Project Christmas Kenya Style

For Christmas, everyone wants the new best thing! And I can't blame you. Everyone is thinking for themselves this year because our economy isn't doing so well. But, not many people are thinking of the kids in third-world countries that have never even seen a brand new pair of shoes, while we rush around the mall looking for the best deal on the Wii. That's a sad thought but it's the truth and as a Christian I want to help change that. Many of my blog posts are about boys in Kenya that were orphaned and now they are blessed by a local church in that community. Well, this is another post similar to those before. Except this is not just about me. This time it's a team effort! At my church, there is a group of middle school age kids who helped raise money to buy Bibles for the boys in Kenya. That was about a year ago. Now, we are trying to raise money to send seven of those boys to high school. It's about $500 per boy. That fee covers supplies, 1 year of schooling, and uniforms. So by giving money that my parents would spend on my Christmas, our family decided that we would rather bless those boys instead of pampering ourselves. I believe that the money that anyone can give to help some else this Christmas will bring that person more joy than it would to yourself. I encourage you this Christmas to do anything you can to bring joy to someone's life who needs it. By doing this you are doing it for Christ and there is no greater honor than serving the Lord.

Auditions

A few weeks ago I tried out for the school play with a friend from church. I had no idea that he had signed me up for the play until he told me a day later. We only had three days to learn a short dialogue and song "A Whole New World" from the Broadway play Aladdin. When the tryouts came for the school play "A Broadway Revue", we did amazing. The director said we did an awesome performance, but [being who I am] I had my doubts. I prayed everyday until the day of the results. My friends went and looked at the cast list and my name was printed in bright bold letters for the part of Jasmine! I was elated and so excited I screamed [accidentally!] during lunch. I was thankful to God for giving me wonderful gifts and for helping to be my best. I also became stronger in my faith and learned to trust God through that experience! He will take care of the ones He loves because he is a loving and merciful God!

Again and Again...

Last Sunday a few people from the Kenya team talked in front of the whole church about their experiences in Kenya. And I just happened to be one of the few people who talked at Plum Creek Community Church. At first I REALLY DID NOT want to stand up in front of the entire church and totally embarrass myself! I've talked in front of a lot of adults before on a stage with a mic, but I had a friend with me so it wasn't so frightening. So, the team meeting before we had to speak, Joe, [my neighbor, great friend, and a guy who went on the trip with me. It was his second time to Kenya.] talked me into speaking by telling me what he was going to talk about. He reminded me of when we were sitting in the back of the bus in Kenya and I was looking out the window. Suddenly I saw a bright blue neon church. On the side of the church was painted the words "Knowing God and Making Him Known." I turned to Joe and told him of the bright blue neon church [which he had some how not seen!] and the cool phrase on the side. He told me to remember that. As we were driving to our Kenya meeting as Joe was helping me relive that moment. He said that the trip for him was exactly that phrase: "Knowing God and Making Him Known." I felt the Lord telling me that I was supposed to speak on Sunday and that He would give me His words so that He can use me as a tool so that someone may come to know Him.
As it turned out, God followed through. He did everything and more. So on Sunday I prayed with Charles and Erin [people who were speaking during the same service as me and had really impacted me during the trip.] that God would give us His words so that someone would come to know Him. After we finished praying, I walked into the church service and started worshiping. The first song was Here Is Our King and I just fell apart. Every time I sang the words Here is our God who's come to bring us back to Him, I just wept harder and harder. I continued to weep throughout all of the follow songs. Especially a song that goes Where the spirit of the Lord is, There is Freedom. Then again in that same song it would continually repeat Freedom reigns in this place, Showers of mercy and grace, Falling on every face, There is freedom. Those two songs really impacted me because I felt as though God was specifically talking to me. I had felt so different after visiting the Slums. I felt like there was a dark cloud hanging over me, but when I sang those songs to the Lord, and when I cried out to Him, He lifted that cloud away and set me free again. He is so full of love and mercy for us it simply amazes me!
First Erin went up to speak and of course I cried. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears as I got up and heard my dad introduce me to the church. I grabbed the mic and my heart was poured out to everyone as I cried and relive my short experience in the Slums. I don't need to say much I kept thinking. I didn't even remember the words I had spoken as soon as I stepped off the stage because they weren't MY words... No, they could NOT have been my words for not I alone can save a soul... Only Christ can bring someone to Him... So , those words were His. And that is something I can't take credit for... I'm only a twelve year old girl who God, the savior of the universe, used to to touch someones heart. I stepped off the stage, handed my dad the mic, gave him and Charles a hug as I walked back to my seat in tears. Luckily, I didn't say much because Charles finished the story without crying. His story was about how encouraging I was when he was in tears in the Slums. I was so happy Charles was on that trip because he impacted me in a way he can't even imagine, so I just want to thank him from the bottom of my heart for being there to listen to me in my time of need and for challenging me to be my full potential every day.
I relived every moment I spent in the Slums as I talked about my experiences and as I listened to Erin and Charles. God did a mighty work in me in the Slums, and He is continuing to work in me every day!

