Soon gone...

It is a little hard to believe the Kellys will be leaving for Africa in a little over four weeks. They have been preparing for a year and the time is almost here. Where has the time gone? I'm sure there is still much more to do and at the same time it is all in God's hands. Tim and Chris have been such a big part of Living Hope Church it is difficult to imagine them being anywhere else. I have been going to LHC for 22 years and there has never been a time when the Kellys weren't there, involved in the ministry of the church.

Tim and Chris have directly and indirectly impacted the lives of so many people at LHC, especially the youth. They have been involved in the Psalty program. Who could forget Risky Rat? Tim and Chris have been, and still are, advisers for the Youth Group. They have been involved in Family Camp, working with Spencer Lake Bible Camp, Camp Daniel, and of course leading short-term mission trips all over the world. There are so many people whose walk with God have been impacted by the Kellys. I have been privileged to work with Tim and Chris for over ten years and I will miss seeing them at LHC. It will take a little time to get used to not having the Kelly clan sitting in the middle section, third row from the front on a Sunday morning.

Tim and Chris will soon be gone...but not separated...from us. They are moving to Kenya but they are going as missionaries of Bethany International and Living Hope Church. They will continue to be a vital part of the ministry of our church. We'll just have to Skype, or go on a mission trip to Kenya, to see them. We need to continue to hold Tim and Chris up in prayer providing them spiritual and emotional support.

The Kellys have some specific needs as well. A lot of the day to day household items we take for granted are very expensive in Kenya. The Kellys will still need these things and if they can get them here to take with them it will be much less expensive. A couple of their friends have been working on gathering as many of the items as they can but there are still quite a few things on their wishlist. So, if you are thinking of getting the Kellys a going-away present how about getting one of the items from their list. The wish list can be accessed by clicking here, "The Kelly Wishlist", or by clicking the link below. If you weren't thinking about getting them a going-away present you should be now that you've read the post so follow the link and pick something from the list.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dYki-b7P97iuboJJDh8gJI1FmPWfJwptJjY7Ti1GA30/edit?usp=sharing

If you do get something on the list please post a comment here letting everyone know that the item has been taken care of. That way we can get everything on the list instead of 50 sticks of deodorant.

If you see Tim and Chris over the next few weeks be sure to let them know we love them and are with them as they follow God on this journey. You can also let them know by commenting on their blog http://kellysinkenya.blogspot.com/. Thanks for taking the time to read this and for all you do. May God bless you as you continue to walk with Him!

Our God multiplies...

I have been praying about missions, evangelism and all that God is doing in our community and around the world. I am constantly amazed that the creator of the heavens and the earth would allow someone like me to be a part of what He is doing to work His plan for all creation. When I look at the enormity of what God is doing at times I am overwhelmed and I don’t see how I can really make a difference. Then God reminds me - He multiplies!

One example of God’s multiplication is the miracle of the loaves and fishes.  Jesus performed this miracle twice. The first instance is recorded in Matthew 14:13-21, Mark  6:31-44, Luke 9:10-17 and John 6:5-15. In this instance a large crowd, about five thousand men not including the women and children, had gathered to see Jesus. As the day came to an end the disciples suggested Jesus send the crowd away so they could buy food for themselves. Jesus had a better idea. He took the five loaves and two fish the disciples had and blessed them. He broke the bread and gave it to the disciples to distribute to the crowd. When everyone had eaten and were satisfied the disciples gathered the remaining bread which filled twelve baskets. The second instance of this miracle is recorded in Mark 8:1-9 and Matthew 15:32-39. In this instance a great crowd had gathered to see Jesus bringing the sick and infirm to Him to be healed. The crowd was there three days and Jesus did not want to send them away hungry but the disciples did not have enough food to feed them. Jesus took the seven loaves and few fish the disciples had, and blessing the food broke the bread and gave the food to the disciples to distribute. There were about 4000 men in the crowd, not counting the women and children. When everyone had eaten and were satisfied the disciples gathered the remaining bread and filled seven baskets.

In both cases God was able to take what the disciples had and multiply it to feed multitudes with more leftover than they started with.  Jesus taught parables about God’s multiplication throughout the New Testament – the parable of the sower, the parable of the talents, the parable of the leaven all teach us something regarding the Kingdom of Heaven and the multiplication of God. I like the way one author I read describes it – “Whatever you keep is all you have, what you give God multiplies.”

Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.           Luke 6:38

Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And there put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.                                                                                                    Malachi 3:10

He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.                                                                  2 Corinthians 9:10

Whatever we give to God for His will is multiplied. If we give our money, God will multiply it. If we give our time, God will multiply it. If we share His love, God will multiply it. I believe God has given us a great opportunity as a church. We have been involved in what He is doing in here in our community and also as far away as Nairobi, Kenya. As the Kelly’s transition into their role in Kenya we will be even more involved in Kenya, our community and in partnership with Bethany International in Minneapolis. God will use these connections to multiply our impact on the world around us.

So, what do we need to do? We need to commit to giving to God. We need to be committed to giving God our time, our prayers, our devotion, our love, our finances, and whatever He asks. God will take whatever we give and multiply it for His work and His glory. If we don’t give then God can’t multiply it – remember anything multiplied by zero is still zero. One of the best ways we can give is by sharing what God is doing in our lives, in our church and in our community with others. This gives us the chance to share the good news of God’s everyday impact on our lives and the lives of the people around us. It also gives others a chance to get involved and be a part of what God is doing.

In my last blog post I mentioned the costs to move the Kelly family to Nairobi. I can’t imagine how any one of us could raise those funds but God can because He multiplies. The Kellys have raised $54,245 or enough to cover 3433 miles of the trip. They’re about 500 miles off the coast of England. They need to raise another $70,000 or so to be fully funded. I believe God can multiply what we can do to help the Kellys raise the funds they need but we have to commit our part. We have all contributed financially through donations, the banquet and auction and the rummages sale. We have committed our prayers and I know we are praying because of the doors God has opened for the Kellys. We also need to be committed to sharing what the Kellys are doing and what God is doing through them with our friends, neighbors, relatives and anyone else who might be interested. I believe if we continue to be committed to praying and sharing we will be amazed at the multiplication God will perform!

No gold, nor silver, nor copper...

In Matthew, Luke and Mark we read of Jesus sending his disciples out to the world.

These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, "Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And proclaim as you go, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. 9 Acquire no gold nor silver nor copper for your belts, 10 no bag for your journey, nor two tunics nor sandals nor a staff, for the laborer deserves his food.                                                                                Matthew 10:5-10

In verses 9 and 10 Jesus instructs the disciples to go without making additional preparations for their journey. I believe this instruction serves two purposes. The first purpose is to have the disciples rely completely upon God for their provision. God provides for the disciples through his children - the church. Learning to depend completely on God is essential for all who would be His disciple and providing physical, emotional and financial support to His disciples provides all of us with an opportunity to receive the blessing of spreading the good news of the gospel. I believe the second purpose of this instruction is to get busy now. We can prepare, wait, hope for better timing, etc. but there will likely never be a better time, we probably won't be more prepared and the only thing you are guaranteed to get by waiting is older. When God calls us to go and do something He wants us to go and do it as Elisha did - right now with no looking back.

As I was thinking about Matthew 10 and Luke 10 I started wondering what does it take to "go" when you are a family of six, like the Kellys, and the place you are called to go to is very poor, like Kenya. The first thing to understand is how far it is from Green Bay to Nairobi. There are several different routes you can take when travelling to Nairobi. Most involve flying from the United States to Europe, and from Europe to Nairobi. If you fly from Green Bay to Chicago, on to London then Nairobi the trip is 8226 miles. That is a lot of going!

As a side note, while I was figuring out the total distance from Green Bay to Nairobi, I learned that you can actually drive from England to Kenya. Driving adds about 2000 miles onto the trip but that would be an epic road trip. Something new on my bucket list :)

The Kelly's have budgeted $130,000 in start up costs. This includes their travel costs, the costs of their household goods (appliances, furniture, etc.), costs for a vehicle, security deposits on an apartment, utilities, etc. and everything else you would need if you moved around the world and set up a new home. So, a little math and I realized it costs about $15.80 per mile to send a missionary family of six to Nairobi, Kenya.

We have done a lot of fund raising lately. When I say we, I mean all of us, everyone at Living Hope Church. We have been blessed by the Peder Eide concert, the Great Commission Banquet and the Rummage Sale. The generosity of God's people is amazing. 

Through these three events we have helped the Kellys raise almost 25% of their start up budget. Another way of looking at the funds raised - we have helped raise enough funds to get the Kelly family 2080 miles along there journey. That will get them someplace over the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Only 6146 miles to go! 

