WOW! It has been a long time since I have updated this thing. Almost a month! My apologies to you:) There has been a lot going on here the past few weeks, so this may (will) be a long one.
First of all, before I get started with the rest of this post, here is a quick update on where we are with the house for John Onyango. For those of you who don’t already know, my church North Highlands Baptist raised funds through their VBS to help build a house for one of our orphans. John Onyango’s house is one of the first places that I visited during my first few weeks here. John lives in an area of town called Manyatta, basically it is a slum. You can drive a car to his house but the pathways are very narrow and the houses are all cramped together. Along the path there are heaps and heaps of garbage. On top of the garbage heaps you are likely to find a family pigs rummaging around eating, and I won’t even attempt to describe the smell. When you look a John’s house the first thing you notice is that it is very tiny; and then you notice that the roof is leaning to one side. The walls are made from mud and the rains have washed away much of the outer layer which exposes the frame of the house. It is amazing to me that this house is even standing. His guardian, Margaret Rakech, tries very hard to make the rent payment every month (yes, this pathetic house is a rental), but due to her having AIDS, her health is deteriorating and it becomes harder and harder to do manual labor. She was able to obtain land from her home village, which was an answer to a prayer. She had not been the village in 15 years; the odds were stacked against her. But through many meetings with the village chief and village elders, it was agreed that she could use a piece of land to build a house. Two weeks ago we drove out to the area where the new home will be built, and all I can say is that God is awesome! The piece of land they gave her is HUGE! And the best part is that it is very green and fertile; meaning that she will be able to have a small farm to grow maize, millet, and other foods. Hopefully and prayerfully, we will begin the construction process next week. Please pray with us in this, that we will be able to build the house before I leave in August, which basically means that we will have to build this month because in August we will be having VBS and then I will be leaving. I was hoping that the process would have started 2 weeks ago, but I trust God and I know that His timing is right.
Now here is where the title of my post begins: The Least of These
Many times when we go to the villages to make home visits, we will find the guardians and/or children to be very sick; most often they are suffering from malaria. Malaria is so common here, and one Anne told me that you cannot live in Kisumu and say that you do not have Malaria. A few weeks ago, we went to visit Joshua Okello. We had heard from other guardians at fellowship that his guardian was not doing so well and had been bed ridden for several weeks. Upon arriving to his home, we saw across the field a child lying on the grass in the HOT sun asleep, we thought it a bit strange, but we kept walking. When we reached the house, we were surprised to find Mama Joshua starting to prepare the jicoo (a charcoal cooker thingy) for cooking dinner. Even though she was up and able to walk around, it was clear that she was still very sick. Her body is very frail and she her movements were slow. She also has a problem with her left eye, there is thick white blot right around her iris, I am told she has cataracts. She was happy to see us and greeted warmly and tried to insist that she prepare tea for us; but we refused because it was clear that she was sick. After talking with her for a few minutes, she told us that she had been almost bed ridden for the last 2 months and now her oldest son is sick. We found out that the child we saw on the way was her son. Before leaving the house, we all stood up and laid hands on Mama Joshua and Peter prayed for her. Then we went to go see her son who was lying in the grass. When we got closer we could see his body shivering and let me remind it was a HOT day, and this boy was shivering cold. We bent down and laid hands on him and Peter prayed. Then we gently lifted him up, and walked him over to the house and laid him down on the seat. Since their symptoms were typical of that of malaria, we sent Joshua to buy malaria medication for them. Now, let’s fast forward one week. Mama Joshua and her son come to the office, all smiles and very healthy. She told us that 3 days after we came to visit her and pray for her and her son, they both began to feel much better and the boy was able to return to school. Now, I realize anyone could say that it is the medication that made them better, but I believe that it wasn’t just the medication. I believe that she and her son were healed by God. She had been sick for 2 months, unable to do much housework (including cooking) and unable to afford medication. God led us to this family through Life for Children Ministry, and he was guiding us on the day that we went to visit them. Peter had said that morning during our office devotions; that so many times when we see sick and hungry people we rarely do anything about it; but if we hear about someone who has died we would be the first ones to donate money to help buy a coffin, or help pay for removing their body from the morgue. I found myself thinking that what he said was so true. We could have easily just passed these people by and not think twice about it, and then as soon as we hear that maybe this lady had died, we would have quickly been the first ones to give money towards her funeral. We wouldn’t be able to get our pocket books out fast enough.
I ask myself why? Why are we so afraid and unwilling to help people in need?
Is it because we are selfish?
Could be.
Is it because we doubt that the person is really in need and they might be taking advantage of us?
Maybe.
Is it because we are too “busy” to stop and help?
Possibly.
Is it because we the same homeless wino and he always asks me for money, and even if I did give him money he would just go buy his next bottle of whisky?
Perhaps.
I think it is a combination of all the above and plus many more. I know I am guilty, and have used every one of those excuses. And the more think about it, I become more and more ashamed of myself; especially since I have been in Kenya for 5 months. I can’t even stand the thought of how many times a street boy has come up to me and asked me to give them “just 5 bob, please” and I didn’t. 5 bob (Kenya Shilling) is maybe about $0.06 with the exchange rate at 75Ksh per $1. I mean seriously, I couldn’t spare 6 cents! And my excuse you may ask? There are 7,000 street boys in Kisumu, if I give one kid 5 bob, then they will all come up to me and ask me for 5 bob. How pathetic is that? Honestly, I am ashamed. I am here to do mission work for goodness sakes, how could I have given in to such a lie from the enemy. How many times have we given in to these lies and excuses and missed a chance to serve those who are in need......to serve Christ?
“For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink….I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me….I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me” Matthew 25:42, 43, & 45.
In reading that verse and then writing it just then, one thing really spoke to me. Jesus said “whatever you did not do for the LEAST of these.” What did Christ mean by saying the “least of these?” Is he telling us to give to the wino who stands on the street every day begging for money to buy his next drink? I don’t know. But what I do think is that Christ is being all inclusive when he says the “least of these”, meaning that there are no excuses to be found. Yes, some of our excuses are very reasonable (in our minds anyway), but Christ has instructed us to give, even unto the least of these, the poorest of the poor and even those who we may think don’t deserve it (i.e. those in prison vs. 43). I am challenged by these verses, and it is my prayer that I would learn to give, not out of guilt, emotion or persuasion, but to be able to give and help others with a true and sincere heart, as if I am serving Christ himself in the flesh.
