Hey guys, I'm Will. You probably know that already. What you might not know is that I will be living in Kenya this summer. Am I excited? Most definitely! God has blown me away y'all. The purpose of this blog is to keep you updated about my experiences and to share what God is up to. You can add your email if you would like to be alerted when I add posts.
So, how come I'm going to Kenya? Well...
Last year,
in several small ways, God made it clear to me that He was going to send me abroad
this summer. I did not know where, with whom, or even how. All I knew was why –
to live out the Great Commission and share the Good News of Christ. At the time
I was scared. I almost hoped that if I pushed the idea aside, than God would
drop the whole thing. Needless to say, He didn’t. He persistently reminded me
of my calling, much like He did when Jonah ran from his calling in Nineveh,
minus the whale episode, of course. If there’s one thing God has taught me
recently, it has been to trust in Him and to not rely on my own understanding
(Prov. 3:5). So, I began to pray. On Feb. 14, those prayers were answered when I
received a phone call from Nathan Smith, the president of Love Africa Mission,
asking me to go to Kenya as a Core Team leader. In that moment, I tangibly
experienced the goodness that Paul wrote about:
“In all things He works for the good of those
who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans
8:28)
Love Africa
Mission exists to share God’s love with the people of Africa. They have been
established in Kenya for many years. I will live in Kijabe, Kenya from May 12
to August 1 with the Core Team (five of us) and help lead mission teams of
students and adults who will travel to Kijabe for two weeks at a time. We will lead
daily devotionals, have missionaries share their stories at dinner, get the
teams acquainted with the area, and serve Christ in many other ways.
There are several local ministries that Love Africa partners with in Kenya:
* CURE - a hospital for physically disabled children
* Rift Valley Academy (RVA) - a school for the children of missionaries serving in Africa
* Naomi’s Village - an orphanage for
young children
* Southern Cross Academy Feeding Program - enables the school to have full school days by providing food for the children
* Little Lambs - a daycare program for kids orphaned by HIV/AIDS
* Comfort the Children International - an organization that builds relationships and programs that empower Kenyan communities to succeed on their own
* Kijabe Hospital - a fully equipped hospital providing health care for God's glory
* And others...
These ministries have been established for several years. Rather than attempting to raise up our own ministry in the short time we are there, Love Africa partners with missionaries that are sharing God's love through time-tested relationship in ministries such as the ones listed above.
This
is where you come in.
I believe
in the power of prayer. Time and time again, I have witnessed how God
powerfully responds when His children come humbly before the throne in prayer.
The scriptures tell us that our heavenly Father delights to “give good things
to those who ask him” (Matt. 7:11). I write to ask that you PRAY for me, for my
team, and for the people we encounter as we share Jesus’ love. Please pray that
I would be a humble leader who exemplifies Christ, and that my team would be
united in the singular goal of seeing HIS NAME lifted high. I would be so
grateful if you would partner with me in prayer. Additionally, you could
partner with me financially. The total cost of the trip is $4,500. At this
point, about $500 has been raised. Although a daunting sum remains, it is
exciting to know that God will provide. I am convinced of this since it was He
who placed this passion within me and He who opened the doors necessary to get
me there. He will provide. Prayerfully consider whether or not you should give.
But either way, remember that prayer is far more essential.
If God puts it on
your heart to support me, there are two ways to go about this:
1) You may send a check payable to Love Africa Mission and address the envelope as follows.
Love Africa Mission
Attn: Love Africa Donation for Will Caswell
4001 Hanks Creek Lane
Belmont, NC 28012
2) You may also give online at loveafricamission.org/donate/, but it is a little more complicated.
Here's how it works:
~ On the Donate page, scroll down to where it says "Sponsor a College Student to Serve in Kenya" and click the box titled "YOU PICK THE AMOUNT".
~ This will take you to a payment page titled Nathan Smith Ministries where you can enter the amount you would like to give. You can either pay using PayPal or select the continue button to pay with a credit card or bank account.
~ In the end you should come to a page to review your donation. This is the important part. You will see the words Add special instructions to the seller:. You must click this to open up a text box. Write "Love Africa Donation for Will Caswell" into this text box so that your gift is attributed to my account.
All gifts
are tax deductible and you will receive a giving statement.
This is still very surreal to me. I have no idea what I'm walking into. Having never been to Africa before, I'm sure that I will be stunned by its vast difference from the US. I know that God is going to blow my expectations far away. Would he be madly glorified in Kenya this summer. And remember, the mission field is HUGE. As followers of Christ, we walk in power wherever we go! We can't shake His presence. Let's allow the Spirit to flow in and through us as we share the Hope and Joy of Christ, that alone is able to quench the thirst of a parched world.
And again, I ask that you please pray.
In Christ alone,
Will