Broken... and Restored

On the trip to Kenya, I found God in the most depressing, dark, and hopeless place: The Slums. Most Americans have never been to a "Slum" so the best way to describe it is quite the opposite of America. Piles of burning or burnt trash strewn across the uneven dirt road. Animals eating little scraps of food found in the trash and then people will eat those animals in hopes of staying alive. Young children running around with no parents and no shoes. When the rainy season comes the river water will rise and flood many homes with trash and illnesses found in the water. Many mothers with multiple children and no father. The families have next to no money to pay for clothing, food, toilets, bus fees, school fees, and the eight dollar rent. You don't want to venture out of your home in the Slums at night because not even the police do.
And in all of this I found God. I mean-I always felt like I was a Christian, but when I visited the people living in the Slums they had more faith in God because they needed more from Him. A lady that we visited named Enice had the Lord living in her! She was infected with AIDS and she was praising God for what He had given her! She also had a small child named Morgan [her only child] who was also infected with AIDS and that little boy will never know his father. That family may not eat for three days at a time, but I guarantee Enice will not give up hope in God because He has rescued her from death! Enice has truly impacted me and each day I pray that God will continue to impact me so that I don't go back to who I used to be, but that He transforms me into who He wants me to become!
Then the day after the team went to the Slums we went to visit a boys home called Fountain of Life. I had already been to this home two times before and I have deep and long-lasting relationships with a few of the boys. That day I went into the boys dorm and I compared the Slums with the way the boys are living and I almost cried! The boys each have their own bed and a trunk with a lock to keep all of their special stuff. They have a man who watches over them at night and a lady who cooks all of their meals! They all go to school, they learn about God, they each have their own Bible, and they set up and participate in the Fountain of Life Church! God has taken each of these boys from being glue sniffing street boys to being boys with a future and knowing they are loved! I am continuing to pray that God will reveal His plan for my life because I feel like I am supposed to be a missionary in Kenya and work for the Fountain of Life ministries. I love the people of Kenya and God has placed a calling on my heart to be there. I am hoping and praying that my entire family will be able to go on next year's trip to Kenya. I found God again because of your support!
Thank you all soooooo much!

Such A Blessing...

WOW! I can't believe that I doubted God for one second! I always knew deep down inside that I would some how get enough funding for the trip, but I had my doubts! I kept telling myself that since God won't waste an opportunity to show off his glory, love, and mercy that he would use my funding as an opportunity to show me personally how AWESOME HE IS! I guess I always knew that but I had never really experienced it personally! It was such a relief as well as a blessing to hear that my trip was totally funded! The pastor's son who is going on this trip had gotten an extremely large check. His account was fully funded so his mom wanted the money to go into my account so now I am already to go in the funding department! I don't think you can ever be emotionally ready for a mission trip so even though we go through a ton of training it may never prepare us for the slums! I am really happy that I don't have to get shots because they scare me nearly to death! I am over all of the hard parts of the pre trip phase and I am getting ready as best as I can spiritually and emotionally for the trip! It is only 2 weeks until the team departs and I CAN'T WAIT! Thank you for all of your prayer and support!

Indescribable!

