Easter Around The World

Easter weekend and I was ready to celebrate with family.  I had consciously made the decision to leave America before Easter—a holiday I love celebrating with my family and one I haven’t celebrated with them for the last 3 years. 

I had arrived in Kitale the week before Easter and was exciting because I’d be with Joram, Elinor and the kids (my host family).  The time there was feeling like a home—kid brothers bugging you to play with your things, all the kids and I playing games at night, helping with chores….

Little did I know, God had bigger plans.  Joram had decided we’d go to Pokot that weekend: Saturday-Monday.  When I first heard, I was a little disappointed.  There went time with family.  But God calls us to pick up our cross DAILY to follow him.  Sometimes, that’s sacrificing things we want, for kingdom gain. 

Our first night in Pokot (Saturday) we arrived with time to spare and went and visited one of the girls that typically stays with Joram and Elinor.  I should add when I arrived and found her gone—I was a little disappointed.  I was to help he with her English; but she decided to go home for the long holiday break.  I mean, who wouldn’t blame her?  I was so excited when we arrived and gave Cheru a big hug!  I think she was in a little disbelief that I was back (she had been hearing—but until you actually SEE, sometimes it doesn’t sink in.  At one point, we were standing next to each other and she just says, “Kelly, oh how I’ve missed you.”  And then I embraced her once more. 

The clouds start getting darker, and the thunder starts.  Joram and I hit the road back to the hotel we are staying at.  It’s a 30 minute moto ride or so…  part way back we meet a girl who we invite to the town we are going to the following day.  And then…it starts raining.  It’s also getting darker and darker—night time and the storm.  As we speed back to the hotel, I pray for my safety.  At this point it’s pouring rain, pelting my face as I swear the moto driver has to be going 70km/hr.  I’m an adrenaline junkie, but this was a bit much.  I literally couldn’t see anything and I’m sure the driver couldn’t see much either.  Let me also remind you…helmets are not a thing here.  Pelting rain. Raging speeds.  Desert/mud roads.  Thankfully, we made it back in one piece.

The next day was Sunday!  Resurrection day!  Instead of celebrating with a sunrise service at home—I got to preach at the local church in Kapeni where we were headed.  Let me remind you, this is a fairly new church, only a few years old.  The people are still in baby stages of their faith—if they’ve even accepted at all.  What a perfect time to share about the love of Jesus!  The message was simple.  I talked about the world and how God created it perfectly.  I talked about the garden: Adam, Eve, the tree, the serpent—and how sin entered.  I talked about the love of God.  How he doesn’t want us to stay in our sin—how he gives new life.  I talked about Jesus.  The one and only person who can free us and make amends.  I talked about the cross—the empty tomb-and the beauty of a life with and for Christ.  It was beautiful.  It was unexpected.  Easter is such a big deal in the states, but we often mascaraed the real meaning with Easter egg hunts, rabbits, candy, chocolate, and family gatherings…. But I had a chance to leave that all behind.  I had a chance to really remember and experience the love of Jesus and share that with people who needed to hear about true and beautiful love.  So, my Easter might not have been as expected, but still just as beautiful.