Kenya: Week 2

Since our last post, we have been very busy! ESL class was cancelled on Wednesday due to many class members sick as well as most of our host's family. So instead, Kaleb and I were sent out to a nearby village to meet another local pastor and two guys that are in Bible school and training to be pastors. This was our first experience using a Ma Ta Tu. I know you are wondering what a ma ta tu is. It is one mode of local public transportation. Imagine a small version of an 12 passenger van, crammed full of sweaty, stinky people.  We rode the ma ta tu almost all the way to the village and then took a cab another short distance. Although the ma ta tu was cheap, it was pretty uncomfortable, and had we not been with a local, we would have been charged more because we are white and look like tourists. Once at the village, we were able to visit with the pastor and the Bible school students training to be pastors. Kaleb enjoyed talking school with these guys. We were invited back to the same school the next day to share Bible stories with their students. Kaleb and I tag teamed this task. I would present an Old Testament Bible story and then Kaleb would follow up with how it related to Jesus and his future coming. The students were elementary age with some preschoolers as well. They were so respectful and seemed to really enjoy the assembly rather than doing classwork. And they were pretty excited to see and hear from white people. That afternoon we headed over to another nearby village to where our host teaches school. Kaleb was scheduled to share in the chapel service that afternoon. This school is a secondary school with mostly teenagers and it was neat to see the students leading the service in music, prayer and testimonies. Kaleb shared from 1 John, the gospel and emphasizing true conversion as followers of Christ.

Friday was just a fun day for us. We had run out of groceries at our apartment and wanted some good food, so we went out for lunch to a new restaurant. It is a very Americanized restaurant, with great coffee, where we thoroughly enjoyed a Mexican meal like in the states. Our host's wife and 2 of the 3 kids took us to a local game park (more like a zoo) that afternoon. We enjoyed seeing all the local animals such as giraffe, water buffalo, water buck, oryx, eland, gators and too many monkeys to count. The monkeys are not part of the zoo by the way, they roam free, waiting to pick up any food that may be dropped or steal food from the zoo animals.

Saturday was a big day for us. We were scheduled for another day of evangelism in a local cousin neighborhood and this time we were not rained out. We met up at our host's home with the rest of the evangelism team, of about 20. We divided up into groups, prayed, and headed out. The different groups were able to "attack" the village from all different sides. I was in a group with the only other lady, who turned out to be such an encouragement. The believers here are so bold, both men and women, unafraid to share at any chance they are given. What was even more encouraging was having 2 men in our evangelism group who were former cousins. The team I was with was able to speak with around 10 adults and several listening children, and two claimed to receive the message for the first time. They were not cousins; however, there were several conversations with cousins during our time out. When speaking to the cousin women, they are reluctant to even listen and engage in conversation because of how their husbands will react. The cousin men tend to only want to debate. We were able to hand out several cousin specific tracts and New Testaments. Following the outreach, we all reported back to debrief. Among each of the 4 teams, around 40 people were engaged in conversation, both cousin and non-cousin. I think 5 or 6 professed to follow for the first time and will be followed up with in the near future. Some thoughts about the day were, obviously a conviction of my lack of boldness, as well as a conviction in not believing the power of the gospel as I should. Some scripture I have been meditating on:
"My word that goes out from my mouth...will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it" Isaiah 55:11
"Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever" Daniel 12:3
"But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing" 2 Cor 2: 14-15

So I've been convicted and asking myself.....Do I shine in such a way that others see Jesus in me? Is my aroma that of Jesus?

That evening I went with our host's wife and daughter to a youth girls night out. The girls were having a night of fellowship and sleepover, with focus on studying and discussing social media and pornography. We had such a great time visiting with these girls and their mothers (thought it was so great that they came as well). We had great discussion of the dangers of social media, both physically and spiritually, and how to stay pure in these areas as a believer.

So it is Sunday evening here. We went with our host to a Christian Union service at a local college this morning for worship where he was to speak. We enjoyed worshiping and fellowship with the college students. This past weekend was an emphasis for them on evangelism on their campus. The students were trained in Creation to Christ and sent out to share on campus. They were also holding crusade type meetings in the afternoons and evenings. We were encouraged to hear of their zeal and boldness in wanting to reach their campus and we were encouraged to see a new generation of believers being raised up.

We are thankful for those of you who are praying for us through this 6 week journey. We are enjoying our time here, but are definitely being tested and refined through small things daily. Please continue to pray we would in no way be a hindrance to the work being accomplished here, as well as daily keeping close to the Lord. Hard to believe, but we only have 4 weeks left!