Now, if we could just find 6146 people who would be willing to donate $15.80 we'd be all set. The only problem is I don't think I know 6146 people. I do know all of you though and between all of us we know way more than 6146 people. If we assume there are about 200 adults at Living Hope Church and those adults all know 30 other adults and those 30 adults also know 30 adults we are three degrees of separation from knowing 180,000 people. So, if we all took the time to share what God is doing through the Kellys with the people we know and we could get them to share with the people they know 180,000 people would hear what God is doing in Africa. If just 3% of the people who heard would choose to get involved in supporting the Kellys by donating $15.80 the Kellys would have all of there start up budget and they won't have to swim the rest of the way to England.

I believe this is what God intended for all evangelists, missionaries and disciples. Some He calls to go and others he calls to provide. We can't all go and we can't provide 100% of the support that is needed. But we can share what God is doing and how the believers we know can be involved. I believe we will be blessed for sharing, they will be blessed for listening and we will all be blessed by being involved with God.

How will they go unless they are sent...

 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?  And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

Tim, Chris and the entire Kelly family will be moving to Nairobi to work as full time missionaries. They are planning to move in August. This is a very exciting and challenging time for the Kelly’s and for Living Hope Church. Tim and Chris will be working as missionaries for Bethany International but they are being sent by us, Living Hope. I believe this both a tremendous opportunity and a tremendous responsibility for our church. A part of our church family will be ministering in and around Kenya full time. I am always amazed at the things God can do through us and with us if we will let him.

So…how can we help Tim and Chris in fulfilling the call God has placed on their lives? How can we send them? First, I believe we need to pray for the entire Kelly family. They will be challenged in new ways as they prepare to go and they will need all the praters, guidance and wisdom they can get. Second, we need to make sure they know we love them and we are with them. When you see Tim and Chris, or the kids, stop and say hello, ask if they need any specific prayers or help with anything, just stopping to say hi can make all the difference. Third, we can provide our financial support. I don’t mean simply donating towards their support, although all donations are welcome. I mean helping them to raise the monthly support and their “go-fund”. How can you help? Do you know people outside of Living Hope that might be interested in hearing about what the Kelly’s are doing? If so invite them over for dinner and ask Tim and Chris to come share what is on their hearts. Do you work with a group or organization that might be interested? If so ask them to have Tim and Chris come share at a meeting or other event. I believe the more people who see and hear Tim and Chris’ passion to help the peoples of Kenya the more they will want to get involved and contribute.

Another way you can help is by getting involved in the fund raisers we will be holding at Living Hope.

An Evening of Worship

On Saturday, April 13^th Peder Eide will be performing at Living Hope. Doors will open at 6:30 PM and the concert will start at 7:00 PM. Admission is $5.00 at the door. For $10.00 you can buy one ticket for the concert and a bracelet to remind you to pray for the Kelly’s. For $15.00 you will get into the concert, get a bracelet and a really cool T-Shirt. All the proceeds from the concert will go towards the Kelly’s “go-fund”.

Mission’s Banquet

On Saturday, May 11^th we will hold our annual mission’s banquet and auction. The cost of the banquet will be $25.00 per person, $40.00 per couple or $150 per table of eight. This is a great evening of food, fun and fellowship. If you’ve never been to one of the mission’s banquets you don’t know what your missing.

 

Annual Rummage Sale

On Saturday, May 25^th we will hold our annual rummage sale. There will be more details as we get closer to the date.

 

The easiest way to help is plan on attending and bringing all your family and friends. The concert and the banquet will be a lot of fun, and you probably can’t find a better value for your entertainment dollar.

 

If you are interested in helping with any of the fund raisers see Joel and Laura Bosacki, Bob Wigman, Brain and Heather Marchant, Elizabeth Mosupye or Mike Waldrop.

 

Submission

I'm facilitating a Sunday School class on submission. We talked about Elisha as part the lesson this morning. Elisha was a prophet of God and started his ministry as Elijah's helper. When Elijah first met Elisha he was plowing a field with twelve yoke of oxen. As Elisha and the oxen passed by Elijah, Elijah threw his cloak over Elisha. Elisha left the oxen and ran after Elijah saying let me go say good bye to my father and mother then come and follow you! Elijah replied, "Go return! What have I done to you?" Elisha returned, slaughtered his oxen, used the yoke for firewood, cooked the meat and gave it to feed the poor then followed and served Elijah. This is an amazing example of submission. Elisha left everything he had to follow Elijah. Not only did he leave his possessions behind he actually took what he used to earn a living and gave it away then followed Elijah.

