Daraja has had an awesome last few days! This past weekend, we hung out in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. The second service was completely packed! It was so cool to see God's presence in the heart of the people, and how people were running so hard to catch up with the kids at the Throne of Grace, as Christi always says. Sunday, we hung out with our hosts. We went out on the boat and took Emma and Nelly tubing for the first time which was so much fun! They loved it.
Monday we came to Big Stuf and along with our usual set, we surprised Lanny and the campers by doing Thriller. I was the only intern who got to see it since I was in the back doing sound. It was so cool! They had a lot of fun. That afternoon, we got to hang out on the beach after it stopped raining, but the kids got some oil on them so we had to get out.
This morning, we watched the World Cup game between the US and Algeria at Northstar. It was so funny to see how into the game everyone got, including the kids. Now, the kids are calling home. This can be a great thing, but it can also send the kids into a little bit of depression when they realize how much they miss their families, so I ask that you pray that Satan won't be able to put that in their heads and that they continue to be happy in the fact that they are here to lead people to Christ.
Just continue to pray for Daraja! Pray for unity among the interns and leaders, good hearts and attitudes in the kids, and strength for us all. Pray that God will use the choir in Huge ways and bring so many people to him.
Thanks! Love you guys!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
i. love. daraja. I don't even know how to describe how awesome this summer has been. I can't believe it's only been a month. Between knowing the kids and how well the intern team meshes, it's insane to think we've only been together a month. When we left Colombus, we were off to PCB Florida again. Tuesday afternoon was awesome. While the kids were down for a nap, the interns got to hang out while setting up, which was so much fun. We don't get a lot of time to just hang out. Wednesday morning, we sung at Big Stuf. It never ceases to amaze me the way God shows up completely for every Big Stuf session. It's one of those places you go that you can't NOT be moved God's presence and how huge he is. He's doing huge things in the lives of 1500 high schoolers every week and I can't wait to see the way he uses that to transform not only the country of Kenya, but also the hearts of Americans in this generation.
One thing I've noticed so much is how rich the Kenyans are. Materialistically, Americans are the wealthy ones: we've got money in our bank accounts, cars in the driveway, computers in our bookbags, cell phones in our pockets, etc. But the Kenyans are filled with a joy that Americans have lost. They have nowhere near the amount of stuff that we do, but they have so much more joy than we do, which just goes to show that their abundance is placed in a real and moving God. I think it's one of the reasons that people always fall in love with Daraja: they see the joy in the kids and they don't fully understand it, but they are always drawn to it. Everyday, I am learning to find my joy COMPLETELY in the Lord and put aside all the things that I think I need to sustain me.
Wednesday night, we did a concert at Gulf Beach Baptist in PCB. It was a great concert and God definitely showed up. Now, we are in Montgomery, Alabama. The kids spent today hanging out with kids from Common Ground, an Inner City ministry in Montgomery. It is definitely an awesome ministry. The leader's sacrifice for and trust in the Lord is something that I found so inspiring. He is giving his life to change the racial mindset of the people in Montgomery and to show people that they are supposed to find their identity in Christ, not in the color of their skin, something that hasn't necessarily been present in Montgomery before. I know this ministry is going to do huge things and I can not wait to worship with them tonight! Kelly and I have a day off today and we are just relaxing and catching up before we head to the concert to get ready.
This week, I had a moment where God showed me a small glimpse of how immense his love is for us. While three of my girls were showing their picture albums of their homes, I was listening to Betty talk. For those of you who don't know Betty, she is 12 years old and is absolutely going to change the world. She wants to be a judge to fight the corruption in Kenya and there is no doubt in my mind that she will. She was just talking to the host about her normal day and her family situation, how she only lives with her mom and doesn't talk to her Dad that much, but through everything, you could just see this joy radiating through her and everything she said, as always. I just sat there and realized how extremely proud I was of her and the other girls and how insanely much I loved them and would do anything in the world for them. I'm not a real parent, but I have felt the love of a parent for their child, and so many other people in this world have felt that. It is crazy to wrap our heads around the fact that God loves us SO much more than that. It may seem impossible, but It is so true. He CHOSE to save us and loves us more than we can imagine. There's a line in a book that the inters are reading that says "No one could ever love me more or better than Jesus." So true. Worldly love can be so strong, But God's love is way bigger than that. If we were just to acknowledge that everyday, think about how it could radically change our lives and the lives of people around us.
