December & January Update

S. Sudan Trip

Neil and I had the privilege to travel to S. Sudan for 10 days and see all the work that God is doing through our team there. We heard story after story of the impact teammates have had on the community.

One of the main purposes for me joining on this trip was to be able to capture footage of the women's discipleship that our team has done for many, many years. As the culture there is very much gender divided, Neil on his previous trips had never been able to film what I was able to capture. This time with the women's bible study was incredibly inspiring. Their hunger for God's word speaks volumes about how much God is at work in this community of women. After we finished the bible study we were invited for tea, followed by coffee, and then enjoyed traditional Sudanese dishes. All the while these women were huddled around their bible continuing to ask questions and sing hymns of praise. This time in S. Sudan was such a blessing to me as I was able to quietly reflect each day on what I was seeing and I was so moved and impacted by the communities absolute desire to see God change their lives.

CHRISTMAS IN KENYA

This was my first real experience having a warm snowless Christmas, and it was really special. All of the families here welcomed me in to join them in their family traditions. I spent Christmas Eve with my colleague Neil and his family who have quickly become close friends. I learned how to make tamales, which is their tradition and we took a drive through the Nairobi National park after the kids nap time. For Christmas, I was able to join the Wilson family for the day and enjoy delicious food, games and working on a puzzle.  I went camping with Neil and his family for a few days and spent New Years in the Masai Mara with a friend of mine who is another single lady serving with SIM. The holiday season was very different from my usual time with family, but I was overwhelmed by the loving community I have been so blessed to be part of here in Kenya.