as some of the other team members. I was teary eyed almost the whole day just thinking about leaving. My little girl Ruth is really too young to fully understand what is going on. Which in some ways is good, but it also makes it hard.

After saying our goodbyes and after all the tears were shed we went to the Java House for lunch. Java House is a more Americanized restaurant in Kenya. It was great comfort food after a hard day. Some of us even had amazing dessert and when we got back to the Heart House we were all too full to even really think about eating dinner.

Goodbyes are never easy, but I know God will take care of them. A verse I have used since the last trip is John 14:18 "I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you." That just gives me comfort. It lets me know we may be leaving and it may be heartbreaking, but it brings me joy knowing God is taking care of them. When we fully trust in Him, He will provide.  That has been proven throughout my life, so I know He will provide for all these amazingly beautiful kids and the workers of Project Lucas.

Without goodbyes memories wouldn't exist and that is very true.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to McKenna! I hope you had a great day with the giraffes licking your face and enjoyed the children singing to you!

Love you Mallory and Ridge (from Jameson)!!

Day #6

From Zack Sanders:

Jambo!!! What a day we had! It was not as busy as the others leading up to today but a day full of relaxation and fun. As any other day would start we had breakfast at the Heart House. By now we are all used to getting up early to eat the most important meal of the day. And, like usual, when the bus rolls up it's time to go!!!

First stop on Day 5 would be The Village Market. Now what I had imagined the Village Market to be was something sort of like a flea market. I wasn't far off except for the fact that the vendors there would do anything to have you buy from them. These people seemed like they were crazy but as the day went on my original thought of crazy changed. We were told to go there and price different items in the morning, but when you tell the vendors, "Hey we're coming back later" and you tell them your name, THEY WILL remember it!!! So when our browsing time ended we got back on the bus and headed to Mitchell"s Tea Farm!


Everyone that had been to Kenya before had told me so much about it and how the tea there was absolutely amazing. I got to say it looked like everyone loved it. When you first enter the tea farm, you have this thing called "Tea Talk with Fiona" and it was really cool to see how tea was made. Now whenever I think of Tea I always think of my mom's sweet tea and, well, they didn't have that. So I had to do what anyone else would do and intervene to make my own style which I called African Sweet Tea (which was really sweet after I accidentally poured tons of sugar into my cup). After "Tea Talk with Fiona" and a small tour of the farm, it was time for lunch, tea farm style. And lunch...well don't get me started on how great it was and how I couldn't stop drinking the tea! Everyone was full after the meal and we were ready to hit the market again!

As soon as the bus parked, we all rushed out and were ready to shop. I had meet some people before and jokingly said, "I'll come see you when I get back!" As soon as I walked in someone grabbed my arm and said, "Hey Zachary, remember Me" and honestly I had forgot I told the guy I would be back. Now I was in for an experience I wouldn't forget. The downfall of this is that whenever some shouts your name everyone in the market knows it. As I walked through, vendors from all around the market were shouting my name and grabbing me left and right. I didn't know what to say or do. The first purchase I made wasn't the greatest as I got swindled; however, that was the last time it was going to happen. I was on a roll after that grabbing deals left and right until I had reached my limit. It looked like everyone was having fun too as the bus began to fill up with souvenirs.


At first I was scared of the vendors but after you get the hang of it you feel more comfortable and it all becomes easy to talk to them and buy from them. Now as I was buying stuff, I took a step back to watch what was going on. These vendors weren't scary people at all; they were desperate people and this was their job. If they didn't make any money they probably weren't able to support their family. I felt bad for these people and, yes, maybe they were making stories up to get you to buy from them but when you see desperation in someone's eyes, you know and can feel it's real. I had this one guy I had promised I would buy something from and I went over to him. When you look someone in the eye and tell them you will come back that's a promise here in Kenya. You better keep that promise too. That man taught me the most! I bought something little from him but he didn't talk to me like the rest. In fact, he told me his story and why he was working there. He didn't want me to buy anything,  he just wanted me to listen. Through that little talk I got a better understanding of the people here in Kenya. No one is desperate. They are all looking for hope. Some of them have found it in Christ and others are just running around trying to find it. The market reminded me of how we are in life as a Christian as I tried to keep my mind on that exact item I was looking for. The vendors were pulling me away and trying to get me to buy something else I didn't need. This compares to how it is in the life of a Christian: we try to focus all we can on Christ but distractions from all around can pull you away. We must stay on the path, which is keeping our focus on God.

