Sorrow with Memories

I have felt sad for the last couple of days.  And I have been filled with memories of our early years in Nairobi.  John Wambu, who handles all our property matters and construction, went to Eastleigh Monday to do emergency repairs on our Center there.  The rains - and it is raining as I write this - have been great this year, but that means leaks and damage to buildings that were put up in 1937 (like our Eastleigh Center - we have a title that was granted by King George III).  While there he talked to an old friend whom I hired as a guard when I was Principal at KCITI.  Then John called me to tell me that Berkeley Hackett has died.  I felt great pain at the loss, especially of a friend who is only 3 years older than I am.  And I thought of the loss that many churches will feel, and especially the Eastleigh Church and the staff at KCITI (Kenya Christian Industrial Training Institute was the dream of missionaries in Kenya, and especially of Berkeley, who wanted to see a school and a church that would serve many Kenyans. The end result was the brainchild of Bill Stevens and Bob West of California, who gave computers and electronic equipment and came up with the initial scheme for courses).  The Hacketts came to Kenya in 1970 and committed themselves for the duration.

Immediately I was flooded with memories - of the breakfasts and lunches Darlene and I had with Berkeley and Charlotte, of the rapid growth of KCITI, of the occasional problems of staffing we had to deal with, of the Bible courses we wrote, of the development of an administrative structure for the school, and much more.

Darlene and I were very involved with teenagers and with Sunday school, and that led to street children coming to the building.  As we became more involved with them and an outreach program began, it became obvious to me that I could not do both things well. So I left the administration of KCITI and began full-time work with street kids.  Berkeley was gracious and allowed us to continue the street ministry on the campus for almost three years.  The street ministry grew and KCITI continued to grow, and finally it was not possible to have a college, a congregation and a street ministry together.  So we moved down the street. After that we did not see one another very much, even though we are in the same section of the city.  There is always plenty of work for a missionary.

I feel gratitude to Berkeley - especially for 2 things.  The first is that he and Charlotte are the ones who invited us to move to Nairobi to live.  I doubt we would have made the decision if they had not invited us.  And that has made all the difference to our lives, for I found my heart's desire in Nairobi, among the street kids.

The second is that he introduced me to Maureen Nduku.  She was in the ninth grade at the time, and the family did not have school fees.  One Sunday morning Berkeley and I walked in front of the church building (and chapel) and I met Maureen.  From then Darlene and I paid school fees.  She became a teacher in our evangelistic youth group, and she went on to be a teacher of street girls when that program started (she still goes to Eastleigh on Monday mornings to teach street girls).  And the day came when I did the wedding for Maureen and Francis Mbuvi, who is now our administrator at MITS. It was a little like marrying my own son and daughter!!  

Maureen has done great things for the Kingdom.  She oversees the Kenyan end of a large World Bible School program that John DeFore and others at Golf Course Road church in Midland, TX, support.  She oversees several orphanages which are supported by members at Golf Course.  And they also have feeding centers where poor grandmothers who care for grandchildren come for food.  Many evangelists look to Maureen for guidance.

I would not have met Maureen if Berkeley had not cared for her and wanted someone to pay her school fees.  Of course God is able to do what He wants in many ways, but in face he chose to work through Berkeley, and us and Maureen to accomplish a great work in Kenya.  So I am grateful.