Music Appreciation 101

Music is something I can either go a really long time without getting into or something that spurs me on to play a D.J. in the car jamming to tunes that make me believe that I truly have a voice like the late great Whitney Houston. (I do not. I really probably sound more like a cross between William Hung … Read More

Unnoticed Color in the Gray Areas

Driving home from work on this dreary evening, I had an epiphany. It was quite difficult to see because everything seemed to blended in varying colors of gray- from the road to the sky with the mask of the steady heavy rain-it looked to be a desaturated moving picture. My mind wandered to some of the PhotoShop tricks I have … Read More

Upside Down Worlds – Part 9: Conclusion

CONCLUSION I recently was talking with one of the pastors of our church. We were discussing the desperate needs of many people in Africa. He reminded me that while you can’t change the world, you can change a village. What truth. We have the opportunity to change our world through the power of Christ one village at a time. When … Read More

Upside Down Worlds – Part 8: Worship

WORSHIP I have always been moved by the lyrics of The Newsboys’ song, “He Reigns.” It’s been an honor to travel to some of the global spots they refer to in this song. Check out the anthem that they sing… It’s the song of the redeemed Rising from the African plain It’s the song of the forgiven Drowning out the … Read More

Upside Down Worlds – Part 7: Faith

FAITH Faith. I was severely lacking in it. We have been through such a roller coaster this past year with David losing his job, various sicknesses, and a wreck that totaled David’s car to top it off, that I was truly wondering HOW we were going to make it financially. I needed to go to Kenya so that I could … Read More

Upside Down Worlds – Part 6: Discipleship

DISCIPLESHIP I was very impressed with the men I met at the first church building site in Chavakali. They were dressed their best in suits and had come to check out the new construction. They were both key leaders in the regional Baptist convention. I got into a conversation with them about how people from home could help the most. … Read More

Upside Down Worlds – Part 5: Family

FAMILY I have always believed that God is colorblind. I had never seen it more beautifully displayed than in the welcome hearts of the Kenyan pastors with whom we worked. Never will I forget the message of thanks Pastor Washington shared in the first church building that was completed on our trip. He said that he wanted no confusion to … Read More

Upside Down Worlds – Part 4: Listening to the Locals

LISTENING TO THE LOCALS While staying with the Muttais in Kitale, we had an awesome cross-cultural experience. It wasn’t an earth shattering experience like participating in some tribal ritual or something. It was just a conversation on the graduate bench at Legacy Service Station with a local man named Joe. We sat there for a few minutes sipping on our … Read More

Upside Down Worlds – Part 3: The Importance of Education

It’s a shame that I graduated from college nearly five years ago, yet I took the fact that it was a right for me to be educated for granted. I think a lot of western students do the same. I had heard the statistics before that if you were in college, you were part of the 1% or 2% of … Read More

Through the Rain Speckled Windshield

I’ve seen a lot of interesting things in the parking lot of our local movie theater…teenie boppers lined up for the Jonas Brothers Movie, the Oscar Meyer Weiner mobile, multitudes of refillable popcorn buckets…But tonight, I saw the God’s promise. I was in the middle of pouring out my heart to my husband about how 10 years ago at a youth retreat, we had … Read More