whirlwind

I'm home from the whirlwind journey, from Nashville to Birmingham, AL to Lafayette, LA to Nashville (playing for the Grand Ole Opry) to Washington, D.C. and back home...all in 5 days. God is faithful and gracious in it all. I had so much fun with Little Big Town, getting to know the others in the band and playing live shows again. We have a 20 minute slot at the river front park during the Country Music Festival here in town this week, which will be crazy and bring out the crazies for sure. Don't worry, I haven't bought cowboy boots or anything:)

My D.C. experience is still settling in my mind; so much to process while holding on to the excitement of each conversation. We (Blood:Water Mission) are blessed to be surrounded by such a broad range of friends who are tremendous advisors as well. I am overwhelmed and thankful for this.

Please pray for Jena Lee (our director) and Joel Wickre (board member/water specialist) in Africa after reading her brief report from Kenya below. May they be bold in the Gospel and humble in themselves.

Hello from Kisumu, Kenya...

i have only been here but three days and it feels like a month has gone by. the days have been packed with so much, and i have something like five minutes to write an update.

the last two days have been a complete gift - to re-visit the communities that i met in august and to see the change in their communities because clean water has been provided for them by
blood:water's donors. they worked hard as communities to make sure that they were a sustainable and responsible group - and so much has come from it. there was much joy - with dancing and singing and beautiful celebration. it was humbling and overwhelming to realize
that change really can occur when we work together and allow God to move in incredible ways.

this trip has been much harder than the last two. i am actually living in a village with our friend and partner, benjamin. the culture shock has been quite strong despite the fact that i have spent so much time here before. i guess the reality of bugs and going to the bathroom in
a hole and eating really tough meat and no electricity and bathing with a bucket and not much of a mattress... it's all so good as atticus finch has encouraged us all to walk in another man's shoes. i will never be able to truly understand what it means to live in extreme poverty, what it means to lose so many family members to hiv/aids... benjamin's brother died of aids last week. but i can admire their strength and persistence in the midst of the struggle. it's so real. it's so terrible and there's still so much that needs to change here.

i'm being summoned to go. we will be back in the villages today to visit the new sites for proposed bloodwater work. i am well. i am tired, but thankful to be here. god has humbled me in so many ways. thank you for your prayers.

i hope to be back on again soon,

jena