Back in Kenya!!!! Week 6

I started writing this blog on April 20th.   A lot of things have been going on here in the States and in Kenya and time just slipped by. 

This story starts with Palm Sunday.  What a special time to be with those we love and celebrate the wonder of Christ's sacrifice for us and next...the resurrection.  So sit back and follow us through our last full week in Kenya.

Sunday, March 24 Palm Sunday!

Luke 21:1-4 Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins.  And he said, "Truly, I tell you, this poor widow put in more than all of them. for they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."

Our first stop was God Seeker's Fellowship Church where we had an important mission to accomplish.  We had a bible for Lydia!  Lydia was about to go to a job that God had provided for her and we wanted her to go with God's word in her possession so she could read and study.  Remember, we had tried to get a bible but there was not one in the town?  Well one had been ordered and had arrived...just in time.   

It is customary for Ken to greet our friends at God Seeker's Fellowship.  We have worshiped here often and it is a familiar place with familiar people.

God has a way of leading you in the paths that He wants you to take.  During the time after Lydia accepted Christ, I received an email from one of the organizations that I follow.  The email was about what you would need most if you were stranded on an island where there was no one else.  It very eloquently explained why a Bible was the one thing you would most need and cherish.  No, it can't give you fresh water to drink.  It can't give you food to eat.  But the words inside can give you encouragement and hope.  It can let you know that you are not alone even though there is no one else that you can see, touch, or talk to.  It brings you into the presence of God and tells you of the only hope for any of us.  This is exactly what we wanted Lydia to have as she leaves her home to go to a nearby town to work.  It will be a hard transition for her and we pray that the words she reads will lift her and sustain her.  So we said goodbye to Lydia and went to our next stop. 

Our next stop was Destiny Life church.  We have been here before to give classes at youth rallies but never on a Sunday morning.  My assignment was to give a lesson on Palm Sunday.  Churches in Kenya are very encouraging to their members.  If you have a testimony, you are encouraged to share it.  Children work hard to learn songs and share them with the congregation.  In this culture, children are sometimes overlooked or used just as a means to get a job done.  Churches really try to help them to know that they are loved and important.

New believers share their testimony.  This lady's name is Grace.  She did some cooking for us while Rob and Abby were both in Kenya...and she baked the wedding cake for Francis' and Purity's wedding.  When the pastor called a new believer to share her testimony, both Ken and I were surprised and ecstatic to see Grace come forward.   While she was baking in our home, we were having Bible study and when she was finishing our dinners we were praying.  We don't know if that had any impact on her decision but we KNOW the joy on her face as she shared that she was now a child of Christ.  Her words were, "I don't know if you know how it feels to be a child of God?!  It feels good!  I'm happy!"  We know that at that point all the challenges were not solved for Grace.  She was still looking for a job and we know her struggles are real.  But she has found happiness in the salvation of faith in the Lord and it was a moment of celebration for us and everyone at the church.  SPOILER ALERT! As I am finishing this blog three months after the actual happenings...Grace is our new cook at Promise Springs Rescue Center.  

These kids work hard to learn a song and perform it for the congregation. 

Another thing happened that you won't see in the U.S.  A couple (a different Lydia and Samuel) had decided to pursue a relationship that will culminate in marriage.  They had to meet with the pastor.  The pastor then checked out Samuel's background to make sure he was a suitable match for Lydia, who was a member of his church.  The congregation was told about Samuel and about their desire to pursue marriage.  Permission for them to see each other only in public venues where others would be around was given and the congregation was made aware so that they would encourage them and be their accountability partners.  It was a sweet thing to watch and hear and we pray that we will be in Kenya when the wedding takes place.

I spoke about the fact that some of the same people who had laid their cloaks on the ground and waved palm fronds on Palm Sunday shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"  were the very same ones  shouting "Crucify him." on Good Friday.  Do we really believe and stand firm in our faith or are we tossed back and forth and easily drawn away from the One who can save us. 

Ken spoke about the "worst week of Peter's life."  He gets very animated and the people love it when he speaks.

What happened next, always leaves us humbled and without words.  This church, in the middle of a small village in the central part of Africa, took up an offering for Promise Springs Rescue Center.  Now you understand the verse that we started out with.  This has only happened once before and it always touches our hearts so deeply.  We know that some of these people struggle to have just one meal a day.  They struggle to find work.  Their lives are dependent upon the weather...draught, too much rain, too hot, too cold.  Life is hard and they had already taken up their offering for their church.  But then, they gave again, for the good of the children at Promise Springs Rescue Center.  So I stand up at Ken's urging and thank them.  I share with them the story of Melissa who had been taken from a horrible situation to a place with food and the opportunity to go to school.  And as I talk, the pastor cries.  They care for the children who are suffering.  They truly believe that if they give, they will honor Christ and obey all that He taught.  And they do.  And Ken and I know that we will come back to the U.S. and see the abundance and our hearts will hurt for these people who gave what they could but we know that one day, they will receive their blessing...maybe not in this world but in Christ's kingdom.

