living like jesus

what is DEIDOX?

to watch more people around the world living out their faiths click here---> http://deidox.com/films/individuals/

they say it takes a village.. .

i met Dr. Mendonsa during my first couple weeks at CURE. I had heard rumors of an american doctor who had come over to kenya to work for CURE and had started a children's home... I knew from the moment i began hearing about it, that i wanted to be apart of whatever it was they were doing down the mountain.

After i had settled in a bit in Kijabe i made my way down to Maai Mahiu and instantly fell in love. thirty something youngsters all adopted and clothed as "the future leaders of kenya"!! i say thirty something because Naomi's Village is constantly growing. Every time i go down there, i meet new babies, all unique, all with individual stories, all rescued and shown the powerful redemption of Christ ! See the Mendonsa's have a vision about a generation rising up, these kids are being trained up to believe they are difference makers, leaders, and most importantly sons and daughters of the KING!! These are the faces of the children who can and will change Kenya for the kingdom! So powerful !

Meet the Mendonsa's ( Bob, Julie, Emily, and Will )

i have been beyond blessed to call NV my second home. when i am not working at CURE you can usually find me at NV : ) ! The mendonsa's are so kind and loving and have not only offered their time and their lives to the children of kenya but to me as well ! 

The two beauty's below are my sidekicks Amy and Rachel.. they both have given a year to NV.  to serve the Mendonsa's, the kids, and they have become two of my dearest friends! : ) ! These two have been game changers for me in kenya.. they are a huge answer to prayer and i am so thankful for the big hearts they have to serve and love people !

NV is currently in need of sponsors. If you are interested in being apart of the NV family please e-mail rachel at rach.l.lewis@gmail.com here are all the ways you can help! 

sending major hugs and kisses from kenya xoxo

Sevenly.

mission: To harness the power of art and community to build sustainable awareness and funding movements that support charities in their efforts to change the world.

Purpose: We believe in the value of the human being, and that there is no greater calling than to provide, heal, rescue, and serve others.

Vision: To be the worlds most effective cause activation platform leading a generation toward intentional generosity and love for others.

THEY DO THIS BY TARGETING A CAUSE EACH WEEK AND SELLING T-SHIRTS ON THEIR BEHALF AND FOR EVERY T-SHIRT BOUGHT THEY DONATE 7 DOLLARS!

and there you go..  WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF SEVENLY*! They are an incredible company and CURE was blessed to share a week in the spotlight last month! 

I am hooked, and i bet you will be too ; ) ! Monday is the day the cause's switch, so make sure you check them out... once a cause has been changed it is forever lost in sevenly heaven!! you can NEVER get that shirt or that design back... its GONE!!! so if you find one you like act quickly...  i promise you wont be disappointed!!

The Road to REBBL

what is REBBL? 

click the link above to watch PART 1 of what NOT FOR SALE is doing to make a difference in the lives of people living in the Peruvian Amazon. 

to see how this cool project unfolded watch

PART 2

PART 3

PART 4

A NEW FIND..

Crux watches. 
Simply brilliant.

Mission: To lift the lives of those in need.

"Crux is latin for “The Cross” which symbolizes the greatest and most life changing event in history: the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Our goal is to create change in people’s lives like Jesus does. He changed everything and altered the course of history. We create change by fostering a customer culture of meaningful commerce and contributing to great causes." - Ryan Frederick founder of CRUX

Crux was birthed out of a passion for people and the idea that each individual is valuable; along with their creative expressions through style. However, style and creativity for their own sake are empty. There is more to life than looking and feeling cool (at least that’s what we believe). We aim to help people to express their own personality and style while helping others in the process!

To fulfill this belief, we have partnered with some amazing non-profits and contribute 10-25% of each  Crux Watch that is sold. 

Need a new watch? check out Crux here ! 

saying goodbye..

The last couple of weeks have been filled with wild adventure! The girls and I took a weekend trip to Uganda and rafted the nile.. it was by far the coolest thing I have ever done! so much fun!! Then last weekend, we decided to tackle the volcano here in kenya, called Mt. Longonot. It was really really hard but so beautiful once we were at the top. The rim of the volcano alone was 7.2km ! We were exhausted ! 

TEAM STICKS! 

WE MADE IT*!!!!

BUT BARELY!  : ) 

But now its time to say goodbye to my friends : ( They have been an answer to prayer and a joy to be around for the last two months. I will miss them very much, but am excited to see what the Lord has in store for them back in the states and at their universities. 

so now its just me, in kenya, hanging out with the baboons : ) 

oh and this lil guy too ! 

God is so good, He is giving me countless opportunities to Love people and learn how to be completely dependent upon him. As things start to settle a little bit, and visitors begin to return home, I have a couple ministries I really want to look into and become a part of..  one is Naomi's Village, which is a orphanage down in the rift valley and another is Project six 1 , which helps a internally displaced people group here. More to come on both.. stay tuned!! 

ohhh and a picture of this lil guy.. just b/c he's adorable! 

blessed

time has been flyin' by! here is an update on life here in Kenya*! 

