A Journey to Transformation: CKC in Kansas

Old Highway 36 in Northwest Kansas.

On the surface, Covenant Kids Congo is about Hope Sunday events and child sponsorship but on my recent trip to Kansas, God presented me with a different picture of this project. Kansas is home to me as I spent my formative years there from junior high through high school. Physically, I grew up in this land devoid of trees and massive urban settings. So it was only fitting that I would grow a little more spiritually as I returned here to aid in the work of presenting Covenant Kids Congo to the churches of Kansas.

When I was first asked by Reesheda Washington, our project leader, to accompany her on this trip I was pretty sure all I was going to have to do was run the PowerPoint presentation and aid in making sure all ran smoothly. After all, she knows I’m not the type of person to voluntarily stand up in front of a group of strangers and speak. What I should have known with Reesheda is that there was ulterior motive. Everything she does on this project is done to strengthen the team. And with God leading the way, it wasn’t long until I found out I would be leading one of the presentations on my own. In fact, the very presentation she left for me was near my old hometown. She did it in a casual way; mentioning how she needed to get back to Chicago after a couple days and asked if I would be fine on my own. She also spent time reassuring me how I would see her present a couple times and realize how easy it was. I, of course, said yes with much apprehension.

How was I going to speak when I hadn’t been to Congo yet? What would I possibly be able to say when all I knew was what the churches told me every day on phone calls about their preparations for Hope Sunday events? As we arrived in Kansas and I had a chance to watch Reesheda in front of groups, I became more and more worried. Her stories and style of speaking were not going to be easy to emulate.

As I drove her back to the airport in Kansas City, I reassured her that I would be fine even as I didn’t quite feel it. I drove back to the hotel that evening with a worried mind and stress levels which were off the charts. I prayed that night. I spoke with God about relieving the burden of speaking. The night was long and in the morning, I began my four hour drive out west. As I drove, my time was spent more and more in prayer. This time my prayers were more focused on the confidence necessary to complete the task at hand. As I prayed, the worries of the previous weeks began to subside. A new dawn broke and a sense of relaxation led to a drive to my hometown, visitations with old friends, and a walk around my childhood home. By the time I got up to speak that evening, God took care of all the words and I just made myself present.

I write all of this to encourage you to not think of Covenant Kids Congo as being only about the Hope Sunday events and child sponsorship (although it definitely is), but also about our own journey towards transformation and continued growth in our relationships with God. This will only happen as we allow God to stretch us beyond what we thought possible through the giving of our time and resources. This is one of the many lessons I am beginning to learn as I open myself up to this amazing work.