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Matthew 28:19 "Go and make disciples
of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have
commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the
age."
| Mission The evangelistic series was held in the high country. Aside from the pineapple, banana, and other exotic fruit trees/plants—it reminded me of We saw many miracles while we were there. One of my favorite miracles happened during a fierce storm. When torrents of rain began pouring down during a critical point, Steve, our site evangelist, stopped and prayed that the Lord would hold back the rain. Within minutes, not only had the rain stopped but the sun came out to shine on the participants. This remote site (Kenyena) was the most poverty stricken and "dark" villages we went into. Here polygamy, alcoholism, and spirit worship prevail. The market vendors had few items for sale, displayed on tables smaller than card tables here at home. Cattle, sheep and goats roam the filthy streets freely, stealing what they can from vendor tables. While overladen "matatus" or taxis belch out their black diesel exhaust and pollute the air as they transport people and products to and from the market. Most of the vendors are women. Their faces expressed their need for Jesus. Steve and Connie and I would travel an hour and a half on good days to get past pitted roads with steep cliffs and sink holes lining them. Steve and Connie endured the enemy's attacks daily. The car we rode in had an average of a flat tire every day, but day after day the driver endured the roads and mechanical failures to travel back and forth to Kisii. On one occasion, people gathered round to watch the flat being changed, and Connie and I were impressed with the local women who would balance loads their heads. Encouraged by the local women, I was compelled to give it a try. The photographer was quick—giving the appearance that I was successful. Appearances can be deceiving. This gentleman found the entire process highly amusing. Nyabigege was my primary site, where I served with Brother Kristian. It was such a blessing to sing songs with the kids and adults, tell nature stories and Bible stories, and play with them. My interpret, Judith, and I developed a special bond immediately. I loved spending time with her and we sat together throughout the meetings. She taught me so much about a Christian walk through her obvious love for Jesus. On Sabbaths we were privileged to join our friends for a fellowship meal put on by our lovely hosts. Kristain and I became fast friends with Simon, Duncan, Enosh, and Josiah. This village was much cleaner than Kenyenya, and the people seemed much more content and willing to accept the message that we presented. We enjoyed going into their homes and spending time together. After three weeks of meetings, we estimate at least 2000 people were baptized at the five sites, with more taking baptismal classes. We are thankful for each person, and are anxious to reunite with them in heaven. While there, I enjoyed mingling with the local residents and became familiar with their day-to-day lives. I freely walked to and from down-town, and often spent time at the internet café communicating with loved ones who were supporting us with prayer back home. One day I tried to escape the humidity by having my hair braided in the fashion of the locals. I kept it in 4-5 days before spending an hour unbraiding it. Needless to say, that was the only time I braided it in that style, even though my hair was constantly stuck to my head. The local children loved playing with it, especially removing the tiny rubberbands that held each strand tightly in place. The watering hole was located below our hotel, and from our perch on the sixth floor, Peggy and I could watch the activity below where local people gathered to fill water jugs or do their laundry. One individual that will remain dear to my heart is Hellen. When I first met her, she was carrying water about 1/2 mile several times a day for her cow. Asking if I could take pictures, she shyly indicated that she would be pleased if I did so. We became fast friends, and I could count on her to accompany me the two miles it took for shopping. She was especially fond of the orange sodas that I bought for her to cool off from the heat. Hellen was a business woman who supported her family with her vegetable stand. She brought our group avocados daily, and began riding with us to the Nyabigege campaign. Despite a bout with malaria, she continued attending and on our final Sabbath there was among those who took their pledge and were baptized . Another special person is Kristine. When I first saw her, sunburned skin and swollen eyes alerted me to her plight as an albino in Kenya's hot climate. Thankfully, Curt & I were blessed to provide her with sunscreen, hat, glasses (the poor girl is extremely myopic—a plight we could both relate to), and shoes. After just ten days, her skin was healing from the painful sunburns and she could read with her new glasses, and play outdoors with her new sunglasses. She’s one of those I wish I could have tucked into my suitcase and brought home with me. Her family is destitute in material wealth, and was so thankful that there was hope for their precious girl. I don't think they even knew sunscreen existed, and although glasses are very affordable by western standards, the family could not come up with the money to provide this kind of care. Again, providing aid to help her overcome her hardship was our blessing. |
