October. In Canada, I love the changing of the season and falling of the leaves. It always felt like a visual reminder of a change to come, but here in Kenya, it’s a bit of the opposite. Life is in full bloom as we approach the hottest time of the year. Jacaranda trees are blooming, monstera plants are thriving, and sweet smells fill the air (Note* Please pray for my allergies! I developed allergies when I moved to Kenya – something in the air- but this month is the worst they’ve gotten) . Nonetheless, I still enjoy baking with apples and cinnamon, cooking with pumpkin, lighting candles at home, crunching any leaf I can find underfoot, and finding imported orange pumpkins at the store. I am thankful to get to appreciate fall elements in this warm, beautiful weather.
This month was a busy month at school. My class went on their first field trip! The students loved learning bout animal life cycles while interacting with the very animals themselves and exploring elements of force and motion. Many students had never had these experiences before and it was so special to get to do this together. This month also held many community events from swim meets, football matches, a BBQ, and a colour run! It is wonderful to be a part of such a close international community here. Also, having taught here for over 3 years now, it is such a blessing to have built relationships with dozens of families. I am really grateful to be in a season of feeling known, loved, and supported by the families on this campus. This month we held parent-teacher conferences and each meeting was such a blessing to me. One mom, asked to pray over me and she prayed specifically for items I needed prayer for, but that I had never spoken them aloud – talk about praying in the Spirit!!
This past month at church I completed a 4-week leadership course. The course was every Saturday for a few hours in the morning and I really enjoyed the content and discussions. I feel that I learned a lot that I’m applying to my role as a leader/teacher in the classroom and teammate/coworker. I have also made some connections at church recently and I am looking forward to getting to know some more people. I’m so grateful for a wonderful place to worship alongside the community of believers.
If you recall from last year, October is contract renewal month at my school which means that I need to make a decision about whether I am agreeing to working another year or returning to Canada. This decision is never taken light-heartedly. Contrarily, October can be a heavy-hearted month for me. However, I am really grateful to have gone into this year knowing the direction that God was guiding me. Last year, it was very challenging for me to decide whether to stay or go, but after I made the decision to stay, God blessed me in some immense ways. I grew deeper in my relationships here, I fell deeper in love with the beauty of this country, and felt a peace about staying. This year, I know that I will be remaining in Kenya next year. The only potential change is if I stay at this school or transfer to a different one. I am in the process of exploring my options to see how I can best use my giftings here. I will keep you posted on how the Lord moves. I am very glad to have confidence in this and I can see God is blessing this decision. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. I value it so deeply.
Last month, I made a request for you to help me make the Christmas feast tradition happen for my market friends. I want to start by saying THANK YOU!! Thank you to those of you who gave. I received enough money for the food AND enough for the Bibles! I have already ordered the Bibles and wrote and packaged them for their Christmas deliveries (can you tell I’m excited?!). Thank you so much for partnering with me to make this happen! These people will be so blessed by your generosity. If you were thinking about giving, but haven’t yet, please still feel welcome to give as I can always purchase more Bibles, order more food, and bless more people!
Yet, ultimately, in order for me to continue and sustain the ministries I am a part of here, I also need financial support for myself personally. As we approach Christmas, the season of giving, I wanted to make a bold request. Would you consider asking the Holy Spirit if He is calling you to support this ministry financially this year? Is He prompting you to give a one-time gift or become a monthly supporter? I simply ask that you would put the question before God and act in obedience as I believe the Lord calls us to where He wants us to give.
Thank you for considering this. To be transparent of my financial needs, I receive a third of a Canadian teachers’ salary from my organization, the rest of the wage is dependent on what I am able to fundraise from supporters. God has always provided enough for me. While I have not been able to save as I would have hoped, I know that God has called me here and I must continue to trust in Him to provide. I’ll be honest, it is not easy. There are times my doubt and fear of the future become overwhelming. I have placed this scripture in my room to remind myself at times of worry:
“When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” – Psalm 61:2
When I moved to Kenya, I had some savings from working for a few years in Canada and now that I have been here for a few years, those savings are depleting, therefore, here are my current monthly financial needs:
-2 people at $150 a month
-4 people at $100 a month
-8 people at $50 a month
-10 people at $20 a month
However, if you would prefer to give a one-time Christmas donation, please feel most welcome to go that route. I sincerely appreciate any support you can. Truthfully, the amount that I receive in support along with my wage here is still only half of a Canadian teachers’ salary. I currently receive $700 a month in support and I am looking to bring that number up to $2,000 monthly. These funds allow me to continue working here by helping me pay for rent, fuel, groceries, classroom materials, health insurance, my ministries here, and savings for emergencies and flights.
Currently, there are 145 people subscribed to my blog post, if every one of you gave $10 a month, I would reach and even surpass my goal! No amount is too little and I believe this is possible!
THANK YOU SO MUCH for considering this ministry partnership. Here is the link for online, tax-receitable donations:
May God bless you and protect you!
-j.
jocelyn's adventures in kenya. 