Cassie sprained her ankle 30 minutes into our 7 hour hike through the Kenyan jungle.. BUT we saw elephants !! Eeekk*! 

 

Jenny's cat keeps coming around, I was in a swahili lesson when I looked over and found all sorts of shenanigans going on.. needless to say i miss my dogs! 

Took the girls to the BIG CITY (nairobi) for a little weekend away from Kijabe ! We did a little Java House which is Kenyas Starbucks, some shopping at a maasai market, some paddle boating, pedicures and I even got to have dinner with NOE, my old squad leader from the worldrace*!  

 IT WAS A GREAT WEEKED! 

still takin' pictures all day and all night.. Seriously one of my favorites from the OR.. 

Another ....

  

Phylis praying over one of our CUREkids
 before heading back to surgery.
i love it when i get to see sweet moments like these.. 

ENJOYING ALL THE NEIGHBORHOOD KIDS.. 

THEY ARE EVERYWHERE ALL THE TIME.. 

I am never alone.. these guys follow me home 

from the rift valley academy everyday after practice! 

I have loved helping out with the RVA volleyball team!
one of my favorite things to do when im not working.. they are so much fun! 

Me and my boy James playing in the ward.. Love this kid.. will be so sad when he leaves! 

JAMES! 

JAMES AGAIN.. 

 sweet little booger! 

little Abbie had extra digits, but no worries we took care of it : ) sweet angel ! 

momma LOVE

This Daily Devo is currently rockin' my world.. 

 i've been podcasting Mark Driscoll from Mars hill church in seattle for the past couple weeks.

  THE SEVEN SERIES has been awesome!

some of my favorite people at CURE

Did i mention i LOVE my job??
If i ever complain you have permission to slap me..

just a little look into daily life here in the BIG A : ) 

V.O.M

http://www.persecution.com

so the link above will send you to a website I have grown a deep passion for. Its called VOICE OF THE Martyrs. When you go to the website they have a ton of different bookmarks and one of my favorite is the NEWSROOM. It works kinda like your news feeds on facebook. it constantly is updating new stories of believers currently serving time in jail or attacks/persecutions happening around the world. 

They also have a tab called RESTRICTED NATIONS where you can click on a nation and find out all sorts of stats on the country and recent related articles. I love love this tab as well.

for example INDIA

COUNTRY India 

DESCRIPTION

The social and political structures in India are largely determined by religion, caste and language. Of its 2,533 people groups, 2,229 are unreached by the gospel. India is home to the third largest Muslim population in the world, after Indonesia and Pakistan. In 2009, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom added India to its “Watch List” after large-scale attacks on Christians in 2008 left 30,000 Christians homeless and more than 120 dead.

Category: Hostile Nation
Religion: Hindu 74.3%, Muslim 14.2%, Christian 5.8%
Ideology: Hinduism
Head of State: President Pratibha Devisingh Patil

Christian groups are reviled by Hindu extremist groups in India, who see Christian evangelistic efforts as undermining the Hindu-based caste system. Violence against Christians continues at an alarming rate. Persecution comes in the form of beatings, murders, imprisonments, church demolitions, destruction of property and Bible burnings. Perpetrators are rarely charged with these crimes. Most of the violence is initiated by the 30 Hindu nationalist organizations that subscribe to an extremist ideology called Hindutva, which advocates the expulsion of non-Hindus from India. Six Indian states have laws against coerced religious conversion that are often used against Christians. The “anti-conversion” laws impose prison terms and hefty fines on anyone who converts Indians by force, fraud or allurement. On March 28, 2011, 16 new Christian converts were arrested in Odisha (formerly Orissa) state for converting to Christianity without a permit.

RELATED LINKS

Persecution.com Story - India: U.S. Christians Expelled
Persecution.com Story - India: Threats in Kandhamal
Persecution.com Story - India: Animosity Increasing
VOMBooks Product - Bold Believers in India
VOMBooks Product - Restricted Nations Set: India and China
VOMBooks Product - Restricted Nations: India
PrisonerAlert Prisoner - Dr Samuel Thomas
BiblesUnbound Operation - India-Tamil Village4
BiblesUnbound Operation - India-Tamil Village3
BiblesUnbound Operation - Tamil Villages 2
Be-A-Voice Prayer Bulletin - Pastor Beaten & Jailed
Be-A-Voice Prayer Bulletin - Christian Workers Fleeing
Be-A-Voice Prayer Bulletin - Hindus Promoting Violence

this website is really rich offering so much information, check them out for yourself..  They have newsletters, prayer bulletins.. this website just might change the way you pray.. 

