After a warm send off by our Kibuyi pastors we headed out early Saturday morning to begin our R & R time in Ngungwe Rainforest. Saddleback recommends that PEACE trips have a couple of days of R & R to rest and to begin processing all that we have learned. Also, it's a time to begin transitioning back into American culture. Believe it or not there is culture shock that happens when we come home.
We spent most of Saturday traveling the winding hilly roadways of Rwanda. We drove through the rain forest and had breathtaking panoramic views for the almost 2 hour drive just through the forest to reach our accommodations.
Sunday morning we hiked through tea plantations where we learned how to pick tea (in case we need to find work here :-)) Our guide showed us several medicinal plants, many of the local bird species, and guided us into the dense forest to where we could see rare Angora Colobus monkeys. We followed a swinging, chattering colony of about 60 black & white individuals as they made they're way through the tree tops eating as they went. It was a wonderful, magical experience.
The afternoon was spent reflecting on our trip, debriefing the lessons learned and planning a return trip. It was a very fruitful time as we shared with each other. We are grateful to have each other on this trip.
We arrived back in Kigali last night. This morning we have a meeting at the PEACE office to debrief with them, finalizing plans to complete the translation of CR materials and begin preparations for our next trip.
Please pray for travel mercies as later today we begin our journey home, arriving in Los Angeles mid day on Wednesday. Pray for good health as we journey home.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
Friday Night in Kibuye, the best place to be on a Friday Night!
We finished our CR Sr Pastor Introduction meeting today. They are eagerly waiting for the publication of the materials in Kinyarwanda (their local language) so that we can have an extensive training to equip them to start CR in their churches, hopefully early next year. This area of Rwanda was the hardest hit during the 1994 genocide and they desperately want a program that can help them find forgiveness. They really seemed to understand how CR can help them by the questions they asked and the hope we could see in their faces. They were so thankful that we came to bring this healing ministry. I think CR is going to make a huge difference to the people of this country.
We've all had some minor health issues but are on the mend. Please continue to pray for our health, just minor colds and stomach stuff.
Tomorrow we travel to Nyungwe Forest, a huge rain forest, for our debriefing and R&R time and maybe a little hiking. Pray for our time of reflection and taking what we've learned here and seeing how to apply it to future trips.
We've all had some minor health issues but are on the mend. Please continue to pray for our health, just minor colds and stomach stuff.
Tomorrow we travel to Nyungwe Forest, a huge rain forest, for our debriefing and R&R time and maybe a little hiking. Pray for our time of reflection and taking what we've learned here and seeing how to apply it to future trips.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Thursday's Pastor Training in Kibuyi
Today we trained over 70 pastors from all around the Karongi District in Western Rwanda. They came from miles away. If we did not pay the $2 round trip costs they would have had to walk for up to 3 hours each way.
We gave them an overview of the CR program. Dave and I gave our testimonies which were received with great interest. We also challenged them to pray and decide if this is a ministry they are willing to commit to. It's a hard one for Rwandan pastors because of the confidentiality required and also turning over the ministry to a ministry leader which is not the norm here. They asked lots of good questions which indicates they are very interested and trying to understand.
We are grateful to find that Maurice got his car repaired and it is running strong so we don't have worries about transportation for the rest of the trip.
We are staying at a house in town that serves as the PEACE office for Western Rwanda. It has 3 bedrooms that accommodates our team. We are halfway up the hill and can here a mixture of sounds made by the children, goats, birds and roosters. A happy evening sound.
Jeanne, who is taking care of the house, has made us African Tea, which we really enjoy, and is preparing our dinner with her sleeping infant wrapped in a cloth tied around her back.
Tomorrow we will finish our Senior Pastor Introduction Meeting and get to know these pastors and their culture a little more.
Our prayer requests tonight are for Dave who's stomach is giving him problems. I am feeling better but still under the weather a bit. Pastor Jean Baptiste (our translator) is fighting a long string of headaches and sore knees. Your prayers are working, as always. Please also pray for these 70+ pastors as they consider attending the next CR training in order to be equipped to start CR.
We gave them an overview of the CR program. Dave and I gave our testimonies which were received with great interest. We also challenged them to pray and decide if this is a ministry they are willing to commit to. It's a hard one for Rwandan pastors because of the confidentiality required and also turning over the ministry to a ministry leader which is not the norm here. They asked lots of good questions which indicates they are very interested and trying to understand.
We are grateful to find that Maurice got his car repaired and it is running strong so we don't have worries about transportation for the rest of the trip.
We are staying at a house in town that serves as the PEACE office for Western Rwanda. It has 3 bedrooms that accommodates our team. We are halfway up the hill and can here a mixture of sounds made by the children, goats, birds and roosters. A happy evening sound.
Jeanne, who is taking care of the house, has made us African Tea, which we really enjoy, and is preparing our dinner with her sleeping infant wrapped in a cloth tied around her back.
Tomorrow we will finish our Senior Pastor Introduction Meeting and get to know these pastors and their culture a little more.
Our prayer requests tonight are for Dave who's stomach is giving him problems. I am feeling better but still under the weather a bit. Pastor Jean Baptiste (our translator) is fighting a long string of headaches and sore knees. Your prayers are working, as always. Please also pray for these 70+ pastors as they consider attending the next CR training in order to be equipped to start CR.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Wednesday Night in Kibuye (Karongi)
This morning we visited the Catholic church that was next to our guest house. We learned that 64,000 men, women and children were killed on this compound (including our guest house) during the 1994 genocide. It is impossible to comprehend that so many people were killed, some in the dining room where we had our meals, maybe even in our rooms. It is not a large compound so they must have been everywhere there. That was pretty sobering. The church was beautiful as it has been remodeled with moziacs but it somber inside.
The 2 hour drive to Karongi was gorgeous with the green rolling hills. I certainly understand why they call Rwanda the land of a 1,000 hills. I think they underestimated, there must be closer to 1,000,000 hills.
We stopped along the road and met with some members of the Justice Task Force who were driving back to the capital of Kigali. They have been training across the country and had very successful results. We stopped at a beautiful waterfall surrounded by banana trees and small farms laced over the hills. We enjoyed the changing light as the clouds moved across the valley.
The views of Lake Kivu as we approached Kibuye were awe inspiring. We checked into the PEACE House then went into town for lunch overlooking the lake. We visited the Kibuye Hospital and had a great tour by the head doctor. Much progress has been made since I was there 2 years ago. They are looking forward to building a new hospital on the nearby compound.
This evening we are having a relaxing time so we can be refreshed to begin our 2 day senior pastor CR introduction meeting tomorrow. Dave is teaching our translator, Jean Baptiste, how to play pinball on his PDA. We are having a great time of fellowship with Jean Baptiste and Maurice.
Please pray for the pastors that will be attending the meeting. Pray for us that we are the Muppets that when we open our mouth we speak God's words. Pray for my health as I have a cold. My throat is better but my sinuses are not so good.
The 2 hour drive to Karongi was gorgeous with the green rolling hills. I certainly understand why they call Rwanda the land of a 1,000 hills. I think they underestimated, there must be closer to 1,000,000 hills.
