A home of their own

Where to begin? Today started out with an early breakfast and then off to the reservation. Half of our group did a prayer journey, stopping in different locations, praying for each area they stopped in. The other half went out to a house under construction. We spent the morning, painting, electrical work, installing a tub surround, hanging doors, cutting the kitchen countertop and preparing the sink and faucet for installation. There is so much work to be done in such a short amount of time. In the afternoon we all headed to the Youth home only to find out at the last second that the kids there were headed out. It was frustrating because we were making real progress on the house we were working on and stopped to head out to the Youth Home. There was not enough time to go back to the house and restart our work so we decided to treat the team to Fry Bread! It is soooooo good! A new cafe opened on the reservation so we stopped in. God always has a plan! The waitress who took our order said “are you the one’s building houses?” That started an amazing conversation of how desperately she wanted a home. She was living with her father in his small house, with her 3 children, her sister and her sister’s children, and several other family members. She didn’t want to be the only one working and paying the bills for all of them and wanted a place where she could raise her girls. After hearing her story, I would have given her a home today. The staff at ARM has to go through many, many applications and make tough decisions, choices that can be heart wrenching. Please pray for the staff here as they go through this process, pray for wisdom and discernment, please pray for those who desire a home of their own, please pray that we will accomplish the tasks God has for us here and at home, please pray for the Apache people who do not know Christ, please pray.....

San Carlos Apache Reservation

Well, we made it safe and sound. It was a long drive on top of an early morning. Having said that, it was an amazing day. We got to play with the kids at the same park we got to paint the playground equipment at. WOW, what a strange sentence that was...Anyway the paint was peeled off almost as soon as we painted it over a year and a half ago. When we got there we saw it was painted again, by a group of high school kids from San Carlos High. This time it has lasted over three months. Awesome! It just goes to show how God can change hearts and lives. I know he has opened my eyes. For the first time I can see a hope in the eyes of some of these kids, not all of them, but there is definitely a change.

Thank you God for opening my eyes.

Robert

Kenya in my Rearview

As quickly as we got here, my time in Kenya has come to an end and I'm preparing to head back home today (Wednesday). Though our connection here was short, both Stanley and I believe it was of tremendous value, especially in the young life of our new church, Masii Christian Chapel. The opportunity for teaching and connection was rich, and will prove to be a valuable tool for this young congregation as they continue their formation and development. Please keep them and their pastor, William, in your prayers. They have a golden opportunity to bring a fresh look to the whole idea of the Church in their region...and people are already taking notice.

Tumaini Ministries continues to grow. I've been excited to meet several of the "kids" in Masii, Machakos and Nairobi. Actually, they aren't kids anymore. They've grown into young adults who are working, running businesses, finishing studies and already making their imprint on those around them. It's great to see a bit of the fruit that so many of you have invested in for the last few years. Please keep Tumaini and its leadership in prayer. They have much on their plate and God continues to open doors for them.

Finally, times like these always remind me just how good we have it. We take so much for granted, assuming that we will have things that are not always present for the rest of the world. You think our streets have potholes and need work? You should have your teeth rattled here for awhile as you get from one place to the next. Electricity is a staple, almost a right, to us. Loss of electrical current is common here, especially in outlying areas. And there's nothing you can do about it. We may have traffic and congestion, but the idea of crowded streets takes on a whole new dimension here (pic of a bit of traffic outside my hotel), especially in Nairobi. Driving (or riding!) here is not for the faint of heart. Even crossing these busy city streets is like a real-life game of Frogger! And make sure you look right and not left as you step off the curb, as traffic comes from the opposite way!

Sometime today, would you simply stop and take a few moments to thank God for the many blessings you have at your fingertips. And would you take inventory again of some of the everyday things you have and use that may seem commonplace to you? Things like hot, running water on demand, food on your table, a consistent dial tone, clean streets, somewhere certain to lay your head, stocked grocery stores and reliable transportation. Such seemingly simple things, and yet in much of the world these are the extras in life. Maybe God has blessed us with them so we might use the extra time and energy they create to invest in the lives of others in need.

Seems like more than a fair trade to me.

Things I Wish My Mother (or Pastor) Would Have Taught Me

(Taking a timeout from a great Kenya trip to share a great, new book with you...)

