Some amazing Africa photos.

Coming up on six summers ago (hard to even imagine summer right now in the middle of the crazy weather nation-wide….)  I went to Africa. 

I wrote a bunch about the trip, but only bits and pieces of reflections of my experience ended up on the blog (back in the Blogger days).  A few of my online musings can be found here and here and here … some only moderately related.

[Either way, it was good fun to go back and read those old entries, and how my life revolved around classes and papers….. hmm, am I sure I want to go back to school again?….]

 

I went to Africa with a seminary friend of mine, and we spent most of our time in Kenya working with an organization called Empowering Lives International, a Christian organization focused on community empowerment through (primarily) culturally-sensitive agricultural training, as well as through setting up and/or supporting children’s homes, clinics, and faith-based communities in villages across Eastern and Central Africa. 

It would be an understatement to say that that trip forever altered the course of my life.  To put it simply:  I view church, ministry, faith, and life through a set of eyes that have been unequivocally shaped by my experience in Kenya and with ELI.   I also continue to keep ELI in my thoughts and prayers by being privileged to help sponsor one of the children in Kenya— a child that I got to know while I was there, no less (how fortunate was I to have that opportunity!?)

 

Anyway, ELI recently had a photo contest for ELI team members and intern alumni, and they posted the winning photos on their website recently.  Stunning and beautiful— these stories tell the amazing story of ELI.  One of them is above; here are the rest: 

 

 

The stories behind these pictures can be found on the original post here.  Definitely check them out.  Also consider supporting ELI, if you’re looking for an organization to support that’s into holistic, transformative, culturally-aware and effective ministry to support. 

 

These photos make me so incredibly nostalgic, [as well as a lot warmer] I can’t even explain it.  If you have been somewhere where you saw things and met people that have changed your life forever, you probably know exactly how I feel.