College is where God completely rocked my life. Right before I started college my parents moved to Mexico to work with Back2Back Ministries, an incredible organization that is working to end the cycle of poverty through orphan care and community outreach. I begged them to let me move with them and was not happy when they told me had to get some school under my belt before I could move down there. Little did I know, my relationship with the Lord would grow so much deeper during my first couple of years in college. I had to lean on Him for much more than I did when my parents were close. My freshman year I began to discern that God was going to use me in Africa. I had no idea how, where, or why He had chosen me. I was just excited! As the years went on it became more clear that I really wanted to work with kids who had been affect by AIDS in some way. I began to research different countries in Africa where AIDS had effected many children. Through research, I found that South Africa actually had the most kids orphaned due to AIDS related events. At that moment, I thought I had it all figured out. I would have talks with friends at night about how I just wanted to quit school and move to South Africa. I had convinced myself that these kids needed me and no one else was going to help them. Of course, God had other plans. As many times as I had complained to my friends and family about being in school and wanting to go overseas - God knew when the time was going to come. I would have left school in a heartbeat if He had just said GO. But the brakes were put on my plan. Instead, He decided to take me down south to work with my parents for a year. I was excited to go down and learn how a ministry works and how I could help the children in Mexico. God had placed me in a time of training. A time for me to learn how He helps the poor and broken-hearted. I learned to see people through His eyes. It was life changing. God 1 - Kenzi 0. When the time came for me to move back to Oklahoma and finished school I bawled, like a little baby who just had their favorite toy taken away. It was awful. To be honest, I was mad at God. (Yes I know not the best things to do...). I wanted to stay and serve. I felt like I was doing what God had planned out for me. Again, my plan failed. I went back to Oklahoma and finished school graduating college with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology Human Service. I'm sure all the parents out there are thinking 'yay you graduated college! Now you can be successful and get a job and make money!' Yea that was not my plan. I would be happy not having the largest house, or the nicest car to show how successful I could be. Its not about me, I wanted to reach out to the kids who had no one to care for them. That was my focus. However, God knew what He was doing. God 2 -Kenzi 0.
SIDE NOTE: During college I also would pray that God would bring along a man who loved the Lord, loved me, loved his family, had blue eyes and dark hair, and loved Africa. I decided if this man did not come along, I was going to move there by myself. Again, I was focused. But, God did bring him along (after many years of praying). I met a man by the name of Mark Fogleman while I was serving alongside my parents in Mexico. While I was wishing I could be serving in Africa- God brings the most incredible man into my life. The man I have come to believe that I prayed into existence. God is simply AMAZING!
God 3 -Kenzi 0
All of this brings me to where I am today. Without these spiritual baby steps of research, discovery, discernment, trust, frustration, questions, and prayer I could be on a whole other road that was not what God had planned. I have learned that trusting Him and believing in His timing is far more important than me being selfish and wanting what I want when I want it. As Mark and I continue to move forward in the call God has placed on our hearts, we are learning to go to God first, and place our concerns and questions in front of Him daily. It has been amazing to see how God has shown up and shown off!
This past week we had our first phone interview with the sending agency. It was so exciting and scary at the same time. 'Are they gonna like us?' 'Will we be a good fit for their ministry?' All these questions came flooding to our minds. Thankfully, God confirmed to us that it doesn't matter. If it is His will we will partner with them in ministry. The thing that matters is that what we do brings glory to God.
And I am very thankful for that.
We would like to ask that as we are going through this process that y'all will partner with us in praying for these next couple weeks as we have a couple more interviews. Please pray that whatever happens is Gods plan and that if it is His will. We are trusting God in the process and cannot wait to see what He has planned!
Blessings,
Kenzi
