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.