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?

The Hope of Tumaini

It's 2:30 a.m. and I'm awake.  Preparing for our early morning flight that will take us (eventually) to Kenya.  That's where we'll spend the next couple of weeks working with Tumaini International Ministries.  Tumaini, founded by Stanley and Rose Mutunga, is a Kiswahili word that means hope.  Their focus is to come alongside AIDS orphans, through sponsorship, education and encouragement, and walk with them in their journeys toward adulthood.  These kids have lost one or both parents to AIDS, and usually live with grandparents, other relatives or friends.  Life is hard at best, and sponsorship ($35 monthly) makes the difference between failure and success for hundreds of children, both young and old.

We'll leave LAX at 8:00 today and touch down in Nairobi about 7:30 Wednesday night (11 hours ahead of LA time).  All Thursday and Friday morning will be in this capital city of 4+ million, as we will visit different ministry sites in one of the largest slums in Africa.  Then Friday we'll travel 2-3 hours south and east, to the small community of Masii, where Tumaini has its offices.  Doctor Ron Jurgensen (my favorite dentist!) is with us again and we'll pull teeth for a week for those who'll walk for hours just to sit in his chair and find the relief his skills can bring.  We'll also visit some of the children that our church sponsors, as well as meet with the new church there as they are designing strategies for planting a church in the nearby city of Machakos.  It promises to be a great couple of weeks.

Our team of seven includes KACC and Parkcrest Christian Church (7th St. campus, Long Beach), and our desire is to continue to partner with Parkcrest in this ministry of compassion and church planting.  Please pray for us as we travel, adjust, connect and serve.  Pray for divine appointments with those who need to hear good news, and for boldness to share.  Pray for unity within our team a life-changing experience...for Kenyans and Americans alike.

I recently read some words in Psalms that spoke to me in a fresh way about Tumaini:

He [God] raises the poor out of the dust,

And lifts the needy out of the ash heap,

That He may seat them with princes-

With the princes of His people.

                                          Psalm 113:7,8

Tumaini's work has lifted hundreds of children and adults alike from the dust, from life's ash heap, and is even now preparing a new generation to sit with leaders and movers of their land.  Because they're giving an opportunity to those who needed it.  Because they're giving compassion and care to many for whom no one else cares. Because they're giving a vision to many who had lost sight of their futures.


Because they're giving hope.

Time with a Kiwi

I was blessed in a special way last week. Hamish Taylor was in town and we met for breakfast and dinner, to find out what God had been doing in our lives. Hamish is part of South Pacific Christian Fellowship, and leads a church planting team in Christchurch, New Zealand. I visited their work last year, as they were in preparation for the launch of a new church in that city, and we (KACC) committed to their financial support for this endeavor. I was impressed with the team of three couples (Hamish is Kiwi, the rest are from the States) and their vision and plan for a new congregation.

Their first service was held in February of this year and currently they are consistently averaging 50-60, with a number of baptisms and outreach contacts growing. This is more significant than it may sound, as New Zealand is far more secular than the US in its religious thinking. Hamish told me that probably only 5%+ of the country's population attends church on a given weekend. Suicide rates are high, as are substance abuse numbers. Christianity has lost much of its relevance through the years, and there needs to be a rethinking and recasting of the vision of and for God's people and work in this island nation.

This is probably why the team chose to name their work "Rechurch," to signify that theirs was to be a new and fresh way to see the hand of God in their lives. And it's working! People, young families especially, are being drawn to this concept. They are discovering relationships and views that are different than what they had imagined, or had seen in the past. Rechurch is impacting lives for Christ and is growing.

Hamish and I enjoyed several hours of fellowship that morning and evening, and I was refreshed by our time together (as I hope he was). He's home now, back with family and team. Back with his church and mission. Back to what moves him. And to what is moving his people. Please keep him and the team in prayer as they continue to move forward. Pray for open doors, for receptive hearts, for favor with people around them. Pray for ongoing financial support, for protection against the schemes of the evil one, for strength in the battle. Pray for this small but influential nation and for its collective heart to open again to the Lord. You can learn more about Rechurch and the team at http://www.rechurch.co.nz/.

PS- Hamish left just prior to the earthquake that hit Christchurch last week. He wrote and told me that they are all OK, but there is much to do in response to this disaster.

Run and Fun

So much to tell you and so little space! Let me catch you up a bit:

After Sunday's service at Ann St. we loaded up a bus and hit the road for Eidsvold, a small, rural and largely indigenous community about 6 hours from Brisbane in the bush. We've been making the trek to this town since 2005, and Ann St. continues to visit throughout the year. Our goal is to connect in significant ways with people (especially youth) through our Christian Centre there. Although we have no congregation presently in Eidsvold, our arrival signals that there will be activity for a few days! Kids and adults we've come to know begin to come over and they bring friends.

One of my (Mike) highlights was teaching about 25 kids some songs for a Tuesday evening program put on for their folks. It was simple. really. I taught them "Lord, I Lift Your Name on High" and "Father, I Adore You." Nothing new for us, but apparently new for them. They not only learned those songs and asked to sing them again and again, but recalled what they had learned last year ("I Like Bananas") and taught that to me!

