Members of the Heartbeat Team have written their personal impressions of their trip to Taita Hills. We welcome you to share these impressions which are readable by clicking the icon on the left of the following entries.

Elaine

  Charlie

Tammy

 Shawna  

Joan

  Gabe

Deborah

Ruth

What a wonderful privilege for me to write up this report for the Heartbeat team who has returned from our mission trip to Kenya.

It was and will continue to be such a highlight of my own life and I know the team have been tremendously moved themselves by all we saw, experienced, and learned from our brothers and sisters in Africa.

Our trip began with a royal welcome in Mombasa airport, complete with roses for everyone and hugs and kisses from the leaders, and our brothers and sisters. Our hearts were won! After greeting the family of God in Mombasa, we were on our way to Taita Hills with Bishop Dickson Ochuto, in two vans. The trip was an experience in itself as we travelled for over four hours to arrive at the edge of the Jungle!!

But we were met, at this late hour, in the village by a large group of pastors and people who had waited for all of those hours to greet us and welcome us to their village and it was overwhelming to experience the love and excitement. Exhaustion fled as we looked and listened to the greetings and the worship and celebration!

As the days sped by, we taught, preached, ministered to many of the pastors and leaders who had come to Taita Hills for this conference of healing. Their eager response was a blessing in itself…we were moved to tears many times as we listened to their hearts as they responded to the messages and to us. But oh, we were learning so much….much about service and love, commitment and dying to self, watching these dear pastors who are pouring out their lives. Such a love for their people was a rare and precious site for all of us to see. Their hearts to help their people and provide food and shelter for the widows and orphans was pure and humbling.

We learned that these many leaders have divided their country into four districts with leadership in each district, so that they can take their whole country for God. The Lord has given them strategies and they are moving, a mighty army for His Glory to take their land.

As we met with the Pastors and heard their needs and saw their heart for the Lord and His people, we knew that God was speaking to us, at Heartbeat as well. We knew that we were one with our brothers and sisters and our vision began to expand into global ideas as they poured out their hearts . They so desire to raise and maintain the preaching standard of the gospel, to receive more training, to reach the unsaved in their communities. They network with other churches to help one another, to share whatever resources they have to feed and house the incapacitated, helping the orphans to eat, and get and stay in school. Many many of the pastors and their people bring the orphans into their homes, just as the word of God teaches. And many of them do not have enough food for their own families, let alone the orphans.

All children have to pay for their education after elementary, and orphans have no income. Also it is important to them to encourage positive living through teaching of the word of God. He is their hope. For many, Jesus is all they have. I thought about the many times I have sung Christian songs about Jesus being my all in all and He is all I need and all I have…but for many of our brothers and sisters in Kenya, this is a living truth. Jesus is their only hope, He is all they have. He is their everything! With no food, no medical care, no shelter, no future, He is ALL!

Many times this reality caused some of us to weep, but more often they taught us to rejoice with them. As one sister said to me, “When we have food, everyone eats, and when we don’t, we all sleep. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

We didn’t so much hear faith preached, we saw it in action, and we were blessed. We saw Heb. 11:1 being lived before our very eyes. I was thrilled to listen to these men and women share their faith and love for the Lord Jesus Christ. Many times I was so moved as I listened to them talk and share testimonies of what the Lord has done. I could hardly believe some of the experiences they shared, things I’ve only read about. How I thank the Lord for His Presence and Power in their lives.

I was so thrilled to serve with the team that God hand- picked for this trip. Wow!! Only God could have put us all together. I watched this wonderful group of people as they poured out their lives, their finances, their love, their time, their hearts for their brothers and sisters in Kenya. And receive back a double portion into their lives. I saw these men, women and child, move into gifts that they hadn’t used before. Some of them preaching at crusades, or teaching the leaders and people, ministering to the sick and to everyone who wanted prayer. I watched as the “River of God’ began to flow into the streets in Taita Hills and in Mombasa and the joy that was received because of God’s Spirit moving. I watched the team as Father broke and spilled out their alabaster boxes, just as He promised He would do.

