Global Trips

Kenya Team Send Off!

Jul 30, 2024 08:29 PM

Kenya Team had a beautiful send off! thank you to the numerous friends, family, and prayer warriors who came this morning to show your love and support for the team. It was absolutely felt!  The team is almost 1/2 way through their first leg of the flight 

Excited to update you more soon!

Todays Prayer Request: safe travels for the 16 of the team members flying together and the other 2 flying separate

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DAY 1

Aug 1, 2024 11:17 AM

We just finished day one and we are all definitely feeling a lot of emotions. We are absolutely in awe of what God is already doing here with CCP and our team. 

Today we got the chance to tour CCP’s facilities and meet their staff. We learned about the many new additions CCP has been working towards adding to their facilities for the children such as a care clinic, improved library, and a garden. We got to see the why behind CCP’s mission and how ONE&ALL continues to play such a huge part in that. Learning more about CCP allowed our team to witness the impact of our church’s generosity and God’s faithfulness first hand. 

Many of us were brought to tears by the abundance of joy that the kids expressed to us as we came into their classrooms to meet them. There was something so special about watching the kid’s faces light up with joy as we met them. We felt so at home as we were welcomed by the CCP staff with such genuine hospitality. The students performed dances, poems, and songs for us then we ate lunch with the CCP staff. After our delicious lunch, we split into different groups and got to do home visits for some of the kids at CCP and their families. Everyone on our team was very moved by the stories of these families and their living conditions. We are definitely feeling a lot of emotions as we process some heavy conversations that were had today with these families. 

PRAYER REQUEST: Please be praying for us as we navigate through these emotions and continue to come along side of these families. We appreciate your prayers and we are believing that God has so much more in store for us in these coming days.

Love, Ellie and Victoria!! 

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DAY 2 UPDATE

Aug 2, 2024 01:39 PM

Today started off with us having actually gotten more than a few hours of sleep, which was pretty nice. After doing our daily devotional we had breakfast and then met up with the CCP team for a day of team building. We were divided up on the buses and sat with a staff member we didn’t know to get to know each other. It was great to get to know them on our way to the Nkasiri Adventure park where the first thing we did was have 2nd breakfast just like the Hobbits do. From there we headed out to the field and formed teams where we had a full morning with a lot of fun games which also included zip lining. The joy that we learned from our CCP friends was so contagious. The genuine joy they have, despite so many hardships and difficulties they still find joy in all things was inspiring. There was definitely some spiritual warfare that sought to rob us of our joy. It happened multiple times throughout the day to a lot of us and yet we still found a way to joy and love. We learned to have resilient hearts today even after events we thought would derail us we looked to our new friends and each other to continue on. The enemy tried his best to break us today for what we are preparing to do in Jesus’ name, but though we may fall we have each other to help us back up and continue loving others and ourselves. I find myself at a loss for words to be able to truly express how much I love this team and how incredibly proud I am of them. I’ve not known the kind of love and warmth and oneness of such a large group of people who aren’t afraid to be vulnerable and are so quick to raise each other up. This group is so very special, my heart is full to burst every time I see them interact with each other and with others in the community and with our CCP brothers and sisters. 

PRAYE REQUEST: Please pray that as we head out tomorrow that we will continue to be the hands and feet of Jesus. That even though the enemy may try to shake us we shall not bow or break because authority has been giving to us to overcome the darkness. Pray for safety as we walk the streets praying for the area.

- Gabe O

Team Member

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DAY 3 UPDATE

Aug 3, 2024 10:07 AM

Hey everyone! Today we kicked off the day with a devotional from Mark 12 which was a great start to our day! We had breakfast and went to different cities to have "prayer walks" where we walked around the community as we took in everything we saw and prayed for the people and situations we witnessed. We also met with kids from CCP and their families and talked with them, heard their story, and prayed over them which was super cool. After our prayer walk we came back to CCP and we ate some incredible food and started planning for our VBS! God has been touching my heart recently to look for opportunities to learn from the people here in Kenya and he gave me one today during our planning. Every person that christ has created has such a unique story and has so many valuable things that we can learn and it really emphasizes the value of every person that God has created! I am on the Games planning team and the Kenyan's from CCP that we were paired with had such clear joy and love for what we were planning and had better ideas than I could even imagine! I loved talking with them and learning from them as we prepared for this upcoming week! We came home, ate dinner and had our debrief time and that was the end of our day!