Can you imaging being so submitted that you would change everything in your life because you were called by God?  I can only imagine that Elisha was a successful farmer since he had twelve yoke of oxen. Elijah throws his cloak over Elisha as he's passing by and Elisha is ready to give up everything to follow Elijah. Even after Elijah to him to go back he still gave up everything. As we were discussing submission and Elisha this morning I thought of some other people who have willingly left everything they know to follow. Dan and Nancy Germo, Jason and Rebekkah Witt, countless other missionaries serving all over the world and soon the Kelly family. Tim, Chris, McKenna, Thomas, Kayden, and Micah will leave everything they know, and most of what they own, to travel half way around the world, establish a new home in a new place to follow the call God has placed on their lives. Like Elisha they will have to submit to God and reach a place of no going back, a place of being all-in, a place of no retreat and no surrender to follow God. I pray that I can submit my life with no reservations but when I think of what the Kelly's are doing I'm not sure I could and I am all the more humbled, blessed and amazed at what God is doing in their lives and that we can all be part of it. If you want to stay up-to date on their journey you can follow them at http://kellysinkenya.blogspot.com. If you're not signed up to follow their blog I would encourage you to sign up and let them know we are with them as they go forward.

The greatest mission of all

The group of Bethany interns we worked with on our last missions trip has returned from Kenya. As they were preparing to come home, they were all posting pictures and messages to friends and family on Facebook. Seeing all the pictures started me thinking about Kenya and I realized we have been back for six months. Where has the time gone? I realized I have become so busy, especially this time of year, that the hours, days and weeks have flown by and before I knew it my day to day life had lost some focus. The pictures from the interns brought to mind all the amazing things we have been blessed to be part of both here at home and in Kenya. Our God is amazing, awesome and I am humbled when I think of all he has done in my life. As I started thinking about missions and the work we have been able to share in I started thinking about missions and Christmas, since that special day is right around the corner. It occurred to me that the greatest mission trip ever started on Christmas day, in a humble stable, with a baby wrapped in blankets and lying in a manger. A missions trip involves crossing cultural lines to present the gospel to a people group who have never been exposed to Christ and the grace of God. The son of the most high God left his Father to be born the son of a carpenter and a virgin. He was rejected, beaten and killed to bring salvation to all people. Can you imagine leaving heaven, being born in a barn, rejected, mocked and ultimately killed by the very people your are trying to save? Talk about crossing cultural boundaries to reach a group of people! Because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ all people can be children of the one true king. Because of the sacrifice of Christ we all have a mission:

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”   Matthew 28:19-20

No Christmas? No forgiveness, no salvation, no mission, no hope. In all our comings and goings throughout the Christmas season, and all year long, remember the true meaning of Christmas.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.                                      John 3:16

I'm thankful God and the Son are never too busy and never lose focus. I pray we all remember the true reason for Christmas and as we celebrate with our friends and family we remember to say thanks for the gift we received through the missions trip Jesus started on Christmas day.

Merry Christmas and God Bless.

Back Home

We all made it home safe and sound. Thanks for all your prayers and support during the trip. We were able to accomplish all we set out to do and more but we couldn't do it without the support of everyone at home. It was good to be back with family and friends and to be able to share stories of our trip. I will try to post a few here over the next few days.

We were able to complete the furniture for two of the classrooms and assist with pouring the second floor ring beam on the school. Completing the ring beam is the first step in building he permanent roof. I'll try to explain more about that in a a future post. For now, a few pictures from the trip....

Nairobi

 Downtown Nairobi

The Team 

A small village... 

