KENYA MISSION TRIP 2023 – DAY 6

Today was another great day!  We started off with VBS again, day 3 of the lesson.  We have been studying about Jesus being the Light of the World.  The kids have loved everything we have done, from the Bible story and music, the different crafts (today was cross necklaces with glow in the dark beads) and recreation!   We were picked up at 7:30am and began VBS with the 3 classes of 3rd graders at 8:20am.  The classes rotate from Bible story to crafts and to recreation.  Then we have to break for tea time!  We all love Chai, which is tea with milk and raw sugar.  Then we headed back to do our rotation with the 3 classes of 4th graders.  We then take snacks to all the 3rd and 4th graders we worked with.

Then we had a traditional Kenyan lunch.  After lunch, we divided up into 2 teams and we head into the slum with the social workers.  We each visit families and pray with them.  It is my favorite thing to do…I even got to walk up “goat hill” today and scream as a chicken tried to fly out of the area right beside me.  As we arrived back at Bondeni School, many of our sponsored children started coming in the hallway right beside where we go.  Turns out, they were meeting with them to prepare them for our field trip tomorrow.  We are taking all the Snyder sponsored children to the Nairobi Animal Orphanage and treating them to a KFC lunch.  We will then return to Bondeni and present them with their new tennis shoes and take pictures.  I can’t wait!

So, let me just share a little about sponsoring a child and then coming to meet them.  I so want to encourage each of you to do this if possible.  I sponsored a little girl named Joy from the time she was 4 till she graduated from High School this last year.  Watching her grow up has been amazing, but meeting her was by far the best.  She now is in college and hoping to be a social worker to go back and help at a MoHI School.  Last year when I was here, I went to the PP1 (4-year-old class) to pick out another child to sponsor since Joy had graduated.  Her name is Celestine.  When they brought her to me on Monday, she ran to me and squeezed me so tight.  Every time I see her now, she does that and smiles and hugs me.  It is the best experience.   These children are the most loving children anywhere I have been.  They hug us when they come into their classroom and hug us again when they leave.  My point is…if you are able, come join us!    Most of you know, I am studying what it means to be blessed here in the slums.  I have asked the children and their responses are overwhelming.  We learn so much from them.  We all think we are the ones giving to them, and we do…but they give just as much back!  I can’t tell you enough about what an amazing experience this is…come with us to Kenya!  Susie Reeder