God guided every part of me going on this trip to Africa. Everything from my summer school starting no later than a day after I got back to the fact that our entire group never got in one quarrel. Not to mention I didn't even bump my head once! After some experiences I have had on mission trips, this was such a blessing. I will never be the same because of my trip to Kenya. One day we visited an orphanage that took in kids that are anywhere from newborns to three years old. While we were there it was hard to grasp the fact that they had no parents. I'm so used to seeing babies with the parents running behind them. It wasn't until I came home and read this verse that it really hit me:
Ecclesiastes 4:1
Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the
sun: I saw the tears of the oppressed- and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors- and they have no comforter.
So many nights I see the faces of those oppressed orphans and wish there was something I could do. I have been praying that someday there will be. While we were there Leah and I took many pictures and video. She really did a great job and I'm very thankful she was there to help me. I couldn't have done it without her. I'm very excited about the opportunities that God provided me with. I talked to Bob and Ann, the leaders of Bridges International, and figured out they had been looking for somebody to help them with the website. Again, God had a strong hand here. I agreed to help without hesitation. I have been working on a site for them with the pictures we took there. I'll also be making a video to show at church and put on the website I'm making. Please pray for me as I try to balance school, work, and my involvement with these amazing people. I hope to have the video done sometime in August.
When I got to my dorm at West Texas A&M my parents were trying to make me comfortable (after all, I had just flown in from Africa). I tried to explain to them that I was thankful just to have a bed to sleep in and a pillow to lay my head on. I realized how many creature comforts I really do have. The beautiful thing is that, despite having very different daily routines, the Kenyans are the kindest people I've ever met. The collectivistic culture completely captivated me as it harshly contrasted with our culture. I've had trouble adjusting back to America. All I can do is pray that God will send me back to Kenya some day.
Joseph McWilliams
Monday, November 10, 2008
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