After 2 months, 5 countries, 11 bus rides, 20 different missionaries, 75 churches, hundreds of children, and even more memories... I'm home. Danny, Justin, Jacob, and I each arrived to our respective homes around 1 am on Saturday morning. And boy is it good to be with loved ones again. Not that Danny and the guys weren't great to be with, but nothing can replace family. Before I finish this blog for the summer, I want to give you a synopsis of our last 2 weeks in Kenya.
When I left you last, we were in the beautiful country of Uganda. After a lovely time with the Tylers, we made our way back across the border to Kenya. It was quite the experience since we took Matatus (12 passenger vans that have been turned into 24 passenger vans ; )) for four hours, but we made it back. Our last week in Kitale was filled with church, ministry, and home visits. We spent a few days visiting some different street kid/orphan ministries interviewing their leaders and spending time with the kids. God is doing some great things through some faithful people for the street kids challenge. We visited a church and spent some time at the Church of Christ orphanage with our friends there.
After our initial visit with that orphanage in June, Danny and the other missionaries discovered a hole in the ministry there. The orphanage did an excellent job at taking care of the kids through high school, but when they reached 18 they graduated out of the childrens home. The problem is, a person does not stop being an orphan at age 18. We all (whether we like to admit it or not) need our parents well into our young adult years. These kids, especially the girls, are left vulnerable in society without someone to help them and guide them along. We decided to spend our last few days in Kitale going to these girls homes and talking with them. We asked about their hopes, dreams, and passions. We wrote down their general information and started coming up with a profile for each the girls so we can figure out how best to help them - whether it be getting them into a trade school or giving them a micro loan to help start a business. One of the biggest things we did in our visits was to simply tell them that they are still loved and that they are not forgotten - a message some of these girls don't hear very often. I was so blessed to meet these young ladies and to get to ease some of their pain.
After our time in Kitale, we took a bus back down to Nairobi through the oh-so-beautiful Riff Valley. After arriving, we spent a day downtown in some of the markets doing a bit of gift shopping. We had the chance to meet back up with the CMF interns and went with Bethany Stoller to a church in the Mathare Valley slums where she was sharing from the Word that week. This church was only 9 weeks old and had already grown out of one building and had the second one full. I've said it before and I'm going to say it again, God is doing some great things in the slums of Mathare Valley!
A few times over the summer, Danny made the comment that the nature of our trip and travels this summer allowed for us three students to enter deeper into the East African culture than is usually possible. We even had comments in our last days in Kitale about how well we interacted in our greetings. One older man made a surprised remark that he had never seen young wazungu (white people) eat like they were Africans, which considering some of the subtle cultural nuances is not as easy as it sounds. My point is, that after going so deep into the culture, it was necessary for us to take some time to debrief and prepare to enter back into Western society. We went to one of the coffee shops in the UN district and started to unpack and get ready to come back to the States.
Ironically, after spending two days of debriefing and reentry prep, we still had one ministry to interact with... and this one proved to be the most difficult of all. The day before we left Africa, we spent the Morning and early afternoon in Eastleigh - the Somalian district of Nairobi. We met with Larry and Holly Conway who are leading "Made in the streets" ministry. They go into some of the worst places in the streets and rescue kids from them by taking them to a home/detox center outside of Nairobi. At that home, the kids are then given food, shelter, education, and a lot of love... something many of them have never experienced. Most kids that are in the street end up there because of abusive homes. Some of the kids are simply dropped off one day and never have their parents return. All of them are really hurt. Most of them turn to addictive substances. We spent the morning walking through a place of indescribable suffering to some of their "Base camps"... which were really piles of trash that the street boys live on. We went and simply greeted and talked with some of the guys. Danny told a story to them. One of the other workers prayed when we were finished. The truth is, the boys (which were really young men 16-22) were so stoned they didn't really follow too much.
I had a really hard time when we were visiting these young men. I had seen some awful things over the summer and I had seen some pretty hopeless situations, but this was the worst. These boys were sitting/sleeping/sniffing on these huge trash heaps. Occasionally, one of them would start looking through a trash bag to find a piece of moldy bread or rotten meat to eat. They were so high. They were so lost. And the hardest thing was - I couldn't help them. I could do nothing to get these young men out of the situation they were in. But I could be there with them. I could sit on that trash heap and shake their hands. I could tell them that even though the rest of society has deemed you unworthy to even look at, there is still love to be had. That's all I could do... but in that moment, I was connected to Jesus more so than any in my life. When the high, dirty, smelly young man ran across the street and gave me a big hug before we left... and I embraced him fully back... I saw something about how Jesus loves us. Despite our filth. Despite the fact that we are stoned out of our mind because of the traps of sin. Despite the fact that we have condemned ourselves to a hopeless life and are metaphorically sleeping on a trash heap until death comes, Christ loves us (Romans 5). What a powerful image.
