This post may not have too much to do with Africa, but yet it does. If you have followed this blog at all you will remember in January 2008 we faced a decision about my job as my leave was not going to be approved. We chose Kenya and God chose to let me return to my job. Then when I returned to work in August, I faced a potential lay-off due to budgetary issues within the State of Illinois. On July 1, 2009 I began an at least 2 week mandatory furlough. The current budget slashes social services and completely eliminates substance abuse treatment services (through which I am employed). If the proposed cuts are not restored I lose my job. Seems like we have been down this road a time or two:) Today in HS Sunday School, Tim was teaching about fear and faith and talking about Jesus walking on the water and how just a few chapters earlier (in Matthew) the disciples had been fearful of a storm and although God calmed the storm here they again finds themselves worried about another one. I can definately relate. But God calmed the first storm for them and he calms the second. He has done that for us in relation to my job.
When news came of the furlough and possibly end of the agency I immediately turned to God. I know my job does not provide for me and that my God provides for me through my job and if he so chooses He can and will provide for me any way He wants to. For not even a second have we questioned this. We have been through this storm before and God calms it every time.
Coming home from Kenya this time means a huge unknown for Tim and I. Last summer we had roles we thought we were slipping right back into and for the most part things were what we thought they would be. This time it's different. I start a furlough that may or may not end, Tim's job as interim HS guy ended so the future is wide open. Talking the other day I mentioned that our life right now is a blank canvas ready to be painted. Never before in my life has this excited me so much. God holds the paintbrush in his hand and has all the colors we can imagine and fortunately He already knows what He plans to paint.
I am so ready for whatever picture He paints next. Allowing God to paint our picture, to write our story has been the greatest adventure so far and I am certain the best is yet to come.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Familiarity
We got back into the states about 2 a.m. on Friday and the jet lag has been exhausting. In bed at 8 p.m. and up at 3 a.m. Trying not to nap in the middle of the day is quite a challenge. I mentioned in an earlier post about how arriving back in Nairobi felt as though we had never left and I felt the same way on Friday when we got up and did normal things like Wal-Mart, lunch at Granny's, time with friends, pizza etc. It amazes me how easy it is to slip back into what is familiar no matter where it is. Although it can be very hard sometimes to feel like your heart is always in 2 places, it is also so nice to be able to find comfort and familiarity in both places. Of course in the familiar is sometimes where I struggle most to find God. One of my favorite Shane and Shane songs starts out by saying "Heaven forbid familiarity would keep me from your majesty..." My prayer for the return home is that in my reality in what is most familiar that I won't lose sight of what is most important.
Here are a few more quotes from the team:
Barb, Jane, Kathy and Rich have been able to effect meaningful changes to the library which is used by all the MoHi schools. The school librarian, Phoeby, has been a joy to work with along with an American woman, Marla, who comes in twice a week. The library is in a well lit room on the fifth floor. The children greatly enjoy visiting it. The staff and children continually give thanks for the help and partnership with the people at West Side. (submitted by Rich Thompson)
It is a great privilege to be here in Kenya. The children we have met in various slums in the Muthare Valley are precious, but they are also dirty, withchronic runny noses, filthy clothes and no place to play...except in the dirt. Their sing-song voices, "How-R-yu?" greet us every day as they delight in having their pictures taken upon our arrival. What I carry in my heart today is how happy we have made them feel this week. They have so little, but they appreciate it so much. No crayons, one pencil, no glue bottle, no backpack, no markers; just a dirt floor inan 8' X 10' room with over thirty kids crammed in it. They do have one teacher, one chalkboard and a strong desire to learn. Amazing (Barb Sanders)
*Pictures to come as soon as we wake up enough to view them!!
