Kenya Update

Greetings from Nairobi again, where time only seems to speed up.  We have seen and been involved in so much since our last writing that it is a bit overwhelming to share concisely!  Writing this out concisely is impossible – and with being able to try to let you “see” what I am writing about!  We love sharing with you guys about what the Lord is doing here – and sharing in detail – but we also know that when you get e-mails that are long – finding time to really read them is hard.  We are all busy – right!?   If you are not busy – let me believe you are anyway so I will feel normal.

We hosted the team in February that was so perfectly timed that it made us sit in awe at God’s handiwork.  That perfect timing was not necessarily comfortable timing for us, having 2 of our Members of Parliament (MPs) assassinated the first week they were here.  Imagine a close presidential race in the states, one side declaring himself as president, 2 congressmen assassinated in a week that were from the same political side, fighting breaking out, .005% of the population of the country is killed (for America that would be just over 15,000 people), about 1.67% of the population is forced to flee from their homes and camp out in groups at police stations or other safe areas to remain alive (about 5 million people in US).  Even a group of 7,000 on 2 acres having no toilets, running water or food store, most having no shelter or even blanket in the cold rain.  We just can’t imagine that type of turmoil as Americans. 

A new wave of violence broke out after the assignations, causing the numbers of internationally displaced people to soar.  What does that mean – when you live in it?  It means that a family like Peter’s, which has lived peaceably with his neighbors for years, returns from a trip to visit his family in Western Kenya for Christmas to find that the same neighbors he had for years are no longer friends.  They want his family to leave – not because of any personal conflict between these families, but because they are from a different place, from a different tribe.  Peter holds out in his house, trying to let things blow over.  The nights begin to become more dangerous and violent –just outside his flimsy tin door.  Youths begin to dominate the night, raping, beating and killing those from the wrong tribe.  Some beheadings bring the father to a point of wondering if things are past trying to ride out.  Fear begins to grip Peter’s family, and then they get personal threats.  Houses around him have been burned and theirs is promised as next.  They run, looking for a safe place.  They run to the police station where they begin sleeping outside, along with what ended up being over 7,000 other people.  This one camp, at the Tigoni police station, was unfortunately one of over 40+ camps countrywide. 

This is the situation that we were in on the first day that the team was to begin ministry in Kenya.  Getting sea legs in place to mentally face this large group of people that had run for their lives, seen things that I still can’t comprehend, having left every earthly possession behind (without any insurance policy to help pick up the pieces) was challenging.  As challenging as this was, however, I can’t express how wonderfully the Lord worked out things before us.

One of our goals was to work along side the Kenyan Church where Jim and I attend, Ridgeways Baptist.  They were actively working in 2 camps before the team came.  We were going to join forces with them.  There was also a great deal of extra safety in going out with the Kenyans that knew the language and culture so much better.  Having them listening to news and radio reports through the day helped us stay on top of activity in the nation as it was happening.  They were doing a great job, and it was a wonderful experience for everyone, the team and the church, as we joined forces every morning for prayer and looking at what we were going to do for the day.  Every days schedule was put together that morning to best seize the opportunities for each day.

Arriving at the camp the first day was just mind boggling.  Walking on the dirt drive past crowds of people that have a far-off and lost look about them, you see in the distance piles of stuff from the lucky ones that managed to bring some of their things with them.  Others are sitting out in the sun with nothing.  Shell shock is apparent in most faces.  How did this happen to our Kenya?  For me, I knew that I was in a state of shock – knowing on an intellectual level what was happening, and what these people had gone through, but that is where it stopped.  I walked and served in a numb oblivion.  That alone was disturbing to me.  How can a person be numb in the midst of this.  I was – possibly to be able to survive and get the job done.  God has created us in such a way to be able to block things I guess.

With the camp growing to this huge number overnight – organization was something that had to be really worked at.  Preparing for dinner guests takes on a new dimension – to say the least!  Another thing that came alive was Jesus feeding the 5,000.  Seeing these people that had nothing – needing food – and waiting in line for an hour to see that it was gone before they could get to the front of the line.  I re-read the passage after we were finished working in the area.  One part stuck out that had never stuck out before.  Jesus told them to group everyone in groups of 50.  WOW!  That would have made a difference in the chaos!  Who would have thought to read that passage to get wisdom on how to handle an impromptu group of 7,000 dinner guests!