I listened as the Kenyan people prayed for Canada, her people and her leaders, especially in the church. We saw God move in healing and change the hearts and lives of many, many people, we rejoiced as people were delivered and set free. And still this team had more compassion, MORE. It was not difficult when someone got up to speak, to know that it was God who filled their mouths. What a thrill to see our oldest grand-daughter, Gabriel, be birthed in preaching, and teaching as she stood to address the crowd, God’s anointing just as strong on her as any of us. And to see the effect she had on the hundreds of children. They loved her. It was a trip that was not a trip…but a ‘call’ to our brothers and sisters in Kenya, a call to come alongside, to lift up their hands and encourage them, even as they encouraged us.

“To whom much is given, much is required.” Will we ever be the same? A resounding no! Do we want to be? No!

Even as I share with you, an orphanage has been started, the bricks are being made, and the children will have a place to rest and eat. Thank you, to those of you who gave of your finances, that others might be blessed. As you look at the pictures, understand that this is only a small picture of what we encountered. But also know that if we help the one in front of us, others will help others.

We also know that Heartbeat Ministries has always had a mandate to equip the body and to bring healing and wholeness as stated in Isaiah 61. What a wonderful strategy of the Lord to begin to use us to equip in the physical realm and not just the spiritual.

Jesus said “As you have done to the least of these, my brother, you have done to me” (my paraphrase)

How exciting for all of us to know this is His Heartbeat! ‘To help the widows and feed the orphans.’

Did we see the supernatural and the signs and wonders? Yes, but how much more important that we saw and heard Father’s Heartbeat for His children. All of His children. How blessed we are to have gone and returned, changed forever by His hand and to know we will go again, because He says we will. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

We arrived in Kenya to the fragrance of roses, the love and joy of our brothers and sisters, their visions and dreams fulfilled that we would come. We leave with tears and a rose…tears of love, hearts touched forever and the Rose of Sharon drawing us together in His design.

Written by Charlie

Even though I went to Kenya to help with the inner healing of the people, I felt I had an additional mandate - to look at things we could do to help the people in a monetary way. I was not disappointed in what I envisioned while I was there.

To look into the eyes of these people and see their love and their willingness to do anything they can to help and knowing they don't have the means was heartbreaking. To see what can be accomplished with so little money is so sad when we have so much and they so little.

To know what I spend on one coffee per day is more than they earn in one day. I thought of the many things I could do so I decided I must now put my money where my mouth is.

Many interesting things have happened since then. We have all come to much the same conclusion and so begins the many things that you will see in our team’s work.

I met many wonderful new friends there that have left such a lasting impression. These are good, wonderful, hard working, loving people.

We are focused on what to do and how to do it. We are not overwhelmed by our great mandate because God has given it to us. My request is to all, won't you get on board with our team and help? We are proving what can be done to help these dear orphans, widows and other aids victims who are in such immediate need. Besides isn't this what Jesus said to do?

Written by: Tammy Murphy

Nothing could have properly prepared me for the journey I was about to embark on; both in the natural and in the spiritual. During my growing up years, it seemed as though I was surrounded by family and friends whose deepest desires were to go to African countries or other third world countries on evangelistic or other outreach type mission trips. This was not my desire at all, as a matter of fact I was completely satisfied to stay at home, run the family business, keep the home fires burning, and tend to any other matters that needed tending to (or so I told myself) . Besides, if I went away what type of facilities would I be kept in, how would I get any sleep if I had to share a room, what if people cracked their gum in closed quarters and I was driven to insanity, what if there were obese spiders waiting to strike.....These were honestly my thoughts, amidst the thoughts of seeing people suffering and not being able to handle it because I could not help them. You can see the "I" pattern and God showed me this pattern soon after we learned of the opportunity of a trip to Kenya, Africa; to not only take the teachings of healing and intimacy but to take the River of God to our brothers and sisters in the Lord.

When I learned of the up coming trip to Kenya and we were asked to pray and ask the Lord if it was His desire for us to go, I said one sincere phrase to the Lord and He took me at my word, "O.K. Lord if You want me to go You will have to put the desire in my heart because not only would I rather stay home to watch the homefront but I'm scared at the very thought of going that far from my country that is comfortable and leaving my children behind." So many "what if's" flooded my mind that I thought I would be consumed. I quickly suggested to Mike that he pray as well because I was sure if anyone went it would be him; he had mission experience and I did not.