Here are a few more quotes from the team:
Barb, Jane, Kathy and Rich have been able to effect meaningful changes to the library which is used by all the MoHi schools. The school librarian, Phoeby, has been a joy to work with along with an American woman, Marla, who comes in twice a week. The library is in a well lit room on the fifth floor. The children greatly enjoy visiting it. The staff and children continually give thanks for the help and partnership with the people at West Side. (submitted by Rich Thompson)
It is a great privilege to be here in Kenya. The children we have met in various slums in the Muthare Valley are precious, but they are also dirty, withchronic runny noses, filthy clothes and no place to play...except in the dirt. Their sing-song voices, "How-R-yu?" greet us every day as they delight in having their pictures taken upon our arrival. What I carry in my heart today is how happy we have made them feel this week. They have so little, but they appreciate it so much. No crayons, one pencil, no glue bottle, no backpack, no markers; just a dirt floor inan 8' X 10' room with over thirty kids crammed in it. They do have one teacher, one chalkboard and a strong desire to learn. Amazing (Barb Sanders)
*Pictures to come as soon as we wake up enough to view them!!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Off to Safari
Today we went to chuch in Bondeni and went into the slums for the last time on this trip. Many of the people we met this week who accepted Christ were also at church this morning. It was a great day of celebration. The church has grown so much since last summer. Bwana Asifiwe (Praise the Lord!)
We head to safari very early in the morning and will probably have internet until we return to the states. We will put more stories on here at that time and will include pictures as well. The internet in Kenya continues to improve but it still very slow.
Thanks for the prayers and for keeping in touch by reading the blog. Stay tuned there is more to come!
We head to safari very early in the morning and will probably have internet until we return to the states. We will put more stories on here at that time and will include pictures as well. The internet in Kenya continues to improve but it still very slow.
Thanks for the prayers and for keeping in touch by reading the blog. Stay tuned there is more to come!
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Saying Good-Bye
On Friday we had a big farwell celebration even though I am certain we just arrived. They were kids from every school, lots of singing, dancing and plenty of cake. I always struggle with saying good-bye because to be honest I never really want to I just know that this is the time God has given me to be in this place. Before the celebration began I was just kind of an emotional mess. I found myself tearing up for no real reason and then I would look around and see other members of the team doing the same thing. This week really got to them and even though it is hard to leave and even harder to feel your heart break for these people the joy that follows is priceless. Evey time I am in a home or playing with a child or talking to a staff member I feel my break a little more for the people who live and work in Mathare and sometimes that is very painful, but the joy I get from seeing the hope they have, from seeing the love they share, from seeing God at work and feeling closer to Him is so worth the pain and the tears of sadness quickly turn to tears of joy. Who am I that I have gotten to come to Africa 3 times? Who am I that I can share God's love for people and the hope that can be found in Christ to the nations? Who are we that we got to lead a team to a place like Mathare? I continue to be reminded that we are no one special just willing to let God use us and so are the 17 other people that are with us.
Over the next few posts I will include some quotes from the team as they describe their time here.
"The authentic faith and eternal hope these children posses challenges me gretly."
"Mary is an inspiration to all! I have never met such a faithful servant."
"The poverty and hardships are overwhelming, yet the smiles and love poured out to us are overwhelming. Blessed to be a blessing."
"I can see why they named the schools Hope Centers, because they do offer the only hope that can break the cycle of poverty."
"I am so impressed by the quality of people in leadership at Missions of Hope. Everyone of them are highly educated and talented individuals that could be working somewhere else yet they have chosen to work and in some cases live in the slums so that they may bring others to Christ."
"What a graet trip! Everyone on the team has contributed alot. It has not been a hardship to serve, it has been a pleasure. 1Peter 4:8-12."
As you can read this has been a great experience. One that does not end with a flight home or a good-bye. The things we have seen, heard, smelled, touched, and participated in this week will have effects that last a lifetime. It is true we will never be the same again.
We have also said good-bye to half the team as some left early for safari and one is headed back to the states. Please pray for safe journeys and a time of reflection and renewal. Also pray for my mom and 4 ladies from Cornerstone as they are headed for Uganga today.
