Week 8?

Last week was personally a busy week. On Tuesday I spoke to the AIDS support group. I talked on Isaiah 6 and the Isaiah’s response to salvation. After God forgave his sins, Isaiah’s response was “Here am I, send me.” This is the only correct response to our salvation. Once we realized the vastness of our sin, and the vastness of God’s love and forgiveness how can we not give our lives to serving our creator and redeemer? There’s a quote from a Relient K song that has always stuck with me, even though I find them annoying, “The beauty of grace is that it makes life not fair.” This is so true. We deserve eternal punishment, but God has removed our veil to see His glory.

I gave the sermon on Sunday. I preached on 2 Corinthians 3:18. If we have experienced God’s salvation we should also be experiencing a transformation into His image. There are people all around us that believe that doing good things, or being a nice person means that they are saved or that saying a prayer when they were a child is the cause of salvation. Are we bearing fruit? Are we being transformed? I don’t say all of these things to scare you or to make you doubt anything, but God’s word is telling us that everyone (“And we all with unveiled face”) that has experienced God’s salvation should also experience a transformation within our lives. I ended with a similar point from Isaiah 6; if we are God’s children, our sole purpose is to love Him and His people.

Sunday also started a weeklong of goodbyes. The church prepared a meal for the entire congregation as a goodbye meal for us after the service. I will miss these people and this church. I can hardly believe that I have been here for eight weeks. Yesterday was our last day working with the workers. I will miss the kids in my classes, but the men that I have been working will be the hardest to say goodbye to. Some of the best relationship I have developed this summer have come from this group of men. After work I went to one of their homes to meet their family. I left with Ken about 5:30. He lives about ½ a kilometer from the compound. He lives with his grandparents and three of his cousins. His grandmother is almost 70 and his grandfather is around 90. Their hospitality was something I have never experienced before. I had some tea with Ken and talked with him for about an hour before I went back to the compound to play soccer with some of the other workers.

This summer has changed my life forever. I have not even begun to process all of the events of this summer. This is what I do know: I will be at the Atlanta Airport at 8pm EST on Sunday night, and I am not ready to leave.

He must increase, i must decrease,

Justin

The Finish Line is Fast Approaching

The summer is starting to wind down. It is insane to think of how quickly this summer has passed by. We spent this past weekend in Massai Mara for our safari. It was somewhat awkward being a true tourist for the first time this summer. Although we have been called mzungu (white man) all summer, we have never filled a “tourist” role. Early Friday morning two matatus (vans that holds 12 or more people) pulled up to the compound. We traveled 6 hours southwest of Nairobi. We were close to the Tanzania border. The Maasai mara is one of the most famous safari destinations in the entire world. We saw people from Germany, China, England, Canada, and the USA.

Those of you who have known me since I was little know that I grew up wanting to be the next Crocodile Hunter. I was like a little kid in a candy store getting to see all of these wild animals. We got to see herds of zebras, and the wilder beast migration across the Massai Mara River. We saw hippos, a rino, herds of elephants, all kinds of birds, giraffes, and we came within 15 feet of about 10 lions. The group kept thinking of all of the scenes in The Lion King that these animals were in, but there was no Pride Rock sighting. “You killed Mufasa” could be heard from the group as we approached a herd of wilder beast. This was a life changing experience. It was something I have been waiting for since I was born.

God’s creation amazes me. Seeing all these animals in their natural habitat and the beauty of their surroundings made Romans 1:19-20 really come to life. How can anyone look at the variety of earthly creation, a sunrise, a sunset, and the beauty of a mountain and not know that there is a God. Those things only describe visible earthly creation, much less the vastness of the universe or the complexity of a single molecule.

This past Sunday, a large portion of the group suffered from food poisoning. We assume that it came from the Massai Mara. I was spared. Saturday night I took a Cipro (antibiotic) to fight against a sinus infection. I guessed that taking that little pill spared me from a day of misery. Although Corey was sick, God still provided him the strength to give the sermon on Sunday. It was incredible seeing such a tangible answered prayer right in front of us. As soon as the sermon was over, he became extremely sick. Other than that experience of food poisoning, the group’s health has been extremely well since we have been here.

This Sunday will be our last Sunday in Kibera. We are flying out on the 24^th. It is going to be the start of an emotional week for the team. Every single one of us are leaving a portion of our hearts here. Although there are some things back home that each of us are looking forward to seeing, there is a large portion of us all that want to stay here in Kenya. God’s hand on this team has been very evident. The team is still anxiously awaiting the “storming phase” that was drilled into us at prefield training. This has become some sort of joke to the team. We realize that each day is a blessing and we have tried our best to take advantage of each opportunity that we have here. The maturity of each team member has been an important factor in the smoothness of the summer. Another important thing is that each person on the team really wants to be here. No one is seeing this as a miny vacation.

I will be giving the sermon at church on Sunday. Keep me in your prayers as I prepare. Also keep the team in your prayers as a whole as we begin to long week of goodbyes and prepare ourselves to get back into the American culture. I truly believe that it is going to be a hard adjustment. 

HE must increase i must decrease,

Justin

Happy 4th!

This past weekend was one of the best weekends of the summer. On Saturday we did a 4^th of July party for the girls at the shelter. The team cooked them hotdogs, baked beans, and baked a cake. Because fireworks are illegal, we used mentos and coke lite as a replacement. The afternoon was filled with a water balloon fight and a soccer match (Kenya vs USA) or 23 Kenyans vs 9 Americans. It was easily the best time we have had with the girls.

Yesterday, we went to the market in Kisarian to pick up some supplies for a 4^th of July party we were going to do with the workers. When we returned we went to see a Masai lady that one of the workers knows. She does some beadwork with the traditional Kenyan tribal wear. Whoever picks me up at the airport will get a nice surprise. Last night we had hotdogs, fries, grilled goat meat, coke floats, and grilled locusts. We had a rave outside thanks to Corey’s rave playlist with the workers. After the rave, we had a traditional African campfire. The team joined our Kenyan brothers and sisters with tribal songs, Kenyan dancing games, Swahili worship songs, and English worship songs.

4^th of July has always been my favorite holiday. Ironically, the best 4^th I’ve ever had was in Kenya.

This is a short blog, so use the time you would normally read my blog to pray for the team, the church, the children in Kibera, and the girls at the shelter.

He must increase, i must decrease,

Justin

July???

Because we did not have internet last week, I posted a blog from last week and this week.

This week, the director of MTW was in Kenya, so pastor Inbumi was not able to pick us up like he does most days. Pastor Wycliffe got a cab to pick us up to take us to our different destinations throughout the week.

We worked on the construction site on Monday. The building is almost at the roofing stage. It is hard to believe that the building was nothing but a hole in the ground when we arrived. I cannot wait to return to see this empty piece of property finished and being used to house girls and boys who are rescued from terrible situations. The master plan of this property will include housing for 200+ children, a school, church, staff housing, and a vocational school.

Tuesday and Wednesday were normal. I spent them teaching in Kibera. Tuesday I taught a class 4 English lesson and on Wednesday I taught a class 5 social studies lesson. These kids continually steal my heart. My least favorite part of the day is leaving Kibera and these children.

We had a scary encounter last week in Kibera. On Wednesday one of the teachers came into the meeting we were in and told us that one of the kids had fainted. His name is Bryan and he is in the class 4 (or 4^th grade) that I teach. I’ve seen people faint before and it usually doesn’t take them too long to recover. Bryan was unconscious for about 30 minutes+. Pastor Inbumi called his mother and she came into the school crying. She ran into the room and started praying, within minutes he was awake and conscious. He went to the doctor, but they could not figure out what was wrong with him. Bryan is one of the students I have gotten closest to. He sat next to me at church on Sunday.

Yesterday (Thursday) was the most beautiful day we’ve experienced here in Kenya. It started at 6:30 with one of the most stunningly gorgeous sunrises I have ever seen. It was followed by a clear, sunny day planting trees on the property. It felt like summer time in America (it is winter here in Kenya). As the sun was setting, I walked through the field behind the compound. It isn’t everyday that you get to walk through the African wilderness surrounded by acacia trees at sunset. We also had my favorite meal for dinner, chapatti.

It has been a great week here in Kenya. It is hard to believe that it is already July.

The team will be doing an American Independence Day party for the girls at the girls home tomorrow. The menue: hotdogs, chili, and coke floats. We will replace the usually display of fireworks with coke lite (diet coke) and mentos.

One night this week, the girls on the team found a field mouse outside their room. I took care of the situation with a cinderblock.

He must increase, i must decrease,

Justin

Kibera

The past week was very trying emotionally. We’ll start with our house visits we did last week.

On Tuesday and Wednesday the team split up and did house visits in Kibera. We were trying to go into the homes of the children that we are teaching in our classes. It is very eye opening to walk into the homes (and by homes I mean a 15’x15’ shack made dried mud that usually houses 6 or more people). These people are so thankful for us to take the time to go into their homes, listen to their struggles, and pray for them. The thing that tugs on my heartstrings the most is the fact that every time I walk in Kibera I get to leave. These children, these single mothers, and these disabled men live here. To these people, Kibera is not a picture on the internet it is not a statistic; it is not a 10-day mission trip visit to make you feel good about yourself. To these people, Kibera is a reality. It is what they wake up to everyday and go to sleep to every night. The poverty that they are entangled in controls almost every aspect of their life…but they have joy.

Read Psalm 1.

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, not sits at the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and n his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”

The Christians in Kibera are like the tree in that psalm. They draw their source of happiness and life from God. They do not rely on some sort of circumstance, acceptance letter, salary, vehicle, or family situation to have joy. They have the Creator of the universe, the Creator of every molecule, the Creator of physics, language, and art as their Lord and Savior, and that is more than they need. After spending over a month in Kibera, it is obvious to me that there is no correlation between happiness and material possessions.

On one of our house visits last week I went with pastor Wycliffe to do some first aid for different people close to the church. The first house we visited had a child about 2-years-old with some very infected scrapes. In the US, we would have but some antibacterial cream and a band-aid to keep this from happening, but these people do not have the luxury of band-aids. They do not have clean water to wash the scrapes. Washing an injury with water would be like pouring the bacteria directly on the wound. When we arrived, I washed the scrape, put some antibiotic cream on it, and used a band-aid to keep it from getting even more infected. The infection was all over the child’s left shin and the bottom of her right foot. I received word from one of the members on the team who did a follow-up visit this week that the child’s infection was completely gone. Praise the Lord!

On that same day, we went to a home where a man had been beaten by his son. The son used some sort of rod over the man’s head and caused an extremely severe gash in the man’s head. When we walked into the home, the first thing I noticed was the blood all over the sheets and floor. All he had to stop the bleeding was a piece of gauze. Somehow (despite seeing his skull at the deepest part of the gash) I cleaned the injury and re-bandaged it using the supplies we had. Pastor Wycliffe told me later that week that the man finally was able to go to a hospital to have it stitched.

Last week was extremely eye-opening. This is where these people live. This poverty is a reality.

He must increase, i must decrease,

Justin

Chewsday

Habari!

This Sunday, the group realized that we will be going to church in Kibera only four more times. The reality that this summer is half way over is starting to settle in.

Here are a few facts about Kenya:

They were a British colony, so a lot of British influences are still in the culture. They drive on the left side of the road. This actually seems very natural to me now. I will have to adjust once I return home. I naturally get in the van on the left side and the driver’s seat looks normal on the right side of the vehicle. Kenyans also have several tea times throughout the day. They call it chai and make it by boiling milk and steeping Kenyan tea bags. It is very good. Starbucks has nothing on Kenyan and Ethiopian coffee. I usually start my mornings with one or two cups.

The Kenyans are divided into 43 tribes. Each tribe is usual found in a specific geographical area; also each tribe has a distinct language, traditions, and meals. Each Kenyan learns their tribal language first, then they learn Swahili and English as a 2^nd and 3^rd language. In the past, the different tribes have caused political conflict, but they are starting to marry into different tribes to try to create unity throughout all of the tribes.

When most people think of Kenyan tribes they think of people dressed in colorful clothing, facial piercing, and spears. This is the traditional Kenyan culture and there is still one tribe that follows these traditions. The Masai are the traditional Kenyan tribe. They are seen herding cattle, wearing traditional Kenyan clothing, and sporting the traditional Kenyan ear piercings. Lucky for us, we are staying in a rural area in the middle of the Masai land. Everyday, we get to see them herd their cattle in the traditional Kenyan garments.

Yesterday we went to the local market in Kisarian. We definitely stuck out like a sore thumb. The majority of the people there are Masai, so everywhere we went we heard the word “mzungu” (which means foreigner). We got a good dose of the local culture. The girls did the grocery shopping and the guys walked around getting a feel for all the local stores.

The VBS went great. It was very tiring, but it was great seeing so many kids show up to learn about God on a Saturday. I helped out with the “games” which turned into putting the kids into a circle and throwing a soccer ball into the middle… they took care of the rest.

The guys on the trip have started developing strong relationships with the Kenyan men we are working with on the construction site. The men are starting to open up more and more as they get used to us.

