Tomorrow the Coulstons go back to Nairobi for another rotation of 3 months. This is turning out very well. The Kenyan Team administers and operates the ministry. And we still advise them in planning, provide growth opportunities for them and keep them focused on the task.
Today in church in Thousand Oaks we sang "Peace, Perfect Peace," a song we remember from childhood in the church. It has fresh meaning for us now, as we say goodbye to family and as we work with children in desperate conditions.
"The blood of Jesus whispers peace" -- life is not peaceful for children who are beaten harshly by angry, alcoholic, poor and frustrated parents/uncles/grandparents/older brothers...life is not peaceful for children trying to sleep tonight in an alleyway, in danger from authorities, from other street kids, from those who wander the night and prey on kids. And it was not peaceful for Jesus when he shed his blood. And yet...it does whisper peace.
"To do the will of Jesus - this is rest." We know the truth of this. Even when doing his will means going into garbage, into risk, into troubled hearts. Even when there isn't a day off. Even when the work is 24/7. Knowing that it is what He wants done -- that makes it rest!
"With loved ones far away..we are safe, and they." When we first went to Kenya, we wouldn't come back for 2 years or more, and many missionaries have stayed away for 5 years or 10 in the past. Soldiers do this too. With modern travel, we are never more than 2 days away now. The rub is what "safe" means -- none of us is in charge of future events, nor do we know what may happen to us or our loved ones. The world has its own dangers and diseases. And yet...we are safe, and they. For He holds our hearts, our souls, our minds - all - in his Hands and his Heart.
"Our future all unknown." We do know some of the future. We know that all the future belongs to Jesus -- the was and the is and the will be. And so..
"It is enough." Right now, in the midst of our commitments and desires and belongings -- Jesus "calls us to heaven's perfect peace."
We'll be busy October to December. We'll help John Wambu get the Eastleigh property ready for the street mothers' program. We'll help Jackton Omondi get the sewing factory off the ground. We'll help Ben Mwami and Benard Nyambura get the orchard completed. We'll help the Team plan the parameters of the street mothers' program and set policies. Charles will teach the adult Sunday school class, and he will teach a course called "The Ephesian Connection" in Mbale, Uganda, to the church leaders' training school. Darlene will work on the sewing patterns with Jackton and continue to encourage Valerie and Philip in the teaching program. She will also read Francine Rivers' book series on Bible women to the girls in their dorm.
Be blessed...thanks for reading...
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Thursday, September 27, 2007
coulstons AT THE LECTURES
For the first time since 1993, Darlene and I attended the Abilene Christian University lectureship. That time we met people who have become life-long friends. George and MaryJo Tolbert from Hamilton, Texas, were at the lectures to find someone who would meet up with friends of theirs from Japan (an exchange student who had lived with them) who were living in Nairobi!! I was director (or Principal) of Kenya Christian Industrial Training Institute at that time and a member of the Eastleigh Church. We made that contact and enjoyed the Japanese family very much, and they attended church with us regularly. Now the Hamilton church supports the street ministry.
We are all much older now, and our perspectives are different. And things have changed at ACU -- the library is a busy and happy place. Now there is a Starbucks on the main floor, with the network computers and lots of people having a good time. We sat there with our coffee and talked with Sam and Nancy Shewmaker (who are moving back to Africa) and Gaston and Jan Tarbet. We ran across Reg Cox and Tim Johnson (who knew an old friend of ours from ACU and the Bay Area, Mark Molloy). And we saw Jack Hicks -- he and I were in 2nd year Hebrew together, studying under Tony Ash in the M.Div. program back in '69. While we were talking with Jack, Chris Chesnutt, ACU student and last year's intern at Conejo Valley Church in Thousand Oaks, CA, showed up to talk to us. Jack noticed that I was taking my diabetes pills, along with something he recognized, vitatim b-12. Jack was telling me that he took his under the tongue, and Chris was looking at us with that funny look that the young give to strange older people. Jack said, "Chris, you'll be here some day." Darlene and Jack and I thought that was really funny. Ah, it's great to grow old.
The classes Darlene and I attended all had 12 to 15 people in them. But the "social justice" classes at 2 PM (not the best time for classes -- after lunch, nap time!) had between 70 and 80 people each day. These classes were all about practical ministries on behalf of children or oppressed peoples. Good indication of strong interest in the churches of Christ on alternative ministries that provide service to the desperate and poor.
may your service be given with unending joy, charles
We are all much older now, and our perspectives are different. And things have changed at ACU -- the library is a busy and happy place. Now there is a Starbucks on the main floor, with the network computers and lots of people having a good time. We sat there with our coffee and talked with Sam and Nancy Shewmaker (who are moving back to Africa) and Gaston and Jan Tarbet. We ran across Reg Cox and Tim Johnson (who knew an old friend of ours from ACU and the Bay Area, Mark Molloy). And we saw Jack Hicks -- he and I were in 2nd year Hebrew together, studying under Tony Ash in the M.Div. program back in '69. While we were talking with Jack, Chris Chesnutt, ACU student and last year's intern at Conejo Valley Church in Thousand Oaks, CA, showed up to talk to us. Jack noticed that I was taking my diabetes pills, along with something he recognized, vitatim b-12. Jack was telling me that he took his under the tongue, and Chris was looking at us with that funny look that the young give to strange older people. Jack said, "Chris, you'll be here some day." Darlene and Jack and I thought that was really funny. Ah, it's great to grow old.