I am now excited to say that God must have looked deep within my heart and saw something that I could never have seen because He started to stir up this subtle feeling of desire to go. As I contemplated in my mind over and over, "is it you Lord or me", I was about to find out. Again, He heard my question and quickly answered me. I heard a prophesy the Lord had for the team going to Kenya that He was going to break open each one of their alabaster boxes and pour out to the people of Kenya. When I heard that word I don't think I was ever so impacted before by a word that cut straight to my heart and I knew I WAS going... definitely! IT TOTALLY AMAZED ME BECAUSE I WAS WAITING FOR A "THUS SAITH THE LORD" but instead knew from this word that He wanted to break and pour out my alabaster box. (I did not realize at the time that I WAS the box and He would break me open.)

Much happened during preparation time even facing the thoughts of leaving my loved ones behind and dealing with all those emotions, yet pushing forward to a new level of obedience. I had no idea that the reward would be so great and that this trip would far surpass any expectations that I could have ever had. I have to say that even having great assurance that this was totally God I still struggled even as we reached Montreal. I silently cried to God knowing that I now could not turn back, I was on my way to the unknown. Was I ever in for a surprise.....

The trip to Kenya could be described as unbelievably incredible and indescribable with English words; the Kenyan ladies taught us a Kenyan celebration cheer that would come close..... I went to serve but was served (like royalty), I went to teach but was taught lessons that I could never have learned in Canada . I went to obey and to sacrifice but saw the true meaning of obedience and sacrifice among the Kenyan people. We got to experience the freedom of the Lord in a country that is otherwise destitute. There are no lukewarm Christians there; you're either a sold out to Jesus Christian or a heathen. They do not water down the blood of Jesus but preach it with everything that's in them. They are hungry for every new nugget of truth you can share with them and are fully open to receive it even if that means making themselves vulnerable. Jesus is their ALL, they don't have so many comforts to fall back on so they fall on HIM. Never could I have imagined the relationships I was to make with my brothers and sisters abroad; when we met it was as though we were reuniting with long lost family members. This experience put the "family of God" in true perspective. We went to another continent to stay with people we had never met before and yet it was like being home away from home. The material comforts of home were not there, yet the comfort we felt with these beautiful people was undescribable. These people were amazing and my only regret was that my family was not there to share this experience and they would have to settle for my say so. This trip has spoiled me for normal life in Canada; I don't ever want to go back to complacent living; taking for granted all the blessings around me (with the help of the Lord). The Lord gave us unique opportunities to find out the specific needs of the people there, and their surrounding communities, and He gave us God ordained contacts in order to set up facilitating resources to Kenya for the widows, the orphans, the poor and the broken-hearted. God has not forgotten any of us and He has proven it over and over again....He has not forgotten those in need in Kenya and He sent us across the world to let them know this. He has definitely not forgotten me because He gave me a life altering opportunity to be broken open and to be poured out in ways that were not possible on my own. He gave me the absolute blessing to be His arms extended; to hug orphans, hold the hands of people sick with aids or malaria or even typhoid, to help in the provision of feeding orphans and caring for the widows, to yell "Jambo"(hello) to a passerby who didn't yet know the love of Jesus. He has taught me the utmost importance of obedience and how often it's the little things that carry the fragrance of our Lord.

Trying to describe my experience in Kenya, Africa in words just doesn't seem to do any justice but what I can say is thank-you to my Lord Jesus for not passing me by and for giving me such an incredible experience with an incredible team of incredible people, when I didn't deserve it and could never have earned it. But I guess that's what He's all about... unconditional love, grace and mercy.

Written by: Gabe Maxwell

Well, my mother, Shawna, was going to Africa in just a few months. I also wanted to go. 

For some reason, even though I was and am a child, I just felt the urge to leave on the air plane with Heart Beat to Kenya, Africa. I believe this was God.

Mother said she would pray about it. I had already prayed and knew the answer was yes.

A new day and Mum and Dad had said yes.

When I got to Africa, everything was a bit new at first, different waking times, new foods, black  people (that was the best change!), and a whole new continent to explore.           