My family is coming to visit next week and I can't wait to see them! Tomorrow, we head back to Florida. I am so excited to see what God has in store for the next few days.
Here's How you can Pray:
-Pray that the kids aren't overcome by the wealth and materialistic attitude in the US, but their hearts and minds stay pure and they continue to sprint to the throne of God.
-Pray for the interns to be able to handle discipline problems with the kids, knowing when to speak out and how to do it in a Christ-like way. Also, pray for continued strength and energy in the interns.
-Pray for the families of the kids. They've been gone for almost a month and I know they miss their kids. Just pray that they have a comfort in knowing that their son or daughter is spreading the word of Christ and fulfilling his calling.
-Pray that our concerts aren't performances, but times of worship, even for the interns who have jobs during the concert. Pray that it is NEVER about Daraja, but always about worship and bringing people to the foot of the throne.
Thanks! Love you guys :)
One thing I've noticed so much is how rich the Kenyans are. Materialistically, Americans are the wealthy ones: we've got money in our bank accounts, cars in the driveway, computers in our bookbags, cell phones in our pockets, etc. But the Kenyans are filled with a joy that Americans have lost. They have nowhere near the amount of stuff that we do, but they have so much more joy than we do, which just goes to show that their abundance is placed in a real and moving God. I think it's one of the reasons that people always fall in love with Daraja: they see the joy in the kids and they don't fully understand it, but they are always drawn to it. Everyday, I am learning to find my joy COMPLETELY in the Lord and put aside all the things that I think I need to sustain me.
Wednesday night, we did a concert at Gulf Beach Baptist in PCB. It was a great concert and God definitely showed up. Now, we are in Montgomery, Alabama. The kids spent today hanging out with kids from Common Ground, an Inner City ministry in Montgomery. It is definitely an awesome ministry. The leader's sacrifice for and trust in the Lord is something that I found so inspiring. He is giving his life to change the racial mindset of the people in Montgomery and to show people that they are supposed to find their identity in Christ, not in the color of their skin, something that hasn't necessarily been present in Montgomery before. I know this ministry is going to do huge things and I can not wait to worship with them tonight! Kelly and I have a day off today and we are just relaxing and catching up before we head to the concert to get ready.
This week, I had a moment where God showed me a small glimpse of how immense his love is for us. While three of my girls were showing their picture albums of their homes, I was listening to Betty talk. For those of you who don't know Betty, she is 12 years old and is absolutely going to change the world. She wants to be a judge to fight the corruption in Kenya and there is no doubt in my mind that she will. She was just talking to the host about her normal day and her family situation, how she only lives with her mom and doesn't talk to her Dad that much, but through everything, you could just see this joy radiating through her and everything she said, as always. I just sat there and realized how extremely proud I was of her and the other girls and how insanely much I loved them and would do anything in the world for them. I'm not a real parent, but I have felt the love of a parent for their child, and so many other people in this world have felt that. It is crazy to wrap our heads around the fact that God loves us SO much more than that. It may seem impossible, but It is so true. He CHOSE to save us and loves us more than we can imagine. There's a line in a book that the inters are reading that says "No one could ever love me more or better than Jesus." So true. Worldly love can be so strong, But God's love is way bigger than that. If we were just to acknowledge that everyday, think about how it could radically change our lives and the lives of people around us.
My family is coming to visit next week and I can't wait to see them! Tomorrow, we head back to Florida. I am so excited to see what God has in store for the next few days.
Here's How you can Pray:
-Pray that the kids aren't overcome by the wealth and materialistic attitude in the US, but their hearts and minds stay pure and they continue to sprint to the throne of God.
-Pray for the interns to be able to handle discipline problems with the kids, knowing when to speak out and how to do it in a Christ-like way. Also, pray for continued strength and energy in the interns.
-Pray for the families of the kids. They've been gone for almost a month and I know they miss their kids. Just pray that they have a comfort in knowing that their son or daughter is spreading the word of Christ and fulfilling his calling.
-Pray that our concerts aren't performances, but times of worship, even for the interns who have jobs during the concert. Pray that it is NEVER about Daraja, but always about worship and bringing people to the foot of the throne.
