In The Air

I'm currently sitting on the first leg of my 3 legs to Nairobi. I am with 6 of my teammates and two guys that are going to Turkana, Kenya for the summer. I have a window seat on the plane and I'm almost in tears because of the joy I have from this opportunity. To sit here and look out over the state of Ohio (maybe). It's crazy to think that the God I am going to Kenya to serve created this earth I am overlooking.

I'm blessed to have this opportunity.
I'm blessed to have so many people support me financially.
I'm blessed to have over 300 people lifting my team and myself up in prayer every day.
I'm blessed to be able to see the continent of Africa.
I'm blessed to be able to serve in the name of Jesus Christ to a slum that is home to over 850,000 people.
Orientation information:
For the past five days I have been learning more about CMF, Kenya, and many other life lessons. I want to share with you some of them. :)

•Culture shock is going to happen.
•They have Taco Bell in Kenya, but I was told it's just not the same at all.
•I will have one roommate for the summer.
•God is going to do great things.
•Drinking chai tea will happen A LOT.
•No matter where I'm placed, God is going to use me.
(Random side note on that fact: I found out that Missions of Hope International needs help with their accounting department. I've been saying for years now that I don't want anything to do with accounting, well, we will see where God places me in Nairobi.)
•There will be some down time where I won't have much to do, but I will need to be intentional about investing in relationships with others.
•Swahili has similar pronunciation  to Spanish.
•Most people in Nairobi, not the slum where I'll be working, will speak English.
•My team is composed of lots of leaders (lions) and influencers (otters). I am a lion.
•My team is adventurous. The night before departure we called a taxi cab just to go through the drive thru of McDonalds at 2 am. $46.97 later, 13 people received the McDonalds they were craving.
•Each of my team members comes from a different walk of life and God has used each of them in crazy, good ways.
•Don't unplug a washing machine because it might (aka DID) electrocute me.
•Riding the Matatus (public transportation) to work every day will be an adventure, not only because I will basically have to jump on and off, but I could end up getting on with 30 other chickens.
•Team unity is going to be really important.
•I'm not the only one on my trip that has a problem with laughing and peeing their pants (& yes I did just admit that!)
•I am prepared to poop my pants while on the field.
•13 girls and 4 guys living and working together for 8 weeks is going to be an experience.
•God is going to do so much I can't even fathom it.
•During a culture exercise the game turned from bartering to stealing. As in, I was the one stealing other peoples cards. I'm not going to do that in Kenya though.
•THE hardest thing was calling my mom and saying goodbye. During our conversation, I found out that she is going to need a hysterectomy sometime soon. The surgery is minor compared to others she has had. Please join me in prayer for her health.
•I will be living a mile higher in altitude in Nairobi.


I hope to continue the random facts in future blogs.

I don't think I can say "Thank you" enough, so THANK YOU!

God bless you!

In Christ,
Brandi :)

Here goes nothing!!

I will be departing for the airport in an hour!! :) I'm so excited to get this journey underway. Thank you for all of your support and prayers. I will keep you updated as much as possible. Thank you for joining me in doing God's work throughout the Mathare Valley. I pray that God will bless you this summer!

In Christ,
Brandi

TODAY IS THE DAY!!! :)

Thursday, June 2nd, 2011, aka TODAY, I will be departing for Indianapolis, Indiana at 10 a.m. While in Indy, I will be meeting my teammates, and training for the 8 weeks ahead of me. :) I am rather anxious & ready to go! My suitcase and carry-on are packed with minor alterations still needing to be made. It's 7 hours before I leave and I'm not so sure I can sleep tonight.  I'm ready to leave!!! :) 


Here's a glimpse at what my schedule is like for the next 10 weeks.
June 2nd - June 7th: Indianapolis, Indiana for training
June 7th - June 9th: Depart from Indianapolis and go to NYC/JFK, then to London Heathrow, then (finally) I arrive in Nairobi, Kenya at 6:30 am their time.
June 9th - August 2nd: Work in the Mathare Valley
August 2nd - August 3rd: Depart from Kenya  and go to London Heathrow, to Chicago Ohare, and back to Indianapolis at 7:25 pm.
August 3rd - August 6th: Debriefing in Indianapolis.
August 6th - August 10th: National Student Conference in Evansville, IN (not related to my Kenya trip, but to the ministry on my campus)


I know there are several people that are interested in sending me letters and/or packages. (Please note this is not a request to have either sent to me, but just information...)
To send a letter or package, please send it to:

Brandi Wilcox

PO Box 59322

00200 City Square

Nairobi, Kenya

East Africa

If you write a letter, please be sure to take it to the post office to have it weighed. A normal 44 cent stamp will not get it all the way to me :( Price will be around $1.00 to send a letter that is less than 1 ounce.


If you would like to send me a package, please be aware that sending packages oversees is not cheap. I do not know how much they would cost, but USPS does sell flat rate boxes that you can send for $13.95. That is just a random number I pulled up on the internet, I do not know how legit it is. Also, please do not feel obligated to send me a package. Several people have asked me what I would like in a package and the following is a list. Packages will take two weeks or longer to arrive. Please do not send any after July 15th.  


Package List
Gummy and/or hard candies
Notes of encouragement :)
nail polish (only if in a plastic baggy in case it breaks!)
Strawberry flavored gum
Any other random candy you find at Walmart (no chocolate or watermelon flavored please)
Anything dealing with Jesus, from a note card to a book
Any random item you would like to make me smile with
Really, it could be anything at all :)


Side note: I have been warned that packages may be looked through & picked through before they actually arrive to you. Therefore, if you send me a package, only half of it could actually get to me. Please do not send anything valuable because I may never see it.


Remember, please do not feel like you need to send me anything, but if you do, I will be ecstatic! :) 


In Christ,
Brandi :)

Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

3 DAYS!!! :)

A common question from people I talk to is, "Brandi do you have any fears for when you leave for Kenya?" Well, to be completely honest I do not have any fears. No fears at all! A verse that has been laid on my heart throughout the last several months is Joshua 1:9, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." I know that God is sending me on this mission with a purpose & I know He is going to use me to do mighty things. I know that wherever I am, my God is there with me, so why do I need to be fearful? I'm not fearful at all, but really, ReAlLy, REALLY excited!!! :)  

God has been preparing me for this journey with where I am staying right now. After the first week of May I was done with my junior year of college and would need somewhere to stay until I left for Kenya. I was placed with a loving, inviting, elderly couple that live in Angola--Gene and Janet. God has taught me so much through living with them! I have been placed in situations where I have been given the opportunity to serve wholeheartedly (Ephesians 6:7-8) whether it be painting at a camp, doing data entry for a non-profit, or helping remodel my future home on campus. God has also been teaching me a lot about marriage. For more information on this check out my blog about marriage click here. God has also been teaching me a lot about patience, something He has been doing for over 2 years now.

While staying in Angola, I have had the chance to share with many people about my upcoming internship. I have 4 church bodies, among many individuals, praying for me. God has blessed me with the opportunity to share about my heart and passion for Kenya and this internship in so many ways. Last semester, I shared in front of a group of 50 or so students at a Christian Campus House worship session. Three weeks ago, I was blessed with the opportunity to share my testimony and about my internship during two different services at a church in Angola. Two weeks ago, I was able to share a video of what life is like in the slums and a little about the internship in front of another congregation. Today, I was introduced before two different services at a church so that I could raise up prayer warriors and the pastor could pray for me. At this same church, I had the opportunity to share with the youth about the ministry I will be a part of in the Mathare Valley. God has blessed me so much through this opportunity to be able to share with others and raise up people to pray for my team, Kenya, and myself.

In 3 days, on June 2nd I will arrive to Indianapolis for training before I leave for the field. It's getting really close to the time for departure, which is making me even more anxious! :) I will be in Indianapolis for training for 5 days. On June 7th, I will board a plan and start the long flights to Nairobi, Kenya. My flight itinerary goes from Indianapolis to NYC-JFK, to London Heathrow, then to Nairobi. While in London I will have a 7 hour overlay where I hopefully will have the opportunity to tour the city with some of my teammates. I will arrive in Nairobi, Kenya on June 9th at 6:45 am!! Please pray for safe travels and for our luggage to arrive to Nairobi intact. 

My plan is to keep this blog and my facebook updated as much as possible throughout the duration of my internship. We will see how God's plan plays out in allowing me to have internet access while there. 

Thank you all for your continued prayers and support. It means so much to me to have the opportunity to share this journey with you! 

In Christ,

Brandi :)

May 25th

May 25th is approaching real fast---in 4 days fast. 

For most of you it is just any other Wednesday, but for 35 interns the day means a lot. For some, it means rejoicing in God's provision for their summer internships. For others, it means worry, heart ache, and fear in knowing they did not reach their goal in support raising for the summer. 11 of the 35 interns have all of their support raised, leaving 24 more who need to make it to their 100% mark!