We stopped along the road and met with some members of the Justice Task Force who were driving back to the capital of Kigali. They have been training across the country and had very successful results. We stopped at a beautiful waterfall surrounded by banana trees and small farms laced over the hills. We enjoyed the changing light as the clouds moved across the valley.
The views of Lake Kivu as we approached Kibuye were awe inspiring. We checked into the PEACE House then went into town for lunch overlooking the lake. We visited the Kibuye Hospital and had a great tour by the head doctor. Much progress has been made since I was there 2 years ago. They are looking forward to building a new hospital on the nearby compound.
This evening we are having a relaxing time so we can be refreshed to begin our 2 day senior pastor CR introduction meeting tomorrow. Dave is teaching our translator, Jean Baptiste, how to play pinball on his PDA. We are having a great time of fellowship with Jean Baptiste and Maurice.
Please pray for the pastors that will be attending the meeting. Pray for us that we are the Muppets that when we open our mouth we speak God's words. Pray for my health as I have a cold. My throat is better but my sinuses are not so good.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Tuesday Evening in Gitarama
Yesterday morning we drove through the lush green rolling hills of Rwanda from Kigali (the capital) to Gitarama. It was great to see so many familiar faces who attended the previous CR training. It was very interesting to have a baby goat roam in and out of the church while we held the training.
Today we completed a 2 day follow up training for those that attended a 5 day CR conference last year. We spent a wonderful 2 days without an agenda and letting God lead the way and of course it was just what they needed to hear. We talked about CR and learned about their culture and how to help them adapt the program to work for them. One church has started training their leadership team and was eager to learn more about how to launch it church wide. Another church had started it and had 58 (yes 58!) small groups and it was going very well. The senior pastor, Jean Baptiste, was transferred to another parish and their new pastor is not familiar with CR so the future of that CR program is uncertain. Pastor Jean Baptiste plans to start it at his new parish with over 3000 members.
Many churches want to have the ministry and were struggling with some of the very foreign concepts and were very much appreciative for our visit to help clarify some things. As a culture, they have a high need to understand things thoroughly. Our timing was very good. Today we helped them develop action plans to start CR in their churches to guide them forward.
One goal that we had when we came to Rwanda this time was to learn more about their culture so we could be more effective when we train CR here. God has put so many people in our paths that were willing to share that with us. It has been a real blessing. One thing that we learned that helps them is the use of visual aids. Another is the need for accountability for starting the program.
Gitarama is the second largest town in Rwanda. We were going to dinner last night and realized that the electricity was out for the whole town. We were able to find a resturant that had a generator so we could have dinner. They had a single light bulb to light up the whole dining room. We take so much for granted.
Please pray for safe travels to Karongi tomorrow morning. Pray for the pastors that will be attending the CR Introduction Meeting on Thursday and Friday, that their hearts will be open to CR. Pray for me as I have a sore throat now. Pray for all 3 of us to have good energy and health for the remainder of the trip. Pray that we continue to be unified as a team as we serve God and His will.
Today we completed a 2 day follow up training for those that attended a 5 day CR conference last year. We spent a wonderful 2 days without an agenda and letting God lead the way and of course it was just what they needed to hear. We talked about CR and learned about their culture and how to help them adapt the program to work for them. One church has started training their leadership team and was eager to learn more about how to launch it church wide. Another church had started it and had 58 (yes 58!) small groups and it was going very well. The senior pastor, Jean Baptiste, was transferred to another parish and their new pastor is not familiar with CR so the future of that CR program is uncertain. Pastor Jean Baptiste plans to start it at his new parish with over 3000 members.
Many churches want to have the ministry and were struggling with some of the very foreign concepts and were very much appreciative for our visit to help clarify some things. As a culture, they have a high need to understand things thoroughly. Our timing was very good. Today we helped them develop action plans to start CR in their churches to guide them forward.
One goal that we had when we came to Rwanda this time was to learn more about their culture so we could be more effective when we train CR here. God has put so many people in our paths that were willing to share that with us. It has been a real blessing. One thing that we learned that helps them is the use of visual aids. Another is the need for accountability for starting the program.
Gitarama is the second largest town in Rwanda. We were going to dinner last night and realized that the electricity was out for the whole town. We were able to find a resturant that had a generator so we could have dinner. They had a single light bulb to light up the whole dining room. We take so much for granted.
Please pray for safe travels to Karongi tomorrow morning. Pray for the pastors that will be attending the CR Introduction Meeting on Thursday and Friday, that their hearts will be open to CR. Pray for me as I have a sore throat now. Pray for all 3 of us to have good energy and health for the remainder of the trip. Pray that we continue to be unified as a team as we serve God and His will.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Sunday in Kigali
Yesterday (Saturday) we spent time with our friend Maurice. He came to drive us into town to take care of a few things and he had his son with him who was sick. We offered to go to the doctor with them first then tend to our business. It was a wonderful time of deepening friendships, meeting his 4 children and learning about the Rwandan healthcare system.
Later Jana and I met with Eugenia who runs a deaf ministry. They sew various things and we got measured for some clothing. We went into town and selected the fabric for our dresses. It was quite the experience to design dresses without a pattern and select the fabric. It will be quite interesting to see the final outcome.
We went to dinner at New Cactus restaurant and had pizza with bananas and bacon (yum!) and Maurice offered to share his story of surviving the genocide of 1994. It is his story to tell so I won’t go into here. It gave us a lot of insight into the Rwandan people who lived through the 100 day massacre of over 1,000,000 people. It was a real honor to hear his story, even though it was hard to hear.
Today (Sunday) we attended Louange (Worship) Church in Kigali with Pastor Samuel Rushombo. We met at Saddleback Church last August when he came to attend the Celebrate Recovery conference. It was good to see him again. He preached a great sermon on the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. After the service we spent time talking about CR and how it applies to Rwandans and learned a lot of helpful things that will make us to be more effective trainers of this ministry here. He is planning to attend the next 5 day conference that we hold here in Rwanda next year.
We met at the PEACE office with Pastor Straton and Jean Pierre to review our “plans” for our remaining time here. We also discussed the completion and publishing of the Kinyarwanda translation of CR materials and the next training conference to be held here.
Please pray for the people that will be attending our 2 day conference in Gitarama who attended the 5 day training last year. Pray that we will be the Muppets and God will give us wisdom and insight as we encourage them and answer their questions as they start this ministry. Pray for safe travels tomorrow (Monday) morning as we drive there. Thanks for your prayers, Jana L is felling great and is fully recovered from her sore throat.
Later Jana and I met with Eugenia who runs a deaf ministry. They sew various things and we got measured for some clothing. We went into town and selected the fabric for our dresses. It was quite the experience to design dresses without a pattern and select the fabric. It will be quite interesting to see the final outcome.
We went to dinner at New Cactus restaurant and had pizza with bananas and bacon (yum!) and Maurice offered to share his story of surviving the genocide of 1994. It is his story to tell so I won’t go into here. It gave us a lot of insight into the Rwandan people who lived through the 100 day massacre of over 1,000,000 people. It was a real honor to hear his story, even though it was hard to hear.
