Well, I arrived safely back in the good ol’ US of A after an
unexpected stay in Ethiopia due to flight issues. I was travelling a total of
65 hours. My departure from Kenya was bittersweet. I was sad to leave this
wonderful place that has blessed me so much, but was simultaneously filled with
joy because I knew I would be meeting my mom and sister at the DFW airport.
They returned to the US to get Elizabeth settled at university and I can’t
express how excited I was to see them. I could hardly sit still during the last
leg of my journey!
So, you have journeyed with me,
across the globe, through many adventures and much joy as we have witnessed
what God is doing in the beautiful country of Kenya. You may remember what I
wrote in my first letter to all of you. I did not promise to impact lives, but
rather asked you to pray that God would set up divine appointments. I did tell
you that I knew my time in Kenya would have the most impact on my own personal
life. I hoped to see missions from a different perspective. I hoped to
experience and learn from other ideas of how to do ministry while getting to
know a different country and culture. I hoped to see how God would tug at my
heart, guiding and preparing me for my future.
At the conclusion of my time, I can
look back and say that I’ve experienced growth in each of those areas.
Experiencing different ways to minster was easy. The challenge was trying to
intentionally put them into practice. The improvement of my story-telling
ability was probably the most dramatic example as I saw how effective it was
and unconsciously began following the example.
When I was in the Turkana bush with Randy Coates and his daughter,
Nichole, I got to watch them both tell the people Bible stories. Both Randy and
Nichole captured everyone’s attention as they dramatized the Bible story,
speaking from memory as they walked around the circle, constantly turning so as
to make eye contact with as many people as possible. They would interact with
the audience through questions and repetition. But most impactful in my mind
was how they called people from the audience to play parts of the story. “You,
old man, stand up. You are the shepherd looking for your one lost sheep. Look!
There he is! Oh, you are so excited!” By having the people themselves involved
and acting out the story, the man’s joy at finding his sheep became more real.
The kids laughed, the peoples’ hearts sung with joy and clapping began. They
could relate to finding lost livestock.
Of course, I have also gotten to know a different country and
culture. For the most part, it was not hard for me to adjust and I’ve seen that,
though there are many differences, there are also tons of similarities, both in
Ecuador and the United States.
Regarding
God’s pull on my heart, I still know I have a deep love for the nations and
definitely want to serve the Lord overseas one day. He has not told me,
“Tabitha, go to Kenya!” as I sometimes hoped, but he has definitely not closed
that door, either. I know that he will continue to guide my heart and instead
of impatiently demanding he tell me now what’s in store for me in the future,
I’m going to continue asking God for patience to wait and trust.
My time
in Kenya was full; full of God’s love and teaching, new friends, and tons of
new experiences. I have been blessed beyond words during the past two and a
half months in Kenya. I think, when I look back at this time, I will be able to
see an even bigger impact on my life than I can even fathom now, which is so
exciting. Words cannot express how thankful I am for each of you. Thank you for
your support, both by prayer and financially, and for caring about my life. You
have blessed me.
With great joy in Christ,
Tabitha
I thank my God every time I remember you. In
all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because
of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now…. Philippians
1:3-5
