Finishing and Farewell From Kenya

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you back in America!  I was able to spend Thursday with the Kroening family and a few other families, so it’s been nice to still be able to celebrate. 

Believe it or not, this will most likely be my last blog post from the African continent.  From this coming Saturday through next Friday I will be at various missionary conferences associated with Africa Inland Mission.  The next day (Saturday, Dec. 6^th) is Pastor Adera’s wedding, and then from Sunday the 7^th through Saturday the 13^th I’ll be helping out with the Word of Life youth camp down in Mombasa.  Sunday the 14^th will consist of attending church, saying goodbyes and packing to leave that evening to meet my family the next morning up in Germany!  There’s still a lot to do and experience, as you can see from the busy schedule above, and I’m sure I’ll have some things to share about these experiences.

So last Saturday I was in the wedding line of my friend, Aron.  It was a unique experience with blessings and challenges.  The day before what began as me going with Aron to the church to “help decorate” turned into quite the adventure.  I ended up at Aron’s uncle’s house and was told that, since Aron’s best man had to go to South Africa, I was now the best man; consequently, I needed to make sure certain things got done and help Aron so that he could rest before his big day.  I’m still not sure what this exactly meant, but I’m grateful that I didn’t seem to ruin the wedding in any way!  I did, however, end up spending the rest of the evening with Aron, trying to figure out what we (and I guess me, personally) needed to do.  I’ll have some photos of the wedding to post when I get the chance.

Sunday after church I was able to record that song that my friend Abbih and I worked on together, and later in the afternoon I ended up playing a soccer game with a bunch of guys at a nearby field.

This past week AIC Plainsview has had their “Vocational Bible School,” or VBS, so I have been helping with that.  It has been a neat experience to be a part of African children’s ministry, although I have been interacting more specifically with the 7^th-10^th graders (the oldest group).  It’s been a good opportunity to develop a relationship with some of the guys who I’ll be with at the youth camp in Mombasa.  I also went on Wednesday evening to a church member’s home to speak with his sons and a few of their friends.  There were four high-school-aged guys, and I was able to encourage them in their walk with God and in seeking to become men of God according to what the Bible says, not the world and its messages.  It was a really nice time and something I wish I had more opportunity to do while here in Kenya; I’m sure the youth camp in Mombasa will also be a really fruitful time as well.  I am finding that I have a real passion for ministering to the high school guys here in Kenya; they are very cool and have a lot of character.

So, as I leave you, probably until I get to Germany, I want to ask you all for your continued prayers.  As things have picked up I’ve also been really stretched and challenged to rely on God for, well, it feels like just about everything.  Cross-cultural living is rewarding but exhausting.  There are still many opportunities to minister to people, and there are still a lot of things that I believe God wants to teach me, specifically regarding grace and love.  The journey is far from over, and I’m sure it will continue even after I get on the plane in a few weeks.  Blessings to all of you on your own, individual journeys as well!

-Pray against spiritual attack in my life and in the events of the next few weeks

-Pray that God’s grace and strength would overflow in my life and in the lives of all of us (I’m talking Niagara Falls, not some hidden, obscure creek)

-Pray for safety as I travel around Kenya these next few weeks and then as I head up to Germany

-Pray for a strong finish and good closure, spiritually, emotionally, physically, etc.

Approaching the End

Things are speeding up towards a finish here in Kenya.  In some ways it feels like it has been three months, but in other ways the time has gone very quickly.  I feel blessed by what I have already been able to experience (the good, bad and ugly) and am excited for what is still to come as I finish out my time here.  Sometimes I think, “yeah this will be a good story to tell,” and other times I think, “there’s no way people are going to understand this, how sad.”  We shall see.  I do know, however, that God has known about this Kenyan journey of mine for a long, long time, and I am grateful for this idea he had back during the whole “foundation-laying” stage of the universe.

The other Thursday I met up with Mrs. Kroening (the missionary mom of my friend back at Houghton) and was able to go with her up to Rosslyn Academy (in the far north part of Nairobi) to see the Abby, the youngest Kroening kid in the play, “Our Town.”  Rosslyn is an American system international school made up primarily of missionary and diplomat kids.  I walked all the way from where I stay in South B to Upper Hill, where the Kroenings live.  I’ve begun to enjoy taking on the challenges of traveling around Nairobi…it usually makes for some good stories.  This journey consisted of trekking along some pretty muddy paths and along the major highway going through Nairobi for some time, but other than that it was pretty uneventful.  The play was good, and it was weird being around a lot of “white” people again.  It was also nice to see my friend’s alma mater.

