While sitting in a canoe on an isolated lake, senior Sonya Rees’s eyes swelled with tears as the 11-year-old boy from Kenya confessed his truth. 

With tears in his own eyes, he told her that being with Rees let him experience a feeling that he can’t find in his own home, that simple feeling of being seen as a kid. 

“ … I told everyone that story, and everyone just starts crying,” Rees said. “I think that’s when it just clicked for all of us that we need these kids just as much as they need us.” 

Rees, now a senior, traveled to Kenya to share her Christian faith with children. Throughout the trip, her faith was strengthened and she was able to spread the gospel to those in need.

“We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into, especially going all the way to Africa, but it’s been amazing,” Rees said. 

Rees’s church works with schools in impoverished areas, supporting children from some of Kenya’s poorest communities. 

As soon as she arrived, she noticed the poverty surrounding her. With dirt roads and extremely small houses, she witnessed kids who were raised with nothing, and a rush of emotions hit her. 

Rees learned about the trip through The Creek Church. Having already visited Kenya during her junior year for a previous mission trip, she was prepared and determined to visit again her senior year in October. Once the sign-ups were posted, she immediately decided to volunteer with her mom.

“ … I definitely felt sad and broken for these poor kids that grow up with nothing. But this year, I’ve just really grown to appreciate all that I have,” Rees said. “ (I) realize that God put them there for a reason because those kids are so strong and resilient in a way that no kid in America I’ve ever met is like.” 

Despite the harsh economic hardship, they have found ways to let their faith and worship shine through. 

Rees would oftentimes lead worship using only an iPhone and a speaker. Even with the classrooms made out of sheet metal, the kids danced and sang as the worship music filled the space. 

“ … The kids have so much fun, and we’ll leave extra time for them to just sing whatever to us,” Rees said. “They’ll just start singing songs and doing dances for us. It’s so sweet.”

Worship was only one of the three stations that the kids participated in. During their days, they would also take part in Bible stories and play various games like limbo and have relay races. 

Ultimately, Rees says that her favorite activity was leading the worship because she found joy in watching the kids showcase their talents. 

She led the worship alongside Angela Wilkins, who is a kindergarten aid at Heritage Christian School. Wilkins has also visited Kenya 13 times for different mission trips. She met Rees on the Kenya trip after joining The Creek when her own church didn’t have enough participants. 

Since bonding with her on the journey, Wilkins says she’s found Rees to be very admirable and dedicated to her work. 

“She’s so sweet, so soft-spoken and would do anything for anybody,” Wilkins said. “ … She really rolled with the punches. She was great to work with.” 

After being a part of the mission trips, both Rees and Wilkins say they found appreciation and blessings within their experiences, with the moments in Kenya reminding them of how much they have in their lives. 

While reflecting on her time throughout her mission trips, Rees wanted to encourage others to take a leap of faith with their religion. 

She says her faith has been strengthened through her experiences on these trips, and it left a lasting impact in more ways than imaginable. 

“ … It’ll impact you in so many different ways, more than you’ll ever know,” Rees said. “ … All of those times I stepped out in faith, it impacted me so much more than I thought it would, and I don’t know where I’d be if I hadn’t.”