When TaShauna McCray boarded a plane from Houston to Kenya, she thought she was simply joining her brother, Dominyc Turner (Betenbough Homes permit coordinator), on a vision trip. What she didn’t realize was that God had written a much deeper purpose into her journey — one that would change her forever.
She and Dom share a deep passion for serving others and working with youth, so when he invited her to join his Betenbough vision trip, she said yes without hesitation, before even asking her husband! “It was divine alignment,” she laughs. “I just knew I was supposed to go.”
Though she wasn’t a Betenbough employee, the team quickly adopted her as one of their own. “Her heart already matched our values,” says Alyssa Bruns, warehouse associate at Elevate Building Supply and fellow vision trip attendee. “From the first day, we could tell God had a special reason for her being there.”
The days in Kenya were full of joy. TaShauna and her teammates danced, sang, painted nails, climbed a mountain, and played volleyball with the children of Christian Ministries in Africa (CMIA). “We just leaned into whatever the kids thought was fun,” she recalls. “They’d grab your hand and pull you into their world of laughter and games.”
One song became their anthem: “Your Way Is Better” by Forrest Frank. The children played it on repeat, teaching the team their dance moves. “We’d listen to the lyrics: I searched the world ’til my head hurt just to find out Your way’s better, and it just hit us,” TaShauna shares. “We deal with the same things. His way really is better.” She even laughed recalling the moment the kids teased her, telling her to just take photos because Dom was the better dancer!
Each evening ended with prayer and worship, TaShauna’s favorite part of the day. “Watching those kids sing and dance their hearts out was pure joy,” she reflects. “Every nation and tribe united in praise. I cried every time.”
One evening the children began calling out names in Swahili for prayer. “Then I heard, ‘T,’” TaShauna recalls. “I thought they were referring to one of the kids, but then they said to me, ‘It’s your turn to pray.’ I was so honored. That’s when I knew I had truly connected with them.”
That moment marked the beginning of something sacred. “She led with her ‘mama’s heart,’” Alyssa says. “She genuinely cared for those children as if they were her own. The kids could feel it, and so could we.”
For Dominyc, sharing this experience with his sister was priceless. “I knew it would have a deep impact on her faith,” he admits. “She has four daughters, and I could see God calling her to love on those kids in Kenya like she does her own.”
He also found himself deeply moved. “The kids’ energy for the Lord was contagious,” he describes. “We’d be exhausted at the end of the day, but worshiping with them at night brought us right back to life. Their joy was a good reminder of what really matters.”
Dom and TaShauna’s time together became a reflection of God’s goodness. “I learned so much from her,” Dom acknowledges. “Watching her love those kids, be intentional, and communicate so tenderly — I got to see what a godly woman looks like.”
Both siblings were in awe of CMIA’s impact — the way local leaders are raising up a new generation of believers through education, discipleship, and love. “The fruit of their work is incredible,” Dom reports. “You see kids growing up, going to college, and coming back to serve their communities. They’re doing it the right way.”
For Alyssa, watching it all unfold was a gift. “TaShauna’s openness and joy impacted all of us,” she says. “We had delays and challenges, but she rolled with everything. She brought peace and positivity wherever she went. Her presence reminded us to slow down and be grateful.”
The trip also taught the team a powerful lesson in contentment. “The kids have so little, yet they radiate joy,” Alyssa reflects. “They taught us that what the Lord gives is enough. Their gratitude changed us.”
By the end of the trip, TaShauna was no longer an “outsider.” She was family — a sister to every teammate and a mother to every child.
“This trip changed my life forever,” she says. “God told me to be faithful and love others the way He loves me. I’ll never forget the faces of those kids, the sound of their laughter, or the way they worshipped with everything they had. That’s what faith looks like.”