Another lady gives birth there at the camp.  I have heard of giving birth in an elevator, but giving birth in the middle of 7,000 people on 2 acres has those stories beat. 

God used the team to do some great things – some which we will never know of fully.  Men set up tents to offer shelter, ladies helped cook, some preached and shared testimonies with the 7,000 while others shared one-on-one with those God brought in their paths.  We set up counseling areas where we would bring in groups of men or ladies and let them tell their story, and stories they had.  After sharing, crying and praying together, they would leave encouraged, having had God touch them in a way only He can to bring some healing.

As we came and went daily from this camp, sharing the Lord in word and deed as we had opportunity, God did begin to do some wonderful things in our midst.  We found that there were 10 pastors that had fled their homes with everyone else.  These 10 pastors were gathered together, encouraged, and charged to continue in their call where the Lord had them. They had fled without anything – including their Bibles!  What a privilege it was to be able to equip each of them with another copy of God’s word.  These men were victims – but were transformed into more.  They were now men called by God to share “in such a time as this”, and were able to share from a point of understanding, because they were living it with them.   These pastors took part in the counseling sessions and were able to continue some of the counseling even as the official counseling meetings were over.

On the last Sunday, after spending 8 days in the camp, we were invited to lead a worship time with the camp.  Little did we know that the morning was going to be one that would strike fear in the hearts and minds of many of the thousands that were living there.  There was a body that was brought to the police station.  Some said that it was someone that was hit by a car.  The word that spread was the other story.  I am not sure which was true.  The other story was that the body had been sliced open from top to bottom and gutted and delivered as a warning to all these people that were living here – people from tribes that were not originally from this area.  The people were scared.  We came with the worship team and with speakers that would allow the music and then the message to travel to even the farthest tents.  They sat up and sang.  Thousands came, many dancing as they did, praising the Lord with us.  After a long time of praising, we had a couple of testimonies, followed by a message from God’s word.  An invitation was given and hands rose from everywhere.   Pastor Wanji was caught off guard, and thought that these had misunderstood what he had asked.  He then asked those that wanted to surrender their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ, as he had just taught about, to come forward and kneel for a time of prayer.  The movement of people continued and there were still several hundred that came forward and knelt to pray as they were led.  Little did we know that in the back of the area, where they were also having a children’s worship service, another group of over 35 were also surrendering their lives to the Lord Jesus. 

As I have thought about all that happened over the 2 weeks that the team was here, I am just in awe.  We felt so vulnerable in this – not having a plan from day to day due to violence that could erupt – and having needs change literally from day to day.  We prepared ourselves, made plans, but then gave them to the Lord.  He vetoed 99% of them!  His plans worked out beyond what we could have put together.  We praise the Lord for all the souls that were saved, the believers that were encouraged, and the work that He did in each of our lives as we walked this road together. 

The day before the team left, we were in the area of Tigoni.  We drove by and saw many buses that had arrived to take these people back to their “home” land, the land of their ancestors.  This is what they wanted, where they said that they would feel safe.  What a blessing to see the end – of this one camp at least – as the team left.  We got to see these people that were all going out – like seeds being thrown in the wind, to travel to the corners of this country.  We pray that the words of hope, peace, love, forgiveness, kindness, patience, and self control that were shared would travel right along with them, helping to restore a nation – one life at a time - through Christ.

Funny Story Update

One thing that happened – that is typical Linda..  While we were there, I came upon a man that had a mole on a leash.  In the states, the only moles I had seen were the size of a mouse.  This baby was the size of a guinea pig – large guinea pig.  It was cute, though.  Lydia and I are studying mammals in science, and having Lydia with me, I thought this was such a cool opportunity!  I asked “Is it dangerous”?  “No” .  English was covered – make sure in Swahili:  “Hatari?”  “Hapana”.  Thinking the coast was clear, I reached down to pick up the “pet”.  I remember seeing a swing of the beasts head, but that is all my brain was able to compute before the startling realization that the devil was now attached to my pointing finger – in a way that was very painful.  The 2 upper and lower teeth – which I saw after I had bandaged up my wounds were  about an inch long each – and had clamped down on either side of my bone – to the bone.