Tuesday evening we hosted a community bbq (no shrimp, but plenty of sausage!) and then our program. The kids did a great job and Edgar shared his testimony with the crowd. He gave an invitation for people to give their lives to Christ, and at least three responded! The time of sharing afterward and the days that followed was also full of opportunity and openness.

Leaving Eidsvold was tough on Thursday (it always is) because friendships had been formed and strengthened, and some were just now opening their lives to some of our team. We will continue to grow those relationships while we are apart, believing God will use what we offer to do more than we could imagine.

Today (Friday) was our experience with NAIDOC- National Aboriginal and Islander Day Of Celebration. It is a time of recognition for indigenous Australia, as they remember and rejoice in their heritage. We spent the day at a downtown park, along with many hundreds of people. The festive air and chances to learn more about this integral part of Aussie culture were exciting for us and we reveled in rubbing shoulders with such wonderful folks. And tonite we traveled the downtown part of the Brisbane River of the City Cat transport boat. It's a beautiful (and cold!) run up and down the heart of the city- a can't miss kind of thing.

Tomorrow Ann St. hosts a regular event, "Big Day Out." We will pack up a group and head to a local rain forest for a bit of a bushwalk, lunch and time together. In the past they have taken upwards of 50 to such experiences, but this time we have about 100 signed up! Should be exciting figuring out how to make transport and logistics work, but it's a great challenge!

We thank you for your prayers and concern for us. We are all doing well and are daily growing in our love and appreciation of this culture and people. We see God's imprint all over the place, even though society is more secular than ours in almost every way. Those with whom we talk are open, friendly and often interested in talking about spiritual matters. There are great challenges, to be sure, but great potential as well. And that's where we can be used! Please continue to pray as we finish well this weekend. I will speak Sunday morning- ask God to make His power and message understood in a fresh way, and that people will respond to His prompting. Thanks!

Pictures...

1. Our mob at Eidsvold the day we left

2. Team at South Bank, downtown Brisbane

3. Tim and Edgar walking through South Bank

4. Gorgeous view from the City Cat

5. Aboard a cold boat at night!

Of Rugby, Skittles, and BBQs

Posted late Saturday, after two full days in the city:

We've had a couple of days with complete agendas- different activities in various locations, but a common thread throughout. Let me share a quick rundown...

Friday's highlights included prayer for the city, as we prayer-walked in the downtown area around Ann St. Church of Christ. We learned about the city's history, along with challenges and opportunities that come with ministering in an urban location. We also attended a Brisbane Broncos rugby match. You need to be at an Australian sporting event to truly understand the passion people have for games here!

Today we drove 22 km. (about 13 mi.) to the suburb of Redcliffe to spend time with a bunch of the Ann St. youth and young adults. We fished (more fishing with little catching!), played touch footy (rugby) and Skittles, a Torres Strait Islander game. Great fun! Our lunch together was good, even with high winds and cold, cold temps.

We returned to Ann St. in the late afternoon to prepare for their monthly Community BBQ. Modeled after our own Community Supper, the BBQ is held on the front steps and sidewalk of the church, and many walking down the street stop for good food and sharing. There were several international students from our previous Wednesday, many homeless and a number of others from various walks of life. We had great conversations at many levels, with chances to share our faith with receptive listeners.

The commonality we sensed throughout our activities is the need of many to connect in significant ways. One of our team admitted an internal desire to complete tasks on trips like this, making sitting and listening to others' stories a tough job. But we all agreed that taking time to share life's journey together may be the most important task God will assign to us. For through these times and experiences He builds into peoples' lives the lessons He wants them to learn. One young man here told me he still has pictures of some of our team from three and four years ago in his room, and they encourage him in his walk. Others are eager to reconnect with those of us who've come before, picking up where we left off last year. Regardless of the particulars, the desire to share life in a significant way makes our time here of great value.

Please pray for us as we drive to Eidsvold (6 hrs. away) tomorrow following church. Pray for continued chances to connect (and reconnect) with many there, encouraging them and sharing the good news of life in Jesus with those who have yet to know it. We'll update you as we're able, connecting with you even as we do with those in our immediate view. Meanwhile, some recent pics...

Brittney, Mary and Daun at the Broncos game; our rugby match in action; Kyle and the guys getting ready for fish; Edgar posing with frozen friends; the team in prayer mode; many gathered for the BBQ; passing out the evening meal for our community.

Location:Brisbane, AU

Sharing What We've Seen

Today was a workday for us. We spent the better part of the morning cleaning an indigenous (aboriginal) Christian center in Logan (a part of Brisbane. After lunch, we threw boomerangs with Goma, an aboriginal pastor and leader from the area. Then we cleaned the yard of a young woman in the Ann Street church who is recently widowed. In all these events, we had opportunities to connect (and reconnect) with brothers and sisters who encouraged us, even as we sought to be an encouragement to them.

I want to share two video clips with you that will give you a taste of some of what we are doing here. The first is a short demonstration of shepherding skills using border collies; the second, our friend Goma showing us how to play the didgeridoo. I hope you enjoy seeing them as much as we did being able to be here in person for them!