Kenyan Scars

     Let me begin by saying sorry for the long delay in posting again.  The past six weeks have been busy with end of term tests, home visits, camp trips, short vacation and the beginning of a slew of American visitors.  I hope to begin catching you up with my activities over the next several days.

     Below you can see evidence of my latest adventure.  I was playing basketball with some guys and me and another guy collided and hit heads.  I came out on the losing end of the collision and ended up having to get stitches.  It was a neat experience visiting the medical clinic in Ruai and also looking forward to having a small scar that i can brag about and tell the Kenyan story behind it.  Anyway, i hope all of you are having a great day and i hope God brings you tremendous blessings today.  Talk to you again soon!

Rain, Rain and more Rain

Flooded doorway into the learning center

Roadway to learning center and what we call a paved road

     This past week has been ridiculous with all the rain!  It does not matter where I go everything reminds me of the constant patter of rain.  In the morning I am typically trying to decide if I should wear my gum boots for the day because of the previous evening's rain.  (Gum boots are the Kenyan name for rain boots . . . my best guess as to why they are called gum boots is due to the sticky, gummy consistency of the mud in these parts).    Every day for the past week I have trudged through gobs of black mud or puddles of water on every trail that I walk.  The bottom of every pair of jeans or slacks that I have are covered in dark mud.  When I arrive to my classroom, there is typically water all over the floor because, not only did it rain all night, but I also have a nice leak in my roof (as do most of the rooms at the learning center).  The rain usually begins again in the late evening so depending on when I head back to the boy's place, I could be walking back in the rain.  Once there, i can't play basketball because the concrete court is covered in rain and is a hazard to play on.  My bedroom is threatening to begin leaking as I watch dark patches appear on the wall every night as the rain resumes.  And then, as it begins to darken, these four winged bugs appear and fly all over the countryside, sometimes reminding me of what the plague of locust must have looked like.  And later that evening there is a chorus of frogs that are melodious and diverse in their song and cacophonous in their sound and as always combined with that familiar patter of rain on the roof.  The onslaught of rain is so continuous during this long rainy season that I feel like every night I should go to sleep listening to Toto's "Africa".

More flooded, muddy roads

     This diatribe about the rain and mud in Africa is not meant to be a complaint about my plight in Kenya.  Instead, I want to see it as another way that God is fulfilling His love and faithfulness to all nations.  Up to this point in time in my stay at MITS, the Nairobi area has been pretty dry.  But the long rains have brought out the beauty and the greenery (and my longing for pavement and drainage systems) of the Kamulu area.  But more importantly it brings out the life giving ability of the land.  The crops and farms are beginning to flourish with small green heads of plants breaking the soil as God's beautiful rain encourages them to grow.  Smiles are abundant everywhere you look, despite the muddy, impassable roads and lakes of water covering the trails, because people know the abundant harvest is coming.  God is bringing life to this dry and weary land and helping to ease the suffering of many.

More flooded, muddy roads

     This life giving love of God is evident in other ways in this amazing country.  Recently, we just had an election that shut down the country for a week because of the fear of violence.  Five years ago the election ended in rampant fraud, political abuse and horrific violence.  So you can imagine that as this election rolled around many Kenyans were in fear for their lives and the political process.  Thankfully, because of much prayer and a people who want to follow the will of God, the election went off without any major problems and little violence.  God is bringing His love and promises to a country that wants His Word.  He is changing the lives of many Kenyans because they are turning their face to Him and seeking His will for their lives.  God is bringing up tender green shoots of faithfulness in their lives as they soak up His life giving water (His Word) in the dry and thirsty patches of their life.  God is moving in this country and moving in this ministry as we work in these street kids' lives.

     The Psalmist writes these words to describe how our hearts should be:

"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.  When can I go and meet with God?"              (Psalm 42:1-2).

Flooded entryway into the learning center

Do you pant after God?  Do you desire him to bring rain into your life?  Is God raising up faithfulness in your life?  Is He giving you new opportunities to serve, to love and to bring life to your Christian walk?  Maybe you feel dry and weary . . . I can promise you  that you have a God who desires to unite His story with your story and bring abundant life and harvest in your work!  Pray this week for God's rain (reign) in your life as you seek for Him to abundantly water those dry patches in your life!

What my boots look like after a day in the mud

Mountain View Journey

Me and John Wambu enjoying the shade.

     This past Sunday afternoon I had the distinct pleasure of spending the afternoon with the MITS resident mzee (old, wise man), John Wambu.  John Wambu was born and grew up in the Kamulu area and has been one of the main driving forces behind our current setting out in Kamulu.  He is responsible for all the buildings that currently reside at the Kamulu complex and continues to build more as we speak. Wambu has been promising me for weeks that he wanted to drive me out to the 40 acre property that MITS owns out to the South of our current Kamulu property.

Moses and John Peter looking off the rock into the distance.