Hebrews 13:3

Remember those in prison as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.

teach us how to pray

so my friend ruth, she is pretty spectacular. I met her on the world race and I have yet to meet another like her. She is your average hipster, who speaks raw truth, and lives a life full of transparency. I think thats why I was and still am so drawn to her. When I am around her I can just breathe and its so refreshing.. there is nothing you cant talk about with this girl, no topic is off limits, and you will never find any kind of  judgment or condemnation come from her lips. What you will find is loving truth that always points back to the Lord.  We all need friends like her.. anyways above all other things that just make her COOL the girl's got passion. A passion and fire to see this world changed for the kingdom of God.. this girl is a mover and shaker and her last blog post definitely made me take a deeper look into my own prayer life and reflect.

follower her here ---> Strangers in Agony

It's been a norm in my life.

It used to be that I legit didn't know what to say.

It is still that way but now I feel as though I have too much to pray for.

Instead of getting on my face for these things

I push it away and hardly ever find myself in intimate prayer.

I sat down today and prayer a scary prayer today.

"Lord show me what to pray for."

I'm an idiot.

I immediately went saw a ton of snapshots in my head. 

Faces. Situations. Dark places. Oppression. Names. Words. 

Now I know what to pray for.

What about little baby Baskar in India.

He can't hear. He doesn't have a family. He has no one to teach him sign language.

What about the babies like Baskar that are tossed out because they have disabilities. 

Thank you for being their spiritual Father. Please send them a physical family as well.

What about the beggers in India who are not only begging for coins 

but ultimately begging for the reason of existence.

Appear to them in dreams. 

Show them You are the reason we breathe.

Provide for their physical needs 

but ultimately Spiritual needs.

What about all of those who are sick.

Paralyzed.

Bedridden for life with no healthcare.

With no knowledge of the One who breathed us into being

is still HEALING today. 

Lord simply breathe on them. Heal them. 

That you will be known in distance places. 

What about the witch doctors all over that convince people that they are gods.

What about those that fall for it?

Lord slam down the spirits that heal...

That you will be known as the one true Healer.

That many may know You.

What about the numerous pastors around the world that are physically persecuted every single day

counting it as GAIN for Your name. 

Put your angels around them... 

that onlookers will see a mob walking down the street.

Protect them, Lord.

What about the generation in Asia that is rising that is solely Muslim.

Very devout. Very disciplined. Very devoted. But very wrong.

Lord cause a revival for your Name.

What about the black hole of materialism worldwide that only leaves us lusting after more.

Show us that you are the only thing that will last.

What about the oppressed Christians all over Europe

still thinking they have to gain salvation. 

Implant a spirit of peace. They your grace is efficient. 

And the Swazi babies.

Lord you know they make me weep at the thought.

For those babies providing for other babies.

Desperate and alone...

one meal a day if they are lucky.

Send your angels and encamp around them.

Provide. Embrace. Love. 

The street boys in Mozambique.

Lord you know they're badass...

Tweak a tiny bit in their hearts and make them

fearless disciples for your name. 

Lord protect them from all the junk on the streets

and whisper in their ears the secrets of your heart.

I know that they will change the world.

God you know there are no words for Thailand.

Lord break the girls in trafficking out of their chains.

Stop the pimps in their tracks and pull them to their knees. 

Break their hearts for the sick lifestyle they have been sucked into. 

Humble the men that use these fragile bodies....

Change their hearts, God. 

Your will be done on Bangla Road.

For the street boys, prostitutes and babies in Cambodia.

Lord the oppression in the past is gone

Now it is a broken Lord begging for a Savior.

You are the only answer. 

Blow it upppp.

Show the country who is now the King.

America needs you more than any of these places.

We have the means to take your name to the nations

yet we get distracted so easily. 

We are comfortable.

We often get comfortable with our needs being met 

that we don't realize that our souls and starving.

We need You.

For those of us dealing with sexual sin.

Depending on substances for an escape.

For those of us that have deep suffocating secrets...

send the words and courage to bust out of them.

for those of us that have no hope... 

remind us that you're our only hope.

Those of us who have no idea what the heck comes next....

give us the assurance that you have the ENTIRE thing planned out.

Financial struggles.

Marriage struggles.

Prodigal children.

We clearly need you, Lord. 

Lord embrace the orphans.

Love on the widows.

Constantly remind us that you are the only thing worth living for.

Regain the Glory of this psycho world. 

Ultimately Lord, show us how to pray.

the 3 Mzungu's

So for the next two months I will have the wonderful company of these two very sweet girls!

Haley is the blonde one, she is from South Carolina and will be working in the OR with me and Cassie is the cute brunette on the end. She is from New Jersey and will be working in the physical therapy department.

Both these girls are living with me in the yellow house and I am so excited to have visitors! YAY*!  : ) 

Friday's are always a bit slow around the OR so I took the girls into the ward to play..

Both girls will be blogging so check em' out! 

www.cassiedobbs.blogspot.com

www.hsanders18.blogspot.com