KenYa Believe It's Official Blog

Training Your Mind to Mind…

Hey hey hey! It's a new week, filled with new things and you all know what that means…a new post with many new lessons from our previous Bible Study Session! :)

I'm truly excited to share what this past week's session was all about! It is my hope and prayer that you too, shall be as blessed as I was. The focus of the study was 'Guarding Your Mind'. Here, one of the key scriptures was Colossians 3:5-6,

"Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to the earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming."

Scary, huh? I'm pretty sure that none of us would like to be on the receiving end of God's wrath; the same wrath that destroyed the whole earth, all but one man and his family during Noah's time!? Thank you very much, but I'd rather sit that one out! (Get all the juicy details of this story in Genesis chapter 6).

The only way to ensure that we stay away from these earthly desires is by filtering what we feed our minds. The mind works under a very simple principle: Garbage In, Garbage Out. Living in this 21st century makes it that much harder to guard our minds. However, this is no excuse.

The world that we live in today is so sex-saturated that everywhere we turn, this agenda is being propelled. The media industry is growing everyday, and with it comes the notion that 'sex sells'. From billboards, to newspapers, magazines, steamy romantic novels and films, sex outside of marriage is now acceptable in the society we live in. Celebrities have become the standard, and many people no longer regard God's stand on sex being saved for the marriage bed.

Many young men and women are buying in to the lie that pre-marital sex is the ultimate way to show someone that you 'love' them. Others take sex very lightly and have multiple sexual partners; so long as you avoid unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, there's no harm, right? WRONG! God is very clear on this issue: "Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body." - 1st Corinthians 6:18

(Fornication - voluntary sexual intercourse between two persons not married)

Now that we know what we ought not to do, it begs the question, 'so what CAN we do?' One of our facilitators, Reverend Pass, gave us a very good analogy to help us understand how the mind works. She took the centre of a roll of toilet paper and placed different pieces of paper that had been cramped together into it. The different pieces represented garbage that we let into our minds through the movies and series that we watch, the books, magazines and internet stories that we read and the music we listen to. After placing three papers in, the roll was stuffed.

However, when Rev. Pass placed a fourth piece of paper representing God's word, one of the garbage pieces fell out from the opposite end of the roll, and was replaced. She kept adding more wholesome paper (representing prayer, fellowship with other believers, service to God etc), which would replace the rest of the garbage. After some time, the whole roll was filled with positive pieces.

Likewise, we can apply this concept in guarding our minds. The only way to replace the junk that's already in there is by adding on the positives. It will take time, not to mention discipline and sacrifice, (because you will have to let go of some of your favorite tv shows, romance novels and love songs) but it's worth every effort in order to achieve God's standard. Train your mind to mind what gets into it!

That's it for today...I hope you've been challenged in one way or another! Much love for all the support.

Best Regards,

Olyvia Kahuthu

Learning and Applying More Truths...

Thomson's Falls, Nyahururu Kenya

Hello there everyone! It's been a while since our last post on the ongoing study that the Reformed Bad Girls are undertaking on sexual purity. This doesn't mean that we haven't been meeting up and sharing in our growth; quite the contrary, actually! We've been having a wonderful time, not to mention learning great insights as we meet up every Saturday morning.

For the past two weeks, the main topics of discussion were 'Avoiding Self-Destruction' and 'Avoiding the Destruction of Others'. For starters, these themes required a whole load of honesty from everyone within the group; honesty to oneself, to God and to the rest of the group. It was no easy feat, but since the study began a few weeks ago, we've all gotten rather close and that makes it easier to open up. Also, the key issues discussed in these sessions were not entirely new concepts, but they were very insightful.

Under the first topic on avoiding self-destruction, one of the key things discussed was 'Making Friends with the Mirror'. If we are all honest with ourselves as ladies, it is safe to say that at one point or another in our lifespans, we have all disliked this, that or the other about ourselves. For some of us, the insecurities come and go, but for others, there may be years of struggle. Sometimes, these insecurities come from within, while other times, the media and those around us may make us feel "ugly" and "inadequate" based on the world's standards of beauty. Whatever the case, it is important to focus on God's perspective, rather than that of men.

