If you had asked me three & a half years ago what I would be doing today, running a blog wouldn’t have featured in the top 3.
Consulting and training, making a difference in my world, traveling; that would have been up there.
But God. He has this amazing sense of direction. And humor.
Three years ago my husband and I uprooted our little life and marriage from Kenya and moved to the US.
Arriving from Kenya, BWI airport, in 2011
We were what you’d call “unwilling movers”.
You know the type that can’t wrap their minds around God’s instructions because they believe they have figured out His plans and they put up a spirited fight to stay where they are because they believe it’s God’s plan to stay put.
Surely His plan cannot involve moving from cushy comfy home country to another land far far away..when the whole vision involves the said home country, right?
Yes, that was us.
It took two years to process God’s mysterious ways.
Finally and with 4 suitcases, a huge dream and 2 excited sisters on the other end, we moved.
Deeper faith
Months after settling in the US, I felt God asking me to take writing more seriously.
So seriously in fact He asked me to quit running around, stay home and wait on Him.
Controversial, right. Nothing compared the havoc it wrecked in my head and heart. And with others who heard about my stay-at-home moves.
I didn’t know it then but my little blog, rather obeying God, would be a stepping stone to other things.
Over the months, God has asked me to trust Him for the impossible and represent the orphan.
He’s stripped me of my plans and ideas and been teaching me to stick with Him in the face of insurmountable doubts and fears.
He’s privileged me to connect and impact hundreds of women through this blog; using my marriage stories and lessons to encourage other wives who are walking the early miles of marriage.
Another level of faith
At the beginning of this year, God laid it in my heart to organize a marriage conference for pastors and leaders in Kenya in March 2015.
Our mission was, is, simple; If marriages can be healed, families will be healed. Then societies will be healed and nations will be turned around.
Nothing like healing starting from the top and flowing down; from pastors and leaders to the congregation and communities they influence.
Now, the way I saw it, I thought God would give us the finances for the conference first.
You know, before all the planning began. Mmhh.
The months rolled by and no money was coming in (i.e my husband did not get that big bonus I was hoping for, which was supposed to finance the conference..my ideas and hopes, in reality nothing was in the pipeline)
But by faith, we had already started planning. Set dates, talked to people, brought everything together and continued to trust God for an open a door.
One and half months ago, it occurred to me – a very s.l.o.w realization – that maybe the “open financial door” might involve reaching out to my online community.
And so.
Here we are today.
Source: The world factbook, www.geohive.com
Why a pastors conference
We, my husband and I, are passionate about equipping people (read more here), especially leaders and influencers.
In this case teaching and equipping the pastors will have a ripple effect as they impact their spheres of influence.
Pastors from the rural areas don’t get as much training and exposure as their counter parts in the city. More often than not they lack the financial resources to invest in themselves and their marriages.
Kenya is over 70% rural and traditions play a big role in people’s lives, even among the clergy. It’s not uncommon for pastors in rural areas to put traditions ahead of Christs commands.
The Conference
We will be working through a Kenyan-based marriage ministry called TwoShips Solutions.
Pastor Barnabas and Grace Achoki , the founders of Twoships have a heart and passion for marriages in Africa. They want to see marriages healed and transformed across the continent and beyond.
The goal of the two-day marriage conference will be to create a safe place for pastors, church leaders and their spouses to share their burdens and find healing for their marriages.
They will learn how to minister to one another so they can be effective ministers to their congregations.
How to Help
We would love for you to join us and help make this event a reality.
The cost of the conference is $ 3,325 for 35 couples (70 people in total).*
The funds will go towards room and meals, hiring equipment, speaker fees, printing, telephone and campaign fees.
If you would like to get involved and impact the Pastors and churches in Kisii, please click here.
You will be redirected to our giving page where you can give securely.
Other Ways to Help
* Pray for the conference, for the pastors and the planning of the event.
* Share this need on your Facebook, Twitter and other social media channels. Help us equip the Pastors in Kisii.
Thank you and God bless you as consider partnering with us in prayer and/or finances!
For clarifications or questions, get in touch with us here
*Update:
1. Our initial Indiegogo online giving page is now closed (you run a campaign for a set amount of time after which the campaign closes). We haven’t met out target yet, so we continue to raise funds. We have a new giving page for those who want to help us meet our goal. Please click here to go to our new giving page.
2. We ran into new budgetary expenses when the host hotel added to their rates. The amount in the new giving page reflects that upward adjustment.
3. We have raised $400 of our initial overall target. The funding goal indicated in the giving page is less $400.
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