     Quickly following worship on Sunday, I met John outside the building and we departed for our journey into the Kamulu wilderness.  As we were driving, i received a quick and small history lesson on the Kamulu area.  Apparently in the early 1900's, there was an American man who owned much of the surrounding land where Kamulu now sits.  The man's name was Drummond and he lived in this area from around 1914 to 1974, before his family began to sale off some of the land.  And ironically, the boys compound sits on Drumvale road, which apparently this area was named in honor of Drummond.  Drummond's business was dealing in cattle and growing some crops in the area.  As we drove out to the 40 acres, we passed many buildings, offices, and cattle equipment that signified the prominence of and now long since departure of Drummond.

One of the many views from Mountain View.

     After about an hour of driving on bumpy, windy roads and passing several small herds of zebra and gazelle, we arrived at an outbuilding on the edge of the property that served as the caretaker/watchmen's house.  From there I was led by a young man named John Peter, who walked me over the property to give me an idea of the size of the property and to admire the nearby views.  While walking the property, in some sense I felt like I was standing in a part of Southern New Mexico.  The land is vast and wide open, covered with small scrub brush trees, dying grass and brown dirt.  The clouds, flanked by a vast ocean of sky, were stacked up like soldiers in formation, casting their long shadows like spears thrown to the ground.  From some of the different vantage points you could see from horizon to horizon, witness the towering buildings of Nairobi in the distance and even site the rising slopes of Mount Kenya as they disappeared into the looming clouds above.  To put the finishing touches on our journey, John Peter walked me up to a towering rock that soared above us in the distance that lied just outside the edge of the MITS property.  As we neared the rock, John told me that we could not approach any closer for several different reasons.  First, there was a wild pack of hyenas (mostly nocturnal predators) that inhabited a cave beneath the large rock overhang.  Secondly, the climb up would require us to climb over rocks and brush and apparently this rock was infested with snakes of all kinds.  After taking a few pictures, John and I quickly resumed our journey and made our return back to the outbuilding where Wambu was waiting.

More mountain views

     This story/journey is important to me because it teaches me the value of dreams. That as people of God we need to be planning for the ways that God can use us, bless us and how we can use his resources to be a blessing to our communities.  You have already witnessed (or at least i hope you have) some of the amazing work that MITS is doing in the lives of young, street kids . . . but now imagine they are also continuing to plan for the future and for other ways that they can be faithful servants in God's continuing Kingdom work.  I am reminded of Jesus' words in Matthew 25, when he exhorts his followers with the Parable of the Talents.  A parable that reminds us that we have been blessed (especially in America) with many wonderful talents (physical and spiritual) that God expects us to use in furthering His kingdom.  Jesus' words to the faithful servants reads like this:  "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness" (Matt. 25:21)! How are you serving in God's kingdom? How are you dreaming of the ways that God can use you and use your (really God's) resources for God's glory?

The big rock with the hyena pack and snakes.

     Everyday I spend with these kids I am reminded of so many of God's qualities (his goodness, his faithfulness, his power, his love). But everyday that I spend here, the one quality of God that seems to flash before my eyes every day, is God's hope. The hopes and dreams of young kids who are beginning to realize their potential and see how God can bring joy and happiness into their lives despite their backgrounds. I am reminded of Paul's word to the Philippian church when he writes, "I can do all this through him who gives me strength" (Phil. 4:13). God can do anything through people who commit their hearts and their lives to serve him. God is doing amazing things in these kids lives here, who are dreaming of a better place for them and their community in this country. How are you dreaming to be in God's Kingdom work?

Love for the Least?

Me and my MITS friend, Eugene.

     So this past Thursday, I traveled with the literacy students (about half our kids) and some of the staff to the Gikomba market (one of the largest open air markets in Nairobi) so that our kids could purchase black leather shoes for school.  Just like many other places in Nairobi, Gikomba assaulted my senses with an assortment of smells, sounds and sights.  It had rained the day previous, so the ground was sloppy with wet, sticky mud that I trudged around in for most of the day.  The assortment of smells ranged from exhaust fumes and sewer waste to cooking food and cut fruit.  Overhead I could hear the calls of a sundry birds swooping low over the market hoping for scraps of food as they invaded the sound of hundreds of shoppers bartering and arguing over prices.  Each staff member had been assigned to walk with four students and help them in the process of selecting their shoes and then bartering for the price.  Each student had been allotted 750 shillings (about $9) in which to purchase their school shoes.  I had the pleasure of walking with students/staff and just enjoying the experience of the Gikomba market.

     While walking, I struck up a conversation with Eugene, one of the MITS students, and he began explaining to me that he used to visit this market as a street kid.  He explained to me that he would come to this market to scavenge scraps of metal that he could sell cheap for coin.  I asked him if there was a difference between the way he was treated then (dressed in shabby, smelly clothes) as a street kid and the way he was treated now (dressed in uniform) as a student.  He quickly and firmly responded that there was a big difference in the way he was treated.  That nearly broke my heart!

