Traveler Stories

Gina’s Story

Stepping outside of my comfort zone was the best part of the trip.

Kenya 2017, 2018 and 2023

Jambo! My name is Gina Knorr and I have traveled with the Church of the Nativity, internationally on three separate trips to Kenya. In 2017 I joined a team of missionaries from Nativity, traveling to Kiu, Kenya. On this first trip to Kiu, I was not sure what to expect. I was very nervous about the long travel to get there and back and had a nagging feeling that I was not “enough” spiritually for this trip. During the preparation and training for the trip however, I began to feel prepared to travel. The 410 Bridge model, helped to guide my expectations. Although it was difficult to lean into being uncomfortable and stepping out of my comfort zone, it was the best part of the trip. 

During my first trip to Kiu, I remember seeing the excitement of the community when we arried at the medical clinic the first day. Hundreds of people were waiting to be seen by the first ever medical trip to the community. A year later, when I returned to the community, it was amazing to see the health of the community improve in only one year. That is when I turly saw the strength and determination within the community. The Kiu community was committed to the 410 Bridge model and their journey. When I came back five years later to celebrate the community’s graduation from the 410 Bridge program, the biggest impact I saw was the overall prosperity of the community. Their ability to live sustainably was exceptional. Everything in Kiu is used and repurposed as efficiently as possible. Within every conversation, generosity and gratefulness poured. God was truly present in the community of Kiu, and He was seen in each person I met and every home I visited. You could feel the Holy Spirit often, as faith and God are always put first.