Hello fam,

Trust that this month has been beautiful for you. For me August has been overloaded with many things, work, taking on new responsibilities, one of which was when my friend asked if Moses and I could be their best couple (maid of honour and best man) at their wedding. Last Saturday, we boogied, omo Gen Zs made me dance so hard, my body reminded me it is not as young as it looks 🤣🤣🤣. I also took on things I have pushed off for so long, but I have chosen to enter new territories with God’s help. Enough about how August was for me, to the topic on my mind.

The concept of following Jesus has come again to the fore for me, because I have had reason to re-examine if I am truly following Him as He would have me do. God recently brought an godly older woman into my life who asked if she could journey with me while I reside in Kenya. That was such an amazing offer which I took. Whenever we got chatting, and an issue came up and I and her other younger friends spoke about how we had responded to the issue, her question was, is that how Jesus will respond? I began to realize that many times, my selfish human nature, culture or other factors helped me make decisions and I wasn’t taking things as Jesus will have me do. I have been a Christian for almost 30 years (actually, by October it will make it 30 years, I said yes to Jesus). The assumption is that the older we get, the better we should be at following him, but I think that, many times that is not true, because we get side-tracked by many other things, but this godly woman in my life is drawing my attention back to the ancient path, helping me begin to really question my actions and if Jesus will approve.

I recently was jolted by an incident that made me understand the gravity of not following Jesus all the way. You know how you can sometimes pass on the bulk of wrongdoing to another person and not take responsibility for your share of it. I was on a vehicle and he took a bad turn that by road law wasn’t supposed to be, many times, I have wondered why some of these guys do crazy stuff like this, and in the past, I have cautioned one of them and he said it’s not a big deal, so I stopped ‘stressing’ and insisting they did the right thing. But this time, this bad turn almost cost a pedestrian his legs, he almost ran him over and it occurred to me that I had stopped speaking up for this wrong use of the road. Did I need the consequence of taking a bad turn rub off on someone else and me too? Truth, is I had passed on the bulk, I wasn’t the person really doing the wrong, but I was on his vehicle 🙄🙄🙄

Isn’t that how you and I give excuses for not doing what Jesus will have us do? Not following as He would prefer. A friend of mine was preaching the other day and he said integrity is costly, and I totally agreed because, even when my older woman was drawing my attention to something I considered small, that could just slide, I remember feeling offended in my heart, as in, ‘is it not that small thing? 🙄’ But our disobedience can cost us more than we bargained for.

I am thankful for His mercies upon my life and the fact that even when I choose to follow my way, He does not come with a gavel on my head 🙇🏽‍♀️

My prayer for you (every Jesus follower) and me is that we would simply follow Jesus when He nudges, prompts and asks us to go in directions that are ‘not convenient for us.’

This is me wishing you a blessed week ahead.

Till you read from me again, it’s bye for now.

Cinci

Dear Fam

Trust that you are all doing well and things are going as planned or at least close to planned 😊😊For me I’ve been living on busy lane since I got back to Nairobi after my long trip out. Been planning for major milestones happening in the month of August in the lives of those I love, and that seems to be taking my days, and I’m grateful for strength to execute.

So, about the topic for today, I want to begin by introducing my friend, who happens to be my longest standing friend for about 39 years. My first memory of her was us at about 3 years old, sitting during break in Unique Nursery school Zaria, squashing Cabin biscuit into Ribena. Our friendship has grown over the years, and we are in a state where we are blossoming.

During my trip, a couple of my friends came to visit me (Hanne included) and as we discussed, I told them how I used to fantasize about when I was in my mid 40’s or 50’s, that me and all my closest girlfriends would go for a vacation and share how, we were doing in our lives, marriages, careers etc. and how great those conversations will be. My current reality is that a few of my closest girlfriends have gone through divorce and that has broken my heart and overwhelmed me. Thankfully I am in a better space than when they were going through their roughest patches, and that is what has informed me asking my darling, longest lasting friend Hanne😊😊to share her life with us and my prayer for you is that you will glean a lesson or two on what it means to deal with divorce from the perspective of a Christian and how to respond to those hurting around you.

Enjoy reading!!!

Let’s get one thing out of the way.

No little girl grows up wrapping a towel around her head as a bridal veil, clutching a bunch of flowers picked from the garden, and proudly marching down the hallway to an imaginary groom, dreaming, “One day, I hope this ends in divorce.”

Not one.

We dream of “happily ever after.”

We rehearse wedding entrances, not courtroom exits.

We imagine anniversaries, grandchildren, and growing old together. We don’t imagine learning words like separation, petition, or decree nisi. We certainly don’t imagine becoming the person everyone whispers about after church while pretending, they’re asking for “prayer points.”

Life, however, has a way of introducing us to chapters we never volunteered to write.

If you had told the younger Hanne that one day I would be writing about divorce, I would have laughed, adjusted my imaginary veil, and politely suggested you increase your prayer life.

Yet here I am. And perhaps that’s exactly why I need to write this.

Not because I’ve figured everything out.

Not because I’ve reached the final chapter.

But because I’m still living this story.

Some days I think I’ve made peace with it. Other days, memories catch me off guard, a conversation stirs something I thought I’d already dealt with, or the innocent question, “Are you married?” suddenly feels far more complicated than it should.

I’ve realized something about divorce.

The legal process has an ending. Its impact doesn’t.

The summons is issued, the judge delivers the judgment, and the papers are signed.

The court declares the matter concluded. People assume life simply returns to normal.

But what exactly is normal?

No one tells you about the quiet aftermath.

Changing your name on official documents. Updating your passport, bank records, employment records, and every other piece of identification that suddenly no longer matches who you are.

Explaining your marital status on forms that insist on squeezing life into tiny little boxes.

Deciding whether to keep a name you’ve lived with or return to one that somehow feels both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.

Then there are the conversations. Some people ask because they genuinely care.

Others ask because they’re curious.

And then there are those who ask questions you never knew required answers.

“What happened?” “Whose fault was it?” “Have you forgiven him?”

“Are you thinking of getting married again?”

It’s fascinating how divorce seems to give people permission to become investigators.