I know this is already getting long, but I want to express my deep and sincere gratitude to all of you who have supported me with prayer, finances, or encouragement. There is no way I could have made it through this summer without it. I am so grateful. I wish there were some way to express it fully, but the best I can do is to live my life in continued devotion to the one who hugs us in the trash heaps. I am so excited to see how God uses this summer as a piece of making me the person who He's dreamed me to be. These experiences will definitely play a big a role. Thank you so much, and I pray that you are as eager as I to see what God does in and through me as the days, months, and years continue. May God bless you abundantly as you continue in faithful devotion as well. What a great God we serve!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Tears and Traveling
(Written 7/10/09) I now greet you from the last of the East African countries we are visiting! We made it safely to Kitale last Friday via the night bus. It wasn't an awful ride, but I am sure happy we are done with all night travels. We spent the Fourth of July with some old friends of Danny who are becoming good friends of mine, Tom and Agnes, and boy was it memorable. We had some great reminders of your typical Independence Day, but with a good African twist. I had soda (Black Currant Fanta), corn (charcoal roasted), roasted meat (goat), and even fireworks (a lantern because the power went out). Surely a memorable experience.
On Tuesday, after a few days of church work and children's home visiting, we made our way to Mbale, Uganda with Shawn Tyler. I wrote earlier about Shawn and some of his work. He is quite a remarkable missionary and quite a remarkable man. We have stayed the last few days with him and his wife, Linda, at their home. They have been incredibly gracious hosts and have taught us so much from their lives and service.
Jacob, Justin, and I spent most of the morning and early afternoon on yesterday with Shawn going over some cultural training that was incredibly valuable. We talked first on an anthropological level about some of the basic truths and assumptions in an East African mindset as compared with the American mindset. It was cool to hear Shawn's cultural insights throughout his 28 years of missionary experience. He gave us some great general missionary priciples including some good team building advice. At a discipleship meeting we went to in a village on Wednesday, Shawn also gave us a document he has spent some time putting together comparing African and Western perspectives on money. Way cool. Way valuable.
As mentioned, we spent Wednesday out in a village not too far from Mbale. It was good to meet some of the local church leaders. There were about 40 leaders there from about 12 different churches. It was a blessing to bring some encouragement to them as they continue in their work. We spent yesterday afternoon visiting some of the other works here: Messiah Theological Institute, Good News Productions International (Mbale Branch), and the church here. Shawn had Jacob, Justin, and I teach at the youth meeting that night. We taught on temptations that American youth face. They were both surprized and encouraged to find out that we all struggle with some of the same things. This morning we visited one more work here (an AIDS orphans program) and interviewed and prayed for the leaders of that ministry. Such a great chance to interface with so many different ministries.
I want to share something that has been encouraging to me lately, but first I must give a little background. I have mentioned in an earlier posting that there have been a number of things that have been pretty difficult for me over the course of the last 6 weeks. The realities of the deception and lies that plague certain parts of this cultuer, the drunkenness that is so rampant, and the physical and emotional abuse by the powerdul in a hierarchical society that does not allow protection for the weak start to wear on the soul. Seeing the evils of human trafficking and the corruption of the UN and local governments that allow for it, hearing the voices of racism and the stories of lies, theft, and murder that caused that racism, and smelling the raw sewage that floods the walkways of the slums are sensory experiences that never leave. Poverty. Glue. AIDS. And sooo much more. I have shed many tears over the past few weeks as I try to embrace the pain of this suffering rather than running away from it. The other day as I was praying and journaling, I was reminded of an image presented in the book The Shack (I know... heresy...). The main character of the book walks into a room and is overwhelmed by memories of some deep pain in his life. As he starts to shed some tears, the character representing the Holy Spirit comes up to him and sweeps his tears into a tiny glass bottle. This character then explains to the man that she likes to collect tears. They are very valuable to her and are never forgotten or dismissed. The pain we go through is of incredible value to our loving God. He sees every pain and hurt and knows. The tears of our pain are never wasted. I am encouraged to think that God loves me way too much to let me go through some of this if it wasn't of some great purpose and value. My tears will be used by Him.
I wanted to share a bit of what I am learning with you, and I pray you may be encouraged by it. I ask for your continued prayers as the team and I finish our last two weeks strong. We have 7-8 ministries to interface with in the next days. We have a few more teaching sessions and a dozen or so more home visits that are very important. Pray that we will continue to look to Christ for strength as we are getting weary. Pray for our families as we are starting to really miss them. Pray for our saftey in travel and avoidance of police (they are more trouble than good here). Pray that I and the others may not stop learning or listening to what God has to teach us in these next days. Thank you so much for the encouragement many of you have given me over the past days. It has had an impact on me that you will never know, and that in turn has impacted so many on this side of the globe. Blessings.
