Trash

Something happened last week that has left me unsettled and I don't know what to do about it.  George and I were walking with Eli to get a taxi for church and we stopped by the dumpster to throw our trash away.  As I went to toss the bags in, a hand reached out for them.  It was a boy, maybe age 14 or so, who wanted my trash bags.  I reluctantly handed them over to him.  I didn't want anyone to have to touch our dirty, stinky trash.  As we kept walking, I looked back and saw him looking through the bags.  I asked George what he was looking for, although I pretty much knew, and he confirmed the boy was looking for anything he could use or sell (such as bottles or scrap metal) and food.

I have seen people going through the trash from afar, but never personally handed my trash over to anyone who were looking for something to help them.  I just felt sick to my stomach.  That poor boy obviously had no other way to make money or get food than to dig through the trash, where all kinds of gross things are.

I know people do this all over the world, including in the US and I always hated the thought of it.  I have been fortunate enough to have always had food to eat.  My family went through very hard times financially and I have memories of our church bringing us food and shopping at thrift stores.  However, no matter how hard it got, I never had to scavenge for food.

I remember in 5th grade, a boy in our class was very poor.  One Monday, he came to school and was made fun of because someone had seen him digging in trash cans at the beach, collecting cans for his family.  He was so ashamed and embarrassed that he lashed out at our teacher, who had been helping him.  She was so devastated by it, she had a nervous breakdown and took a leave of absence.  It was so sad.  At the time, I didn't know how to help.

To this day, I still don't know what to do.  It makes me sick to think of all the people in the world who don't have food to eat and have to resort to going through trash.  How sad and heartbreaking.  I don't even know how to end this blog.  I can't stop thinking about it and am praying that God shows us some small way we can help someone who is hungry.

Terrorist Attack In Kenya

A few people have emailed me about this so I thought I should do a post.  There was a terrorist attack in Nairobi on Saturday.  Al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was in retaliation for Kenya's fight against them in Somalia.  It is believed that 10-15 attackers began throwing grenades and shooting people at a large, popular mall known to be frequented by westerners.  I have been there several times (although not since I moved here two years ago).  As of now (Sunday night), 59 people are confirmed dead and over 175 injured.  The fight is still going on.  Police are still battling the terrorists who are holed up in the mall with hostages and others hiding, waiting to be freed.  It is very scary and security all over Kenya has been heightened.

George is in Kenya now, but he is far from Nairobi.  He is supposed to go there later in the week on his way home, but we'll keep an eye on the situation and decide if he will have to wait. Thank you for your concern and checking in on us.  For now, please pray for this situation to end and that no more people will die.

13 Months

Here is what Eli has been up to this month:

He is very observant and imitates us a lot. He'll do hand motions with books, shake or nod his head when we do, copy noises, etc.

He has learned to blow kisses and climb onto the couch on his own. He still is learning how to get down safely. He tends to go head first and we want him to go on his stomach, feet first. Same with stairs.

He really likes shoes and belly buttons. Last week he went right up to a little girl close to his age at the store and lifted up her shirt to see her belly button. He also loves playing with kids of any age. He delights in them and gets so excited. He is good at kicking and throwing balls.

He isn't speaking yet, but babbles a lot. He says mama, dada, baba, etc, but hasn't really connected those words to people or their meaning. 

He is obsessed with screwing and snapping lids on things. He gets frustrated when he can't do it on his own.

He is sleeping very well. Still 12 hours at night and two one hour naps during the day.

He is really noticing music now. When he hears it, he starts to clap and dance. Instead of turning around like he used to, his dancing now more resembles head banging.

He has no fear of anything. He is content to run off and play without us. He hates it when we try to hold his hand. He is Mr. Independent.

Just yesterday he began teething again. Some of his molars are popping through.

And lastly, here is something funny he does. Whenever he passes a bathroom, he points and makes a gas noise. If I tell him I am going to the bathroom, he does the same thing. We didn't teach him that trick, he just learned it on his own. It's hilarious. 

(He loves to play rough with Dad.)

("Helping" Mom.)

 

(He popped the lenses from my sunglasses and loves to wear the frames.)

(Playing in the "tent" I made.)