The legal process may have lasted months.

The implications? Those continue long after the final signature and certificate.

They quietly weave themselves into everyday life.

Into introductions.

Into family gatherings.

Into church services.

Into friendships.

Into how you see yourself.

And perhaps that is why healing is not something a judge can declare.

Healing is God’s ongoing work in a heart that is learning, little by little, that although life may never look the way it was once imagined, it can still be beautiful.

One of the funniest conversations I keep having with my family and close friends these days is about “giving love another chance.”

Apparently, everyone has appointed themselves to the Committee for Hanne’s Future Happiness.

“You’ll meet someone.” “Don’t close your heart.” “You deserve another chance.”

“God isn’t finished with your love story.”

I know they mean well.

Honestly, I do.

They love me, and because they love me, they want to see me happy.

But every single time the conversation comes up, I laugh, shake my head, and wonder if there’s an open patch of ground I can quietly disappear into.

Because, if I’m being completely honest, the phrase “second chance at love” doesn’t excite me.

It exhausts me.

At least, for now.

Perhaps one day I’ll feel differently.

Perhaps I won’t.

I’ve stopped trying to predict the chapters God hasn’t written yet.

These days, my prayer isn’t, “Lord, send me another husband.”

It’s, “Lord, keep healing my heart.”

And maybe that’s enough for today.

For the longest time, I thought healing meant getting back to who I used to be.

Now I think healing is becoming the person God has been patiently shaping all along.

If there’s anything I personally consider a blessing today, it isn’t that my marriage ended.

I don’t believe divorce is a blessing.

Marriage is beautiful.

If two people can honour God by loving one another faithfully for a lifetime, it’s worth celebrating.

But I can honestly say that God has been my greatest blessing in the aftermath of divorce.

He met me in places I didn’t know existed—in disappointment, in silence, in unanswered prayers, and in tears I never thought would stop.

Looking back, I can now see His fingerprints in moments were, at the time, I could only see pain.

He didn’t remove every consequence.

He didn’t erase every scar.

He didn’t fast-forward the healing process.

Instead, He stayed.

Quietly.

Faithfully.

Patiently.

Walking beside me when I couldn’t see where the road was leading.

I’m still learning.

Still healing.

Still laughing at awkward family conversations.

Still occasionally crying over things I thought I’d already surrendered.

Still discovering who I am outside the life I once imagined.

Still learning that my identity isn’t found in whether I’m married, divorced, or single.

It’s found in Christ.

And perhaps that’s what dealing with divorce as a Christian really looks like.

Not pretending you’re okay.

Not living in yesterday.

Not rushing yourself because everyone else thinks you should have “moved on.”

But choosing, day after day, to trust that even if the impact of divorce remains, it will never be greater than the grace of the God who walks beside you.

So no, this isn’t the end of my story.

It’s simply the chapter I’m brave enough to tell today.

The divorce became final in court.

Healing is still being written by God.

Hannatu Aishatu Abdu

Hello fam,

Trust the month of July has been good to you and even if not, that you have enjoyed God’s peace through your trials. For me the month of July was full of travels and giving of myself to being with loved ones through difficult seasons of their lives.

Several months ago, I had gone for the funeral of my Pastor’s mum, and while I was there, the service leaders switched between Kiswahili and Kamba and I remember asking another of our Pastor’s who sat close to me what was been said and we laughed as she explained that she couldn’t understand what was been said, but that in functions like this, what was most important was our presence, the fact that we were here to support our friend in this trying season of her life, was the best gift we could offer. That insight has stayed with me, and I don’t think I ever want to forget it.

Sometimes that’s the best we can offer, giving a listening ear; offering advice when asked difficult questions; helping to run around for those in your life because they cannot in this season; observing the tiny details that slip through the crack and take care of them because your loved one has bigger details to deal with; it is sometimes just being present and quiet because they need to rant. This was my experience in the month of July and God blessed me with amazing friends, old and new, who in turn graced me with the gift of their presence and time. Though dealing with overwhelming emotions, each day, I was blessed with those who either called, visited or prayed for me, I refuse to take it for granted and my prayer for them is that every sacrifice it costed them to be with me and my family, the Lord restore to them a hundred-fold.

I am thankful that I get a chance to write once this month and I pray the remaining days in July be a blessing to you.

This is me wishing you a blessed week ahead.

Till you read from me again, it’s bye for now.

Cinci

Hello fam,

I am up so early and having had some quality time with the Lord, I thought I should catch up on writing my second blog for the month. I trust you are keeping well and all around you is well. For me I’m in a season of bitter-sweet because of the experiences of my family members but I am trying to take one day at a time and trusting the Lord that He sees me through this season. Some weeks ago as I sat in a meeting of women in my church and I was asked where I am at in this season of my life, it came to me to describe myself like an onion, I felt like the best way to explain how my life felt like, UNFOLDING LIKE AN ONION, and as I thought about what next to write about in this blog, I thought it most appropriate to share this part of my life.

So, I grew up right from childhood always being an inquisitive person, my mind hardly goes to rest, I’m always churning up something in my mind, trying to process a thought or analyze an action or something of that sort. By the time I was getting into the University, I was so unsure of what to study and I thought since I liked Geography and Math, I should study Geology and I remember my Dad discouraging that idea, he suggested Computer science and in the early 2000’s it seemed to be the next best thing anyone could study. I spoke to my Math teacher (Mrs. Obielodan) and without telling her what my Dad had suggested, she asked me to consider Computer science, I felt like this scripture was true for me, “in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.” So, I applied for Computer science and got admissions into one public and a private university, and I chose to go to the private university (story for another day 😊😊). While in Uni (since I went to a Christian school), one message at chapel that bothered me was finding the blueprint for your life. It was a recurring message, and I struggled with it because here I was feeling like God had gifted me with quite some gifts; I was studying a course that felt so abstract to me and I felt like my blueprint was tabula rasa (blank)… What really was God’s purpose for my being on earth? What exactly was I supposed to be doing with my life? These struggles continued until my mid-twenties. I chose the path of full time Christian work not been sure that it was God’s will for me but in that space, I discovered what I really love to do. Would I say that the journey of studying a course I did not enjoy was a waste of time, NO!!! God placed me there to make connections I would never have made if I went to another university or studied another course.