As we say in Africa........God is good.....All the time!
Over the next few posts I will include some quotes from the team as they describe their time here.
"The authentic faith and eternal hope these children posses challenges me gretly."
"Mary is an inspiration to all! I have never met such a faithful servant."
"The poverty and hardships are overwhelming, yet the smiles and love poured out to us are overwhelming. Blessed to be a blessing."
"I can see why they named the schools Hope Centers, because they do offer the only hope that can break the cycle of poverty."
"I am so impressed by the quality of people in leadership at Missions of Hope. Everyone of them are highly educated and talented individuals that could be working somewhere else yet they have chosen to work and in some cases live in the slums so that they may bring others to Christ."
"What a graet trip! Everyone on the team has contributed alot. It has not been a hardship to serve, it has been a pleasure. 1Peter 4:8-12."
As you can read this has been a great experience. One that does not end with a flight home or a good-bye. The things we have seen, heard, smelled, touched, and participated in this week will have effects that last a lifetime. It is true we will never be the same again.
We have also said good-bye to half the team as some left early for safari and one is headed back to the states. Please pray for safe journeys and a time of reflection and renewal. Also pray for my mom and 4 ladies from Cornerstone as they are headed for Uganga today.
As we say in Africa........God is good.....All the time!
The week so far
If it doesnt get said enough it is great to be back in Kenya. It is also great to have all these people here with us. I have really enjoyed watching God tug at the hearts of the people on this team. I have loved watching them start to love something that means so much to us. God is really breaking some hearts for the things that break His. Tim and I have been blessed to lead such a great team to the slums. They have worked so hard and go to bed exhausted every night. They are so flexible and willing to do whatever is needed and it hasnt gone unnoticed. They have begun relationships with the staff and with the children and it has been a joy to watch this happen. As a team we have shared Jesus with many people, we have brought the light, we have had VBS on two mornings with almost 300 children (talk about exhausting) and we have flourided thousands of childrens teeth. It has been good and God has been good. In the midst of this many of the team has been sick for at least one day, but thankfully no one has been too ill and a day of rest pretty much got them all back on their feet.
VBS was a great time. The children have been waiting for us to come for a really long time and so when Thursday morning came and VBS was to begin they were super excited and so were we. We decided to talk about creation as a theme and the first day for crafts they made animal puppets on lunch bags and they LOVED them. We had lions, zebras, hippos, gorillas, and tigers. It was a great sight to see the children running around with their puppets-even though all the hippos were upside down:) On Tuesday, we took an individual picture of each child and so Friday we gave the photos to the kids and had them decorate frames. They were so happy as many of them dont have a picture of themself. It was such a great feeling to give them such a gift. They wore them around their necks all day long. We also taught them the chicken dance and the macarena! Good times!
Alice the head teacher at Bondeni said this was a week the children will never forget. Those statements get me everytime because I always wonder if they know how much this week meant to all of us and that we will not forget it either.
VBS was a great time. The children have been waiting for us to come for a really long time and so when Thursday morning came and VBS was to begin they were super excited and so were we. We decided to talk about creation as a theme and the first day for crafts they made animal puppets on lunch bags and they LOVED them. We had lions, zebras, hippos, gorillas, and tigers. It was a great sight to see the children running around with their puppets-even though all the hippos were upside down:) On Tuesday, we took an individual picture of each child and so Friday we gave the photos to the kids and had them decorate frames. They were so happy as many of them dont have a picture of themself. It was such a great feeling to give them such a gift. They wore them around their necks all day long. We also taught them the chicken dance and the macarena! Good times!
Alice the head teacher at Bondeni said this was a week the children will never forget. Those statements get me everytime because I always wonder if they know how much this week meant to all of us and that we will not forget it either.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Peaceful, Easy Feeling
For the past few days we have been doing home visits and a project called Bring the Light. This is where we cut a 1 foot by 1 foot hole in the room of one of the tin homes and put a pice of plexi glass over it which creates light in an otherwise dark home. Through this project we are able to bring the famiy physical light, but also we talk to them about Jesus being the light. We have told many about Jesus and many have accepted him into their lives. It has been a great week so far.
