Zoom, Zoom, Zoom

By the time most of you read this we will be well on our way back to the US. I am currently writing from the airport in Amsterdam where we will soon be boarding our flight and winging our way home again. We have spent much time talking about and evaluating our experiences of the last two weeks, and there remains much to be considered. We learned so much about the way God useserelationships to build His Kingdom, and just how far we still haveto grow (especially as westerners) in that area. We also saw such courage and determination in the lives of those who have been impacted by severe life circumstances that we were challenged to rise to our own life occasions victoriously.

As we prepare to board, I willl leave you with some random photos that express the joy, adventure, challenge and fun that we have had (double click to enlarge):

Kenya: Unpacking Our Experiences

How do we begin to process all that we have seen and experienced in the last two week? That's what we wrestled with tonight in a debrief session. The more we shared, the more there was to share. As we took turns talking, our experiences, lessons learned, highlights and struggles peeled back like layers of an onion. As each was removed there was another to take its place.

Such is the way of successful short-term efforts. We will continue to unfold our thoughts and ideas for weeks and months to come- sometimes privately, sometimes together, and sometimes with those (like some of you!) that we know and love. Be patient with us, bear with us, listen to us and learn with us.

Immediate highlights of our time included:
- visiting the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam and sensing again the ability within people to do great good or great evil, depending upon choices made;
- spending time in the slums of Nairobi and seeing how God is working through courageous men and women making a world of difference there;
- viewing God's creation up close at Nakuru- and almost too close with an unamused rhino and a bad vehicle battery connection;
- seeing the faces of those helped by the dental clinic;
- laughing with each other;
- watching Stanley imitate Pam's laugh, and then everyone imitate Stanley's laugh;
- dip baths from a bucket each morning in Masii;
- loud street parties until late in the evenings;
- lots and lots (and lots!) of children;
- Paul (Tumaini's country director) always on his phone;
- church service in Yoani, with its great singing;
- God coming through in so many ways we could not have thought of.

You'll hear more about our processing thoughts in the days and weeks ahead...stay tuned!

Back to Nairobi

The week is complete and we have arrived back in Nairobi, preparing to leave tomorrow night for the US. It's hard to believe that our time in Masii is over just as quickly as it seemed to begin. We saw much, met many, and did whatever we could to bless people there.

One big draw was the dental clinic we held at the Tumaini property on the edge of the town. With the assembly hall finished we had a perfect place to gather and register people as they waited to see Dr. Ron (on left). We saw more than 200 people in four days' time, and extracted at least 600 teeth! It was unbelievable! And Ron wasn't the only one having fun. We all took turns helping at the clinic, and several of us learned to give shots, pull teeth and even suture wounds!

When not in rotation at the clinic we traveled throughout the area making home visits on several of our Tumaini kids. We visited about 25 families, delivering bags of food and blankets, finding out the conditions in each place, and encouraging the guardians as well as the children. Two great highlights: both Pam and Amanda each found a child they wanted to sponsor, and they signed up to do so! You should have seen the faces of the children they chose! Now they have a new and stronger sense of hope as they have seen God work on their behalf.

Our team has done such a great job together. They have probably laughed more than any team and they have bonded in a special way. God has drawn us together in a special kind of unity that has given us the ability to do more than we thought possible. Close friends became closer and new friendships developed in quick and deep fashion. We are one, and I am proud of them and all they have weathered together.

Thanks again for your prayers. They have been answered beyond your understanding, and Jesus has been lifted up in the lives of those around us in a real way. Our desire was to simply be a blessing to the people of Kenya, and in so doing God has blessed us beyond measure. Isn't that just like Him?!

Tumaini- Kiswahili for Hope

We are currently in the town of Masii, a couple of hours south and east of Nairobi. We have no Internet here, so this post required the 30-minute trip to the neighboring town of Machakos in order to send it. The team is doing well- you’d be proud of them. We kicked off a week-long dental clinic yesterday, with Dr. Ron Jurgensen seeing more than 40 patients. We are only equipped to pull teeth, but there were plenty to be pulled! Ron (with the rest of us rotating in and out as assistants) worked eight hours, and will do so again today. It’s a long day, but worth it when we see the look of relief that comes with the remedy for a diseased, painful tooth.