Unsafe Driving Practices

One of the many reasons we need a car.... I don't know if you can see it in the picture, but take a close look the rear view mirror in a taxi we often use. That's not just any rear view mirror. It's actually a screen fitted over the actual mirror that plays videos. And to make it worse, it's angled towards the driver so he gets the best view! Crazy.

Speaking of driving. Please keep George in your prayers. He had to opportunity to help out someone doing ministry near Kisumu, George's hometown in Kenya. He and his team are coming to work with local pastors and needed helping finding an affordable rental car and driver. George volunteered to do that for him and is there now making the arrangements. George will be driving them to/from the churches they are working with from Kisumu each day. We miss him here, but are glad he had the time to help them out. Pray for his safety as he drives the team. (No, he will not be using a video screen on the rear view mirror!)

Searching For Land

We have been looking for land for the Africa Harvest of Hope orphanage for a while now.  Unfortunately it’s not as easy as looking online or finding a realtor.  Buying land is tricky here.  You have to be careful not to be fooled and buy land that is owned by someone else (who is not wanting to sell!).  Another issue is once realtors or people selling land see that it is for a foreigner, they hike up the price.  So, the best way to find land and a good deal is by word of mouth.  We have been asking people if they know of any land for sale.  We would love to buy land in Moshi, but it’s very expensive here.  So, we have been looking outside Moshi up to an hour away. 

Someone told us to look for land in new districts where the government wants to develop.  So, last week, George went on a scouting trip.  Since we don’t have a car yet, George had to use matatus (vans used for mass transportation).  Even though the place isn’t too far, the trip took a long time.  There aren’t many matatus going there so George had to wait a while.  Once he got there, he walked around and talked to some locals.  He spent the night there and talked to the village chief.  He showed George around and seemed excited about the prospect of an orphanage there.  The land rates are reasonable and it’s a place that is expected to develop and expand. George wanted to meet with the local government official, but he wasn’t there.  George will go back in a few weeks to try to meet with him then.

For now, we are praying about this location while exploring other options as well.

Camp Blog... Finally!

Sorry for the delay in blogging about the camp.  I had a bad case of strep throat last week.  Fortunately I am better now and am getting caught up on things.

Camp was awesome.  We ended up with about 45 kids.  When I say kids, it’s not just high school.  They consider youth anyone not married under 30 (or so).  So, the age range was pretty wide – from 12 to 25, I would say.

Camp began on Friday.  George and I went early to help with the last minute preparations.  Check in was scheduled to start at 4:00 so I planned on doing that until I had to leave with Eli at 6:00pm.  I should have known that this is Africa and things don’t start on time.  Most of the kids didn’t get there until after 8:00pm!  So, I helped set up the church and then helped the ladies cook. My job was to peel garlic.  Four ladies were there for the weekend to do all the cooking.  It was a huge undertaking.    They did a great job.  Breakfast was tea and bread while lunch and dinner was either rice and beef or rice and beans.

(This huge spoon I am teasing Eli with is what they use to stir giant pots of food)

Eli and I left around 6:00pm, but George stayed to welcome the kids.  After eating dinner, they did a short session of singing and prayer before going to bed.  The girls slept in one room while the boys slept in another.  I think of our “rustic” camps in the mountains back home and realized how cushy we had it!  For the girl’s side, we laid down mattresses all over the floor for them to share.  For the boys, we couldn’t afford to buy mattresses so we bought pieces of foam that we spread out for them. 

 

Saturday morning started bright and EARLY!  They woke the kids up at 5:00am to have a brief time of prayer, Bible reading and singing.  Then they had a couple hours to get ready (45 kids needing to shower with only one shower available takes time!) and eat breakfast.  Then we started the sessions.  

That weekend we studied the life of David. There is so much to learn from his life.  George started off by teaching about being a youth and being called by God.  He talked about things we shouldn’t do and things we should do as believers.  Then a pastor from another church (who sent some kids to the camp) spoke about giving, followed by Zac who taught about what it means when God gives us a vision/calling for our life and living out our faith to implement it.