Today (Sunday) we attended Louange (Worship) Church in Kigali with Pastor Samuel Rushombo. We met at Saddleback Church last August when he came to attend the Celebrate Recovery conference. It was good to see him again. He preached a great sermon on the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. After the service we spent time talking about CR and how it applies to Rwandans and learned a lot of helpful things that will make us to be more effective trainers of this ministry here. He is planning to attend the next 5 day conference that we hold here in Rwanda next year.
We met at the PEACE office with Pastor Straton and Jean Pierre to review our “plans” for our remaining time here. We also discussed the completion and publishing of the Kinyarwanda translation of CR materials and the next training conference to be held here.
Please pray for the people that will be attending our 2 day conference in Gitarama who attended the 5 day training last year. Pray that we will be the Muppets and God will give us wisdom and insight as we encourage them and answer their questions as they start this ministry. Pray for safe travels tomorrow (Monday) morning as we drive there. Thanks for your prayers, Jana L is felling great and is fully recovered from her sore throat.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
In Kigali
We arrived last night in Kigali safely with our luggage. It was great to be met at the airport by Jean Pierre and Maurice. We got to practice being flexible from the start. The hotel we were booked at didn't have rooms so we checked in to the Diplomat Hotel. It has a nice view overlooking downtown Kigali. We are enjoying a relaxing breakfast in the outdoor dining room. Oh yeah, and our "plans" for the next couple of days are a bit different than we expected. "I will cheerfully adjust, change or drop my planned program to meet the local needs and fit into the local context." We know God's plans are so much better than ours and look forward to seeing what He has in store.
Friday, May 21, 2010
We made it to Nairobi
Thanks so much for your prayers. Our flights and connections have gone smoothly so far. We have just one short flight from Nairobi to Kigali, Rwanda remaining. We are looking forward to being back in Rwanda and seeing friends and what God has in store for us.
Please pray for our last flight to Rwanda, good health (Jana Lopez is getting a sore throat), for a good night's rest tonight, for our meetings tomorrow with the PEACE office, translators and pastors. Pray that we be the muppets for what God wants us to do and say.
Please pray for our last flight to Rwanda, good health (Jana Lopez is getting a sore throat), for a good night's rest tonight, for our meetings tomorrow with the PEACE office, translators and pastors. Pray that we be the muppets for what God wants us to do and say.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
CR Mission Trip to Rwanda
A team of CR leaders from Saddleback Church, Dave Lopez, his wife Jana Lopez and Jana O'Guin are preparing to go to Rwanda on Thursday, May 20th for a Celebrate Recovery mission trip.
What follows is a brief itinerary of the trip. You can follow along day by day and pray for specific things. We will be posting updates and prayer requests periodically from Rwanda (depending on internet connections!) so we can stay connected with you and let you know how to specifically pray for us during our trip.
May 20-21 10:30am LAX to Minneapolis to Amsterdam to Nairobi to Kigali,Rwanda
Lord take us safely and smoothly into Africa.
May 22 Meet with Jean Pierre and Pastor Stratton at the P.E.A.C.E. office. They advise and guide us throughout our stays in Rwanda. It’ll be good to see their familiar faces again.
Bless those who You put in our path to encourage us.
May 23 Travel to visit Anglican Church of Rwanda. Senior Pastor Jean Baptiste attended our CR training in January 2009 and has started the very first Celebrate Recovery in Rwanda! We are anxious to visit and encourage them.
Praise God for Jean Baptiste and his church! Lord take us safely there and protect us all with Your hope and perseverance.
May 24-25 Meeting with our original trainees to determine how best to serve them, answer questions, determine the challenges unique to Rwanda in implementing Celebrate Recovery and encourage them.
Lord, give us ears to listen and the ability to discern what is needed for this special group of men and women. Help us to understand their needs to be more effective in future trainings.
May 26 Travel to Karongi
Help us be Your ambassadors in everything we say and do. These bumpy roads are where our work is today. Help us be accepting and loving everywhere we go.
May 27-28 Senior Pastor Introduction. In Karongi we are meeting about 80 Senior Pastor’s to cast the vision of CR and explain some of the basic concepts. Your donations are helping get them to the training as transportation cost is beyond their means.
Thank God for these men and bless their efforts to help and love their church families even if it means a radical change! Help us communicate clearly with them.
May 29-30 We head south to Nyungwe National Park for down time to process what we have learned and experienced and begin thinking about returning for the next training.
Lord, be with us as we digest all that You have shown us. Help us rest for the way home. Show us Your next steps.
May 31 Travel to Kigali/visit with Pastor Hesbey our friend and head of the Inkuru Nizeza Church Group.
Thank you, Lord, for friends in far places. We are blessed to be Your blessing. Keep them healthy and protected as they work in Your purposes. Protect and prosper our time with them.
June 1 Debrief at the P.E.A.C.E. office in the morning and depart in the afternoon
Lord protect our hearts, Give us insight, Show us how to love others as You do. Make our meeting productive and full of hope.
June 2 Arrive LAX 12:40 pm.
Keep our flights on time, Lord. Give us peace instead of sadness at leaving. Help us understand Your next steps.
Thank you for being a part of our prayer team.
The Rwanda CR Team
Muraho (Hello,Good-bye,Thank you)
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Back at Home
We made it home safe and sound yesterday after an incredible trip. Please continue to pray for us as we adjust both physically and emotionally to being back in the US. Pray for good rest and quick adjustment of our days and nights reversing back to CA time. Pray for us as we continue to process the experiences we had and are able to share them with others.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Headed Home
We are back in Nairobi waiting for our flight this evening. Our debrief went well and processing continues. We are looking forward to being back home and then coming back!
Please pray for travel mercies, on time flights and connections and that our luggage makes it home with us too.
Please pray for travel mercies, on time flights and connections and that our luggage makes it home with us too.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
It is finished, at the cross
And let the spiritual warfare begin... Fortunately we put on our full armour at breakfast so we were ready for it. First the power strip went out, then power went out, then we realized that we had the wrong certificates for the class and little time to correct it. Interruption after interruption all day long. God prevailed.
We taught about amends and forgiveness and WOW, what a new way at looking at things. It touched so many and gave hope. Then we put it all together and talked about the practical steps of starting the program in their churches and prisons. They had break out times to plan how they would start. Many presented their plans with some start days soon.
We had a great time of worship and reflection before nailing our hurts to the cross. It was powerful. We went outside and stood in a circle and burned the papers from the cross. The class broke out in a Swahili song saying "It is finished at the cross" WOW!
We went to Purpose Driven Academy so I could see Margaret for a few minutes and spend some time with my 4 kids. It was a hard goodbye but had some consolation since I am coming back in August. It's hard to believe that our trip is coming to an end, it has really flown by.
Praise report - we can feel your prayers every day and feel God's presence and leading. We have had surprisingly good energy, great team dynamics, good health and a lot of fun. There have been so many really obvious answered prayers, the type of people at the seminar, open hearts, technical challenges and even a misplaced cell phone. The answers were almost immediate for so many prayers. Keep them coming!
Prayer requests - we have one more stop in Kitale tomorrow morning before leaving for our R&R in Nakuru. We are visiting the Kitale Women's Prison to drop off a few things then the Provincial Chaplain from Nakuru who attended the seminar is riding with us. Pray for our time together. Pray for our 2 days of R&R in Nakuru, that we are able to put this trip in perspective and find words to express it when we get home.
