Pure Agape

Speaking of communication, there is nothing like the close and small, especially with the small ones in my life.  Before we left the USA to return to Nairobi, we had a couple of days with the granddaughters.  And they took us to the airport, but we stopped off at Starbucks before checking in.  The girls had hot chocolate, we gave them a Polly Pocket Cowboy and Corral present, and they sat and played while we talked to the daughter and the son-by-marriage.  Now and then one of them would come over for a hug and a little talk.  And we did the "kissing hand" and the "I love you to the moon and back" -- or to Pluto, or outside the universe, or whatever exceeds the last thing we said.  

The youngest one told Darlene that she would think of her Shosho whenever she sees the color gray, a reference to our current hair color.  One of the girls told me she would look at the stars and think of me.

Since we left the youngest one has decided that her birthday party should be tomorrow, since we are coming back for her party, that way we would be back.  

This kind of communication is at the heart of life.  

Pure Angst

The modern world has its new anxieties.  One of the chief is finding myself without a cell phone in hand.  In all the months in the USA, I had instant access to everyone I wanted to talk to.  I haven't had one since getting back to Nairobi -- but NO COMPLAINTS.  I am working to live my life without complaining.  But back to cell phones - before we left Nairobi, we went to the phone company and asked them to set our plan so that our phones would no be deactivated even though they were unused for several months.  They agreed and entered it into the computer.  But...of course both our phones were deactivated.  So we drove into the city and went to the office, waited in line, then found out that their system for reactivating lines is out of commission for a while.  The technician took a friend's phone number, wrote down the deactivated numbers, and promised to call and let us know whether the lines were still available.  But...of course no call.  Now it's the weekend, and we have to wait until at least Monday before we can go back and try again.

  I'm trying to living without complaining...when I conquer this, I will need to work on NO ANXIETY!  Over the years we work on our anxieties and are able to overcome them with God's help.  And then new anxieties appear, prompted by the very things we love most about the modern world.  "Cast all your cares on Jesus" is one of the standards by which we live, but every new thing in our lives brings a new challenge to our life of peace.  

  At least I had the internet chip in a phone and could do email and access the world that way.  It doesn't work with Skype for phone calls, but it works for communication.  Isn't it amazing how used we have become to instant communications with everyone?  The internet and the cell phone have become wonderful tools for missionaries, and we value them highly.  

  Still, the most important task as a missionary is to share the life of Christ with others, to train and encourage others to serve the mission.  The cell phone and the internet can aid that, but cannot replace the personal touch.  So, living without complaining and living without anxiety are more important than having technology working the way we want it.  The conclusion is that, since living without anxiety is more important than getting a working cell phone, I must turn loose of anxiety about not having a cell phone in my hand. 

  How's that for logic?  Now to make it so...

Back at Made in the Streets

Darlene and I arrived in Nairobi this week.  As always, there is much to do, and yet if we did nothing, this ministry would be a blessing.  We have visited with the kids, and they seem very happy, a good sign that our Team is doing good work.  We have 13 really industrious kids now who are on the Fast Track program -- they will take the 8th grade exit exams in December -- and they still keep up their chores, their skills training, farm work and life in the church.  These are kids who have had very little formal education, and we give them our basic literacy course, then set them on a study course to prepare for one year for the exams.  

  It has been very dry in Kamulu area for the whole year, but we have crops growing, thanks to our drip line irrigation system and the well.  The new equipment that came in the container - thank you, everyone - is working well: the tractor, the woodworking equipment and the sewing machines.  

  Our students are wearing uniforms with pride, and the sewing factory continues to develop, with two good contracts for uniforms.  In years to come, this will develop as a strong force in the ministry.  We have a new auto mechanics' teacher, who is working on probation for now.  Joel Njue and Irene Akinyi continue University studies in Business and Counseling, respectively.  

                                                                                       

 Take a look at the blog produced by the Team for the prize-giving day!  Great uplift for the students.  That blog is www.made-in-the-streets.blogspot.com   Moses Okoth (our technology guy and computer teacher) tells us that Alex Atemai is brilliant. His sponsors in Cedar Rapids, IA, and Mount Vernon, IA, will be happy to know that!

May you be as happy as I am when you look at your co-workers and those whom you teach!

The Children of Passover

Our family has been doing a Seder Passover service with family and friends for many years.  Over the years Darlene has developed an enjoyable, concise and meaningful Seder based on the joy we have in Jesus the Christ.  Now our grandchildren are part of the event, along with other families with children.  We had a great time this year with 10 adults and 13 girls. 

We sing the song "dayenu" (it would have been enough) and invite anyone to share what God has done in our lives "that would have been enough" if that were all that God had ever done for us.  One of our 6-year-olds raised her hand to say "if God had only given me faith," then later raised her hand again to say "if God only gave us the Holy Spirit."  We sang the "dayenu" after each person and enjoyed it much.  

After everyone had gone home, I walked home with the grandchildren and our daughter.  I held this granddaughter's hand and walked along talking about the stars and Orion and the moon.  Then she began to talk theology, all about Jesus and what God has done and how he made California and it was for us and about God's love and Jesus dying to help us.  She chattered all the way home.  There are few things finer in the world than listening to a grandchild get her theology straight.  I complimented her on the wisdom of saying that "faith is enough" and she said, "of course (I am your granddaughter)" -- and went on to talk some more about how smart God is.