Variety is the Spice of Life

It's amazing to me how so many different individuals came together for God's purpose in Kenya.  Our mission team consisted of medical/dental personell and service personnel. It consisted of men and women. It consisted of 20 something, 30 something, 40 something. It consisted of Anderson campus, Florence campus and Charleston campus.

Yet, to serve, we served as one. Our leader, David Nimmons, referenced 1 Corinthians 12-30:

12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues[d]? Do all interpret? 31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.

And so within the body of Christ, we had our hands and feet and eyes and ears, yet we all came together. Diversity became commonality, a shared purpose. It was fascinating to see and be a part of.

Jane was a member of our teaching team, yet she spent a morning moving rocks and helping with the water tank project up by the school building. That's where she was needed.  Andy, the campus pastor at Charleston, spent time at the dental clinic disinfecting instruments, yet he was part of the construction team. We moved where the body needed us.

What conclusion can I draw from this? That we all have a purpose in God's kingdom. That purpose may change as the body's needs change. That doesn't make us any more or less valuable because the body needs all of its parts.

No Rules, Just Right: Kenya

One thing I noticed while I was in Kenya was when the kids were coloring, both the big kids and the little kids: they used alot of color. They were not confined by the lines on the coloring page we gave them. They stayed within the lines, but used many colors within a specific area on the coloring page. It was fascinating. American children would color an arm flesh colored, or a skirt one solid color, but Kenyan children will use the colors they have and create a multi-colored arm or skirt.
This color came out in their cultural dress as well as their daily wear. It was joyful to see the beaded bands around the womens' necks that they had made with so many different colors of beads. Row upon row of color.  Their garments were colorful. No rules. Base clothes with tied on yards of fabric all in colors.
The dancing was joyful and the colors with the dancing were even more joyful.
It was amazing to me out of a life so uncolorful how so much brightness could come out. I was fascinated. The landscape where we were was dirt, dotted bushes, few trees...alot of brown, but not the people! Their smiling faces were accentuated with color.
I love color. Color makes me happy, too. Maybe we should all add more color in our lives!

What CAn I Tell You About Africa?

What can I begin to say about my experience in Africa except that the Holy Spirit revealed himself in so many ways. I was enveloped, surrounded, on fire! He was so evident in everything that happened. I find it hard to express in words his wonders. I experienced the fruit of the spirit: Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)


22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

The most evident I can share was when I was starting with motion sickness really badly on our bumpy, jostling bus ride our last day out to work. I said, "Holy Spirit please take this motion sickness from me," and it was gone. LIKE THAT! And I get motion sickness just thinking about a wild ride! So I also had the start of a whopper of a migraine. I could feel it coming. I was so amazed I said, "Can you take my migraine, too."  It was taken.

It's just so hard to write about the greatness, the omnipotence, the sheer envelopment during my time in Africa. It's amazing what you can hear and experience with God when all life's distractions are missing.

I have more to share, but that is the start of my writings about this great, life altering experience from which I will never be the same as I was! How could I be?

Oysterz - Boone Hall Plantation Oyster Festival 2011

Recently, Becky, Jesse, Caitee and I went to the Boone Hall Plantation Oyster Festival put on by the Charleston Restaurant Association. Oyster buckets were $10!!! OMG, they were so good! We sat in the sun, ate seafood, drank some beer and listened to music. All in all, a great time was had by all!!!

Digital Expression

I finally had a chance to do some digital scrapping. Lately, I've been so into my Kenya trip, that all I did was fundraise and make things for my Etsy shop and orders. Make things for scrapbook classes I was teaching.  I didn't have much time for self-expression! Plus, I've been printing out all the blog entries about my fundraising to go in my Kenya album. That has been paper scrapping for the time being, which I have found frustrating somewhat as I can't do all the things that I can do digitally.

I've missed my digital world! And photographing things for my Etsy shop, got me excited about photographing what's out in the world and so these photos are from that inspiration.

I'm caught between a rock and a hard place right now...sort of...I love glue and inks and the tactile feel of scrapbooking, but I adore the results of my digital scrapbooking and the challenges of getting done what I want.  I should do hybrid, but at the moment, my color printer is out of ink...a paltry excuse, but the only one I have. Plus the printer has not been hooked up correctly as in it got knocked off the network. That is fixed (by me!!!). Now I just need to put it back in it's spot in the cabinet.

I digress. I did find a huge box of embellishments the other night. Quite a nice surprise! Left over from my move from the bonus room to my new scraproom/office. It might help if I unpack the rest of my stuff! All things in due time.

Such are my scrapping ramblings for today...

We did it and thank you!

Simply said, "We did it!"
$3,500 raised for Kenya. But those words don't show all the love and support that went with it. I'm amazed. I'm grateful. I'm blessed. I'm loved. I'm inspired. I'm going to Kenya because every single person that helped me took the time to say,"I believe in what you are doing," and wrote a check. Large or small, they all contributed to my journey.

A journey that God had ordained before I started. Last week, our pastor, Perry Noble, said that if you are meant to go to Kenya, God will provie the funds. God provided. The Holy Spirit worked in many and the list of supporters is long and lovely!

And so I am going to Kenya with a list of people in my pocket who made this dream come true. I have always wanted to be in the mission field. Kenya was the mission that spoke to me. I don't believe in going small, and I believe in going where it is a challenge...out of my comfort zone. Because as Christians, comfort equals complacency, and I never want to be complacent in my relationship and life with Christ.

I am no one special. There is nothing unique about me to set me apart from every one I know. But, I do know I was chosen to go on this mission, that I must go on this mission, and that work will be done through me and in me on this mission.

It's rather exciting. I'm giddy. I'm elated. I'm serving God on this planet! Through Him, I am serving others! My brothers and sisters in the far off land of Kenya.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think my desire to serve on a mission would take me to Kenya. Honestly, I started this fundraising with a bit of trepidation. My human weakness. Can I really raise all this money? Does God really want me to go? He keeps telling me He does.

And so it is with a full heart, that I thank each and every person who is supporting me financially and with prayer. Your gift has made it possible for me to fulfill a dream!

Nairobi or Bust Facts

I am going to the Segera region of Kenya, which is north of Nairobi. This is the area where I will be serving on the medical/dental mission! Since, 2009 NewSpring has sent 241 people over 9 trips to serve with the 410Bridge on medical and construction missions .  Do you know that they built a water system at Black Tank and it services over 4,000 people? Two kitchens were built in schools by those serving from New Spring. It might not seem like alot, but it sure does to me because imagine not having running water? Or going to school and there is no kitchen at your school. Imagine no medical care because you are in a remote area and too poor to get it. It just seems like a good thing for me to do to go to the Segera region and serve. I have to go. I was called by the Holy Spirit to do so. And He is providing in an amazing way!

As of today I have 10 more days to finish raising my funds. This morning I said I had $598 to go and a dear AOII and friend, Beth Walsh, took me right to $500. Yes, that happened! And then I sold one of my crosses this morning! I'm at $490! Amazing to me. But then Pastor Perry said if you are meant to go, the funds will be provided. And so they are.
Mind you, I have been fervently working towards this goal of $3,500, which I originally thought in my  human way to be insurmountable. How silly I was. The first donation paid my initial deposit and took me $100 into my goal. It has been a whirlwind of donations since that time. Steady. I can't take a single bit of credit. I know where they came from. Not from me or my asking, but the spirit moving within people to accomplish this goal.
Do you feel used? Ah, used by the Spirit. What an honor. And I thank each and every one of you!