We taught about amends and forgiveness and WOW, what a new way at looking at things. It touched so many and gave hope. Then we put it all together and talked about the practical steps of starting the program in their churches and prisons. They had break out times to plan how they would start. Many presented their plans with some start days soon.
We had a great time of worship and reflection before nailing our hurts to the cross. It was powerful. We went outside and stood in a circle and burned the papers from the cross. The class broke out in a Swahili song saying "It is finished at the cross" WOW!
We went to Purpose Driven Academy so I could see Margaret for a few minutes and spend some time with my 4 kids. It was a hard goodbye but had some consolation since I am coming back in August. It's hard to believe that our trip is coming to an end, it has really flown by.
Praise report - we can feel your prayers every day and feel God's presence and leading. We have had surprisingly good energy, great team dynamics, good health and a lot of fun. There have been so many really obvious answered prayers, the type of people at the seminar, open hearts, technical challenges and even a misplaced cell phone. The answers were almost immediate for so many prayers. Keep them coming!
Prayer requests - we have one more stop in Kitale tomorrow morning before leaving for our R&R in Nakuru. We are visiting the Kitale Women's Prison to drop off a few things then the Provincial Chaplain from Nakuru who attended the seminar is riding with us. Pray for our time together. Pray for our 2 days of R&R in Nakuru, that we are able to put this trip in perspective and find words to express it when we get home.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Day 3 - Wooowwweeee Wednesday
Where to start.... Today was all about us stepping out of the way and letting God take over. They led the step study groups and did an awesome job. Joann shared her testimony which was right on and perfect timing. I spoke during chapel about CR for the ICM students and staff. John taught about the 4th step. We gave them some free time to start doing their inventories and WOW! So much writing, so many tears, so many break throughs, so much healing.
Please pray for our final day together at the seminar. Pray that we are able to effectively teach and motivate them to start CR in their church or prison. Pray that they are open to starting this ministry to bring the healing to others. Pray that we don't leave before the seminar is over. Pray for two teams from the US that are traveling to Africa to introduce CR, one to Uganda and another to Nigeria.
Please pray for our final day together at the seminar. Pray that we are able to effectively teach and motivate them to start CR in their church or prison. Pray that they are open to starting this ministry to bring the healing to others. Pray that we don't leave before the seminar is over. Pray for two teams from the US that are traveling to Africa to introduce CR, one to Uganda and another to Nigeria.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Day 2 - Woooooowwww
Tuesday is normally a pretty reserved day and people are still unsure of this program called Celebrate Recovery. This is not a "normal" Tuesday. Wooooowwww. They get it. They are very open to what CR has to offer. Close to 100 people are here and we expected about 80. God brought just the right people.
They loved watching the new video of Kenyans talking about their healing through CR. They were blown away by Richard's testimony, especially considering the way they view ex-prisoners. It really opened their eyes and challenged their thinking. John's testimony was a real wake up call for them too. Both testimonies demonstrated that strong men have big tears.
The worship and prayer walking demonstrates the sweetness of God's presence. He is obviously here. Before we came we prayed that we would bring the the spark of a wildfire that will spread across this country. Today a pastor told us that we were the tip of the flame and that CR would be a fire across the country. God is good.
The prayers are working, keep them coming. Pray for the people as they continue digging deep in their step studies and begin their inventories tomorrow. Please pray for the fire to build and build until it seems out of control as it sweeps across Kenya, East Africa and the continent. Asante sana Bwana!!
They loved watching the new video of Kenyans talking about their healing through CR. They were blown away by Richard's testimony, especially considering the way they view ex-prisoners. It really opened their eyes and challenged their thinking. John's testimony was a real wake up call for them too. Both testimonies demonstrated that strong men have big tears.
The worship and prayer walking demonstrates the sweetness of God's presence. He is obviously here. Before we came we prayed that we would bring the the spark of a wildfire that will spread across this country. Today a pastor told us that we were the tip of the flame and that CR would be a fire across the country. God is good.
The prayers are working, keep them coming. Pray for the people as they continue digging deep in their step studies and begin their inventories tomorrow. Please pray for the fire to build and build until it seems out of control as it sweeps across Kenya, East Africa and the continent. Asante sana Bwana!!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Day 1 of CR Seminar
Thanks so much for your prayers. People traveled from as far away as Nairobi (an overnight bus ride) and arrived safely. We had a good turn out. As we waited for the seminar to begin (Kenya time) we prayer walked the campus watching our steps for the cow patties.
One of the great gifts we receive is listening to Kenyan worship. People were open and receptive to CR. They loved hearing our testimonies and realized that we were not so different and saw the possibilities of how this could help people here. The microphone went out and it reminded us to keep our armour on. It was a great opportunity to talk about spiritual warfare. It was a great first day and very encouraging, for us and them :-). We can't wait to see what God is going to do this week. Noah sends his greetings.
Please continue to pray for those attending, that they are open to CR and their personal healing so they make take this to others in their churches and prisons. Pray for us to have continued good health and energy.
PS - thanks for the new comments!
One of the great gifts we receive is listening to Kenyan worship. People were open and receptive to CR. They loved hearing our testimonies and realized that we were not so different and saw the possibilities of how this could help people here. The microphone went out and it reminded us to keep our armour on. It was a great opportunity to talk about spiritual warfare. It was a great first day and very encouraging, for us and them :-). We can't wait to see what God is going to do this week. Noah sends his greetings.
Please continue to pray for those attending, that they are open to CR and their personal healing so they make take this to others in their churches and prisons. Pray for us to have continued good health and energy.
PS - thanks for the new comments!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
The Road to Eldoret
The stagecoach ride to Eldoret was dusty, bumpy, long and did I mention bumpy? But the rewards were waiting at the end of the road. We were met at IVC (International Vision Center) church with awesome worship music overflowing from their huge tent. They were kicking off a worship conference. The music and dancing was a great precursor to an inspiring message on worship. We had a chance to talk about CR and the senior pastor is very exciting to get it started in his church after some key leaders attend the training which starts tomorrow. It filled us and rejuvenated our souls.
We visited Eldoret women's prison to bring them some Swahili Bibles bought by funds from the Saddleback recycling ministry. The Officer in Charge met us there on her day off. We were blessed with the unexpected opportunity to go inside and speak to the inmates. Not only did we distribute Bibles to the inmates, the officers were very excited to get some too. They related to Richard and his story. We were able to meet with some of the women in CR to answer a few questions as they begin doing their inventory. God is good.
The stagecoach ride back to Kitale was dusty, bumpy, long and did I mention bumpy?
Thanks so much for your encouraging comments and yes Valerie we were able to read your too. Maybe that could encourage some of you other faithful readers to leave an encouraging comment or prayer for us. We look forward to reading them.
Please pray for tomorrow (Sunday night in CA) as we begin our CR seminar. Only God knows what's in store. Pray without ceasing for the seminar, those traveling to be here, those attending and of course us. Pray for good rest tonight and energy tomorrow. Pray that we continue to be the Muppets.
