Page 11 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 1

ISSUE ONE | JULY/AUG
David and Sharon Jones’ walk interview her about it. Three days meeting, David and Sharon were
has been a walk of faith that later, David heard God instruct married in a beautiful ceremony
carries with it so much refreshing him to go back to her house, in on a sandbar in the Indian Ocean
and encouragement. David is the hot midday coastal sun, with along Kenya’s beautiful coastline,
a counseling psychologist and not even twenty Shillings to use and their marriage has become a
lecturer with a local university to take a pikipiki (motorbike) or a beacon in many different ways. It
and Sharon, a PhD in Zoology, tuktuk (tricycle). When he arrived, took faith, courage and sacrifices
teaching ecology, environment she wasn’t there, but her landlady, for them to both leave what they
and technical writing at the same a vessel used by God, tracked her knew and come together for God’s
university as David. down and he went to join her at purposes alone.
“Being surrendered,” is how Dave the restaurant where she was, just Asked about cultural challenges
begins, describing their journey around the corner from her house. and differences, David and Sharon
with God, “being surrendered A two-hour interview turned into share some of the challenges
takes out all the anxiety. We just a personal conversation and six they have faced in an intercultural
have this daily joy of knowing hours of beautiful fellowship, marriage, often coming up
that no matter what we’re going David heard the Lord say in his against blatant discrimination
through, God is with us. Even if it heart, “She’s the one”, after which and even outright hostility both
is the fire, even if it is the valley, it’s he walked her home God also from Africans and Americans
going to be okay. We’ll have victory confirmed this to Sharon in her alike. Although there was the one
in whatever presents itself.” own special, beautiful way. And Kenyan guy who congratulated her
Almost two years ago,American they both submitted to God’s plan on getting a Mzungu (Caucasian),
David Jones took a leap of faith, for their lives. saying that she had done well for
choosing to follow a nudging in For a little while, it seemed as herself. God really does have a
his heart to come to Kenya to help though this budding relationship sense of humor, ensuring they
a Kenyan sister out with a project and the word which God had met in Mtwapa, which is a locale
in Mombasa. That decision was to spoken was in jeopardy, because well known for ‘slay queens’
be the key that would unlock both David’s time in Kenya was cut and prostitution, but when God
his and Sharon’s destinies in ways short abruptly and he was going is determined to make your life
more profound than either of them to have to go back to the US, speak, He will do it in grand style.
could have known. whereas Sharon was moving to “I definitely get a lot more attention
Through the most divine of ways, Nairobi, he says, “but by that time now just by the fact that my
God caused David to completely Sharon and I knew something was husband is white,” says Sharon.
surrender himself and his will up.” To Sharon, “Right? Something “I’ll get stared at. In shagz (the
entirely to God one night while special was taking place.” (Sharon village) it was just insane. That
he was staying in Mtwapa. He nods, saying “”Mmhmm”) But if was the breaking ground for me to
was watching a video of Dr Tumi we weren’t being surrendered just stop caring because I knew we
singing “All of me”. In a moment we would have been in a state of would be like a beacon wherever
of complete brokenness and angst and questioning and like we go.”
vulnerability before God, Dave ‘no this can’t be right, you’re going But these challenges haven’t fazed
found himself letting go of back to California she’s going to them; instead, they have bolstered
everything God wanted him to, and Nairobi how could she be the one? their determination to stick to
agreeing to totally embrace God’s But before we left we just gave it all what God has shown them of each
will and plan for his life. And just to God again. And then within two other and face the journey ahead
two weeks later, God arranged for weeks of being home, I got invited trusting in the One Who brought
him and Sharon to meet. David back to Kenya as a guest lecturer. them together.
needed to move out of the cottage What? I’m going to Nairobi? And Sharon goes on to add, “… I guess
he was staying in and had gone to that’s where Sharon is? It’s like I we’re there to shock and disturb
view a house, which Sharon just was just being picked up (grabs at the same time but it’s really
happened to be vacating. A brief his head with his hand) and placed interesting and it shows the heart.
chat helped him find out a little bit right back here.” It really shows, you see the hearts
about her work and he wanted to And so, within 3 months of their first of people by the time they’re

WWW.MSINGIAFRIKAMAGAZINE.COM 11