The classes Darlene and I attended all had 12 to 15 people in them. But the "social justice" classes at 2 PM (not the best time for classes -- after lunch, nap time!) had between 70 and 80 people each day. These classes were all about practical ministries on behalf of children or oppressed peoples. Good indication of strong interest in the churches of Christ on alternative ministries that provide service to the desperate and poor.
may your service be given with unending joy, charles
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Have a LifExciting Day
Andy Wall began Sunday's sermon at Conejo Valley Church with a vignette of two characters walking along discussing the first thing they think of when they wake up in the morning. Pooh Bear thinks of "food" (which makes him a soulmate to street kids), but Piglet answers that he thinks of "what exciting things will happen today." So I thought -- let's see what exciting happens in MY day today. I've written down Sunday's events for you.
1. I woke up in the morning and the first sight to meet my eyes is someone who loves me.
2. I had breakfast with granddaughters.
3. I read a little of the newspapers and discovered that Oklahoma Univ. won the football game.
4. I saw Jerry Rushford, and he confirmed that Darlene and I are invited to lead a class at Pepperdine Lectures in 2008 - Ap 28 to May 2.
5. I saw Zane and Debbie Williams at church; they are from Otter Creek church, where we met them, and Zane had sent me a song of his called "Africa I Heard You Cry." Turns out he has in a youth group that our daughter and son-by-marriage worked with, and they had lunch with him just before he left to go to college years ago. And I got to hear him sing the Africa song.
6. I got an email from an Aggie for Christ who wants to come and do an internship at Made in the Streets for 6 months - and she comes highly recommended by people I trust.
7. Darlene and I met in the evening with a group of people very interested in a trip to Nairobi to serve street kids and our Team in 2008.
8. Krista (one of the granddaughters) wanted to ride to church in the car with me.
9. Alexis (another one) wanted me to play with her and stitch a board with yarn.
10. Morgan (the third one) wanted to wear my reading glasses and sit in my lap and hug me and say "I love you."
Let's not ever get used to have non-exciting days. I'm looking forward to tomorrow.
peace and joy, charles
1. I woke up in the morning and the first sight to meet my eyes is someone who loves me.
2. I had breakfast with granddaughters.
3. I read a little of the newspapers and discovered that Oklahoma Univ. won the football game.
4. I saw Jerry Rushford, and he confirmed that Darlene and I are invited to lead a class at Pepperdine Lectures in 2008 - Ap 28 to May 2.
5. I saw Zane and Debbie Williams at church; they are from Otter Creek church, where we met them, and Zane had sent me a song of his called "Africa I Heard You Cry." Turns out he has in a youth group that our daughter and son-by-marriage worked with, and they had lunch with him just before he left to go to college years ago. And I got to hear him sing the Africa song.
6. I got an email from an Aggie for Christ who wants to come and do an internship at Made in the Streets for 6 months - and she comes highly recommended by people I trust.
7. Darlene and I met in the evening with a group of people very interested in a trip to Nairobi to serve street kids and our Team in 2008.
8. Krista (one of the granddaughters) wanted to ride to church in the car with me.
9. Alexis (another one) wanted me to play with her and stitch a board with yarn.
10. Morgan (the third one) wanted to wear my reading glasses and sit in my lap and hug me and say "I love you."
Let's not ever get used to have non-exciting days. I'm looking forward to tomorrow.
peace and joy, charles
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Learning from Holidays
There is no way to know how a holiday weekend will turn out. I knew I would be speaking at Conejo Valley Church of Christ Sunday and that the group from the church who visited us in the summer at Made in the Streets-Nairobi would give a report. I also knew that our daughter would have a day off on Monday.
But Darlene and I had never before experienced a report to a home congregation by people who visited us. We had no idea how meaningful it would be, and emotional. We heard such good words about our Kenyan team and about the street kids in our program. The kids who came with them were charged up about it -- how great to see such interest in 8, 10 and 12 year olds. We heard how some of the street kids made it a point to wash mud off the visitors' shoes, and how interested the Kenyan Team is in learning and improving themselves. Makes me feel really good about the ministry.
And Monday Darlene and our daughter and son-by-marriage and I took a long walk together, then stopped at a coffee shop to drink coffee (iced! it's hot here in sunny So. Cal.). We had a great talk together about the future, and about the granddaughters, and the street ministry. It's the longest time the 4 of us have had to sit and talk since the girls were born!
Two values come out of a weekend like this -- stay close to the church. The church is a family where we can let joy and new life enter into us. And number 2 - stay close to the kids. Just talking to family a few minutes lifts up the heart of the one who is getting older.
Keep your values clear, charles
But Darlene and I had never before experienced a report to a home congregation by people who visited us. We had no idea how meaningful it would be, and emotional. We heard such good words about our Kenyan team and about the street kids in our program. The kids who came with them were charged up about it -- how great to see such interest in 8, 10 and 12 year olds. We heard how some of the street kids made it a point to wash mud off the visitors' shoes, and how interested the Kenyan Team is in learning and improving themselves. Makes me feel really good about the ministry.
And Monday Darlene and our daughter and son-by-marriage and I took a long walk together, then stopped at a coffee shop to drink coffee (iced! it's hot here in sunny So. Cal.). We had a great talk together about the future, and about the granddaughters, and the street ministry. It's the longest time the 4 of us have had to sit and talk since the girls were born!
Two values come out of a weekend like this -- stay close to the church. The church is a family where we can let joy and new life enter into us. And number 2 - stay close to the kids. Just talking to family a few minutes lifts up the heart of the one who is getting older.
Keep your values clear, charles
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