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.