KITHIANIO, Kenya – In the rural town of Kithianio, Kenya, children are able to receive education and the good news of Jesus through Eagles Christian Academy. Founded about 10 years ago, this school grew from having two students to approximately 200.
While thousands of miles apart, these children are supported by Lynwood Christian Academy in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Recently, Allison Sedgwick, who teaches Junior High English, visited Kithianio through the ministry, Heart of the Bride.
One of the biggest motivators that called Sedgwick to Kenya was the connection between her own students and the children in Kithianio. In addition to raising money to support the Kenyan students, the two schools have written letters to each other during the school year.
“It’s one thing to have their faces on the wall and its another thing to see them in person,” Sedgwick said. “So really part of my motivation for wanting to go is I wanted my students to see that these kids are real, like they’re real children on the other side of the world that you’re praying for and you’re giving to and you’re writing letters to, and so I wanted it to feel more real and tangible to them.”
Sedgwick, who attends the First Baptist Church of Chaffee, has been heavily involved in church community for most of her life. She brought this experience to Kenya, where she taught Bible lessons for younger and high school aged kids, which she compared to being like Vacation Bible School. They also traveled into the village to meet with older members of the community, who had difficulty leaving their homes.
As Sedgwick and her group focused on the spiritual needs of the community and school, the other half of their team provided needed medical care, such as deworming pills and checkups on babies and their mothers.
In total, the trip only lasted about 12 days, but it made a lasting impact on Sedgwick, and she encourages anyone who feels led to go on a mission trip.
“If you feel called to go, say yes to the Lord and watch Him provide and watch him be faithful in the fears and in the insecurities or the hesitations,” Sedgwick said. “Also, just recognize that it is a privilege to get to see a picture of what God’s doing around the world and it’s really special to get to do that.”
To learn more about what the Heart of the Bride is doing in Kenya, visit their website. Learn more about Lynwood Christian Academy here.
