Genesis and Science

I make it a point to check out what is happening in scientific circles, not just because I like science but also to relate it to the Bible.  I think it is amazing how often Genesis comes out right.  The latest example is the news from Planck (check that out -- it's wonderful science!) - that their observations change the date stars were formed AFTER the Big Bang (which starts an expansion in which the universe as we know it is formed, grows and builds up into galaxies, stars, planets, comets and so on).

They have known this for years, but the dating hasn't been clear.  Now they have been able to study the Cosmic Microwave Background in the universe (an "afterglow" that still washes across the universe).  This confirmation fits well with Genesis, which states that God began work on creation with the making of space, earth, light....and not until the "4th day" does God make the stars.  Who can tell how long God held the earth and its newly created couple in stasis, with an "envelope" of protection and air, before creating the rest of the universe.

This leaves a great deal of temporal room for growth of species and the aging of the earth, for a woman to be born who would be Cain's wife, for the emergence of "species" of humans who would eventually give way to the progeny of the created couple, leaving only humans as we know them.

I like Genesis. I like the creation story.  It puts life as we know it in a context easily understood. And I still like science.

A picture from Planck that may be star formation.  

WORK IN THE USA

For the past four years, Darlene and I have spent about six months each year in the USA and six months in Nairobi.  We want the Kenyan Team to do the ministry themselves -- and they are doing a wonderful work!  We had some of these Team members in our youth group in Eastleigh in 1994, and they have matured, expanded their skills and become expert street ministers, teachers and leaders. 

So what do we do in the USA?  

       We spend time with grandchildren.... 

       We visit churches and individuals who support MITS....

       We collect books and other resources to take back to MITS.....

       We write curriculum and other materials for the Team to use....

       We research Scripture and Biblical topics for the Team...

       Here is Darlene editing now....

We are grateful for our many friends in the USA who help with the street ministry - we can't do it without you!  We are grateful for friends in the USA and in Kenya.  What a joy to live the two lives that we do!  

EAST TO TENNESSEE

We had a great visit in Tennessee...maybe the best Board meeting ever.  We added several new people to the Board, who we believe will be very helpful to MITS in the future.  New members are

Paulette Fewell, Larry Hagerman, Steve Henn, Ericka Maple, 

Regan Shafer, Cassaundra Stephens, Amy Surdacki

We also had three members rotate off the Board:  Bob Brannon, Darren Wilson and Paula Frisby.  They have served well - we are grateful to have worked with them on the Board. All say they are not through supporting and encouraging MITS! 

We stayed with good friends Bill and Betty Smith, then Terry and Paula Frisby -- both families are hospitable and love the street ministry.  We had lunch with Josh Graves, the Otter Creek preacher, one day, then with Steve Sherman, Walter Surdacki and Lee Camp at Lipscomb University.  We also had the joy of teaching university classes for Josh and Steve.  We met Chris Soper at The Well Coffeehouse one day, and Brittany Eagleman another day (she is moving to Liberia together with her husband). We ran across Dan Bouchelle from Mission Resource Network at the coffeeshop also.  We had a short but good visit with Kevin and Suzette Wimpy and lunch with them and Bob Brannon and Steve Sherman after the Board meeting. 

I AM RESOLVED

I am resolved....

    *to help Made in the Streets raise $1 Million in 2015

    *to give back $10,000 of our salary to MITS for this purpose

    *to find 99 other people who will give $10,000.  


Then...

    *we can "export" Made in the Streets to another country

    *we can "train" new workers for evangelism and street ministry

    *we can "prove" this form of church planting and ministry is viable and necessary. 

Are you one of the 99? 

Jesus searched for this "1" and brought her back.
Don't you want the poorest of the poor to receive the same redemption that we do?

THINGS WE LOVE

Darlene and I have walked down memory lane lately.  We had our 50th Anniversary, with several trips and with good friends gathering for a celebration.  And we went through all 94 albums and the digital pictures so Darlene could print a book with about 100 pictures.

And with soon finishing our 20th year in street ministry, we have much to celebrate and memories to enjoy.  That has set us to thinking and talking about things we love.