As I sat in the room, with those amazing women, it occurred to me that life was unfolding like an onion and in each season, all I needed to do was show up and be the best version of who I was meant to be. There have been seasons where what I needed to be was a daughter (at least from the time I was born till I left home and in this time I still play the role of daughter), a sister and relative (still am). In between that I was and still am 😊a friend and classmate, then I became a wife (still am) and a mother (I guess the most intense season of my life it has been, because I made certain decisions with my hubby and so I have poured myself into the children God has blessed us with and I’m still pouring). I became a colleague to the most fired up people you can ever work with, whose passion is saving people from eternal damnation. Now, I am in a season of investing in my natural giftings so I can be a better version of who God has made me to be.

Like the onion, in many ways I have been shaped by my circumstances and experiences (these I would call my outer layers), they have formed what makes me ‘tick’ and what I am passionate about. These have not been void of challenges. Right in the middle of this unfolding onion are my values, beliefs, passions, talents, personality and character, which have been shaped by my relationship with God and my exposure. And finally, what lies in my inmost parts are my calling¹, which is the recurring burden or assignment I feel drawn toward, what problems do I feel compelled to solve? Then my mission² which is my specific purpose or contribution in this season of my life, asking the question, what am I here to accomplish now? Here, I have had to make choices about what to be involved in and what not to. If I may add, all of this will land in the place of my legacy³, which is the lasting impact my life will have on others, what will remain after I’m gone?

Thinking about my life as something that is unfolding has given me peace, I am in no mad race with anyone, what is required of me is to show up where God has placed me and be faithful at what I do. Do I know all that lies ahead of me, NO! But I can trust the God who created me to show me the way and what He will have me do in each season.

This is me wishing you a blessed week ahead.

Till you read from me again, it’s bye for now.

Cinci

References

1, 2, 3: those definitions came from ChatGPT.

Hello fam,

It’s a cold morning here in Nairobi as we approach the cold season (or winter 🙃🙃) and I get a few minutes before my outing with the ladies in my church to write a few lines. Trust that the month of May was good to you and you pulled through with God’s help.

As I grow older, I’m beginning to ponder how friendships evolve. The memories of my childhood and the friends I had and still have as the case is, are one full of play, we would cook sand, mash our biscuits in our juice and chat (if you ask me what we said, I have no clue what we said to each other 😀). As I went to secondary school, I formed close bonds with more girls, and we are still friends till today. I remember we chatted about the homes we came from, schoolwork, we spurred each other to study, we went to Christian fellowships together, we sang together, we led as school prefects and had great fun without much to worry about. At this stage I also identified people in my life who were a little older than me but had such an amazing influence on my life. One of them was my Aunt, my Mum’s youngest sister, who was also in the same secondary school as I was, then a church member who is still a dear friend till today. Then into the University, I did not acquire so many friends, but I was cordial to most, I made a few bonds and they were really cool. I also almost dated one (🫣🫣), but we realized that our friendship was better off than having a romantic relationship. I am thankful we went that route because we are still good friends till date, we don’t talk all the time, but when we do, we catch up for all the times missed. Some very valuable friendships I made was in service year, those are some really rock solid relationships, surprisingly I made more male friends, and they have been such great people even as they have related to my hubby. Then the friends I have made at work are another asset in my life. We have worked tirelessly together, brainstormed about how to achieve goals, bantered about the challenges of work, laughed together, cried together, being with each other through major milestones, like marriage, birth and death.

Then there are the friends I am acquiring in my 40’s because I moved from my country to another, and I am meeting with people who I am able to relate with because they work with me, attend church/fellowship with me or we meet at one of my favourite places (hiking trails) and though not all of them are close to the same degree, I have made some really amazing friends.

As I have chronicled the kind of friends I have acquired on my short life’s journey, it has occurred to me that my relationship with each of them differs. Some, I can call everyday and we will not get tired of having something to say to each other. My hubby and Mum fall in that category, we can go on and on telling the same stories we told yesterday and not get tired of re-telling them 🤣. We can be honest about what needs to be done or said and even when it offends, we are able to apologize and walk past our offences. Some of my other close friends now live thousands of miles apart from me and so we do not have the priviledge of seeing each other often, but we get a chance to talk on the phone. We do not speak all the time, but when we do, we share what has been happening in each of our lives, how we can pray for each other, and support one another especially emotionally. As we evolve in the different places we are in the world, distance has capacity to take its toll on our relationship. I regard my relationships highly, and I understand that if not handled with care, we can grow distant because a lot is going on in each persons life and when there is no proximity, then we can forget each other and the bonds we share, so for me, I make it a point of duty to pray, text or call, when the thoughts of one of my physically distant friends comes to mind. One thing I discovered that has begun to bother me at this stage of my life, is when I feel one of my friendships is one way, especially with respect to communication. I realized that I have less energy to push for friendships to work than when I was a teenager or in my 20’s. With the newly acquired friends I also realized that I match your energy to the degree you are willing to show up. As I have reflected on this aspect of my life, I have wondered, what happened to the boisterous, energetic girl, who will make every effort to keep in touch with others? I have found myself becoming very conscious of what I say to my friends when talking to one who may be going through a difficult season in his/her life and the opposite is my experience in that same situation, I struggle to share my joy when a dear friend is not doing so well.

When I was younger, I didn’t bother about much as I related to my friends but as I have grown, things have changed and I can only wonder how my friendships will further evolve as I become older. My desire is that I will be like this friend described in scripture: there are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother. That I will be a friend who sticks closer than a brother (or sister).

This is me wishing you a blessed week ahead. Happy Madaraka day to my Kenyan readers.

Have a blessed June.

Till you read from me again, it’s bye for now.