On Tuesday, after a few days of church work and children's home visiting, we made our way to Mbale, Uganda with Shawn Tyler. I wrote earlier about Shawn and some of his work. He is quite a remarkable missionary and quite a remarkable man. We have stayed the last few days with him and his wife, Linda, at their home. They have been incredibly gracious hosts and have taught us so much from their lives and service.
Jacob, Justin, and I spent most of the morning and early afternoon on yesterday with Shawn going over some cultural training that was incredibly valuable. We talked first on an anthropological level about some of the basic truths and assumptions in an East African mindset as compared with the American mindset. It was cool to hear Shawn's cultural insights throughout his 28 years of missionary experience. He gave us some great general missionary priciples including some good team building advice. At a discipleship meeting we went to in a village on Wednesday, Shawn also gave us a document he has spent some time putting together comparing African and Western perspectives on money. Way cool. Way valuable.
As mentioned, we spent Wednesday out in a village not too far from Mbale. It was good to meet some of the local church leaders. There were about 40 leaders there from about 12 different churches. It was a blessing to bring some encouragement to them as they continue in their work. We spent yesterday afternoon visiting some of the other works here: Messiah Theological Institute, Good News Productions International (Mbale Branch), and the church here. Shawn had Jacob, Justin, and I teach at the youth meeting that night. We taught on temptations that American youth face. They were both surprized and encouraged to find out that we all struggle with some of the same things. This morning we visited one more work here (an AIDS orphans program) and interviewed and prayed for the leaders of that ministry. Such a great chance to interface with so many different ministries.
I want to share something that has been encouraging to me lately, but first I must give a little background. I have mentioned in an earlier posting that there have been a number of things that have been pretty difficult for me over the course of the last 6 weeks. The realities of the deception and lies that plague certain parts of this cultuer, the drunkenness that is so rampant, and the physical and emotional abuse by the powerdul in a hierarchical society that does not allow protection for the weak start to wear on the soul. Seeing the evils of human trafficking and the corruption of the UN and local governments that allow for it, hearing the voices of racism and the stories of lies, theft, and murder that caused that racism, and smelling the raw sewage that floods the walkways of the slums are sensory experiences that never leave. Poverty. Glue. AIDS. And sooo much more. I have shed many tears over the past few weeks as I try to embrace the pain of this suffering rather than running away from it. The other day as I was praying and journaling, I was reminded of an image presented in the book The Shack (I know... heresy...). The main character of the book walks into a room and is overwhelmed by memories of some deep pain in his life. As he starts to shed some tears, the character representing the Holy Spirit comes up to him and sweeps his tears into a tiny glass bottle. This character then explains to the man that she likes to collect tears. They are very valuable to her and are never forgotten or dismissed. The pain we go through is of incredible value to our loving God. He sees every pain and hurt and knows. The tears of our pain are never wasted. I am encouraged to think that God loves me way too much to let me go through some of this if it wasn't of some great purpose and value. My tears will be used by Him.
I wanted to share a bit of what I am learning with you, and I pray you may be encouraged by it. I ask for your continued prayers as the team and I finish our last two weeks strong. We have 7-8 ministries to interface with in the next days. We have a few more teaching sessions and a dozen or so more home visits that are very important. Pray that we will continue to look to Christ for strength as we are getting weary. Pray for our families as we are starting to really miss them. Pray for our saftey in travel and avoidance of police (they are more trouble than good here). Pray that I and the others may not stop learning or listening to what God has to teach us in these next days. Thank you so much for the encouragement many of you have given me over the past days. It has had an impact on me that you will never know, and that in turn has impacted so many on this side of the globe. Blessings.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Slums and Suffering
So it's been way longer than I wished since I've posted last. We've been in and out of internet abilities, so I haven't been able to get enough time. Even now, I'm going to have to be brief because of time, so I'll get to the chase.
I write you currently from Nairobi, Kenya. We made it safely to Lusaka, Zambia and back through Tanzania. Lusaka was a crazy experience. We stayed with some Afrikans (White) Zimbaweans who were absolutely wonderful. It in itself was an incredible cultural experience. We were able to accomplish what we needed for our refugee friend, though it did not happen exactly as we had planned. So many stories and experiences, but I must keep going. Thank you for your prayers for our saftey. Thank you for your prayers for our work. God was faithful and He will continue to be as we continue to see this refugee situation unfold.