Eugene, Moses & Alex working (posing) at the farm

     That short conversation stuck in my head all day long as I wandered between stalls, fighting the crowds.  The questions that rattled around in my head like a pinball were: 1.) Was there that much difference in Eugene as a street kid (then) and as a student (now)?  2.)How different would I have treated Eugene as a street kid (maybe first meeting him in the market) as opposed to knowing him as a MITS student?  3.) How is God involved in this process of loving people no matter where you find them and how am I a part of that process?  The answers to those difficult questions were a hard pill for me to swallow.  My guess is that if i would have met Eugene on the street I either would have paid him little attention or I would have completely ignored him.  To be honest, I'm sure there is outwardly, in appearance, and even spiritually, with God, a lot different about Eugene - the street kid and Eugene - the MITS student.  But practically speaking, he is still the same kid, with the same kind of desires, dreams, hopes, fears, struggles that we all have.  The biggest difference in Eugene is that in one setting he is dirty, smelly and undesirable to be around . . . in the other setting he is happy, engaging and a joy to be around.  But the problem lies not with Eugene . . . but with me and with my heart.
     I am reminded of Jesus' words in Matthew 25 when he says:

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’  Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’  The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me’"  (Matthew 25:34-40).

Eugene posing at a GNPI field trip

This is a stark reminder that Jesus came to seek and save the lost.  That he came to those who were sick and dying to bring a balm to their wounds.  That Jesus came to the weak and lowest in society (the poor, the blind, the lame, the lepers, the prostitutes, the outcast) to bring them hope and love.  The very people that I sometimes find myself ignoring, shunning or spending little time with.  Jesus' love was meant for all, even those that I might find undesirable.
     There is a story that is told that goes something like this:

"I recently read about an old man, walking the beach at dawn, who noticed a young man ahead of him picking up starfish and flinging them into the sea. Catching up with the youth, he asked what he was doing. The answer was that the stranded starfish would die if left in the morning sun. 'But the beach goes on for miles and miles, and there are millions of starfish,' countered the man. 'How can your effort make any difference?' The young man looked at the starfish in his hand and then threw it to safety in the waves. 'It makes a difference to this one,' he said" (Hugh Duncan, Leadership Journal.) 

     Just remember that one person you passed up today is important and loved by God.  By showing them the love of Christ you will be making a tremendous difference in their life today that will have echoes throughout eternity.  I probably would have never met affable, smiling Eugene, but for the amazing work of God in people's lives to love street kids here in Nairobi.  And now, I am reminded everyday that a Eugene exists on every corner of my lifelong journey!  Do I have the love of Christ within me to make a difference in that one's life?

Seeking the Kingdom

     I recently re-picked up a book titled "Soul Survivor" by Philip Yancey that was recommended to me by my Uncle Tim.  I began this book about a year and a half ago and never completely finished it.  Yancey's book  tells us of his spiritual struggles and how 13 different mentors (13 different chapters) helped to shape his faith in God.  All the chapters have really challenged me to think about my own spiritual walk but the last chapter really struck a chord with me  

     The final chapter is about a priest named Henri Nouwen who had much to say about how our Christian journey is about realizing how our struggles and pain have been redeemed by God and about how he uses those events in our lives to help us realize that we need to rest in the comfort that we are the beloved of God.    Nouwen wrote in his book, Making All Things New, that:

Poverty, pain, struggle, anguish, agony, and even inner darkness may continue to be part of our experience.  They may even be God's way of purifying us.  But life is no longer boring, resentful, depressing, or lonely because we have come to know that everything that happens is part of our way to the house of the Father.

Nouwen demonstrates in his writings and through his life that flaws and faithfulness are not mutually exclusive characteristics that we possess but instead that these characteristics coexist.  All of us bear some kind of wound in our life.  Whether it be through rejection, chronic illness, deep pain, repetitive sin, family issues, church frustrations, etc.  We can either live as victims of these issues, blaming God and others for our misfortune or we can allow those wounds to drive us to the Father.

     Nouwen's words most impact me when he speaks of downward mobility.  Many of us have heard of the phrase upward mobility-a drive for prestige, power, and ambition in our lives-a distinct characteristic of American culture.  Nouwen writes of downward mobility this way in an 1981 article of Sojourners:

The great paradox which Scripture reveals to us is that real and total freedom can only be found through downward mobility.  The Word of God came down to us and lived among us as a slave.  The divine way is indeed the downward way.