Cinci

Hello fam,

I guess it is still ok to say welcome to May. I personally entered May on high gears. Late in April my family and I had the opportunity to travel to another county from Nairobi, Kilifi. For the longest time, my hubby and I have looked for opportunities to expose our children to what we do. In the job we do, it is very easy for children to be aloof of what their parents do and not get a chance to participate but for us, we feel what we do is something we want our children to be involved in, one way or another in the future. So, we took the chance to all be involved when our University planned for a mission outreach for our students. We decided to register as a family. As we prepared for the trip, I realized that our kids have grown quite a bit, they packed most of the vital things they needed, and it reminded me of when they were younger and I will feel like I was breaking a leg 🥹🥹 packing for them. I am thankful for growth. By past 7a.m. Sunday morning, the 26^th of April we were Kilifi bound, we bought a few snacks for the children, and it was generally a smooth ride. We got a chance to see the beautiful landscape of Kenya and again, I saw the maturity in our kids as they occupied themselves with books or small talk among each other, except for our youngest who kept asking me if we had arrived 😂😂

Once we arrived and settled, the next morning, we were split into four separate groups. Moses and Sisa, Nosa, Iyobosa and then me. I was glad, because the kids get a chance to share the gospel with other adults and not have me in their faces 😂😂

That was the highlight of this trip for me and hubby, where our students came back with testimonies of our children being so bold they shared the gospel with other children. I was amazed and felt so blessed. Infact one of our students sent me videos of him encountering our older son sharing the gospel. I saw their resilience even in an environment that they were not familiar with. Many times, they had to walk several kilometers and they hardly complained about it; they ate late on some occasions and came back at almost midnight, going for gospel film showings. My heart is truly warmed that they could be exposed like this and I pray for more opportunities to expose them to what we do.

This is me wishing you a blessed week ahead.

Till you read from me again, it’s bye for now.

Cinci

Hello Fam

Trust that you are doing well. I also hope that the month of April has gone well for you so far. I have had a good month, a lot to do but I am grateful. In this season, our children have been on holidays and there’s been a lot to unpack, having to observe character and correct/discipline as the case may be; seeing so much growth in their minds and the list is endless. Let me get back on track about what I really want to share with you today, what it means to share faith with someone.

When I made a conscious decision to follow God, I was only 12 years old, it was first term in secondary school and I remember that day like it was yesterday because it was the beginning of my forever with God and I still remember the joy I felt making that decision to follow God the rest of my life. I also remember that the joy I felt of following God was something I wanted to share with others but did not know how to. I remember my first attempt at sharing my faith with someone and I was paired with a good friend of mine, this was about 20 years ago, I cannot even remember what we said to this lady and she willingly accepted Christ and I remember how excited I was. I have always been that person, who really doesn’t like to venture into unfamiliar spaces without learning the how-to of the new terrain, so for the longest time, I would not tell people how they could find God like I did. Right out of the service year (a compulsory 1 year service for graduates of Nigerian universities to give back service to the nation), I heard an advert in church of a training on how to share one’s faith. I jumped at it and went along with my bestie. It was an amazing training because I learned the basics of what to say when sharing my faith and that blew my mind, especially because I struggled then to start conversations. It was also the place that I met hubby, who happened to be the main trainer, story for another day. 🫣🫣🫣

Since that training I have had many opportunities to share what I believe about God and hoping that the people I share it with, will consider faith in Him too. I remember been on a motorbike just last week, the owner of the bike bumped a traffic rule and so I decided it was a chance to engage him in a conversation. I asked why he bumped the rule and he said, everyone was doing it especially our leaders, I then asked who he truly was accountable to, just the leaders or God? He acknowledged that he was accountable to God but that God didn’t say anything about obeying leaders and I told him, that on the contrary, there were instructions about obeying authority and he asked me where it was in scripture, well at this point, I was already at my destination and I wished I had a little more time with him to tell him more about God but I remember feeling excited about the chance to share with someone else what I believe. For those of you my readers who are Christians, this art of sharing our faith is a command for all God’s children, so that everyone in our world has a chance to make a decision whether or not to follow God and I think that we don’t spend enough time sharing with the people around us the love of Jesus we have found. This is my encouragement to you today, make the most of every opportunity (Ephesians 5:15-16) to present Christ to those around you but most importantly let them see Jesus in the way you live.

This is me wishing you a blessed week ahead.

Till you read from me again, it’s bye for now.

Cinci

Happy Easter my people, thank God for the great sacrifice of His son to take your sin and mine. I sat on the pews of All Saints Cathedral, Nairobi, as has been my tradition for more than 15 years every Good Friday to find the closest Anglican church to sit meditatively for 3 hours listening to the last seven words of Jesus on the cross and I remember asking myself this one, if this tradition had outlived its purpose, or I had become legalistic about it, but I remember feeling like a solemn service was what I needed above all the noise in my world. The song, ‘The blood will never lose its power’ by Andraé Crouch was sung so beautifully by the choir and the words sank so deep in my soul, particularly the first verse

The blood that Jesus shed for me
Way back on Calvary
The blood that gives me strength
From day to day
It will never lose its power.

The fact that the composer describes that Jesus blood which was shed to take away my sin gives me strength to live day to day is something that brings to me the understanding of what Christ went through before getting to the cross, the humiliation, the beatings, being spat on, carrying His cross, being nailed and of course His blood gushing out of the openings He was pierced through. This speaks to me about Christ’s resilience to finish what He began, the ministry of reconciling us miserable sinners back to God. He could have stopped on the way and said, Father, I’m done! I won’t do this anymore! I cannot go to the cross for these sinners, but He endured immense pain to save us. What manner of love is this? Just yesterday, I was in the forests of Kimende, along with other adventurers to see the Maumau caves and waterfall and even though the terrain of this forest was not steep, we climbed and descended and climbed and descended and some of those climbs felt like my lungs will burst and I remember just saying, Cinci, you need to get through this, there’s no one who will stop to carry or back you, and I pushed through that 12km hike and at the end I was thankful I made it. The level of strain my body felt is nothing compared to the pain Jesus went through to save you and I, and I am thankful for His resilience to see this task through, and giving me access to the Father. Lord, receive my thanks for this great sacrifice and may everyone who reads this blog who hasn’t considered your sacrifice for their sake, give You an opportunity in their lives to be their Lord.

Praying you have a great Easter celebration and holiday.

This is me wishing you a blessed week ahead.

