Team Members: Janice & Christian

Hello there, and welcome back to our Udada team blog! This week's blog post starts off our team introductions series which we will be sharing over the next few weeks!  We will host these introductions in Q&A style!  First off is yours truly, the author behind the words you're reading: me!

 Introducing: Janice

Q: So, where are you from?

A: Waco, Texas

Q: What is your profession?

A: I am an instructional specialist at Woodway Elementary.  My role is multifaceted but I can summarize it as supporting teachers by coaching, training, providing/creating resources, and analyzing and creating data reports for teacher use. 

Q: What are you most excited about/looking forward to in regards to our trip?

A: I am excited about so many things: meeting the ladies at Amani and hearing their stories, getting to see beautiful Africa, and also, just anticipating what God is going to do there!

Q: What is your favorite scripture verse?

A: One of my life-long verses has been Proverbs 3:5-6 which says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."

Q: Anything else you would like to share?

A:  Not that I can think of other than sharing my sheer excitement for what God has in store for us all in Africa! 

 Introducing: Christian

Q: So, where are you from?

A: Texas.

Q: What is your profession?

A: I am a Registered Nurse.

Q: What are you most excited about/looking forward to in regards to our trip?

A: I am most excited to be back in such a warm and welcoming country, and am excited to meet some new people and share a new experience.  

Q: What is your favorite scripture verse?

A: My favorite scripture verse is Romans 5:8, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." 

Thank you for partnering with us in so many ways!  Please pray for each of us as we continue to prepare for our visit to Kenya.  Here are a few current prayer requests:

• That all funds necessary would be raised and submitted in time.                                                    
• That all the necessary logistics would be made with ease on our end and in Kenya.                        
• That God would continue to prepare our hearts and minds for the work He has appointed for us.  
• Grace for our Marvelous team leader, Melanie, as she leads our team in all of the above!        

Mungu awabriki!

(God bless you!)    
                                                                                                                         

Udada Means Sisterhood

     Jambo, and welcome to our Udada blog!  In the process of thinking of a name for our team blog, we discovered that the Swahili word for sisterhood is udada.  We could not think of a better name for our team as we are a group of sisters in Christ going to serve women who have formed a bond, or a sisterhood if you will, through their struggles as refugees and their life-giving experiences at Amani Ya Juu.  

    Despite Covid and the many things happening around the globe in all areas of life, God is moving and we are blessed to get the opportunity to serve Him in Kenya!  The opportunities are many and varied, and each of us brings unique gifts and skills.  From hosting dental clinics to coordinating and leading a kids camp to working alongside the women at Amani as they work to create products that support their families, we are excited and expectant of what God has in store for us all!

    As we prepare and await those days of serving in Africa, we invite you to journey with us. In the days to come, we will take time to introduce our team members to you, share prayer needs, and simply keep you posted on our process of "getting out the door." Thank you for supporting us on this journey!  Your prayers and financial support mean so much!  They also mean that you are a vital team member that we cannot do without.  So, once again, welcome, or as they say in Kenya, karibu!  

Some of the refugee women working at Amani.