Turkana Kids Camp

Last week we ventured back to the Turkana desert. Could it really have been over three months since we last went?  It felt like weeks. But that's what happens when God moves you around to different regions and while in the place you're to be, you stay focused. So once our last team left, we focused on Turkana and we were eager to get back. Elisha asked for a new spear and Claire asked if she'd see the babies again she saw last time. Typical. Ezra didn't seem to understand until we got there. He rolled out of the Land Rover, fell into the sand and started swimming in it. For reals. (That's him under the vehicle)

Claire and Elisha usually avoid big groups of kids staring and laughing (totally normal). Ezra tunes it out. And swims in sand. 

We mainly went for meetings and preparation. Our mamas/church leaders/oversight come in this next week from Texas and we will venture back up there with them to do night crusades and help equip leaders for the Kid's Camp.  We also have visitors coming the end of the month for a vision trip to see how we can partner to expand the Mattaw Kitale base and our Turkana base.  

Our first love and calling will always be for the children but we also have such a heart for the Turkana people in general.  And have for years. Just as we do for the Congolese (oh how my heart leaps to dream of when I will go again). 

We believe God is bringing revival in the Turkana land. That the land will be healed in Jesus' name.  And for sure the children have such a huge role in this!  We started in southern turkana several years ago and God started a church there out of us sharing the gospel and becoming family with people there. Then we fed many around the entire region and our hearts exploded with love for thousands!  We saw many needs and caught a vision for what God can do there.  Before going north, we knew we should start in Lodwar, the center of Turkana. Our heart is to see the gospel expand, to see believers truly equipped for ministry (Ephesians 4) and as always, to see orphans and widows cared for. This all looks a bit different in Turkana than it does Kitale. We are after the masses but don't want to forget stopping for the one too (Much credit to Heidi Baker for that saying). The last time in Turkana we visited many places, prayed, prayed and prayed. One confirmation after another and we are doing a Kids Camp in an IDP camp outside of Lodwar town. We went to a church plant there of a church in town that we are good friends with. We fell in love with these precious littles!  We shared the gospel and many responded. 

 But we saw many needs such as food, nutrition and medical care. Sometimes you gotta feed the hungry so they can eat on the living word of God too!  

There's one primary school opened to the children in the IDP camp. There are around 1,500 children from baby class up to 7th grade. A few had uniforms but unlike most schools in kenya, a uniform and shoes aren't required to attend due to poverty. By going to school, the kids are given a meal everyday. We found that when they're on holiday it's hard to find food everyday. So it was a no brainer that God was asking us to feed the children with physical and spiritual food :). And we said yes!  Us only having a small clue as to what it'd look like. The school was excited to have us and offered for us to use the school, their kitchen and several of their teachers happily volunteered to help. We have a team from here and a team up there from a local church that will join together to help do this. We have around 30 volunteers so far!  

The dates are from August 17-21st. We will have breakfast, prayer and worship time, foundational bible teachings, games and lunch. We just confirmed from the leaders there to prepare for 1,500 at the least. So, it's a bit wild, but we know God is leading it and what an adventure it'll be!  

For those accross the sea that can't be here helping us in person, we can sure use your help from there!  We need your prayers for the obvious :). That all would continue to flow together with much peace and excitement would surround every detail. And that God would prepare all hearts involved to encounter His massive LOVE. We also need funds to feed all the children!  We are aiming to raise $4,000. That's around $2.60 per child. This includes two meals a day for five days. It also includes transporting food and our team up there. We also need to pay cooks and buy some sufaria's (the word for cooking pot in swahili). We posted about this on facebook two days ago and are already at $1,400!  You guys are AMAZING. THANK YOU to all that have given so far and those planning to give. If you'd like to help financially, you can give through Mattaw's PayPal (all gifts are tax deductible and Mattaw Ministries is a registered 501(c)(3). You can go to the website and find the PayPal option under the donate tab: www.mattawchildren.com. 

Looking forward to taking you along with us on this journey by posting pictures here and sharing stories. I hope you will know just how grateful we are to those sowing into these children's lives and for believing in the vision God has given us. 

(What a traditional Turkana home looks like)