Friday -- "To fly.....or not to Fly"

Friday – “To fly…..or not to fly”

All day Thursday we were in constant contact with our travel agent.  Due to the devastating fire at the International Airport in Nairobi, all flights have been in question.  The airport was closed for several days; reports were that a few flights had resumed, but no concrete confirmation that ours was.  Back and forth…..do we pack, or not??  Finally, by late afternoon our agent reported that he had word from their Swiss agent that it was confirmed!  Packing complete.

Friday morning……off to the airport.  The three of us from Houston left to meet the rest of our team in D.C.  Apparently even in our instant communication era news does not always connect, for United in DC insisted that the Nairobi airport was closed and there would be NO flights!  They even told our teammate from DC to go home for there would be no flights and there was no point in checking in!  She was patient….and persistent, and they reluctantly allowed her to check in, though still insistent that she would be stranded in Zurich (our connection point to Nairobi).  The rest of us had some of the same as we transferred in DC; same news…..you will not be able to continue from Zurich.  At that time, we had a friend returning to the US from Malawi who was at that very time in the Nairobi airport in the make-shift tent erected for arrivals and departures, so we knew it was open.  We were told to proceed on to Zurich “at our own risk……”  After an hour delay on the tarmac, we lifted off for the journey to Zurich, knowing that now our transfer margin was reduced to about 20 min.  Not good.  We had to get boarding passes and such, so the minute we landed and exited the plane, we rushed to the next gate, procured boarding passes and quickly boarded the plane……yes, to Nairobi!  After the up and down, go and no go journey, at last, we arrived in Nairobi Saturday evening!

We had jokingly said that the immigration/ visa process would probably be more efficient than usual with all the sudden adjustments….and truly it was!  We entered the large immigration tent, stood in a shorter than usual line and in the shortest amount of time we’ve ever experienced, were cleared to get our luggage.  All the bags were lined up outside, and in the dimness of the evening, we searched out our bags.  Thankfully, all but 2 were there – Kara’s and one of ours missing.  

Greeted by our hosts outside, we realized the miraculous journey we had completed!  Our Kenyan friends assured us that they had been in constant prayer, and there rejoicing from all that we were truly in Nairobi!  Nothing but praise and thanksgiving abounds.

So to our United folks in DC – the airport is open, there are flights from Zurich to Nairobi, and there is something yet to be refined in communications. …….and God is greater!!

Made it to Kenya

Just to give you a quick update, we made it to Kenya Saturday night through many miracles and prayers, that you all.  You will be receiving more updates soon as we have had limited internet, but we are all doing well and the kids at the camp are doing great.  more on that soon.

Sunday--- "Come into His Presence with Thanksgiving"

Sunday – “Come into His Presence with Thanksgiving”

Sleep!  Precious commodity, for little is actually done on the plane, even with very long flights.  It’s always such a relief to get a shower and lie down in an actual bed!  Our hostesses at Homecare Retreat treat us with such gracious hospitality, making us feel right at home. 

After good sleep, we have the joy of worshiping at the large in Karen (the district where we are staying).  The director of Homecare Fellowship and our ministry partner, Judy Mbugua, and her husband took us to worship, and we joined in their vibrant worship.  It’s always such a treat to worship here!  Joy and celebration – that’s what worship is all about.  A blessing indeed.

After lunch, jet lag creeps in, and the team gets a respite.  We’re thankful to have today to regroup, get to know one another, and talk through plans for the week.  It’s great to be together and pray.  We are filled with great anticipation for the week ahead!  Just our journey here assures us that God indeed has a wonderful plan for our time here, worth all the obstacles that have sought to prevent our coming.  We are confident that we will all be changed as a result.

Tomorrow camp begins.  We await the young people selected to come, their mentors, local interns, as we join together to listen to God’s voice, dig into His Word, and allow His Spirit to work and move in and through us.  We’re so anxious to see what He has in store in all the workshops as we open up to His expression through the mediums of art, music, dance and drama.  There are so many ways to express faith, and we can’t wait to experience all He has for us!!

