Gratitude

Today we got to go to church!! God's people are truly everywhere and it is always such a beautiful blessing to be around brothers and sisters in Christ in a foreign land. I am so overwhelmed at their joy and gratefulness for God's provisions.

The church we went to was in the slums near Bondini. It was like a tin hay barn but it was unique from the buildings around it because it had a concrete floor, tile stage, and electricity. They even had a yard for the children to play in!

We were so warmly welcomed in! Every person I saw gave me a hug and said karibu sana (you are very welcome here). A lot of babies were passed to our team :) (free childcare I guess hehe)

The thing that I was most excited for was the worship. And it did not disappoint! Shouts of praise and joy echoed through the alleys of the entire community!

Some of the songs were in English, some were in Swahili, and one I'm pretty sure was a mix. We even sang Goodness of God! The worship team encouraged us to dance and shout and give God the glory He deserves!

I was overwhelmed with emotion. These people have so much joy. They thanked God for everything they have and how He provides for them. And it was so genuine! I also just love praising God with a bunch of people. :) Vuvuzelas, drums, a piano, and 40 people's voices, ugh such a beautiful sound — listen for yourself!!

There was also a time for testimonies and people shared stories of healing and lost family members coming back to Christ and to their homes. One gentleman talked about how it tells us in the scriptures that every knee will bow before God.

The knees of illness.

The knees of oppression.

The knees of every trial and trouble.

Because our God is bigger and stronger than all of those and loves us so much.

The head pastor then preached through the second half of Ephesians 1. This passage talks about Paul's prayers for the church in Ephasus. He preached straight from the scriptures and there were two pastors who spoke in English and Swahili.

At the very end of the service, we all stepped outside the building to pray over the land next to the church. They have been praying for the ability to expand for years, and the plot next door was recently marked for demolition. The owner said that he would sell to the church a while ago, but when it got marked, he said that the land was theirs! Praise be to God! He asked that our church pray for this new land, that everything would go well, and that God would bless the construction of the new place.

Words really cannot describe the scene at church today. You could feel the gratitude of the people and the presence of the Holy Spirit. One of the things that I love about missions is the instant connection. I felt right at home (in a way). We were talking about the same Apostle Paul's letter to the Ephesians and the same Jesus Christ. We praise the same God for His kindness and generosity towards us. The same God loves all of us.

At the same time, their method of praise reflected their culture. The fragments of God's character that shine brightest in Kenya were lit up so bright in that building today.

Blessings,

Shawna