Today as we walked we travelled down many paths we walked last summer and as I stepped over garbage and other unknown things I just felt overwhelmed with peace. God is here. Even in Bondeni which many consider to be the worst part of the Mathare Valley. He is here and he is moving and we get to be a part of that. It is for sure difficul and challenging at times, but it is also full of love and joy. So to quote the Eagles (i think) as I walked today down paths I had trod before I got a peaceful, easy feeling. I love being here again. Many things have changed that is for sure, but the one thing that hasnt changed is that I find God here in a way that I cherish and long for when I am not here.
So many people have asked us if we remember them from last summer-what they dont know is that we havent stopped thinking of them and praying for them. We have been awaiting for this trip since we hopped on a plane headed for the US last July. The team is doing well and are really making a difference here and I am certainly enjoying seeing others love what I love. Tomorrow we start VBS for about 285 kids and they are so excited and we are too. Its gonna be a great time.
Please pray for the team. Some are really struggling with the reality that is the slums. PIctures can only tell so much of a story. Some are struggling with findings God's goodness in the midst of the world's ugliness. Mathare is a place that can feel so conflicting-on one side you can clearly see God at work but on the other you can see evil at its worst and it is also moving all around you. It is challenging to be standing in darkness and light at the same time. We constantly need reminding that God did not intend our lives to look this way and this is what a life seperate from him looks like at its most raw. Gods ways are not our ways for sure, but what is awesome is that God allows us to come into this darkness and overwhelm it with light, His light and that is worth every heart break and every tear.
Thanks for the thoughts and prayers. Pardon the spelling errors the keyboard is weird!
Today as we walked we travelled down many paths we walked last summer and as I stepped over garbage and other unknown things I just felt overwhelmed with peace. God is here. Even in Bondeni which many consider to be the worst part of the Mathare Valley. He is here and he is moving and we get to be a part of that. It is for sure difficul and challenging at times, but it is also full of love and joy. So to quote the Eagles (i think) as I walked today down paths I had trod before I got a peaceful, easy feeling. I love being here again. Many things have changed that is for sure, but the one thing that hasnt changed is that I find God here in a way that I cherish and long for when I am not here.
So many people have asked us if we remember them from last summer-what they dont know is that we havent stopped thinking of them and praying for them. We have been awaiting for this trip since we hopped on a plane headed for the US last July. The team is doing well and are really making a difference here and I am certainly enjoying seeing others love what I love. Tomorrow we start VBS for about 285 kids and they are so excited and we are too. Its gonna be a great time.
Please pray for the team. Some are really struggling with the reality that is the slums. PIctures can only tell so much of a story. Some are struggling with findings God's goodness in the midst of the world's ugliness. Mathare is a place that can feel so conflicting-on one side you can clearly see God at work but on the other you can see evil at its worst and it is also moving all around you. It is challenging to be standing in darkness and light at the same time. We constantly need reminding that God did not intend our lives to look this way and this is what a life seperate from him looks like at its most raw. Gods ways are not our ways for sure, but what is awesome is that God allows us to come into this darkness and overwhelm it with light, His light and that is worth every heart break and every tear.
Thanks for the thoughts and prayers. Pardon the spelling errors the keyboard is weird!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Home Again
We have arrived safely in Kenya. We had our first day at the center and in the slums today. Although it has been almost a year since our time in Kenya when we got there today it felt like we never left. It feels like being home again! It is awesome to feel like you have two incredible places you can call home.
Last summer when we came here we really thought the internship was a formality and as soon as it was over we would come back, raise support, and head back to Kenya to work. God thought differently. He wanted us to bring people back with us and that we did. It is awesome to say we have 17 other people on this trip with us and we are very happy that 2 of them are Tim's parents. We have a great team that God has equipped with some special gifts, talents and abilities. We have people who are in high school all the way up to retired folks. We have some who are well travelled and some who have never left the country. One thing we all have in common is that we love God and we love people.
