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KenyaQuest
KenyaQuest
KenyaQuest
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KenyaQuest

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Grace Holder has spent seventeen years held captive by fear but longing to seize life with the zeal of her best friend, Jessica. When Jessica returns from a mission trip to Kenya and challenges Grace to fully trust God, Grace must prove to her friend, and to herself, that she can overcome fear and live by faith.

She sets out to experience all the excitement her friend described by following in her footsteps to serve in Mombasa but discovers there is more to fear than her imagination conjured. The harsh realities of living in poverty jeopardize her faith, and her own prejudices threaten to undermine the work. Meanwhile, her heart is torn between falling for the mysterious medical student, Erasto, and keeping her usual safe distance from a risky relationship.

When her new friend is hospitalized in the midst of a medical strike, Grace and Erasto must pitch in to care for those in need. And just when she is most vulnerable, news from home leaves her broken and hopeless.

Can she climb out of the pit of fear and learn to trust God even when life doesn’t make sense?

LanguageEnglish
Release dateMay 13, 2018
ISBN9780463515259
KenyaQuest
Author

Felicia Bridges

Felicia Bowen Bridges has never met a stranger. No matter your background or history, her early years as an Army brat trained her well in the art of finding common ground. She has a knack for striking up conversations with new friends in the strangest places. Her experience as a Pastor's wife, mother of four, and short-term missionary have provided a wealth of relevant and hilarious anecdotes as well as a variety of life lessons. As a published author, her nomadic childhood inspired a love for travel and missions which permeates her writing. Regardless of the topic, the core theme will always be the Gospel and the power of God to transform lives.

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    KenyaQuest - Felicia Bridges

    Advance Praise for KenyaQuest

    KenyaQuest is a well-researched and insightful adventure that is willing to discuss difficult issues like human suffering. Each book of Felicia Bridges’ series is better than the last. ~Sabrina Zirkle, InfinityRead.com

    Kenya Quest is a beautiful, richly-woven story of a young woman whose original quest to overcome her fears is transformed when her heart learns to hurt for others and give of herself. During a summer mission trip to Kenya she is influenced by more than just a culture so different from her own. You’ll be inspired and challenged by her journey . . . and you won’t stop turning pages, because Felicia Bridges makes you feel like you are in Kenya! ~Kyle Hunter, author of One December

    KenyaQuest

    International Mission Force Series

    Book III

    Felicia Bridges

    Vinspire Publishing

    www.vinspirepublishing.com

    Copyright ©2018 Felicia Bridges

    Cover illustration copyright © 2018 Elaina Lee/For the Muse Designs

    First Edition

    Printed and bound in the United States of America. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system-except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a magazine, newspaper, or on the Web-without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, please contact Vinspire Publishing, LLC, P.O. Box 1165, Ladson, SC 29456-1165.

    With the exception of those identified in Author’s note, all characters in this work are purely fictional and have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

    ISBN: 978-1-7321348-2-9

    Published by Vinspire Publishing, LLC

    Dedication

    This book is dedicated to Jessica Hamilton, an amazing young woman I look forward to meeting in heaven. Although KenyaQuest is fictional, it was inspired by her passion for Jesus and her love for Kenya.

    The story of Jessica’s discovery of a heart-shaped rock while hiking with her father near Grandfather Mountain is based on a true story as related by her dad. The stone that she found was given to the young man whose vehicle struck Jessica’s. Inspired by Jessica’s story, he carried the heart with him on a mission trip to Honduras, where he placed it in the foundation of a Church where Jessica had also served. The lives changed because of her influence are countless.

    Jessica returned to her beloved Tiwi, Africa, in 2016 when her remains were taken there by her family. In honor of Jessica, a portion of the profits from KenyaQuest will be donated to www.OperationGiveHope.org which serves children in Kenya.

    Dear Reader,

    Unlike the first two books in the International Mission Force series, this story includes two very real characters. The first is Jessica Hamilton, who hoped to become a pediatrician and return to live with and serve the children of Kenya. Her life was tragically short, but her faith continues to inspire both those who knew her and those who did not.