Some of you may know how to make a rodent let go – but I was fresh out of previous experiences to fall back on.  I screamed and flung my hand around trying to make it come off.  It was several hard flings before the teeth actually ended up sliding off the bone and cutting through the skin allowing it to hit the ground.  I was bleeding pretty well – and I remember hearing a lot of talking around me in Swahili – but who knows what they thought of this crazy white woman!  After cleaning it out, bandaging it up, and finally after finishing for the day- and heading home – the situation only became more . . . comical.  I call our nurse – just to make sure that I have done all I am supposed to do.  When I tell her that I have had one of my most brilliant moments of my life and picked up a mole only to be bitten – she informs me that I now had to have rabies shots!  We are given initial shots before coming, so my rabies treatment consisted of 2 shots in the leg muscle – one that night and one 2 days later.  I am also told that the mole needs to be taken to a vet to have it monitored for a week.  I call a friend that lives close to the camp and ask her to try to locate the creature.  She calls me after a while – laughing.  The guy has eaten the mole!  Not knowing what the vet needed – she asked for any remains – but there were not even bones left.  All had been eaten. 

The next morning, the same friend calls to inform me that it was only getting more bazaar!  The morning national paper had a picure of our man skinning his mole getting ready to roast it.  A news station had also been onsite when the deed was done, and had run a story on him and his pet mole that he ate on the news.  Revenge was taken on the varmint – and it became famous in its suffering.  That was sweet revenge!  Do you see anywhere in scripture where bitterness towards an animal is a sin? J

The Lord gave me a good thing to share with the street kids through this.  They laughed at me, especially as I stood before them acting out how I was screaming and slinging my hand to no avail.  “Sometimes we reach down and grab something in our lives,” I told them,  “or maybe it grabs you.”  We want it to go away, but it seems to hold on to us.  I asked the street boys what had them.  Some said drugs had a hold on them while some indicated that anger or bitterness was their problem.  I asked them if they were going to call out to God for help and sling and get it off, or were they going to walk around with it clamped down on them.  I pretended to have the mole stuck to my hand walking around as if it were normal.  They laughed, but got the point.  It is so cool how sometimes God will use crazy occurrences to bring a point home.  This was shared with the street boys with the testimonies from a couple of people from the team, and we had 12 saved this week.  Last year, we had right at 40 kids saved from the street.  Having 12 in one week was a record – and we praise God for bringing the boys to the point of wanting to give their lives to Him.

Media Update

Jim spent a week in Thailand with the other media members with the IMB worldwide in February.  Jim is not a meeting person – claiming that most are not exceedingly productive.  This was the second such meeting he has been able to attend since we have been in our current assignment.  This one was again hugely beneficial.  He was able to see things that other regions were doing that were successful, ask questions about problems we are hitting, and sharpen skills.  Also, with us being here, technology can come and pass you.  They also show you the up and coming things in the field of media so that we as an organization can continue to share the story in a way that is compatible worldwide.  Leaving the meeting with a storehouse of ideas to do the job better, he returned to enjoy our first night alone with our family in 38 days.  We loved having company – and we also loved having us together again.

Jim is in the process of creating different items that missionaries can use while they are on furlough to share about the country that they live.  He is also creating items that can be used to help people know how to pray for some of the people groups in our region that are the most unreached – meaning – they are the largest people groups that have less than 2% of the population that believers in Christ.  Many of these have no one working with them.  Creating prayer cards that people can use to pray for these people that have no one here sharing with them – at least gives them someone that is praying for them.  We are calling this project – Standing in the Gap.  We are encouraged to see some churches and groups stepping up to Stand in the Gap for some of the groups already – committing to be that group to be their advocate before the Lord Jesus – asking for God to bring workers to share the Good News with them.

Update on Street Kids

With the violence in the city, we were unable to continue our streetkids ministry for several weeks – more than a month.  We wondered if they were even still there – if they had even been killed.  The week before the team arrived, we went back to find that the kids were indeed still there.  They were so happy to see us!  They thought that we had left.  One boy, Raphel, came up to me and took my hands and put them on his face.  He wanted to know if I still knew his name.  He NEEDED to know that we did not forget them.  The following week, as the team began to come with us, we realized that God had indeed placed this team together.  2 of the team members had actually lived on the street at one point in their lives.  One had been deserted as a child.  Hearing these testimonies from these Americans was very moving.  We has 13 street kids that prayed to receive Christ while the team was here.  We praise the Lord for those that will one day be with us in Heaven!