Our trip back up through Tanzania was quite the adventure. We took a night bus from Lusaka and stayed the night in Mbeya. We were able to meet with a woman who runs a street boys ministry there and were incredibly blessed by her story and suggestions. God is working in some cool ways. I'll have to write later about that connection. We took a train from Mbeya to Dar es Salaam, where we stayed at the headquarters for the Catholic church in Tanzania. There were Nuns everywhere! It was kind of fun. We spent a day catching our breath there. We went out and walked through Dar and even went to the Beach! It was such a good experience. We stopped with some missionary friends in Arusha on our way back to Kenya.
On our way up to Kenya, we found out that we were going to be leading a VBS in a school in the slums of Mathare Valley. A bit of a shock at first, but a pleasant one. We set to work preparing a VBS for three days for the kids at Kosavo. We knew we were going to meet up with Bethany Stoller (a friend from school) and her team of interns, but only Beth was able to work with us. It was great to see her. Our first day we had planned for 80 kids. We got to the school and found out that there were 460! It was quite the shock! We adjusted our plans a little and ended up doing the VBS 3 times each day. We then went and did some house visits with the Social Workers from Mission of Hope International. It was an incredible chance to see the heart of one of the poorest places in the world. It's really hard to see such poverty. I can't even describe it. I'm still trying to process everything we saw. But no matter what I feel, God is good and He is faithful. He is doing some incredible things through the slums. Where darkness once reigned, there is now hope. Praise the Lord for His faithfulness.
I wish I could write more, but for now I must go. We are leaving for Kitale tonight on a night bus. We'll be there til Tuesday and then we will head over to Uganda for a few days. Then we'll be back to Kitale for a week, then back to Nairobi for a few days. We have lots to do in these next days. I ask your prayers for us, that we may stay well and strong through some of the tough things we must face these next days. I've been pretty torn by what we've entered into these past weeks. It's really hard to see such suffering. It's even harder when you've resolved to enter into it so as to relieve it in ever such a slight way. I'll hopefully write more in a few days. 3 weeks left.
I write you currently from Nairobi, Kenya. We made it safely to Lusaka, Zambia and back through Tanzania. Lusaka was a crazy experience. We stayed with some Afrikans (White) Zimbaweans who were absolutely wonderful. It in itself was an incredible cultural experience. We were able to accomplish what we needed for our refugee friend, though it did not happen exactly as we had planned. So many stories and experiences, but I must keep going. Thank you for your prayers for our saftey. Thank you for your prayers for our work. God was faithful and He will continue to be as we continue to see this refugee situation unfold.
Our trip back up through Tanzania was quite the adventure. We took a night bus from Lusaka and stayed the night in Mbeya. We were able to meet with a woman who runs a street boys ministry there and were incredibly blessed by her story and suggestions. God is working in some cool ways. I'll have to write later about that connection. We took a train from Mbeya to Dar es Salaam, where we stayed at the headquarters for the Catholic church in Tanzania. There were Nuns everywhere! It was kind of fun. We spent a day catching our breath there. We went out and walked through Dar and even went to the Beach! It was such a good experience. We stopped with some missionary friends in Arusha on our way back to Kenya.
On our way up to Kenya, we found out that we were going to be leading a VBS in a school in the slums of Mathare Valley. A bit of a shock at first, but a pleasant one. We set to work preparing a VBS for three days for the kids at Kosavo. We knew we were going to meet up with Bethany Stoller (a friend from school) and her team of interns, but only Beth was able to work with us. It was great to see her. Our first day we had planned for 80 kids. We got to the school and found out that there were 460! It was quite the shock! We adjusted our plans a little and ended up doing the VBS 3 times each day. We then went and did some house visits with the Social Workers from Mission of Hope International. It was an incredible chance to see the heart of one of the poorest places in the world. It's really hard to see such poverty. I can't even describe it. I'm still trying to process everything we saw. But no matter what I feel, God is good and He is faithful. He is doing some incredible things through the slums. Where darkness once reigned, there is now hope. Praise the Lord for His faithfulness.