Getting ready to pour the ring beam 

Building tables 

Building table legs 

 Getting ready to mix cement

Sanding chairs 

Pouring the ring beam 

Cutting the footing for a new collumn 

The chairs 

The tables 

Completed ring beam 

Book shelf 

After church 

Twiga 

Impala 

Together

We finished our project at the school today. We built seven tables and fourteen chairs for the literacy class, a table for the sewing class and two book shelves. Looking back I am amazed at what the Lord has made. We started with some very rough cut lumber, a few tools, Tim K's skills as a builder and a leader, and a group of people who were willing tp be used by God. In four short days we were able to furnish two classrooms and cast the ring beam for the second story of the building.The tables for the classrooms are five feet long and will seat two adult students. The table for the sewing class is six feet long and will be used foraying out patterns and material for making dresses. Our team, the Bethany interns and the tea from Agape Madaraka all worked together to accomplish what none of us could alone and we had a great time working together. Pastor Wananga said he believed God elevated us to accomplish the work and I would have to agree. One of the interns asked me if I had been at the school before this trip and I said yes. Looking back it is hard to believe that just three years ago there was nothing on this piece of land other than a three sided tin shed. Today there is a two story stone and cement structure that will be used as a platform to show God's love to a group of people that most would rather forget. God has not forgotten or forsaken them. He is working with and through all of us to reach out to them. Seeing what He has accomplished is evidence to them and us that He continues to reach out to everyone. Our continuing involvement in this project is a blessing. To have an opportunity to work with our brothers and sisters from Agape and Bethany is a blessing. The team from Agape took a week to come to a difficult place to work hard for their God. These are men and women who have little to offer other than themselves and their sweat and they give freely. The Kenyans don't always know where their next meal will come from and they are still willing to take time away from work to be a part of what God is doing. The Bethany interns are a group of young people who are willing to go to the ends of the earth, literally, to pour out their lives for God. To have an opportunity to work with people like this is a blessing. Tomorrow we are going to visit the farm and Jason and Bekah's home. Sunday we will have church here with the local Agape congregation then return to Nairobi. I will post pictures as soon as I can. Thanks for the thoughts and prayers you are sending us. Without your support and love we couldn't do this.

if you build it...

Spent the day building tables for the school. The progress that has been made on the building is pretty amazing. The walls on one side of the first floor are complete. The ring beam for the second floor will be poured this week. Once the ring beam is done the roof will be constructed and the second floor will be useable. We helped by carrying sand and gravel upstairs for the ring beam. The cement will be mixed, by hand, on the second floor and carried by bucket brigade to the form. Once the pour for the beam is started it has to continue, uninterrupted, until the beam is complete. Lots of buckets! We built the bases for seven 5 ft. Tables yesterday. We also made a template for the chairs and built the first table top. We will make the remaining table tops today and start building the chairs. Everyone worked hard today and seemed to enjoy working alongside the Kenyans and Bethany interns who came with us from Nairobi. The Agape church in Madaraka sent a group of eight, including two pastors, to work with us. There are eight interns from Bethany college here too. The interns will spend 16 months here. It is great to be able to work together and fellowship with our partners in this project. As soon as we have the tables and chairs ready a dress making class will start at the school. They are also using the school to teach language and literacy. We have a comfortable place to stay, food to eat, and we are working for our Father. Could anything be better? The weather has been good - not too hot - we are amazingly blessed! I wish you could all be here with us :) I'm having some technical issues posting pictures but I will keep trying. God is doing amazing things here on the oter side of the world and we can't wait to share it with you.

The Team

We are on site and getting ready to start working on the project tomorrow. Everyone is in a good mood and excited to be here. Hopefully, they will still be in a good mood after working all day tomorrow.

On the Ground!

We arrived in the Northern Kenya today. We chartered a public bus for the trip from Nairobi. The ride was interesting but we all made it safely. The entire trip has gone well to this point. Please continue to pray for us. We will be going to the school for a meeting a little later today. I am excited to see the progress that has been made since we were here last. The project has been moving forward steadily. The ring beam for the second floor should get poured this week. Can't wait to get to the site and start working. I will post again later today and try to include some pictures.

Passion

A couple of days ago, as we were working on preparations for the upcoming trip to Kenya, my wife said something that captured my attention. Her observation really made me stop and think. I am paraphrasing but it was something like "Everyone can see you are very passionate about Kenya." This surprised me because, while I am very passioate about Kenya, I am even more passionate abut short term missions and I try to communicate that too anyone I talk with about missions.

Don't get me wrong, I love the people of Kenya, the relationships we have formed and being able to sustain those relationships over time but I am truly passionate about being involved in what God is doing in my life and the lives of the people I am with.

Christian is not a religion, a denomination or a club. Christian is an adjective that should describe the person it is applied to. What kind of person is described as a Christian? Someone who has a relationship with Christ and is trying to follow the example He set. If we are trying to follow Christ we need to be in a relationship with Christ. Relationships involve a lot of verbs, a lot of doing. The Bible gives us directions for a lot of doing. Go and make disciples of all men, baptising them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. There are a lot of verbs, a lot of doing, in this one verse: going, discipling, baptising. Christianity is an adjective that should describe someone who has an active relationship with Christ. Someone who is doing what Jesus is doing. Short term missions provide us with opportunities to do what Christ is doing. This isn't the only opportunity we have to do what Christ is doing but it is something of a unique opportunity. Short term missions allows us to build relationships with our brothers and sisters from across the globe. When I think of all the people I have met and bonded with through the trips we have made to Kenya, and I think of how we would never have met otherwise, I feel blessed. Short term missions give us an opportunity to get outside our comfort zones, to leave behind the familliar (freinds, family, Home Depot), to climb out of the boat, and take a walk on the wild side with Christ. I have seen God impact lives through short term missions and my life has been forever changed because of what God has done to, through and with me on short term mission trips.