On Tuesday, May 17th, as a group we have raised 79% of all of our needed support, but there was still $34,594 more to raise in 8 days.  You might be thinking, wow that's a lot of money. You are right that is a lot of money! There is not doubt in my mind that God is going to blow each of us interns away with the numbers of support that have flowed in during the past couple of days. I've been studying and looking through verses about God's provision, finances, and His faithfulness. I want to share with you, Philippians 4:19 "And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus." God has really laid this verse on my heart and it has held true for every missions trip I have been on. 

Now, you might be thinking, Brandi what can I do now? Well, I would like to encourage each of you to pray for my teammates and other interns to reach the 100% mark. Pray that God would faithfully raise up believers to support His work throughout the nations. Pray for Jesus to be known all over the World! Pray that we, as God's hands and feet, would be able to impact communities for Christ. 

Thank you for your prayers and continued support of me and the ministry I will be a part of.

May the Lord richly bless each of you!

In Christ,

Brandi :)

100%

It's with much joy and excitement that I share with each of you that I am fully supported for my internship to Nairobi, Kenya!! God has been faithfully providing for me! $5,672 is not impossible when you have a God who is your provider! Thank you for your prayers and your financial support! Please continue praying for my teammates to see God's provision for their internships. I know several of them are struggling to get donations. We serve an awesome God! :) 

In Christ,

Brandi :)

Record Herald Article

Hey there! 

My hometown newspaper, The Record Herald published an article about my internship to Kenya. I have copied the article below and there's a link to the webpage. :)

WHS grad heading to Nairobi

Abbey Miller

Staff Writer

Going to a slum in Kenya doesn't sound like an ideal trip for most people. However, Brandi Wilcox can't wait. The Washington C.H. native is anxiously counting down the days until she spreads God's word to Nairobi, Kenya.

Wilcox will be joining 17 others- students from U.S universities as well as Kenyan nationals- in the Mathare Valley slum. A square mile slum outside of Nairobi, Methare Valley is home to 800,000 people. The trip is part of an internship program through Christian Missionary Fellowship International.

"I'm really excited to share how God has worked in my life over the past four years," said Wilcox.

The Trine University accounting major has had her share of hardships, and credits God with carrying her through tough times. Wilcox left her family as a teen due to domestic violence, and moved in with a friend's family. That family is no longer part of her life.

Trine University is located in Angola, Ind.

"I'm currently homeless right now, but God has provided for me," Wilcox said."Every summer I have somewhere to stay."

Wilcox's story is awe-inspiring, but her sunny disposition and bubbly personality make her history almost unbelievable.

"I don't want my personality to be compromised because of something that happened to me," she said.

Wilcox says she became a Christian her freshman year of college.

"I got involved with Christian Campus House," she said." I thought, there is something different about these people, they are happy all the time. I realized it was because of Christ's love."

The friends she made at through the organization have helped her overcome past events, and maintain her joyful spirit. "They helped me forgive all the past hurts in my life," she said.

Though there are risks involved with a trip of this nature, Wilcox is fearless. Not even the 35 hours of travelling has dampened her spirits. When speaking on her feelings about the trip, her disposition teetered on the edge of giddy.

"I'm not scared of anything, I'm just really really excited." she said. "I'm excited to be around people who have nothing but they still have so much joy because of what God has given them!"

The group will be aiding in Evangelism, vocational training, health-care, micro-enterprise, and educational training of slum inhabitants. Wilcox and the others will be going into the slum everyday making home visits, school visits, and assisting in HIV/AIDS education.

Though she isn't exactly vacationing, Wilcox is responsible for a portion of the costs involved with a humanitarian trip of this scale. With airfare, housing, and meals, Wilcox is responsible for $5,672 out of pocket, which she is raising through donations.

"In one day I raised $1,250," she said. "I only have $890 left to go. I am in awe of how God is providing for my trip."

Wilcox's journey to Kenya will not be her first mission trip, and she hopes it will not be her last. "My first trip was in 2009 to Dungannon, Va.," she said. "I just really feel that full time missionary work is what I'm called to do."

Wilcox regards the trip as both a learning experience and an opportunity for self discovery.

"I want to learn more about evangelism and live in a country with nothing," she said. "It will take me one step closer to seeing where God has called me long term."

Here's a link to the article: http://recordherald.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=139477&TM=70861.87

Isn't this sweet? :)

In Christ,

Brandi :)