In his own life, Nouwen referred to this as "inward mobility."  In other words he withdrew in order to look inward, to learn how to love God and be loved by God so that he could also call others into that same love.  Nouwen's intent with this phrase "inward mobility" is best understood by a passage he often cited from Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance:

Pirsig describes two kinds of mountain climbers.  Both place one foot in front of the other, breathe in and out at the same rate, stop when tired, and move forward when rested.  But the "ego-climber" misses the whole experience.  He does not notice the beautiful passage of sunlight through the trees.  He looks up the trail to see what's ahead even though he just looked for the same thing a second ago.  "His talk is forever about somewhere else, something else.  He's here but he's not here.  What he is looking for, what he wants, is all around him, but he doesn't want that because it is all around him."                                (From The Genesee Diary)

     I so often view my life as one of the ego-climber.  My life is a series of books to read, skills to learn, games to play, boxes to check, appointments to make and people to see.  Very rarely do I find the time to stop and notice the beauty around me . . . to see the people that God has placed in my path, to see the moments that God is encouraging me to take advantage of, and to witness His awesome power that is alive in so many different ways.  I find myself constantly peering down the road, straining to see further down the trail of my life.  I have tried to fill my life up with more accomplishments, meeting more people, becoming more successful and hopefully to someday get somewhere on this road that i feel is important to walk.  Where is it again that i want this road to take me?

     Nouwen, through Yancey, reminds me that my life is about "downward & inward mobility."  That my purpose here in this place (or wherever i am) is to examine who i am in God's eyes (beloved), with all my flaws and faithfulness, and seek to encourage others to know that God also sees and loves them the same way.  That i need to slow down and witness the amazing ways that God is at work in my life and other lives around me every day and speak confidently about what God is doing.

     I am reminded that even Jesus' life was about downward mobility.  In Luke 4, Jesus visits his hometown of Nazareth to begin his ministry.  As he visits the synagogue on Sabbath, he stands to read from the prophet Isaiah and quotes this verse from Isaiah 61:1, 2:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

The Son of God was sent to earth to become lowly and human, so that he might redeem each of us from our sin, through His death on the cross.  He came to preach to the poor, to set the captives free, to heal the blind and to bring glory to His father.  Our Savior chose downward mobility so that each of us (the poor, the sinful, the spiritually blind, the captives, the sick) might have the opportunity to be redeemed to God.

     This week, think about how you can be more downwardly mobile in your life . . . how you can find ways to look inward and share that same introspection and love with others so that they might see God.  To see how you can be the anointed ambassador that seeks to heal peoples hurts and shares the love of God.

GNPI Trip

     So this past Wednesday we traveled with our students over to a business titled, Good News Production International.  GNPI specializes in producing video, music, and literature that is all Christian based in nature.  Even better for you to know about GNPI . . . two former "Made in the Streets" students currently work there, with both involved in video editing.  That not only speaks to the level of competency of the MITS staff to train and prepare the kids for their future but it also speaks to the ability and seriousness of our street kids here at MITS.  More importantly it tells you what a great and awesome God we have who has taken kids from a life on the streets (lives filled with drugs, sex, violence, hunger, loneliness) to lives full of purpose and meaning in His kingdom.  What are you doing to find the same in your life today?  And i'm not asking how much money are you making or what kind of things do you have . . . i am asking how do you see God using you with that money you have or that job you work?  How is God enabling you, with all your talents and blessings, to make a difference in His Kingdom.
     Anyway, below are some pics from our recent trip.  Our trip consisted of a hour long ride into the North western side of Nairobi, a two hour viewing of a GNPI produced movie about pre-marital sex, abortion and marriage in general, a brief lunch of chips (fries) and soda, more video viewing about abortion and sexually transmitted diseases and a two hour question and answer period with the GNPI staff.  By the time all of this was finished, we had spent a full day with the GNPI crew and our kids were tired and ready to travel home.  I hope you enjoy the pics.

MITS students watching a video at GNPI

Some of the MITS girls enjoying their free time during lunch

Students in the bus on the way to GNPI

Me and the computer literacy teacher, Moses, just hanging out

Anastacia, former MITS student, working away at inserting
French into a GNPI movie.

Dennis, former MITS student, hard at work editing some
music videos

Matatu Musings

     My usual form of transportation into the great city of Nairobi is the numerous but yet tiny matatu (public transit 15 passenger van).  I will have to snap a picture of one of these mighty vans in the near future to give you a glimpse of their prowess.  Much to my chagrin they are probably the cheapest way for me to get into the city.  Now if you can't tell, I am not particularly fond of the matatu because they just don't fit me very well.  In this van the seats are crammed together so there is not much leg space . . . the ceiling is low enough that i have to hunch my shoulders and dip my head to be able to see out the window . . . and you combine those two factors with crazy drivers and bumpy roads then you can see it is really not a pleasurable riding  experience for me (except on my pocket book - approximately 100 to 150 shillings {less than 2 dollars}).  