Monday - "Abide in Me"

Jambo and Karibu.  Greetings from Kenya and welcome as teen camp begins!  

 Once everyone was registered, got their name tags, Bibles and notebooks, praise began with Pastor Ben leading.  Praise songs led by students and Homecare helpers filled the air.  As we praise God together, we bond with these students who are so eager to come, grow and share.  Laura and Adam are leading the Bible studies this week, and we began our journey into “Intimacy with Jesus” with looking at “Transformation.”  They did an excellent job of explaining what takes place at salvation and how God transforms us from the inside out.  As we broke up into small groups to discuss the lesson, it is apparent that these young people are bright, thoughtful, and full of questions.  Though a bit timid at first, they soon reveal deep questions about what it means to grow as a Christian, also revealing many misconceptions about what one must “do” as a believer – great discussion.  After lunch we began our workshops in the arts – art, music, dance, and drama.  What creativity these young people have!!  I had the joy of observing all the groups in progress, amazed at what these young people were learning and creating on their own.  Alecia led her art group in amazing exercises of drawing, how to “see” objects and transfer that to paper.  Robin’s drama group began by acting out the key verse of the day:   John 15: 1-5 “I am the vine; you are the branches.  Abide in me…..”  Their interpretations were amazing!  Then they went on to exploring expressing emotions and different scenarios.  Alexia, one of the Kenyan interns joining us this week, led the dance group, and they created and learned a dance in one setting!  In music, Pastor Ben had the group write lyrics, based on John 15, then put them to their own melody.  We were all astounded at the song they created in one session!

Monday Kenya teen week Pictures

At the end of the day, all the groups presented a sample of what they had done in their sessions.  The results were even more than we prayed for or could imagine for the first day! 

What an amazing, encouraging day, meeting and getting to know these young people, the volunteers from Homecare, the church interns, and ourselves as a team!!

An incredible day of great delights - the chill as we wrap up in jackets and scarves  {very unlike Houston!!), the eagerness of these young people, their knowledge of scripture and desire to understand it more and build it into their lives, the sacrificial service of the volunteers, interns, Homecare staff and the wonderful ladies serving us here at the Homecare Retreat Center. 

After all the struggle just to get here, we are thankful beyond measure to be here with wonderful young people and share life with them for a while.  We know we have walked into the middle of the work God began long ago and will continue for years to come, but what a privilege to be able to step in for a time like this.  Our prayer:  to stay connected to The Vine that together, we might bear fruit.

Tuesday – “You Shall be My Witnesses”

Day 2, and we are excited to see all that this day will bring!  We are now beginning to know names of the young people, become more relaxed with one another and our surroundings.  Vibrant praise begins the day, and we continue our journey into Intimacy with Jesus by learning how to read and study scripture through the inductive method, using Acts 1:8. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit come, and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Adam and Laura did a great job of taking us through the steps of observation, interpretation, and application of this verse and what it had to say to them as witnesses where they are and beyond.  We broke up into groups and went through this process with other scriptures.  The students did a good job of listening and applying this process, sharing what they gleaned from the passages.  As we moved into our small groups, discussions are rich and deep. 

In our particular group, the girls had deep questions about scripture, fasting, Islam and the comparison with Christianity – not light subjects.  The depth of their questions is impressive, and as they continue to share, our hearts are more knit with them.  Our team is doing an incredible job!  Each one is contributing in special ways, sharing their gifts, building relationships and bonding so well with everyone here.

Bianca, Alecia’s 13 year old daughter, is making friends with the girls, and they really seem to enjoy having a peer here with them. 

Kara, who has worked with high schoolers for some years, is a “natural” in relating and connecting with the young people.  They love asking her all sorts of questions about scripture,  the US, youth at home, and her life as a youth pastor.  It’s wonderful seeing how God designs each team so uniquely and personally as only He can.

Tuesday Kenya teen week pictures

In the wrap-up share time at the end of the day, each workshop group shared what they had worked on today.  It is truly amazing to see what they create in just one session!  The beginning of a play, art theory and technique, choreographing a dance, and yet another original song based on Acts 1:8.  We were all so impressed with the song that we asked Pastor Ben if we could all learn it and sing it daily as a sort of theme song, that’s how good it is.  The chill of the day had given way to sun, which warmed quickly, and just as the workshops concluded, the clouds returned and as we closed, raindrops fell.  Perfect timing!  So as they waited out the shower waiting for the bus to arrive, we had more time to connect and learn more about one another.

Robin shared that the key prayer request from her small group is the worry about not having enough money for school fees to continue to go to school. 

We can’t help but compare to what might be main prayer items for the youth at home….probably not worry about if they will get to go to high school or not.  It really brings us quickly to reality, their reality, and prayer that these bright young people will be able to complete their education, grow in the Lord and go on to have a profound influence in Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya and beyond.

Unfortunately, we have not been able to have internet.  We would love to communicate frequently, but just know that your prayers are powerful and felt!  God is so mightily at work!  We’ve seen God’s hand at every turn, in every detail.  We rejoice today that Kara’s bag has been found and hopefully will be delivered today!  One of ours is still MIA……we are praying that it will be found since it has the projector, photo printer and other supplies that we would like to be able to use this week.

We’ve been reminded as we look into the beautiful faces of these young men and women that regardless of their circumstances, God is with them.  They are surrounded by His presence, and He indeed has a plan for their lives, and it is GOOD.

Wednesday – “Pray without Ceasing”

Wednesday teen week Kenya pictures

Prayer – our life line with God, the connection to His power…..such an important topic for our third day here.  Laura and Adam continue to do a great job explaining the essentials of prayer, what it is, isn’t, how to pray, what to pray…..so much to compact into one session, but they did a great job leading the group through Matthew 6:5-14, the Model Prayer.  The students were given time to have a private time alone with God, to consider what were their real needs, to see if they had sin to confess and if there were those they needed to forgive.  By the end of the day we heard of several young people who shared with their leaders that they came to the point of forgiveness as a result of today’s lesson.  Praise God for His work in our hearts.

We adjusted our schedule a bit today to provide a special “girl/boy” discussion time for the boys to meet together, the girls together, to share things that they were facing, challenges, Biblical questions, etc.  In the girls’ group, the main topic was relationship with boys.  It was quite a frank, open discussion about sexual purity, God’s design for relationships, why turning away from that design brings harm and sadness and why God’s loving desire is to protect us for our good.  It is very evident that sexual temptation is very strong in their community, and we are thankful for the local leaders who are working with them on a continual basis to mentor, encourage and help them in this journey.  The boys’ topics varied from some Biblical questions to questions about drugs, violence, education, as well as the topic of relationships with girls.  Again, frank discussion.  We know that it is not easy to discuss these concerns with others, and we are grateful that they felt the freedom to bring these questions out in the open.  The team and local leaders shared sound Biblical truth as well as advice that hopefully will encourage them to seek purity in their lives and continue to pursue God’s best.

The workshops continue as the students prepare to present in church this Sunday.  With only two days left to prepare, they determined their program, time limits, and are creating what we know will be an inspiring presentation.

Our ministry partner, Judy Mbugua, also came to spend time with the students today, visiting small groups and seeing what they have created in the workshops.  She shared an powerful message with these young people, a challenge for them to not let Kibera define or limit them, to hold out for God’s best, what He created them for.  We need not be defined by our circumstances, or by other’s opinions; it is God’s opinion that counts, and He has provided everything we need to fulfill His plan for our lives, and His plan is good!

Again, God was gracious as the rain clouds began to gather just as we concluded our day!  Our hearts are full; we are seeing God at work in tremendous ways.  Our hearts are also a bit heavy as we have listened to the trials these young people face; hard indeed.  But we are also reminded; with God, nothing is impossible, and He is able to sustain us as He walks with us on our life journey, difficult and not so difficult parts, trials and triumphs.   He IS with us.

Thursday – “We are the Body”

Community---the theme of the day as part of our growing in Intimacy with Jesus.  Adam and Laura presented the importance and role of living in community with other believers to strengthen, encourage, teach and hold one another accountable as we walk this journey with Him.  While the rest of our team was involved in small group and workshops, Laura, Adam and I (Diane) went to the Homecare center, which is near Kibera, to visit the AIDS widows and experience part of the Thursday prayer/praise meeting open to everyone.  I was asked to share a devotional with the widows, and it is always a special time to be with them at their weekly gathering.  The word He encouraged me to share was “Hope,” focusing on scripture that tells us where our hope lies, in Whom our hope lies, and why we can truly have hope.  Only because of Who God is can we have hope, based on His character, provision through His Son, and empowered by His Spirit. It also happened to be the graduation day for the sewing program at Homecare Center, and we got to join in celebrating the five young women from Kibera who had passed their level 3 government exam in sewing.  Each one received her own sewing machine and supplies to start their own business. It was a sweet time indeed. 


Thursday Kenya teen week pictures

During that time, John did something with the boys that was certainly counter-cultural; he exhorted them to respect and honor girls/women, treat them with respect and dignity and serve them.  As a way of doing that, he asked them to pick up the chairs for the girls (the universal white plastic chair!) and allow them to go to lunch first.  Then, they were to offer to take the girls’ dishes when they were finished as a way to serve them.  They even formed a double line for the girls to go up the hill for lunch, clapping and singing as they went!  This is not the norm in male/female behavior in this culture, and frankly, the girls weren’t sure what to make of it.  Once they began to realize that they were being served, and got over some of the shock, they were elated.  What a contrast to the treatment sadly shared so frequently in their personal testimonies of beatings, abuse, demeaning status and disregard.  But stories of abuse are not limited just to the girls; many of the boys shared about their harsh treatment at home.  The more they share, the more we know this week is a pivotal point for many of them to find the courage to verbalize their pain, receive comfort and confirmation from God’s Word that they are truly loved by Him.

When we returned, the workshops were in full swing.  Tomorrow is our last day together before the students present their work at church Sunday, so it was a busy afternoon for them fine tuning their music, dance, play and background scenery painted by the art group.  It was pure joy to observe their excitement and full involvement in what they are doing!  In just a few short days, we have seen these rather reserved young people literally blossom before our eyes!  They are discovering talents they never knew they even had; sparks are building to a flame as they see themselves in a totally new light – one of significance, meaning, talent and potential. Just pure joy!

As we concluded the day with worship and prayer, John again organized the boys to allow the girls to proceed out first to the bus (getting first picks on the seats), again forming two lines as the girls sang their way to the bus.  The boys followed behind, chanting and singing.  What a huge change from Monday!  It’s hard to believe that tomorrow is Friday, our last full day together.  For those who doubt that anything significant can occur in a few days, just ask any one of our team.  Each of us are full to overflowing with gratitude for being a part of this incredible week.  We have witnessed transformation in these young people; we have heard and seen God at work, and we know this is just the beginning of a new chapter in their lives.  As they verbalize back to us what it means to be transformed by God, the role of prayer, Bible study and community, we know it’s “sticking.”  They are getting it.  And we are growing with them, deepening our own intimacy with Jesus in the process.  They, and we, are parts of His Body, and how grateful we are to experience it this side of heaven, knowing that we will spend eternity together.

Friday – “Let the Son Shine In”

Friday Kenya teen week pictures

Last morning of camp; the clouds have parted, and we are greeted with sunshine and warmth.  The temperature varies greatly with the movement of the clouds.  When they move away, it can warm up nicely, but they can quickly regroup and a chill fills the air.  So we greet the day with the sun and talk about the last subject of the week – being on mission.  Using Matthew 28: 18, Adam and Laura share what our mission is as believers – go and share, make disciples.    They did a great job of explaining how to share the gospel clearly and simply.  The campers were asked to think of three people they could share the gospel with and begin to pray for them.  Before the morning break, the students were asked to share some of their own testimonies.  What a joy to hear them!  Here are a few excerpts from what they share.

“This camp has transformed my life.  Before coming here, I was bitter and resentful.  I have learned that harboring bitterness hurts only me.  I learned to forgive and have been able to forgive those who have hurt me.”