On Saturday I went to worship practice, as usual, but this time I was told the normal keyboard player (my friend Tom) was not going to be around.  Apparently I was deemed qualified to fill in.  This was quite the stretching experience, considering I was going to be the “lead instrument” in a bunch of songs that I had never really heard before.  I managed to get through practice, and it was very humbling.  While nervous for Sunday morning, I knew it was a good opportunity for me to rely on God and not my own abilities; however, God must have heard my cries for help and decided that this would require “too much supernatural support” because the power went out right as we began, haha.  We ended up doing acoustic worship, and for the second service I got to play guitar with the singers.  It was a nice time.

Monday around noon I left with Pastor Mutangili, Judihannah and Manasseh to go up to Stanley’s village near mukaa, located in ukambani (Makweni County to be specific) for the night.  I’ve been there a few times before; I’ve posted some pictures from here.  After buying some trees and stopping by another plot of land along the way to plant a few, we arrived at Stanley’s village.  We planted a few more trees and then lit some lanterns as the sun went down; the village doesn’t have electricity yet.  It was really nice to be out in the country and to watch the day end over the African hills and valleys.  Inside the house I got out my guitar, and one of the men with us took it and began to play some Kamba songs.  He sang along with Stanley, his mother and the many kids present.  The small room was filled with music, dancing and clapping, and the warm glow of the lantern.  It was such a blessing to simply sit and take this all in.  We eventually ate, and after preparing for bed I was able to go outside and see the stars.  The most notable thing was how they all seemed to, literally, twinkle (very noticeably and in a way I’d never seen before).  Standing on that African hillside and looking up at the sky as well as down across the dark valley where many other, unseen Kamba people quietly faced the night as they had for years and years, I was humbled and grateful.  This was much more like the “Africa” you hear about, and it was a blessing to experience.  I settled into bed for the night, and the light rain that began soon turned into a downpour, pounding against the tin roof of the home.  I lay there for a while, taking everything in and thanking God for the day’s experiences.  The following day we woke early and spent most of the morning planting more trees before driving back to Nairobi in the afternoon for the Tuesday night, young adult Bible study.

I am grateful for the many prayers of my friends and family.  I am sure that they have uplifted and supported me throughout my entire time here.  God has continued to reveal things to me about myself and His power to work in the lives of those who seek Him, and these things often leave me grateful, amazed and very reflective.  As I see my time here in Kenya growing shorter and shorter, I am becoming more grateful for the experiences I’m having and the time I’m able to spend with the friends I have made.  It will be nice to see people back home, but I will miss many of these people.  My dear friends Marvin (Didy) and Christine (Mutheu) will be getting married January 3^rd; I will most definitely be thinking of them on that day.

-Pray for these last few weeks of my time here in Kenya—that I would finish strong and that God would move mightily (I know He’s not done yet)

-Pray for a continued spirit of gratitude

-Begin praying for the goodbyes I will have to make

Adventures on the Sreets; Adventures at Home

Last Friday I was able to visit the Wilson Airport Hanger, an important part of AIM’s ministry.  I was able to meet two fathers of different people I know from Houghton; that was really neat.  I also helped to polish an older plane down in the hanger, and after lunch joined a lot of the local workers in some soccer (our field was one side of the hanger and its concrete floor).  Upon leaving the hanger with my friend, Alex, I had quite the adventure.  We walked all the way to South B (a pretty hefty distance, although probably faster than if we drove in the Friday afternoon traffic) and were then told that no one was home at the Mutangili house.  We then proceeded to “go to meet the pastor,” although I couldn't seem to ask where exactly we were going in the right way to elicit the answer I was looking for.  Along the way I managed to evade being pummeled by sprinting out of the way of multiple trucks; I then succeeded in fending myself off from the aggressive matatu man who tried to grab me and pull me onto his matatu.  Alex and I then boarded a different matatu (I with the faith that Alex knew where we were going to meet the pastor).  Next, after alighting a ways outside of the city we crossed a few more streets and jumped a few sewage-infested gullies (one of which required me to land a few inches from the cars flying by on the other side).  By this time I had figured out which building we were attempting to get to, but we first had to dodge the small herd of cows that were on a mission and charging down the sidewalk (this required some more jumping back and forth).  At last, after our daunting and heroic journey, the weary travelers found the pastor and his family eating with a family whose daughter had just finished high school…success.

I have also been spending a good amount of time with the pastor’s two eldest kids, Judihannah and Manasseh.  They have a lot of energy, but there are usually many funny stories to tell after spending some time with them.  Just the other night while we were all sitting down to take tea, Manasseh decided he wanted tea as well and valiantly declared as he marched off to the kitchen, “I’m going to take my tea!”  In response, Judihannah marched out of the living room and into the bathroom proclaiming, “I’m going to take my susu!” (I’m sure you all can guess what susu means, haha).  It’s always an entertaining night with the Mutangili kids.  We actually just finished building a fort in the living room with the couch cushions.

I was able to present another song last Sunday to the congregation, and in a few weeks we have an entire service of worship that I will be helping to lead with many of the other young adults.  This Saturday evening Pastor Adera is also hoping to have the young adult men over to his home for the night for a “bachelor party” before his wedding.  It should be a good time of fellowship, and I hear Pastor Adera will have a goat to roast!

