Sharing life together in Kenya

Recently, I was asked to share something meaningful that I’ve experienced since I’ve been in Kenya. Immediately, thousands of thoughts invade my brain, recalling the past three and half months in detail.

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Soon, I become overwhelmed mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally. As I begin to process some of the most meaningful things I have experienced I recall the most recent series of events.

I live with another American—Andrew Lancaster—and a Kenyan named Samuel Stanley. We cook dinner together every night. These are some of the most memorable moments, yet oftentimes the little things are the most overlooked.

One particular night, we were making ugali and greens with a stew—a pretty normal Kenyan dish and delicious, I might add. Ugali is made by pouring maize into boiling water and stirring until finished. The process is simple and a lot of fun. That night, Samuel and I had maize meal and flour all over our faces. We caught a towel on fire. Samuel and I were cracking jokes with Andrew as he made the stew. The kitchen was a mess, but we had smiles on our faces.  Samuel looked at Andrew and me and said, “A great meal, prepared by great men.” He followed that comment with jokes about how dangerous we are and how we would never finish all the food. Needless to say we finished everything, and Samuel said, “We Kenyans are dangerous!”

Moments like this are truly memorable. Moments like this truly reflect the Christian life. It’s community—sharing life together.

Al Johnson from the University of Texas at San Antonio is a student missionary correspondent with Go Now Missions.


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