What really moved me was that, children were actually homeless, hungry, had no toys, and worst of all, alot of them didn't have parents. These children were either put into orphanages, or left to fend for themselves, and their siblings.

It was like walking into World Vision.

The team and I gave out candies, toys, and friendship bracelets.

It felt so good to see their scratched, bruised, tear stained, sad faces really smile.

And that's my word of experiencing Taita Hills!

Written by Joan

My heart still warms when I think of Kenya. The team spent just under three weeks there ministering to the people getting to know their culture, the food....which was delicious, and seeing the hearts of the people and feeling the heart of God for the people of Kenya.

They are a tenacious people, who have a great deal of endurance and patience as they have learned to overcome great obstacles. A very giving people so willing to share what they have; often to do without themselves.

They know their God as Jehovah Jireh....their complete provider, and their total dependence on God is very evident in their daily lives.

There are many demonic forces and corruption they must overcome. Prayer in their churches is a daily occurrence. When the sounds of the mosques echo over their land at 5 a.m. they can be found in their churches doing warfare with the enemy.
They are also true worshipers. From the youngest to the oldest they love to worship God. As we visited in the orphanages we saw the faces of the children come alive when worship began. Some perhaps did not have a lot to eat that day but they were always ready to worship their God.

With God's help and as an answer to prayer they now have a computer system which is used by 187 pastors, a complete sound system which is used for their open air crusades, and an orphanage built to house 50 children. As of late they now have clean water running into the church and village of Taita Hills. My heart overflows with the goodness of God's people who gave money so willingly before the team left for KENYA  and for those who continue to give. It was your faithfulness that enabled heartbeat to meet the immediate needs in Kenya.

When I close my eyes and think of Kenya I can still see the beautiful faces of the people. I can hear their wonderful music and style of worship. Bishop Dixon who initially invited the team to come, his son Ben and Catherine his wife and all the people of Taita Hills...we will never forget your love and hospitality. And to Bishop Juma and wife Mary in Mombassa who housed the team for a week and fed us so well, are hearts are most grateful for you.

I found everything about Africa so beautiful. We were fortunate enough to visit a large game reserve and see all the wonderful animals.....and swim in the Indian Ocean which was soooo awesome!

Part of my heart has been captured by Kenya. I have so many people ask me if I will be going back. Only God knows for sure but I will forever be grateful to Him for allowing me to be part of the team that went to Kenya.

Written by: Deborah Young

Upon reflecting on my trip to Kenya with Heartbeat Ministries, I have to say that my life will never be the same again. There isn't a day goes bye since August 2005 that I haven't thought about Kenya and the beautiful people we met. Taita Hills has my heart. I long to return and live among the villagers, to work with the Pastors in the area and especially with the orphans.

   To worship with the Kenyans was a very different experience from here at home. They had so much joy and genuineness in their worship. I asked one woman, who was obvious not well and very poor, how she could dance and sing with such joy and she said," Because Jesus is all I have and He's all I need".

   When I saw the DVD of Bishop Dickson and the children drinking clean water from the newly installed pipeline, I wept. Water was one thing I did not want to take for granted when I returned home. I often think about our shower in Taita Hills as I stand under the powerhead of my shower at home.

   After returning home, I became very ill. I was diagnosed with a rare auto-immune disease called "Churg-Strauss Syndrome". Because of this I would not be able to return to Kenya . I believe that God is healing me because the desire in my heart is to have an active part in Heartbeats ministry in Kenya and I believe that HE has put that desire there. So... Bishop Dickson.. I'll see you soon!

Written By: Ruth Palmoutakis   

We missed a flight in Kenya making our arrival a day late, but everywhere we arrived they were graciously waiting for us (up to eight hours sometimes) Finally we get to Dickson's church and all I wanted was a bed after a very long day , it was dark and I didn't notice the people until they came running out of the church singing in that high pitched call they do when they are excited.  After they gave us the best chairs they had and welcomed us warmly they left for home on foot in the dark. That is one of the most endearing memories I have of Kenya . As a people I found them polite, patient and joyful regardless of their circumstances. They taught me a great lesson in faith I hope I'll never lose.

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