Trip 1 - 2005

August 2005, a team from Heartbeat Ministries set out for Taita Hills, Kenya, Africa . We had received an invitation from Rev. Bishop Dickson, to come and to teach Healing Encounters to his team of pastors and intercessors. 

The team spent months in preparation for this trip. We wanted to hear from God and know in our hearts His agenda, His heartbeat for this trip. We also wanted to spend some time in healing of our own hearts as we knew that this kind of trip would bring us into close quarters with one another as we reached out to teach the seminars.

Our team consisted of 11 people, the youngest member being 9 years of age. All of us knew that we had heard God to go and looked to Him to help us raise our funds for this trip. If He had called us, He would provide for us and equip us. What a wonderful team of men, women and child it turned out to be! What a privilege to lead such a team!

Each and every one of our volunteered team, paid for their own air tickets to go. And this spirit of giving continued as they poured out their lives in teaching, praying, ministering, singing, and giving, the whole time we were gone. Everyone had the opportunity to teach or preach as we went about our daily agenda in Kenya . Our first lesson was to learn " Hacuna Matata" meaning "No worries," no problem!" In our culture we tend to organize and  to devise a system to be very punctual. However, we were to learn quickly, to 'relax' and throw our schedules at the feet of Jesus, to flow in whatever He was doing, whenever He was doing it. This took a bit of doing, but we loved to see and hear what the Lord was thinking! How quickly His anointing flowed in His timetable! His Agenda!

As we visited the orphanage, the villages, and the leaders, we were so blessed and touched. Our hearts were moved as the children sang and danced and we saw the courage and hope in the eyes of children who had so very little. We began to hear and see that their hearts were focused on One who could help them. It was a humbling experience. The team was a humbling experience. From the youngest to the oldest, I did not hear them complain. But they took hold of this opportunity to serve Christ through blessing their brothers and sisters. They  jumped to the opportunities that the Lord gave them to preach, and to teach. Some spoke at the crusades, others at the local churches.

Several drove out to the bush churches, an all day experience and came back filled with joy and praise for such an awesome God, His healing, and His awesome people. All the time, their hearts being melded with their brothers and sisters in Kenya . Our youngest team member, though nine years old, taught and preached, sang and built relationships with a zeal and love that came from Jesus. None was exempt.

We learned to eat new food and have a great appreciation for the cooks and culture we lived in, loving the relationships that God gave to us. The village was poor but rich in color and friendliness. The crusades there were a joy to attend, the songs and dance thrilling to watch or to participate. As we gazed at the beautiful hills of green and blue that surround the villages in Taita Hills, we saw the beauty of the Lord in His creation and in His people. The team took part in it all.

As the Lord showed us His heart and His vision through His people and Dickson, our brother, He began to show us why He had put an orphanage on our hearts. He showed us why He brought us to Taita Hills. We had the privilege to supply food for one orphanage that had run out of food, while we were there, and to see the needs of so many more,

He also focused us on His plan. Knowing that we could not accomplish the things He required, such as food, orphanage, clean water, etc. for His children in this village, He also began to move on the hearts of His people back home in Canada to help.

What a privilege now for all of us to see what He is accomplishing with so little to touch so many. We think of the fishes and loaves and thank God for each and every penny and dollar that has been donated. We bless this team, who gave so much. Yet so much more has been poured back into each of their lives and He changed their hearts and their minds in such a tangible way.

Now we have a small but tangible understanding of what Jesus meant with these words, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this........to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27 

 

 

Please visit our resources on Project Joseph. Just click the icon on the left to find out more

 Joseph Project Intro Page

 Heartbeat Team Goes To Kenya

 Bishop Dickson and Staff

 Heartbeat Children's Home
   Village Outreach

 The School

 Getting Water To Bura

 The Crops And Livestock (2005, 2007, 2009)

 Team Experiences In Taita
 Contact Page
   New Projects
   Future Projects

 Archives (2005 and 2006)

 Taita Hills