Please continue to pray for me and especially for Life for Children Ministry. Here are some specific things to pray for:
The health of the guardians
The health of the children
The VBS team from the U.S. that will be coming Aug. 6-17
The building process of John Onyango’s house
Pray for me as my time here comes to close, that every moment would be used for the Glory of God.
Bethany:)
Monday, July 20, 2009
Saturday, June 20, 2009
What Am I Doing?
When I started preparing my next blog (this one) I realized that I have never posted much about what exactly it is that I am doing, more specifically: what I do on a day to day basis. Well, the truth is, I can’t really give you a day to day routine of what I do, because here in Kenya (and the rest of the continent of Africa), time is not really a big deal. The culture is event and people oriented, not time oriented. You make plans for the day, but it is really more like a list of suggestions rather than a list of things to get done; and if some things do not get done then you just add them to the top of your to do list the next day. Sometimes I like it, and sometimes it just gets frustrating; but I’m learning to just go with the flow…..Hakuna Matata :)
Before I came to Kenya, when people would ask me what I would be doing, I really didn’t know to say. All I knew was that I would be working with an organization called Life for Children Ministry, and that they support 120 children who have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS. I had no idea what to expect, I was just ready to make myself available to do whatever needed to be done, even if it was just scrubbing toilets. Fortunately scrubbing toilets is not on the repertoire, although I have scrubbed a few since I have been here. I came with no expectations, just expecting God to use me and teach me.
To begin with, let me tell you a little bit about the ministry. Life for Children Ministry is a faith-based Ministry committed to providing food, shelter, clothing, education, healthcare, and spiritual nourishment to HIV/AIDS orphans and vulnerable children in Kenya. We are currently supporting 60 orphans in Kisumu and 60 orphans in the Homa Bay area. Every other Saturday, gatherings are held at each office, where the guardians and children come to fellowship with one another, study the Word of God and receive nutritional support, usually Maize. Monday through Friday, the office is open from 8am to 5pm. Every month we make visits to each child either in their home or in their school; we take notes at each visit and compile them into a General Report at the end of the month.
So, just to give you an idea of what exactly it is that I am doing; here is little glimpse into day to day life at Life for Children.
Monday: At first this day was reserved for staying in the office, working on field reports and catching up on work from the previous week. But now, in effort to make sure that all of our children our visited in their home or school at least once a month, we have added this day as a day to visit the field. One of the things I have been helping with is coming up with a plan that will allow us to visit each child every month. It gets a little tricky because this office is Kisumu is responsible for 60 children. That means, we have 20 days to visit 60 kids plus write reports and complete all the other office duties.
Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday: These are field days, and I look forward to them everyweek! We go out in either the Truck or the Van and make rounds visiting the guardians and children. Most of the time, we are not able to see the children in their homes during the week because they are in school; so we will sometimes go to the school just to check up on the child. I love it when we get to visit with the children. For example, today we went to visit Francis Ongoko in his school. First of all Francis is 6 years old and the cutest kid ever. He is VERY shy and rarely looks anyone in the eyes, but if you look him in the eyes and smile, he will always smile (sheepishly) back at you; and your heart will melt in the process. He came to the office today while we were having our morning devotions, when he walked into the office he gently shook mine and Prisca’s hand and then jumped in her lap and finished devotions with us. It is unusual for kids to come to the office during the week, especially ones that are as young as Francis. We learned that he had been chased away from school because his school fees had not been paid. The deputy head teacher sent him home, but Francis came to the office instead. This was a very dangerous thing considering that he had to cross a VERY BUSY road. Sweet Francis has had a difficult life, first both of his parents are deceased, and when Life for Children found him, the guardian he was living with was treating him very badly. They were able to find a family member who was willing to take him in, but recently we have found out that this guardian may possibly be mistreating Francis as well. When we spoke with the School, they told us that he often comes to school hungry and un-kept, meaning he hasn’t bathed or combed his hair. And he also is not coming to school with the proper materials such as notebooks and pencils. When we find out about such cases, they become a TOP priority in the office, and we are making every effort to resolve the issues.
Friday: On Fridays we usually stay in the office and compile our reports from the field. These are usually SLOW days, but it is a good way to end the week; especially if we have fellowship the next day.
Saturday: Every other Saturday, we hold a Fellowship Gathering at the office. The guardians and children come. It is ALWAYS a great time. We usually start off with the kids singing praise songs and we all join in singing with them. Then one of the staff will share a few words of encouragement from The Word, and then sometimes the guardians will stand up and share something from their heart. Like I said, it is always a great time of fellowship. I love getting to interact with the kids, they are so happy when they come to fellowship. Also, we distribute Maize during Fellowship to every family.
Sunday: My favorite days. I have been attending Fellowship Bible Church. This is where Jenny was going to church with Robert and Peter (co-workers) and so naturally I just went with her. The first thing they told me when I attended service there the first time, was that FBC is a small church with a BIG heart; and I have found that to be true. Everyone has been so friendly and welcoming that I feel at home when I am there. Also, I have been teaching the Sunday school class which meets during the preaching part of the worship service. At first I was little nervous about it, but the kids are so awesome, it didn’t take them long to warm up to me. A few weeks ago I went to visit Anne’s church, and the next day Peter said that kids wanted to know where I was had been. Sometimes after church, we will go the lake and eat fish. This is one of my favorite leisurely things to do here. Sitting by lake is so RELAXING and the fish is wonderful; and being able to enjoy it with friends is the best part.
Well, I hope that his gives you a good glimpse into my life here in Kenya. I LOVE this place, and I am so glad that the Lord has allowed me the opportunity. I love you all, and thank you for the continuous prayers and support. And I especially would like to thank ALL the kids at NHBC who helped raise over $1000 to help build a new house for one of our orphans.
Before I came to Kenya, when people would ask me what I would be doing, I really didn’t know to say. All I knew was that I would be working with an organization called Life for Children Ministry, and that they support 120 children who have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS. I had no idea what to expect, I was just ready to make myself available to do whatever needed to be done, even if it was just scrubbing toilets. Fortunately scrubbing toilets is not on the repertoire, although I have scrubbed a few since I have been here. I came with no expectations, just expecting God to use me and teach me.
