The first day of main ministry was spent at Kijabe Hospital, one of the main hospitals in Kenya. We were greeted by a wonderful woman by the name of Mercy. She is the chaplain of the children's ward, and she shared with us her testimony and passion for Christ.
This woman radiates God's light more than anyone I have ever met. She knows every child and mother in the hospital by name, and she cares deeply for each and every one of them. She takes the time to write each child's name and "Jesus loves you" on a sign above their beds.
We spent the entire morning in the children's ward, going into rooms and praying over mothers and children. It was one of the biggest ministry challenges I've had (up to that point). I pray with friends and family here at home, but I had never prayed in front of strangers before.
Not only was the stage fright a challenge, but also just witnessing so much illness and pain. These kids were sick. Not just strep throat, go home in an hour, sick. One mother I talked to was sitting with her two-month-old son. They had been in the hospital for one month. Half of his life. I didn't visit with anyone who had been there less than two weeks. The mothers rarely leave their baby's side.
It's hard to describe exactly what we saw there. I didn't take pictures of patients, of course. I'm a missionary - not a tourist. There were children with enlarged heads, deformed limbs, terrifying coughs. Mothers who had lost almost all hope. They begged me to pray for their kids. I got over my stage fright pretty fast. These families needed prayer more than I needed to stay comfortable.
A new team visited the hospital every day that week. By the end of it, Mercy was overjoyed to report that no children had died - usually they had three or four deaths each week. Miraculous healings had occurred. Enlarged heads shrunk back to normal size, a woman who came in the morning unable to use her legs walked home that night, the blind saw. God moved.
This was just the first step in the amazing journey of Kenya. Each day, God would prepare us for what was to come in the next. I would have never imagined anything we saw that week. I went on this trip with no expectations - and God still blew me out of the water.