As the day ended we headed out and, of course, it was dinner time when we arrived back at Heart House. As I look around after dinner, we all gathered to talk about how much fun today was. I can't stop thinking about the thought running through my mind. We were all called to come here for a reason and each one of us had obeyed that call. God is absolutely amazing and as the week comes to a close not only have we helped the community but the community has helped us! God has been the focus of this trip and He teaches all of us something new everyday. To God be the glory Amen.

Love you Mallory and Ridge!! (from Jameson)

Day #5

From Kody Freitas:

Jambo! Hello! Today we went to Sylvester's church. He showed us around the whole entire church. The church they are in now was donated to them by the previous president and it has about 10 acres of land. The church itself has about 7,000 members with most of the members being college students. Parklands Baptist is one of the most successful in the country. We met their amazing staff that is so faithful to God. Their Senior Pastor Ambrose was so loving to our team when we walked in.

After Sylvester showed us around we went to the new facility that we are fixing up for Project Lucas. When we started to work we split our team into two groups; half of the team stayed back to finish painting, the other half went around the neighborhood meeting some of the families. On the front gate, Amy painted the Project Lucas logo. It is by far the best painting of it. Then the team split up again; half stayed back and the other half went to the FOCUS center to have some fun with the kids. 

From Meredith Trendel:

I was blessed to be a part of a team that got to go into people's homes and visit with some of the parent's of the children.  I should rephrase that and say parent.  My comfort zone would have been to stay back and work to accomplish helping to have the facility prepared for the future children that will be blessed by Project Lucas and their staff.  It was a very humbling experience.  We were able to visit three different homes.  One thing they all have in common is that they are all struggling to support their children.  What I discovered is that as we thought we were going to bless them, God had a plan for us to be blessed!!!  

We met with three different mothers and we asked each one of them how we could pray for them and what their needs were.  All of them asked for blankets, a mattress and mosquito nets to protect their children from the disease that sometimes comes with this season of rain and cooler weather and mosquitoes.  When is the last time you asked for a blanket or a mattress so your child could be warm and be able to have a little comfort while they are resting?  For me, it has been never!  One mom in particular really touched me because as we shared with her how much more God cares for her and her children than we ever could she said she knew that.  She said she was so thankful for clothes that have been given by Project Lucas and food that has been able to be shared by her family.  She asked us to pray for strength for her as she tried to find a way to provide for her children the food that they need every day and that God is the only one that can take care of her children.  She said even if I am holding their hand God is truly the only Protector that they ahve.  

There was another mom that has three children but has sent all but one of them to live somewhere else because she couldn't care for them all.  She asked for strength for her child because he is stressed to try to take care of her.  Another, her son had just been "kicked out" of high school because she couldn't pay the fees.  All they want is education and a better chance for their children.  The same that you and I want for our families, but without the resources we have available to us to help provide that better future for our children that we so desperately want.  

So as Jesus said in Matthew 25, when I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me....  We really did serve the least of these today and Project Lucas serves them daily!  And these families welcomed us to their homes as strangers.  I even made a comment about how beautiful (what we may think was a curtain) a divider was that was only covering the bed they use (in the same room).  The mother said to me "I can give it to you"  WHAT??????  Someone that sleeps, eats, sits, invites others in a room that may be 8X10 (and that is probably a stretch) offered to give ME one of her few possessions.  I thought we were being the hands and feet of Jesus, boy was she Jesus to us!!!!  

As you read these blogs I hope that you can see that in an area that is filled with sickness and poverty they still find joy.  The joy that has been brought to them by people coming to share with them love, just the love of Jesus that we are all called to do.  What can you do if you don't get the opportunity to visit a beautiful place like this?  Pray!!  Pray for Monica, Catherine, and Elizabeth who want a better future for their family.  Pray for Project Lucas as they witness and minister to these families each and every day in this country.  Pray for God to reveal to you what you may be able to do to support the growth of this ministry as they share the love of Christ daily!!!!

