It's Sunday night here, and the weekend is setting on a nice, restful, cool and sunny, worshipful day. Ok, at least it was up until we got back from worship - the ladies have gone to do some Masai market shopping, which can turn furious like gale winds rising on short notice!
Eleven of us visited Benson's church and were blown away! Benson is our driver, but he also volunteers as the senior pastor who founded this church on the edge of an "informal settlement" - slum - called Mathare. He is an amazing pastor, who knows how to train others and develop leaders. He is one who has been captured by the vision of Discipling Nations and understands what it takes. I am excited that God gave him to be our driver, because we have discovered a partner for this work that will be far more than our driver on the roads - he may just need to become Imangine's first in-country coordinator!
At worship, I thanked the church for allowing us to visit. Their fire and fervor warmed us, encouraged us, refreshed us. They worship with abandon! They seem to really believe the praise they sing - that God is indeed enough, strong enough, able enough, good enough. Yet I can only imagine some of their challenging circumstances. I was compelled to give them 2 Thessalonians 1:3-10. I felt it was quite applicable to them. Stacy Jenkins sang; Susan Sosebee shared a greeting to the children; Steve Havener expressed good words to them; and Bob Smith encouraged them to keep up the fight on HIV. It was a GOOD Sunday morning!
We have a team meeting tonight, and then in the morning all teams head out to their assigned locations. I would ask you to double your watch in prayer now. All teams will be handling delicate situations, some under extreme physical conditions, some among territory that spiritually has been oppressed for ages and certainly they will be marked as "invaders". So as I describe them below, please pray according to the guides we issued and any new information you may find.
1. Garissa team -- the group needs to find an electric water pump before leaving Nairobi; pray that it does not take all day because then they must travel 6-7 hours, the last 90 minutes on a dirt road weaving over dry river beds and around thorny bushes. They will need health protection in a harsh climate. They will need to endure and be nurtured by foods they are not used to, and then not have facilities to relieve themselves that they are accustomed to. Pray for good suuplies - both for teaching the children and for the water pump project. Pray for favor in the eyes of the village, that we would not do anything in our 5 days there that will undo anything the Kenyan missionaries have established in 4 years. Pray for them, they live there day in and day out, and that our team would be a fresh encouragement and blessing to them. Pray for our teachers to connect with the Munyoyaya children and equip them for the future through a solid week of English classes reinforcing what they have learned. Pray for Daniel on our team, who knew Christ at the age of 7 but has not had much church-kingdom-Christianity involvement since. And while you're at it, pray for the firstfruits of saving grace to come among the Munyoyaya soon - not for the praise of our team, but to the credit of our partners' labours and the glory of the Famous One - God most high!
2. Medical team -- they will be performing medical clincis in Kiserian town and then in Masai villages every-other-day, so pray for them to be well perpared, for each person to know their roles and fulfill them with a servant's heart, and for their endurance to be a testament to the power of the Spirit who is able to keep them from falling or failing. Pray for cultural understanding between our team and the Masai. Pray for bridges to be built that will facilitate communication of the Gospel, of preventative health tips, of development for good, and of teaching facts on HIV/AIDS that will release the Masai from damaging cultural practices that might annihilate their tribes within 5 years if not changed. The Masai are a beautiful culture, so pray for the culture to be redeemed that they would reflect God's glory as they were intended to - not to look "America", God forbid! But that they might find their own beautiful expression as they develop good practices and embrace the kingdom of God. Their conditions will be hot, they will drive out long distances in Masai land and will be served lunches with items they perhaps have never seen (and never will again!). Pray for Dr. Garcia, who despite coming with us now three times, still does not express an understanding of the grace of God and the way of salvation.
3. Women's team -- they too will be in Kiserian for 3 days, compelling the Masai women to know and understand their beauty, to embrace Kingdom values that supersede all cultures, and to be women who lead a revolution for positive change among a people who are natural at demeaning their wives. The Masai are considered among the most "ignorant" peoples in Kenya, in part due to their embracing of their culture and resisting globalisation. Wouldn't it be like the Lord jesus to start a radical movement of true womanhood among them that would spread to the other, "more civilized" ethnic tribes of Kenya? On Thursday, the Women's ministry team will come to Nairobi and share the "Unveiling the masterpiece" conference with women from low-income areas. May God use them to ignite change in their homes and in their communities that will reflect principles of God's kingdom in the various sectors of society affected by the Home.
4. Children's Home team -- this team will have a wonderful (and frightening) opportunity to meet with leaders from Watoto who are coming from Uganda to help us launch a watoto-style Children's Home plan in Kenya. I hope we don't appear too much as amateurs! We will visit the Home pastor Maurice has started in an apartment with 1 mother and 8 children. We will also visit the school he started for the kids plus a few others from the community. And we will ask as many good questions as we can think of from the Watoto team. On Thursday the team will travel to Kitale, a 7-8 hour drive, to see the land on which we plan to build the first Watoto-style complex and to visit a Home that is asking us to take over the management. Pray for great discernment, for wisdom and vision, and for unity of heart and mind so that we may not doubt what God's purposes are.
These are exciting days ahead. Full of peril, of wonder, and if the Lord wills, of miracles and blessing poured out on the lives of these we came to serve. May whatever we do, whether in word or deed, be useful for the building of a beautiful Kingdom that trades beauty for ashes, gladness for mourning, peace for despair -- that young lives would be planted as oaks of righteousness for the display of His splendor (see Isaiah 61). May long-lasting change be initiated and continued. May the King of the Universe be magnified.
To my brothers and sisters serving in Africa, My heart yearns to be there with you. My prayers are that God displays himself in your life this week as a radiant light that shines to reveal Christ's Glorious Splendor. May the Communities you will serve in be warmed by your presence and be left knowing that they have been touched by the hand of God. May the unreached see His glory revealed in an unexplained supernatural way. May the Evangelised become Disciples growing more and more in their reflection of the Character of Christ. May your time spent in scripture draw you closer to your savior and develop in you a deep desire to submit to His authority in your life.
Read 1 Cor 13, the Love chapter and ask the Lord to give you the patience and kindness that will turn Hearts toward Him. We love you guys (some of you we barely know, but your are there to love the people we love) and we wish we were there serving by your side.
Press on for the fame of our King.
Jason and Christie
Posted by: Jason Hatton | June 10, 2007 at 10:30 AM
I have to say amen to what Jason and Christie wrote . . . . every word. From the prayers for God's presence and glory to be known in and through your lives and among the peoples you will go now to serve - but also the longing to be serving alongside you even now as you go. We are the arms of Aaron standing beside you, upholding you as you are our hands and feet for the battle ahead. May Jesus be your everything! May His glory shine through each of you. May He strengthen you for the task ahead so that nothing will hinder His glory and power from being revealed and lives being changed!
I, too, love each of you and am standing in the gap, praying for you.
Kristi
Posted by: kristi | June 10, 2007 at 11:22 AM
May God prepare the way and make straight his path so that His name will be known to those who not know of Him. May His power, guidance and protection go with each team member this week as they make known the glory of the God of the universe and His plan of redemption through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Posted by: Ruben Rojas | June 10, 2007 at 06:33 PM