    The second real character is Campbell Bridges (no relation to my family). He lived an amazing life, the kind of which legends are born. His story was distilled from published articles, news accounts, and firsthand interviews with his widow and his son and is shared with their consent.

    My hope is that KenyaQuest might inspire you to live as courageously as these two believers did.

    On a practical note, there are a number of terms used in this novel that are likely unfamiliar to many readers. These include gemological terms as well as Swahili words. For your convenience, I’ve included a glossary of these terms at the end of the novel.

    Felicia Bridges

    Chapter One

    Grace sped down the sidewalk toward East Tennessee State’s Basler Center for Physical Activity. Ignoring the colorful chalk invitations for back-to-school events, she stepped carefully over the cracks, the childhood litany of break your mother’s back repeating in her head. Silly superstition. But one of a million rules that governed her life.

    She pulled the glass door open and scanned the lobby for her best friend. The eighteen-year-old sat by the window, her brunette hair pulled tight into a pony tail. The late morning sun angled across the open journal in Jessica’s lap and surrounded her with golden sunshine. She jumped to her feet and wrapped Grace in a hug. The summer apart had seemed like forever, but Grace couldn’t wait to hear about her mission trip to Kenya.

    Grace’s rules for life also included always being prepared for an impromptu selfie. She leaned toward Jess and snapped a picture of the two of them to share with the world. Jessica’s zeal for life was the perfect foil to her own control-freak, type-A perfectionism. Her friend’s beauty shone without a hint of makeup, while Grace’s make-up rivaled a cover girl’s. Her athletic shorts and t-shirt contrasted with Grace’s signature pink sportswear. Grace wore pearls while Jess wore her own unique designs, styled from whatever she had on hand when the creative urge struck.

    They made the perfect duo.

    Tell me all about it, Jess. What was it like?

    Amazing. You would not believe how beautiful it is. And how wild. There are animals everywhere. We had to stop in traffic because there were baboons in the road! Jess laughed, and the sound echoed against the glass walls.

    You would not believe how good it is to hear you laugh. Texting LOL is not the same. Grace squeezed her sister-friend’s hand.

    There was even a monkey that came right in to the place where we met for worship and climbed across my lap while I was waiting to sing with the choir. Her blue eyes took on a faraway look. I can hardly believe that less than forty-eight hours ago, I was in Mombasa. She blinked several times and stared down at her journal. Her hand smoothed the blue page covered in bright pink ink, and a sigh escaped as if she’d held her breath the whole way home. For a split second, envy nudged Grace’s heart.

    But I don’t want to tell you everything. Some things you have to experience for yourself. Jessica wore that familiar, mysterious smile.

    What are you plotting? I can tell when you are up to something. Like that time you planned a surprise sixteenth birthday party for me? Seriously. When am I ever going to go to Mombasa?

    There was that mysterious smile again.

    Grace folded her arms. I can outlast you, ya’ know. The two girls locked eye contact.

    After thirty seconds of silence, Grace arched her eyebrow and gave Jess her best, no-nonsense, you-better-answer-me look, but when Jessica wrinkled her nose in response they both dissolved into giggles.

    Anywho… Her friend’s code word for a change of subject. What have you done all summer?

    Spent it working as a temp in Asheville. But it was so boring. It was Grace who wrinkled her nose this time. Believe me, you do not want to hear about my summer. She rolled her eyes.

    The monotony of filing and answering phones contrasted sharply with the excitement of wild animals, exotic food, and living every day as a missionary.

    Anxiety made Grace’s heart race. She hated the fear that held her prisoner. Her captor for as long as she could recall, it had kept her feet on the ground as she watched Jess dance through the tree tops on the ropes course at camp, had kept her safe on the beach while her friend dove into the waves, and had kept her filing and shuffling papers instead of having a monkey scamper across her lap in Africa.

    If that isn’t what you wanted to do, why didn’t you come with me? It would have been so much better together.