To begin with, let me tell you a little bit about the ministry. Life for Children Ministry is a faith-based Ministry committed to providing food, shelter, clothing, education, healthcare, and spiritual nourishment to HIV/AIDS orphans and vulnerable children in Kenya. We are currently supporting 60 orphans in Kisumu and 60 orphans in the Homa Bay area. Every other Saturday, gatherings are held at each office, where the guardians and children come to fellowship with one another, study the Word of God and receive nutritional support, usually Maize. Monday through Friday, the office is open from 8am to 5pm. Every month we make visits to each child either in their home or in their school; we take notes at each visit and compile them into a General Report at the end of the month.
So, just to give you an idea of what exactly it is that I am doing; here is little glimpse into day to day life at Life for Children.
Monday: At first this day was reserved for staying in the office, working on field reports and catching up on work from the previous week. But now, in effort to make sure that all of our children our visited in their home or school at least once a month, we have added this day as a day to visit the field. One of the things I have been helping with is coming up with a plan that will allow us to visit each child every month. It gets a little tricky because this office is Kisumu is responsible for 60 children. That means, we have 20 days to visit 60 kids plus write reports and complete all the other office duties.
Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday: These are field days, and I look forward to them everyweek! We go out in either the Truck or the Van and make rounds visiting the guardians and children. Most of the time, we are not able to see the children in their homes during the week because they are in school; so we will sometimes go to the school just to check up on the child. I love it when we get to visit with the children. For example, today we went to visit Francis Ongoko in his school. First of all Francis is 6 years old and the cutest kid ever. He is VERY shy and rarely looks anyone in the eyes, but if you look him in the eyes and smile, he will always smile (sheepishly) back at you; and your heart will melt in the process. He came to the office today while we were having our morning devotions, when he walked into the office he gently shook mine and Prisca’s hand and then jumped in her lap and finished devotions with us. It is unusual for kids to come to the office during the week, especially ones that are as young as Francis. We learned that he had been chased away from school because his school fees had not been paid. The deputy head teacher sent him home, but Francis came to the office instead. This was a very dangerous thing considering that he had to cross a VERY BUSY road. Sweet Francis has had a difficult life, first both of his parents are deceased, and when Life for Children found him, the guardian he was living with was treating him very badly. They were able to find a family member who was willing to take him in, but recently we have found out that this guardian may possibly be mistreating Francis as well. When we spoke with the School, they told us that he often comes to school hungry and un-kept, meaning he hasn’t bathed or combed his hair. And he also is not coming to school with the proper materials such as notebooks and pencils. When we find out about such cases, they become a TOP priority in the office, and we are making every effort to resolve the issues.
Friday: On Fridays we usually stay in the office and compile our reports from the field. These are usually SLOW days, but it is a good way to end the week; especially if we have fellowship the next day.
Saturday: Every other Saturday, we hold a Fellowship Gathering at the office. The guardians and children come. It is ALWAYS a great time. We usually start off with the kids singing praise songs and we all join in singing with them. Then one of the staff will share a few words of encouragement from The Word, and then sometimes the guardians will stand up and share something from their heart. Like I said, it is always a great time of fellowship. I love getting to interact with the kids, they are so happy when they come to fellowship. Also, we distribute Maize during Fellowship to every family.
Sunday: My favorite days. I have been attending Fellowship Bible Church. This is where Jenny was going to church with Robert and Peter (co-workers) and so naturally I just went with her. The first thing they told me when I attended service there the first time, was that FBC is a small church with a BIG heart; and I have found that to be true. Everyone has been so friendly and welcoming that I feel at home when I am there. Also, I have been teaching the Sunday school class which meets during the preaching part of the worship service. At first I was little nervous about it, but the kids are so awesome, it didn’t take them long to warm up to me. A few weeks ago I went to visit Anne’s church, and the next day Peter said that kids wanted to know where I was had been. Sometimes after church, we will go the lake and eat fish. This is one of my favorite leisurely things to do here. Sitting by lake is so RELAXING and the fish is wonderful; and being able to enjoy it with friends is the best part.
Well, I hope that his gives you a good glimpse into my life here in Kenya. I LOVE this place, and I am so glad that the Lord has allowed me the opportunity. I love you all, and thank you for the continuous prayers and support. And I especially would like to thank ALL the kids at NHBC who helped raise over $1000 to help build a new house for one of our orphans.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Living Life Abundantly and Beautifully
I have wanted to write this post for quite some time now, but I wasn’t exactly sure how it would work. Part of my ministry here is has been focused on people and building meaningful and sincere relationships with them. Over the past 3 months, the Lord has blessed me with new friends, some of the most wonderful and kind hearted people in the world, and it is my prayer that these new friendships will last a lifetime. There is one person in particular who I have really enjoyed getting to know over the last few weeks; and she is probably going to kill me for this (since she reads this blog), but her story and her life are worth sharing with you, and I hope that you will be blessed by this feeble attempt to capture with words, one of the most beautiful people I have ever met, Anne.
For starters, Anne is the woman who has so graciously welcomed Jenny and me into her home. She has two AWESOME kids, Chris 9 and Cathis 7. Chris is your typical boy, he loves to take things apart to figure out how they work and the boy can EAT! And when he wants to, he can be the sweetest little gentlemen. Cathis is 100% girl, she is 7 going on 30 and girlfriend loves chocolate. She has the cutest smile EVER! Anne is a great mom to her kids and is truly training them in The Way. I don’t know what she expected when she agreed to have two Mzungu’s (white people) come and stay with her, but I hope that Jenny and I have impacted her at least half as much as she has impacted the two of us; and I hope she will forgive us for all the ways we have unintentionally “westernized” her children.
As I said before, Anne is one the most beautiful people I have ever met. Not only is she beautiful in her appearance, but the way she lives her life is, to me, the most captivating thing about her. She grew up in a very poor family. Just to give you an idea of how poor, she did not own a pair shoes until she was in her first year of high school. Anne is 38 and I am 26, if I have done the math correctly, then that means that I was probably romping around and wearing out my 10th pair of shoes before she even dreamed of owning a pair. Her father had several wives and Anne is the last born of many children. When her older brother started working, Anne’s future became little brighter. He saw her potential and sponsored her through High School and University. He was the one who put the first pair of shoes on her feet. Now after many years of hard work, Anne is a successful lawyer and even has her own practice here in town; and she just completed her Master’s Degree in December.
But that is just the beginning of what I love about her.