“Before coming here, I didn’t read the Bible much.  After learning how to read and study the Bible, I am serious about studying it and hope others have changed their feelings too.”

“I appreciate learning to respect girls as my sisters. If I see boys bullying girls, I am going to stop them and protect them.”

“Before coming here, I wasn’t following Jesus.  Now I know that God changes us, and we are to not only read the Word, but also do it.  I don’t want to be like the foolish man who built his house on sand, but build on the rock.  I want to share with my friends and give them Bibles.”

This is transformation!!

In the small groups, discussion of the week and how to share the gospel continued.  Then we asked if they would write down something about the week and what they thought about it.  What testimonies!!  Pages and pages of sincere praise to God as they told about what they had learned and how their hearts had been changed!  One asked if we could stay a month or so…….

The week has flown by; it has been so very rich and full.  We are all sad to see it end, but how grateful we are to have had the privilege of sharing these days with the young people and all the helpers. But we still have Sunday!

Today was the last day to polish and have “dress rehearsal” for Sunday’s presentation at church.  After numerous run throughs in groups, they had several practices at putting it all together within the time frame allotted.  It is obvious that they have worked hard; they are taking pride in their accomplishments.  Their whole demeanor has changed since Monday -  they are full of enthusiasm and hold their heads high.

We have been here for six days now, and at long last our bag was located and after an all day ordeal at the airport, John was able to secure our bag containing our photo printer, paper and ink, and projector.  So as teen week concluded with a celebratory cake (served by the girls to the boys to show that they respected and wanted to serve them, too) John was able to take individual pictures of the campers so that we can give each of them a picture on Sunday as a special remembrance of this week.

Tomorrow we will go into Kibera to visit several Bible clubs that meet every Saturday, help serve them lunch and make home visits.  It will be a very sobering experience for those who have not been there before.  The enormity and density of the slum is overwhelming, but this is home to an estimated 1.5-2 million people in a 600 acre space.  With little/no sanitation, running water or electricity, you can imagine what it is like.  But God is in the midst of this community!  As Adam and Laura shared this morning, if each of these young people discipled three people, then each of them disciple three, and so on, more than 27,000 people would be disciples of Jesus in a relatively short amount of time.  Imagine the impact on Kibera, Nairobi and beyond with these witnesses – talk about kingdom building!

The Son has indeed shone today!  The words of the song the young people wrote (lyrics and music) that will be shared on Sunday say it all:

“Kibera, we will preach.  Nairobi, we will witness.  Kenya will know that Jesus is the Lord!”

Saturday – “Into the Forest”

We are continually learning from our ministry partners as we serve alongside them, and we learned this week that the origin of the word “Kibera” is “Kibra,” meaning “forest.”  Pastor Peter reminded the young people that they had prayed for those affected by the forest fires on CO, but that God wanted to unleash a different kind of flame in their “forest,” His Spirit!  I am always overwhelmed by how God weaves even the most minute details together in ministry, and this time was filled with so many examples of this!  One small one was the colored wristbands that I had ordered for the young people to wear so that they could be divided into color-coded teams.  Each of them was engraved with “Fired up for Faith.”  Fire….flames….Spirit…..forest…….amazing.

Saturday was our opportunity to visit Kibera, visit several of the Bible clubs, and visit in homes.  It is best to visit in small groups, since each area is so small and crowded, so we broke up into three groups, each accompanied by one of our Homecare friends.  Robin and I had the joy of joining Pastor Peter to visit the original Bible club at Salvation Army; it is the largest ministry site in Kibera, but still not all that large.  We arrived after the club was in progress, led by Kelvin, who had worked with us all week.  Imagine our joy and delight to see the floor covered with children of a variety of ages (babies crawling on the floor amid elementary age children, Bibles open, listening and learning………).  I looked at the worn blackboard on the wall; on it was written the Bible story for the day (friends helping the lame man see Jesus), memory verse……….and then on the right side, the outline for inductive Bible study that was shared in the Bible study during the past week!  Imagine children of this age learning how to observe, interpret, and apply scripture!!  And they were DOING IT!!  I had to reflect on how many adults have not had the opportunity to learn/apply this method of studying the scriptures for themselves!  Proof that with God, ALL things are possible…..and when we follow Him, He works incredibly!!

