Oasis for Orphans: Breanne Jackson

Earlier this summer, Breanne Jackson traveled to Kijabe, Kenya, with a group of 10-15 others to serve on mission for two weeks for orphaned children in the area. Serving with organizations such as Love Africa Mission and Oasis for Orphans, Breanne saw the Lord move in mighty ways.

Breanne is a junior from Mansfield, Texas, and is majoring in Psychology. Throughout middle and high school, she served weekly with her church in the kids' ministry and has always had a heart for children. Her senior year of high school, she felt called to go overseas and serve children—more specifically orphans. After prayerful consideration, she felt she needed to wait until she got to college to go on a mission trip overseas.

During her freshman year, Breanne found an organization called Love Africa Mission, an initiative within Nathan Smith Ministries that focuses on sending short-term mission trips throughout Europe and Africa. After applying and being accepted, Breanne made plans to go in the summer of 2021 after her sophomore year.

When Breanne got to Kijabe, she helped serve with an organization called Oasis for Orphans, a program that gives children hope and molds them into leaders in their communities for the Kingdom. Breanne was able to help build a well for the local community to access clean water, paint classrooms in the orphanage, and fix up the soccer field where the children played during their free hour. She also spent time playing with children on their free hour and went door to door in the community to evangelize and share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

During this door-to-door evangelism, Breanne was invited into most of the homes she visited and witnessed an intentionality she had never experienced before.

"America has the watch, but Kenya has the time," she explained. "The people there are very intentional. It taught me a lot about coming back home and not having everything in a tight schedule but having time to listen to people's stories and be with them."

At the guest home where Breanne stayed, she experienced more of this relational intentionality. Calvin, a young boy whose family hosted Breanne and the others, created a bond with her in just the few short weeks of her mission. Breanne let him borrow her journal one night, and he wrote his name in it. Even in the limited time she was there, this friendship is special to Breanne as their friendship transcended beyond the language barrier.

Breanne loved serving the children in Kijabe and plans on going overseas to Europe for mission trip with the DBU Patriettes soon.

As someone who feels a strong calling to serve children on mission, Breanne encourages those who feel the same calling.

"Don't be afraid to act on a desire to serve- it is gifted by the Lord," she stressed. "Be prayerful, and God will make it clear to you at the right time because He provides just what you need."