Overall so far, this day was the slowest out of the days that we have been here but it was a needed day of rest before jumping into our VBS starting on Monday! We are also going to church tomorrow which I am so excited for! I am so excited and expectant for tomorrow's service and what things like the teachings of God and musical worship look like in the Kenyan culture and am so expectant for VBS to make an impact in the lives of the hundreds of kids we will be serving!

PRAYER REQUEST: Please be praying for us as we continue to lean on God and each other especially as we start our VBS and pray that we remain healthy, rested, and joyful as we pour into the lives around us here! 

Thank you so much for all of your love and support throughout our trip as a whole and we love each and every one of you!

With love and joy,

Sydney Noell :) 

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DAY 4 UPDATE

Aug 4, 2024 10:48 AM

Hey guys!! It's Cassie and Faith reporting live from Kenya!!! Today our team had the privilege to attend Nairobi Chapel for our church service today, and it was AMAZINGG!! We were able to hear and learn about how this church is prepping their people for the Great Commission. The pastor was spitting straight bars and the worship was SOO good and moved most of us to tears. The message talked about mission trips and why learning and sharing how we experience God is so important. This all happened while, WE, are currently on a mission trip and we feel this proved it was truly orchestrated by God.

After being blessed in this way we were able to have ANOTHER great experience with the CCP team and go to a giraffe center!!! IT WAS AWESOME, we were all able to see and hand feed the ginormous giraffes. We got closer to the CCP staff and us as the two youngest on the team we specifically bonded with our friend Kate. We have talked about everything from our family dynamics to shopping. And speaking of shopping, after the giraffe center, we were able to visit the Massai market in the heart of Nairobi. The whole team was able to bargain Kenya style and continue to bond with the CCP staff. It was a refreshing way to start off our week especially with VBS starting tomorrow. 

PRAYER REQUESTS:

-energy to be present with all the kids for vbs tommorow

-We get more kids than we are expecting 

-God speaks in and through us in everything that we do

-Everything goes smoothly and according to God's plan

AMEN! see you later alligators 

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DAY 5 UPDATE

Aug 5, 2024 10:37 AM

Day 5... or actually, DAY 1 KENYA VBS!!! This day started off a little shaky as we had a few members fall sick. Although we knew this was bound to happen, it was still unfortunate not being able to serve with the members who got sick. Besides the illness, we started off the day with worship and meditating on God's word. We read, "No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us" John 4:12, seeing the love the Kenyans have for the Lord, each other, and even their guests confirmed God's word in our hearts. The connections we've made here with the CCP staff and the kids has been a positive eye opener. It seems as if I've made connections solely off smiles, a good laugh and a warm cup of tea! The Kenyan people are unbelievably welcoming. After a morning of worship, we headed over to one of the VBS sites and had a blast with the kids ALL DAY. I've been the designated camera man, and I've taken some amazing photos/Videos that I can't wait to show with ya'll on outreach weekend! Anyways, I don't want to waste too much time on this since we're all sleep deprived and jet-lagged, but if I can sum up the day in a few short words, I would say that the interactions and the views we have seen will make an impact to last a lifetime, the way God moves through us when we decide to step out of our culture and share with each other is unimaginable. God want's to use us, the mission field is not just in Africa, it's the whole world, and even our backyard. God just wants us to hear his voice and obey.

PRAYER REQUEST: Prayer for healing of our team members, protections, and for more kids to know the love the Lord has for them!

Isaiah Haro - Anguka Nayo!

