Page 20 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 7

FAITH STORIES
of the love of God and the pres-
ence of God. We do everything
together, we talk so much and
we’re very close in terms of dis- negatively on my visa. Instead
cussing the things that are going
on in our lives, even when I’m
not around her. Right now she’s
a big girl, she’s 20 years old and
she’s in campus. When she’s in
school and I’m at home, we just
have a way of keeping in touch
in terms of talking on the phone
all the time and updating each
other on what’s happening in the
spiritual realm, and because we
both love God so much, it's easy.
We always know who to turn to.
I’ve taught her that instead of
consulting me first, she should
go to God first, asking in prayer,
to let direction come directly
from Heaven and allow me to be
a secondary beneficiary to her
conversations with God.
You lived in the US with your
daughter for some time, were
you able to finish your studies
at all eventually or was every
strength focused on her?
I am absolutely grateful to God
that even after fighting the odds
of poverty and landing in Ameri-
ca with nothing to my name; and
overcoming the loss of loved
ones, I eventually graduated in
several colleges and I have a
Bachelors’ degree in Nursing;
so yes, I found a way of balanc-
ing motherhood, education and
career.
Why did you come back to
Kenya in the end and what
has that transition been like?
Quite honestly, I may never
have been in a hurry to come
back home, but having a student
visa meant that I had to honor
my obligation and return to my
home country once I attained
my degree. After my husband's
passing, I was in such emotion-
20 | heal . restore . rebirth . Afrika
al turmoil and I couldn't balance
my life. That meant that I missed
some classes and it impacted
of facing deportation, I chose to
return and put my worthwhile de-
gree to good use. I also thought
it'd be a plus to be back home
and to be near my then ailing fa-
ther and also to support a local
school program that had been
engineered by my family.
The transition was a nightmare,
oh my goodness, it was painful.
The hopes, thoughts and expec-
tations that had become bleak
overnight, especially beginning
with my finances. I know I can't
compare and contrast the econ-
omies of two different countries,
but I went from earning USD
65,000USD to USD 6,500 an-
nually. I started crashing eco-
nomically and eventually fell to
ground zero. You're welcome to
read my book for the rest of the
details (laughs).
Yes, of course, you are soon
releasing a book on your jour-
ney, tell us about that. this is simply because God was
I’m so happy and grateful to ready for me in 2007 and when
share that God’s story, God’s I found Him and knew there was
journey, God’s saving grace something greater than every-
has finally come together and thing in this world, I was willing
through the years, from 2007 to follow Him. By following Him,
until today, the things that He He's taught me a lot by His Holy
has allowed me to go through Ghost and so we have put to-
have now become a story. My gether a story and I can’t wait for
book is called “Rise and Shine: you to read it and be blessed as
It’s Time! My journey of broken- much as I have been.
ness and healing.” I’m excited
to talk about how I fell, how I’ve Are these experiences what
risen through poverty, through led you to become a motiva-
gains; how I’ve overcome the tional speaker?
loss of my parents and husband, Actually, this came to me as a
how my lifestyle at one point surprise, because I realized that
completely crashed and about the more I knew God and the
trusting God through all that and more I kept my relationship alive
even sharing about my ministry. with the Holy Spirit and shared
I’ve never gone to Bible school; with the people around me; how
all that I know about God is by they felt is what made me get
the power of the Holy Spirit. All inspired. I would even be going
HAPPY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY