Prayer and Doing the Right Thing

Certain things seem to have power to work out. One of those is prayer - we know the power that God exerts in the lives of those who pray. When the local member of parliament here in Nairobi and a group seeking to gain money from a government community growth program invaded Made in the Streets land, brought thugs to attack two of our team members and a student and tore down our fence around our skills training property, we immediately began to talk to the kids about how to respond to trouble. No violence! No anger! Pray for your enemies, in obedience to Jesus. Seek to let the law take its course.

The law taking its course has not worked well. The police did not protect us nor did they deal with the invaders in any way. They fear the powers that be. Nor have the courts proven to be a place that upholds the laws of property ownership. Even the Ministry of Education has allowed an illegal registration to take place; it violates the policies they have tacked to their most visible bulletin board (No registration shall take place without receipt of copies of legal ownership of land where schools are built.)

But prayer has had power in the lives of our Team and kids from the streets. Last Sunday morning one of our young men, Titus Kioko, prayed in church for the health and well-being and blessing on the member of parliament. The character of our young people is being developed in prayer.

And today John Wambu came by to talk about some of his conversations with people in the community. There is a man in the community who operates a school, and he has been our "enemy," encouraging those who seek to take land away from others. Last year his school had a terrible fire. The only people in the community who came to their aid was Made in the Streets. We took them a load of sand and some cement to help rebuild. We re-welded their metal bunk beds, which were twisted in the fire. He told John that he has encouraged everyone he has influence with to leave us alone. So doing the right thing has power too.

This doesn't solve the current ongoing problem of the land that was invaded, but it does help secure that we will not be invaded again. And through prayer maybe those who are involved with get what they really need in their lives.

GOD ANSWERS PRAYER by darlene

  Last week the whole Team of Made in the Streets sat and talked about their feelings and questions regarding the land problem.  Some had fear because of a man who brought thugs near the property, some were confused.  At the end, Irene Akinyi suggested that the best thing we could do was to ask God for help, and Jackton wondered aloud, "What extraordinary thing can we or can God do that will help us with relationships with community people?"  We all dedicated ourselves to pray for God to show us something extraordinary that will lead the community to love what we do for street kids, instead of hearing rumors.  

  Two days later some women from the church, who did not know that the Team was praying, dedicated themselves to pray and to talk with their neighbors.  And a week later, the member of Parliament who led the group in the invasion of MITS land came to visit, to see what we do and to talk.  The picture is a group of women who meet and pray together after worship on Sunday.

  God is at work!  We can't wait to see what the end of it will be.