Recap and Countdown: Kenya Calls!

God the Provider

Eight day countdown, friends! We're so eager to share about the incredible journey it has been thus far as we have gotten closer to Kenya. God has been beyond faithful in being the Provider and Encourager that He is. Just two months before the trip, we were expected to raise around $1700 each just to fly to and from Kenya. However, God wanted to drop in a little blessing. As we continued to pray, two flights opened up that only cost $1200 for each of us! Just step 1 in God dropping in blessings. As we continued to pray and seek Him, He declared through people that we would experience an "overflow of funding". And overflow it has been. Emmi began to see checks upon checks arrive in the mail. Her total of checks came out to be $1915! This has brought $715 more than what she needed, so $300 was given to the orphanage. And what about the $415? Well, friends, we're about to share another cool way God showed up.  

Hannah Nichols is a sophomore student at the University of Oklahoma who recently felt a calling from the Lord to return to Kenya. She has served at Upendo in the past, and never saw herself going back this year. But Jesus kept tugging at her heart, and when He calls us, we just can't let it go. Hannah was obedient and booked her ticket, asking the Lord to provide the funding she would need merely weeks away from the departure date. With the help from cheerful givers, Hannah has raised $1000 just in a couple of weeks. This right here is a testimony of how our God works. When we put our faith and trust in His ways, He will take care of us despite our earthly circumstances such as time. Because of the overflow that Emmi received, she is able to walk aside with Hannah and let that overflow allow Hannah to buy her airplane ticket. It is really awesome to experience God working like this- when we are obedient to his calling and combine that obedience with trust and patience He will provide. And in abundance, because our God is an abundant God.

As most of you all know the process of finding the right flight to get on can be tricky. Just as we mentioned earlier, it was a huge blessing that we found a flight with a lower price. Kelly was still in the process of raising funds and it was getting closer to the day that we had to book the tickets. With a lot of prayer and trust, God provided $650 dollars on the day that we had to book the tickets. This was exact amount Kelly was needed to fulfill the total for the airfare. It is amazing that we get to call our God Jehovah Jireh, the One who provides.
These are all just the beginning of many testimonies to come of God's glory in this mission. We already have a small team right now over in Juja, so prayers for them. On the 27th, Emmi and Kelly and three other girls are heading that way to meet up with the other team.

Ways you can pray for us:
1. safe arrival to Kenya and on the drive to Juja
2. our bodies to rest and energize quickly while adjusting to the time change
3. to be flexible and ready for The Lord to move, to go where He is calling us
4. for no one on the team to get sick (it is Kenya's summer so more Mosquitos are out)
5. to rely on The Lord for rest when the days are long and our team gets weary
6. for the new children that just moved into the Children's Home, that they don't feel behind since the other kids know us 
7. for ourselves to be confident in our authority in The Lord to do what He has called us to do
8. most important that we are always carrying the Light and Love of Jesus Christ and spreading that within Juja and in our orphanage

Friends, thank you so much for partnering up with us on this trip, and taking part in the adventure! The coolest part about this experience is that your prayers and donations have allowed you to journey through the trip with us, taking part in the incredible story God had planned. So continue to pray because the enemy seeks to steal, kill and destroy, especially as the trip gets closer. But God is sovereign and He is Immanuel, always with us.

"Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." 

Matthew 1:23 (NKJV)

My name is Emmi Coatney, and I'm a sophomore at the University of Oklahoma.  I'm studying Public Relations and minoring in Nonprofit studies, hoping to work with orphaned and abused children internationally.  I'm very excited to tell you about an upcoming missions opportunity in Kenya, Africa.  I have been to Haiti for mission work in the past, and my heart is truly overjoyed to serve here and throughout the nations. 

My name is Kelly Ewing, and I'm also a sophomore at the University of Oklahoma. I am an Early Childhood Education Major and International Studies Minor. I have been in involved with Early Childhood Development in Kenya since December 2011 when I was first introduced to a missions non-profit called Upendo Kids International. Ever since 2011, I have spent two summers in a town called Juja, Kenya working with UKI. 

"Upendo" means love in Swahili. This missions non-profit is based on the unconditional and abundant love that pours out to us from our Heavenly Father. Ever since 2007, Upendo Kids has been actively working in the community of Juja, Kenya. Throughout these years we have seen the starkness of poverty and how real it is. We have seen children abandonment and 6 year old kids on the streets mothering their younger sibling. These children get their childhood taken out of their hands and are forced to take on the role of a parental figure. But, these are the children of our Lord. These are brothers and sisters in Christ and together we make up the global church. Scripture tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:39) and I know myself doesn't want to be starving and left out in the streets. Myself wants to be secure, receiving a proper education, and being loved. This is what we want to give to these beautiful kiddos: an opportunity. They deserve it. Our heart's passion for Upendo Kids International is to flood the Love of God into their lives, loving them the way Christ loves us. Our desire is for this community to be empowered by the Love of God. Our desire is to raise up children with Love and see them run in the success that deserve: an education, clothes, a full belly everyday, a safe home, and free from physical, spiritual, and sexual abuse. 

Both of us, Emmi and Kelly, are taking a trip during our Christmas break to bring Christmas to these children. We will be in Juja, Kenya from December 26 till January 8th. God's Word's says,"Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" (Isaiah 6:8) We are both taking this call on for Kenya, stepping up, and saying, "Here we are Lord, use us." 

We will be leading a Vacation Bible School and Christmas program for the children. We’re excited because the orphanage holds children from toddler to teenage years, so our program will allow for the older ones to be leaders to the younger children, by helping us lead the activities. We’ll get to pour into them and help them realize that they are leaders, and have the ability to help their community know Christ and make Him known.  

We are passionate, determined, and expectant to see God keep moving in massive ways in Juja this December. We need YOU and YOUR help to get this mission going. We need your love and prayers. We need your support. But, not for us. These kids, our Upendo Kids, need your help. Help us help Kenya. 

We are excited for this journey we are both embarking on together. To God be all the GLORY.

Upendo Kwanza,
Love First,

Emmi and Kelly