Even though she is now a successful career woman, she does not boast about it. She does not live in a fancy house, drive a luxurious car or wear designer clothes, all of which I am pretty sure she can afford. Instead, she uses her success to help others. Unlike many of us in the States, Anne does not use the wealth God has blessed her with to store up material possessions for herself here on earth. One of the most endearing things that I have learned about her is that she is now putting her two nieces through school; this is incredible to me because they are the daughters of her older brother who helped put her through school. He passed away several years ago, and Anne not forgetting the kindness that was shown to her, is now returning the favor to his daughters. What a beautiful picture!
When her other niece Millicent passed away, Anne was the rock of the family, leaning on the solid foundation of Christ. She was the one making sure that everything was properly taken care of. When she gives, she gives from her heart. She doesn’t worry about what she might have to do without; she just gives freely, without hesitation.
There are many people like Anne who have come from very humble beginnings and have “made it” in the world; but there are few like her who have not forgotten where they came from. It is easy for us to forget what we have left behind, especially if we have moved on to something better; but she has not chosen what it is easy. She chooses to glorify God with all that she has, and that means giving freely, just as Christ has given freely to her. Surely, this is what a life of abundance looks like when you are in Christ.
Blessings,
Bethany:)
For starters, Anne is the woman who has so graciously welcomed Jenny and me into her home. She has two AWESOME kids, Chris 9 and Cathis 7. Chris is your typical boy, he loves to take things apart to figure out how they work and the boy can EAT! And when he wants to, he can be the sweetest little gentlemen. Cathis is 100% girl, she is 7 going on 30 and girlfriend loves chocolate. She has the cutest smile EVER! Anne is a great mom to her kids and is truly training them in The Way. I don’t know what she expected when she agreed to have two Mzungu’s (white people) come and stay with her, but I hope that Jenny and I have impacted her at least half as much as she has impacted the two of us; and I hope she will forgive us for all the ways we have unintentionally “westernized” her children.
As I said before, Anne is one the most beautiful people I have ever met. Not only is she beautiful in her appearance, but the way she lives her life is, to me, the most captivating thing about her. She grew up in a very poor family. Just to give you an idea of how poor, she did not own a pair shoes until she was in her first year of high school. Anne is 38 and I am 26, if I have done the math correctly, then that means that I was probably romping around and wearing out my 10th pair of shoes before she even dreamed of owning a pair. Her father had several wives and Anne is the last born of many children. When her older brother started working, Anne’s future became little brighter. He saw her potential and sponsored her through High School and University. He was the one who put the first pair of shoes on her feet. Now after many years of hard work, Anne is a successful lawyer and even has her own practice here in town; and she just completed her Master’s Degree in December.
But that is just the beginning of what I love about her.
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth…For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.” Matthew 6:19 & 21
Even though she is now a successful career woman, she does not boast about it. She does not live in a fancy house, drive a luxurious car or wear designer clothes, all of which I am pretty sure she can afford. Instead, she uses her success to help others. Unlike many of us in the States, Anne does not use the wealth God has blessed her with to store up material possessions for herself here on earth. One of the most endearing things that I have learned about her is that she is now putting her two nieces through school; this is incredible to me because they are the daughters of her older brother who helped put her through school. He passed away several years ago, and Anne not forgetting the kindness that was shown to her, is now returning the favor to his daughters. What a beautiful picture!
When her other niece Millicent passed away, Anne was the rock of the family, leaning on the solid foundation of Christ. She was the one making sure that everything was properly taken care of. When she gives, she gives from her heart. She doesn’t worry about what she might have to do without; she just gives freely, without hesitation.
There are many people like Anne who have come from very humble beginnings and have “made it” in the world; but there are few like her who have not forgotten where they came from. It is easy for us to forget what we have left behind, especially if we have moved on to something better; but she has not chosen what it is easy. She chooses to glorify God with all that she has, and that means giving freely, just as Christ has given freely to her. Surely, this is what a life of abundance looks like when you are in Christ.
“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians2:1-11
“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” John 10:10
Blessings,
Bethany:)
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
I CAN"T THINK OF A TITLE FOR THIS ONE
I hate to start this post on a sad note, but as I sit here and think about what to say, my mind can’t help but to be consumed with thoughts for family of Tucker Beam (www.caringbridge.com/tuckerbeam/visit). Tucker is without a doubt the bravest little boy I have ever met. This kid has been battling cancer since he was just a little baby, and he gave every ounce of his strength determined to beat the disease. I refuse to write that Tucker lost his battle with cancer, because he has not lost; in fact he has won the battle. From the very beginning Tucker and his family have given their all to make sure that in EVERYTHING God is glorified in their lives. It doesn’t matter what the outcome is, either way the end result is that God gets the Glory. Even though we all wish that God would have healed Tucker this side of heaven, we can take comfort in knowing that God does what will bring him the most glory. We can rest in knowing that Tucker is resting in the arms of Jesus. I ask you to please pray for Tucker’s parents Courtney and Jason, his little sister Lily, his Grandma Deb and the rest of his family. I can’t imagine the pain and suffering they are going through right now, but I know for sure that this family has built their faith on the only true foundation, and that is Jesus Christ; and even when things seem to crumble and fall apart, Christ is holding them together.
Now on to catching you up with life here in Kisumu, this past week went by VERY fast and in my mind everything is lumped together in one big blur, but I will do my best to fill you in.
The office has been filled with excitement as we welcomed a visit from Michael Agwanda, the founder of Life for Children Ministry. Michael is from Kenya, but he is currently residing in the U.S.; Georgia to be exact. Prior to his visit here, he had been working with the Rotary Club in Atlanta to coordinate efforts with the Rotary Club here in Kisumu in purchasing a new vehicle for the ministry. After a lot of hard work, prayer and God orchestrated events, Life for Children ministry was presented with a 9 passenger van. This van will be helpful to the ministry in so many ways. For one, it will be used to help in assisting with transportation for the children and guardians coming to fellowship. It will drastically reduce the time it takes to travel by foot, in some cases it takes 3-4 hours for some of them to walk to the office for fellowships. Secondly, it will be a great help when teams from the U.S. come and hold VBS camps. On Thursday we held a presentation ceremony for the van at the office. It was very exciting as the members of the Rotary Club in Kisumu were present and also several board members of Life for Children. Many of the guardians came dressed in their finest and color coordinated clothes. To show their appreciation for the van, they sang and danced their little hearts out for the Rotary Club members. I was excited and happy to be a part of this great event.