So you see why church in Kenya is a long day of praise and worship, testimonies, church business and the word.  But what a blessed day this Palm Sunday was.

Then we return to where our hearts are always longing to be.  How blessed are we? We get to watch these children grow.  We get to be a part of their lives and share our love of Jesus and His love for us with them.  That is such a blessing and we never take it for granted.

Monday, March 25

After a very busy Sunday, Monday was spent at the center overseeing the multiple projects going on and for Ken and Francis...

it's playing chess...EVERY free moment.  Francis had made a checker board on our last visit and the staff would play checkers in the evenings.  He was the self-proclaimed" king of checkers".  But he really wanted to learn how to play chess.  So they took the checker board and Ken devised chess pieces from toilet paper rolls...of all things.  And the lessons began last trip with the promise to bring a chess board this trip.  At the last score before we left it was 13 games to none with Ken being the champion.  We give one thing to Francis...he has tenacious determination.  He gets a move into his head and he just knows it's going to bring him that long sought after win.  And I give one thing to Ken, he's not going to let Francis win.  The battle will begin again on the next trip.  I am pulling for Francis to finally get his big WIN and then we will both rub it in!

Tuesday, March 26

We have NO photos for this day.  I don't know how we missed taking just one but we did.  However, I do know what we did.  When we took Abby back to the airport, we had gone by Immigrations.  It is nearing time to have out work permits renewed and we needed to make some changes to our account.  We have a great friend who owns a cyber shop.  It is a place where people go to do their on-line business, make copies and some go to take computer courses.  I am technology challenged and have not much confidence in my on-line ability.  Patrick, our friend came to our house to help us file our taxes and attempt to correct our immigration issues.  The taxes were filed quickly, for we make no money in Kenya.  The immigration issues are on-going and he is advising me from Kenya as I try to work through them here.  We are thankful for our friends.  

Wednesday, March 27

We always want to complete all of our projects before leaving, but sometimes, it is just not possible.  However, today, we assess the progress and see that we have made great strides.The tower that will hold the water tanks for the third dorm (high enough for the solar showers to work) now has wooden forms so that the cement can be poured.  It is also going to be very tall and have the capability of holding two tanks!

One view of the new dorm.

And the front view.  Just wait until we show you the final painted version.  Also, a lot of new clotheslines are behind it so maybe the girls won't have to use bushes for drying the laundry anymore.

And our last order of business for the day was a worker's meeting.  The faces of the people at this table are the heartbeat of Promise Springs Rescue Center.  We have been so blessed by God that He has placed such special, talented people at this center to help the girls attain their goals, to love them, to share Christ with them, and in essence to parent them.  Some of the girls have parents, some of them don't but these are the people that the girls and babies see every day.  These are the ones that hear their fears, encourage them, scold them, and on top of that, make everything work.  There are managers and administrators, cooks, house mums, and nannies, farmworkers, drivers. and then we have pastors that preach, counsel and advise both us and the girls.  It is truly a miracle and we give God the glory.

And every day, we have to hurriedly leave the center, a lot of times before we are ready, because the rains are starting and we can't get down the road due to the fact that our car gets stuck if the road is too muddy.  That is a teaser for what is yet to come.

Thursday March 28

After a worker's meeting, there is always a day of shopping.  Each department has needs and they are legitimate needs.  So today, we set off with Florah to Nyahururu, the closest town where we can get most of what we need.  We also have plans to have a Maundy Thursday service at the center.  Hoping to get back at a decent time for the 6:30 service, off we go.

This is Nyahururu.  These stores are not where we shop.  Florah has special stores where she routinely shops.  They tell her if they are going to have price increases and generally work with us to help us keep costs down.  However, they are not on main streets and one must know where to go.  Hence why we take Florah with us on shopping excursions.  

Next we visit a place where we look for things to decorate our house for American visitors.  I have to share that Ken is definitely the decorator.  We found a place that is not a touristy place.  It is a home for mentally disabled people.  They teach them a trade and then they put their crafts or art out for sell to help keep the home open.  We have visited many times for gifts and items to make our house look Kenyan.  It has moved its location to the actual home.  Once again Florah makes a friend and receives a marriage proposal.  What joy!

Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate with our plans.  It started to rain on our way home.  We called the center and were told it had rained there all afternoon.  We knew we could never make it down the road without getting stuck so we sadly had to cancel our Maundy Thursday service.  We decided to reschedule it for Friday and make it a Good Friday service instead.  Rule One of mission work...be flexible!?!