While some are pulling teeth, others are making home visits to some of the AIDS orphans supported (through Tumaini International Ministries) by Knott Avenue Church members. What a joy to enter a home where the help that many of you give provides hope for those living there. For only $30 monthly, we help meet the physical and educational needs of a child who has lost one or both parents to AIDS. I was able to visit Mutinda Mboya, the boy our family sponsors. He and his brother lost their mom to AIDS while very young (he is now 17 yrs. old) and their dad simply walked away from the family, leaving them with their grandmother. To compound the pain in their lives, he remarried and lives not 30 minutes from them, yet they have never met him. But they both told me, “It’s OK, even if we never meet our father, because we have a Heavenly Father and He will never leave us.”

Their faith and courage are typical of so many of these Tumaini youth who are determined to become all God desires them to be, and have a chance to do so because people like you care enough to make a difference in their lives. For those of you who give, thank you for all you do. You can find out more about this outstanding work at

www.tumainiinternational.org.

If We Could Talk to the Animals

Today we went on safari a couple hours north to the Nakura National Animal Reserve. This sprawling attraction, built along Lake Nakuru, is home to a panoply of wildlife. We spent the better part of the day driving through the park, locating and photographing these amazing creatures of God's great imagination. Highlight of the day came when our van's battery went dead (it turned out to be a loose connection) not 15 feet away from a now-bothered rhino, with Mom and Junior just 15 feet past him. As he faced us with a hard, cold stare, another van pulled up to shield us, and our driver got out and quickly repaired the connection. Nervous laughter throughout the van! Here are a few shots of what we saw (click to enlarge):

Hope you enjoy viewing these half as much as we did! We leave tomorrow for Masii, and aren't sure of Internet capabilities there. We'll blog if possible- if not, we'll be back in Nairobi Sunday night, August 10. Please pray for this team and its ministry opportunities (dental clinic, visiting orphans, evaluating ministry opportunities, encouraging the saints, etc.). Your partnership in this is a difference-maker for us, and we are ever grateful.

Transformers- More Than Meets the Eye

Today's ventures took us to the other great slum of Nairobi, Mathari. In its grips live some 800,000 people (and remember, it is the "little sister" of Kibera, the slum of 1 million on the other side of the city!), most struggling simply to survive.

Here we visited another WEEP Center (see yesterday's blog) and were again impressed with the lives that are being changed through this ministry. But we also spent time at another work, called Community Transformers. This is a group of young people (team on left, mostly in their 20's) from the immediate community who believe that God called them to make a difference in the lives of their neighbors by staying in Mathare and ministering there. They have taken it upon themselves to care for substance abuse victims, those who are HIV+, homeless children, the hungry and dying, and anyone else God brings them. With no model before them, they have fashioned a team that reaches deep into the belly of this impoverished area. Here they develop relationships that allow them to share the transforming power of God's love.

Their leader, Nick (seen with our team on the right of this picture), explained their work, as leaders of the various outreaches shared specifics of each ministry. He took us to a nearby building where he introduced us to their latest project- 30 young children (21 boys, 9 girls), living in two bedrooms, who are homeless because of the political violence in January. Some are orphaned, others have a parent who needs their help. CT had not planned on this work, but knew that something had to be done so these children would not die. They work hard to raise funds to feed this new crew, care for their medical needs and get them through school. It's not easy, but the team is committed to these young ones. It's another way they are helping transform lives in the name of Jesus.

Our hearts were understandably moved throughout this time, and we were personally challenged to trust God like these young men and women are doing daily. They don't know where their provisions will come from, but they do know the One who will provide, so they simply press on in His service. They embody the words that Jesus spoke to the Gerasene demoniac following his healing, when he was told, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you." Just like that man, they are telling everyone they meet of God's mercy, and lives in this community are being transformed by their example. Who are we telling?