We visited Eldoret women's prison to bring them some Swahili Bibles bought by funds from the Saddleback recycling ministry. The Officer in Charge met us there on her day off. We were blessed with the unexpected opportunity to go inside and speak to the inmates. Not only did we distribute Bibles to the inmates, the officers were very excited to get some too. They related to Richard and his story. We were able to meet with some of the women in CR to answer a few questions as they begin doing their inventory. God is good.
The stagecoach ride back to Kitale was dusty, bumpy, long and did I mention bumpy?
Thanks so much for your encouraging comments and yes Valerie we were able to read your too. Maybe that could encourage some of you other faithful readers to leave an encouraging comment or prayer for us. We look forward to reading them.
Please pray for tomorrow (Sunday night in CA) as we begin our CR seminar. Only God knows what's in store. Pray without ceasing for the seminar, those traveling to be here, those attending and of course us. Pray for good rest tonight and energy tomorrow. Pray that we continue to be the Muppets.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Prayer Walking Through the Slums
Friday, we began the day at Purpose Driven Academy with the the 400+ students having an assembly with prayer, singing and memory verses. Out of all the children, only 2 were being a bit disruptive. They were both my kids. I was so proud!
Joann "preached" on Ephesians 4:23, their scripture for the school year. She gave a great message, what they needed to hear.
We walked over to the group home where my 4 kids plus 16 other young children live with Pastor Joel and his wife Margaret. They have such a heart for the orphan children that they care for. I can't imagine the amount of laundry that they do each week! After spending time with them, headmaster Peter, took us for a walk around the slums. It was pretty sobering to see the obvious poverty in the neighboring communities. There are so many children that do not attend school because they cannot afford to buy a school uniform. The crumbling mud homes were a stark reality of life in the slums. We went into a home without any place for us to sit. We met a couple of single fathers struggling to feed their kids. So many stories...
We had lunch and got to play with the children at PDA. We brought a football and Frisbee and had so much fun teaching them how to play with them. It was a great way to lighten up after the reality of the slums.
Margaret took us to Endebess to visit Shalom Academy. It's a school that she started last year and has over 100 students now. It is in an area where thousands of people were displaced, living in tents, after the post-election violence 2 years ago. These children were lacking the self confidence in contrast to the children at PDA and very reserved with us. They obviously have been through a lot in their short lives.
We went for a walk in the community and saw the river where they fetch their water and another level of poverty, something that no amount of training could have prepared us for.
On the way back to Kitale we stopped at Captain Davis's which is a small animal park and took my 4 kids (and Richard) to see their first animals in the wild (including rhinos). It was great to spend some more time with my kids, even thought it seems to short.
Today we joined the Saddleback teams that are here with Pastor Steve and we experienced an even starker reality and deeper level of poverty in Kipsungu slums. We took a walk in the slums and it made the ones yesterday look pretty nice. The igloo shaped homes were made of sticks and plastic shopping bags, clothes, spare materials and things we would discard. There were a few mud huts and they looked so nice relatively speaking. There was a small market selling food that had been discarded in town, knowing that they would likely get sick from eating it but hungry enough to take the chance. The open ditch running through the community made the cement latrine at Kamiti Prison look very extravagant. What a harsh reality. The pastor that serves that community lives in the middle in a small mud hut said that we needed to have a small mind and a huge heart to be there. It's not to analyze, but to feel. We helped Sister Freda hold a medical clinic plus a vision and dental clinic. There were more people than we could possibly treat in the time we had. I think if we had stayed there for 3 days we still could not have been able to treat everyone.
In the afternoon we went to Kitale Prison with the Saddleback teams for a celebration of running water in the prison. They had a program of native singing and dancing, it was a lot of fun. It was great to see so many of the men again who are involved in CR that we saw on Thursday. Many men came to accept the Lord. The men from our teams prayed with them. It was a wonderful experience.
Water from an Artesian well is being pumped into the prison providing water for the 1300 men. They can bath for the first time in prison. They have drinking water. Before they carried water from the creek to the prison for cooking. That was the only use for the water they had. They were very happy to have running water. Now they need soap. It was a wonderful celebration and privilidge to see the fruits of the 3 year water project.
Please pray for travel mercies as we drive to Eldoret to attend IVC church tomorrow. The senoir pastor is a great supporter of CR and will send key leaders to our seminar that begins on Monday. Please continue to pray for those coming to the semianr next week and travel mercies for those coming from as far as Nairobi to attend. Pray for the many people that are less fortunate and living in the slums so close by. Pray for a time of rest and recharging for us as we prepare for teaching the CR semianr next week.
Joann "preached" on Ephesians 4:23, their scripture for the school year. She gave a great message, what they needed to hear.
We walked over to the group home where my 4 kids plus 16 other young children live with Pastor Joel and his wife Margaret. They have such a heart for the orphan children that they care for. I can't imagine the amount of laundry that they do each week! After spending time with them, headmaster Peter, took us for a walk around the slums. It was pretty sobering to see the obvious poverty in the neighboring communities. There are so many children that do not attend school because they cannot afford to buy a school uniform. The crumbling mud homes were a stark reality of life in the slums. We went into a home without any place for us to sit. We met a couple of single fathers struggling to feed their kids. So many stories...
We had lunch and got to play with the children at PDA. We brought a football and Frisbee and had so much fun teaching them how to play with them. It was a great way to lighten up after the reality of the slums.
Margaret took us to Endebess to visit Shalom Academy. It's a school that she started last year and has over 100 students now. It is in an area where thousands of people were displaced, living in tents, after the post-election violence 2 years ago. These children were lacking the self confidence in contrast to the children at PDA and very reserved with us. They obviously have been through a lot in their short lives.
We went for a walk in the community and saw the river where they fetch their water and another level of poverty, something that no amount of training could have prepared us for.
On the way back to Kitale we stopped at Captain Davis's which is a small animal park and took my 4 kids (and Richard) to see their first animals in the wild (including rhinos). It was great to spend some more time with my kids, even thought it seems to short.
Today we joined the Saddleback teams that are here with Pastor Steve and we experienced an even starker reality and deeper level of poverty in Kipsungu slums. We took a walk in the slums and it made the ones yesterday look pretty nice. The igloo shaped homes were made of sticks and plastic shopping bags, clothes, spare materials and things we would discard. There were a few mud huts and they looked so nice relatively speaking. There was a small market selling food that had been discarded in town, knowing that they would likely get sick from eating it but hungry enough to take the chance. The open ditch running through the community made the cement latrine at Kamiti Prison look very extravagant. What a harsh reality. The pastor that serves that community lives in the middle in a small mud hut said that we needed to have a small mind and a huge heart to be there. It's not to analyze, but to feel. We helped Sister Freda hold a medical clinic plus a vision and dental clinic. There were more people than we could possibly treat in the time we had. I think if we had stayed there for 3 days we still could not have been able to treat everyone.
In the afternoon we went to Kitale Prison with the Saddleback teams for a celebration of running water in the prison. They had a program of native singing and dancing, it was a lot of fun. It was great to see so many of the men again who are involved in CR that we saw on Thursday. Many men came to accept the Lord. The men from our teams prayed with them. It was a wonderful experience.