Well everyone that is all for now. Sorry for the lack of words today. More to come later.
I LOVE ALL OF YOU!!
Bethany:)
Now on to catching you up with life here in Kisumu, this past week went by VERY fast and in my mind everything is lumped together in one big blur, but I will do my best to fill you in.
The office has been filled with excitement as we welcomed a visit from Michael Agwanda, the founder of Life for Children Ministry. Michael is from Kenya, but he is currently residing in the U.S.; Georgia to be exact. Prior to his visit here, he had been working with the Rotary Club in Atlanta to coordinate efforts with the Rotary Club here in Kisumu in purchasing a new vehicle for the ministry. After a lot of hard work, prayer and God orchestrated events, Life for Children ministry was presented with a 9 passenger van. This van will be helpful to the ministry in so many ways. For one, it will be used to help in assisting with transportation for the children and guardians coming to fellowship. It will drastically reduce the time it takes to travel by foot, in some cases it takes 3-4 hours for some of them to walk to the office for fellowships. Secondly, it will be a great help when teams from the U.S. come and hold VBS camps. On Thursday we held a presentation ceremony for the van at the office. It was very exciting as the members of the Rotary Club in Kisumu were present and also several board members of Life for Children. Many of the guardians came dressed in their finest and color coordinated clothes. To show their appreciation for the van, they sang and danced their little hearts out for the Rotary Club members. I was excited and happy to be a part of this great event.
Well everyone that is all for now. Sorry for the lack of words today. More to come later.
I LOVE ALL OF YOU!!
Bethany:)
Saturday, May 23, 2009
God Crashed My Party
Over the past 3 weeks I have been thinking a lot lately about the past 2 ½ months I have spent here. I am overwhelmed at how much God has taught me and how far He has brought me. I am not the same person who left the Birmingham Airport on February 25th. It is hard for me to imagine that just 8 weeks ago I was seriously battling homesickness and the urge to go home. Now, after being here and getting settled into somewhat of a routine, I am looking forward to the next 3 months; this place has become like a home to me. Used to, when I looked at the calendar, the month of May seemed VERY far away, but now as we are already half way through May and I look at the calendar the time that I have left here seems VERY short. As the half way mark of my internship here passes, my heart is saddened because in a lot of ways, this place has become a part of me. I am dreading the day when I have to leave. At the same time, I do not want waste my last 12 weeks here thinking about how sad it will be to leave, instead I am going to make the most of the time I have remaining here.
I wrote that part of this blog on Sunday. Today is Thursday, and you cannot imagine the week I have had. The enemy has been out in full force and of course he is doing what he does best, trying to make me want to go home. Monday I got an email from my cell phone company in the U.S. stating that there has been an excessive amount of international data on phone. This was surprise to me because I have only used my U.S. phone only 3 times since I have been here, and that was back in March. So, I immediately make call to Cingular, and guess what? Someone has been using my phone. I went home and searched for my phone and it is nowhere to be found. I have no idea when it was stole. But that is not the worst part; Cingular also informed that there will be over $2000 worth of charges on my phone because of this. I quickly told them that my phone was stolen and that it was not me who was making the calls. The lady told me that when the bill comes, I can fill out some papers to dispute the charges. And the department that deals with these disputes will look at my phone call history over past few months to see if I had previously been making international calls. To my advantage, I only used the phone 3 times in March and 0 times in April. Please, Please, Please PRAY for me that this issue will be solved and that the company will waive these charges.
Tuesday, I come home from work, ready to just relax after a somewhat stressful day. I walk up to my front door and see that water is coming out from under the door. I think, “Oh, maybe Akoth came in and mopped the floor for me.” To my surprise, I walk in and there is water streaming down off of the light bulb and other various places in the ceiling. Needless to say, I am somewhat shocked because it has not rained the past 2 days. Well apparantly, the water tank to my house is in the attic (bright idea huh?). So, Chris and Cathis helped me drag all my things into Anne’s house, and now I am taking up temporary resident in Jenny’s old bedroom.
So, here I am, having a huge pity part for myself. I could possibly be facing a huge cell phone bill when I get home, and not to mention I won’t have a job when I get back; and I can take a shower in my sitting room. I know the enemy is trying to make me as miserable as possible because after all, I have come to love this place right? Satan does a pretty good job making you second yourself. Well, today God crashed my pity party.
If you remember, a few weeks ago I posted a blog about a little boy named Clinton Odhiambo, who is an orphan that is supported by Life for Children. Today we made a follow up visit to his home. This time we found his guardian even sicker than before. After being in the Hospital for several weeks, he was sent home….to die. His AIDS has progressed to a point that he is no longer responding to medication. He was lying in the bed, skin and bones, hardly able to move or even talk. I have never seen someone so helpless in all my life. The very moment I walked into that house, God crashed my pity party. I managed to hold back the tears that my heart so badly wanted me to cry and it was all I could not run out of that house as fast as I could. Here I am complaining about all these VERY material and superficial problems; and this man is on his death bed and little 7 year old Clinton will yet again face the death of a loved one and care taker. God stopped me dead in my tracks, and suddenly all my “problems” suddenly seemed irrelevant. I was ashamed of myself. Embarrassed. I wanted to run for the hills and hide.
That morning in our daily devotions at the office, we began reading James. In chapter 1, the very first thing that James tells us is to “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance” then at the very end of Chapter one he tell us “to look after orphans and widows in their distress.” At the time I was reading this chapter, I did not know what the Lord would have in store for me that day. But He is obviously trying to teach me something. Now, I will be honest and say that I did not find “Pure Joy” in the $2000+ cell phone bill or in the leaky ceiling and I certainly did not find “Pure Joy” sitting in that mud house watching a sick man on his death bed. I believe what God is teaching me, is that, yes we all have our own problems and trials, and He deeply cares for us and whatever it is that we may going through; but at the same time we are facing trials, God does not want us to be selfish and self-centered. He first wants us to take Joy in the various trials we have, because it will produce in us a perseverance of faith. Just because we may encounter a problem does not mean that God has left us. As Max Lucado says in his book God Came Near, “Change always brings fear before it brings faith. We always assume the worst before we look for the best. God interrupts our lives with something we’ve never seen, and rather than praise, we panic! We interpret the presence of a problem as the absence of God and scoot.”