Local Region and Safari Kisii is
located in the central western part of While
there, we toured the Adventist hospital, the ADRA
vocational training and rehabilitation school, and the Adventist
printing press close to Lake Victoria. On the lake were
fishermen. Pineapple,
tea, and banana plantations
abound. People also grow avocados the
size of
small Nerf footballs, but they have the texture and flavor of our
smaller Haas
variety. I relished eating freshly picked Mango, papaya
with
L'emon (limes), and passion
fruit. Vegetables are a little
more
traditional and always served with white rice and shredded/boiled
kale. If
they have fresh salad, it is made with cabbage and sliced
carrots. Our
leader,
Don, went
into As an aside, the accident caused me to not be able to turn my head to the right without experiencing sharp and troubling pain. After prayer, the Lord restored my neck immediately, and it hasn't given me trouble since. Lake Nakuru was a picturesque site! The landscape there was arid—reminding me of the desert in southwestern Lake Nakuru is famous for its pelicans and greater and lesser flamingos. We identified a large variety of birds there. We also saw white rhino and cape buffalo at that park, as well as an African tortoise lumbering through the grass. We were enthralled at the trees and landscape. During the last light of the day, we were blessed to see the tiniest of antelope, the dik dik. The next morning dawned bright and beautiful, and we traveled the loop around the lake, spotting more trees and wildlife to photograph, and stopping at a high point to look over the scenery. We traveled back across the rift valley heading south through the arid desert to the Masai Mara park. We arrived at the Keekorok lodge the day before gnu (wildebeests) and zebra began showing up from We were blessed to see a cheetah feeding her cubs from the kill of a Thompson's gazelle, and another group of males sunning themselves on a termite hill. We saw 29 lions at different times, and four mating pair...or was it five? Jackson, our park guide and long-time friend of Don, spotted a black rhino, and directed us through the tall savannah grass close enough to get some video although we were not allowed to go off roads or get out of the vehicle at any time. We experienced elephants so close you could practically touch them, one parade featured several babies, one of which Jackson commented was probably born within the past 24 hours due to its tiny ears being glued to its head. At the hippo ponds close to the Tanzanian border, we were awed by a nesting crocodile six meters or more long, and listened to the gurgling sound of the hippos. Early one morning we spotted hyena, and nearly passed a sleeping jackal, which is smaller than our foxes. The lodge grounds were a favorite spot of black faced vervets and baboons, and "pork chop" the domestic warthog greeted us warmly...too warmly if one had the smell of food in a backpack. It was our goal to see as much wildlife as the Lord would bless us with. We were also impressed with the sunrises, sunsets, rainbows, and constantly changing lighting which made the panoramic landscape come alive. At both parks, there was a large variety of birds, my favorite being this striking 4-foot yellow-billed stork, and my least favorite being the buzzards and vultures, simply because of the stench associated with their food supply. Once back in Nairobi, the conflict earlier in the month (July 3 riots) was not evident. Traffic was thick and vendors would rush out among stopped cars at traffic signals to sell their goods. We enjoyed the hospitality of the Guesthouse of the East African Union a second time (we stayed there upon our arrival earlier in July). On Sabbath, after church services at the Union chapel, we visited a giraffe conservatory. It was fun to feed them by mouth! The giraffe licked under my chin to signal me to drop the pellet. I loved it, others thought it was too icky. Sunday I walked from the guest house past the park where the riots were, and downtown to the market place. What a colorful assortment of goods meet one's eye. From blankets to fruit, vegetables, flowers, and baskets. I spotted the electrical panel for the market and thought it was quite interesting. After those four weeks in Kenya was a delightful blessing and I long to return with Curt on another Global Evangelism Campaign. If you are interested in serving the Lord and seeing another area of our world, you can look into Global Evangelism, Maranatha, or Adventist Mission Frontiers, to name a few. I highly recommend it! The Lord will use it to change your life! For a more detailed account, please scroll down to read exerts from my correspondence. |
(Message sent Monday, 28
June 2004)
The Lord is good, and we have had a great trip so far. Our flight is
very full--lots of teen missionaries from around the country (about
50), and they are singing praise songs and smiling. It looks like
it's going to be a fun flight with these enthusiastic young
people. I can't wait to share the experiences I will have on this
mission. It will be exciting to tell you of all the ways God has
worked...even up to this point! Four weeks will fly by, but until
then, keep us in your prayers, as you will be in mine.
