First, I'm so excited to celebrate the fact that Alice & Benson have both been sponsored, Praise God!  Thank you Brad & Alice for sponsoring Benson, and thank you Autumn for sponsoring Alice...

I wanted to take a moment and share some thoughts from Kenya after spending this weekend at home. (with pictures and videos below...)

Awareness...
Reading Wess Stafford's book, Too Small To Ignore, during my time in Kenya might have been one of the worst decisions I've made this year.  His words coupled with the images of Nairobi left me speechlessly aware.  I did not know my heart would be so quickly torn over the poverty plaguing children in some of the most ravished places imaginable...as seen in Mathare. 

Awareness is a double-edged sword.  It destroys the bliss of ignorance and leaves no excuse for apathy.  I can no longer turn away from the reality of God's heart for children, and I can no longer turn away from the stinging conviction of my own traditionally disinterested posture.  I guess I never really understood how much God truly loves "the little ones."  Do I love children, I mean, REALLY LOVE children?

Real Life Test...
When I got on the plane from Amsterdam to Portland I sat in my aisle seat, leaned my head back on the soft cushion, and closed my eyes looking forward to the rest I would be able to enjoy during the 11 hour flight back to America.  This was the first opportunity I had to truly unplug from the emotional roller coaster experience of Kenya. 

And then it began.  The sound that every airline passenger wishes would be true only in their worst nightmare...a sound that made me sit up and look around for a flight attendant hoping he/she would do something, anything, to stop the injustice of the moment.  It was the sound of a shrieking 2yr. old sitting directly behind me.  "NO!  What did I do to deserve this???!!!"  How quickly my heart turned selfish when faced with inconvenience.  May this not be true forever...

And Now?
What will happen now?  I don't know.  I feel like over the last three days my body (and by "body" I mean my stomach) has battled through disturbing chaos offering a possible physical parallel to the emotional stirring true in my heart over the past 10 days.  It hasn't been fun, but in the forced pause of life, I've been praying that the Lord would speak, and that I would listen.  The words of my friend Kyle continue to echo, "LV, God did not take you half way across the world so that you would come home the same.  Hear His voice." 

I'm not sure what the lasting fruit from my experience in Kenya will be, but I do know that this trip has opened my eyes to truths that were previously hidden...most notably, God's heart for children.  I will continue pursuing the Lord and doing all I can to position myself to hear what He is saying; will you continue to pray for me and our entire team asking God to make clear His voice?  I know I speak on behalf of the entire Compassion Bloggers Team as well as the entire Catalyst Team when I say "Thank You." Thnk you for your being a continual part of this adventure.  The story is not over...the page is simply turning.

Top 10 Moments From Kenya
Here are a few lasting moments from our trip to Kenya.
(Props to Keely Scott & Ryan Detzel for these amazing photos... :))

visiting a sponsor child's home in Nairobi...

Kristen LOVED spending time with her Kenyan sponsor child :)...

the Maasai don't have their lower front teeth; neither does Ryan.  He's our White Maasai...

Brad taught the kids how to play "Duck, Duck, Goose" & they loved him for it!

some preachers start young...

Shaun winning the hearts of Kenyan children...

with Alice (in yellow, on my right) and Benson (in pink, on my left) at a Maasai village...

holding the hand of my first sponsor child, Michael Baraka...he's 4.

saying goodbye...

hope in the most hopelss of places, Mathare. a song asking God to lift us up & take us Home.
(remember Vincent, the 17yr. old orphan from Mathare? that's him on the far right, worshiping...)

Over 700 children were sponsored through Compassion International last week during our trip to Kenya.  Will you consider joining this growing team? 

Please, sponsor a child today.

Thankful to partner with you,

LV