Now, with Natalie and Gillian returning to school in January, it has become an issue for me to be gone 3 mornings a week.  As I told a friend of mine – I don’t want to be talking about these mornings in a counseling session with the girls in years to come.  The girls want and need me in the mornings, as they get ready for school.  I have had to drop back from 3 days a week – to 1 – on Fridays. 
This, along with the fact that Sandy Wilson, the other missionary that I work with in the ministry, is retiring as of this summer, the need for a Kenyan church to not only help – but actually be led to make it their ministry has become an urgent need.  Pray with us that this will happen.  The Kenyan church is sick, and needs help to see that reaching out to their own is a must!  As we are purposing to work towards this end, pray that God will help this come about.  Pastor Boniface is still working with us, but he can not do it alone – or even with the other two Kenyans that help weekly, Fred and Eunice.  Having a church step up to the plate is the only long term answer.

Southern Sudan

This is one area that I am so excited about.  You have heard about how we needed workers to join Mark and Cathy Kissee in the work in Southern Sudan.  We have been praying for workers for a year!  In August, when I was there the last time, we still did not have anyone in the works to come.  Mark and Cathy were leaving for furlough – without anyone in line to come.  This was very discouraging for them.  We had been praying, but had also focused on that area with our media team.  Jim and I had worked with others to create several print and other media pieces to focus on the needs there, and the different people groups that were the main focus to reach.  We are thrilled to report that we have 6 journeymen on their way – to arrive in the next weeks – to work with the Dinka people.  There are 2 other families that have their names on 2 job requests to work with 2 groups –one with Dinka, and another with the Taposa people.  Then, last week, we heard that there is even another family that is praying about another job!  We have 6 almost here – and 2 more families that are to land around Dec/Jan, and then yet another that is a possibility.  We just thank the Lord for answering the prayers of so many that have stood in the gap for these different people groups.

Last week, we hit another health issue.  Last year, I was diagnosed with endometriosis.  A laparoscopic procedure was done here in Kenya to clean out all they saw.  I was put on medicine that put me into menopause for 6 months in hopes to stop and shrink the growths.  My body went to age 50+ and then back to age 36 in December.  Last week, it became evident that the previous attempts had failed to keep it at bay.  They found that I have a 10 cm endometrial cyst. This made the need for a hysterectomy apparent.  So, this weekend we are waiting to see if that procedure will be done in South Africa or US.  It will be a very involved surgery – more complicated than normal due to the growths in and around organs that will have to be removed.  It could mean that our family is apart for 4 to 6 weeks.  This will be a record – one that we are not eager to set.  Please pray with us about this, for wisdom, for the cyst to stop growing, and for our kids to stay strong during the separation.  For me, there is a silver lining, in that with this growth coming out – reduction of waistline will come!

PRAYER REQUESTS:

Family –

Pray for us as we make decisions regarding Linda’s surgery and recovery, and the family during this time. 

Pray for Jim to be filled with ideas from the Lord – gifted beyond his normal ability – in order to do his job well. 

Pray that we continue to grow in the Lord – each one of our family.

Southern Sudan –

Pray for the 6 journeymen that are in the last stages of training and packing before coming.  Pray for their families as they say bye. 
Pray for all the logistical things that Cathy Kissee is working on to bring 6 people to live in the country. 
Pray for Mark as he is working on details for the ministry and teams that are arriving even as the 6 arrive.

Pray for the handful of Sudennese believers that Mark is reconnecting with – to be encouraged and even more bold in their witness.

Media –

Pray for Jim to be gifted beyond his ability in the media jobs that he is to do.

Pray for God’s will in our media department as we grow and stretch into what we are supposed to be as a team.

Pray that the Standing in the Gap project will indeed join churches and groups with people groups that need believers to pray for them.

Street Kids –

Pray that Kenyans will be convicted to take on the ministry to the street kids.

Pray that the street kids will allow the seeds that have been planted to grow.

Pray for our safety as we go to work with the street kids.