So,then after trusting God with the trials we are facing, we are to look past our own needs and reach out a hand to others who are in worse situations than our own; i.e. orphans and widows,those suffering from HIV/AIDs, children facing their 3rd battle with cancer, people whose lives have been interrupted with the sudden news that they have lung cancer, families facing the unexpected death of loved ones, and the list can go on and on.
The point is that WE ARE ALL facing trials of various degrees, and the one common thread that connects us all together is God's Love. God cares for us. No matter how trivial or severe the issue is, God cares for us; and it is our job to receive His love and compassion, and then to share with others that same Love and Compassion.
“Come, let us return to the Lord.
He has torn us into pieces
But he will heal us;
He has injured us
But he will bind up our wounds.
After two days he will revive; on the third day he will restore us;
That we may live in his presence.
Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises, he will appear;
He will come to us like winter rains, like the Spring rains that water the earth.” Hosea 6:1-3
I wrote that part of this blog on Sunday. Today is Thursday, and you cannot imagine the week I have had. The enemy has been out in full force and of course he is doing what he does best, trying to make me want to go home. Monday I got an email from my cell phone company in the U.S. stating that there has been an excessive amount of international data on phone. This was surprise to me because I have only used my U.S. phone only 3 times since I have been here, and that was back in March. So, I immediately make call to Cingular, and guess what? Someone has been using my phone. I went home and searched for my phone and it is nowhere to be found. I have no idea when it was stole. But that is not the worst part; Cingular also informed that there will be over $2000 worth of charges on my phone because of this. I quickly told them that my phone was stolen and that it was not me who was making the calls. The lady told me that when the bill comes, I can fill out some papers to dispute the charges. And the department that deals with these disputes will look at my phone call history over past few months to see if I had previously been making international calls. To my advantage, I only used the phone 3 times in March and 0 times in April. Please, Please, Please PRAY for me that this issue will be solved and that the company will waive these charges.
Tuesday, I come home from work, ready to just relax after a somewhat stressful day. I walk up to my front door and see that water is coming out from under the door. I think, “Oh, maybe Akoth came in and mopped the floor for me.” To my surprise, I walk in and there is water streaming down off of the light bulb and other various places in the ceiling. Needless to say, I am somewhat shocked because it has not rained the past 2 days. Well apparantly, the water tank to my house is in the attic (bright idea huh?). So, Chris and Cathis helped me drag all my things into Anne’s house, and now I am taking up temporary resident in Jenny’s old bedroom.
So, here I am, having a huge pity part for myself. I could possibly be facing a huge cell phone bill when I get home, and not to mention I won’t have a job when I get back; and I can take a shower in my sitting room. I know the enemy is trying to make me as miserable as possible because after all, I have come to love this place right? Satan does a pretty good job making you second yourself. Well, today God crashed my pity party.
If you remember, a few weeks ago I posted a blog about a little boy named Clinton Odhiambo, who is an orphan that is supported by Life for Children. Today we made a follow up visit to his home. This time we found his guardian even sicker than before. After being in the Hospital for several weeks, he was sent home….to die. His AIDS has progressed to a point that he is no longer responding to medication. He was lying in the bed, skin and bones, hardly able to move or even talk. I have never seen someone so helpless in all my life. The very moment I walked into that house, God crashed my pity party. I managed to hold back the tears that my heart so badly wanted me to cry and it was all I could not run out of that house as fast as I could. Here I am complaining about all these VERY material and superficial problems; and this man is on his death bed and little 7 year old Clinton will yet again face the death of a loved one and care taker. God stopped me dead in my tracks, and suddenly all my “problems” suddenly seemed irrelevant. I was ashamed of myself. Embarrassed. I wanted to run for the hills and hide.
That morning in our daily devotions at the office, we began reading James. In chapter 1, the very first thing that James tells us is to “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance” then at the very end of Chapter one he tell us “to look after orphans and widows in their distress.” At the time I was reading this chapter, I did not know what the Lord would have in store for me that day. But He is obviously trying to teach me something. Now, I will be honest and say that I did not find “Pure Joy” in the $2000+ cell phone bill or in the leaky ceiling and I certainly did not find “Pure Joy” sitting in that mud house watching a sick man on his death bed. I believe what God is teaching me, is that, yes we all have our own problems and trials, and He deeply cares for us and whatever it is that we may going through; but at the same time we are facing trials, God does not want us to be selfish and self-centered. He first wants us to take Joy in the various trials we have, because it will produce in us a perseverance of faith. Just because we may encounter a problem does not mean that God has left us. As Max Lucado says in his book God Came Near, “Change always brings fear before it brings faith. We always assume the worst before we look for the best. God interrupts our lives with something we’ve never seen, and rather than praise, we panic! We interpret the presence of a problem as the absence of God and scoot.”
So,then after trusting God with the trials we are facing, we are to look past our own needs and reach out a hand to others who are in worse situations than our own; i.e. orphans and widows,those suffering from HIV/AIDs, children facing their 3rd battle with cancer, people whose lives have been interrupted with the sudden news that they have lung cancer, families facing the unexpected death of loved ones, and the list can go on and on.
The point is that WE ARE ALL facing trials of various degrees, and the one common thread that connects us all together is God's Love. God cares for us. No matter how trivial or severe the issue is, God cares for us; and it is our job to receive His love and compassion, and then to share with others that same Love and Compassion.
“Come, let us return to the Lord.
He has torn us into pieces
But he will heal us;
He has injured us
But he will bind up our wounds.
After two days he will revive; on the third day he will restore us;
That we may live in his presence.
Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises, he will appear;
He will come to us like winter rains, like the Spring rains that water the earth.” Hosea 6:1-3
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Thing I LOVE about Kenya: A Not So Serious Post
Coca-Cola has a monopoly here….A few years ago Pepsi tried to enter the market and the people here love Coca-Cola so much they refused Pepsi, so the Pepsi folks quit trying.
Everywhere you go there are Cows, they are an essential part of the city scene.
You can be ironing with a charcoal heated iron and your cell phone rings.
Don’t have an Alarm clock? No problem, the neighborhood rooster crows at 5am sharp EVERY morning! And if you are lucky, he has made his home right next to your bedroom window.
Crazy Tuk Tuk drivers. Tuk Tuks are a form of local transportation, they basically do the job of what we would call a taxi. They are three wheeled vehicles that are a mix between a bumber car, golf cart and the tea cup ride at Disney world.
John Deere Tractors. Am I really in Kenya?