I love you Mallory and Ridge! (from Jameson)

Day #4

Hello from Kenya! Today the blog is brought to you by Amy Austin and right now I'm sitting in the dining room at Heart Lodge, while Jameson, Nick and all the students sit with me playing "Straws." What is Straws, you ask?  Well, you see, when you're in Kenya, you sometimes have to adapt American traditions or games to fit the resources available to you. Back at home, this game is called Spoons. :) Here, we have to be respectful and use straws. Let me just tell you, it is quite entertaining...and a little distracting when you're supposed to be writing a blog about how our day has gone. But you know, this is part of it.

When we leave every morning to either work on the new property that will house Project Lucas, or spend treasured time with the children that we have come to love deeply, you need a little downtime. For most of us, this isn't our first trip to Kenya. Even though we have seen the circumstances that surround these children's lives, it still hits us all pretty hard.  It's hard emotionally. I hurt for them, wanting to take care of them and make all the extreme hardships disappear. I can't, though. I can't make bad things stop happening. I can't make sure that their little bellies are filled with nutritious food three times a day. I can't make sure they have a safe home to go to. I can't do a lot of things that I wish I could. Do you know what I can do? I can love them. I can make sure that when they are with me, they are loved so deeply and completely. I can make sure that I can do my part to ensure they have a safe place to come to morning and afternoon.

A place like the new property that will house Project Lucas. That's what we did today, ensured that the place they will spend so much time at will be clean and safe. The team worked so hard in the hot African sun. Sweeping out endless dust, washing out rooms, painting beams, gates and doors, digging out ditches, laying cement drain pipes and so much more. These things that seem so minute are not. They are huge. The kids in the program will benefit from it, along with the community. We are so excited about the possibilities this holds. The surrounding community is very poor so this is going to open so many doors!

So, when we end our nights playing Spoons, we are not forgetting the work we did today, or the children that we said goodbye to just a few hours ago. We are processing what it all means so that tomorrow, when we wake up to do it all over again, we're prepared for it. We aren't communicating to these beautiful Kenyan people that we pity them and the way they live. We want to communicate we are all human and in need of love, from each other and from God.

Love you Mallory and Ridge (it's Jameson)

Jameson & Amy

Day 3

Well today started with another wonderful breakfast here at Heart House. Then we packed up and headed to the NEW Project Lucas facility. Scott and Alisa told us it was going to be a day of work and they did not let us down!

This new facility has about 25 rooms along two corridors. The first corridor (shown above) is where a lot of the rooms are located. This is what it looked like when we got there today. Each room had not been cleaned in over 5 years because the property has remained empty for that long. There had been chickens nesting in the rooms and all sorts of other "things" we had to clean out of them. So, when we got there, we got right to work. We swept out the rooms (floor and ceiling), brushed the bottom of the walls (where it's black) with steel brushes, and cleaned out the bird nests from above the doors. 

After this, we came to a point where we had to wait. 

We were on Kenya time which means that it comes when it comes. And when they tell you, "We are just around the corner", you can expect to see them in about 30 minutes. Scott had bought a new water tank to put above the well they have but we needed a steel frame built. He ordered it at 7:30am and it was done at 11:30am but then we had to carry it back to the facility.

Once we arrived back we had to wait on wood to come, the water truck to deliver the water, and two smaller tanks to come. The water truck was "just around the corner" which meant we had time to get and cut the wood. Once that was done, we put the water tank on top of the frame and then the water truck arrived. We began to fill the large tank. When that was done, we moved to the rooms and used the small fire hose to wash and spray out every room with a jet of water. After that, we began to wash the walls, the floors, and then squeegee out the rooms. We got about 5 done completely before we had to call it a day and head back to Heart House.