(Message sent Wednesday, 30
June 2004)
What a contrast! We arrived in Nairobi yesterday at about
dawn. After collecting our luggage, we waited for our
driver. Let me tell you, this country is full of people who are
in no hurry to go anywhere and, for the most part, are patient to wait
as long as it takes for anything. It is not uncommon to get
confused just because the schedule is so "flexible" for lack of a
better word. There are things, like the airlines, however that
are NOT any more flexible in Kenya than they are in the U.S.
After staying awake as long as possible for the orientation
meeting, jet lag consumed me and I HAD to go to bed. What a
blissful 12 hour sleep I enjoyed.
This morning, we flew into Kisumu over Lake Victoria on one of
those typically noisy commuter planes. I had the privilege to
pray with a man who was coming home from Australia for his brothers
funeral. It was a good opportunity to talk about health
principles because his brother had died of diabetes.
(Message sent Monday, 05
July 2004)
After our meetings [in Nyabigege] each night, we have to travel on
country roads the 15 miles from our site to Kisii. Last night our
driver approached something big, like a load of laundry in the
road. Now, these roads have no painted lines, and are DARK!
The driver swerved at the last minute, and a good thing, too...it was a
man laying in the road. I don't know if he had passed out from
drinking, been injured by a hit and run, or was a decoy for bandits,
but she refused to stop and assist him in any way. She said it is
very dangerous to stop for any reason out in the country because there
are bandits with guns (which are illegal, but of course that means only
criminals have them). The Conference secretary was driving behind
us, and he didn't stop either.
Admittedly we have been warned against stopping, and so we are very
thankful for reliable transportation here, even though at times we
question the skill of the driver. Not all groups are so lucky.
The Kenyenya driver is excellent as far as skill goes, but every day we
experience a fresh vehicle problem, have repaired numerous flat tires,
and we know there is some serious damage to the rear end. Other groups
have had a different driver every day!
Be sure and pray for our safety--it would be best if a prayer
team could pray for our teams as the return between 8:30-9:30 p.m. (I
think that's like 11:30 a.m. mountain time).
POINT OF INTEREST: Because we are on the equator, the sunset
never varies throughout the year by more than 10 minutes. Dawn
begins about 6:30 a.m., and the last traces of dusk settle in at about
7:30 p.m. Sunrise and set are almost exactly 12 hours difference,
you know it's around 7:00 when you first see the sun in the morning,
and again when the rays disappear in the evening.
(Curt's e-mail to others
From Phone conversation 07 July 2004)
I called Stef last night. When the
phone at the hotel was picked up, a
person with really good English answered (the last time I called I had
no idea what the person said to me). Turns out it was Stef, there was
no one at the front desk that early in the morning, so she just picked
up the phone.
She has preached one time so far, and
figures that by the time they
leave, she will have preached about three times. Most of the time
she is telling children's stories. She is all over the place, to
different sites every other day and visiting the Kendu Bay hospital,
the printing press, and Lake Victoria--and next week has plans to go to
Romosha Masaii Park. Peggy and Stef are rarely at the same site,
although Peggy does go to Nyabigege occasionally. This Sabbath,
however they will both be at the same site because Peggy is giving the
sermon on health. There are five sites that a group of 11 are
preaching at, and they are all within 5-20 miles of the hotel.