     Suffice to say I probably enjoy the ride of a matatu about once a week.  This past Saturday I had to travel into town to visit my cousin and watch her almost 2 year old daughter, Annabelle.  As usual i was afforded the customary accommodations of the matatu (crowded seats, no leg room, no head room & bumpy roads).  As we neared the city on this hour long drive we began to  face fiercer and fiercer traffic with occasional stops for traffic jams and dropping off/picking up people along the matatu route.  As we crawled through one roundabout that was clogged with traffic our conductor noticed 2 policemen that were working traffic in the area.  Immediately the conductor (the man who takes the matatu fares) gave up his seat by the door to a standing (really crouching) passenger and he laid down in the narrow aisle between the seats.  He stayed that way until we crossed through the round intersection and passed by the policeman.  My response was a grin and a chuckle at the comedy of the situation and the lengths to which both the conductor and the passenger will go to either make money or to get a ride into town.  You see, it is illegal for matatu drivers & conductors to overload their buses solely for the purpose of gaining more money.  If the police would have seen our situation, they would have pulled us over and more than likely arrested the driver, conductor and the extra passengers.  Or really the other alternative (and probably most likely) would have been for the police to ask for the lawbreakers to pay a bribe.  Again, just one of the many entertaining and interesting facets of the Kenyan culture.

     But in reality, does Kenya really differ that much from anyplace in the world?  Aren't we all just trying to either make an extra buck or get somewhere quickly?  Aren't many of us willing to flaunt the system (as long as we don't get caught) to speed up our journey or to gain some advantage?  Aren't many of us willing to make lapses in judgment if we don't think anyone will see us?  Aren't many of us willing to sin, just a little, so that we can cut a corner and make life easier.  I'm merely trying to make the point that sin can rear its ugly head in numerous and unexpected ways in our life and many times we fail to realize it because either everybody does it or its really not a big deal.  Peter describes Satan as a "roaring lion" that is "looking for someone to devour" (1 Pet. 5:8).  Satan is in a constant warrior stance seeking to cause us to sin and separate us from our Father.  Peter's further encouragement in this passage is, "Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings" (1 Pet. 5:9).  His encouragement . . . resist sin and the easy temptations that Satan throws at you and be reminded that you are surrounded by faithful brothers and sisters who can encourage you in those same struggles and whom you can encourage by your stand of faithfulness.

     I want to encourage you today to evaluate your walk every second and examine how Satan is trying to bring about easy sin in your life.  I want to challenge you to commit to taking a stand on that sin, trusting in God's faithfulness to help you and lean on brothers and sisters in Christ to encourage you.  I leave you with this passage of Scripture: "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:38-39).

Finding Peace

     Today it has been eerily quiet in this part of Kenya.  As I sit in the shade at the cafe up on the main road I am almost apprehensive about the lack of noise from passing cars and busy people going places.  

     At this moment the entire nation of Kenya is holding it's breath as votes are counted from their national election for many offices but most importantly for the office of President.  Five years ago, this same election was held and it ended it very extreme violence.  Over 1,200 people were killed and around 600,000 people were displaced.  There are many reasons (corruption, poverty, money, tribalism) why things like this happen in Kenya but probably the biggest reason is tribalism.  Many people in Kenya still very much align themselves with the tribes they came from (Kikuyu, Luo, Luya, Masai, Kamba, Kalenjin, Giriama, etc.) and also tend to vote along those same tribal lines.  When votes don't go the way one tribal group wants then it is easy for these groups to visit violence upon a nearby group that they don't like and have had long held prejudice against.  Even worse is that these public figures (politicians) use these tribal prejudices in their favor to stir up confusion and trouble at election time to muddy up the vote.

     All this to say again that it has been extremely quiet today here in Kenya.  Everyone is on edge waiting for election results and praying that their will be no violence.  On Sunday I attended church with my cousin in law, Brian Harrison, here in Nairobi and was encouraged by the worship/prayer service that was all about God blessing the election, God selecting moral leaders and God helping Kenya maintain the peace no matter the outcomes of the election.  People in this country yearn to not only have a successful, vibrant community (one that is bursting with natural resources and abundant beauty) but also a country that follows God and His will.  Paul writes, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcend all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:6,7).  So I ask that you please pray for this country and the Kenyan people over the next several days.  I ask that you pray for peace to rule in the hearts of everyone involved in this election and that God will confound the steps of any who wish to do evil in the wake of this election.  I ask that you pray for those leaders who are selected, that they will be men and women of peace, wisdom and faith in God.  And most importantly I ask that you will pray that God will continue to bless this nation and help to them to be a people and a nation that follow God.

Resting in the Lord

     Guys, I am so sorry that I have not posted in awhile but this past week i was gone to the Rondo Retreat Center in the Kakamega rainforest at a missionary men's retreat and wireless was not available for the week i was gone.  It was a great time of relaxation and rest but also of just worshiping, praising and learning more about God with some real men of faith.  