I wish I could write more, but for now I must go. We are leaving for Kitale tonight on a night bus. We'll be there til Tuesday and then we will head over to Uganda for a few days. Then we'll be back to Kitale for a week, then back to Nairobi for a few days. We have lots to do in these next days. I ask your prayers for us, that we may stay well and strong through some of the tough things we must face these next days. I've been pretty torn by what we've entered into these past weeks. It's really hard to see such suffering. It's even harder when you've resolved to enter into it so as to relieve it in ever such a slight way. I'll hopefully write more in a few days. 3 weeks left.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Mosques and Missionaries
What an adventure the last few days have been! As I type this post, I am on a bus between Morogoro and Mbeya Tanzania. Outside there is a forest of Acacia trees and there are monkeys running on and off the road. We are about halfway through our journey to Zambia. It's been some long, somewhat tough travel, but a thoroughly amazing adventure. In the last three hours alone we've seen impala, elephants, giraffes, baboons, and lions as well as hald a dozen mosques. In Arusha, three nights ago, we stayed with some CMF missionaries and the took us to Khan's BBQ (which is an auto parts store by day) and had BBQ lamb and chicken on a street with three mosques! If I thought that was crazy, we then went to Tanga and stayed with some Church of Christ missionaries (Tim and Rebecca Tally). Tanga is estimated to be about 70% Muslim. It was an incredible sight to see such influence. The Tally's were such wonderful people. We decided to take a rest day and spend it with them and they suprised us by taking us Mangrove Mucking (an experience I'll just have to tell you in person) and then the next day they took us on a Dhow to snorkle in the Indian Ociean. I know, I know... real tough missions work... but somebody has to do it ; )'
Throughout all of our fun and adventures (and that is what about every minute of Africa seems to be) we have spent hours in conversation with the different missionaries we have encountered. So far we have spent time with missionaries from Good News Productions, CMF, Church of Christ, and Pioneer Bible Translators. We spend time asking them everything we can think about the type of work they do and the challenges that come from it. It's been quite a blessing to see so many different ways that faithful people are trying to use to spread the gospel. It's been an incredible encouragement to hear the stories of old and see the fruit of lives surrendered. No amount of money could be paid for this type of education. Thank you again for being a part of this.
We have been blessed by the opportunities that God has given us on this journey to Lusaka, but I laugh as I look how God has done what is just like Him to do. Through our visits with missionaries, we have made it a goal to pray for them as we can. This has turned into quite the ministry to the missionaries. Not to puff up what we are doing, but God has used our visits as a pretty significant source of encouregement to these families. By listening to thier lives, stories, and struggles and then turning and praying for them we have been able to turn simple connections into something much more meaningful. Bwana Asifiwe!
On another note, I want to give a quick update on the situation with our refugee friends. Danny and I spent our first day in Kenya in and out of meetings with the UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) and their associated organizations. We have been working hard with Traci back in the States to try to get all of the right paperwork to the right people so we can figure out what is going on. When we came and picked up Jacob and Justin last week, Danny had another meeting with a lady from one of the agencies. There is still a lot up in the air, but we were given some advice to try an additional route while we are waiting for them. Traci has been working so hard back in Idaho and is now continuing as she corresponds with Congressmen and Embassies all over the place. It's really going to be quite an amazing story when it's all done. She might be able to run for president with all of the international diplomatic experience she is getting this month. Please, please, please continue to pray for this situation as it continues to unfold.
I also want to mention that Justin, Jake, Danny, and I are doing well. We have been getting along great and have really enjoyed each others company. It's been quite the adventure, but this has been quite the group of guys. Thank you for your prayers about this.
I do ask your continued prayers for our trip. We are doing so much travel. Not only is their inherent dangers there, but it is also pretty exhausting. Please continue to pray that we do not get sick through this. God has been faithful, and we trust that HE will continue to protect us, as it would be unfortunate to get sick with so many bus rides left.
It's been a wonderful trip so far, full of connections, learning, listening, adventure, and fun as well as hardship, pain, and suffering. We've seen some wonderful sights, but we have also seen some that have a pretty taumatic effect as well. God has been so good and He continues to pour out His love through some amazing blessings, but I don't want to fool you. It's been a tough journey in a lot of ways. Some of the stories of people I've met and the sights I've seen should never be seen or heard. But they are real. And God cares for them so deeply. I ask your prayers for me as I come to grips with some of the hard truths of poverty, abuse, and corruption. It's been hard on my heart.
God is so good and I am excited to see what we do together over the next few days. Lusaka, here we come!
P.S. I wrote this blog post three days ago. We're in Lusaka. More info to come in another post later.
Throughout all of our fun and adventures (and that is what about every minute of Africa seems to be) we have spent hours in conversation with the different missionaries we have encountered. So far we have spent time with missionaries from Good News Productions, CMF, Church of Christ, and Pioneer Bible Translators. We spend time asking them everything we can think about the type of work they do and the challenges that come from it. It's been quite a blessing to see so many different ways that faithful people are trying to use to spread the gospel. It's been an incredible encouragement to hear the stories of old and see the fruit of lives surrendered. No amount of money could be paid for this type of education. Thank you again for being a part of this.
We have been blessed by the opportunities that God has given us on this journey to Lusaka, but I laugh as I look how God has done what is just like Him to do. Through our visits with missionaries, we have made it a goal to pray for them as we can. This has turned into quite the ministry to the missionaries. Not to puff up what we are doing, but God has used our visits as a pretty significant source of encouregement to these families. By listening to thier lives, stories, and struggles and then turning and praying for them we have been able to turn simple connections into something much more meaningful. Bwana Asifiwe!