Craving some good ole American Television? No worries, Just tune in to NTV every Saturday at 8:05pm to catch the WWF. Again, am I really in Kenya?
Catalina and Sebastian, a Latino Soap Opera that the locals love to watch. I have to admit, I like it too.
Security Guards wear baseball helmets.
If the temperature falls below 70 degrees, the locals break out their fleece sweaters, winter coats and toboggans.
When someone says to you “I am coming” and then they walk away, it really means “I will be right back.”
Please forgive me for this one: The word for “Poot” is “Pollute”
Everyday someone asks me “How is Obama?” as if I know him personally.
Toilet Paper in assorted colors: blue, green, pink and of course the classic white. Me, I prefer pink!
One day Chris was telling me that he cut his finger with a knife by mistake. I said “oh I am sorry” and he replied “you’re welcome!” (this represents all the things that are “lost in translation”)
Fries and Sausages are referred to as “Asian Food.”
Bethany:)
Everywhere you go there are Cows, they are an essential part of the city scene.
You can be ironing with a charcoal heated iron and your cell phone rings.
Don’t have an Alarm clock? No problem, the neighborhood rooster crows at 5am sharp EVERY morning! And if you are lucky, he has made his home right next to your bedroom window.
Crazy Tuk Tuk drivers. Tuk Tuks are a form of local transportation, they basically do the job of what we would call a taxi. They are three wheeled vehicles that are a mix between a bumber car, golf cart and the tea cup ride at Disney world.
John Deere Tractors. Am I really in Kenya?
Craving some good ole American Television? No worries, Just tune in to NTV every Saturday at 8:05pm to catch the WWF. Again, am I really in Kenya?
Catalina and Sebastian, a Latino Soap Opera that the locals love to watch. I have to admit, I like it too.
Security Guards wear baseball helmets.
If the temperature falls below 70 degrees, the locals break out their fleece sweaters, winter coats and toboggans.
When someone says to you “I am coming” and then they walk away, it really means “I will be right back.”
Please forgive me for this one: The word for “Poot” is “Pollute”
Everyday someone asks me “How is Obama?” as if I know him personally.
Toilet Paper in assorted colors: blue, green, pink and of course the classic white. Me, I prefer pink!
One day Chris was telling me that he cut his finger with a knife by mistake. I said “oh I am sorry” and he replied “you’re welcome!” (this represents all the things that are “lost in translation”)
Fries and Sausages are referred to as “Asian Food.”
Bethany:)
Monday, May 4, 2009
Where is God in the midst of Death and Destruction?
In the short 2 months that I have been here, there is one resonating theme of the reality of life that stands out…..death. Sure, everywhere in the world, death is part of life. But how many of us in the U.S. are faced with the reality of death on a weekly or daily basis? Here in Kenya, death is an “in face your face” reality. Every Thursday and Friday, weeping and wailing in the streets can be heard for miles as families make the procession down the main road after receiving their loved ones bodies from the mortuary. I remember my first Thursday here when I heard the noises coming from the street, I asked what is was and someone coolly replied “oh, that is a funeral procession.”
I have already been to 3 funerals in the time that I have been here, and the saddest was this past weekend when I attended the burial of an 11 year old girl. Her name is Millicent and she is the niece of Anne (the lady I am living with). Millicent was HIV positive and it is suspected that she has been positive since birth. For the past few years she suffered from a skin disease and in December she had come to stay with Anne for a short while because the rash had become severely inflamed. During the time that she was with Anne, her rash improved and soon she was able to return home, healthy. Early last month she and her mother came to visit Anne and they stayed the night. This was the first and last time I would meet Millicent, sadly I didn’t get a real chance to talk to her, mainly because of the language barrier. I didn’t really even notice anything to be different about her and she seemed to be pretty healthy. About 2 weeks ago she contracted Malaria, and due to her vulnerable immune system because of HIV she succumbed to the Malaria. I have been to plenty of funerals in my life, but never before had I attended a funeral for a child. There is something inside you that screams “THIS IS NOT RIGHT!” when you see a casket made for child. We are left asking God “why?” And what can we possible say to a mother who is hardly able stand up and walk because her grief is too much to bear, especially when her child died of a treatable disease such as Malaria. As much I as I wanted to say something to comfort her, I knew there was nothing I could offer, but to just be there with her. Please pray for this mother, she is married to a man who has 2 other wives (a common rural practice in Kenya). She has not lived with him for the past 10 years, and now that her child is gone, she had to go back to him so that she could have a place to bury her daughter.
I know that God is working here, but sometimes the death that surrounds this place can be overwhelming and it is hard to see where God is breathing Life. A few weeks, before Jenny left, she posted a blog about this very thing. She was faced with the same question, “Lord, I know you are here, but where are you?” Everywhere we turn there are signs of death and destruction. Garbage filled streets, thousands of homeless street children rummaging through the garbage to find their next meal, dried out Maize fields due to drought, funeral processions filling the streets every week, crumbling houses and schools, News casts on how the terrorist group called Mungiki has killed 28 people. Where is God in the midst of all of this?
He is telling me, “I am here, just open your eyes.” I would try and write about how God is opening my eyes to where He is working here, but Jenny has already done that. You can call me a lazy blogger, but I promise she has done it much better justice that I could ever do, so here is an excerpt from her blog about Finding God in a place full of Death and Destruction:
“I knew He was here, and I knew he was doing something, but I was still overwhelmed with the fatalism Kenya seemed to be caught in. But slowly I started to see glimpses here and there, and I have started to have eyes that really see. God really has been here all along. He was in the smile of the old woman who was missing her teeth; He was in the enthusiastic greetings and thumbs up of the kids; He was in every heartache planting a seed of restoration; He was in the little moments of laughter the suffering people enjoyed; He was in my embraces with the sick; He was comforting me every time Cathis ran up with arms wide open for a hug; He was in the grass and trees pushing through the garbage; He was in the little baby who realized mzungu’s weren’t dangerous; He was in the hope he restores in people through organizations like LCW; He was in the prayer of the street boy George during Sunday school; He is in Chris’ crazy prayers over our food every night; He is in the friendships He orchestrated with everyone in the office; He was in the starving woman scavenging for vegetables yet still welcoming us in her home with prayer and thanksgiving; He was the only foundation holding up the crumbling house; He really was EVERYWHERE!
