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)