When arriving in Kenya, you will quickly learn how different it is from America. Everyone walks everywhere. Most take buses if they are going far so they fill them completely up and may have you sitting on the floor. The buses often have people who bring their livestock or poultry on board. Talk about getting Americans out of our comfort zones!
In his book Kingdom Journeys: Rediscovering the Lost Spiritual Discipline, Seth Barnes wrote: "If we never get out of our comfort zones, we can't grow into the places God has prepared for us."
If we go into another culture expecting to experience what we're already familiar with, we will be disappointed. However, if we go in knowing it will be different and thinking we might learn from it, we are able to adjust as needed. We may also be able to appreciate the differences and how other people do things. It will probably also make you thankful for what you take for granted at home.
When I was in Kenya on the World Race, we would do door-to-door ministry. People who had never met me would welcome me into their homes. They would cook the food they would have eaten that day for me. They or their children may not eat because they wanted to bless me with what they had. These are some of the most giving people I have ever met.
The locals would ask our ministry partner Pastor Moses what food my team liked. He would tell them we liked Chipati (an Indian flatbread). From that point on, almost everywhere we went, we were fed Chapati. The locals would feed it to us while they ate Ugali (a tasteless cornmeal porridge). Chapati is something most Kenyans only eat once a month because it is expensive. The reason we were invited in and offered food was so those hosts could in turn earn a blessing. They put into practice Matthew 25:35 (NIV): "For I was hungry and you gave me something eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in."
An example of some Kenyan food
If you decide to come on a mission trip to Kenya with Adventures in Missions, you will most likely be outside your comfort zone. However, you can also be blessed in ways you never imagined. The people of Kenya can teach you so much about faith, hope, trust, and love of God. They rely on God daily to provide for their daily needs so they have a deep faith and understanding of who He is.
We would love to have you join us in Kenya. We have two trip types available: Ambassador and Encounter.
To sign up for an Ambassador trip, you will need to be an individual Youth (not coming with a group) from the ages of 14-18 years old. The link is here. To sign up for an Encounter (Adult) trip, click here.