Water from an Artesian well is being pumped into the prison providing water for the 1300 men. They can bath for the first time in prison. They have drinking water. Before they carried water from the creek to the prison for cooking. That was the only use for the water they had. They were very happy to have running water. Now they need soap. It was a wonderful celebration and privilidge to see the fruits of the 3 year water project.
Please pray for travel mercies as we drive to Eldoret to attend IVC church tomorrow. The senoir pastor is a great supporter of CR and will send key leaders to our seminar that begins on Monday. Please continue to pray for those coming to the semianr next week and travel mercies for those coming from as far as Nairobi to attend. Pray for the many people that are less fortunate and living in the slums so close by. Pray for a time of rest and recharging for us as we prepare for teaching the CR semianr next week.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Another day in prison
After a rain delay, we were warmly welcomed at Kitale Main prison by several hundred inmates, many who had gone through CR plus many others. A few hundred men were gathered around us, others listening from across the yard and even a few sitting in the tops of trees reminding us of Zacchaeus.
They had prepared a program for us with songs, poems and one inmate who is being released next week even sang a song for us about how Celebrate Recovery changed his life. What a blessing!
We shared our stories of hope. They loved hearing Richard's testimony, of his 22 years of in and out of prison until he accepted Christ in his heart. They refer to him as a "jailbird", going in and out of prison. Both the inmates and officers were really impacted. I think they will always remember this day when an ex-prisoner from the US came all the way to Kenya to encourage them. Richard got to experience for the first time what it was like to see what he looked like when he was in prison - hard hearted and full of anger. It was like looking in an old mirror.
The chaplain did an alter call and so many men (too many to count) came forward and accepted Christ. It was amazing to see some of those hard hearts soften. Richard prayed for them.
We visited the women's prison and shared our stories and encouraged them. There are fewer women now, only 47, and only 6 children staying in prison with their mothers - being raised by the village of women. My friend Carolyne is still there leading the CR group. It was great to reconnect with her. We were honored with Swahili songs and welcomed back.
We left CR materials, Swahili Bibles and a few Purpose Driven Life books for both prisons.
It was a very good day.
Please pray for us as we visit Purpose Driven Academy tomorrow and Joann "preaches" at chapel for the students. Pray as we finalize arrangements for our seminar next week and reconnect with friends.
They had prepared a program for us with songs, poems and one inmate who is being released next week even sang a song for us about how Celebrate Recovery changed his life. What a blessing!
We shared our stories of hope. They loved hearing Richard's testimony, of his 22 years of in and out of prison until he accepted Christ in his heart. They refer to him as a "jailbird", going in and out of prison. Both the inmates and officers were really impacted. I think they will always remember this day when an ex-prisoner from the US came all the way to Kenya to encourage them. Richard got to experience for the first time what it was like to see what he looked like when he was in prison - hard hearted and full of anger. It was like looking in an old mirror.
The chaplain did an alter call and so many men (too many to count) came forward and accepted Christ. It was amazing to see some of those hard hearts soften. Richard prayed for them.
We visited the women's prison and shared our stories and encouraged them. There are fewer women now, only 47, and only 6 children staying in prison with their mothers - being raised by the village of women. My friend Carolyne is still there leading the CR group. It was great to reconnect with her. We were honored with Swahili songs and welcomed back.
We left CR materials, Swahili Bibles and a few Purpose Driven Life books for both prisons.
It was a very good day.
Please pray for us as we visit Purpose Driven Academy tomorrow and Joann "preaches" at chapel for the students. Pray as we finalize arrangements for our seminar next week and reconnect with friends.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Wednesday Night in Kitale
We made it to Kitale this morning on a 19 passenger plane with no problems. However we have had some technical challenges with my computer so here are 2 days of catch up.
Tuesday
We went to 2 prisons, and got to leave also - thank you Jesus. We arrived at Kamiti, a men's maximun security prison with about 4000 inmates, a little before our appointed time. We waited. And we waited. We waited some more. Then we were allowed access to visit the 130 men on death row. What a humbling expereince. We sat in chairs overlooking the open latrene running through the yard, with the execution chamber in clear view. The men sat on the ground or 5 gallon plastic buckets.
Their choir sang beautiful worship songs for us. The team was introduced and I gave my short testimony and then Richard spoke - wow! John & Joann gave their short testimonies too. Everyone (including the guards) was completely focused on every word. And it was right what they needed to hear. One man, James, accepted Christ while we were there and John and Richard got to hug him and pray with him as he did. Thank You God for allowing us to be the Muppets. Powerful!
We had a nice visit with the Officer In Charger (warden) and believe we will be welcomed back there any time. They were pretty impressed that a former prisoner from the US would come all the way to Kenya to share hope with the hopeless. We brought some CR materials, Bibles and Purpose Driven Life books.
We went to Langata Women's Prison and got to meet the new Senior Chaplain (the former Sr Chaplain was promoted to Provencial Chaplain) and we began building new relationships. We spoke to a large group of women, both remands and convicted. It was very encouraging to Chirstine (the CR leader) and others that we came back. It was pretty powerful. They seemed to really appreciate our visit and the CR materials and Bibles that we brought.
Today (Wednesday)
We got up very early and caught a fligt to Kitale. We went straight to Oasis of Hope, a drop in center for street kids. The children live on the street and come to Oasis for 2 meals each day, classes and Bible studies. It was a real eye opener, heart jerker, fun and emotional time. Geoffrey gave us a tour of the great facility then we got to play games with the kids. Red rover, red rover, let John come over..... What a gift to be there. The reality of their lives really hit home to us when we saw those same kids in town later, on the street where they will sleep tonight.
After lunch in town we went to Purpose Driven Academy and the rest of the team got to meet my kids. Sorry, no words to describe this.... Ok, they will help me find some. It was wonderful to share my experiencs with the team and to see how quickly they bonded with "my" kids and many others. At first the children were a bit overwhelmed by 4 mzungus but warmed up pretty fast. It was a great time of reconnection and getting acquainted.
Today was all about being "in the present". The verse for the day is "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11.
Please pray for our visit to Kitale Prisons tomorrow morning. Pray for our meeting at ICM as we finalize arrangements for the seminar next week. Pray for those coming to the seminar, for safe travels as they come to Kitale from around Kenya. Pray for open hearts to learn about CR. Pray for the churches and prisons across Kenay that are in various stages of starting CR.
Tuesday
We went to 2 prisons, and got to leave also - thank you Jesus. We arrived at Kamiti, a men's maximun security prison with about 4000 inmates, a little before our appointed time. We waited. And we waited. We waited some more. Then we were allowed access to visit the 130 men on death row. What a humbling expereince. We sat in chairs overlooking the open latrene running through the yard, with the execution chamber in clear view. The men sat on the ground or 5 gallon plastic buckets.
Their choir sang beautiful worship songs for us. The team was introduced and I gave my short testimony and then Richard spoke - wow! John & Joann gave their short testimonies too. Everyone (including the guards) was completely focused on every word. And it was right what they needed to hear. One man, James, accepted Christ while we were there and John and Richard got to hug him and pray with him as he did. Thank You God for allowing us to be the Muppets. Powerful!
