Contributed by Emily Smith. Photos courtesy of Team Kenya. "Not I, nor anyone else can travel that road for you. [. . .] It is not far. It is within reach. Perhaps you have been on it since you were born, and did not know. Perhaps it is everywhere -- on water and land." - Walt Whitman This Friday, our latest Vision Trip team departs for Kenya! Though they didn't know their destination until conference, God has been quietly drawing each member toward this trip over the past year. Whether through church events, individual connections, or even a pie in the face, God led each of these eight Child Ambassadors to connect 40 children to sponsors this year alone. The travelers shared their stories with me this week as they prepared for takeoff. Check out their stories below, and please pray with them (and their fearless leader Megan) as they connect with Kenyan family and encounter World Vision's work firsthand.
Most of my sponsorships this year came from sharing one-on-one or in small groups about my Vision Trip to Bangladesh. Speaking out on behalf of the women and children I met during that trip made sharing easier and more urgent. Seeing the field turned everything I knew about World Vision’s work from black and white to living color. I cannot wait to tell these new stories. How can we pray for you during the trip and after your return? I am not heading into the trip 100% healthy, so I appreciate prayers for the whole team to be protected from illness. Please pray for my kids and family, and pray that God will use this trip to continue to break my heart towards those in need.
Africa has always been on my heart, which is why I feel so passionate about hosting a 6K for Water each year. To see the work of World Vision and the projects around water is a dream come true. Clean water and food is something so basic that we take for granted every day, and I believe this trip will forever change my life. How can we pray for you during the trip and after your return? Pray that I’d be very present while in country — that I’d be able to listen and process what I’m experiencing to bring back and to be effective in sharing stories. Pray for our health and safety and for our families back home. Heather Maher Tell us about your journey toward Kenya this year. How did God provide sponsorships? Has he been laying this country in particular on your heart? When I became a Child Ambassador four years ago, I never dreamed I’d be going on a Vision Trip. I remember thinking to myself, “Ha! Like THAT will ever happen!” I imagine God smiling at me when I had that thought. “Oh, Heather,” I can just hear Him saying, “When will you learn not to put limits on what I can do?” During the summer, God gave me this crazy idea to launch the #piedforkidschallenge, an Internet challenge that shared sponsorship and awareness of deep poverty. As the video gained over 27,000 views, I watched with joy and amazement as fellow CAs, friends, and family took part. My journey toward Kenya this year really began with a prayer I prayed right before the launch of that challenge. Up until that point, I wasn’t very active as a Child Ambassador. But following the nudge on my heart, I prayed, “God, if this is where you want me to be now, then I’m all in.” I am humbled to be part of all this. God, to You be all the praise, honor, and glory. May I never again put limits on what You can do. How can we pray for you during the trip and after your return? Please pray for my young children (ages 5 and 2.5), my husband, my mom, and mother-in-law while I am traveling. Pray for my heart, too, that I’ll be present, and for the safety of our team. Pray that God will give us wisdom and courage to tell the stories of the people we meet in Kenya.
I can't wait to shine the light of Jesus everywhere — from the airport, to the plane flights, to the hotels, and especially to the children and families we get to meet! World Vision is such an extraordinary organization for Jesus, and I feel so blessed to be a part of it! How can we pray for you during the trip and after your return? You could pray for health and safety for the team and all of the family / friends at home, as well as peace for our families. Help them to know that we are good and not to worry. God is with us and will protect us all. Jim Naugle Tell us about your journey toward Kenya this year. How did God provide sponsorships? Has he been laying this country in particular on your heart? My sponsorships mainly occurred at a local church's Social Justice Day. The Lord moved hearts that day, and 20 children from Bangladesh were sponsored. It was truly an unexpected gift from God. Now, Kenya has been taking much of my focus. My wife and I watched a video of Kari Costanza living with a family in Turkana — you can really sense the poverty, the hunger, and the quiet desperation in the video. I feel blessed that we will have an opportunity to be among the people of Turkana and learn from their struggles. How can we pray for you during the trip and after your return? I would ask for prayers for my wife Jean and our youngest daughter Rachel; they are flying to Kenya at the end of the Vision Trip. From there we will travel to Ethiopia to visit Gizachew, the first child we ever sponsored through World Vision. He is now 21 years old, and my kids grew up with him. I expect an emotional visit as we get to know Gizachew and his family. I also pray that our whole team can be present to the people we meet, to really hear their stories and to be accurate and passionate as we bring their stories home with us.
How can we pray for you during the trip and after your return? Please pray the verse 2 Timothy 1:7: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (NKJV). I want to remember every detail and allow God to work through me to retell the stories of hardship and hope. Our Global 6K is just two weeks after Kenya. I pray that God will move people to sign up in great numbers for our event — thereby providing clean water to children! I pray that He will use this trip to motivate our community. And I would love prayer for peace for our busy family of six. (Three of our kids have prom while I'm gone.) I am asking God for health and safety here and in Kenya and for Him to show us how to carry Kenya’s message forward upon returning.
How can we pray for you during the trip and after your return? It's always hard to leave home, especially for twelve days! Please pray for my husband and four sons. My sons aren't little anymore, so they don't depend on me as much, but I pray that they would make good decisions and be safe. Please pray for our team’s health and safety. Also, pray that God will prepare our hearts and eyes for what we will see. Pray that we can be sources of encouragement and that we will point people to Jesus so that God gets all the glory for these communities’ transformation. May we be open to God's will on the journey! Celeste Sherman Celeste qualified for the trip to Kenya but was unable to attend. She shared her story of how she sees God's hand in the disappointment and how she has become the team's prayer warrior.
Last February, I went on the Vision Trip to Bangladesh. It changed me as a human being, a Child Ambassador, and a child of God. After I returned, I felt no need to go on a Vision Trip again. But the sponsorships kept rolling in. I had some concerns about getting the time off from work, but my husband Stu said, “If God wants you to go, He will provide the way.” So when our dates were set, I approached the HR department with my request. It seemed reasonable. Four of my personal days and two unpaid days. They said no. So we prayed. The Kenya team prayed. I set up a meeting to explain in person. They still said no. I was crushed. I texted Stu. His response: “Time for plan B.” “What’s plan B?” I asked. “Accept it, and move on.” Not the answer I was expecting. Wasn’t he the one who said that the Lord would provide the way? Not exactly. You see, I forgot that if the Lord wanted me to go, He’d provide the way. I have no idea why I’m not supposed to be on this trip. Whatever the reason, His ways are higher than my ways. “Here I am, Lord. Send me . . . or don’t send me.” Now I get to be on a virtual Vision Trip, praying for the team at home. How amazing is that? I’m so excited for what God has for these Child Ambassadors. Praise God that He guides and directs our steps. [Insert Your Name Here] That's right — over the coming week, you'll be a part of Team Kenya as well! We need you to join us in prayer. Not only can you lift up the requests above, but you can also check the CA Facebook group for a daily request we can pray together. This week, may God lead our dear travelers in the connections they make and the stories they carry home — to bring Kenya within reach. |
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