Christopher Scott

This trip to Kenya has been incredible as always. This biggest difference from last year’s trip for me was that I got to spend time with local middle schoolers and my sister’s sponsor child Peter. Everyone I met and hung out with were always friendly and fun-loving. I got to draw with elementary schoolers, pass a soccer ball with Peter, and talk with middle schoolers as we ate KFC. These small, simple things helped me realize that even if all my efforts only made a singular person smile for a bit, those efforts are worth giving and this trip is worth being apart of. I am so grateful for God and everyone who supported me and helped me get here.

Kalea York

Wow, God guided every part of the day. Truly! Today was so beautiful!! We did a conference for  the 6-8th graders and it was truly a blessing and more beautiful than I could have ever imagined! We started the conference off by them leading a worship song they knew and it ended up being the song “Yeshua” by UPPERROOM. And that song had been on my heart since before we left for Kenya. So when they started singing it I immediately started crying because it was the most beautiful thing to hear all of these middle schoolers sing such a beautiful song, it made me realize that we are all one people praising the same God! After they worshipped we lead out Praise, I Thank God, and Trust in God, and that was so fun because again we all just worshipped together and it was truly so wonderful. 

Then we went into the time for the message and I had signed up to share a word for them and God truly spoke through me! I expected to stand up there with my phone in hand the whole time to look back at my notes but I put my phone down and just spoke and the Lord truly moved within me and gave me all the words that He thought I needed to say! PRAISE!! 

After the message we went into a time of life group where we got to meet the kids and ask them questions about the message and we got a few kids that engaged with the questions but not too many, however we moved on the hard and that was a blast! We played this game called “down by the banks” and then we moved on to the kenyan version of that game called police, after that everyone did their own thing, however I made friends with this eight grader named Rhoda and she introduced me to her friends, Diana, Shanize, and many others. She taught me dances they do here, and then they started talking about my hair and how it is different and then I asked her and her friends if they wanted to braid it, and so they did! They taught me the different braids and different hairstyles they do here! After that it was lunch time and we all go to eat KFC together, so I went over the Rhoda and she taught me about life here in Kenya and said that she hopes to go to be a content creator and come to the United States and then she said she would come and visit me haha! I also was telling her about life in the United States, and talking to her about my life! Then it was time for them to go and I was so sad saying bye, but I was so happy for the experiences we had together!! I will miss you Rhodaaa🫶 On the bus I was crying so so so so so much but luckily we were able to go to Mary and Wallace’s house (The founder of the organization we are working with, MOHI) This was my second time being there and not only was the food good but also so was the hospitality! I just love Mary and her heart to serve the Lord and trust in God and have so much faith! Anyways today was a great day and I cannot wait for tomorrow but I think this was the best day of my entire life!!🙌❤️🔥

Shujin Li

Today was super super cool!!! We had a slower morning than usual, prior to flying into the Mara! It was super exciting to travel through Kenya in little planes but we made it in no time. I was able to meet Evan, our jeep driver and he was very welcoming while driving us through the Mara. Today wasn’t even our official safari day but we already saw a lion, zebras, elephants, giraffes, leopards and so much more! Later in the day, we went to Tincoy’s mom’s shop and all of us got Maasai blankets! We then visited Tincoy’s tribe and the market hosted by the families that live there. My highlight of the day was bug watching with Lucy outside of our room. It reminded me that even a little ant carrying its next meal on its back, is a creation of God. I really enjoyed today and I hope we end this trip strong and healthy!

Maddie Shaver 

Hey my name is Maddie and this is my second year coming to Kenya! I choose to come back because I truly feel like God has blessed me with the abilities and talents to serve Him across the world!

Today was day 2 of VBS at Kiamaiko Negi. I had so much fun getting to be greeted by the kids and then getting to lead worship for them. After worship we started our VBS rotations and I was on the snack team!! I got to serve kids ages 5 all the way up to 12 years!! They loved asking questions and also getting the dum dums! I learned many new songs and had lots of fun! 

After VBS, we headed down to the community to meet with some of the MOHI families! Getting welcomed and being able to pray over each family was definitely the highlight of my day! During these past few days I have really seen God in a new way and in a new perspective. I have had to trust Him in knowing that even though I may feel like I failed or did not do a good job  these kids feel so blessed and are so excited that I am here, and that is what matters! Overall I have had so much fun today and I cant wait to see what the next few days of serving bring!!

Kainoa York

Today we had one of the greatest days Kenya! To start off the day we had some amazing breakfast at Grace House. Then we went on  a bus ride to the Mohi school, at Kiamaiko we started with worship songs on the roof with the students! It was so fun because I got to play guitar and the students wanted to play guitar to! 

Then I got to use my friend, John, the puppet donkey to help me teach that Jesus is the Bread of Life at VBS! It was so much fun because I got to make them all laugh and we got to ask questions to each other! Then we did some house visits and it was so cool praying for families in their home. We got to eat lunch at the school, and then headed to Grace House. 