We ate dinner and then spent time hanging out telling ALL kinds of stories! After dinner though, was the thing that impacted me most today. We were in our nightly meeting and we sang a worship song. Amy chose "Oceans" by Hillsong United and the words just hit me differently than they ever have in the past. Here are some of them:

You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may failAnd there I find You in the mysteryIn oceans deepMy faith will stand

Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and You won't start now

So I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

The whole thing with this new facility is the leap of faith that Scott and Alisa are taking. This is a jump as they venture out on their own and start a new journey with Project Lucas. They did this because God was leading them. They aren't exactly sure why even to this day but they are being obedient and faithful. This song sums up why we are here. We are here not to be comfortable or common. We are here not to fulfill the status quo or earn a mission trip badge. We are here to pursue the mystery that God is leading them to. We are here to call upon the name of the Lord and rest in His embrace because there is no place sweeter! We are His and He is ours! I don't know about you, but that excites me for eternity to know that I have a God who won't fail me even if my strength fails and even if fear surrounds me. Honestly, that's just human. It's not divine. And my God works in divine ways. 

I love Scott and Alisa's heart and their passion to pursue what God has called them to here in Kenya. This is my fourth trip with them and I pray to God it's not my last! They are obedient even in uncertainty because they want nothing to do with anything less. His sovereign hand will be our guide! Praise God for His favor and His sovereignty! 

Love you Mallory and Ridge!

Jameson

Day 2: FOCUS Kids

Good evening everyone! It's 8:18 here in Nairobi. Today was our first day of ministry and it was amazing! Here's the story and the scoop...

We started the day off with breakfast at 7:45am. We had the normal spread of food here at Heart House: Crepes, bacon, eggs, chocolate filled croissants, cereal, fresh fruit, juices and milk. It was good to get a night of sleep last night after a long day and a half of travel. When we were done, we got ready and loaded the bus. After a 15 minute drive, we were pulling into FOCUS!

It's hard to describe the feeling when you pull up to the center. When a big bus full of Mzungus (white people) pull up, the kids come running with open arms and open hearts. These kids come from all kinds of backgrounds but the one common theme is they are missing one or both parents to HIV/AIDS. These kids now live with the remaining parent or aunts/uncles or grandparents. Sometimes they are the 5th child and get the last of what the family has to offer. These kids are desiring love and affection and that is the attitude they come running up to the bus with. The sparkle you see in their eyes is worth more than a thousand words! Even though this is my 4th time coming to Kenya to see these exact kids, it still hits you right in the heart and the head. Unless you have experienced this, you just can't "get" it. 

When the kids find you, they are by your side the rest of the trip. You have made a new friend! Today I was latched by my wife and I's sponsor child Yvonne. I have always said this but it's more of a reality when you are here and get to see it. There's something about sponsoring a child and then getting to see them and hang out with them. It means SO much. I would challenge anybody who sponsors a child anywhere to try to go and see them. The bond deepens just by spending time with each other. 

We played with the kids and hung out for a couple of hours this morning. Then we started our team's "fun day". It started with a Bible story (Daniel and the Lion's Den).

The team acted it out and went through the whole story. After the story time, we did crafts with the kids and played games with them. The crafts consisted of making lion masks and the games consisted of relays and Red Lion. The kids really enjoyed this time. 

Then we took the kids to eat at a Kenyan restaurant. We usually do this with the FOCUS workers but this time we took the kids with us. It was a great experience. The kids walked by us with plates FULL of food. I wondered how they could put away that much food but they can eat. It was incredible but also eye opening when you think about how this is probably the best meal they have had in about 6-8 months or in a couple of years. For us in America, we would eat a meal like this every week or two. We take advantage of our livelihood way to much. 

After the lunch, we we went back to FOCUS and hung out with the kids for another couple of hours. The kids decided to catch a chicken that they have on property and run around with it. Well, when they did, they decided to target a couple of our team members. I haven't laughed that hard in a very long time. To see the terror on their faces was hilarious. The kids thought it was hilarious too! Some of the women in our group also helped prepare dinner for the kids. Let's just say, cooking in Kenya is vastly different than in the US!

Then we headed to the NEW Project Lucas facility! This was a new acquisition last week and a blessing for Project Lucas (as well as a step of faith). We toured the facility and while walking around, we prayed for it and every room and all that would be accomplished there. So excited to be working here and doing all that we can to get it ready for operation in the beginning of May. 

We then came back to Heart House and had dinner. Then we showered and cleaned up and had a short team meeting. Now we are playing games and decompressing. Shortly it will be bed time! See you all tomorrow!

Love you Mallory and Ridge!!

Jameson