Inspiring Kenya Traveler: Jennifer Young
Bright Hope is gearing up to send a team to Mathare Valley from Hope Community Church in Springfield, IL. Jennifer Young is on that trip and wrote us these encouraging words about God’s vision to get her on this trip…
“In January or February of 2008, I went to a movie called “The Invisible Children” that our church was showing and it was about kids in Uganda. God, just really started tugging on my heart. I ended up going to an informational meeting on Haiti and then in February my husband was served with papers to go back to court for more child support and post-secondary education for his daughter.
This meant no Haiti Trip.
God took me out of my comfort zone while on a mission’s trip to an Indian reservation in Minnesota but I kept hearing “Mathare” in the back of my mind. Then when the trip happened last September, I went and heard their excitement about what had taken place. It kind of lit the fire a bit.
Months went by and then there was a little blurb in the church bulletin about an informational meeting coming up on “Mathare”. I thought, what the heck, I’ll go. I went and the fire just started to consume me. I was so excited and then I saw the cost was close to $4,000.00. I thought “no way” but stepped out in faith and filled out my application. It was a huge leap for me!
I prayed about it and left it in God’s hands, telling Him if He wanted me to go He was going to have to help me. In March my daughter gave me my first $100. I sent notes to a few people. In less than a month, I had all the money that I needed to go on the trip and to pay for my shots!!! It blew me away.
God just told me – You have My Love in your Heart, my Holy Spirit – that’s all you need.
I was told at the first meeting to pick a name for myself that represents what God would have me do on this trip. I was thinking encourager but then while praying, God brought me Isaiah 61: 1 “He has appointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to announce that captives will be released and prisoners set free.” My new name: COMFORTER. God told me “You will comfort the brokenhearted.”
Well here’s the end or should I say the beginning of my journey. I was told after I gave up on going to Haiti – “don’t ever let money stand in the way of you going on a mission trip, if you are supposed to go, God will provide!” I believe that now. I still stand amazed. -Jenni”
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