I'm writing this Sunday morning from the Kakuma hotel I am using as my base on theis trip. It is owned by Kenyan Muslims. The space includes a mosque on the grounds. So it may surprise you that they are playing Christian worship music this Sunday morning in the outdoor breakdast area. It surprised me.

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The first thing we always do when visiting Kakuma is sit down with the leaders of our refugee partner, United Refugee and Host Churches (URHC). This visit is no exception.

It was good to sit at a table in the school (KISOM) we helped them build over the years. A Sudanese pastor from the Nuba Mountains, a Congolese pastor, a Sudanese woman leader, a Turkana (local Kenyan) pastor, and two other Kenyans who are living in Kakuma to serve with URHC had gathered. We spoke English with occassional translation into Swahili.

As usual, we started with prayer, followed by personal updates. We then put any issues for discussion on the table. And there were some challenges we had to talk through. But no one walked away from the hard conversations. We are committed to one another for the long haul.

We have been working closely together since 2011 and have laid a relational foundation that lets us talk openly and honestly.