Yes I am passionate about Kenya but I am even more passionate about being in the center of whatever God is doing whether that is at Living Hope, Camp Daniel, Rock the Lakes, or in Kenya. If you are involved in what the Father is doing then you know how blessed we are. If you aren't involved then I invite you to take Jesus' hand and go for a walk on the wild side. Your life will never be the same.

Where He Calls

In four short days we will be traveling to Kenya to work with our friends, and brothers and sisters on the other side of the planet. I am getting more and more excited about what God is doing in and through or church. Please pray for us during the trip. We need God's grace for travels and His favor with everyone we meet. Check back here for updates from the trip and don't be afraid to post a comment or question on the blog. It helps us to know people at home are following the trip and praying for us. God bless.

Here we go again!

We are getting ready for another short term missions trip to Kenya. All the trips are unique and this one will be no exception. If you would like to see photos of our past trips checkout http://youtu.be/EF5e7Dyjxw4.


I am excited to see what God will do with us, for us and to us on this trip. I am also excited to have the chance to serve the people of Kenya and the people at Living Hope Church through the opportunity God has provided  us. Please keep the missions trip in your prayers. Pray for the people who are going on the trip, the people we will work with in Kenya and all the people we will meet and serve during the trip. God can do amazing things through the prayers of his people.


If you are interested in joining us in an a life changing experience see me or Tim K at church. I promise, you will never be the same. Besides, who could pass up a little goat stew and ungali.

Home Again

It is good to be back home. Now, if we can get over the jet lag, radical shift in weather and process everything we saw and learned in the past two weeks I might start feeling normal again. I have heard it takes one day to recover from a one hour shift in time zones. I guess Tim and I get to look forward to nine days of feeling slightly out of sync as we adjust to being on Wisconsin time :) The waether and shift in sunlight hours is also a big adjustment. When we left Nairobi on Saturday morning it was over 80 F. When we landed in Appleton it was in the 30's. Nairobi has 12 - 13 hours of sunlight a day (when it isn't pouring rain) and I think we get less than 8 here at home. Thanks again for all your prayers and support. I am excited to see what God will do as we continue to plan for the next trip.

The Last Day

We traveled back to Nairobi and will be leaving for home tonight. This has been another great trip to Kenya. We have renewed relationships, learned new things about what God is doing here and how we can come alongside the people to help them reach others with the love of Christ. God is doing a great work here and I am humbled to have an opportunity to be a part of it. I am excited and eager to see what God will continue to do here and at home. I am also looking forward to what God has for us as we prepare for the tip in June.


Thanks again for all your prayers and support during our trip. We wouldn't be able to do these trips without all of you.

Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: “The man who does these things will live by them.”But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”


How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”  Romans 10:5-15


Dan and Nancy, Jason and Bekkah, Stephen and Jennifer Kibachia, the Bethany interns, Agape Fellowship,all are committed to sharing the Good News by showing the unreached people in Kenya the love of Christ through everything they say and do. We are blessed to be able to work alongside them to share the Good News. May we all have beautiful feet!

The Eleventh Day

It was hot here today. It reached 100 degrees around 1:00 PM. I’m sure it got hotter from there but I quit checking. We went to the shamba (farm) today. Jason and Dan were surprised at how green everything is. The dormitories are almost complete. One of the tanks that will be used to raise tilapia and catfish has been built. Jason has a pump that is powered by the river current that will be used to  pump water from the river about to the farm. The line for the pump has already been run and the water storage container has been installed on top of one of a storage building. The farm will grow citrus fruit (oranges, tangerines, lemons and limes), mangoes, corn, beans, skuma wiki (collard greens) and other basic foods. The farm will also have a greenhouse for growing tomatoes, black-eyed peas and a nursery.

We also went to see the school building we worked on back in June. A lot of progress has been made on the building. The building is not complete, building can only progress as funds are available, but it is being used for church services and teaching literacy. Agape also has seven donated sewing machines and will start holding dress making classes in January. The man who owns the adjacent property built apartments on his portion of the lot. The apartments are built as close as possible to the property line. The land owner does not appreciate having a Christian neighbor and has done everything possible to make the situation as difficult as he can.

