Habari yako? (“Hello, How are you?” in Swahili)
This is our third week in Kitale, Kenya working with Zoe Ministries. Their mission is to “share LIFE through CHRIST to orphaned and vulnerable children through strategic orphan care initiatives. [They] also facilitate clean water wells, secure housing for widows, education enhancement, food security, and income generation in Kenya.” You can read more at https://www.zoemeanslife.org/
It’s been such a blessing to work alongside the Kenyan team. Every morning, we worship and share a devotion together with Zoe staff before discussing what the day will look like. Each day looks a little different. Taylor, the founder of Zoe, even came to visit from Mississippi for a few days! We got to hear many stories about how the ministry and team was created and how they’ve impacted the surrounding communities.
The most recent initiative is their teen pregnancy center. This will serve as a place for teens to come for three-month semesters to learn different life skills such as financial literacy, cooking, agricultural business, etc. They will also have classes where they will learn more about the Bible and what it means to be a Christian while being discipled by the Zoe staff. They created this program after receiving feedback from other women in the community who said their lives would have been very different if someone would have intervened when they were teenagers. They’ve been developing a curriculum for the schooling and asked for our input, so the girls on our team got to help with that!
I (Adam) and my teammate, Jackson, have been helping the Zoe construction crew with the finishing touches on the homes the teens will be living in during their stay on-site. We’ve put in windows, done tile work, varnished wood, and painted. The most rewarding work has been building relationships with the fellow Kenyan crew mates by talking with them as we work and eat lunch together. We’ve learned so much about their families, faith, language, and culture.
We’ve also worked a lot with widows and kids on site. There are over thirty kids that are waiting to be re-integrated into their families. We get to spend time with the kids in worship, devotionals, and playing games. The girls on our team have had many chances to do house visits for the widows where we get to pray for, encourage, and help them out with chores. We also attend a weekly service for widows which is a time to fellowship, worship together, and hear a teaching on the Word.
Another ministry opportunity is in West Pokot, Kenya (as seen in the Title photo) or commonly known as “the desert.” Zoe does all types of work here, such as well repairs, evangelism, agricultural training, and discipleship. The people in West Pokot often struggle to provide for basic needs such as clean water and food. Some women will walk for hours to fetch water for the day and it might not even be clean/safe. We’ve been able to go once a week and participate in the different types of ministry that Zoe provides there.
We’re learning a lot about hearing God’s voice and spending a lot of time in the Word. We’ve had so many opportunities to give an encouraging word or teaching to the people we encounter during ministry. It’s been challenging but rewarding as we’re growing in our confidence in sharing the Word. We are also continuing to grow closer with our team as we cultivate vulnerability with one another.
Thank you for all your prayers and support. We are currently $4,902 away from being fully funded. We’d love for you to prayerfully consider partnering with us financially to help us reach our goal!
Bwana Asifiwe! (Praise the Lord!)
Adam and Adrianna
