Students from Reagan High School are going to Kenya this Summer in partnership with The Austin Stone and Manna Worldwide. They will be at The Austin Stone this Sunday to talk about their vision and how you can help. Watch this segment on them from KVUE below and stop by after the 9am, 11am, or 5pm services in the cafeteria of Austin High School to hear more.
Look closely, though. These teenagers aren't friends - they're family. Their relationships run deep and visitors are immediately included within this bond. The home-cooked meal comes from the hands of volunteers and their homework isn't really homework, but questions of purpose. The young man writing poetry isn't just another hopeful artist, either. His work sings of love and hope and finding clarity in the midst of chaos.
It's Monday night in the St. Johns neighborhood. And these students from Reagan High School will be taking the biggest leap in their young lives this June ... all because of a simple video.
At the beginning of the year Candice Kaiser, a teacher at Reagan, showed her students a video created from her own trip to Kibera, Kenya in which kids thousands of miles away proclaimed their love for their peers in America, asking them to come visit.
An idea is being turned into action because of the faith of these high school students.
In a world where people will most likely think they're crazy, these Reagan students are standing tall. In a world where most kids their age are saving money for a new car, prom tickets or the latest fashions, these kids are brainstorming ways to get to Africa because they want to help others.
They know love conquers all and they're taking a risk ... a risk so many adults would hesitate to take.
It hasn't been easy though. In order to get - according to the students - the privilege of traveling to Africa's second largest slum, they must perform community service, pass all of their classes and stay in school.
And that's not all.
Their trip to Kibera, scheduled for June 14-27 of this year, will include a variety of ministry opportunities. During the first week, Reagan students will host a sports camp and talent show, followed by a second week of educational tutoring and crafts. What's more, these students -who have each endured their own shares of heartbreak and loss - aim to sponsor the children they will meet in Kenya, raising the $250 needed for each child's high school education.
It's easy for us to look at devastating poverty and be overwhelmed. But these students are empowered.
14 students. 8,911 miles to travel. 1 mission: Bring love to Kibera.