I'm SOOOO amazed at what God has done in my life. I've finally found a Bible I can understand and LOVE reading. My God is so INDESCRIBABLE! I'm so thankful of all the work he is doing in my heart. I'm extremely excited to go to Kenya. Every time my family drives past the airport I find myself day dreaming about landing in Kenya and the excitement I felt on my first two trips becomes renewed each time! I have a couple concerns about the trip but my number one concern is raising funds. I want to raise enough money so my parents aren't burdened with having to pay however much money I don't raise. I know God has it all under control and been praying that he will use this to bring out the best in people not the worst. I don't want to make people feel burdened by giving so if you feel this way just pray about it then decide if you're going to give. I definitely need your prayers! Please pray for protection, provision, and that we would impact the people of Nairobi for God's glory not ours! Thank you so much!

Support My Trip to Africa!

I would like to share a poem I wrote which I received an award for this week. It will also be published in a collection of student writings:

Red Sun Rising:
the Orphan's way of life in Kenya

Beneath the blood read sun I can see tears fall like a small blue gem as it makes it's way across his face, leaving small streaks on his mud creased cheeks.

Hope, like the fiery orange sun, is setting on his chances to find a cure. Even in his ragged clothes he understands as much as we do. His mother and brother are slowly fading away and will soon be just a memory.

Soon they will die, and he will have to scavenge on his own. When that time comes he will not remember how to hug or what it feels like to be wanted.

And not long after he will be an outcast. He will sniff the glue offered by drug dealers to keep sorrow and neglect far from his mind. He thinks his life is all for survival and he regrets that he was born into such a terrible world.

As he shuffles around the trash heap trying to find food, the blood red sun starts to rise and so does his hope.

This year World Orphans is partnering with Plum Creek Community Church (where our family attends) to take a team to Nairobi, Kenya and I would like to be a part of ministering to orphans and serving with my Dad. We will be leaving June 14th and returning on June 24th. While in Nairobi I will participate in different kinds of outreach like ministering within the slums, sports camps, and medical clinics.

I need you to pray about supporting me financially and with prayer. I have raised $400 so far and need to raise an additional $2,600. There are different ways you can give a tax deductible donation.

1) Send a check with ST2003Vinson in the memo field to:
World Orphans
PO BOX 1840
Castle Rock, CO 80104

2) Click here and give online. Make sure my funding code is in the memo field.

3) Call 1-888-ORPHANS and make your donation over the phone.

Follow me on this journey by tracking my blog, my Dad's blog, on Facebook. Thank you for all your prayers and support!

Veronica

Here It Goes... Again!

I can't believe it! I'm actually going to Kenya... AGAIN! For the third time I will be going to Kenya! For this mission trip my memory verse is: Ephesians 6:11-12 "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." I just love that verse. I picked it out for this year because when I go to Kenya, this year will be the first year I go to the Slums. I definitely need to be prepared for that! I will be in Kenya June 17-26 and I really need your prayers and financial support. Both will be greatly appreciated! If you would like to financially support me, you can write a check with Veronica Vinson on the memo line, Thank you for all your prayers and support!

Send ME!

In the Vinson household whenever you turn twelve of thirteen you get to go on a mission trip with dad. Well, I'm about to turn twelve and I've been asking God where He wants me to go. My mind says "New York! You can go see The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway!" but I think God wants me to go to Kenya for the third time. He's been giving me signs at church, through conversations, and by whats going on in my life. This year is perfect for me to go because my dad is leading a team from our church to go to Kenya in May and dad is planning on taking Max [my older brother] but is unceartain about taking me. I need other people to be encouraging about me going to Kenya and to pray that what God has been saying is true and that dad will let me go with him. I can take care of myself on a mission trip. It's not like this would be my first time on a trip. I wouldn't need dad hovering over me making sure I'm taking my medicine on the trip. There will be tons of adults to keep me in line and I know all the drills any way. But I still need reassurance about htis Kenya trip.

Sassy The Hamster

I have a fancy black bear hamster named Sassy. I've had her for about three years and hamsters are supposed to live for about four years. She's the best hamster I've ever had! But now she might die of cancer. The reason I have come to this conclusion is an hour after I found the bump on her paw I went and looked up any hamster illnesses that included having bumps of sores under healthy skin. The closest I came to what looked like and sounded like what she had was cancer. The paragraph about cancer said that cancer is normally found in girl hamsters who are older and the cancer can appear as an ozzing sore or a bump under healthy skin. She probably won't live for long so I keep hoping and praying for the best for Sassy and I would like you to pray for her too. Dear God, Please watch over Sassy and heal her if that is what needs to be done or if it is her time to go then let it be. Amen.