While at the meetings, she has had
the opportunity to play the
flute. She was going to play a keyboard, but it turned out that
it was going to cost $480 to have it shipped over, so they did
not. She also took 2 blood pressure cuffs, a stethoscope, and
exam gloves with her. SHe has not used them yet because no one is there
to assist with the clinics.
They are doing fine, but in the past
few days there have been riots in
some of the cities around them. So they ask for your prayers for
safety. If the riots occur in Kisii, they will not leave the
hotel area. Stef assured me that the hotel complex consists of
three buildings surrounded by a wall and steel gates. She called
it a fortress. I see in one of the Kenya newspapers that in the
city of Kisumu, one rioter was shot and killed. I believe this is
the town that they flew into from Nairobi.
Their typical daily schedule is as
follows:
8 a.m. breakfast of fresh picked
fruit and choice of eggs, potatoes (or
fried bananas), and toast or chapati.
9 a.m. group worship and daily report
10:30 a.m. town runs if needed
2:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. depart for
various sites depending on time needed
for travel
8:30 p.m. 9:30 p.m. return to hotel
and report in.
Stef reports that by the time she
returns to the hotel, she is
exhausted and goes right to bed.
Even though they have all
been careful about their eating, a
couple people have been sick. She buys her own lunch, which costs
about 77 shillings--$1. She has befriended a lady who sells her
three pound avocados! Even though she is finding the whole trip very
wonderful, she is homesick. They are going to be very busy next
week, so she may not have time to send e-mail or talk until July
16th.
What a wonderful
experience we all continue to
have here in Kisii. I actually have time this morning to give you all a
complete description of the area we are in, and the progress of our
mission.
As I have mentioned, Kisii is located in the central western part of
Kenya--close to Lake Victoria. I was surprised by the lush
vegetation as we flew into Kisumu--a city on Lake Victoria located
about 6 miles south of the equator! The lake breezes are so
refreshing, and add to the temperate climate. The sky is a hazy
blue during the day and dark as black velvet studded
with diamonds at night. We see the Big Dipper (or "Plow" as
they call it here) far to the north and the Southern Cross rides on the
opposite horizon. The Milky Way sends its incredible creamy band
through the center of it all.
Pineapple,
tea, and banana plantations abound. People also grow
avocados the size of small Nerf footballs, but they have the texture
and flavor of our smaller Haas variety. I have relished
eating freshly picked Mango, papaya with L'emon (limes), and passion
fruit. Vegetables are a little more traditional and always
served with white rice and shredded/boiled kale. If they
have fresh salad, it is made with cabbage and sliced
carrots. The food is good here, but I am looking forward to
tomorrow when we are going to have haystacks for lunch. Our
leader, Don, went into Nairobi yesterday and picked up the corn
chips. Each morning we eat together, and the menu is the
same. I'll never tire of the vast amounts of fresh
pineapple...very sweet and delicious. Street vendors are
plentiful, and we can purchase all sorts of produce and flea-market
type items. Happily there is a western-type grocery store
"Uchumi" in this little village. I saw they have granola, so
I am going to make a purchase on my way back to the hotel to add a bit
of variety to my diet.
The people here are
so anxious to shake hands and greet one another and
greet us. One of our members commented that he is going to
come back and run for mayor--he is 70 and has been a Christian only two
years, but that man can preach and the people just love
him. As of today he has had 3 babies named after him, and
his wife has had 1 baby named after her! The people at all
five sites are so special. They have sweet sweet spirits
despite the squalid conditions they find themselves in. In
their desperation they turn to alcohol-many of them make a home brew of
banana mash. Another negative aspect of living here is the polygamy
that abounds even among some of the professed Christians! To
be baptized into any Christian denomination men must agree to one wife,
but after that, it seems they suddenly have more. (It is
interesting to note that polygamy is not allowed for women, only for
men).