Then it was my turn.  I had a sensitive topic to discuss with the kids.  David was a great man, but you can’t look at his life without examining his fall with Bathsheba.  I talked to the kids about the importance of purity and avoiding temptation.  It wasn’t David’s fault he happened to walk to the palace roof and saw her bathing.  However, that is where the story should have ended.  He should have left right away instead of giving into lust.  What happened after was envy, scheming, murder, etc.  He had terrible consequences for his wrong doing.  I pleaded with the kids to make the decision to wait to have a physical relationship until they get married.  God tells us to live a certain way because he knows what is best for us.  I want the best for them too.  I made that commitment when I was young and am so glad I kept it.

(I love this photo because it looks like Eli is preaching!)

(This girl read the story of David and Bathsheba. I felt bad for asking her to do so because it took FOREVER!  That's when I realized Kiswahili words are much longer than English words!)

After I finished with the whole group, the boys left so I could have time with just the girls.  It wasn’t planned originally, but I am glad we did it.  Redemta had heard my testimony a year ago and asked me to share it with the girls.  I had a really special time with them.  I encouraged them to ask me anything and we had really good discussions.  Some of the questions they asked were:

I was engaged before becoming a Christian.  Now I am one, but my fiancée isn’t.  What do I do?

My parents are forcing me to serve alcohol at my wedding, but I don’t want it.   What do I do?

My fiancée and I want to get married now, but he is not working and can’t afford the dowry.  My parents want us to wait.  What do we do?

With each question, we went back to the Bible to see what it says.  Sometimes doing the right thing is not easy, but it’s still what we should do.

My session ended up going very late which made George’s session on suffering in Christ have to be cut short.    He talked about why there is suffering and how we should handle it.  Eli and I headed home around 6:00pm again while George stayed later.  Someone let him borrow a motorcycle that weekend so he could come home late and go early in the morning without having to wait for a taxi.  After dinner, the kids watched Pilgrim’s Progress.  It was the only movie we could find in Kiswahili.

Sunday morning started once again at 5:00am.  These kids were troupers.  The weekend was packed with teaching, but that is what they wanted.  Sunday morning, George finished talking about suffering and then taught about what it means to be a man after God’s heart.   God looked down on David’s life and said he was a man after His heart and willing to do His will.  That is what we should aim for - for God to look down on us and say the same thing.  He talked about David’s characteristics that we should try to have as well – loving God, loving prayer, loving God’s words, etc.

Camp ended Sunday afternoon around 3:30.  Each kid was prayed over before going home.  The weekend was exhausting, but wonderful.  We were told that we should do this again, but with more time.  A weekend was too short.  The kids and staff that came were really blessed, as were we.  Many made commitments to Christ and said they learned so much.

Thank you so much for your prayers and donations that made this possible.  We, along with Africa Harvest of Hope, want to make a difference in the lives of kids and we couldn’t do this without you.

Eli and his Sandals

When my mom came in April, she brought tons of clothes for Eli that people donated.  One of those items was this pair of sandals. 

He LOVES them!  Recently, we put them on him for the first time and it was hilarious.  He walked around like a Russian soldier, swinging his feet way up.  They felt different than his shoes and it took him a while to get used to them.  Now, he wants to wear them everyday.  This morning he brouoght them to me so I could  put them on for him.  We weren't going anywhere, he just wanted to wear them around the house!

Medical Camp Stats

Here is a link to a video one of the girls made of the medical camps we were blessed to particpate in last month.  I just watched it and was really touched by it. It's only 5 minutes long.  Please watch it when you have time.  It's very special (plus you can look out for Eli cameos!).

 http://vimeo.com/73401994

Also, here are the stats from the medical camps:

Number of people who gave their lives to Jesus – 450

We estimate that from this group at least 3 new churches will be started.

The total number of prescriptions that were dispensed – 4,491

Total patients seen – 1,386

Average number of prescriptions per patient – 3.25

Total number of pills, syrups, injections, creams, ointments, drops, etc. that were dispensed – 70,422

WOW.  God is really using Agape Project International in Kenya. 

Camp Stories Coming Soon

Our youth camp went really well.  Sorry I haven't blogged about it yet.  We are absolutely exhausted.  August was such a busy month and we are drained.  Good news is Eli is doing fine now, but I am sick!  Some where I caught a virus or strep throat over the weekend.  So, we are trying to get caught up on everything from emails to house work as well as on rest.  I'll try to do a post about the camp in the next couple days.  Thank you for your prayers.  It was awesome!