     The focus of our retreat was "resting" in the Lord.  And I do not mean the fruitless action of just resting and relaxing and getting away but of the fruit filled action of taking time every day to rest (praying, meditating, reading God's Word) and focusing your future action on the presence and person of Jesus.  In Mark 6:30-31 we read: The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.  Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."  Jesus had previously sent out the twelve apostles and they were now coming back to report to Jesus what had happened in their ministry experience.  As they were in this discussion so many people were coming and going that they did not even have time to fully discuss their experience and to even eat.  So Jesus simply recommends . . . come away with me . . . and find rest.

     Now note, right after this passage, as they are leaving in a boat with Jesus, that many people see this happening and meet them on the far shore when they land the boat.  So the feeding of the 5,000 begins shortly after Jesus wanted to get away with his apostles to allow them time to come away with Him and to find rest.  So notice, our rest is not found simply in getting away from people and being by ourselves.  It is found in "going away" with Jesus and "resting" in who He is.  In identifying that He is Lord of our lives, that He has control of our circumstances and we live to walk in faithfulness to the opportunities He has placed in front of us.  The feeding of the 5,000 happened immediately after they "rested" with Jesus . . . almost as if it was a test to remind them who is in control and where the source of their power comes from.  Our energy in the Lord flows from our ability to recognize who our power source is and to "rest" in His ability to help us in any and all circumstances.  We have the ability/power to do anything because Jesus is Lord of our lives.  

     Paul writes: "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.  Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen" (Eph. 3:16-21).  Remember this week that all that we do flows out of the love of Christ.  You have tremendous power to accomplish things in the Lord's name when you operate from His rest!

Road to Success

The kids on the way to the Learning Center

On the road to the Learning Center (where classes take place)

     We all know what roads are used for.  Roads are typically what we travel on to get us from one destination to another.  Roads are the means by which we travel and one of the many ways that we can get places quickly.  But, we see for Jesus that roads were not just a means for traveling.  For Jesus roads were what he traveled on to change people's lives.  On roads, Jesus was typically traveling for a specific purpose to achieve a specific goal.  It is on roads that Jesus had intimate conversations with friends, with His apostles and with those he wanted to mold into the image of His father.  For Jesus, roads were a tool that he could use to make a difference in people's lives.

      Everytime I travel over to East Africa I am always amazed at the poor quality of the roads that I travel upon.  Most of the secondary roads are dirt and they are bumpy, dusty and rock filled.  The main roads (though mostly paved) can be even worse as they are filled with potholes, dangerous shoulders and wild drivers.  The road I (and the kids) walk every morning to the learning center at MITS is a dirt road.  This time of year it is typically dusty and filled with large rocks.  When it rains the road becomes treacherous with mud and a type of mud that sticks to everything.  But what makes the road to the learning center at MITS  unique is that it is a road that is leading to success for so many young street kids.  It might be ugly, dirty, muddy, rocky and just a down right pain to walk (or drive) on but it is built for success.  As I walk down this road with the kids I imagine Jesus walking beside me talking to the kids, encouraging the kids and just absolutely loving these kids.  This road, because of where it leads, is giving hope to so many street kids.  It is giving them an opportunity to receive an education.  It is giving them an opportunity to learn a skill and apply it in the real world as a job.  It is giving them an opportunity to get off of the streets, become free from drugs and addictions and just find a place where someone loves them.  And most importantly, it is giving them an opportunity to learn about God, His love and His plans for their lives.  

Michael & Simon (from left to right) on the road to success.

      How about the road you travel everyday?  Is it just something you take to get to another destination today?  Or do you travel that road with a purpose . . . or more importantly, do you travel that road as an ambassador with a calling?  Do you seek to make a difference when you reach your destination?  Are you striving to love people, encourage them and teach them about the love of Jesus?  If not, begin thinking about how you can use your road today to help people find success in the kingdom.

The gate at one of the boys compound (the writing reads:
God's Leaders are Made in the Streets)