    Jess had been pushing her out of her comfort zone her whole life. Grace had beaten herself up over the same question all summer. She peered out the window at the amphitheater—or, as students referred to it, the passion pit. Students gathered on the tiered, grass-covered semi-circle to listen as an itinerant preacher railed against their life choices. Listen was too generous a term. They came to be entertained by his rhetoric and to mock him in an effort to provoke a response. Even the crazy, wild-eyed preacher had more courage than she did. How many times had she shared her faith in the office this summer? Zip.

    She dragged her gaze back to Jessica, who waited for her reply. It was all she could do to make eye contact as she whispered, The truth is, I was afraid. You know me, always scared of something.

    She expected a rebuke or maybe at least a little nagging to encourage her to get past her fear. After all, Jess was never afraid of anything. Instead, her best friend reached across the table and took her hand. She waited until Grace finally met her gaze before she whispered, So was I.

    Grace recognized the truth behind the words in the tears that welled in Jessica’s eyes.

    But…

    Jess pulled her hand back and brushed the moisture away like it was nothing. I was afraid. When I stepped onto that plane all by myself, I almost turned around and ran.

    But you didn’t.

    No. Because I thought about the pictures I’d seen of the children in Tiwi and Mombasa. And then this little girl came down the aisle and peeked up at me with her big, dark eyes. How could I turn back?

    That’s the difference. Whenever I’m afraid, I turn and run.

    But you don’t have to. You can face it. My mom and dad were pretty freaked out about letting me travel halfway around the world by myself. But they realized it was something God had called me to do. As scared as they were, they knew that God would be with me, and they entrusted me into His care. When I was all alone in the Nairobi airport and there was no one around who even spoke English, I was scared. I sat and wrote in my journal and prayed. Her hand stroked the page again. And I realized that I had to give myself to God all over again each day. It was like He was right there with me. Then I didn’t feel so afraid because I wasn’t alone.

    I don’t think I’ve ever felt that.

    They’d never been at a loss for words before, but the silence stretched between them for way too long before Jessica answered quietly, I’m not sure you can really feel His presence like that until it’s your only possible source of security.

    The quiet stretched another moment, but now it wasn’t awkward, just the comfortable shared space of two souls pondering God’s presence.

    Jess broke the reverie with her usual energy. Jumping to her feet, she grabbed Grace’s hand and pulled her toward the counter.

    I have a great idea. She slid her student identification card across the counter along with some cash and asked for a guest card for Grace. Armed with the card, she hurried down the corridor to the locker room with the younger girl in tow.

    Grace allowed herself to be propelled into the locker room and stowed her bag in Jessica’s locker. She wasn’t sure what Jess had in mind until she pulled her back to the member services counter and asked for an acknowledgement to follow rules and an acknowledgement of risks forms.

    Jess pushed the forms in front of her. Just look over them and sign. Trust me.

    The two most frightening words in the world.

    Fifteen minutes later, Grace stood in front of a rough, gray wall covered with odd-shaped brackets. She arched her neck back and scanned forty feet in the air to the top of the wall, then back down to her right where Jess stood grinning.

    I know you do not think I’m going to climb that. She rested her fists on her hips.

    Of course you are. We both are. We’ll climb it together. Jess tugged on the harness that already threatened to cut off circulation around Grace’s hips and thighs. She tightened it one more notch then placed a helmet on the younger girl’s blonde curls before checking her own safety equipment.

    Jess, this is crazy. I’m going to die.

    It’s perfectly safe. The staff will hold the rope to belay you.

    If it is perfectly safe, why did I sign a waiver that said if I die I won’t sue the university?

    Don’t be ridiculous. You won’t be here to sue the university if that happens.

    Jessica locked eyes with her until Grace finally relented.

    Okay. I’ll try. But I make no guarantees. Jessica smiled and clipped the carabiner into her own harness and motioned for Grace to follow suit. Turning, she gave a thumbs-up to the two student staff members who each held a rope which was fed through the belay device fastened to the harness at each of their waists.

    So, when you’re ready to start climbing, you say to the belayer, ‘On belay?’ That’s how you ask them if they are ready to belay. Then, when they are ready, they will say, ‘Belay on!’ Jessica demonstrated, and Grace mimicked her. With their belayers ready, they approached the wall.