I would like to mention the transportation to and from
sites. The closest site is about 15 minutes away on good
roads. The most remote site takes 1 1/2 hours each way,
every day, over the most damaged pavement you have ever
seen. The red clay has not supported the pavement and there
are serious craters and whole sections of road that have been washed
out with no repair. I would like to challenge you off-road
enthusiasts to come serve here...you'll find that this road tests your
every driving skill. The vehicles that are available are in
desperate need of maintenance, but the cost of even simple maintenance
is prohibitive to the owners, who frequently don't even have jobs. The
average monthly salary is 1,000Ks (about $13). Many market
transactions are made using the barter system. Driving
through town is another experience that gives one a serious
appreciation for U.S. traffic laws. Only the Lord's providence
has kept us from being involved in several serious
accidents. One night, our night-blind driver was so close to
the center that a passing semi scraped the side of her car with us in
it! There was no real damage, so we figured it must have
been the mud flaps. The next day she was released of her
driving duties when she showed up smelling of alcohol. Our
new driver makes us feel much more secure.
I have learned little phrases in the local dialect (Kisii) and in
Kiswahili, and two songs. The children just love to teach me
the songs I sing to them in English. I'll try to learn 1 new
song each day that I am at the Nyabigege site, so maybe will know five
songs by the time I leave. My dear translators, Judith and
Duncan, are so willing to teach me and are indispensable. I
wasn't sure about teaching this
many kids, but they are very well-behaved and at the Nyabigege site,
Duncan is their school teacher--making them even better
behaved. I go back and forth between two sites to share
songs, object lessons and Bible stories with the children. I
can not repeat enough how special they are. If my kids
(students) in the states were even 1/10 as well behaved as these
children, our school system would be entirely
different. These people highly value
education. Many of the children even 8 and 10 years old can
speak three languages fluently, and although I am translated, it is
more because I speak American English. Many of them speak to me
in
English, though. They are very bright. At one
site they are very clean despite their poverty. But at the most remote
site, Kenyena, there are so many children who wear very ragged clothing
and have been unkempt. Their hunger for Jesus is apparent.
Their discipline is also apparent as the Pathfinders come and perform
their marches and honor us with salutes. What's also obvious is the
attention the adults give as we present the children's
message. Even the songs delight them as they participate in
the action songs "if I were a Butterfly" "Hallelu, Hallelu" and "Father
Abraham"
As those of you who have visited developing countries know, this
experience brings one a sincere appreciation for the privileges we
enjoy in the U.S. However, it also makes me aware of the
apathy we have toward spiritual things because of the absolute gluttony
of material things. We truly are as filthy rags, and the precious ones
here are far richer than they can possibly know. People here are
so open to the hope they
receive from the gospel message. So far, the Holy Spirit has
moved about 1000 people to commit their lives to the Lord and be
baptized. What a blessing!
Please continue to keep us all in your prayers. We solicit
your prayers for safety and encouragement. Pray for the
people here to be receptive to the message and accept Christ into their
hearts.
I send my love and greetings to all!
(Message sent 16
July 2004)
Greetings from Kenya! Since the last time I gave an update, the
number of baptism commitments has nearly doubled, and we can praise the
Lord for that. Tomorrow will be a high day as we celebrate the
new life these people have claimed.
Wednesday nite, our group leader was dropping off his translator,
Zachary, at a set place, where he is normally greeted by his "boys"
armed guards (bow and arrows). As they were traveling to this appointed
place, Zachary stated, "there are the boys! Let me off
here." Seeing that the guards were accompanying police who had
guns drawn and pointed on two men who were lying on the ground by a
certain vehicle, Don refused to let Zachary out there. As he pulled
forward to the normal meeting spot about 200 yards ahead, Zachary got
out. Not feeling comfortable, Don, Lois, and Peggy waited and
prayed--and almost immediately Zachary came back and told Don, "The
police said to get myself and this van out of here, NOW!"