Finally. A book that speaks to the stuff of life that Christians (and others) actually deal with. OK, I'm sure other books have been written that cover the same kinds of ideas, but I just read a new one that's fresh, timely and overdue.

Larry Osborne, pastor of North Coast Church in Vista, CA, and author of books such as Sticky Church, Leadership as a Team, and Spirituality for the Rest of Us, has another winner hitting the shelves (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, your favorite Christian bookstore) this week. It's called 10 Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe and it looks over and responds to ten common spiritual urban myths. This special sort of belief is described as "a belief, story, assumption or truism that gets passed along as a fact. In most cases the source is a friend, a Sunday School class, a Bible study, a devotional, a book, or even a sermon." (p.2,3)

Some myths in this category are minimally damaging ("God helps those who help themselves," or "Cleanliness is next to godliness" come to mind), but the ten Osborne targets have far greater ramifications for those caught up in them. Without going into detail on each (or any) of them, I can tell you that Larry takes each of these ways of thinking to task, dispelling the supposed truths surrounding them, pointing out the fallacies and dangers in each as he shares many pertinent life examples. He then provides a correct Biblical framework for each idea, complete with Scripture (in context, thankfully!) that helps to amplify and clarify.

Each chapter is a stand-alone piece of work, and the author deals with some issues more completely than others. I felt as I read the book that some of these topics have had greater life significance for Osborne, and they are probably the ones he attacks with even greater passion and depth. Although each chapter was helpful, I found his analysis surrounding the truths about forgiveness (ch.2), God's plans for our lives (ch.4), godly homes and the kids they produce (ch.5), and the meanings of life's valleys (ch.9) particularly insightful for my life and ministry.

There are valuable discussion questions for each chapter at the end of the book, which is a perfect idea, because this could make a GREAT small group study. The things tackled here are the stuff people either want or need to know, and I can easily envision a small group being a perfect venue in which to wrestle with them.

Whether you read it as a group or on your own, you need to get a copy of 10 Dumb Things... and chew on it awhile. It may surprise you, challenge you, even make you a bit angry or uncomfortable at times, but I guarantee it will strengthen your understanding of God's Word and will help you make better sense of ten "Christian" ideas that you may have wondered about (or maybe even bought into).

a weekend to remember

Wow, what a weekend! Stanley and I spent Saturday and Sunday with the members (and neighbors) of Masii Christian Chapel, a new church planted because of the impact of Tumaini Ministries (www.tumainiinternational.org) in this part of the country. The congregation, begun in September, is excited and growing, looking to become a solid, Bible-based church that will plant daughter churches throughout the region (and beyond!).

Saturday's seminar drew more than 80 (some seen here on the right), and we discussed basic elements of the New Testament Church, namely baptism and the Lord's Supper. There was great interaction and interest as we went from mid-morning until the end of the day. Some of the teachings and concepts that you and I may take for granted are new thoughts and practices for some of these believers, and they are finding great freedom in them.

Sunday's morning services (one in English, the other in Kikamba) drew more than 150. You would have loved the time of worship in praise! So much enthusiasm, excitement and expression. And believe me, it's infectious! We continued the seminar in the afternoon, teaching about leadership in the Church, and the place of elders and deacons. MCC does not yet have recognized leadership, aside from the pastor and a few other volunteers, but they are preparing to put leaders in place, and they want to make sure they do it well. Their ultimate goal is to grow a model congregation that they can reproduce in other places in hopes of becoming a movement of churches.

I wish you could sit with these people and hear their hearts as they share. You'd be moved and challenged in your own faith. As thankful as they were that I took time to be with them, I think I got the better end of the deal. I'm stirred and encouraged to deepen my walk as I realize what my brothers and sisters face each day here. And I'm convicted to pray more fervently for them as they live for the Lord in southeast Kenya. You'd love the people here, I know you would. And after you were here awhile, you'd try to figure out how you could return as soon and as often as possible.

I know I am.

Kenya bound, Kenya found!

At last! We touched down at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi yesterday afternoon (Thursday) at 2:40, and I was so thankful to be finished with flying for awhile! Arriving in Kenya is always a great experience for me, and this time was no exception. After clearing customs (always an adventure!) we were met by Paul Mutendwe from Tumaini Ministries (Paul was at our church last fall). He brought Jackson, the Tumaini chaplain, and Geoffrey, a US intern. How great to see them again!