The team is starting to get tired, but we have worked so well with each other so far. I am amazed at how well everyone works with each other. It is evident that God put together this team.

One of Mumford and Sons most popular songs is “Awake My Soul.” One of the lyrics of that song is “Where you invest your love, you invest your life.” This summer I have invested my love to the kids of Kibera and in doing so I have invested a piece of my life. God is quickly developing a heart for Kenya within me.

This Friday we are planning on hiking a mountain close to our compound. We have grown tired of spending our off days doing nothing but getting internet in a coffee shop.

Today, instead of teaching, I did home visits with pastor Wycliffe. I had the opportunity to meet one of my student's mothers. Victor is his name. He is very smart and the head boy of the school. His father and brother both have TB. One of the ladies we met today came to know Christ as her savior. Praise the Lord! It was a very eye opening experience to see the homes of the kids I am visiting.

Continue to pray for the team, pastor Inbumi, the children of Kibera, and the workers we are working with on the construction site.

I will be giving a sermon to the church using a Swahili translator within the next few weeks. I think I’m going to preach on 2 Corinthians 3:18.

Justin

Habari!

The weeks are starting to fly by. This week the team spent Monday and Thursday working on the construction site and Tuesday and Wednesday teaching in Kibera. I have been teaching class 4 English and class 5 social studies. This week’s English lesson was on prepositions and how they can be used in reference to time (ex. I have been in Kenya since May 28), but the jokes on them. I barely know what a preposition is and I’ve never been that good at grammar. The social studies lessons I’ve been teaching deal with Kenyan geography, so I’ve been learning the lessons the night before. Despite not being the most qualified teacher in the world, I have been having a great time with the kids. It is such a blessing to be able to invest in the lives of these children. Many of them are clinging to their education as a way out of the slum. They realize that not getting an education means not having a steady job and therefore being stuck in Kibera.

Yesterday Jacob and I went on a run down a dirt road close to our compound. As we were running we came across one of the Kenyans that we are working with at the construction site. He lives about a mile from the compound. It was really cool to be able to meet his family. He has a family of about 8 people all living in a one-room shack. He is also one of the happiest people I’ve ever met. He is the same guy that asked me last week what “swagger” means.

Last Sunday, something happened that will forever stick in my mind. Just before pastor Inbumi started to give his sermon, a 10-year-old boy started crying for no explained reason. He then ran out of the church. Pastor Inbumi left the pulpit to go see what was wrong. A few minutes later pastor returned holding the child. Pastor calmed him down. It wasn’t until after church that I learned why the child started crying. He had not eaten since lunch on Friday; it was then 12pm on Sunday afternoon. The hunger pains were hurting him so badly that he began to cry just before the sermon at church. Here I was sitting with a bag of peanuts in my backpack just incase we had a “late” lunch. The child attends the school at the church during the week. The church provides a lunch for all the children while they are at school. This is his only meal everyday. This is the reality of the slum outside the protection of the church. Children are starving, people are dying of AIDS, single mothers are trying to feed their children without a source of income, and wild pigs are eating the sludge and filth in the middle of the allies. I will never get used to the unimaginable poverty and I will never cease to be humbled by the great joy and faith that the Christians of the slum demonstrate. Their faith isn’t just an hour on Sunday, a few half-sung worship songs, a bible verse once a week, and an occasional prayer before a meal. Please pray for the starving children, the people dying of AIDS, and the students trying to obtain an education.

Also, last Sunday was our first time in the slum after it rained. It was a very “slushy” experience to say the least. I also gave my testimony to the church using a Swahili translator. It was an exhilarating experience.

The cokes here use natural sugar instead of corn syrup, making them a lot better (or actually drinkable since I usual prefer Pepsi).

Last Saturday we went out to eat at an Ethiopian restaurant with a couple that graduated from Auburn University (War Eagle). They have been in Nairobi for two years and are about to move to a remote area in Uganda for five years. Pray for their preparation. Also, Ethiopian food is very different from Kenyan food.

My favorite Kenyan meal is Chapati and kidney beans. Imagine a Kenyan Joey from Moe’s. It is delicious.

I’ve been reading through the New Testament since April. This week I read a verse in 1 John that stuck with me.

“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” – 1 John 1:5

Kibera is such a dark place, but God’s light is shining through Kibera Reformed Presbyterian Church. Continue to pray for our team, pastor Inbumi, and all of the teachers at the school.

Mungu akubariki sona!

“He must increase, i must decrease” –John 3:30