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Day 5 extra photos

Aug 5, 2024 11:17 AM

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DAY 6 UPDATE

Aug 6, 2024 09:38 AM

Greetings on Day 6 in Kenya!  It is hardly possible we have been here 1 week already!  Today started at 5:45am with a devotional lead by our team member Joan, from Phil.2:1-11.  God isn't always in the storm, but sometimes in the still small voice.  We were challenged today to reflect how God would use me today, specifically in the lives of the kids we minister VBS to, in our interactions with the CCP co-workers, and our team.  When we joined the CCP staff at our designated VBS site we were blessed by another devotional by Betsy.  She read us a love letter to us by our Heavenly Father.  God desires to pour out His love on us, simply because we are His child.  We are His treasure.  He will fulfill our desires, because God is the one who gave us those desires.  At 8:10am, VBS begins with the children entering worship in the big room. We hosted 285 children at our location, and the other location there were 185 children.  VBS consists of 3 rotations:  Bible lesson, crafts and games, within the 3 hrs the elementary kids are with us.  Time goes by quickly, and we soon find ourselves at the end of our time, sending the kids home after the snack we provide them.  Today their hearts were filled with the lesson about Trusting the Lord with all your heart (Prov 3:5-6) and the snack filled their tummies.  Our team then packs up and we jump onto the van, which takes us over to the second location to join the other team because now it's time for our team to have lunch there, before the youth (jr high and high school grades) will come for their VBS.  We welcome them with wonderful worship conducted by gifted CCP staff.  The Youth VBS get to hear a sermon and a testimony each day, presented by our team members.  Today, Jojo gave her powerful testimony, and Keith gave the sermon.  He talked about God's plan for His people.  Heb 11:6 teaches God rewards those who earnestly seek Him.  But God wants our obedience too.  We must acknowledge God and receive Him.  He wants to let us in, and for the Holy Spirit to guide us.  Keith taught in order to be obedient, we must discipline ourselves by reading our Bible.  From Eph 6:4 Honor your father and mother.  Phil 1:27-28 Live in Community.  I was so blessed that when Keith gave the altar call, at least 3 students raised their hands.  But the biggest blessing I had was that when we broke off into small groups by grade level.  I was with the 10th grade, and when they were asked to recap what they learned, they rattled off the scripture Keith taught from! Impressive! God is working in these youths lives.  Praise the Lord we can be part of their journey!

Our day continues when we go back to have dinner at our place of lodging. (This is a very safe place, not the slum where CCP is located)  Even though most of us are ready to call it a day after dinner, we actually spend a few hours prepping the materials for the next day.  The day leaves us exhilarated in more ways than one!   Each day brings it's own excitement and blessings!  Just a glimpse into how much the children enjoy VBS - when you begin to snap a photo with a couple of kids, you suddenly find nearby kids running to be part of your photo!  When they arrive, the kids are coming up to us, with hugs or high fives.  The team and I feel very loved!  I am so blessed to be part of this wonderful team, who by now have become a big family!  (I know, our family back home won't be jealous hearing about the bonds we have built here)

PRAYER REQUEST:

Continue to pray for health for the team members.  Today, those who were not feeling well, have recovered significantly!  When they were down, we all felt for them.  As we go into our 3rd day tomorrow, may God truly move within the different children and youth groups.  May the kids experience the beginning of a walk with God that will guide their lives moving forward. May they learn to trust God for every provision as they grow and mature.  May they love God their whole life on this earth, and be assured of their eternal dwelling with their Heavenly Father in their next life.  May God's love be their guiding light when their family circumstances are hard.  Believe me - their situations are so so hard.  Thank you for remembering them in your prayers.  Pray for all the good that CCP is doing for them!  The sponsors truly make a difference in their lives!

- Lisa L

Team Member

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DAY 7 UPDATE

Aug 8, 2024 03:01 AM

Today was VBS day three and it just keeps getting better everyday. Waking up at 5:10 am is a struggle, but just seeing these kids smiles and receiving their hugs once we arrive is so worth it. We start every morning with a devotional with each of our groups. We are both on different sites too so we don't really get to see each other which is nice because we get a little break from each other. One of us is doing crafts (Arianna) and the other is doing lessons (Abby). After the devotional, we go to assembly, which is where the kids and staff all gather to sing worship songs and watch a skit. It is so amazing seeing the kids worship God so loudly and dancing. The kids dance so good its actually so crazy and makes us look like we cant dance at all. After assembly, we then go to our stations and teach the kids and just spend time with them. For the crafts, we had to sew a fishnet like bag with coins and gems inside of it to represent that we are God's treasure. We then have a closing assembly with more worship and another skit. There is this little girl named Blessing that we are both so obsessed with because she is just so cute and adorable. After the Kids VBS is over, we have the youth VBS which is with the older kids. We also worshipped in the beginning and then heard Alissa's testimony which was so impactful and inspiring as well as Victoria's sermon which was really moving. You could tell that preaching is one of her gifts so it was really cool to see her in action. We also had small groups which were a little bit intimidating because these kids are older and we are used to being around younger kids like in kids ministry back home. One of us had the 6th graders (Arianna) and the other had 8th graders (Abby). After the small groups we prayed and then went to games which was fun. They had our whole team dance which was embarrassing because we cant dance but also fun. We also talked to a guy named Philip who is around our age and we got to visit the family and pray for them during a house visit (Arianna). He was telling us a little about his testimony which was really cool and he was just really kind. Overall, today was super good and we are sad that the VBS is coming to a close. 