On another note, I want to give a quick update on the situation with our refugee friends. Danny and I spent our first day in Kenya in and out of meetings with the UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) and their associated organizations. We have been working hard with Traci back in the States to try to get all of the right paperwork to the right people so we can figure out what is going on. When we came and picked up Jacob and Justin last week, Danny had another meeting with a lady from one of the agencies. There is still a lot up in the air, but we were given some advice to try an additional route while we are waiting for them. Traci has been working so hard back in Idaho and is now continuing as she corresponds with Congressmen and Embassies all over the place. It's really going to be quite an amazing story when it's all done. She might be able to run for president with all of the international diplomatic experience she is getting this month. Please, please, please continue to pray for this situation as it continues to unfold.
I also want to mention that Justin, Jake, Danny, and I are doing well. We have been getting along great and have really enjoyed each others company. It's been quite the adventure, but this has been quite the group of guys. Thank you for your prayers about this.
I do ask your continued prayers for our trip. We are doing so much travel. Not only is their inherent dangers there, but it is also pretty exhausting. Please continue to pray that we do not get sick through this. God has been faithful, and we trust that HE will continue to protect us, as it would be unfortunate to get sick with so many bus rides left.
It's been a wonderful trip so far, full of connections, learning, listening, adventure, and fun as well as hardship, pain, and suffering. We've seen some wonderful sights, but we have also seen some that have a pretty taumatic effect as well. God has been so good and He continues to pour out His love through some amazing blessings, but I don't want to fool you. It's been a tough journey in a lot of ways. Some of the stories of people I've met and the sights I've seen should never be seen or heard. But they are real. And God cares for them so deeply. I ask your prayers for me as I come to grips with some of the hard truths of poverty, abuse, and corruption. It's been hard on my heart.
God is so good and I am excited to see what we do together over the next few days. Lusaka, here we come!
P.S. I wrote this blog post three days ago. We're in Lusaka. More info to come in another post later.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
African Brothers and Acclimation
Greetings from Nairobi, Kenya! After a hard 8 days of village visits and area church meetings Danny and I are back in Nairobi and are getting to receive our other two team members (Jacob Vaden and Justin Shulmire) from the airport in a few hours. I am greatly looking forward to having them with us and having the extra boost to our team.
The last few days have been incredibly draining, but well worth it. On Thursday and Friday we finished up our village visits by going to the extreme ends of the Kitale church planting work. We visited the leaders of 7 churches over by the Ugandan border. It was quite a remote place - the kind of place where you go on a dirt road for 30 minutes and then turn down an even more remote dirt road and go another 30 minutes. It was about 3 hours away from Kitale. I've been told that I had a rare opportunity to see the real African Interior. The meeting went well and we were able to encourage the leaders there greatly and reunite them with the other churches in the area. I even got to preach a bit and it went fairly well. I was able to share some encouragement from the Word and they were encouraged.
Friday we went way up to a region called Marakwet which is deep within the Cherangani hills. It was quite the adventure just trying to get there. The road was incredibly rough. It was about 10,000 ft altitude and right next to the equator. We got a little toasty ; ). Despite all of that, it was a beautiful place and we were very encouraged by what God is doing up there. We preached and spoke with the church leaders from the area and were able to encourage them and get them connected with the churches in the valleys below. We also had the privilege of being served tea made with sheep's milk (That's right, not goat... sheep). It's been funny to tell that story because we have yet to meet another African who has ever had milk from sheep. : )
On Saturday and Sunday we had meetings at the children's home all day each day. They were great and some good things happened at each of them, but they definitely drained us of any energy we had left. We had the opportunity to hear the regions best children's choir perform at the school. They were wonderful! I also got to connect with some of the grown orphans at a children's home reunion. I spent some time talking with a guy named Steven who is studying Sociology and Religion at the University of Nairobi. He is the first orphan to make it to a University and is doing so much to inspire the current children living at the home. It was really cool to discuss Church history and theology with someone studying from an African perspective.
