06/20/2026
June 20, 2026: Amazing Wonders and Amazing Chaplain Ministry
After several very full days, we were grateful for a slightly slower morning and a later start. Around 9:00 a.m., we left for Amazing Wonders, and the drive there made a lasting impression on all of us.
As we wound and bumped down the dirt roads through the slum area where Amazing Wonders is based, it became incredibly apparent that this community faces deep poverty. And yet, life was happening all around us. Tin-covered, homemade storefronts lined the roads, offering goods for those who live there. Makeshift areas with propane tanks, fire pits, broken-down umbrellas, and old plastic picnic tables served as restaurants. Goats grazed nearby. People moved through the day, many appearing tired and without much hope, simply doing what they needed to do to survive.
One child, maybe two or three years old, stood silently on a manhole with her hand in her mouth, watching as we passed. It was one of those moments that stays with you.
Entering Amazing Wonders and meeting the teacher, pastor, and head mom was an absolute honor. It was an honor to meet individuals with such vision and dedication — people committed not only to caring for God’s children, but also to providing what they need so they can simply be children, filled with the hope and love of a loving Savior.
The children welcomed us with a song, and then the fun began.
They invited us into several games they enjoy playing, with a young girl named Gloria leading the charge. Efren taught Spanish, Mo taught sign language, Dakota taught a song, and Jason taught a song as well. Some of the team toured the home base while others stayed outside and played with the children.
The children were especially fascinated with our circular fabric fans — the kind that pop open into the air almost like paper airplanes when opened and closed. Their curiosity and joy over something so simple was a beautiful reminder of the wonder children carry with them.
We then passed out soccer balls and candy gifts, and the children played with huge smiles on their faces. Several of us had a special connection with certain kiddos, and it was truly a blessed day.
Amazing Wonders is a place where deep need and deep hope stand side by side. The poverty surrounding the ministry is difficult to take in, but inside Amazing Wonders, there is love, care, laughter, learning, and a vision for a different future.
After our time there, we went to eat a late lunch, picked up a few souvenir items, and then headed back to the hotel.
Later, we met in the conference room with Peter Wambugu to hear about the Go and Grow program for chaplains serving in Kenyan prisons. It was another opportunity to learn more about ministry happening in Kenya and the ways God is using people to serve, encourage, and care for others.
We left the day grateful — grateful for the children we met, the leaders who serve so faithfully, and the reminder that hope can grow in even the hardest places.