After a much needed night's sleep, Stanley and | are in Nairobi this morning taking care of odds and ends (exchanging $$, making copies for our seminar and touching base with people). We'll head to Machakos (about 2 hours southeast) after lunch, and get ready for tomorrow's time with the new church. I'm growing more excited about this opportunity as Stanley and I talk over all the possibilities with the planting of this new congregation. People are hungry for something fresh, something challenging, something with substance and hope for their souls. Please keep us in your prayers as we prepare and share what God has given us.

The weather is pleasant, we're healthy, and God is good. Those are fine ingredients for us as we launch this time of connection with our brothers and sisters. I'll post again when we're settled in Machakos. Thanks for your concern and interest in what God's doing in this part of His world. It's a blast to be connected with it, even in a small way, isn't it?!

Our Emirates Connection

I wanted to check in along the way and let you know our travel progress. We're sitting at the airport in Dubai (in the United Arab Emirates), having concluded our 12+ hour junket from NYC, and looking forward to 5 more wonderful hours in the air in order to reach Nairobi.

We're flying Emirates Airlines this trip, and I have to tell you, except for one kinda crabby flight attendant (she must have hit my shoulder 15 times either walking past or pushing the food carts), we had a tremendous experience. Service was great, everyone (sans the one) was out-of-their-way friendly, and the entertainment system for each seat was almost beyond imagination! You ADD-types would have been satisfied completely with the hundreds (that's right!) of movies offered, music, games, up-to-date news, even the ability to create our own music playlist. Additionally, each seat had the ability to connect mp3 devices, ipods, and computers with power! Needless to say, we enjoyed the longest leg of our flights and are looking forward to the final link.

We're anticipating an extremely positive response from the young church in Masii. Stanley was with them a couple of months ago, teaching about church dynamics, and they were enthusiastic, absorbing everything he shared with great excitement. They've spoken to him more than once about starting other congregations, but he's encouraging them to take a step at a time, making sure they're grounded and firm before they spread themselves out.

Thanks again for the prayers. Pray earnestly as you wrestle on our behalf, will you? And don't forget to bring your umbrellas!

On the Road Again

As I write this, I'm sitting in JFK Airport in the Big Apple with Stanley Mutunga (that's Stanley and me feeding Jeffrey!). It's Tuesday morning, and we just arrived on the red-eye from Los Angeles on our way to Kenya (man, those seats are small!). We'll fly through Dubai this time (a first for me), a 12+ hour trip, then about 5 hours back to Nairobi. It's long, but exciting, as Stanley and I talk much about our opportunities for the next nine days. We'll teach at the new church started at the Tumaini Center. The congregation is averaging about 125 after last September's launch, and they want to know more about what it means to be a non-denominational, New Testament church. And even more exciting is the news that they already want to plant more churches like themselves throughout the area. Our teaching will be foundational to what they will teach and pass on to others as they reproduce themselves among their own people.

Quite honestly, that makes me a more nervous, knowing that what we/I say during these days of teaching and discussion will be carried on to others. My topics this trip include the place of baptism and the Lord's Supper in the Church, and the place and ministry of elders and deacons in the Church. Please pray for us as we share, that we don't simply impart knowledge, but that we pass along the lessons and insights God has given to us through our years of service to Him. Thanks!

on my way to kenya

On April 14, I will be heading to Kenya with Stanley Mutunga of Tumaini Ministries for nine days. During our time there, we'll meet with a new church plant worshipping at the new Tumaini Center. It was established last fall as an effort to begin a church that is simply a New Testament non-denominational congregation, something different than the norm in Kenya.

Stanley and I will lead teaching and discussion times that will focus on the structure, growth and development of the local church. Of particular concern this time will be teaching involving the Lord's Supper and baptism as they relate to the church, and elders, deacons and overall leadership issues.

This new church is currently running about 125 each week and is already looking to reproduce itself in other places. So, we are anticipating the possibility that this might not simply be a new church planted, but a new church planting movement! Therefore, the foundation set now becomes that much more crucial for what lies ahead.

I'll keep you updated about what's going on with this project. Meanwhile, I've included a video that we made from our time with Tumaini the first year we took a team (2006).

Enjoy!