Till you read from me again, it’s bye for now.

Cinci

Dear Fam

Trust you are fine and the month of March is going quite well for you. For me the month has been quite busy, with lots of trainings and equiping at work and I am thankful for all this exposure I have had this month. My family is also keeping well and God has preserved us. This weekend, the kids have been preparing for exams, so hubby and I have been ensuring they are reading and quizzing them afterwards, plenty of work to do 😇😇😇😇we are grateful to be involved in their lives this way.

On our campus, we take our students on a yearly mission trip just before our third trimester. The essence is to expose them to terrains beyond what they are familiar with and give them an opportunity to share the love of God with others. One of my favourite mission trips was a few months after we got to Nairobi as a family and I remember been so excited to go for this trip. I raised the needed funds for the trip in a short while and we were off to a county called Marsabit, ‘which is in Northern Kenya. It is Kenya’s second largest county by land area (approximately 70,961 km²), characterized by arid plains, volcanic landscapes, and the Chalbi Desert. It has Moyale acting as a major border trading town with Ethiopia. It is home to diverse communities (Borana, Gabbra, Rendille) and features attractions like Lake Turkana and Marsabit National Park’.¹ I was first of all excited because I was going to get a chance to go another part of the country. I had a good time as I sat with one of my colleagues on this ride and we had very amazing conversations about ministry, family and all sorts of things. Now, I had a bit of a challenge, here I was trying to learn Kiswahili and we went among the Rendille people and I wondered how I was going to minister when my language barriers were many, but I am thankful for the opportunity God gave me to share my life with our students. I shared a devotion on one of the mornings and it brought about a very good conversation, with many of them having many questions to ask. We also had opportunity to go from home to home in that village, sharing the gospel. I also got a chance to meet the missionary who was on ground that we were partnering with. Just listening to his stories of how the Lord helped him to connect with the people he was reaching to, using adult learning to draw the men and women to learn to read and write and that was one major access he got to the people’s heart. Also, how he learned their language and the great progress he had made was a thing of joy to see.

That trip gave me a chance to get to know some of my colleagues a little more (especially the ladies, younger and older). We were close to one of the reserves, so the insects and wild animals around were quite something, but I’m thankful no-one was hurt. We also had to walk almost 10km to and fro the spot the network was good. After the first call I made to my family in Nairobi, I told them I wasn’t going to make that trip again, till the day we were out of the village. The people were receptive, and they have such a colourful culture. I enjoyed every bit of my been there. I met old people there who had never gotten to the tarmac, barely 20km away from their village. I realized how privileged I am, and how baseless many of my complaints are.

It’s almost two years since that mission trip and my family and I plan to go for the one organized this year, in Kilifi county (coastal Kenya) at the end of April, God willing. Trusting that I will make great memories like the first one I made in 2024. Looking forward to it.

This is me wishing you a blessed week ahead.

Till you read from me again, it’s bye for now.

Cinci

References

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsabit_County

Dear Fam

Happy new month, my goodness we are already in March, my birth month. I am so thankful for the gift of life. Trust that you are keeping well. For me the last 1½ month has been intense. It has been such a rollercoaster. I cannot really remember starting a new year feeling like I was on a bumper ride but that’s how 2026 has presented many challenges at the same time for me. I am reminded of that scripture that my family and I learned a few years ago, John 16:33 NIV, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Isn’t it such an interesting scripture that God prepares his children that trouble is just around the corner, but He assures us that victory is ours. The point between when trouble starts and the end point that lands us in victory can be a journey, and that is what the last 1½ month has been for me.

I had quite a health scare, from the point of noticing changes in my body, to seeing doctors and doing test after, test after test and getting to the place of a good report shook my insides, this is besides other challenges rearing their ‘ugly heads’. I read and heard things from a different light, nothing looked as normal, because as I read or heard things, I asked myself, is this referring to me or is this what the end looks like. That was truly challenging. There were nights, I didn’t have a wink of sleep, because sleep had gone through the window, other days my head was filled with all sorts of thoughts but I remember this very confident voice in my head and now I am reminded that in our struggles, God is with us, and for me, He said, nothing will come out of this. What is life without God journeying with you? Giving you hope that you can keep on in the midst of challenges. Another thing that kept me going in this season was scripture, this year, our family picked Isaiah 41:10 TPT as our anchor scripture, Don’t yield to fear, for I am always near. Never turn your gaze from me, for I am your faithful God. I will infuse you with my strength and help you in every situation. I will hold you firmly with my victorious right hand. We have used the last two months to memorize this scripture and when fear filled my heart, this scripture came alive, Cinci, do not yield to fear.

In this season, I was reminded that we do not walk alone. In life we need people to journey with us. My husband, a family member and two of my friends who are doctors, were my go-to for clarity, ranting and reassuring that all will be well. I remember one day as I prayed about my troubles, I asked the Lord, what is the purpose of all this pain? I cannot tell you that I got an answer but I am reminded of another scripture that says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4. I believe God will use our pain for reasons we may understand by and by.

This is me wishing you a blessed month and new week ahead.

Till you read from me again, it’s bye for now.

Cinci

Hello Fam,

Happy new year to you again. Trust that 2026 is rolling out well for you and you are adjusting to some of the new changes that are coming your way as the new year is unfolding or that your regular routines have continued well for you. Either way, my prayer for you is that you will have a good year and that the areas you desire to grow and the spaces you will need to be in, that God will make that happen for you according to His will.

For me the year has begun with certain transitions, I am changing departments though I will still be doing administrative related things. So in the past week, I had handover meetings to ensure this transition goes smoothly. I am yet to have meetings with HR and my new supervisor to understand the extent of my roles in the new department. The children have begun new classes (I cannot believe it our oldest is in Grade 8, our middle son is in Grade 6 and my not so small baby is in Grade 3), time truly flies, they were all babies just the other day, I am truly thankful.

I have also began the year evaluating 2025 and trying to make plans for the new year, I usually would have made those plans somewhere around December, but it was really busy for me and I couldn’t get around it, then I have had to re-think many aspects of my life and how I want to handle things differently, explore new frontiers and all. This has made planning a bit challenging because I am wondering if I want to try anything new or just remain around status quo. So, I am in the season of praying that God gives me clarity about what He has in His mind for me, what to do and what not to do.