So let's take it from God's perspective. Psalm 139:13-14 says, "For you created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Here, the psalmist, David, expresses his understanding of himself. Unlike most of us, he wasn't shy to recognize the fact that God took His time to create man, and by virtue of this, it is safe to say that we are wonderful! It's not enough to just say it though, we ought to believe it in our hearts. Only then will we be able to fully beat down our insecurities.

Fun fact: What did David mean by saying he was "fearfully" made? The Hebrew word that is translated “fearfully” is yare. In Vine’s Dictionary it means “to be afraid, stand in awe, fear”. When used of an exalted person it means “standing in awe”. This implies honor, reverence and respect for the person. To be “fearfully” made means to be “awesomely” made. Yes, you are AWESOME! Ken-ya believe it?? ;-)

On the topic of avoiding the destruction of others, two key things that we looked at were flirting and dressing to impress. Flirting is one of those things that may come naturally, especially during the adolescent years. Young ladies want to get noticed by the guys, and if they don't, they tend to "help" the guys take notice by their words and their body language; this is usually where suggestive dressing comes in as well. The tops get lower, as the skirts rise higher. Most times, the young lady may have no intention of pursuing anything with the man she's flirting with; she just does it for the attention. What many of us forget is that guys are very easily aroused by visual things, therefore, it would be highly unadvisable to light a fire that you won't be able to put out. Do not flirt with a guy and expect that he won't act on his passions. Be your brother's keeper; do not be a stumbling block to him.

In conclusion, we all agreed that we would strive to live like Proverbs 31 women; desiring to be beautiful from the inside out, and not using what we have to manipulate others, rather to build up God's kingdom.

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised."

- Proverbs 31:30

I pray you have been blessed by this long post! :-) until next time…

Best Regards,

Olyvia Kahuthu

The Journey Continues....

Hello there! It's a new week, full of new blessings! And with every new week, there's always a weekend to look forward to...I mean, who, doesn't love those?!

This past Sunday afternoon, the Reformed Bad Girls (RBGs - see previous post for description) convened for the second ongoing study session on sexual purity. How exciting it was to meet up with the ladies once again and catch up on how everyone was doing. This past week's study was slightly different from the first one, but it was
just as amazing!

The topic of discussion was based on building lives of sexual integrity. In this chapter, the author explained how being a woman of sexual integrity doesn't mean that one is boring, frigid and never has fun with a guy; rather, a young woman of sexual integrity is free to enjoy the excitement and fun of a romantic relationship without the
worry of compromise.

A human being's sexuality is comprised of four distinct aspects: the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual dimensions. In order to uphold sexual integrity, all four aspects ought to be balanced. To explain this further, the analogy of a table is used. The four legs of a table represent these four dimensions; and in order for the table to
stand, all four legs must be whole.

To drive this point home, the Revs came up with a neat way of practically explaining the tabletop analogy. We were all split into groups of two individuals each, and every pair was given an envelope containing a number of different items. The aim of the exercise was to create a table using only the contents of the envelope that had been provided.

The most interesting thing about this exercise was that every group had a different set of 'tools' to create a table of balance. There was one group that had a piece of paper, four wooden sticks of different sizes and some glue stick. Another group had a piece of paper, band aids and four wooden sticks. And yet another had paper, wooden sticks and two sisal ropes. It was hilarious to see how some of the tables turned out; a few of them didn't even have the capability to stand on their own!

Many lessons were drawn from this exercise. There were a few that really stood out:

• Everyone's situation is different, but God always provides a way of escape from the temptations that we face. (1st Corinthians 10:13)

• We may slip, and we may even fall in our journey of sexual integrity. Nevertheless, this doesn't mean that there is no hope of standing again. With Christ's help, we can achieve balance in our
lives once again.