After we got home, we went to the mall and bought some cool souvenirs! It was definitely one of my favorite days in Kenya for sure! At first, for VBS I was scared because I didn’t know how my “teaching with a puppet” would go, but I knew God was gonna make it great. So I trusted in Him and knew He was going to do amazing things, and then He definitely showed up! It was so much fun interacting with the kids and being able to spend time with them. That will for sure be a time I will never forget!

Aiden Almazan

So today, was an absolute blast. We have been given so many once in a lifetime opportunities today. 

Today I was able to speak to all the middle schoolers in our conference.  I am really hoping my message was able to plant a seed in someone to really realize that they can trust God and he’s the bread of life. 

I also had the honor to partner with a classmate Lucy in small groups when we all split up and got to know some things about the middle schoolers. We then played many games with them such as keepy uppy, down by the bank, hool a hoop, jump rope and musical chairs. During this time I met with an absolute angel( literally her name was angel) me and her talked for a while and just that small interaction was like such an eye opener and it was so good to have such a simple yet meaningful conversation and experience. 

We then had kfc with all the kids and I partnered up with these kids and we talked a lot about movies, languages, song artists, and I was partners with Josh for this and we talked about ourselves. We then had to say a really hard goodbye knowing it was the last time we’ll get to be able to see all the kids in the mohi school. Saying bye to angel was a blessing since I had previously met someone like my own sister but didn’t get a proper good bye. Her name was Maria those who are wondering but these two were my favorite memories so far on this trip.  Saying bye to angel was hard but a blessing that I even got to say goodbye. 

We then went to a market and I got really good at bargaining with people and helping out to get the right price for us. Then the ending point didn’t stop there we had the opportunity to meet with the creator of MOHI for dinner which was amazing. Before that though we had the chance to hear someone’s testimony. During that time I was the only one geeked out about it because it was an Olympian girl named Alison Gibson. Now just hearing the word Olympian is already something to geek about because that the absolute highest of high of skill to achieve. It was incredible hearing her talk about her testimony and how she was able to meet the  creator of mohi on a flight I think it was back home. We the debriefed about what we had been taking away from this trip so far. One thing I’ve learned is that it’s sometimes the small things small interactions that you can experience Gods love not just the huge things. That concludes this day and I can’t wait to see what God has in store for us tomorrow! 

Ava Roberts 

I cannot explain the joy I have felt on this trip. Many people told me this trip was life changing, like my life would never be the same. And I can now say just how true that is. Today we started the day off with some amazing breakfast then we headed straight to the place where we would hold a conference for 7-9 graders. They sang amazing praise and worship songs, then we got to do the same for them. We also played a super fun game! Tegan, Aiden, and Kalea all spoke and shared why they trust God. Each one of them did absolutely amazing and God was speaking through them so much. We then had a very fun life group time! Cameron was my partner and we had so much fun with the kids! We talked about the messages, asked and answered questions, played so many games, and sang and danced! We ate lunch with the kids and then got to hang out with some of our sponsor kids! I met my sponsor child Sammy, who I decided to sponsor when I was 8 years old! I waited 8 years to meet him and it was just so amazing and I already miss him very much. The verse that comes to mind when I think of the kids is Galatians 5:22-23. These kids have the fruit of the spirit and the joy of the Lord. 

It’s safe to say we all shed a tear (or a million) today when we left the conference. Because of the joy that we have felt, and how hard it is to say goodbye. We have all made so many friends and I know that we will never forget them. I don’t want to leave, and I don’t think any of us do! I have never felt joy like this and I have never had a bigger smile on my face. 

After this, we went to Mary Kamau’s house because she invited us over for dinner! Alison Gibson was there for a bit and shared her amazing testimony which was so cool. We each got to share our biggest take away (I had more than one of course). We also heard from Mary and she was so encouraging to all of us. 

Although this was our last day of serving children and families, I pray that we will still shine Jesus’ light everywhere we go. Whether that is on the safari, our long travels home, or even just our “normal” lives at home.

 Tegan Smith

Today was so very wonderful! It was our first day of VBS and when we arrived to the school, our team was greeted with the students singing and dancing for us. We got to join in and then worship all together. 

Then, I was able to visit 4 classes and read the kids books, blow bubbles, do tattoos, and dance with them! The littlest kids in PP1 and PP2 were jumping all on each other to get the bubbles and the oldest kids in 5th and 6th grade were so funny! When I was leaving my last class, it took me minutes to walk out the door because the kids were just surrounding me with hugs and which was so heartwarming! I just was smiling the whole time ear to ear because of the love and joy the kids shared with me during my time with them. 