And I started to have new eyes. Where I had looked with my eyes and could only see hopelessness, dejection, and death, God was seeing something entirely different. It is exactly at this moment of fatalism and desperation that God sees His greatest opportunity for intersection. He sees the seeds He rooted from the beginning of time, being watered and nurtured to fruition. He sees the glorious harvest to come. He sees his Kenyan children gathered around him, and he knows why his son was given as a ransom for all.
I think when God looks down and sees suffering, when he looks down and sees the epitome of his creation- the ones he made in his image- hurting themselves and hurting each other, he weeps. He sees the wounds, and it hurts him more deeply than we could ever imagine. But instead of only seeing destruction, He sees redemption. Where we throw up our hands in disgust and helplessness, he loves more deeply and gets his hands dirtier, holding the brokenness in his outstretched arms. Instead of seeing all the pieces, He sees the redeemed whole.”
You see? I told you she has done a much better job than I could EVER do. God is opening my eyes to see Him in a way that I have seen Him before. He is teaching me to see through His eyes. Where I look and only see death and destruction, God sees life and restoration. He sees a broken life made new. He sees an oppurtunity to show is His love through His people. We are the body of Christ; when we extend a helping hand to those in need it is Christ being displayed in us. He is our hands that wipe away the tears of those grieving, He is our arms that extend to hug a child, He is our feet that walk across the garbage and muck to reach a family in need, He is our voice when we comfort those who need comforting.
Please pray that my eyes would continually be opened to where God is working here and in ways that I can be His hands and feet. Pray that I would not be overwhelmed with what I see, but that I would see what God sees.
"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen. For what we see is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18
I have already been to 3 funerals in the time that I have been here, and the saddest was this past weekend when I attended the burial of an 11 year old girl. Her name is Millicent and she is the niece of Anne (the lady I am living with). Millicent was HIV positive and it is suspected that she has been positive since birth. For the past few years she suffered from a skin disease and in December she had come to stay with Anne for a short while because the rash had become severely inflamed. During the time that she was with Anne, her rash improved and soon she was able to return home, healthy. Early last month she and her mother came to visit Anne and they stayed the night. This was the first and last time I would meet Millicent, sadly I didn’t get a real chance to talk to her, mainly because of the language barrier. I didn’t really even notice anything to be different about her and she seemed to be pretty healthy. About 2 weeks ago she contracted Malaria, and due to her vulnerable immune system because of HIV she succumbed to the Malaria. I have been to plenty of funerals in my life, but never before had I attended a funeral for a child. There is something inside you that screams “THIS IS NOT RIGHT!” when you see a casket made for child. We are left asking God “why?” And what can we possible say to a mother who is hardly able stand up and walk because her grief is too much to bear, especially when her child died of a treatable disease such as Malaria. As much I as I wanted to say something to comfort her, I knew there was nothing I could offer, but to just be there with her. Please pray for this mother, she is married to a man who has 2 other wives (a common rural practice in Kenya). She has not lived with him for the past 10 years, and now that her child is gone, she had to go back to him so that she could have a place to bury her daughter.
I know that God is working here, but sometimes the death that surrounds this place can be overwhelming and it is hard to see where God is breathing Life. A few weeks, before Jenny left, she posted a blog about this very thing. She was faced with the same question, “Lord, I know you are here, but where are you?” Everywhere we turn there are signs of death and destruction. Garbage filled streets, thousands of homeless street children rummaging through the garbage to find their next meal, dried out Maize fields due to drought, funeral processions filling the streets every week, crumbling houses and schools, News casts on how the terrorist group called Mungiki has killed 28 people. Where is God in the midst of all of this?
He is telling me, “I am here, just open your eyes.” I would try and write about how God is opening my eyes to where He is working here, but Jenny has already done that. You can call me a lazy blogger, but I promise she has done it much better justice that I could ever do, so here is an excerpt from her blog about Finding God in a place full of Death and Destruction:
“I knew He was here, and I knew he was doing something, but I was still overwhelmed with the fatalism Kenya seemed to be caught in. But slowly I started to see glimpses here and there, and I have started to have eyes that really see. God really has been here all along. He was in the smile of the old woman who was missing her teeth; He was in the enthusiastic greetings and thumbs up of the kids; He was in every heartache planting a seed of restoration; He was in the little moments of laughter the suffering people enjoyed; He was in my embraces with the sick; He was comforting me every time Cathis ran up with arms wide open for a hug; He was in the grass and trees pushing through the garbage; He was in the little baby who realized mzungu’s weren’t dangerous; He was in the hope he restores in people through organizations like LCW; He was in the prayer of the street boy George during Sunday school; He is in Chris’ crazy prayers over our food every night; He is in the friendships He orchestrated with everyone in the office; He was in the starving woman scavenging for vegetables yet still welcoming us in her home with prayer and thanksgiving; He was the only foundation holding up the crumbling house; He really was EVERYWHERE!
And I started to have new eyes. Where I had looked with my eyes and could only see hopelessness, dejection, and death, God was seeing something entirely different. It is exactly at this moment of fatalism and desperation that God sees His greatest opportunity for intersection. He sees the seeds He rooted from the beginning of time, being watered and nurtured to fruition. He sees the glorious harvest to come. He sees his Kenyan children gathered around him, and he knows why his son was given as a ransom for all.
I think when God looks down and sees suffering, when he looks down and sees the epitome of his creation- the ones he made in his image- hurting themselves and hurting each other, he weeps. He sees the wounds, and it hurts him more deeply than we could ever imagine. But instead of only seeing destruction, He sees redemption. Where we throw up our hands in disgust and helplessness, he loves more deeply and gets his hands dirtier, holding the brokenness in his outstretched arms. Instead of seeing all the pieces, He sees the redeemed whole.”
You see? I told you she has done a much better job than I could EVER do. God is opening my eyes to see Him in a way that I have seen Him before. He is teaching me to see through His eyes. Where I look and only see death and destruction, God sees life and restoration. He sees a broken life made new. He sees an oppurtunity to show is His love through His people. We are the body of Christ; when we extend a helping hand to those in need it is Christ being displayed in us. He is our hands that wipe away the tears of those grieving, He is our arms that extend to hug a child, He is our feet that walk across the garbage and muck to reach a family in need, He is our voice when we comfort those who need comforting.
Please pray that my eyes would continually be opened to where God is working here and in ways that I can be His hands and feet. Pray that I would not be overwhelmed with what I see, but that I would see what God sees.
"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen. For what we see is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18
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