Katie Cowden, Small Acts BIG Difference

Hi friends! My name is Katie Cowden. I’ve been to Kenya twice with Connect With a Child, the
first time being May 2018 and the second time being now, where I currently write from! I am about halfway through my month here in Kenya, and I still can’t believe that God has brought me here. Since I was in middle school (I’m 20 years old now), I have always felt a pull to Africa.
Where, specifically, that would be? I had no clue. But in December of 2017, it all began to make sense. The Hakuna Matata Children’s Choir came to my small town and I thought it must have been a dream. I spent some time with the kids and absolutely fell in love. My family was able to
sponsor a girl I instantly connected with named Valarie, and now we are sisters!
Last summer, I was able to come to Kenya, be reunited with Valarie, and meet so many other amazing kids and people. I immediately knew this is what I’d been waiting for for the last 6+
years of my life. This was what God had been preparing me for. Later that year, the children’s choir came back to my small town and stayed for over 2 months. My family hosted 9 girls from
Kenya for about 3 weeks, then anywhere from 3 to 7 girls for the next 4. It was a dream! We were one big family and that will never change. By God’s grace, I was able to come back to
Kenya in 2019, where I currently am now, for 4.5 weeks. It has been a wonderful experience!
When I look back at this entire journey, I see how God used Connect With a Child in ways I
never could have dreamed. I could not be more grateful for the relationships I’ve formed that I
will never forget, the brothers and sisters we’ve adopted into our family, and the love, joy, and contentment I have learned from the people who make up the country of Kenya. One day, I may end up living here more than I live back home, but we will wait and see where my Father leads me.
In the meantime, I am so thankful and excited about all that Connect With a Child has allowed
me to do here in Kenya, and I can’t wait to see how the children under Connect’s care will
blossom into amazing individuals who make lasting change in their country and in the world,
simply because they were given food, clean water, a safe place to live, and a great education.
Connect gives children the opportunity they need to not only survive, but to thrive, and it is an amazing miracle that will truly bless your heart to see for yourself. I highly encourage anyone who is even just considering the possibility of travelling abroad for a mission or service trip to do so. This opportunity is one that cannot be passed up!