Spiritually, things have been pretty exhausting.  I have had opportunities to speak to people and interact with people, but it has been difficult for some reason to really take a joy in the work I’m doing.  I’m still confident that God is working through me, and I also know that God is working in me—although this can often be a difficult process.  The prayers of friends and family have meant a lot, and I am excited to see more clearly how God has and will continue to specifically answer these prayers. 

-Pray that God would continue to work in peoples’ lives throughout my final month here in Kenya

-Pray that I would experience an undeniable peace and joy in the work I’m doing here

-Pray that God would become more and that I would become less

-Pray for a faith that can move mountains (both for me and for others in your life)

Kenya: Challenging but Good

I think the best way to describe my intercultural experience here in Kenya is “immersion.” But let me tell you, while this has often been really challenging, I can also confidently say that this has been a blessing.  I know that God has been able to challenge me to trust Him and rely on Him in ways that I never imagined, and the wealth of experiences I've had is well-worth this cultural immersion and its challenges.  By the end of my time here in Kenya I will have attended two weddings, been in another, attended two up-country, traditional pre-weddings and attended various funerals, just to name a few things.  I haven’t just been a missionary serving in a specific task; I've been an individual living life, relating and interacting with Africans in their daily lives.  I ride the matatus; I've been downtown; I’m used to being the only white person around.  I eat what the Kenyans eat; I live like the Kenyans live; I do what the Kenyans do.  I have no choice, and at times what feels like no escape, but even in the midst of it all I can see the blessings of this kind of experience.  Besides learning to depend more fully on God I’m also continuing to learn about His grace and calling in my life.  It’s challenging but good stuff.

I spent most of last week traveling around to different schools to speak at different schools’ prayer services.  The class eight students (8^th graders) and form four students (12^th grade) have national exams they are currently taking that greatly impact there they will go to high school or college and what kind of educational and career opportunities they will ultimately be able to have.  They’re kind of a big deal, and so these prayer services are a time of encouragement for students as well as their parents and a good opportunity to point people towards God’s providence and care for our lives, ultimately through His gospel message.  I’ve been to schools upcountry as well as schools here in the city.  These times are fulfilling and also tiring—you wouldn’t believe how exhausting it can be to sit through a multi-hour service where you understand little to nothing of what is being said, apart from what I say in English.  Still, it was nice to talk to the different kids and their parents.  I usually start by really emphasizing the core of the gospel message, and then I move into talking about three different points in light of this: 1, don’t worry; 2, seek God; 3, do your best.  It’s been good.

On Saturday I traveled upcountry with some people for the pre-wedding/cultural wedding of my good friend, “Diddy” (his nickname, pronounced D.D.), and his fiancée, Kristen.  This involved Diddy traveling with many of his relatives to the upcountry home of Kristen (who is form the Kamba tribe).  Friends are also invited as well.  So apparently this was all supposed to start at 8:00am, but we didn't arrive until after 12:00pm, and we still just waited under the tents that were set up for most of the afternoon.  Diddy and some of his family members met with Kristen’s family to discuss and decide on a dowry, and two goats were slaughtered as part of the occasion (I was able to witness this first-hand, although I was fine with just watching and not helping).  Once things had been settled, a meal was served for the many guests, and then came the fun part.  In Kamba tradition the pride is paraded out to meet her future husband; however, she is completely covered in cloths and blankets along with a number of other “fake brides.”  After the procession with much dancing and singing, the various “brides” are presented before the groom, and he has to identify his bride from among them.  If he guesses wrong he is usually “fined” another goat (and I’m sure he also experiences a lot of embarrassment).  It’s kind of like a cruel game the woman play with the groom that is entirely delightful to watch.  I’m happy to say that Diddy guessed correctly, and this was followed by a short sermon and then the giving of donations toward the wedding budget.  It was a neat experience, and I also enjoyed traveling with my friend Caleb.  Caleb went to school for a few years in America and is actually getting married to an girl from Kansas.  It’s been a blessing to have a friend who is able to better understand my own culture and way of responding to things but who’s still a Kenyan.

I've also become good friends with a guy named Abby (short for Abraham).  He makes a living as a musician.  We've had some time to get together and sing and play guitar.  This past Monday he actually taught me a song that he recently wrote, and we’re hoping to go to the recording studio to sing and play it together.  It’ll be a cool experience, and I've been able to learn a little more about Kenyan musical style.

-Pray for continued faith in God’s promises and work in my life (not just to believe in them but to step out and live differently in the reality of these things)

-Pray for those who are preparing to get married (those here in Kenya as well as those you know back at home)

-Pray for opportunity as well as the ability to see God powerfully working and moving in peoples’ lives (not just for me here in Kenya, but for yourselves, wherever you are)