Thanks! Love you guys :)
Monday, June 14, 2010
Really, this job NEVER stops. I'm sorry it takes me so long to update, but Daraja has been crazy busy! This past Wednesday, we had our first Big Stuf performance. The kids sung for 1500 students. I can't even begin to tell you how cool it was to see high school kids and Kenyan children worshiping the same God-he is so big! That night, we had a concert at North Star as well, which was awesome! The way these kids worship with their whole heart and run after God is incredible. We then went to Phoenix City, Alabama and had an awesome concert there Friday night! The people were so sweet. Yesterday, we had two concerts in Colombus, Georgia. The late service at Rivertown was AWESOME. God totally showed up and the congregation was full of energy! I can't even begin to tell you how many different ways God worked in the service, but it was amazing. Tomorrow, we are headed back to Panama City Beach for Big Stuf on Wednesday!
Violet and Dan flew into the US LAST NIGHT and arrived in Colombus tonight!! How GREAT is our God that he would allow this beautiful little 11 year old orphaned girl come on tour with us. I am so excited that Daraja 2010 is now complete and I can't wait to see what all she brings to the choir and how God uses her story to share him with others.
The kids are learning to swim pretty quickly! For the ones lagging behind, they are starting to catch up and we've seen a lot of improvement! Also, the kids are working so hard in school. Some of them are so far behind, but their love for school and desire to work hard and do better is incredible. It's definitely going to get them so far.
God is doing so much through these kids. He is touching so many lives, and not even just the lives of the families we've stayed with. I believe he's going to do even bigger things this summer and I am so excited and blessed to be a part of life change.
I wish I could communicate all my joy that I've experience in a blog, but the amount of it that the Lord has poured out is almost unfathomable. You HAVE to make sure to see these kids sometime!
I would ask that you pray for three things:
-Pray that God be glorified in everything Daraja does. Let no concert have the focus on the children, but let it be a time of worship of our incredible Father. Everything we say and do should be a reflection of him, and I ask that you pray for God to remind us of that everyday.
-Pray for the kids. Some of them are starting to miss home, and I pray that God can get them through and help them realize how many lives their changing and the huge ways in which they are advancing the kingdom of God.
-Pray for energy and strength in the interns. Parenting and disciplining can be hard and unclear at times, especially when we are tired, but pray that each day, God will give us what we need to do what he has called us to do.
Thanks for all of your support. I love you guys so much :)
-Ragan
Violet and Dan flew into the US LAST NIGHT and arrived in Colombus tonight!! How GREAT is our God that he would allow this beautiful little 11 year old orphaned girl come on tour with us. I am so excited that Daraja 2010 is now complete and I can't wait to see what all she brings to the choir and how God uses her story to share him with others.
The kids are learning to swim pretty quickly! For the ones lagging behind, they are starting to catch up and we've seen a lot of improvement! Also, the kids are working so hard in school. Some of them are so far behind, but their love for school and desire to work hard and do better is incredible. It's definitely going to get them so far.
God is doing so much through these kids. He is touching so many lives, and not even just the lives of the families we've stayed with. I believe he's going to do even bigger things this summer and I am so excited and blessed to be a part of life change.
I wish I could communicate all my joy that I've experience in a blog, but the amount of it that the Lord has poured out is almost unfathomable. You HAVE to make sure to see these kids sometime!
I would ask that you pray for three things:
-Pray that God be glorified in everything Daraja does. Let no concert have the focus on the children, but let it be a time of worship of our incredible Father. Everything we say and do should be a reflection of him, and I ask that you pray for God to remind us of that everyday.
-Pray for the kids. Some of them are starting to miss home, and I pray that God can get them through and help them realize how many lives their changing and the huge ways in which they are advancing the kingdom of God.
-Pray for energy and strength in the interns. Parenting and disciplining can be hard and unclear at times, especially when we are tired, but pray that each day, God will give us what we need to do what he has called us to do.
Thanks for all of your support. I love you guys so much :)
-Ragan
Sunday, June 6, 2010
First Week of Summer Tour!
