Monday 9 July 2012

Background to forming Free Spirit (Part 2)


After my trip to Kenya in 2011, I began getting many prophecies about being a mum to Africa, and to the broken, being involved in work like Heidi Baker, really working with the broken and the needy and so on. There were many that came up along the way that really made me know that Africa was where my heart is, and to work with the poor but also because God put it there. Reading about mission work and working with the poor stirred me, grew my passion and made me eager to build God's Kingdom, and to see many great things happen, for lives to be transformed, I wanted that, even if it meant going to great lengths to achieve that! 

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners." Isaiah 61:1


For the next 10 months God grew my passion and heart for Kenya so much through the work we were doing with the charity for the boys in Mombasa, and also within my course. As part of my university course (Tourism Management) I have a placement year where I am required to go and work in the industry for a year, I always wanted to do my placement year abroad, Australia was always my goal but after coming back from Kenya that all changed! I came back determined to do my placement year in Africa, or Kenya especially, I searched so hard to find one, emailing and sending letters to many companies in Kenya, but I heard nothing. I then had an interview with a placement in Mozambique but that also fell through, as well as a placement in Ecuador. My friends by this time though I was way out of my league and were telling me I need to accept that I wont be going and apply for “normal” placements in the UK like all the other people in my course, time was running out people were getting placements on my course so I begun to apply for UK placements, but I never got nothing back, not even an interview, I then knew it wasn’t right and the door was being closed, I had faith and just knew I had to find a placement in Kenya! I just had to go back I was so determined! I then happened to go for a weekend away with the CU and got talking to a friend and she told me she had a cousin in Kenya who worked for a tourism company and told me to get in contact with him, of which I did but never really got a reply. After a couple of months I was put in touch with his wife, she emailed being interested; we had Skype interviews etc and then the waiting begun which just killed me! I was told that I would get an answer the following day, but 2 weeks had passed and I heard nothing, I then was so frustrated I just called out to God saying I want to have an answer and know by tomorrow. The next morning I checked my emails nothing…again! I was like, I knew it! Then like an hour later I checked again, and there it was an offer to come and work their company for 6 weeks, God answered my pray, it was really happening I was going to Kenya!! Everyone was so surprised and couldn’t believe it, after being so discouraged I knew to keep having faith and it really happened. I then faced problems at university of it being approved, people worried I wasn’t going to a good job with a good salary like everyone else, it was dangerous etc all the rest of it as well as it being Christian! But I trusted in God that he provided this placement, and that it would all work out. And it did. I was off to Kenya!

I was to be that I was only meant to be with the company for 6 months, and I would have to find another placement elsewhere but within a couple of weeks my company were so happy with me that they made me the offer of working with them for a year which I was more than happy to accept! God really had it all in hand, and provided me with what was the most incredible year of growing in God, his heart and my heart and passion for the needy. Really learning how to develop the right principles of helping people, and the Kenyan community in particular which has really been achieved with seeing the theory and knowledge put into practice with the number of projects we work with, and the problems that occur along the way. Really understanding development and how to empower the community to a larger effect. It can’t be put into words of how much I have learnt and gained for what is being built in me for the future.

During my time in the first 6 months I really felt my love for children grow and became so deep within my heart, people telling me how amazing I was with the children it was a shocking statement to hear, from having hated children all my life until God changed that in 2010 when I came to Kenya and spent time with the boys at the children home. God gave me such a love for them was where it begun, growing to really love children and wanting to fight for the rights of children giving them what they were entitled to, my heart was breaking for children especially those in less unfortunate circumstances.

When I went back home in December (2011, after 6 months in Kenya) I felt something being stirred in me about starting a home but I thought it was a long shot and such a big idea that was impossible and it wouldn’t be until way in the future if it was to be. When I came back I felt really stirred and having such compassion for street children. I was also reading the book “Compelled by Love” at the time and it really stirred me wanting to have that passion and faith with God, being about the poor I knew it was my passion to work with the poor and yearned to see the power of God break out amongst the poor in Kenya. I then kept getting ‘break my heart for what breaks yours’ it was like God was really breaking my heart for street children. It was then that I knew God was putting it on my heart to start a home for street children, but how it was just impossible so I just pushed it down, but I just found myself having this yearning inside of me and just thinking about it all the time. One lunch time I was talking to Maureen who I work with and she said you have all this in your hands, so what are you waiting for! It then begun! Going for endless meetings, gathering information, making plans and so that is how it all begun!

At the home in August 2011. The boys have truly impacted me more than words can say, through these boys Jesus has taught me what an everlasting and unconditional love really is. These boys will always hold such a special place in my life.



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