BY Erin Pohlod
I remember my first mission trip to Africa in 2013; I was just six years old. I didn’t really understand everything that was going on but I know I enjoyed being there. I met the two kids we sponsored through Compassion International, one of whom is exactly 4 days older than me, his name is Samuel. He was so shy. Our team also hosted a Vacation Bible School for a community in Tala, Kenya, on that trip.
My family had an opportunity to go back to Kenya, on mission, in 2017. I remember getting to hold a baby for a long time and the mother thanking me afterwards for giving her a little break. Even though that was not a huge thing it was still nice to know I could help someone in that small way. Another favorite memory from that visit is getting to plant a tree with one of my family’s sponsored kids, Shadrack, at a Compassion Project site in Makueni. It was a really meaningful experience that I will never forget.
In 2017, we also got to visit with other Compassion kids, and those that we sponsor in Korogocho, a Nairobi slum. I was glad to also have the opportunity to see Samuel again. He was still very shy, but I remember that kicking a soccer ball around with him really brought him out of his shell and we had a good time hanging out together.
In August 2024, my family and I were able to return on mission to Kenya. Going into this most recent experience, I felt like I understood the meaning of ‘mission’ much better and was really looking forward to making more meaningful connections with the kids we sponsor (Compassion International) and others that we would interact with at the partner churches and locations we would visit. I was also looking forward to visiting the project site in Makueni to see if the tree Shadrack and I had planted in 2017 had made it through the dry seasons of the past seven years.
Getting to connect with our sponsored kids, on what felt like a new level now that we are all older, was such an incredible experience. We enjoyed our time together and even survived a terrifying amusement ride together (see clip below). Seeing our sponsored children again, connecting with their families, and knowing that my family and I have been able to impact their lives in a positive way is incredibly humbling. Through letter writing over the years we have grown in relationship despite the physical distance between us and the differences in the lives we lead. Seeing the resilience of these children and their families, knowing the struggles they face, is incredibly inspiring.
We did get to see the tree Shadrack and I planted back in 2017. It had survived and it was in full bloom during our visit. The tree reminds me of the ways we are all connected and of the continued growth of each of us and our partnerships experience, both physically and spiritually.