PRAYER REQUEST: our teams health as well as the kids hearts as we are closing out our time here in Kenya

Team members, 

Abby and Arianna

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DAY 8 UPDATE

Aug 8, 2024 01:57 PM

Day 8 in Kenya update. We had a wonderful worship morning devotional this morning. CCP made a great decision to keep all the kids and adults home today from VBS out of precautions with the protest that happened today. I love that they thoughtfully prayed through this decision to keep everyone safe just in case. The Lord knew we probably needed a pause button for a day.

Today, we intentionally fasted from phones, allowing us to immerse ourselves fully in the experience. Our focus remains clear: understanding our purpose here and making a positive impact.

We had great fellowship with our CCP team at breakfast and lunch. We played cards games, kicked the soccer ball around, laughed, and most of us stood in sweats for most of the day just relaxing and enjoying it time with each other. Prioritizing meaningful connections and purposeful engagement was the focus of today.

They surprised us with going out to dinner where we sat outside and laughed about so many things. The community that the Lord has blessed us with here is so amazing. We sit and talk like we’ve been friends forever, we definitely feel being blessed by this.

As we approach our final day of Vacation Bible School (VBS) with the Kenyan children, we eagerly anticipate creating lasting memories, hugging all the kids, learning more about Jesus together and saying all our goodbyes to the CCP and the kids that we’ve built relationships with. Tomorrow’s farewell will be bittersweet—tears of gratitude, hugs, and promises to stay connected.

PRAYER REQUEST: please pray that we have so much energy tomorrow to finish strong with unbelievable joy so we can love on EVERY single child at VBS. That we would be able to spot out the ones that need just that one extra long hug from us or a carved out time to pray over certain ones.

Pray for strength so we don’t not look like emotional mzungu’s tomorrow crying lol

We love you all and cannot wait to be back home with you.

P.s these your girls are blowing me away every single day. I’m so proud of them.

- Jojo

Team Member

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DAY 9 UPDATE

Aug 9, 2024 09:44 PM

Hey y’all! Today was such a fulfilling day. It was our last day of VBS which was a bittersweet thought from the start. But to begin, our breakfasts every single morning are delectable. The kitchen staff are such a blessing each morning and every night and never fail to put a smile on our faces. We then drive to our separate sites and have a devotional/worship time with each of our Kenyan/CCP teams. Today I gave the devotion at our Kinyanjui site. It was out of Exodus 3 where Moses sees the burning bush and Jesus calls him to rescue his people out of Egypt. I would elaborate more, but I still have a ton to say about the rest of the day. 

Abby and I were teaching a lesson today which was exciting to get to spend the last day with all the kids. Today’s VBS was better than the previous days because the kids were invested and listened so well. At the closing ceremony, we went over our 3 worship songs, finished the skit, and got to hear from the CCP staff and kids. Hearing the kids and staff say it was our last day with them was heartbreaking and as if we weren’t already sad, the kids got up on stage to thank us for what we did and told us how much of a blessing we all were to them. We spent the rest of our time at Kinyanjui, saying our goodbyes to those we wouldn’t see at the youth VBS and got to hug the little kiddos extra tight. Something about each of their smiles is so special and unforgettable. We were then headed to the Muslim school for our youth VBS, which is at the other site. Once we got there, we got to have our tasty lunch and debrief with our site as a team for the last time. Afterwards we got to hear Faith preach her testimony and Marissa give her sermon. It’s so fun watching my team step out and take that leap of faith, especially in a new country, and I’m happy I get to be their cheerleaders :) We then broke into our small groups, which I helped lead the Form 2 group, or sophomores. Today was a successful day with our group because all week we had wanted them to open up a bit and share more than just one word phrases when asked a question. But it was truly special to see them feel a little more comfortable around us. Now one of the best parts of the day, the games! Since it was our last day they made us, mzungus, the center of attention. We had dance battles against the other team and got to partner up with a Kenyan to dance with. When that came to end, the CCP staff, Stella and Jackie, had given each of us a Chosen Children of Promise zip up and prayed over our team and our travels back home. We then got to say our final goodbyes (for this trip) to the kids and staff, take pictures and cry a little. I will forever be grateful for the kids and staff I connected to and shared conversations with. 