Most of the work here is difficult. There is opposition from certain groups in the local population. The weather is hot and dry. What little vegetation does grow here naturally is covered in thorns, even the grass, and can cause an allergic reaction similar to poison ivy. As difficult as the work is, the need is even greater. The people here desperately need many things but most of all they need to know the love of Christ.

The Tenth Day

We travelled to Jason’s town this afternoon. It was an interesting drive. The weather in Nairobi has been cool and wet. The weather here has been wet here but it isn’t cool. As we sit here at 8 PM it is still 86 F, the mosquitos are out in full force and we just enjoyed the evening call to prayer. On the ride up we hit a dik-dik, a small antelope about the size of a medium dog, and saw a large hyena crossing the road. Jason hasn’t been here in several weeks and will only be here until Friday. It is obvious that he wishes he could be here in his home, working with his neighbors, full time but it may be some time before he can come back with his family to stay.  People greet Jason everywhere we go around town and ask about his wife and girls. From the greetings it is obvious he is making a positive difference in the lives of the people who live here.

Tomorrow we will go see the building we helped with during the June 2009 trip and an agricultural project Jason is leading. The agricultural project is a school farm where people can come to learn sustainable agriculture techniques that can be used to farm in arid areas. They have built two dormitories for people who travel from other areas to learn at the farm and enclosed the entire farm with a wall. The work being done here, under adverse conditions, is truly inspiring.

The Ninth Day

Jason joined us from Tanzania today. We will be going up to his town tomorrow. It was good to see him and catch up with the work he and his family is doing with the Bethany interns here in Africa. I think this is the third group of interns Jason has led here. I am surprised at the number of students that come to Kenya for their internships. The intern site is in a area that can be difficult to live and serve in but all the interns I have met seem to love the location, the people and the work. A number of students who have interned here return here as full time missionaries. This is a testament to the impact Jason and Bekkah have on their lives. It is also a testament to the work God is doing here and around the world.

Pitcha

I posted some of the pictures we have taken on the trip on YouTube if you are interested.

(Pitcha is the Swahili word for picture)

The Day After the Seventh...

Tim and I went with Dan to meet with Dr. Kibachia today. We had a great time catching up with him and what has been happening at Agape Fellowship. We also laid out the basic plan for the trip in June. It is always awesome to meet with Stephen. He has a great vision for Agape Fellowship that extends to all of Africa and beyond.

Jason Witt travelled up from Tanzania tonight. We spent some time breaking bread and discussing everything Jason and his family have been doing here in Africa. We will be spending the next couple of days with Jason. 

The Germo's and the Witt's are incredible families. Their lives are centred on God and the work being done to reach the unreached people groups here in Africa. They truly love the people of Kenya and work tirelessly to reach all the people here. We are blessed to be able to work alongside them and the Church here in Kenya. 

The Seventh Day

I have written a little about the weather, a little about the lack of electricity and a little about the traffic but what makes Kenya truly a unique place is the people. Tim and I went to church this morning at Agape Fellowship Madaraka. This is the headquarters for Agape Fellowship throughout Kenya. We went to church and we had church and, as Pastor Jerry always says, it is better to have church than to be in church. The members of Agape truly love God and each other. They welcomed Tim and I as a member of the family returning home after a long trip. Most Kenyans are open, inviting, friendly and generous. They love visitors and guests and will go out of their way to make everyone feel welcome. The family of believers at Agape takes this to a whole new level. They have always made us feel like we are part of their family.

Kenyans also know how to have church. The Agape church was holding an annual event called Outback this weekend. Outback is a weekend camping retreat focused on parents and teens. One parent spends the weekend with one of their teen age children camping and worshipping God. Outback is similar to Family Camp with more of a focus on bringing teens and parents closer to each other and God. One of the guest speakers at Outback delivered the sermon at the main Agape service on Sunday. He was a past from Tanzania that had travelled 27 hours by car to be at Agape for the weekend. He spoke on the love of God and the healing power of the Spirit. It was a great service and a great message. I was challenged by both the message and the commitment of the speaker and members of the congregation.