This week we are going to help the other two team members start to get acclimated to the culture (a much more daunting task than I originally thought) and then have a few meetings with refugee ministries, UN officials (I will post an update on our refugee friend's situation soon - we are still gathering information on his progress), and other missionary contacts in Nairobi as to gather more information in our summer of listening. Pray for our other team members as they battle jet lag and culture shock. Pray for the three of us students as we continue in our language skills. It is so important that we try our best at Swahili as it is seen as a huge relational step if we can try to converse in it. Also, pray from our meetings this week. Pray that they might be effective and that we will hear from God and the people as we continue to listen.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
A Good Break and Godly Men
After three long days of visiting church plants/clusters, we are now taking a rest day – and what a blessing it is. As many of you know, I know what it is to work a hard day. With years of construction, school schedules, and CIY's 19 hour days last year I have built up some endurance and work ethic. That being said, none of it compares to how tired I've been every day after coming back from a village/town center. Yesterday was especially long. We went to visit a group of churches at a church that was right on the Ugandan border. It was a 3 hour drive over some rather rough roads. We then had a 5 hour meeting, all of which was in Swahili. I'm trying really hard, but after about 3 hours of straight Swahili, my brain starts to go numb and I can't draw enough energy to listen and translate any more. It was a great meeting though. We had representatives from 6 different churches and they were so delighted to have us come visit them. Danny and Mike preached full length sermons to them in Swahili. I gave my introduction in Swahili and then switched to English to give a short devotional thought. I didn't do super well, but it was my first time preaching in a cross-cultural context and there are some things that you just have to learn by making mistakes. I think that I'll do better tomorrow because I know a bit more what actually made sense to them and what didn't. Danny is having me work up to longer sermons over the next few days. It's good to have his guidance through this surprisingly tricky task.
I know I mentioned in brief what a blessing it is to be with Danny's old colleagues, but I want to go into a bit more detail for you about why it is such a gift. These men truly are veterans in mission work. Shawn and Linda Tyler have been in Africa doing mission work for 28 years. They lived in Kitale for 13 years and this is when the 4 couples worked together so much. During that time, the four couples lead the way in planting 125 churches (There are now about 150 because those churches have planted more churches that have planted more churches... so cool! [you must also take into account the fact that a certain number of churches have died due to a number of circumstances]). In this time the 4 couples also started a children's home which is thriving, as well as a number of other working missions projects. After the four couples decided to move to different works, Shawn and Linda moved to Uganda where they have continued in church planting and also have started a theological training center that now has extensions in Kenya and the Sudan. They take church leaders from the various churches and give them the much needed training that they are unable to find elsewhere. I believe they have also started a children's home in Uganda as well as several other physical and spiritual ministries.
Mike Schragge (sp?) moved to Nairobi after several years in Kenya and started the Kenyan branch of Good News Productions (Some of you may know it as the parent company of Media Challenge). He has served as a major player in the international ministry with them and he has traveled more places with them than I can count. He currently calls Joplin, MO his home and is an elder at College Heights Christian Church and is the head of their missions board there. Some of you might remember that he came and spoke on Missions Emphasis Week at BBC this year. He spends a lot of time traveling to churches in America and speaking with their missions boards. He is a great man of God and has incredible insight on how the American church interacts with the rest of the globe.
Kirk Hayes is the third man. I know that he was also involved with Good News Productions for a good amount of time after the team left Kitale. I also believe he was the President of a Christian University in Texas (I think it was Lubuck Christian University). I am not entirely sure what he now does because I have talked with him the least. He has an incredible mind and is continually pointing out how our various actions and interactions are mirroring spiritual realities. All of these men are incredible men of prayer, but Kirk is especially mindful to turn to God in praise and petition fairly consistently. It is such a blessing to be around these men.
Each day we get up and have a prayer time at 7 till 7:45 or so. I then get to go with one of the men and Danny out to a village and learn from them throughout the day. After the day is over, we all come back and have dinner and a debrief time for a few hours in the evening. As we discuss and record (Linda types it all onto a Word Document) the events of the day, the guys are very intentional about pointing theological, missiological, and sociological principles for me. More than that, they are very intentional about pointing out specific and general principles for my life as a Christian and a minister. They have all been in ministry for 25+ years and are getting to see the benefits of longevity. They are constantly pouring into me through advice, encouragement, and prayer. It is such a blessing. This week alone has been worth every dollar that you have given as it will leave a lasting impact on my life.
I ask your continued prayer as I learn from these men and as we continue tomorrow with our village visits. They are definitely pushing me to the very edge. God is definitely teaching me to rely on Him for so much. May our gracious Father pour out such amazing blessings on You as well as we continue in this ministry together.
I know I mentioned in brief what a blessing it is to be with Danny's old colleagues, but I want to go into a bit more detail for you about why it is such a gift. These men truly are veterans in mission work. Shawn and Linda Tyler have been in Africa doing mission work for 28 years. They lived in Kitale for 13 years and this is when the 4 couples worked together so much. During that time, the four couples lead the way in planting 125 churches (There are now about 150 because those churches have planted more churches that have planted more churches... so cool! [you must also take into account the fact that a certain number of churches have died due to a number of circumstances]). In this time the 4 couples also started a children's home which is thriving, as well as a number of other working missions projects. After the four couples decided to move to different works, Shawn and Linda moved to Uganda where they have continued in church planting and also have started a theological training center that now has extensions in Kenya and the Sudan. They take church leaders from the various churches and give them the much needed training that they are unable to find elsewhere. I believe they have also started a children's home in Uganda as well as several other physical and spiritual ministries.