• It is important to identify what leg/aspect of an individual's life is causing imbalance. In so doing, they will be able to address the issue and deal with it so that a life of balance can be achieved.

Wow..! Great insights right there, huh? Believe it or not, that was just a tip of the iceberg of how deep the discussions were. God is surely moving in that study, and all glory goes back to Him. I'm really looking forward to sharing many more interesting lessons that we're learning every week.

Until next time, God bless you!

Olyvia Kahuthu

An Exciting Journey of Faith!!!

High Shoals - Chattahoochee National Forest
Photo Credit: Sonia Crawley

Oh how I looked forward to Saturday the 7th day of February, 2015! It was the day that we would embark on a thrilling, freeing, challenging and somewhat scary Bible study that prompted each one of us, the Reformed Bad Girls (RBGs), to be 100% honest with God, ourselves and eventually the rest of the group. Before I go on with my story, I believe it would only be proper to share a brief of how the RBGs were formed.

Roughly two years ago, there was an announcement in the youth section of our morning church bulletin at Ridgeways Baptist Church, inviting all young ladies above the age of 18 to begin a study entitled 'The Bad Girls of The Bible'. The aim of the study was to get familiarized with the not-so-innocent female Bible characters and draw lessons from them to apply in our own lives. This sounded like an exciting study; unlike any of the others I had been a part of...so I joined! Fast forward to the present, and we now have a group of young ladies who I not only consider my friends, but also my sisters.

For the past year, the RBGs have been meeting regularly, for monthly fellowships which involve catching up and sharing each other's lives and experiences, loads of tasty food, hearty laughter and of course, great insights and encouragement from the 'leaders' of our group; Rev. Crawley and Rev. Pass. Before we all jump into conclusions about why I've put 'leaders' in quotes, allow me to explain: The Revs, as we call them, have been such a blessing to each one of the RBGs (my sisters can bear me witness). In as much as they are leading the group, spiritually and in terms of organizing our fellowships, we all consider them as our big sisters in Christ. Their servant leadership qualities have served as a wonderful example. We can now safely admit that we consider them as our friends, more than anything else, really. Fellowshipping with them, and watching them 'do life' continues to be an inspiration to those of us who have been fortunate enough to interact with the Revs. It has been and continues to be such a blessed experience to follow them as they follow Christ.

Now that we're up to speed on who the RBGs are, we can get back to my main story.

During our monthly fellowship in January 2015, Rev. Pass made an announcement that we would soon begin a study on sexual purity. The book we were all supposed to purchase and begin to read before our next meeting had a very captivating title; Every Young Woman's Battle. The aim of the book is to help young ladies all over the world to guard their minds, hearts and bodies in a sex-saturated world. The journalist in me was very curious to see what lay in the 'mystery' book, so as soon as I got my hands on my personal copy, I dove right into it! And boy was I excited to see the topics that we would cover; they are very real issues that constantly affect myself and my peers.

Now, despite all my excitement, a part of me was also a bit nervous about delving into this new study, seeing as total honesty was one of the requirements to successfully complete it. I wasn't too sure that I was ready to face my personal struggles, past and present alike. Furthermore, I was a bit concerned about how much the other ladies in the group would open up and reveal about their own lives. The last thing anyone would want to be in such a setup, is judged. You wouldn't believe my shock and amazement when we had our first meeting, that beautiful blue-skied sunny morning, and secrets were revealed, struggles were shared and a few tears were shed. Yes, the process of opening up and being honest is not easy, but by what I observed that morning, it is definitely, without a shudder of doubt, worth it. God is already using this study to transform lives within the group, restore broken hearts and heal open wounds. Honestly, I cannot wait to go through the entire study, to be delivered from all the bondages in my life that I may or may not be aware of, and in turn, help others who are struggling with the same. This is one very exhilarating journey that I cannot wait to share with my sisters in the faith! God is surely up to something, and I believe it is something AMAZING!

Olyvia Kahuthu - Jesus Lover by birth, Missionary by calling, Journalist by profession!
God Bless!

Education: Lions, Tigers, Elephants, 48 Hours of Walking….