    When you start climbing, you say, ‘Climbing’ and then you wait for the belayer to reply, ‘Climb’ which lets you know they are ready for you.

    Jessica started first, reaching as high above her head as she could with both hands to grab the small polyurethane holds and then pull herself up as she found niches for her toes as well. Jess made it look simple enough when she did it, but Grace approached the wall with more anxiety than confidence. The rasping sound of the belayer pulling the rope tight and the resulting tug at her waist nudged her closer to the wall.

    Climbing. Her voice sounded small and weak in her own ears, but the belayer hollered back, Climb!

    Her fingers shook as she reached for a hold at eye level with her right hand and put the toe of her sneaker on the lowest grip on the wall. She pulled herself up onto her toes and the rope cinched tight as the belayer pulled up the slack.

    She did it. She was off the ground! About three feet off the ground, but the adrenaline rush made it feel like thirty. Her left hand and foot found the next available holds above her head and slowly, she inched her way up the wall. Her thin arms quivered with the strength required despite her tiny frame. In truth, the guy who was belaying probably could have hauled her up to the top and saved her the trouble of climbing.

    She focused straight ahead, glancing up only high enough to see the next hold and trying not to look down. She could feel the sweat beading on her forehead under the helmet and longed for a free hand to wipe it away but didn’t dare let go.

    Jessica’s voice broke into her concentration. Look at you go! You’ve got this, Grace. Her friend cheered her on from somewhere above, and Grace darted a glance in the direction of the sound. Jess was perched to her right and ten feet above her at the top of the wall.

    On rappel! Jessica shouted. Her belayer responded, Lowering. Grace watched as her friend leaned away from the wall and pushed with her legs, sending her swinging out into open space forty feet in the air.

    A scream erupted from Grace’s throat as she imagined her friend plummeting to the ground. It was a reflex like when your leg kicks if your kneecap is struck. But Jess was secure on the rope, bouncing down the wall like she was on a swing set as her belayer fed the rope slowly through the carabiner.

    Grace’s heart pounded, and her sweaty hands lost their grip on the holds as she panicked. She began to fall and covered her face with her hands. This was it. She would fall thirty feet to the floor of the gym.

    The rope snapped taut and jerked at her waist, even as her belayer yelled, Lowering! He eased her slowly down to the mat, and Jessica ran to her side.

    You did it! Grace, you made it almost to the top on your first climb.

    Grace sat on the mat, shaking and crying and laughing at the same time.

    Jess plopped down beside her, crossed her legs, and waited. When Grace finally took a deep breath and calmed down, her friend took her hand and pressed a small rock shaped roughly like a heart into her palm.

    I want you to have this, but it comes with a story. A couple of years ago, remember when I was seeing that older guy, and my parents were getting on my case about it? Well, my dad took me out to our favorite spot, and we had this long talk about following God in everything. As we were hiking, we kept finding these little rocks shaped like hearts, and we began picking them up. By the time we finished, we had a whole handful of them. We hiked up to the top of Grandfather Mountain. You know the trail that goes straight up the side of the mountain? Yeah, we made it all the way up to the top.

    Oh, please don’t tell me you’re going to make me climb that! Grace grimaced, and Jess just laughed.

    No, but listen, that wasn’t our first time trying to climb that trail. A few years before, we had tried it, and I got stuck on one of the rope ladders you have to climb. I was terrified! And rightly so, because it was about a thousand feet down. I got about halfway up the ladder and froze. I was petrified and couldn’t move. People below us were screaming at me to climb. They were yelling at my dad that I shouldn’t even be up there. It was awful. But Dad climbed up to where I was, and he peeled my fingers off the ladder one by one and helped me put one hand over the other, with his arms surrounding me, until I reached the top.

    Grace didn’t know what to say. Jess continued.

    "Grace, that is what our lives are like. God takes us on this grand adventure, and there are times when we are so scared that we can’t move. But God is right there with us, wrapping His arms around us, peeling our fingers off the ladder and urging

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