Jason and Rebekah are simply two believers who are sold out for Christ, living their faith out each and everyday praying the Lord's will be done. They live open and honest lives sharing the gospel and the love of Christ with everyone they come in contact with in a respectful way. Ministering in a Muslim context is not always easy, correction, it's never easy. All you can do, is live unto Christ, and pray for the salvation of those around you. The way they raise their beautiful little girls is a true reflection of the heart of Christ. This is just a brief glimpse into their life. They work in many other capacities that I'm not going to cover today, such as their community farming project, working with fellow missionaries from various countries, running a house church, the schools they partner with and various other projects. Lord willing we will take a deeper look into these areas in the future. In Kenya the school system is a little bit different than here in the states. So there are a lot of things that go into consideration when deciding what school to go to. Rebekah and her husband Jason decided to home-school their children. Here are some of the things that weighed in to their choice. In the town they live in there is no expatriate school and with them being the only Westerners in town they didn't want their daughters to receive special or different treatment. In addition to this, the school system in Kenya is different than Western schools. Instead of being taught critical thinking, things are taught through memorization. It is considered rude to ask questions. Being able to ask questions and learning critical thinking are two things that Jason and Rebekah value. The town they live in is nearly all Muslim and Rebekah and Jason wanted to raise their children knowing and living out the gospel. Lastly, after weighing all of these things, Rebekah felt the Lord place raising their children as her primary calling. We'll hear more about later on. After home-schooling their daughters was decided the next decision was what curriculum to use. They decided to go with, Sonlight, a Christian curriculum that has an emphasis on missions. They have been very happy with this program! In addition the girls come and help once a week at the clinic and the community farm. The girls go visiting the neighbors and help pray for their friends, or having compassion on those in need. They have also learned what it means to be taking care by your community. There are social issues that they encounter on the everyday such as a local drug, Female Genital Mutilation, and various other things. In their city there is this drug, Mira or formally known as Khat. "Khat contains the alkaloid cathinone, an amphetamine-like stimulant, which is said to cause excitement, loss of appetite, and euphoria. Among communities from the areas where the plant is native, khat chewing has a history as a social custom dating back thousands of years" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khat). This being very common means that there are always several people around town under the influence (crazy men.) The local momma's are sure to make sure they don't bother or come near the family when they around them. The community looks after them and if anyone messes with them they are sure to come to their aid. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is another social issue that they encounter living in Kenya. It is heartbreaking. FGM causes multiple complications when giving birth, in addition to this a lot of these women don't have cars. Something that Rebekah and Jason do is when the women go into labor they will call them up and Jason will give them a ride to the hospital. This is a great help to those women because labor can be very dangerous for both the mother and the baby without medical help. Rebekah has talked to the girls about FGM and how they need to keep those women in their prayers. The girls are growing everyday and they learning each day about the world they live in and Rebekah and Jason are doing their best to point them to Jesus and loving their neighbors; and may I say they are doing a fantastic job! These young girls are the sweetest, most gentle and considerate little ladies. They are always so quick to forgive and to extend kindness. They are mindful, prayerful, and inquisitive of and for all those around them. It's not all work though! The Witt's have a lot of fun together! They enjoy fun things like all the girls getting henna together or going to the community pool and splashing around to cool off. They love visiting with their neighbors or doing crafts with the neighborhood children, playing outside with their dolls or helping out on the farm. Needless to say, they have a lot of fun as a family! Rebekah is a wonderful mother! Always being resourceful and making the most of what she has while on the field. Her and Jason acknowledge that it is not just them that are serving in Kenya, but the girls are a part of the team also. This isn't always easy. There are times when they are at their neighbors house or downtown doing ministry or visiting with friends and the girls start getting tired, hungry, or cranky (as all little girls do at times), and she kindly deals with them balancing both as gracefully as the woman in Proverbs 31 would do herself. It hasn't always been this easy for her, being a stay at home mom being a stay at home mom while living life on the mission field. When she first married and they had their first child she really struggled with her role in missions as both mother and missionary. She struggled with it, fearing that she would be less of a missionary if she couldn't do full-time ministry because her roles as a mother. She prayed and sought God about this issue and the Lord answered her. She has come to find that being a mother is her first ministry and the rest comes after. Such a great calling to raise little disciples to seek the Lord and love Him and their neighbor. She has found that there is so much more joy for her following God and serving Him in this capacity than if she were to try it any other way. I'm honored to be friends with Rebekah and to learn so much from her about being a mother and missionary, she is truly a wonderful woman. Being a stay at home or home-school mom isn't for everyone, but to those who are called into this ministry, be encouraged, you are not alone. God loves you and you are not alone in this endeavor. If you would like to learn more about the Witt family, learn more about their ministry, or help them in their endeavor to build a home on the mission field, check out the links below. Rebekah Witt's blog is the first link/ support the Witt's by clicking on the second link. "Though the mountains be shaken
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