Looking Again at Kenya

Thought you might enjoy a couple of short video clips taken while we were in Kenya.  One is of Pastors Josh (from Parkcrest), William ( from Masii) and me while walking in Masii town.  The other is from the top of our vehicle as we bumped through the Maasai Mara on a beautiful Saturday afternoon safari.  Hope you enjoy them!

Oh, Kenya!

It's just hard to believe.  Hard to believe we've been back from Kenya for a little more than a week now.  It seems like we were just there, yet in some ways it seems like a long time ago.  Guess that's the way these experiences usually play themselves out in our lives.  And yet, even though Kenya may seem a million miles away at times, there are memories and lessons we gathered there that will be close to our hearts as long as we draw breath.

We learned about trust in God and finding our satisfaction in his grace, regardless of what we have or don't have.  About the ways he takes care of us, even in the hardest of struggles.  About showing hospitality and warmth to strangers who come and stay awhile.  And about taking care of each other, because that's the one debt we owe on a daily basis.

We had the chance to serve in ways that may have been outside our comfort zones, and we discovered that it wasn't as tough as we thought it was going to be.  We learned to work outside our cultural parameters, stretching in new ways and finding newly appropriate methods for sharing the love and message of God.  And we even picked up some new vocabulary terms, some in Kiswahili and some in Kikamba- just ask Samaki (aka Jeremy) how to say "fish!"

As much as anything else, we saw firsthand the impact and power of a ministry like Tumaini.  Children and families with little or no hope have found a new outlook and future for themselves.  They have a reason to persevere, and reason to hope again.  And we get to continue to be a part of it all.  

You need to know that $35 monthly sponsors a Kenyan AIDS orphan.  This provides the bulk of educational and material needs for a child, and makes a more promising tomorrow a reality.  You may not be able to change the world, but you can change the world of one family for about a dollar a day.  Would you consider becoming a sponsor, if you haven't done so already?  Find out more at www.tumainiinternational.org.  

Here are some pictures of one the greatest trips we've ever taken!

Daktari Ron with local dental license

Sharing with hooch-makers in "Kosovo"

Oh, those lazy kings!

Louise, Wambua, & the home we'll rebuild

The 3 Preaching Amigos- Josh, William, & Mike

The boys in Nairobi- Bill, Daktari Ron & Josh

Watching the elephants was a sacred experience!

Delivering food to a Tumaini family

"Fast Mary" beating the local boy!

Our Kenyan Home Stretch

It's happened again.  Just like in other trips, the finish line has snuck up on us and we're looking at completing our experience almost as quickly as we began.


We wrapped up our work in Masii on Friday and said our good-byes. That was a tough one. One little street girl, Vicky, grabbed Josh's fingers and refused to let go.  I thought I heard his heart break in that moment.  And when other kids were waving and cheering as we pulled out, Vicky held her head in her hands and refused to look. We felt much the same.


After spending that night in Nairobi, we caught a flight to Maasai Mara in the southwest part of Kenya, for a couple of days of real safari. And I can tell you that this experience is unparalleled with anything I've ever done. We've gotten up close and personal with lions, cheetahs, hippos, elephants, giraffes, buffalo and zebra, to name a few. But you know, as overwhelming as this has been, processing and wrapping our hearts and minds around what we experienced in Nairobi and Masii is an even greater challenge for us.


We debriefed again last night about what we've been through and agreed that God provided so much in such a short period of time that we haven't been able to sort it all out yet.  But we did agree that Tumaini is doing a great job of not only providing AIDS orphan sponsorship, but of hope for the future as well.  That the Kenyan people need the love of God in a real way, and are very open to receiving it.  That Tumaini's use of holistic ministry is key to presenting the gospel to east Africa in a way that makes sense. And that we want to keep ridin' the Tumaini bus as it rolls on down this road.


Thanks to all of you who have given, prayed, encouraged and followed this team in any way the last few weeks.  You are part of this experience and we appreciate your place in our lives.  We still have some miles to go before we touch down at LAX Tuesday afternoon at 12:40, so keep praying for us. That we'll have the chance to share with one more person about God's love and hope for them.  That we'll learn just one more lesson.  That we'll hear God's voice one more time.


And that maybe we'll see just one more lion.

A Voice in Kenya

I heard God's voice today.



Our devotional booklet has focused on learning to hear the voice of God, and I've been working on that during the trip. Before leaving for home visits this morning, I asked God specifically to help me hear his voice today. Our visitations to Tumaini kids and their families took us to a number of homes, some of them with very little. But one was different than the others.

Louise is a grandmother raising her two grandchildren, Rachel and Wambua, because their mom died several years ago through HIV AIDS. Dad's still around, but is sickly and probably has the disease as well. In addition to this loss, Louise has lost other children, one who died giving birth and others to AIDS. She is a faithful believer, a widow, and probably more than 70 years old. She struggles just to make sure her family is taken care of. And Tumaini helps.

Her home consists of a few brick and mud structures that appear little more than small storage sheds. But she and the kids have used them for shelter since last April. It was during heavy rains then that another small brick and mud structure in which they were sleeping began to collapse. Some of the walls gave way in the downpour as the children began screaming, "We're dead! We're dead!" Somehow, walls that should have fallen on them didn't and they were spared.

As Louise shared her story and we surveyed the half-collapsed home, Stanley said quietly to me, "Tumaini doesn't typically involve itself in building homes, but I believe God wants us to rebuild this one." It was then God spoke to my heart and said, "You- you and people you know- make sure this home is redone and this family is safe." I stood there quietly considering the situation. How could we not? I acknowledged what I believed I heard, told Stanley what God had laid on my heart, and asked how much it would cost. He said he would have estimates and a man ready to begin in a couple of days, but he thought it should be about $700. I calmly thought, "Our missions budget can probably afford that."