I am always amazed at the people of Kenya and how they are so open, free and committed to the will of the Father. Many Kenyans live in conditions we would not be able to tolerate and endure hardships we would find unbearable and they continue to show the love of God to everyone they meet. We are blessed with so much in America and still find reasons to grumble, complain and focus on our own problems. God gave his only son for us that we might know Him and His love. If we truly know the love of God we should also love on another, in fact Jesus said it was by our love for each other that we would be known as a people who loved God. Our brothers and sisters here in Kenya are a living example of this commandment. They are using whatever resources they have available to them to help each other, welcome the stranger at their gate and reach out to unreached people, even when the unreached consider them to be their enemies. I am humbled and honored to have an opportunity to work with them in the work God is doing. 

Here Comes the Rain!

It is rainy season here in Nairobi. It has rained every day since we arrived. I’m not complaining, at least it is rain and not snow and I haven’t needed a jacket or coat but it has been very wet. Last night we were stuck in traffic and it poured rain. I guess thunderstorms are rare in this part of Kenya but we experienced a pretty good sound and light show while sitting in traffic last night. It rained so much that the road looked more like a river and driveways looked like streams. The Nairobi River runs behind Dan and Nancy’s house. In my limited experience, water is always flowing in the river but it is usually a slow meandering current. When we finally got home last night the river was roaring along. Even after the rain stopped the river continued to roar along for most of the night. It is normally so quiet here at night that it seemed strange trying to sleep with sound of the river in the background. Don’t get me wrong, I slept fine anyway.

There are two rainy seasons in Kenya; one at the beginning of the summer (now) and one at the end of the summer in March / April. Very little rain falls outside of the rainy season. If the rains are light then a drought and famine occurs. As I was thinking about the rains and the importance of the rainy season to the lives of so many people here I started to think about God and the blessings he pours down on us. God rains blessings down all the time. He made us, called us, empowers us and sends us. He has given everything, even His son, to make a way for us. So, the question is why do we experience droughts in our lives? I think we miss the ongoing rainy season of God’s love because we get out of the rain. We allow the stuff in our lives, our problems, our wants, our excuses, to get between us and the downpour. In Matthew 7:6 Jesus cautions us, “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.” I pray that I am not a dog or a pig trampling the abundance of God underfoot and turning to attack the Father who loves me. I hope that I am always standing out in the rain.

The Third and Fourth Day

I'm a little behind on the blog. A lack of electricity, stima in swahili, can make it tough to get on the internet. The power system here in Kenya is interesting. The homes use 240 VAC, 50 Hz, single phase power. Homes in the US are primarily 120 VAC, 60 Hz, single phase with some appliances, like and electric dryer, running on 240 VAC, 60 Hz, two phase. Because of the higher voltage the transformers and power lines are a little larger. 

The transformers and power lines are only six to seven feet off the ground in most places. I believe most of the electrical system was built by the British in the 1960's and hasn't been upgraded, or maintained well, since. There are trees growing through the power lines, poles that are on the verge of falling and cables running all over the place. Kenya Power seems to working on upgrading the system and catching up on maintenance but with a city of 5 million and years of neglect there is a lot of work to do.

Some of the work that is needed, like clearing tree limbs from the power lines, requires shutting down parts of the system. Some of the work uncovers other problems which result in unexpected outages. The condition of the system also lends itself to unexpected outages. It is easy to see why the power is out as much as it is. Sometimes I am surprised there is any power at all.


Picking up on Jerry's comment on my earlier post - the power system here is a good object lesson of our reliance on the Holy Spirit and our relationship with the Father. The relationship has to be maintained, like any good relationship, to have meaning and impact in our lives. If we don't work on our relationship with God we can become disconnected and lose sight of the blessings and opportunities He provides. The longer we neglect our relationship with the Father the more disconnected we become and we may require more work in our lives to get back to where we need to be. One of the many things I love about going on short term missions is the daily reminder of how much I rely on God. These trips create milestones in my life and when I think back on them I am reminded of how I am reliant on God and how the Father, the Son and the Spirit care and provide for all my needs.

The Second Day

Dan and one of the Bethany intern program directors returned from Tanzania today. Bethany has three global intern sites including one located in Africa. The interns have been working with the Witts in Tanzania for the past several weeks. Dan and Paul were in Tanzania meeting with the Witts and teaching the interns.

The power has been off more than on since we arrived. Everything in Kenya takes a little longer and requires more effort than the same task would in the United States. When the power is out things get even more difficult and the power can be out a lot here. Imagine trying to do everyday things like laundry, cooking meals, etc. with no electricity. Now imagine doing it several days in a row every month and you'll get the idea. The people who live in Kenya are incredibly hard working and incredibly generous. They are always willing to take time to help others and share whatever they have with anyone in need. As a visitor, I always feel welcome, even when the power goes out.