It is possible that like me, you are trying to venture into unknown territory, you are uncertain what next you should be doing, trust God by asking Him for direction for your life.

Praying that you find guidance and leading for your every decision.

This is me wishing you a blessed week ahead.

Till you read from me again, it’s bye for now.

Cinci

Image gotten from: ChatGPT

Praying you enjoy the Christmas and the reason for the season.

Thank you for reading my blog this year, looking forward to greater reads in 2026.

Blessings

Cinci Osagiede

Praying you enjoy the Christmas and the reason for the season.

Thank you for reading my blog this year, looking forward to greater reads in 2026.

Blessings

Cinci Osagiede

Hey fam

Trust you are keeping well in the midst of the many things going on in your life and the many events planned for as the year comes to an end, at least from my end, there’s an invite for so many events and I am currently beginning to feel overwhelmed by them. I am thankful for the gift of family and work and having to find a balance between both worlds, that has not been easy, especially with my kids being on a two-month break, but God is helping us.

I thought that I should write about a difficult season in my life that I have had to deal with and to say that God sees us, God sees you, inspite of what you are having to deal with.

The last two weeks were really hard, and I wondered in my walks back from the office (this has become my time to reflect over issues, a time to pray and just be in meetings with myself) if God saw what was going on and if He was going to intervene. I remember on two consecutive days of the two weeks, I remember telling God I was tired of dealing with this situation and telling Him, I was ready to throw in the towel and in the midst of my conversations with the Lord and my hubby, God decides to show up. We sat as a family to read scriptures together, and that night, we were scheduled to read Psalm 6, and we usually use the International Children’s Bible version, so our children can get the message easier, and this was what it had to say:

Lord, don’t correct me when you are angry.
Don’t punish me when you are very angry.
Lord, be kind to me because I am weak.
Heal me, Lord, because my bones ache.
I am very upset.
Lord, how long will it be?

Lord, return and save me.
Save me because of your kindness.
Dead people don’t remember you.
Those in the grave don’t praise you.

I am tired of crying to you.
Every night my bed is wet with tears.
My bed is soaked from my crying.
My eyes are weak from so much crying.
They are weak from crying about my enemies.

Get away from me, all you who do evil.
The Lord has heard my crying.
The Lord has heard my cry for help.
The Lord will answer my prayer.
All my enemies will be ashamed and troubled.
They will turn and suddenly leave in shame.

This was so timely, we would usually ask the children, what they heard, what caught their attention, but that night, it was our turn, we shared how apt it felt to feel tired and voice it out. The fact that the exact way we were feeling, was how David in scripture felt and that this entry entered onto the Holy scriptures, this reminded us that God saw us and knew our issues, and I tell you in short couple of days He came through from least expected sources and made a way out of our situation. Like I may have shared on this platform before, I am not in doubt of God’s capacity but many times my concern is, ‘Lord, how long will it be?’ just like David, I wonder how long before God comes through. As I think about this entire experience, I am reminded that God sees me even when I go through difficulties and He can deliver and I need to go to Him both in good and bad times and tell Him exactly how I feel.

So, this is to you, tell the Lord what is going on and in due time He will make things right.

This is me wishing you a blessed week ahead.

Till you read from me again, it’s bye for now.

Cinci

Image gotten from: ChatGPT

Hey Fam,

Happy new month and I trust that you are doing well. I am doing well and looking forward to the many events I have lined up in this month as the year ends. One of the events I will be attending by the grace of God, will be my graduation from JARS Institute, where I received training for about 7 months (between February and September). The course was called Integrated Trauma Care for Professionals Course. It was introduced to me by a friend especially because my work involves people and many a time, there were situations where I left talking with a person and unsure how I could have helped them better. This course gave me the exposure about what trauma is and how to treat it. Before now, I was averse to the word “trauma” because I felt it was used in contexts that really did not convey the real use of it. I felt it was a means of excusing things that could be dealt with head-on. So, I entered the class a bit of a skeptic. I had an amazing Professor who is so passionate about how Africans can be more trauma informed and finding help for those who have been traumatized. It was quite an intense program, and I learned a lot.

One of the main reasons I am writing this today is to create awareness on the subject matter of trauma, first by defining what trauma is. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), trauma is an “emotional response to a terrible event,” such as an accident, rape, or natural disaster. It is a disturbing experience that can have lasting negative effects on a person’s behavior, attitudes, and overall functioning.

Haven defined what it is, my next desire is to encourage that we be sensitive to those around us, who might have experienced trauma, they may not necessarily tell you what is going on and what has happened to them in the past but as we converse with people we need to be careful what we say and how we say it and when people share their lives with us, if we cannot help them, let us point them to where they can get the necessary help. My earnest desire is to be the help people around me need and I trust God for opportunities to present themselves for me to give people the needed help.

This is me wishing you a blessed week and a great month ahead.

Till you read from me again, it’s bye for now.

Cinci

Image gotten from: ChatGPT

Hey fam,

Trust you are doing well and all around you is well. I literally just woke up 2 hours ago from my beauty sleep (as described by one of my favs, Anty F🫣🤭) I took a day leave because last week during the public holiday, I needed to be at work to help with a program. Sleep energizes me and gives me a clear mind, and I wake up with such clarity, I am able to catch up on things I have not been able to do in the midst of the many things calling for my attention.

I have been in a mood of thanksgiving the last couple of days because my wedding anniversary was on the 9^th of October, and our marriage turned 15 years. For me there is so much to be thankful for, God has kept us in sound mind. He has helped us to understand each other better. We have had lots of adventures together, we have had our ups and downs but most of all, I am thankful for the fruit of our union and the gift of our friendship.

Many times, I am asked what has kept us thus far, I know that God in both of our lives has changed so much about us. We individually spend time with Him who has helped us identify what we are doing right and what we do wrong and so from that point of reference, we come to the relationship and treat each other how we have learned from God to behave. It is not void of offence occasionally, but that has been our biggest benefit, each knowing God personally, learning from Him and living it out to each other.