We had a nice visit with the Officer In Charger (warden) and believe we will be welcomed back there any time. They were pretty impressed that a former prisoner from the US would come all the way to Kenya to share hope with the hopeless. We brought some CR materials, Bibles and Purpose Driven Life books.
We went to Langata Women's Prison and got to meet the new Senior Chaplain (the former Sr Chaplain was promoted to Provencial Chaplain) and we began building new relationships. We spoke to a large group of women, both remands and convicted. It was very encouraging to Chirstine (the CR leader) and others that we came back. It was pretty powerful. They seemed to really appreciate our visit and the CR materials and Bibles that we brought.
Today (Wednesday)
We got up very early and caught a fligt to Kitale. We went straight to Oasis of Hope, a drop in center for street kids. The children live on the street and come to Oasis for 2 meals each day, classes and Bible studies. It was a real eye opener, heart jerker, fun and emotional time. Geoffrey gave us a tour of the great facility then we got to play games with the kids. Red rover, red rover, let John come over..... What a gift to be there. The reality of their lives really hit home to us when we saw those same kids in town later, on the street where they will sleep tonight.
After lunch in town we went to Purpose Driven Academy and the rest of the team got to meet my kids. Sorry, no words to describe this.... Ok, they will help me find some. It was wonderful to share my experiencs with the team and to see how quickly they bonded with "my" kids and many others. At first the children were a bit overwhelmed by 4 mzungus but warmed up pretty fast. It was a great time of reconnection and getting acquainted.
Today was all about being "in the present". The verse for the day is "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11.
Please pray for our visit to Kitale Prisons tomorrow morning. Pray for our meeting at ICM as we finalize arrangements for the seminar next week. Pray for those coming to the seminar, for safe travels as they come to Kitale from around Kenya. Pray for open hearts to learn about CR. Pray for the churches and prisons across Kenay that are in various stages of starting CR.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Monday Night
God's plan for us today was to hold a meeting for people that have attended previous CR trainings plus an introduction meeting for new pastors, church leaders and prison chaplains that wanted to learn about CR. We showed up, God spoke, we left - with a few other minor details in between. The CR Africa materials were a huge hit and look great! They loved the new CR Kenya video with their testimonies. CR programs are progressing well, pole pole (slowly). It was wonderful to reconnect with so many people, and it reinforced the importance of following up. Richard shared his testimony for the first time here and it touch many people.
Richard had a new identity, it was decided that he had to have a "J" name too with John, Joann and Jana so now he is "Joe Richard".
Please pray for our meetings tomorrow as we go to Kamiti Prison, a maximum security facility here in Nairobi. Pray for David as he drives to Kitale tomorrow to meet us there when we arrive on Wednesday morning.
Richard had a new identity, it was decided that he had to have a "J" name too with John, Joann and Jana so now he is "Joe Richard".
Please pray for our meetings tomorrow as we go to Kamiti Prison, a maximum security facility here in Nairobi. Pray for David as he drives to Kitale tomorrow to meet us there when we arrive on Wednesday morning.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
How do we put into words the expereinces of today?
The team got a good night's rest, got to sleep in (ha ha) til 6. It has been raining some and that is considered a blessing. We drove to CCI Thika and met with the CR leadership. They have 14 people going through step study groups to prepare leaders, they are in book 3. They are discussing how to add the Large Group meeting and Open Share groups and see the need for them. They are becoming the Kenyan model for CR. Our visit was very encouraging to them, and us.
We had a meeting in the afternoon with Nairobi Pentecostal Church (NPC) Woodley. which has about 5000 members. Last week we accidentally went to this church for a meeting which was actually scheduled elsewhere. While we were waiting we met a key pastor and showed him a video of CR in Kenya and he invited us to come today and speak to some church leaders. The best way to describe it was there was a Holy Spirit transformation of the hearts of those attending. Then we met the Bishop over all 8 NPC churches. He has been to Saddleback and knows about CR. He was very excited that we were here and bringing CR to his churhces. They are planning to attend our next CR training. Did I mention that God was there?
Please pray for our families at home, our meeting tomorrow with churches in Nairobi that have been trained in CR or want to attend our next training that will be here in Nairobi in August (oh yeah, our plans for August have changed :-)).
We had a meeting in the afternoon with Nairobi Pentecostal Church (NPC) Woodley. which has about 5000 members. Last week we accidentally went to this church for a meeting which was actually scheduled elsewhere. While we were waiting we met a key pastor and showed him a video of CR in Kenya and he invited us to come today and speak to some church leaders. The best way to describe it was there was a Holy Spirit transformation of the hearts of those attending. Then we met the Bishop over all 8 NPC churches. He has been to Saddleback and knows about CR. He was very excited that we were here and bringing CR to his churhces. They are planning to attend our next CR training. Did I mention that God was there?
Please pray for our families at home, our meeting tomorrow with churches in Nairobi that have been trained in CR or want to attend our next training that will be here in Nairobi in August (oh yeah, our plans for August have changed :-)).
Saturday, February 27, 2010
The team arrived safely!
Thanks so much for your prayers. John, Richard and Joann made it to Nairobi with all their luggage after a couple of minor travel stresses but nothing serious. They are so excited to be here. We are all checked in at Methodist Guest House and hopefully will get a good night's rest.
Back in Nairobi waiting on the team to arrive
I flew back to Nairobi today so I can meet the team coming in tonight. They had a flight delay in Minneapolis but should of had plenty of time for their connection in Amsterdam. I haven't heard from them so I assume that means they are on the plane arriving in a couple of hours. David (our trusted driver and friend) and I are headed to the airport in a few minutes to meet them. I'll post something after we get back to the hotel tonight to let you know they made it.
While I am waiting to go to the airport to meet them I'll give you an update on my remaining time in Kitale.
Yesterday morning we went by Kitale Prison to finalize arrangements for the team's visit next week. To my surprise they had prepared a program for me. The testimonies they shared were so amazing, lives are changing through Celebrate Recovery. People have peace in their lives, families are being restored, God is so good. They gave me several hand written testimonies, I can't wait to read through all of them. After visiting both the men's and women's prisons in Kitale we drove 1 1/2 hours south over very rough roads to Eldoret. We brought my 4 Kenyan children to visit their mother in prison. There weren't many dry eyes around for that! They got to spend a few minutes alone and then I spent some time with her too. She is now the pastor for all the women of that prison and has started CR since our visit last August! Did I mention that God is good. The kids enjoyed the visit so much, they sang most of the way back to Kitale.
This morning my flight was delayed from Kitale. During that time there were so many God connections. First of all there was a team from Seacoast Church in South Carolina waiting for the flight. They are a Purpose Driven Church and have CR. We had great conversations about CR and Kenya. They were with a Kenyan Bishop, John Lodinyo, who was featured in the book "White Man Walking", what an honor to meet this humble man. As we talked we realized that we have some common friends, it's a small world. Well Bishop John was talking to someone he knew, the retired Commissioner of Prisons. I talked to him for a few minutes about what CR is doing in the prisons, he was very happy. He was the one who opened up prisons to allow religious organizations in to minister to the inmates. He seemed pleased to see my permit, granting me access to visit the prisons. The time passed quickly and I didn't mind the flight delay at all.
