One of our favorite parts of The Filter Project is bringing friends from home to Kenya so they can see the Lord’s work with their own eyes. For years we have told stories, shared photos, and sent updates, but there is nothing like experiencing it in person.

This week we have a group of friends from church traveling with us. Our team includes Katy and me, Bert and his high school son Grayson, Garry and Wynellen, and Pastor Matt Brown along with his wife and their four kids. Twelve of us in total.

Only two people in the group had ever been on safari before, so we started Sunday morning in Nairobi National Park before heading west to Kitale.

Safari never gets old.

We saw giraffes wandering through the brush, rhinos standing like tanks in the grass, hippos barely above the water, impalas everywhere, and even a cheetah moving across the landscape. The highlight, though, was a female lion that walked incredibly close to our vehicle. Everyone got quiet. You do not realize how powerful those animals are until you are just a few yards away.

At one point we laughed about the passage in Job where God talks about the ostrich being not the smartest creature He made. Being out in the wild reminds you of the creativity of God’s design.

From Nairobi we flew to Eldoret and then drove the rest of the way to Kitale. By the time we arrived everyone was exhausted from the journey but excited to finally be here.

Monday morning we gathered with our Kenyan missionary team at Pastor Charles’ church. We currently have 35 Kenyan missionaries serving with The Filter Project, and honestly one of my favorite parts of every trip is the moment when we reunite with our Kenyan team and our visitors meet them for the first time. The joy is truly palpable!

Stanley, who leads our missionary team, led us in worship. Our Kenyan brothers and sisters sing with so much joy. No instruments, just voices full of gratitude.

After worship we split into teams and headed out for follow up visits in Sirende Ward.

During a follow up visit our missionaries ensure the filter is working properly and ask the family to demonstrate how to use and backwash it. From there, the conversation often shifts toward the Gospel and we pray with the family before leaving.

These visits are familiar for me after doing so many over the years, but watching our friends experience them for the first time and seeing their connections and eager hearts is truly something special.

They were shocked by the level of poverty but also amazed by the joy of the children and the gratitude of the families. They saw dirty water become clean water, heard stories of sickness disappearing, and witnessed several people give their lives to Christ. Some expressed that they want to be baptized later this week.

Our visitors shared how they were inspired by the missionary team and the care they show families. The follow up visits are thoughtful and intentional, making sure the filters are used well and the families are cared for spiritually.

Tuesday we split the group again.

Half of the team went back to Sirende with Katy, while the Brown family and I traveled to Kipsongo.

Homes there are packed tightly together. Many are about 12 by 12 feet with around five people living inside. The houses are built from mud, sticks, and scraps of metal or other discarded items. The paths are narrow and the air is thick with heat and smoke from cooking fires and the scents from open sewage.

Each team visited about six homes.

One visit that stood out was a family who had given their lives to Christ during a follow up a few weeks ago. When we returned, they told us how much their health had improved since receiving the filter. The husband, wife, and their oldest son have all committed to being baptized on Thursday.

I am praying they will be there.

Around midday the rain started pouring, so we stopped for lunch at a small local restaurant. In Kenya they call these places hotels.

About 25 of us packed inside all squeezed together. The menu was traditional Kenyan food including chicken, beef, rice, ugali, and chapati.

Everyone ate well.

When the bill came, the Americans were shocked.

The entire meal for 25 people cost 56 dollars.

Someone laughed and said that might only cover two people at a restaurant back home.

Moments like that remind you just how different life is here.

Meanwhile Katy’s team continued follow ups back in Sirende.
One story they shared was about a woman who had moved from Naivasha to Kitale and began experiencing severe stomach problems because of the change in water. She said the only thing that helped her health was drinking water from the Sawyer filter she received.

As I look back over these first three days, what encourages me most is seeing our Kenyan team again.

They work incredibly hard serving their community and sharing the love of Christ despite their own personal struggles. Each time they step into someone’s home, they leave those burdens at the door and bring the utmost care and devotion to these families.

And in home after home we see real change.

Water becoming clean.

Bodies becoming healthier.

Hearts opening to the Gospel.

It is amazing how something as simple as a water filter can open the door for all of that.

And we are only halfway through this trip.

We still have Wednesday and Thursday in the field, and on Thursday we will gather again for baptisms. Then on Friday we will begin the long journey back home.

But already we have seen enough to be reminded why this work matters so much.

God is moving here in Kitale, and it is a privilege to witness it together.