Mean Streets of Nairobi

     Every other Friday, the MITS staff travels in to Eastleigh (Nairobi city center) to visit bases (outdoor areas where the street kids reside) and get to know many of the kids that live on the streets.  This past Friday was no different as we left Kamulu and MITS around 10 AM with a bus full of staff and a few students.  The drive takes anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour depending on traffic and road conditions so i spend much of that time observing people, gazing at the city and just trying to take in all of this strangeness.  The city of Nairobi is cloaked in noise and smells but yet it also feels strangely familiar.  I noted the distinct sound of crows at one place we stopped but also noticed the crows are not jet black like ours in America but instead have white breasts.  You also hear the sound of honking horns and yelling people and the distinct smell of diesel and exhaust fumes.  At the first place we stop to visit street kids, we got out near a busy intersection, crossed the street and walked through a market area.  The market area is mostly made up of small wood stalls typically covered with cardboard, plastic or any discarded piece of trash that people can manage to scavenge to keep their stall free from rain (if and when it comes).  The market vendors are usually selling any small item you can think of like used clothing, hardware items, fruit, beverages, shoes, etc. and most of these items are sold at bargain basement prices.  Soon after exiting on the far side of the market we come out onto the fringes of a dump, searching for the street kids that typically live in and around this area.  But we are disappointed when no kids are there to greet us when we arrive.  So we trudge back through the market and get back on the bus for our next stop.  Our next stop is back in a neighborhood and we park on the side of a street to walk for a good distance to our next base.  After walking for about 10 minutes we again arrive at the edge of a trash pile and soon discover about 15 young boys (youngest probably 8 years old) sitting in the shade of a tin building.  As we stop and greet all of these boys i note that we seem to be surrounded by a whirlwind of blowing confetti.  Besides the many rotting things you would normally find in a trash dump, these boys have also found trash bags that are filled with shredded confetti and are using them for seating, sleeping and just overall comfortability.  As i stand there and meet these boys and talk to them i am overwhelmed by the sights, sounds and smells (8 year old boys, rotting trash, diesel and exhaust fumes, the glue the boys are sniffing, the occasional smells of fruit, crowing of birds, etc.) that assault me in endless waves.  After briefly spending time greeting and encouraging these boys and trying to offer them some hope and maybe an escape through MITS, it is time to leave.  We hand each of them a bag with two meager loaves of  bread as some source of physical sustenance.  Again, my heart is broken knowing such young boys will spend that night sleeping on the ground, in awful clothing, amidst blowing confetti and an ongoing assault to their senses from the sleepless city.  

     As we are driving back i notice a solitary stork flying clumsily in the air to land on a tall building.  I glance around and notice many other storks standing on tall buildings like silent sentinels taking careful measure over the city they stand guard over and I couldn't help but be reminded of God.  Of being reminded of God's love for His creation no matter where that creation may choose to call home.  I can't help but imagine the love that God must have for these street children and His desire to help give them a better life.  I keep imagining the responsibility that God has laid at the feet of those who have so much to help those who have so little.  And i am thankful for the people at MITS that God has placed in this position to serve not just as silent sentinels to watch over these children but as willing helpers to teach, serve and enable these kids to find purpose and meaning for their lives. And finally I am reminded of the Apostle John's words when he writes, "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:4)"

Words . . . Just Words!

     As you can imagine, even in only two weeks time, there has already been many things that have challenged me, frustrated me and made me laugh about living in a different culture.  Most recently I have laughed many times at the words that Kenyans use for some things that would be very recognizable to us Americans.  For instance, they call an interstate overpass a flyover.  If you need to speed up and catch someone on the road while driving . . . that is called overtake.  They call an iron (thing that you iron clothes with) an ironbox.  The trunk of a car is a boot and the hood of a car is the bonnet.  A trash can is called a dust bin and a flashlight is called a torch.  And my new word for today was gumboots which apparently is the same as a pair of rainboots.  Now i'm not telling you this to mock Kenyan words or to convince you of the superiority of American English but to just solely point out the differences in language.  But it is also fitting to me that i can at least understand the origin of where these funny Kenyan words came from (I can understand how they came up with the word flyover . . . it fits!).  I also tell you this to point out that two people can be speaking the same exact language (in this case english) and yet still not totally understand what the other is talking about.

     I have found this same concept at work in my study of Scripture.  Recently I have been teaching the kids the life of Christ out of the Gospels.  Specifically as I study through Luke I notice how people were amazed at Jesus' early teaching because he spoke as one who had authority.  Jesus' wisdom and knowledge of Scripture was obvious to those who heard him speak, even from a young age.  But soon, we begin to see Jesus' authoritative words accompanied by strong grace filled action with healing and acts of love towards social outcasts.  We see Jesus speaking the same religious talk as the Pharisees and teachers of the law and yet they were the very ones who misunderstood who he was.  In Luke 4, we witness Jesus be rejected by his hometown because they couldn't accept that Joseph's son was the Messiah.  In Luke 5, in response to Jesus forgiving the crippled man of his sins, we read that, "The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, 'Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy?  Who can forgive sins but God alone'" (Luke 5:21)?  As you can see the very people who should understand Jesus and know who he is just can't and don't know how to accept Jesus as the Messiah.
     Today, sometimes we can talk a lot of religious speak but never achieve any measured success in our lives or in other's lives.  Sometimes we say all the right things but our lives don't match up to those right words!  Does this describe you?  Do your actions measure up to the righteous life you talk about?  My encouragement to you today is to seek to be like Jesus . . . follow up your spiritual words with decisive action that can change your life and others.

The Kenyan Kitchen

Featured below are just a few of the dishes that I have eaten while I have been in Kenya.  Most of the meals consist of a different daily combination of ugali (ground corn mixed with flour and water till hardens), rice, beans, potatoes, corn, chapati (like a flour tortilla), chicken, beef, cabbage, and kale.  It varies from day to day what I enjoy or what I look forward to the next day.  I will admit that every now and then I long for some good old American food but I know that will all come in due time.  Take a look at the pics and if you have any questions then feel free to email me back and ask about the individual pics.