Please pray for the team as they arrive this evening, that their luggage comes too and they get good rest tonight as they begin adjusting to the 11 hour time difference. Pray for our day tomorrow. We will attend church at CCI Thika and meet with their CR group to encourage them and see how we can best serve them. In the afternoon we have a meeting with a key church in Nairobi that is interested in starting CR. Pray for us to be the Muppets and that God will lead us and guide us every step of the way.
Also pray for a church in Kiev, Ukraine that has started CR with a few people and they are presenting it to their church tomorrow (Sunday.
While I am waiting to go to the airport to meet them I'll give you an update on my remaining time in Kitale.
Yesterday morning we went by Kitale Prison to finalize arrangements for the team's visit next week. To my surprise they had prepared a program for me. The testimonies they shared were so amazing, lives are changing through Celebrate Recovery. People have peace in their lives, families are being restored, God is so good. They gave me several hand written testimonies, I can't wait to read through all of them. After visiting both the men's and women's prisons in Kitale we drove 1 1/2 hours south over very rough roads to Eldoret. We brought my 4 Kenyan children to visit their mother in prison. There weren't many dry eyes around for that! They got to spend a few minutes alone and then I spent some time with her too. She is now the pastor for all the women of that prison and has started CR since our visit last August! Did I mention that God is good. The kids enjoyed the visit so much, they sang most of the way back to Kitale.
This morning my flight was delayed from Kitale. During that time there were so many God connections. First of all there was a team from Seacoast Church in South Carolina waiting for the flight. They are a Purpose Driven Church and have CR. We had great conversations about CR and Kenya. They were with a Kenyan Bishop, John Lodinyo, who was featured in the book "White Man Walking", what an honor to meet this humble man. As we talked we realized that we have some common friends, it's a small world. Well Bishop John was talking to someone he knew, the retired Commissioner of Prisons. I talked to him for a few minutes about what CR is doing in the prisons, he was very happy. He was the one who opened up prisons to allow religious organizations in to minister to the inmates. He seemed pleased to see my permit, granting me access to visit the prisons. The time passed quickly and I didn't mind the flight delay at all.
Please pray for the team as they arrive this evening, that their luggage comes too and they get good rest tonight as they begin adjusting to the 11 hour time difference. Pray for our day tomorrow. We will attend church at CCI Thika and meet with their CR group to encourage them and see how we can best serve them. In the afternoon we have a meeting with a key church in Nairobi that is interested in starting CR. Pray for us to be the Muppets and that God will lead us and guide us every step of the way.
Also pray for a church in Kiev, Ukraine that has started CR with a few people and they are presenting it to their church tomorrow (Sunday.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Meeting the Grandmother
I took my four God children to see their grandmother. My friend Margaret who is the principle of the boarding school they live and Pastor Abraham of Kitale Prison came with us. I have been sponsoring them for about a year at Purpose Driven Academy in Kitale. I met Augustine (now 5 years old) in prison where he was born. His mother remains in prison today adn God willing will be released in about 10 years. Elizabeth, age 6, is his sister and Brian, age 8, and Calvin, age 5, are cousins.
We drove 1 1/2 hours from Kitale over pothole filled roads through the sugar cane fields through Webuye and on to Matisi in Western Kenya. The towns grew smaller to tiny villages with open air markets every few kilometers. We turned off the main road to a dirt footpath that had likely never seen car. We slowly made our way down the path. The children's excitement was building. After 2-3 kilometers we came to the end of the path to 3 mud huts on a small plot of land. The grandmother was waiting to greet us. She could not contain her excitement to see the children and meet the first mzungu (white person) to ever visit the area. Apparently it was a real honor for her to host me in her home.
She offered us cokes as that was the only soda available in the village. We sat in her mud hut with a few pieces of stick furniture and got to know one another and talked about the children. It's too much to write about in the blog so for the details you will just have to wait for the book that I have been thinking about writing one of these days. I'll just say that Brain (the oldest at 8 years old) was born to her daughter when she was in the 5th grade and prostituted herself for food. There is no way to know who the father is. The grandmother raised him as her son but could not afford to send him to school. Last year when he came to Purpse Driven Academy he started in kindergarten and is now in the first grade. All four of the children have their unique stories.
All the neighbors came to great me and wanted me to take their pictures. Even the adults liked to have their pictures taken and look at them, maybe for the first time. I was a good time of fellowship and a very positive experience for everyone involved.
Please pray for the team that will be leaving LAX at 8 am on Friday morning. Pray for travel mercies and their families as they see them off. Pray for my meetings today at Kitale Prison and then I am taking the children to Eldoret for Augustine and Elizabeth to see their mother for the first time in a year.
We drove 1 1/2 hours from Kitale over pothole filled roads through the sugar cane fields through Webuye and on to Matisi in Western Kenya. The towns grew smaller to tiny villages with open air markets every few kilometers. We turned off the main road to a dirt footpath that had likely never seen car. We slowly made our way down the path. The children's excitement was building. After 2-3 kilometers we came to the end of the path to 3 mud huts on a small plot of land. The grandmother was waiting to greet us. She could not contain her excitement to see the children and meet the first mzungu (white person) to ever visit the area. Apparently it was a real honor for her to host me in her home.
She offered us cokes as that was the only soda available in the village. We sat in her mud hut with a few pieces of stick furniture and got to know one another and talked about the children. It's too much to write about in the blog so for the details you will just have to wait for the book that I have been thinking about writing one of these days. I'll just say that Brain (the oldest at 8 years old) was born to her daughter when she was in the 5th grade and prostituted herself for food. There is no way to know who the father is. The grandmother raised him as her son but could not afford to send him to school. Last year when he came to Purpse Driven Academy he started in kindergarten and is now in the first grade. All four of the children have their unique stories.
All the neighbors came to great me and wanted me to take their pictures. Even the adults liked to have their pictures taken and look at them, maybe for the first time. I was a good time of fellowship and a very positive experience for everyone involved.
Please pray for the team that will be leaving LAX at 8 am on Friday morning. Pray for travel mercies and their families as they see them off. Pray for my meetings today at Kitale Prison and then I am taking the children to Eldoret for Augustine and Elizabeth to see their mother for the first time in a year.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
A day with my kids
This morning Margaret and I took my four kids to town and bought them new shoes and a few basic necessities. They needed black shoes to go with their school uniforms and casual shoes to wear when not in school along with some school supplies and toiletries. They are all doing well in school and enjoying it very much.
They live in a home with 16 other orphan children and house parents Joel and Margaret. We took their new mattresses and other things tehre and I got to see their beds and lockers and spend soem time with their house mom. After lunch we drove to outside of Kitale town to Endebes and visited a school. We had a great time on the drive, they rode in the back of the pickup and laughted and sang the whole way. It was a very good day!
They live in a home with 16 other orphan children and house parents Joel and Margaret. We took their new mattresses and other things tehre and I got to see their beds and lockers and spend soem time with their house mom. After lunch we drove to outside of Kitale town to Endebes and visited a school. We had a great time on the drive, they rode in the back of the pickup and laughted and sang the whole way. It was a very good day!
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