Today we walked through the slums for the second first time. I felt more comfortable and at ease this time but the intial reaction is still the same. It is just hard to see people living the way they are and knowing God did not intend for life to look like this. No matter how many pictures we share or stories we tell you just cant understand the impact of this place until you set foot into Mathare Valley and get all you senses involved.
Today some of us met a girl named Mary who was 19 and had crawled until she finally learned to walk at the age of 12. She could not speak but would communicate through sounds and hand signs. Her mother was the only one who could understand her. Her mother, Margaret, would pray nightly that she would not die before Mary did as she was the only one who could understand her. I sat next to Mary and she had the biggest smile and she kept looking at me with this huge grin. I was fortunate enough to get to hold her hand and to hug her and to tell her she was beautiful. I have missed this place. The people here are just amazing. This is a young woman who by all earthly standards has nothing-she is severely disabled and extremely poor, yet she was beaming. She has the love of a mother who could have easiy abandoned her like many other do, she has the love of the workers at the Center who are trying to find a way to get her into school to help her learn new ways to comminicate, she now has the love of strangers from America, and she is loved by the Creator.
I have missed seeing God like this. Somehow I don't look for him or see him in these ways when I am in America and it bothers me. I am in a place where people have nothing and yet they see God in everything. Their faith is so strong and God continually blesses the work of their hands. As I sit here and type this I am humbled by the fact that God has considered us worthy to come on this trip. That he allows us to travel to places far and near and spead his Great name is nothing short of incredible. I am glad to be a part of the kingdom God has given to us. Thanks for your prayers and please continue to pray for us.
Kwaheri (Good Bye)!
Last summer when we came here we really thought the internship was a formality and as soon as it was over we would come back, raise support, and head back to Kenya to work. God thought differently. He wanted us to bring people back with us and that we did. It is awesome to say we have 17 other people on this trip with us and we are very happy that 2 of them are Tim's parents. We have a great team that God has equipped with some special gifts, talents and abilities. We have people who are in high school all the way up to retired folks. We have some who are well travelled and some who have never left the country. One thing we all have in common is that we love God and we love people.
Today we walked through the slums for the second first time. I felt more comfortable and at ease this time but the intial reaction is still the same. It is just hard to see people living the way they are and knowing God did not intend for life to look like this. No matter how many pictures we share or stories we tell you just cant understand the impact of this place until you set foot into Mathare Valley and get all you senses involved.
Today some of us met a girl named Mary who was 19 and had crawled until she finally learned to walk at the age of 12. She could not speak but would communicate through sounds and hand signs. Her mother was the only one who could understand her. Her mother, Margaret, would pray nightly that she would not die before Mary did as she was the only one who could understand her. I sat next to Mary and she had the biggest smile and she kept looking at me with this huge grin. I was fortunate enough to get to hold her hand and to hug her and to tell her she was beautiful. I have missed this place. The people here are just amazing. This is a young woman who by all earthly standards has nothing-she is severely disabled and extremely poor, yet she was beaming. She has the love of a mother who could have easiy abandoned her like many other do, she has the love of the workers at the Center who are trying to find a way to get her into school to help her learn new ways to comminicate, she now has the love of strangers from America, and she is loved by the Creator.
I have missed seeing God like this. Somehow I don't look for him or see him in these ways when I am in America and it bothers me. I am in a place where people have nothing and yet they see God in everything. Their faith is so strong and God continually blesses the work of their hands. As I sit here and type this I am humbled by the fact that God has considered us worthy to come on this trip. That he allows us to travel to places far and near and spead his Great name is nothing short of incredible. I am glad to be a part of the kingdom God has given to us. Thanks for your prayers and please continue to pray for us.
Kwaheri (Good Bye)!
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