Go Africa – 🇰🇪 Kenya – Adjusting
Our first official schedule.
Out of the more than fifty team members, about twenty were part of Kubamba, the ministry team that was essentially leading this tour, and our first schedule was to join them for worship.
For our [모로뷰 more of You] team, we waited in front of our accommodation wearing the T-shirts we had made for this tour, fitting for our first official schedule.
While waiting for the van that would come to pick us up,
we began handing out the Swahili gospel tracts we had brought with us.
But more children in Kenya than we had expected seemed to be more comfortable with English than Swahili.
At first, we wondered if it was because we were in Nairobi, the capital, or because of the children living near our accommodation.
But even according to our friends from Kubamba, there are many people in Kenya who are more comfortable with English.
The children also sometimes wanted to receive the English tracts rather than the Swahili ones.
Reuniting with Daniel, the YWAM Kona Base Leader
We had dreamed about this tour together, meeting last year in Kona and again this year in Korea.
Although we couldn’t start together in Egypt,
it was really good to finally meet in Kenya.
And then,
we met the Cory family, who were part of the core leadership of this tour.
Cory had been checking in on us even before we came, making sure that we were preparing well, and sending us messages.
Our first greeting was a little awkward,
but I never could have imagined how close we would become afterward,
or rather, how much I would come to rely on him as a leader.
Roah was still not feeling well.
But she was well enough to continue the journey with us,
and since it was also our first day, she joined us with a handkerchief wrapped around her neck.
I also thought to myself that introducing Roah to the team members would be meaningful in its own way.
The journey to the worship venue was not easy...
We had already begun to experience Nairobi’s heavy traffic.
Even though it didn’t seem like the distance was that far, it took us more than an hour to arrive.
I had no idea when the van carrying our team members, which had left earlier, would arrive.
I was in the van with the leadership team,
and joined them for the leadership gathering.
Actually, I didn’t even know that I was considered part of the leadership.
(Thinking about it now, I was, since I was leading the Korean team.)
The YWAM Kona Base leader,
the leaders from the Kona team,
the leaders of the DTS students,
the leaders of the Kenyan Kubamba ministry team,
and me, the leader of the Korean [모로뷰 more of You] team.
We gathered together and finally said that everyone was there.
We introduced ourselves to one another
and took time to pray for this journey.
And then, worship.
It was a joyful African-style worship service,
but the volume was so loud that it was difficult for Roah.
After the long flights and the jet lag, it was already not an easy journey even for the adults,
and Roah looked exhausted.
After the worship and singing time,
Sehee and I took Roah outside.
Thankfully, we met Njoki, who had come to pick us up at the airport,
and spent some time walking through the streets of Nairobi together.
In the end, considering Roah’s condition, we decided to return to our accommodation first,
and the Korean team headed back.
We ended the day with a late dinner.
There were some team members who had questions about Kubamba’s worship and their style.
Since I had only stayed through the worship and had not been at the venue afterward,
I hadn’t seen for myself what was happening.
So I told them that we should watch and see together.
We could also talk with the leaders,
and if there was any problem, I said I would try to handle it.
Adjusting.
Not only the jet lag,
but also the cooperation of different cultures and different organizations.
It would take time and effort to adjust.