Friday, August 14, 2009

Nicaragua 2009: Kelli's Story


I asked the team members to submit stories that were particularly touching to them during the trip for inclusion as a guest post. Yesterday we had a wonderful post from Cheryl, today I would like to tell Kelli's story. As I mentioned before Kelli's heart is bigger than a house. Kelli loves children and it is obvious by her actions, she would rather feed and care for children than sleep. The following is Kelli's story:

Kelli has such a heart for missions, her biggest desire is to win people to Christ. "I came on the trip because I have a heart for missions. I want to help win people to Christ faster so that Christ will come back sooner. The Bible says that He will not come back until the last person accepts Him."

Matthew 24:14 (New King James)

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world
as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Kelli says she would like to return because of the children, children have no choice where they live or what conditions they live in. "They go where their parents go or where their parents left them. It makes me sick to my stomach that my kids have a choice of WHAT to eat and not only a choice TO eat or NOT TO eat. They get to make that decision where the only decision those kids can make is to eat or not. They get what the get and don't pitch a fit!"

"God taught me--and still is teaching me, because I am hard headed--that just because I have problems and hard times there is always someone less fortunate than I am. I need to be more thankful for what I do have instead of focusing on what I don't have. He taught me that He knows what is going on and He has it under control. I realize that I don't have all the answers and can't fix everything on my own."


Kelli loves to dance, we see this in church, at cookouts, anywhere and everywhere. Just like me, Kelli is rhythmically challenged (not the best dancer in the world), but where I am sometimes embarrassed to "show my moves" Kelli dances whenever possible. I asked Kelli to tell me why she dances. "Dancing is a way for me to let it all out. I just can't sit still while worshiping the One True God. It is a way to show and tell God how much I love Him and worship Him. Dancing is just a preview of Heaven! I feel closer to God when I dance and act like a fool because it shows Him that I really don't care what others think about me when I am worshiping Him."

Kelli used every opportunity to draw closer to the children in Nicaragua, at one feeding program she went running around the property with the children asking them "what is this?". The children would point and respond with the correct word in Spanish, Kelli would repeat the word and then respond back with the English word. Kelli told me that there was not just one child that touched her heart...they all touched her heart, "I can literally remember almost all the faces that I fed or hugged" (see I told you her heart was big as a house).


Kelli was invited to play soccer with one group of children, a sport she has never played prior to this game. She was touched by this because soccer is a very special game in Nicaragua and the children were never disappointed when she messed up, they were just happy to have her in the game. Kelli also told me "I had a dream that I sang on stage in front of people and that dream came true at one of the feeding stations where we all sang Jesus loves me and at the church service when we sang Amazing Love".

Thank you Kelli for teaching me "how" to dance, for your heart, and for your willingness to share these stories.

I hope everyone is enjoying hearing about our trip. I know I am enjoying sharing what we experienced in Nicaragua and I am really enjoying the opportunity to read about the experience from the team's point of view. We will be back on Monday, have a great weekend.



1 comment:

Cherry said...

Even though I cannot go, I would like to send you money to purchase feeding bowls for these children. Dollar Tree has preformed plastic bowls most of the time. Please let me know when you're going again and let me know how I can get a little bit of money to you.

I'm enjoying so very much your mission trip!! and pictres! It's so hard living here where possessions are such a part of life to visualize how they live so simply. However, I realize God only sees the heart! I'm so very proud of your team and hope to be a 'small' part of it next time.
Cherry Garris