Normally, I would have been coming home from site A at this same hour,
but I had gone to Kenyena that evening, and was safe and sound in the
motel room dozing off. But as Don turned the vehicle around to
head back to the hotel, he puled in front of my Nyabigege team partners
as they were returning from the night's campaign. As both
vehicles passed the scene of the trouble again, they noticed the men
still lying on the ground.
This morning, we heard the rest of the story. Apparently a gang
had tried unsuccessfully to bribe a local attorney, and then threatened
him. There was an investigation and surveillance, and they had
decided this was the night the gang of nine men was going to make good
on the threat. Being pulled over, they were all ordered to lie
down on the ground and were shot in the feet to prevent them from
running. Two ran anyway (one died later of the gunshot wounds).
The police then ordered the guards and remaining civilian onlookers to
leave the area. They demanded that the gang members return to the
Land Rover, and once they had them in there, they peppered the vehicle
with bullets and killed all seven men. Judge, jury, and
sentencing. This happened so close ot our hotel that the gunshots woke
me, but did not trouble me until I heard this story. The sad
thing is that these men may have died without ever having heard of
God's love and forgiveness. That is why we are here--to share
that love with anyone who will listen.
On a less somber
note, yesterday we were blessed
with a trip into Masai Land. We visited the first Christian church ever to be erected in this province
or "district" and were greeted by the members. Although many of
today's Masaii dress in western styles, they had prepared a very
special greeting for us. We were honored guests and received a
traditional welcome of songs, dance ceremonies, blessing ceremonies,
fire-lighting ceremony, and a visit to the traditional summer homes.
After the tour, we were honored again and presented with Masaii
artifacts. One of the local women and I took to each other, and
she presented me with an ornate beaded bracelet, signifying an
"adoption" into her family...so I guess I'm an honorary Masaii woman.
Sunday morning we will be leaving Mash Park to begin a
four-day safari or "journey" to Lake Nakuru and Masaii Mara National
Parks. We will be staying in guest huts. Then, the following
Sunday, I will begin the 21-hour flight home, actually will be more
like 27 hours after the layovers are taken into consideration.
Many of my new friends are soliciting me to sponsor them and
bring them to America with me. It breaks my heart that I am
leaving them, but I have hope to see them again. Tomorrow we will
hold our final Sabbath services and celebrate the baptisms of about
2,000 people. Praise the Lord.
(Message sent Sunday, 25
July, 2004)
I've used up all the video and have lots of pictures of campaign and
safari. Even got video and pictures of a traffic accident that we were
involved in. We visited the police station for that, and found a
great deal to be amazed by. Great shots of all the animals except
leopard. Saw cheetah on a kill (gross, but I got video), lions
mating (ditto), white and black rhino, elephants so close you could
practically touch them, crocodile six meters or more long, hippos,
migration of wildebeests and zebras (did you know they make sounds?).
Wildebeests sound like they are always burping, zebras sound like they
are barking. They hang out together in one sea--not herd, but as far as
you can see the horizon appears as though it is moving. And only
20% of them had arrived! They began arriving our second day
there, and by the fourth day, the plains were COVERED with them.
Also spotted hyena, jackals, 29 lions at different times....on and
on...bugs like you are gonna love, chameleon and other
lizards..monkeys, baboons, birds....pictures galore.
Yesterday after church we visited a giraffe
conservatory. It was fun to feed them by mouth! The giraffe
licked under my chin to signal me to drop the pellet. It was
great fun.
I think I have allergies from the dusty roads. I've been
sneezing like crazy for the last two days. The dust is like talc and we
were covered in it. Peggy got REALLY sick from it, so I'm taking
CIPRO so that I don't get affected like she did. Peggy was sick
before we left for safari, though. Never got stomach problems,
didn't get the flu that many of our group experienced, so am thankful.