Mike Schragge (sp?) moved to Nairobi after several years in Kenya and started the Kenyan branch of Good News Productions (Some of you may know it as the parent company of Media Challenge). He has served as a major player in the international ministry with them and he has traveled more places with them than I can count. He currently calls Joplin, MO his home and is an elder at College Heights Christian Church and is the head of their missions board there. Some of you might remember that he came and spoke on Missions Emphasis Week at BBC this year. He spends a lot of time traveling to churches in America and speaking with their missions boards. He is a great man of God and has incredible insight on how the American church interacts with the rest of the globe.
Kirk Hayes is the third man. I know that he was also involved with Good News Productions for a good amount of time after the team left Kitale. I also believe he was the President of a Christian University in Texas (I think it was Lubuck Christian University). I am not entirely sure what he now does because I have talked with him the least. He has an incredible mind and is continually pointing out how our various actions and interactions are mirroring spiritual realities. All of these men are incredible men of prayer, but Kirk is especially mindful to turn to God in praise and petition fairly consistently. It is such a blessing to be around these men.
Each day we get up and have a prayer time at 7 till 7:45 or so. I then get to go with one of the men and Danny out to a village and learn from them throughout the day. After the day is over, we all come back and have dinner and a debrief time for a few hours in the evening. As we discuss and record (Linda types it all onto a Word Document) the events of the day, the guys are very intentional about pointing theological, missiological, and sociological principles for me. More than that, they are very intentional about pointing out specific and general principles for my life as a Christian and a minister. They have all been in ministry for 25+ years and are getting to see the benefits of longevity. They are constantly pouring into me through advice, encouragement, and prayer. It is such a blessing. This week alone has been worth every dollar that you have given as it will leave a lasting impact on my life.
I ask your continued prayer as I learn from these men and as we continue tomorrow with our village visits. They are definitely pushing me to the very edge. God is definitely teaching me to rely on Him for so much. May our gracious Father pour out such amazing blessings on You as well as we continue in this ministry together.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Vehicles and Village Visits
Hamjambo Wote! Today I had my first taste of village life. This morning Danny and I, along with a few others, went to the village Koros to visit the leaders from the Kwanza Cluster (I think that's what it was) of the Kolongoro (sp?) District. We went through a typical African worship service with singing, dancing, prayer, and preaching. I gave my introduction entirely in Swahili (a first for me) to which the people got a real joy and clapped a good amount. It's hard for me to speak much Swahili, which can become a problem in some villages where they don't speak and English, but I've been told that I'm coming along fine. I'd take some prayer for my brain here. I've been trying so hard that I tend to go to bed with a headache from it. It's coming, but it's a rough ride until I get there.
Speaking of rough rides, I can't even describe what African diving is like. Some of the roads make 4-wheeling seem like childs play and the traffic makes Tijuana look orderly. It's incredible. It gets a bit tiresome, but it does add to the adventure. Also, African Drivers are the worlds best drivers. An American would get into a car accident within the first five minutes of being put into this situation. I swear these drivers have an extra sense!
To those of you who have been praying about the Jet Lag, Thank you. That very night after I posted the request I slept through the entire night. Bwana Asifiwe!
I'm looking out the window right now with a complete lack of ability to describe what it's like here. There are people everywhere. Some sitting talking, some trying to sell different goods, some on bikes waiting to give rides, some just walking to their next destination. The plants, trees, and birds are beautiful! The mountains, valleys, and plateaus are awe inspiring. It's amazing.
I ask that you continue to pray as we meet with more and more church leaders. I've gone to three meetings so far and we've had dozens of leaders. We've still got 4-5 more days of meetings. Pray that God will continue to give the 4 men words of wisdom and encouragement for the leaders. Pray that He will also give them rest, as this is an incredibly wearing task for them. Our presence means so much to these people, even more than our words. It is an honor to be such an encouragement by simply being.
To be honest, I'm starting to hit the point where I am really missing parts of home. It is so wonderful here, yet being apart from my family and loved ones is hard. It's even harder to think that It's going to be quite a while until I see them again... or anything familiar. I had a dream last night that many of them had died in a horrible fire and it's really wearing on my heart. I ask your prayer for me and for them as we are apart for the next several weeks.
Many of your African brothers and sisters emphatically send their greetings and blessings. I also send my blessings and love.
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