Then I heard God's voice again. "No," he clearly told me, "Not just from your budget. I want greater awareness and ownership from others. I want you to ask and involve people."

Really. That's what he told me.

So there it is. I believe with all my heart God heard my prayer this morning and spoke to me. It's not exactly what I was expecting (I'm not sure just what I was expecting), but he spoke. And I'm kinda excited, because he's either spoken, speaking, or going to speak to someone else about his or her part in this. If you think God might be speaking to you, let me know. Soon. More rains are on the way and this family needs assistance before something else falls.

It's not about the money. It's about listening. And responding. I'm trying to hear him and follow what I believe he's saying to me. It's not always easy. Too many voices, too many distractions, too much talking on my part. But I know something for sure tonight.

I heard God's voice today.

Of Celebration, Goats, and Tooth in Advertising

Wow! What a blast! That seems to be the general consensus of the team as we hit this full week of ministry at full speed. First was our time with the Masii Christian Chapel Sunday morning (into afternoon!).  Being part of a time of corporate worship in another culture can be nothing short of amazing, and our experience was no exception. The warmth, the energy, the power and the excitement of worship and praise left us wanting more. Josh Chavez preached a powerful message (with the translating help of brother Stanley) and we immersed ourselves in Kenyan culture for a few hours. It's something we'll hold onto for a long, long time.

Today three worked on peoples' teeth while the rest of us loaded supplies and visited some of the kids sponsored by KACC and Parkcrest churches. It took all day to visit six homes- and we should have had my jeep for the roads errr, trails we took to get to our destinations. We met the families (usually grandparents) of these children, caregivers who have stepped up in the wake of the deaths of the kids' parents due to AIDS. And we saw happy, thriving environments where the challenges of raising a second generation has been offset by the joy of seeing God's hand working among them.


A couple of today's gems:
- Mary Flores made such a great impression on one of our visitations that she was bargained for by the family.  They decided they would give 36 goats in trade to have her remain with them! We told Mary that she should be honored, as this is a great deal to give on her behalf! A couple of our guys were pretty hungry in the moment, and the prospect of fresh goat meat (and lots of it) sounded good, but they decided it was still too little for the lone woman on our team!


- Daktari Ron Jurgensen (our dentist) was examining a woman who wanted two teeth pulled. As he looked into her mouth he immediately saw that there were actually three, side-by-side, that needed to come out. His translator, Esther, tried to tell that to the patient, but she insisted on only two. Ron, in his great compassion for relieving pain and problem, suggested to Esther that they go ahead and pull the three and tell her that they got the two...to which the patient said in clear English, I said I only wanted two pulled!  Ouch! Forgot that she just might understand English, and got busted big time! So two were pulled, if a bit sheepishly!


Thanks for prayers and support.  Much is happening, and much is yet to happen.  Pray that we hear God's voice and sense His direction as we serve these wonderful people. Right now, we feel like some of the most fortunate people in the world...and indeed we are.

First Report...Good News from Kenya!

I apologize for taking this long to post a blog about the team.  The first week here has been extremely eventful in so many ways. Not only did it take us an extra 11 hours and an extra city to reach Nairobi (a saga in itself!), but we lost Stanley Mutunga as we boarded our flight in NYC.  Seems someone for Delta decided he needed more pages in his passport and removed him from the flight until he could get more added.  We landed Thursday morning instead of Wednesday evening, and Stanley arrived Friday night!

Nairobi was a quick but eye-opening experience.  We journied into Mathare, a slum of about 800,000 (and only the second largest in the city!). There we visited two ministries- WEEP (Women's Equality and Empowerment Project), and Community Transformers.  WEEP trains women with HIVAIDS with tailoring skills.  These new abilities allow them to provide for their families, and provides value for them in their communities.  It gives them a reason to live and a hope for their futures.  Community Transformers was started by a group of HIV+ young people who, upon their conversions to Christ, banded together, to remain in Mathare, and now minister to others who may not have the hope of Christ.  Both works challenged and encouraged us as we saw the impact of Christ in the most serious of situations.

We moved on to Masii (a couple hours south) Friday and set up shop at the Tumaini Center.  Dr. Ron saw and treated a handful of patients as we settled in.  Then today (Saturday) we shared in a program put on by and for our nearby Tumaini children.  There were familiar faces throughout the crowd, as Ron briefly examined each child and then took care of a small number of them who needed care.

Today (Saturday) we shared in a program for those Tumaini kids who live close by.  There was singing, praying, testimonies food and laughter as we caught up with kids whom some of us have known for years, as well as met new children.  Ron examined each child briefly, then treated a small number who needed his help.

We are already sensing God's hand upon us as He opens our eyes to a world so much bigger than what we know.  Hearing stories of faith in impossible circumstances, seeing hope in the eyes of those most would have forgotten, discovering our oneness in spite of ovbious differences makes an indelible imprint upon our spirits.  The stories and lives they represent remind us of a great and powerful God who is working in the most impossible of situations to show people His great compassion and care.  We are blessed to be part of it.

Tomorrow will be worship and celebration together as God's people, and we can hardly wait to experience them with our Kenyan family.  One thing's for sure: for all the ways we're different, we sure have a lot of the same needs, hopes and desires.  And that common bond in Christ takes us beyond our surface issues and differnces, straight to the heart of God.

Can you think of a better place to be?