Jambi Rafiki!
We started the day feeling refreshed after sleeping in an extra hour. I took some time to journal while gazing out at the Kenyan landscape before we gathered for a delicious breakfast. Excitement filled the air as we dressed in our tailored Kenyan shirt, a thoughtful gift made by a friend of Revina’s family, and prepared to meet our church family.
We piled into the bus for a short drive to Springs of Worship Church in Nakuru, where smiles, hugs, and handshakes greeted us. A team of women led the singing, accompanied by piano and drums. Then the kids took the stage and surprised us with their dance moves. We sang, worshipped, shouted hallelujahs, and danced our offerings to the collection bin because, as Pastor Samson reminded us, God loves a cheerful giver. He also encouraged us to make sure the person next to us was smiling. After all, the Lord’s house is meant to be a place of joy.
We then heard three Spirit-filled messages from Truett students—Jared Noel, Revina Cheptala, and Sarah Martinez. They spoke about the beauty of God’s creation, His faithfulness during difficult times, and how our actions can share the gospel without words. Thanks to the church’s translator, their messages reached the Kenyan congregation in their mother tongue. After the preaching, the church invited us to sing our songs for the congregation. They responded with enthusiasm, joining in on the songs they recognized and blessing us with their brightest smiles and loudest applause. It was a beautiful time of fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
After church, we made a quick stop to try raw sugar cane, which our drivers, Charles and Joseph, picked up from a street vendor for us. It’s one of Dr. Bradley’s favorite snacks, and we enjoyed tasting it and sharing in that experience. We arrived back at the Tocco’s for a wonderful meal of hot dogs and spent the afternoon relaxing. Some people took over the field for a game of ultimate frisbee, others laid out blankets to sit on the grass and play card games, and a few took a well-deserved rest. Later, we moved into the cafeteria to play games until the sun set and dinner was served. I had a great time relaxing, laughing, and getting to know everyone better.
The Lake Nakuru Singers joined us for dinner, and we were excited to welcome them into our group. We shared a delicious meal of roasted chicken, baked potatoes, and vegetables. After dinner, we moved into the worship space for a joyful time of music, fellowship, and dancing. The Lake Nakuru Singers completely surprised me—they began with the classic Amazing Grace, then suddenly broke into clapping and dancing, inviting us to join them on our feet. Two conga lines later, slightly out of breath from laughing, we sang two of our songs back to them as a thank you.
Caption: 👍
Tired from a truly joyful day, we packed up and headed to bed, eager to rest before our early wake-up for tomorrow’s safari adventure at the Maasai Mara.
See you tomorrow! Thanks for your prayers!
Camille Thornton