A long walk home.

Mbebilia is from Isiolo. She's one of the girls we sponsor for education. The photo above was taken during a school visit. From the main road it took us FOUR HOURS, driving on rough terrain, to reach her school. The road in this photo is SMOOTH, in comparison. Mbebilia's school is a day and boarding school. She is a boarding student, which means she lives on campus during school terms. BUT she WALKS TWO FULL days/nights, through "the bush" to and from school, at the beginning and end of each term. Very dangerous due to wild life…some children don't make it. Literally walking through the "living rooms" of the King of the Jungle, tigers, elephants and more. Ken-Ya Believe It!

This photo was taken on the way to Mbebilia's school.

We are truly grateful that our child is now in school, after beginning at the age of nine…but CHANGE IS NECESSARY!

PRAY for Mbebilia's safety.

PRAY with and for us as we seek the way forward with her education.

PRAY about sponsoring a child. There are so many more Mbebilias.

Ken-Ya Believe It? IT'S TRUE.

Email Us: KenyaBelieveIt2011@gmail.com
Facebook: Ken-Ya Believe It: Sonia Crawley & Sonji Pass
Donate: The Mission Society

The Team is Coming! The Team is Coming!

This photo, JUST IN, hot of the press in the weeeeeeeeeee hours of the morning! (Imagine the "pig" from the Geico Commercial……."weeeeeeee"). The Kenya Mission Team just before their departure from Charlotte-Douglas International Airport.

Photo Courtesy of Kevin Wilson.

Yep! You heard correctly. KEN-YA BELIEVE IT! Eight women from The Park Church are on their way to Serve Christ in Kenya! We just received word that they have arrived safely in Amsterdam, Netherlands. PRAISE THE LORD! The team is heading in this way. Please continue to cover the them in prayer.

Don't forget to sign up to receive automatic Blog updates. Enter your email address, on this page, in the space marked "Follow by Email". "Like" our Facebook page for updates also Ken-Ya Believe It's Facebook Page……travel with us as we serve Christ by serving others.

Aug. 12th Prayer Requests:

The peace, power and presence of the Holy Spirit as we prepare to receive the team.
Favor, blessings and protection over lodging, building and ground transportation.
Safe arrival of all luggage.
Favor in Customs upon arrival at Nairobi airport.
God would provide perfect peace throughout the entire mission.
Safe, restful and peaceful sleep for all.

Until next time……Be blessed!

In HIS Grip,

Rev. Crawley and Rev. Pass

One Week Later!

KenYa Believe It….. last week we were making our way back home to Kenya! We praise God for safe travel and arrival. We landed in Nairobi a little later than scheduled but we arrived safe and sound, along with all of our luggage. Grateful!

We would like to thank you for each visit, telephone call, text message, Facebook message, etc., as we prepared to depart. THANK YOU! A very special THANK YOU to family and friends who came to the airport to see us off. THANK YOU! THANK YOU to every person who checked to make sure we arrived safely in Kenya! THANK YOU!

We would also like to thank all of our donors, especially our monthly donors! THANK YOU! Thank you to all of our NEW DONORS! THANK YOU! And for those who cared for us effortlessly and tirelessly during our time in the US! THANK YOU! To every person who donated supplies, including tuna, drink mix, suitcases, financial support, etc. THANK YOU!

We are still adjusting to being back home! We have been resting, while finalizing plans for the arrival of The Park Church, USA Women's Mission Team. They will arrive in five short days. Please pray for the mission, as well as safe travel for the team. Updates for the women's team will be posted to this Blog. Sign up for automatic updates by providing your email address in the field marked "Follow by email".

Lastly, we are still seeking monthly ministry partners. Please click on DONATE NOW to make an online donation and/or to become a monthly partner. Tax - deductible donations can be mailed to The Mission Society, Attn: Crawley/Pass Account #3020, 6234 Crooked Creek Road, Norcross, GA 30092.

Here are a few photos of our travel back home.

Greensboro, NC…...