Why do you think I have sent you here? This is the phrase that God clearly said to me one night while I was in Loituktuk, Kenya in July 2014. This was my third trip to Kenya, and unlike the others, while I knew I was there for a purpose, God had not yet revealed that purpose. Getting to Kenya for the third time, raising funds for another trip was extremely difficult. So difficult, that I almost gave up, but of course, in that moment of lacking faith, the Lord provided. So, again I found myself for the third summer in a row, on a plane, on my way to Kenya with Go Near Ministry. I was ecstatic to be able to return and see the friends I had left behind the year before, but like I said, something was different. I did not yet know my purpose of returning. I just knew that God had a reason for making everything fall into place.
This trip to Kenya, we had the opportunity to go with Sami and Thorrun, the founders of ABC Children’s Home and School, to visit their newly founded school in Loituktuk. This was about four hours away from our usual destination of ministry. As we arrived, beautiful Masai children and their parents surrounded us, ready to welcome us to their home with singing and dancing. We had the opportunity to spend a few days in Loi Tuk Tuk with the children at the school. As we were there, I started to notice that there were not very many books. Intrigued, I asked one of the teachers about it. She told me that they did not have the money to buy books for the students, and because of that lack, the students were beginning to fall behind in school. Studying in college to be a teacher, I knew just how important books could be in a classroom, and so I decided to begin praying for someone to provide ABC Loituktuk with books.
That evening, Sami was speaking to our team about how the Lord has been working in ABC and in his life. While he was talking, he happened to mention the one thing they really lacked in the school was books. With this mention, my heart again was stirred to pray that the Lord would provide these books for the school. The next day I also had a personal conversation with Sami, and he again mentioned this need. That evening, I was reading in the word and talking to the Lord, asking for Him to provide books for these children. After time in prayer and reflection, I just clearly heard the Lord answer that prayer by saying, “Why do you think I have sent you here?”
In that moment, my purpose for this trip became clear. God had given me the opportunity to get to know some wonderful students and discover a need that I could fill. So, I am in the process of fundraising to build a library for Loituktuk. Fundraising give the money needed to buy textbooks and also book shelves for those books. At the same time, I am also forming book drives. During the book drives we collect fun reading books for students from early elementary to high school. Through this process I have learned so much in a small amount of time. I have learned about being patient with the Lord, as fundraising and collecting takes a long time. I have also learned to trust that God will provide what He has promised.
Our current goal is to send a large quantity of books and funds over with our winter teams. If you would like to know more about this project or would like to get involved, please email me at hef10a@acu.edu.