Rice, potatoes and cabbage

Smokies (sausage) and a good mug of chai

ugali, cabbage and kale

githeri (beans, cabbage, corn soup)

chapati and smokie

chapati and some type of pea soup

Living Arrangements

I live on the 3rd floor of this tower apartment.

     So I know that many of you might be wondering where I am living and staying while I spend this year in Kamulu, Kenya.  Well if you note the above picture you will see the tower apartment that i live in.  I live in the third floor room which comes with a full size bed, a microwave, a refrigerator, a hot plate, a coffee maker, set of dishes, a dresser, sink, toilet and a hot shower.  Suffice to say i feel like i am living the high life while i am here in Kenya.  If you will also note the other pictures you will hopefully get a sense of the size of my room and all the accommodations that come with it.

That is the mosquito net hanging over the bed (tied up)

My toilet with the shower to the left!

So anyone who might have been concerned with my living situation . . . you can plainly see that i am well taken care of and the Lord has blessed me beyond my wildest dreams!

Snake Tales

     I can remember years ago when my uncle Tim (missionary in Malindi, Kenya) told me about an experience they had out in the Kenyan bush at a church near Malindi.  They had gone to visit and worship with a church out in the bush where a man named Daniel Kahindi worked and worshiped.  Sometime during the middle of that worship a spitting cobra accidentally slithered into the church up near the front.  You can imagine the pandemonium as people were falling all over each other trying to exit at the back of the building and trying to flee the fearsome snake.  In telling the story, my uncle also recalls the absolute fright of the snake as it tries to exit at the same place it entered.  After the pandemonium subsided and the church goers began to discuss the events, many were to scared to enter the church again because of the snake but also because they felt that Satan had now cursed the building.  Daniel Kahindi was beside himself with anger at this response and began to preach to those Christians about the work of Satan and the things he would do to dissuade us from worshiping and following Jesus.  Eventually their fear subsided, their courage was renewed in the Lord because of the words spoken by Daniel and they returned to the church to resume their worship.

     In the opening pages of the Bible we see the devil described as a serpent (Gen. 3:1) and that he was "more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made."  He was the one who tempted Adam and Eve and caused them to be cast from the garden.  In Job 1, we see where Satan convenes with the angels before the Lord.  When God asks, "Where have you come from?"  Satan responds: "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it."  His sole purpose in meeting with the Lord was to receive permission to test Job and make life difficult for him.  The Apostle Paul writes that you should "put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the devil's schemes" (Eph. 6:11).  And the Apostle Peter describes the devil as a "roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Pet. 5:8).  It is apparent from these Scriptures (and many others) that Satan is not in this world to make like easy for us, and especially for us that call on the name of the Lord.

     I recalled this snake incident at the beginning of this article because we had a similar event take place here at the boys' compound in Kamulu.  I was sitting in my 3rd floor apartment in the tower a few nights ago talking to Moses Okoth when there was a knock at the door.  A few boys were standing there regaling us about this snake at the bottom of the stairs.  We slowly walked down the steps with our flashlights illuminated searching every crevice, crack and obstruction we could see.  After spotting nothing, we decided to push open the door on the bottom level and see if the snake had slithered under the door into the room.  Sure enough we discovered an approximately 2 foot long snake of chocolate brown color (could be a black mamba which is highly poisonous).  By this time we had a crowd of boys who were all anxious to kill a snake . . . but there was one problem.  There is also a metal grate over the door that remains locked to keep thieves out and the nearest key was miles away.  As we struggled with the right way either to coerce the snake out of the room so he could be killed or to contain him in the room until we could get the key the next day, I was reminded of Satan and the way he works.  As the boys resumed the forced coercion of the snake, a missionary named Steve (from Agape Christian Ministry in Kisumu) walked up and asked us to pray about the situation first.  We prayed for protection and that no one would be injured.  We prayed for removal of the snake.  And we prayed that Satan would have no impact or foothold to discourage in this event.  Renewing their efforts, the boys were somehow able to coerce the snake out of the room and then they buried it under a pile of rubble and boulders.  After removing the boulders, we were able to cut off the head of the snake and remove the threat from the boys compound.  Crisis averted . . . normalcy returned!

     The neatest thing about this whole episode was the boys' reaction after the death of the snake.  Hollering, dancing, cheering, excitement!  It was awesome.  But what an amazing allusion to God's (and the angels) reaction when we defeat Satan in our lives!  Satan will take any form to discourage and distress our walk in the Lord.  Maybe in the form of a physical snake, maybe in the form of a relationship, maybe in the form of a temptation, maybe in the form of a test of faith.  How will you achieve victory over that snake?  Prayer, relationships, worship, meditation, fasting, God's Word!  Most importantly, imagine your joy and God's happiness when Satan again is defeated in your life!  I pray that you are encouraged by reading these words!