We love

• birds singing in the morning at Kamulu
• raindrops on the metal roof
• sitting on the rooftop patio with green all around or stars in the sky
• playing music videos for the kids at MITS so they can learn songs
• stopping at Java House for a cappuccino
• seeing African animals
• visitors at Made in the Streets
• meetings with the MITS Team
• Sunday morning class and worship at Kamulu
• writing curricula and proposals and policy and dreams
• having a car with an air conditioner
• little kids at "MITSville" who come by for "biqui" (cookies) and "sweets"
• a smile and hug from Lucy Wairimu
• seeing Jackton and Millie evangelizing the guards at Kamulu
• working with interns who love to be at MITS 
• planning with the Team for literacy students to move into skills training
• working with John Wambu on building at MITS 
• having a cup of coffee in the evenings with John and solving the world's problems
• getting ready to leave for time in the USA, or to leave for time in Kenya

There is more, but this is enough to keep us going for a while.

peace and joy,

charles

Here is an old picture from a place we love too....

I Watched a Baby Being Born

This morning Darlene and I went to chapel as always.  Made in the Streets has visitors from Midland, TX and Lubbock Christian University.  The students did their small group Discovery Bible Study on Joel 2:28-32 while the Team and visitors met outside.  After chapel we spent some time with the visitors, then we walked over to the boys' compound.  I wanted to take pictures of the wrecked van; we need to convince the insurance company it is not repairable.  I also talked with Moses Mwangi and the young men working under him who are painting one of the dorms.  And I talked to Charles Ndonyi, our mechanics teacher, about our car needing air conditioner work.  As we were about to leave, Ben, our landscape and animal guy, came in and told us the cow was about to have a calf.  So we stayed around and watched the birth.  Darlene had never seen anything like that; I guess she wasn't watching when she gave birth.  The calf did exactly what she should - stuck her feet out with head laying on her legs.  After she was born, mom licked her all over.  After about 10 minutes, she managed to stand up!  So...MITS has another baby...maybe one we'll keep for the future.

Ready to be born!

Ahhh, my baby!

I can walk

DOWN MEMORY LANE

My apologies for waiting so long to write again.  One would think that the most beautiful and wonderful summer of one's life would be worthy of a blog, but what do I do?  I enjoyed every minute of it.  Of course, there are a couple of other summers that come to mind as great memories -- the summer Darlene and i married, wow!  And the summer our daughter was born!!

But 2014 was great!  We finished up some work with MITS at the end of May -- the graduate profile was written, a new Team member hired, the orchard was bearing fruit, more land was added to our property and we had given 3 more plots to Team members.

We met the grandkids in London and flew to Greece for a holiday (oh, yeah, the parents were there too!).  What a great time -- Mars Hill, the Parthenon, the Pnyx (birthplace of democracy), Corinth, Starbucks, gyros on the go.  One of the grandkids loves everything Greek, so she explained to us who all the Greek gods and goddesses were and what they did.  She also has been praying for the children of Afghanistan every day for two years, and we discovered on our visit to the Church in Glyfada that they are serving Afghani refugees.  A great connection...

This summer was also our 50th anniversary; Darlene says she married at ten so she isn't really old.  We spent part of the summer visiting old friends and new, making contact and memories.  We had a  meal with Tim and Ann Lewis.  We visited Lubbock, Texas, and had lunch with Steve and Mildred Eckstein, whom we had not seen for 45 years. I taught with Steve 2.5 years at Eastern New Mexico U.  We went to Tennessee to see Otter Creek Church and have a Board meeting.  We went to Abilene and stayed with Mel and Jan Hailey and visited with Estelle Sinclair and others.  We visited with Tony and Janice Mauldin and Bill and Joanna Arnold and spent the 4th of July with my brother and his wife.

We intended the Greece trip to be our anniversary celebration.  But our daughter surprised us with a party, inviting people she found in Darlene's phone!  Sorry that some friends were not invited because they were only on my phone!!  75 people came - a former elder from Redwood City, CA, where we served the Redwood Church for 21 years.  New friends from Southlake Church.  Our joyful friend Chris Gingles from Healing Hands.  And my Aunt Imogene from Burkburnett, TX, who is so much like my mother that memories flood back just to see her.  And others whom we love.

Our 50 years has been a "wild date"
We will try for some more, as God wills.

Darlene made an online book of our 50 years together - in Abilene, in Portales, in Redwood City, at Pepperdine, in Nairobi, memories of sponsoring churches Redwood, Simi Valley, Golf Course Road and Otter Creek.  Travels in Greece, Scotland, Spain, Tanzania, Germany, France, Croatia, Italy, Singapore, Malaysia, Hawaii, Transwestern tour of the USA, and of course our beloved Kenya.

Our lives are rich, and happy,  and we have the best of friends.