Stretching My Envelope

The Lord will keep you from all harm - He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and for ever more. Psalm 121:7-8

God is stretching my envelope a little each day. Today Amber and I were scheduled to do home visits to clients who were positive. We met and the social worker we would be with at the clinic. I am a pretty calm person, but new experiences in another culture can test my belief in Psalm 121. My biggest concern was the matatu (small bus) ride as I remembered Nikki's friend Juliet who had lost 10 family members in a matatu accident in Zimbabwe. The Lord did watch over us and I was richly blessed by my experience. All the clients we visited were women with deep faith. They shared their faith with us, which was a real blessing.  I wish every person from Tree of Live's faith community could've sat on my shoulder as we visited the HIV-positive women today. Words cannot express the difference you are making in their lives. I wish everyone from my church family could've been sitting on my shoulder today so they could see what a difference a faith community can make. One woman shared how testing positive had brought her closer to God and how supportive her church family had been. I am so grateful to Ann and the community worker who led us around as they are the hands and feet of Christ in the world. I was humbled and honored to walk with them.

I Am Not a Surgeon

My only picture from my day in surgery.  The other were over written.

Last night after devotions we got our assignments for the first day. I waited eagerly to hear what I would be doing. I was one of the last and I would be observing surgery. Of all the assignments that was the one I feared most. Could I do it? If I pass out when my child vomits what would I do in surgery? Then I remembered I had watched my own knee surgery, maybe I could do this. No matter what I was feeling I would not ask for a new assignment. The first surgery was a skin graft for Hannah who had a severe burn on her upper arm and breast. My heart went out to her, I felt so bad for her having heard how painful burns are. The surgeon Dr. James was looking at it from a different perspective, he was going to have her better in time for her upcoming wedding. I wrestle with being in surgery today. I have no medical skill, what could my presence offer? I prayed. Maybe I need to further redeemed my faith so I will believe in the power and value of prayer. This experience will take some more processing.

Overwhelmed Night One

Sister Phoebe greeted each of us at the airport with a bouquet of beautiful flowers. A piece of the puzzle. 

Somehow in my heart when I see something that is a piece of the puzzle I know it even if I don't know what it means. 

As I lay in bed last night the guilt of being in such a nice place melted away and my heart was filled with gratitude for how much God loves me. 

Of course all your life people tell you Jesus loves you but last night I knew in a way I have never known before. I was also filled with gratitude for a husband who willingly and lovingly encouraged me to go. 

What a blessing for me as a child of God and what a blessing for me as a mom to share this experience with my daughter.

What Do I Have to Offer?

Lord you have brought me to a safe place with loving people. The connection with Liza, sharing our stories another piece of the puzzle.


I wanted to see the hospital today but walking through with a group of white Americans made me feel uncomfortable. I tried to understand what it might be like if I was an African sick and not feeling well or a parent worried about my child. It reminded me of the discomfort I felt when we visited a man dying of cancer at a hospital in downtown Nairobi. Although Wellingtone shared how much it meant to have Americans visit and pray for him it is a concept that I can't fully comprehend. I think if I had medical skills and something to offer I would feel very different. But what do I have? Who am I? Is my personhood enough? Is another's personhood enough for me or do I always need something?


The lights just went off so I thought maybe God was saying that is enough reflection for your soul right now. So God what does it mean that they went back on before I finished my sentence?

A Journey To Heal My Faith and Restore My Soul

Last night when we arrived I was overwhelmed by the beauty of where we would be staying. As I watched Jim building a fire in the fireplace I felt a wave of guilt. This was our mission trip? About half the group had arrived. We talked, said grace, ate and talked some more. I mostly listened and observed trying to take in who these people were we would be spending the next two weeks with. As I turned down the blankets on my bed I had to smile as they were covered with little bear designs, somewhere in my heart I knew it was a piece of the puzzle.

A Visit with Friends

Most of my blog entries were written while I was in Africa but there were some important experiences I will share from my perch on the hammock in Connecticut.

The first four days after I returned from Africa were filled with catching up with family from across the US. Now I sit by myself by the lake wondering if God, Jesus and faith can be as real on this side of the ocean. I have been working on my pictures and will soon start to share my experience on my blog, I'm not sure why I'm sharing it except I am hoping it will help me connect more deeply with others who are trying to live a rich life of faith.

Our visit to Kenya began with two nights with Wellingtone and his family. My journey had brought me to his home on three previous trips to Africa. It was important to reconnect and introduce Amber to these wonderful friends and great ministry.


 On Saturday Amber and I went to the Anajali school where we met with the teachers and students who were using the assistive technology I had introduced. I was able to answer questions and provide support. 


We had packed the shawls, pictures and notes I had made for Godliver and her mom in our our backpack. What a wonderful God we have. Godliver's mom stopped by the school to pick up Godliver and I was able to give them their gifts. I had been worried about what to say. I didn't say much but I hope my words and my actions conveyed the love of Christ to them.

I taught Lionida everything I knew about knitting a prayer shawl.  It didn't take long.

I always come away blessed after worshiping with the Anajali community and was glad Amber had the chance to experience that with me.  I'm sorry I don't have many pictures to share as most of my first pictures got overwritten.


It was so good to see Wellingtone, his family, Millie, Patrick, Godliver, Mary Stella, Joel, the teachers, students and people at church. Although our time with them was short we were deeply blessed by our visit.

Here We Go

It’s almost 9 am our plane leaves this afternoon at 5.  The bags are 95% packed and I’m making zucchini muffins before it gets too hot.  The house is quiet giving me time to reflect.  I am going through the motions, but it hasn’t clicked yet that we are leaving for Africa.  Why?  Maybe because this isn’t my trip.  This is God’s trip.  I haven’t done all the planning deciding when I wanted to go or where I wanted to go.  I guess God has the itinerary and I am only along for the ride.  As the temperature soars I think of sitting by the lake, a nice breeze and a book.  Don’t get me wrong I am very grateful to be going on this trip with Amber, it amazes me.  It will be something that will be with us forever.  It will be our “tween” time.  There will be new friends to meet, new things to see and do.  Our lives will be forever changed.  It will be a journey of faith.

Trust God from the bottom of your heart; 

   don't try to figure out everything 

on your own.

Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; 

   he's the one who will keep you on track.

Proverbs 3:5