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.
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.
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?
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.
