A Heart Forever Changed

Hannah Meņģe reflects on her experience in Kenya with Torchgrab Africa.

A Joyful Welcome on a Dusty Road

Our first day of Vacation Bible School began at Petra B, the newer school built with the support of Torchgrab Africa. Because of the narrow and uneven road leading to the gates, our bus had to park several meters away.

As we came to a stop, a faint sound drifted toward us, singing.

“A sea of red bobbed up and down with the sound of the Petra students singing in a cloud of dust as they skipped, marched, and danced their way towards our bus.”

The moment they came into view is one I won’t forget. Smiling, giggling children came toward us with hands eager for high-fives and handshakes. There was rubbish on the ground and a strange liquid winding through the crevices of the road, but those signs of hardship faded into the background when met with the hope and joy shining from the children’s faces.

From Stories to Reality

I’ve known about Petra School on the Rock since my mom began working in Kenya. I had heard about Petra B in its planning stages, the work, the prayers, the labor that went into building it.

But in a way… it was all words.

Now I stood there, in the dust kicked up by their joyous welcome, looking at the school building.

“I almost cried seeing just the school building. ‘Finally,’ I thought. It’s like the last puzzle piece being placed.”

The kids. The teachers. The porridge. The chickens. The water filters. I had heard about it all. But this, being here, seeing it with my own eyes…this was different.

More Than We Can Imagine

What God has done and is still doing at Petra School is more than I ever imagined. Through Hellen. Through my mom. Through Aubri, Jackson, and every supporter and partner of Torchgrab Africa over the years.

“It is above and beyond and immeasurably more than one could imagine.”

I felt proud. Proud to stand in a place where so much love and faith have built something beautiful. Proud to have a legacy in my family that touches the lives of children across the world.

Surrounded by the precious faces of Petra School, the Lord planted something in me. A seed. A desire to continue what has already been started.

“I don’t know how long it will take, but I know I’m not done with Kenya.”