Another Family Visit!

We were blessed to have another visit from members of George's family.  His brother, Eddie, and his wife, Faith, stopped by Moshi for a couple days.  It has been 10 months since we have seen them.  Eli was only 6 weeks old at the time.  They live in Somali-land and are in Kenya for a short vacation.  They had been in Dar es Salaam visiting Faith's sister and were able to visit us on their way back to Kenya.  The timing was kind of crazy as they arrived the Wednesday evening before the camp started and left Friday morning, the day of the camp.  Fortunately all our preparations were finished and we were able to spend all of Thursday with them.

We had a really nice time with them.  It's shame their visit was so short since don't know when we will see them next.  Eli had fun with them too.  Uncle Eddie gave him tea Thursday morning and he went nuts!   I think he loved all the sugar.  Me?  Not so much.  He wanted to play with things he is not supposed to have and ended up being a little wild and crazy!

Closed Doors

Someone from my church sends out daily devotions.  Many times the devotion for that day deals with something I am going through.  I love how God works that out.  Recently two came through that especially encouraged me.  Sometimes George and I feel discouraged when things are hard here or take longer than we hoped.  This devotion about dealing with Closed Doors really spoke to me.  I am posting it here in hopes that it may encourage someone else feeling the same way.

Devotion 1

Confronting Closed Doors

Acts 16:6-10

⁶ Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time. ⁷ Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia,^[a] but again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there. ⁸ So instead, they went on through Mysia to the seaport of Troas.

⁹ That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” ¹⁰ So we^[b] decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling us to preach the Good News there.

God has the power to open any closed door. And yet He may decide to let things that seem important to us remain blocked. Why does the Lord allow doors to stay shut?

• Protection. He might be trying to keep us from making a mistake. On our own, we may not have adequate knowledge to make right choices.

• Redirection. God could be sending us on a new path. His plan might include bigger opportunities, deeper satisfaction, more productivity, a season of suffering, or an opportunity to glorify His name. The Lord closed doors in Asia so that the apostle Paul would minister on the continent of Europe. His obedience led to increased fruitfulness—the churches at Philippi, Thessalonica, and Corinth—and to more knowledge for us through his letters to them. Though Paul experienced much suffering, he also knew the joy of participating in God’s work.

• Testing. When God says “No,” our faith is tested, and we discover what we really believe about Him and His plans.

• Perseverance. When our path is blocked, we have opportunity to develop steadfastness. Romans 5:3-5 tells us that we should actually “exult in our tribulations,” because of the positive results the Lord will cause through them.

• Timing. Sometimes our Father places stop signs in our way to work out the right timing for His will.

• Disobedience. Past waywardness can affect future experiences and blessings.

When your way is stopped, look to God and seek His purpose for the interruption. How do you respond to “no”?

Devotion 2

Responding to Closed Doors

Philippians 4:6-7

⁶ Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷ Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Disappointments can be hard to bear. One minute life seems to be on track for what we hope and dream. The next moment our way is blocked. How do we respond when facing closed doors?

If our hearts are set on a certain course of action, we may convince ourselves it is God’s will and push ahead regardless. We might send up a quick prayer asking for His help or blessing, but mostly we just move forward. By manipulating people or circumstances, we could get what we want but be outside of God’s plan.

Another response to a blocked path is to become emotionally upset. Then we face the danger of operating out of our feelings and replacing a Christ-centered perspective with a self-centered one. Strong emotions can be a temptation to blame others—including the Lord. Anger toward Him can, in turn, lead us to rebel against Him and His ways.

Godly responses, on the other hand, start with waiting and trusting. When the Lord blocks our way, we are to have faith in Him, taking time to assess the situation, and praying for guidance. By asking the Spirit to increase our sensitivity to the events around us, we will be able to notice any open doors. Even if we find none, we are to live with hope, anticipating other doors of opportunity in His perfect time. Thanking God for His work on our behalf is essential, even at times when we lack understanding. Finally, remaining faithful to what the Lord has called us to do is an important part of our wait.