Then we had chai and headed off to home visits. Josiah, Kainoa, and I were able to meet 2 beautiful families who welcomed us into their homes. In the first home was a mother named Sarah and she was such a kind woman. We got to pray for her and her family and although we spoke different languages, the social workers said they were not going to translate the prayer because we have the same God and He hears. I loved that they said that, and after the prayer she teared up a bit. That experience was just very cool to me because she didn’t understand what we were saying but she felt it and it was meaningful to her. Then, at the next house was a Mother named Mary and a Father named Guy. Their home was so neat and their hearts were sincere. We prayed for them and then headed back to the school to take lunch. All the kids made each member of our team a little poster with our name on it, so we got to take those with us and headed back to Grace House for the night.

Lucy Moons

Today was so so special! In the morning, we were welcomed by all the beautiful Grace House staff with an amazing breakfast that prepared us for the day. Our team placed four suitcases with supplies for vbs on the bus and we drove the Kiamaiko, Mohi school for preschool to sixth grade. 

I felt so welcomed by all the lovely students and staff. They sang joyful songs, welcoming us to their school. Afterwards we led worship with the students singing “Praise” and “I Thank God.” I got to sing and jump in worship with everyone, and later headed to get my puppet for my first classroom with fifth and sixth graders. My puppet show was about how Jesus is the bread of life and I shared this message by having the kids feed the sheep puppet bread. After sharing the message, I got to spend time singing with all the kids and asking them their favorite colors and animals. All the teachers at the school were super helpful in helping me to connect with their individual classes. Each age group was so fun and different, but I loved being with fifth and sixth grade because they were the older kids and kept laughing at me acting silly. 

After visiting four classrooms, I got to go with Angelina, Aiden, Ms. Luna and our amazing social workers to visit homes of two students at Mohi. I got to help pray and share the “evanga-cube”, an interactive cube that explains Jesus’ resurrection story. Both homes we visited were already believers, but it was so special to be able to pray for them. Our team was blessed with lunch and “Chai time” from the staff at Mohi. Today was super lovely and I am so grateful to have been able to experience it.

Joshua Ji

We started the day with an amazing breakfast that was provided by Grace house. Our team was well rested and excited for what the day had in-stored. We arrived at Pagani. We had an Orientation, during the orientation we got to meet Peter who explained the story behind MOHI (Missions of Hope International). We also learned a-lot about Peter himself who first used to work as a security guard then became a teacher now works with MOHI. 

After the orientation we had an amazing lunch that MOHI provided for us which was Rice, Beef Stew, and Chapati. We got in our house visit group. Shujin, MJ, and I met our Social workers David and Sheila. Our bible study group back home sponsored a kid named Shedrack so after 3 years of knowing of him and hearing stories from past people that have come on this trip it was amazing to finally meet him. We got to stop by the MOHI market and purchase souvenirs that we liked or wanted to get for others. 

Its been an amazing 2 days here in Kenya and excited for what God has in-stored for our team!!

Shujin Li

Today the team woke up bright and early as the guys carried the sponsor kid gifts we prepared, downstairs and everyone had a fulfilling breakfast together. The Gracehouse staff provided us with an omelet bar and fresh waffles on the spot!

Then we had our daily huddle up where Maddie shared a message about Jesus as the bread of life, and off we went to the MOHI headquarters!! We started off with an orientation where the staff gave us a deep dive on the history of MOHI! 

We then separated into teams for home visits in the slums, and I was with Mj, Josh Ji and our social workers Sheila & David!! We ended up visiting Ann at her home and walked through the different facilities MOHI offers here at their Pagani school! Lunch was super fulfilling and delicious too! 

Then we got to meet the sponsored kids! I hung out with some of Ava’s kids and also Mr. West’s. After, everyone went up to the MOHI shop to purchase handmade merchandise that goes directly to their program! Throughout the day, we all got tested on our Swahili, but my favorite phrase I learned today was “Asante kwa kutukaribisha!”

Keira Gove

Leaving, although it was hard was so fun. There has been so much planning & training and I’m so excited to see it all play out. On the bus ride to LAX everyone was excited and ready for Kenya. Traffic was a little rough but it became a good time for community. As was expected we had lots of time waiting in the airport. But with such a great team it turned into a fun experience. We played cards and just hung out and really got to bond before heading to Kenya. We were able to explore and get to know each other even more before boarding and it was a blast.

Mahaela Santos

What a day!! We started our morning getting to watch the sunrise on the plane heading to NYC!! And boy was it beautiful! We landed early at JFK airport, and had time to bond with each other and eat lots of good food! And also nap on the floor of the airport by our gate!! I feel so blessed to meet new people in the airport and grow relationships with the people I’m traveling with!! Even though these travel days definitely feel long, I can’t help but enjoy every second, knowing that soon, I’ll be in Kenya surrounded by people I love and getting to love on those we serve!!! Now we take on a 13 hour plane ride (but at least I’m sitting next to my best friend!!!) Thank you Jesus for blessing us with a school that has the opportunity to go an spread Your love!!! We arrived at Grace house and I immediately started to cry!! How amazing was it to feel so welcomed!! They were singing and dancing and gave us so DELICIOUS juice!!! We also enjoyed a very amazing lunch!! I’m so ready to see what God does on this trip!