Friday, March 29

Today was a VERY exciting day!  In our last blog, we shared all about the interesting events leading to the purchase of a van for the transport of the girls to church and other functions.  God is so good!  First he led people from our U.S. church family to donate so the center would have transportation other than a motorcycle!  That to us and to the girls was such a miracle.  We have spent hours arranging drivers and transport that fit within our budget and now we have our own!!!  Praise be to God!!! 

But we still had a problem.  We didn't have a driver.  So we started discussing all the possibilities of how this would work out.  Then Florah told us there was a driver who lived near the center.  He drove for public transport but had stopped to move back home and help his father on his farm.  So we met him, then we set up his interview...which would be to go with us and pick up the van and we would ride with him and determine whether he would get the job.  He proved to be very knowledgeable about the van, finding a problem instantly that needed fixing.  Not a large problem, but one that needed attention, and he drove very well.  So we have a driver near the center whom we can call at a minute's notice if there is an emergency.  His name is Benson!  Welcome to the Promise Springs Family!

 As far as the unveiling....are you ready for it?  Here it is!

You will notice the writing says only Promise Springs Center.  That was purposefully done on the advice of others so that when the girls go to functions, they will not go as those who have come from hard backgrounds and there can be no shame or questions. We are so thankful and the girls are overjoyed!

 I hope you can see their smiling faces as they meet us in their new transportation for their first outing!

Saturday, March 30

We are always encouraged in God's supernatural way!  Sometimes, as everyone does, we wonder if what we do makes a difference.  Does anyone hear our message?  Are we truly serving God in the way that He has led us and in a way that glorifies Him?  We ask ourselves that more times than you know, but in the words of Elisabeth Elliot, for Patty anyway, the quick answer is "...just do the next thing."  A lot of times that is what we are doing.  We are doing what we know needs to be done as we wait upon God's leading.  But sometimes, God gives you a little pat on the back and you feel as if nothing has been wasted.  That is what happened early on this cloudy, rainy day in Kenya.

We were at home getting ready to start our day when a young man came to the door.  He said, "You don't remember me, but I was at one of the youth rallies you spoke at.  You were talking about drug addiction.  We apologized because we didn't remember him exactly but his face looked familiar.  We found that he was the grandson of our friend "Shosh".  He  was working on Florah's farm with Shosh and another family member.  He came only to thank us for the lessons we had taught him and to tell us it had helped him in a mighty way.  He told us he had never, ever even tried any drug because of what he learned in our lesson.  What a gift!  What an encouragement!  We were, as always, thankful for this young man and for our loving Father who gently encourages us along the way.

Then the plan for the day was to visit a girls' soccer "football" team.  We love helping the young people and they know when we are around they might get the chance to tell us of their challenges and their issues.  So we drove through spotty rain to a nearby town to meet with a girl's soccer team.  Because of the weather, they could not all make it to the meeting but we enjoyed meeting and talking to the ones that could come.

Ken spoke with the coaches and leaders of the team as we waited for the team members to arrive.A peek at a Kenyan soccer field. 

A photo of the Sirima Starlets Football Club (or the ones that could make it). We asked a lot of questions of the leaders of this club and the coaches as to why such clubs are important and what their main objective was in having such teams.

We were told that in this community some of the women in the club were up to 40 years old, but only the younger player compete.  They play every other Sunday and in tournaments when they are invited and can afford to travel.  Last year they competed in the County Governor's cup with over 300 teams.  We were also told them that this kind of activity gives girls from rural areas exposure and lets them see what others are doing.  It is another means of getting something for their families as they earn money when they win and for playing bigger teams.  These girls use the uniforms you see and old ones from one of the men's teams.  They have only the basic items, but at least they are trying and the girls are kept busy with practices.  We were also told that their grades had improved with the encouragement from the coaches and each other.  

This is the end of our final full week.  Next time...Easter and our return home.

How can you pray:

Pray for wisdom and guidance for the administrative boards and committees and the staff as we serve the girls and children under our care.

Pray for the girls as they have either just finished their mid-terms for the third semester or they will take them as soon as they get back to their respective schools.

Please pray for our Form 4 girls as they prepare to take their national exams in December.  They are very anxious because this grade determines what schools they can attend after they graduate.  They are currently having tutors come it to help.

Pray also for an unscheduled trip we will be making to Kenya in September.  We are so excited that our Next Generation Pastor and a Grow Class leader from our own church, Lakeside Baptist Church in North Myrtle Beach are going to Kenya for a scouting trip to see if maybe another team from Lakeside Baptist may go for a mission trip in the future.  Answer to one of our prayers. 

And pray for no more turbulence so we can finish sharing this trip before we go on our next one.

We are so thankful for all of you who pray for this ministry and give of yourselves and your finances to help us give these girls a chance at a better life.  May you all be blessed beyond measure.