Traveler Stories

Karen’s Story

I could feel the presence of God in the building.

Kenya 2022 and Guatemala 2024

Jambo! My name is Karen Loewenberg and I traveled for the first time with Church of the Nativity and The 410 Bridge in October 2022 to Kiu, Kenya. This was the first trip back to Kiu since the COVID pandemic and the community welcomed us with open arms (literally) when we arrived. An impactful day for me while in the community, was spending a day with Paulina and her family. Paulina is a single mother of two children in the Ndalani community and she graciously welcomed us into her home to spend the day doing the daily activities alongside her and her children. We walked to the closest water well and collected 40 liters of water and carried it back to the homestead. We then assisted with cleaning the outdoor kitchen to prepare it for cooking, making a fire for the daily cooking and prepping the food for the family meal of chicken, cabbage, tomatoes, and onions. We also helped make chapati, which is a tortilla like unleavened bread eaten with most meals. It was a hard day of work, but Paulina showed so much pride and faith in her home, family and community that it really inspired me and is something I continue to carry with me today. We had the opportunity to attend a Sunday mass before leaving the village and God’s presence was everywhere. It was a truly powerful experience!