How do I even BEGIN to describe the past week? God has been working in HUGE ways already. The kids flew in Monday night, which was soo cool. As soon as they came up the escalators, we all started cheering and ran to the kids to give them hugs. Definitely one of the best experience. The next days were spent getting the kids back on their feet from jet lag and adjusted to the US while the interns worked to prepare the bus and inventory and everything else for tour. It was a week of firsts- first night in the US, first plan ride, first shower, first pool experience, first American meal, first host home, and so many more. The kids are adjusting so quickly! They are learning how to swim and getting used to everything. Violet was not able to travel with the choir though because they could not get her passport. Dan stayed behind, and after two years, many prayers, hard work, and God's will, WE GOT HER PASSPORT!!!!! She and Dan will be flying in at the end of this week, and we could NOT be more excited. Such a miracle, and we are so thankful. Thursday, we sung at a rest home in Alpharetta. It was SUCH a way to start off tour-we were serving, and it was one of the most rewarding things. The kids loved interacting with the people and getting to sing for them. Friday, we had a practice concert which went really well! A lot of host homes came, and the interns practiced the sound system and store while the kids sung and danced in costume. Yesterday, we had dentist appointments! Some of the kids were scared, but they got through it and had a lot of fun. In all, between the chaperones and the kids, there were 100 cavities: guess that means a lot more of the dentist is in store! So thankful for the office, though, and that they bring in all their technicians to work on our kids. After that, we headed to Peachtree City! The people here are great and we've had so much fun. This morning, the kids had their first concert at Southside Church. They did two services and sung for the kids, too. They were worshiping with everything they have, and I couldn't have been more proud of them! I have come to realize that for the next two months, i am a parent! It's awesome and I am loving every minute of it :) This afternoon, a few of the chaperones and our host families got together and the kids got to swim. Most of them learned how to swim today! Tomorrow, we leave for Panama City to sing at Big Stuf Wednesday! The kids are so excited :)
God is teaching me so much already. He's teaching me selflessness. This life is NOT about me, even though I've done a great job convincing myself it is for the last 19 years. God is SO good and I am reminded daily to get off of my throne and let him rule my life. I am also learning just HOW huge god's love is for us. I have fallen crazy in love with 23 kenyan children over the past 3 weeks and would do absolutely anything for them, but the truth is that God's love for us is sooo much bigger than that, it's unfathomable. I am also learning to fully lean on God every day. I love this internship so much, but it is exhausting. There is no way any human can do this job. I am learning every day to wake up and ask God to give me the strength and love and compassion to do what he wants me to do, and he NEVER fails. He is incredible.
I have seen so many blessings over the past few weeks it'd be impossible for me to list them all. I think one that I want to highlight is that we are blessed in America, but we should remember that true joy has nothing to do with material possessions. Most of these kids have less than we buy in one day, and they are some of the happiest children I have ever met. Also, they are so thankful, which is something I have learned from them. When they pray, they say "Thank you for letting us see this day, because we know there are people who wanted to see it and didn't get to." and they always ask god to "please provide for those who don't have." It's incredible how much joy and thankfulness God has put in their hearts.
Here's how you can pray this week:
-Pray that the kids continue to adjust well and that in their concerts this week, they never forget that it is all about worshiping God and doing everything for his glory.
-Pray that Violet and Dan have safe travels.
-Pray that God gives the interns and chaperones strength, love, compassion, and wisdom to guide these kids in the way he wants them to go.
I will update more soon! Thank you guys for all you do; you have no idea how much I love y'all!
-Ragan
God is teaching me so much already. He's teaching me selflessness. This life is NOT about me, even though I've done a great job convincing myself it is for the last 19 years. God is SO good and I am reminded daily to get off of my throne and let him rule my life. I am also learning just HOW huge god's love is for us. I have fallen crazy in love with 23 kenyan children over the past 3 weeks and would do absolutely anything for them, but the truth is that God's love for us is sooo much bigger than that, it's unfathomable. I am also learning to fully lean on God every day. I love this internship so much, but it is exhausting. There is no way any human can do this job. I am learning every day to wake up and ask God to give me the strength and love and compassion to do what he wants me to do, and he NEVER fails. He is incredible.
I have seen so many blessings over the past few weeks it'd be impossible for me to list them all. I think one that I want to highlight is that we are blessed in America, but we should remember that true joy has nothing to do with material possessions. Most of these kids have less than we buy in one day, and they are some of the happiest children I have ever met. Also, they are so thankful, which is something I have learned from them. When they pray, they say "Thank you for letting us see this day, because we know there are people who wanted to see it and didn't get to." and they always ask god to "please provide for those who don't have." It's incredible how much joy and thankfulness God has put in their hearts.
Here's how you can pray this week:
-Pray that the kids continue to adjust well and that in their concerts this week, they never forget that it is all about worshiping God and doing everything for his glory.
-Pray that Violet and Dan have safe travels.
-Pray that God gives the interns and chaperones strength, love, compassion, and wisdom to guide these kids in the way he wants them to go.
I will update more soon! Thank you guys for all you do; you have no idea how much I love y'all!
-Ragan
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