Another thing I can think of is our friendship; it has been real and authentic. It has refined over the years. We are both first born children, and we both know how to hold to our opinions highly 🤭🤭 but we have learned to respect each other’s opinions even when they are different and then we ask ourselves what will work for the greater good of our family.

There are many things I can share about but for me, I truly I’m grateful for what God has done for me and Moses, and I look forward to the years that lie ahead and the things God will do in and through us as He sanctifies us using marriage.

This is me wishing you a blessed week.

Till you read from me again, it’s bye for now

Cinci

Hey Fam

Trust you are well and everyone around you is well. I have had a busy few weeks and it feels like my 7-day leave was not enough, 🫣🫣well, adulthood is happening and each day I ask God for His help to thrive and to show up where I am needed. This topic I am writing on today is one that is very dear to my heart, for several reasons. First and foremost, is that I had a very present parent in my Mum and I constantly (though unconsciously😊) use the yardstick of how she raised me and my siblings, and it projects in the way I am currently parenting.

The concept of parenting is very wide and can go in any and every direction, from definitions, core parental responsibilities, to parental practices and styles etc. I think a good place to kick off will be to define what parenting is. Britannica defined it as, ‘the process of raising children and providing them with protection and care in order to ensure their healthy development into adulthood.’ ^{1 ‘}I also found one that really resonated with me by the American Psychological Association that describes three primary goals of parenting.

• Keeping children healthy and safe.

• Preparing kids for independent adulthood.

• Teaching values that align with the parents’ culture.’ ²

The third goal will be my focus because if I want to talk about parenting as a Christian, then my faith and the values I want to pass on comes into question. Which supreme being do I believe in? What are the tenets of my faith that I will love to pass on to my children? What do I need to do to pass on these values of faith that I have to them? The questions are endless, but I will attempt to answer a few of them.

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth (the Apostles creed) and my desire is that my offspring will believe in Him even deeper than I do. They have had a chance to get a clear presentation of what it means to believe in God and have a personal relationship with Him but as they grow older, I see every reason why they need to be exposed to more of Him. The way life is lived in today’s world makes me want to point them to God’s original design for how life should be lived (bordering around their sexuality, lifestyle, conduct etc.) I am reminded that unlike when I was raised that some of these topics were ‘unmentionables’ in most homes, with my children, these conversations need to happen and not as a ‘one-off’ but severally, as situations present themselves. It can become an opportunity to present my faith and trust that they will pick God’s view over the loud voices all around them.

I have also wondered does it end in just conversations around the subject of faith, but I am learning to take a step further, to teach (maybe because I love to teach on a good day 😁) I try ever so often to intentionally teach using studies that align to what I believe to the children God has entrusted in my care and I trust that these seed will count for something in each of their lives. I also work at living a life that pleases God before my children, because truly it is monkey see, monkey do. If I say that I am godly and it does not show in how I live my life or the decisions I take, then everything is an effort in futility. My working at living godly before them is not void of mistakes and I try to apologize when I am wrong (another lesson my mother taught me to apologize, even when she did me wrong)

These are some of the things I try as a Christian parent to do and I’m open to doing more to pass on my faith to my children. You can share with me other things you are doing to pass on your faith to the next generation in the comment section.

This is me wishing you a blessed week.

Till you read from me again, it’s bye for now.

Cinci

References

1. https://www.britannica.com/topic/parenting

2. https://www.healthyplace.com/parenting/parenting-skills-strategies/what-is-parenting-what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-parent

3. Image gotten from: ChatGPT

Hey Fam

Trust you are well and everything around you is well. The previous week was so busy, I remember beginning last Monday feeling overwhelmed, but I scaled through, the two major events we were planning for at the office went on quite well and successfully and I am so thankful. I then decided to take a much-needed break for one week, so I am currently in bed at past 9am, typing this article.

Lately what has filled my mind the most is the question of faith, my thoughts have bordered around the testing of faith, and I thought I should share with you a few of my musings.

I thought of calling it the wrestling of faith because when you think of this sport, which is considered one of the oldest sports, you would realize that it is a contact sport. Britannica defines it as, “two competitors, involved in forcing an opponent to touch the ground with some part of the body other than his feet; forcing him into a certain position, usually spine (on his back); or holding him in that position for a minimum length of time. This game requires a lot of strength, endurance and tact.

Whenever I catch a glance of a wrestling match, many times I'm not able to stay through because it comes with big hits and it is sometimes bloody and I'm not able to endure it, but I'm reminded that this is the same experience with our faith.

Many a time, at life’s crossroads, I'm prone to asking a lot of questions ❓❓❓why things happen the way they do. I recently was watching the Chosen, a movie that tries to depict Jesus' walk on earth and in season 5, I saw his disciples wrestle with whether Jesus was the Messiah or not. I saw them question, why he will not take over and destroy their enemies, Rome, the way they thought, or chose to interpret the prophecies of the Old Testament prophets. I watched them as they asked him difficult questions, why he would heal some not others, why he would raise the dead (Lazarus, a case in point) and not raise others. I saw them bring their pain to Jesus of how and why he chooses to do things differently in seemingly similar circumstances. I saw Jesus handle the fact that they wrestled with their faith in who he truly was, the fact that he had capacity to change all things in their favour but will sometimes just ask them to trust him and not necessarily eliminate the pain they were going through. I think that that is the ‘rawest’ form of wrestling because it is not because you are incapable of solving my problems, but you have a better idea of refining me through my pain, whoosh 🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️, I am unable to comprehend.

I saw in Britannica that one of the requirements for winning a wrestling is, “forcing the opponent to relinquish a certain posture or position”, and as I think about it some more, I think that that is what God expects from you and me, that as we wrestle with those questions, that we will bring those fears and doubts to Him, but ultimately, that we will come to a place where we are willing to relinquish our heart postures of doubt and come to a place of rest in our hearts in spite of unanswered questions and trust that He has our best interest and he is working all things for our good. It may be difficult to come to terms with, but it is possible and that is the direction I am daily learning to choose to take, the place of absolute trust despite…

I hope that this gives you courage to keep moving on despite your challenges.