We had the extra treat of witnessing a beautiful wedding taking place that day at the Salvation Army church.  Weddings are probably the best way to enjoy and appreciate a culture and their customs.  We got to see the large contingency comprising the wedding party:  quite a number of beautiful young women dressed in shades of purple, along with a group of adorable  little girls in similar attire, with a handsome group of men in suits, accompanied by a group of young boys in suits with the added embellishment of walking canes decorated in purple!  Wow….now that was one beautifully adorned group!!!  The whole wedding procedure is such a joy to watch as various ones of the bridal group arrive in great pomp and circumstance.  We definitely weren’t dressed for a wedding, but cordially invited to take pictures, listen to the Salvation Army band perform in prelude to the ceremony, and basically “crash the wedding.”  These are truly community events, and all are welcome!  Another amazing example of their gracious hospitality.

From there, we moved on to home visits.  Mine was bitter/sweet and very personal.  One of the young girls we had come to know in a youth camp several years ago was to be a part of this ministry week with the youth.  I had so looked forward to being with “Hannah” as I’ll refer to her; she and another amazing young person, Fred, had sought us out last year after not seeing us for about four years, to urge us to do something again with the youth.  Needless to say, that pierced our hearts as we recalled these outstanding young people when they were but 12-13.    Even then, “Hannah” was composing amazing songs (remember, Samantha???), and Fred displayed a brilliant mind.  I was so glad to see Fred first thing that beginning Monday morning, but looked in vain for “Hannah.”  After asking about her, I was told a very sad, but all too familiar story.  She would not be joining in the week……….her drunkard father had basically put Hannah, her mother and sister out on the streets.  A family had offered for them to live with them, and at some point, Hannah was abused.  Later she discovered that she was pregnant.  Incredulous, she hid it until she could no longer do so.  A gifted student, all she wanted to do was complete her high school studies; she is scheduled to sit for her exams for year 11 the first week in Sept.  Her baby is due any day now………

I had asked Peter if I could see her; he said she wanted to see me, and her mother would meet us and take us to the place where they were staying now after leaving the place where all this had occurred.  The minute we walked into the tiny mud/stick dwelling, I saw her small frame sitting on a cot-like bed.  Her face revealed a mix of joy and shame; she must have had some misgivings about how she would be received in this new condition, but she need not have worried.  We embraced her fully, showing nothing but love and concern.  We assured her that God still loved her deeply, completely, and He was NOT finished with her story!  Regardless of how this baby was conceived, it was a blessing and gift of the Lord…….and so we began to pray for her, the baby, their future, the needs of their family, protection and provision, and for God’s continued miraculous work in and through them.  I’m so grateful that her mother is supportive; she said she will do whatever is necessary to see that Hannah completes her education, though she can barely provide for the three of them.  A continuing story of survival.  This story is repeated all too often around the world, and my heart aches for Hannah and all those walking in her shoes around the globe.  It’s a huge part of why Tirzah exists!  I asked Hannah if she was still writing songs; “Yes “ she said.  Would she please sing for us?  Shyly, “Yes.”  And she began…..allowing Robin and I to video it on our phones.  Such a tender, poignant moment.  Amid pain and discouragement, there is a song of hope still in her heart!  How we want to encourage and invest in such young women!  We left after many hugs, tears, smiles, and assurances that God is good and IS WITH HER.  Bitter/sweet, but so thankful that we got to love on her even for a short while and hopefully encourage her to keep on keeping on.  Please pray for her as she awaits the arrival of this baby; she is 16, scared, wondering what the future holds……….but we continue to trust THE ONE who holds the future in His hands!

From there we made a stopped for a late lunch and on to the City Market to take in all the local handicrafts, for which they are well known, so that our teammates could take a little bit of Kenya home with them – but the MOST important element of Kenya is that which each of us carry home in our hearts.

Don't miss the final two posts - click "Older Posts" below to read all about Sunday and Monday! 