Mungu Tu (Only God)

"Mungu tu.” These two words will forever represent my recent three week trip to Kenya. As ELI’s administrative assistant in the states, I was so blessed to be able to revisit our staff and ministry in Africa, and see first hand again what God is doing there. And let me tell you, He is moving in mighty ways! Throughout my time there, my heart broke for the countless “hopeless” situations I saw, but each time, God would bring a smile of amazement to my broken heart as I saw Him speak hope and life into each situation. Only God could bring the hope, joy, and peace that I saw in the darkest, most hopeless conditions.

I first heard those words of hope, “Mungu tu,” from the half-paralyzed mouth of a man named Timon. Timon is an elderly man dying of AIDS and paralyzed on the right side of his body from a stroke he had six years ago. Unable to really talk or move, Timon sits in a chair at his home all day long. A hopeless and lonely situation? Yes. But against all odds, Timon has hope. Lucky for him, he is part of the ELI home-based care program and receives regular visits from the health care team. Though they can’t cure his disease, this dedicated team can ease his symptoms, share encouragement and scripture with him, hold his hand, and sing Kalenjin praise songs with him. It is amazing how much hope God can bring through those few acts of love. I was blessed to visit Timon with the health care team one day and see the tears of joy that filled his eyes as we approached. He had visitors! He was loved! He was remembered! Tears filled my eyes as we began to sing praises to God. Timon struggled to get the words out of his dysfunctional mouth, but I could see in his eyes that his heart was passionately enunciating every word. I was sitting in the presence of a true worshipper. As I left Timon that morning, he simply kept repeating the words, “Mungu tu.” And I understood. Only God could fill him with the hope and joy that he has. Only God would visit him through the ELI health care team. Only God could shine light into the darkness of his life. Only God could keep him smiling and singing each day.

Timon’s life wasn’t the only place I saw the truth of these words. As I participated in the different branches of ELI’s ministry in Kenya, I experienced constant moments of amazement at the transformation and hope God has brought to the darkest of places. I constantly found myself in situations that left me speechless except for the words, “Only God.” It happened watching 11-year-old Vincent, one of the orphans in the ELI Children’s Home, pray the most passionate, faith-filled prayer I had ever heard. It hit me watching John Mwange, one of ELI’s 6-month students, choosing to live in the slums to bring the gospel and hope to the desperate people there. It happened as I sat in Mary’s home, an AIDS victim with few months left to live, who sang her heart out to God with every last ounce of energy she had. “God is so good,” she sang with conviction, even though I doubt she can think of one personal example of His goodness in her life. She was a widow and about to leave her two kids orphans with no one to feed them, but she continued to trust that God was good. And she continued to praise Him with a smile. There is no explanation of stories like these aside from the words, “Mungu tu.”

The stories go on and on, and I want to thank you for being a part of them. God is using the ministry of Empowering Lives to bring light and hope to the desperate people of Africa. Only a God like ours could speak the life and hope that I saw into the most hopeless of situations. He is radically transforming lives and He is using you to do it as you partner with us. Thank you so much!

Dancing, Singing, and Laughter

One of my favorite times of the day was dinner time. I loved sitting around the dinner table with the whole ELI family (about 15 staff) and my team, fellowshipping and laughing. But the real fun began when dinner was over, for that’s when the singing and dancing would begin. What a blast to dance around the dinner table with these fun-loving Kenyans. Our evenings were full of laughter as they taught us their tribal dances, along with some of their own made-up contemporary dance moves. The laughter and dancing would eventually fade into an amazing worship time as we sang both Swahili and English praise songs to our amazing King of Kings. I can’t describe the joy that filled my heart every time I found myself surrounded by Kenyan worship. After singing and praying together, the night either concluded with some fun team time, some incredible stargazing, or a hysterical game of spoons with the Kenyans. What fun!

Dancing around the dinner table!

Going to Church! There is praising today in the house of the Lord.

I absolutely love Kenyan Church and one service in particular really touched my heart. It started during worship. As I looked at the dozen people leading worship from the front of the room, I spotted two special friends in the group. Betty and David were both AIDS patients who I had visited earlier in the week at their homes. My eyes filled with tears as I watched these two worshipers sing praises to their God. I knew that the 2 mile walk to church probably took more energy than they had to give, but here they were, leading their church in worship, singing with all their heart. “God is so good,” they sang with radiant smiles. Betty is a widow and worries about who will feed her kids once she dies, but she remains steadfast in her hope and trust in God. She will continue to praise Him until the day she dies. Wow!

My tears and amazement only increased as it came time to take the offering. I humbly watched shoeless, hungry Christians bring their last pennies to give to their God. The widow’s mite was given so joyfully. But the real blow hit when the pastor took a 2nd offering for a fellow church in the Sudan. The 20–year war in the Sudan has left the country completely devastated. The people have absolutely nothing to start over with. I cried as I watched these already struggling Kenyans commit to buy a couple plates, or a hoe to help their brothers and sisters in the Sudan who have it worse off than them. Talk about generosity. Talk about sacrifice. Talk about love! Lord, help me learn from them.

Our Trip in a Nut-Shell

The Slums: 3 days in a slum called Mtumba (meaning second hand clothing) with Kenyans who have been labeled “second hand people.” 15,000 people living in 10 acres of sheet-metal shacks, human feces, typhoid, and AIDS, with no food, jobs, or hope. But God is bringing hope! We pray the resource center we built will be a vessel He can use to spread the gospel, job training, and vision. Shine Jesus amidst the darkness!


Ilula Village: A joyous time working at the ELI training center and Children’s Home. We built the all-time coolest playground for the 90 orphans there, and I fell in love with the children and staff. These children are being raised in the Lord and have the most incredible love, faith, joy, and trust in our God that I’ve ever seen. What moments of joy I experienced walking them to school, worshipping with them, and playing paddy-cake.

KipKaren Village: A heartbreaking week seeing the hopelessness and devastation caused by aids, hunger, and alcoholism. But God is bringing hope and healing through the ELI home-based care team. How blessed I was to sit in the homes of widows, orphans, and AIDS patients, singing “God is so Good.” With smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes, these people sing, give, and live for God with all their heart. They taught me what true worship is

Mungu Yu Mwema (God is Good!)

Do you serve a big, big God?” one of the orphanage house parents sang. “Yes we serve a big, big God,” the 90 children joyfully sang back. And how true it is! What a mighty, big, and good God we serve. And what an incredible adventure He blessed me with during the last three weeks. Every moment that I spent in Kenya was a gift that I will forever treasure.

I have to admit it– I’m in love. I am head over heels in love with Kenya, the people there, this incredible ministry that I am blessed to be a part of, and the God who led me there and continues to know the plans He has for me.
Have you ever had one of those amazing moments where you just knew, “Wow, I was created to do this!” Well, welcome to my entire experience in Kenya. Whether it was speaking Swahili, sitting in the home of an AIDS victim, preaching at church, or dancing and worshipping with the ELI staff after dinner, I just knew that this is what God wired me to do.

From the moment I stepped off the plane in Nairobi, my heart continued to beat, “I’m home.” It amazes me how much that place feels like home, and how much it makes everything in me come alive. More than ever, I know that I am exactly where God has called me to be. And don’t worry, I’m not moving to Kenya, yet. My heart is definitely there and with the ministry that God’s doing there, but I know for now that I can have the biggest impact by being here in the states. But, I have a feeling I’m going to end up there sometime in the next couple years for a more extended period of time. For now, I am excited to be back at our office in California, serving the people of Kenya here with my rejuvenated passion for this ministry. I love where God has me right now, and am excited to see where He continues to lead me.