This is me wishing you a blessed week.

Till you read from me again, it’s bye for now.

Cinci

Reference: https://www.britannica.com/sports/wrestling

Image gotten from: ChatGPT

Hey Fam

I believe that you are all keeping well. I too have been well. It is that time of the month and I’m glad that I get a chance to write again to you. As I reflected on what to write about, it occurred that I had not written about one very important area of my life. An area that means so much to me for many reasons, and that is, what prayer means to me.

As a child, prayer was what I saw every adult do when we went to church; or in public places when there was a function, we began with prayer; what my Mum especially did when we had family prayer time. I did not really understand the importance of it. For one, I could not see who we all were praying to, but I just knew I too needed to talk to God.

As I grew older, it became clearer that prayer was communing with God, so I could give God a long list of all the needs I had but as I have matured in my faith, I am realizing that prayer is both talking and listening to God.

The focus many times is on what we want to ask God for and not listening to what He has to say to us. I personally have struggled in the place of just being quiet and listening to what God has to say to me, and I still trust Him to grow in this area.

As human beings, we look to a source bigger than us, we realize that we are finite and limited and we call on God for help especially in times of trouble. It reveals our need to depend on someone higher than us (despite all our capabilities) for comfort and help.

Prayer for me has now become a safe space, to air out my heart to God, many times, I get a chance to tell Him how grateful I am for the many things He is and is doing in my life, other times, I share with Him how frustrated I am about certain situations, other times I ask for needs in my life and many times, I bring the requests of others around me who are dealing with their own struggles.

The reason why prayer is dear to me is because, first, I saw it modelled to me, especially by my mother and even when her answers did not come as soon as she wanted, they came, and I saw how prayer transforms the heart. Many times, we ask for certain things, but God answers in ways that grow us and make us better people. Secondly, it teaches me contentment. When I ask of the Lord for something, I get a chance to wait (and that part can be really hard 🤪🤪🤪) while He does what He wants to in my life or the life of others around me.

Lastly, it keeps pride in check because if I could do everything for myself, I may not be dependent on God, I will possibly feel all sufficient and that should never be my desire to take the glory of the All-Sufficient God or to replace Him with any other human being in my heart. It helps me remain God dependent. This heart posture reminds me of Agur, the son of Jakeh’s prayer in the Proverbs:

“God, there are two things I’m asking you for before I die, only two: Empty out of my heart everything that is false— every lie, and every crooked thing. And give me neither undue poverty nor undue wealth— but rather, feed my soul with the measure of prosperity that pleases you. May my satisfaction be found in you. Don’t let me be so rich that I don’t need you or so poor that I have to resort to dishonesty just to make ends meet. Then my life will never detract from bringing glory to your name” (Proverbs 30:7-9 The Passion Translation emphasis are mine)

This for me is a ‘God-dependent’ prayer and this is my desire to remain for the rest of my life God dependent and not think I can ‘outgrow needing God.’

This is me wishing you a blessed second half of July.

Till you read from me again, it’s bye for now.

Cinci

Image gotten from: ChatGPT

Hey Fam

Trust you are all keeping well. The last couple of weeks have been quite busy for me.

I have wanted to write this for a couple of days, but life has been lifeing 😉😉

I had an experience last Saturday and I am more convinced that the things that happen in our lives are not by happenstance, but they happen because they are allowed by our maker, especially for the children of God, and for a particular reason. I had the opportunity to attend a meeting of African women in Missions here in Nairobi, and it was a really great time. As we conversed, we were reminded about many things that we already knew because many of us were already in ministry. So, as I sat there and just soaked in so much information, one of the highlights for me was the reminder that we could use the simplest things to share the gospel with the people that God brings our way on our daily basis, and as I stepped out of the meeting heading for another function that was organized by my small Bible study group from church (it was a family hangout). I stood at the gate of the church where the meeting was held to order an Uber, usually I would take a motorcycle especially when it is a short distance. I then realized that both the price of a motorbike and a taxi was 130 Shillings. I said to myself, I might as well take a taxi. When the gentleman arrived, I got into his vehicle and I said hello, and he began the trip. The route he took was a one-way, based on the knowledge I had, so I asked him, and he said he wasn’t so sure 🤔🤔🤔. I'm like, that's a bit risky. For a few minutes into the trip, there was silence in his car, and then he put on the radio. He then took the last major turn to where I was headed, and as we went, I kept thinking, how do I connect the gospel in this situation. He then mentioned that the point we turned was not the official point for a U-Turn, but that everyone had made it their turning point, so I said, hey, another risky move we are making, and he laughed. I then said that this dangerous turn could take a person to the other side of eternity, then he said, that what determined a person to go to heaven, was by whether you do good or bad on earth. I then said to him, I don't think about it that way. I told him that scripture had made it clear that you can make that decision here by having a personal relationship with God. He said, well, he didn't believe that, that he was not a religious person (I was taken aback because it had been a long time, I had heard someone speak like that). I told him it was not all about being religious. It was about deciding your eternity here on earth. He found the confidence of my certainty of where I was going to when I closed my eyes in death quite puzzling. For me, that was a very crucial opportunity for me to share the gospel.

I could have assumed that my choosing not to take a motorbike and rather taking a taxi was a coincidence, but it was not. Everything that happens in our lives happens for a reason, and God allows it. The truth is that amid pain and challenges, it is difficult to see what God is doing. The promptings He gives us; the directions and steps He asks us to take, what He will have us do, usually come in a still and quiet voice and we can mistake it for our minds.

My encouragement to you today is to obey. God made it so much easier for me to obey by presenting me with the same option with the same price. I could have said, let me take a bike, which is something I've been used to taking, but I'm thankful that I listened to that prompting to take a taxi instead, because I then had an opportunity to give a clear presentation of the gospel to someone who needed it.

What is God asking you to do today?

What is He prompting you to do?

What conversations is He prompting you to have?

Please take them seriously and act on them.

This is me wishing you a blessed weekend.

Till you read from me again, it’s bye for now.

Cinci

Image gotten from: https://bouqs.com/blog/early-spring-flowers/