As I’ve already rambled on for quite some time, this trip has been nothing short of a blessing. God revealed things to me that have shifted my perspective in the best way possible. I’m excited to see what God has waiting for me back home and stoked to begin my mission God has called me on, in the city I am blessed to live in. 

Anyway, I’ll end it there but I am so happy to have met the people I met and blessed to call each one of them friends, or rafiki’s. Thank you ❤️

PRAYER REQUEST:: 

Pray for continued rest and comfort while we’re on the safari, protection over us while on the safari and for our travels back home, and for the time and space to process our thoughts and emotions. 

Love, 

Heidi

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DAY 10 UPDATE

Aug 10, 2024 11:00 AM

Hello Family and Friends, 

Today many of us woke up still processing our last day with the children and Kenya team members. Our hearts felt a sense of sadness. We were talking about how the days have felt slow but the two weeks seem to fly by. Despite experiencing grief, many of us are trying to remain present to enjoy the last few days of our trip with one another. Today our team made a 6 hour commute to Masaai Mara. Along the way we stopped to see The Great Rift Valley Viewpoint. It was so beautiful! During the car ride so many stories and laughs were shared. When we arrived to Masaai Mara, we had lunch and then loaded up the trucks to make our way to our first safari tour. We were able to see Elephants, Wilderbeast, Antelopes, zebras, and even lions. The sunset was so beautiful filling the sky with hues of pink and yellow. 

PRAYER REQUEST: pray that our team are able to make the most of out last days in Kenya and that the lord will prepare us/keep us safe as we prepare to make our journey home. 

With much love, 

Alissa Barreto

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DAY 11 UPDATE

Aug 11, 2024 08:25 PM

Salamu kutoka Kenya

(Greetings  from Kenya), 

DAY 11

This is our second day of safari. We began our morning with team devotional. We listened to worship music and prayers were open for the team. After breakfast we headed out for another adventure at the Maasai Mara National Reserve. We continued to marvel in awe to see more of God’s creations. We saw many giraffes, lions, elephants, wilderbeasts, warthogs, one ostrich and many more mammals and beautiful native birds. Although we were in three different jeeps we all drove close in proximity and admired all the wonders He created. Team bonding was truly experienced to prepare us for our departure from Kenya. 

We headed out early for a Safari after our morning devotion. 

Masai Mara captured our hearts and allowed us to see God’s beautiful creation. Zebras and wildebeests were in community and it reminded us of our team. The giraffes were so majestic and we watched them graze from an acacia tree. We felt so blessed to see elephants, hippos, cheetahs, lions, warthogs, hipos, crocodiles to name a few. We traveled on muddy paths and enjoyed a refreshing breeze courtesy of the wind. Our team shared snacks, laughter, and more bonding took place.Safari came to an end in the late afternoon. 

God’s perfect plans lead us to Mara Maisha Camp. It is here where we were able to rest, reflect, and prepare for our journey back to America. At this time we felt grateful for its beautiful grounds, but missing the children that we served during VBS. Our trip came to an end with a delicious dinner followed by our last debrief session. We gave feedback and wrote words of encouragement for each team member. We give God an abundance of gratitude for His plans to serve, pray, and rest! 

PRAYER REQUEST: For the CCP staff to be acknowledged for its tremendous work in the community. For the children to grow closer to God. For the team to head home with the ability to carry out their next steps in their Christian walk. Also, for safe travels. 

With gratitude for all of your prayers and support!

Noemi and Betsy 

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DAY 12 UPDATE

Aug 14, 2024 11:04 AM

Sasa, jambo, hello, we are back after approximately 24 hours of travel.

We (our team and the entire CCP staff) want to thank God for using all of you to help support us on our trip. I can’t imagine you will ever know how much you all played a roll in our teams journey and the wonderful people of Kawangware and CCP. Your financial and prayerful support was just as important as our feet on the ground. There was fun, laughter, heartbreak, tears all for our good FATHERS glory. He assembled a wonderful team with an amazing leader. Praise and glory to our heavenly King. We are so happy to be back and we are looking forward to seeing our friends and family, but we will be with our friends in Kenya in prayer for a long time to come. Thank you, Lord Jesus Christ for all that you do.

-Keith 

team co lead 

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