No matter how old we get, it still brings us pain when our kids are hurt. We go so far as to ask God to give us the hurt instead. I went to the hospital yesterday afternoon to see the daughter, recovering from back surgery. I hate having to think about all the pain she has endured in the past few years, and I would gladly take all of it to spare her. Maybe she will come home today, with about 6 weeks of recovery, for the pain to go away and for renewal of her strength. The doctor thinks the little steel disc is sitting exactly right, and he is hopeful that completely recovery of the spinal column is possible. As I looked at the x-ray the doctor brought in and listened to him talk to the daughter, I felt joy. Joy that my child would be okay.
It makes me conscious of all the kids in the world who are not okay today. The kids sleeping on the streets right now in Eastleigh, Nairobi, since it is nighttime there. The kids in Iraq on any street, the kids near that marketplace in Mogadishu, the kids in any school where bullying and fear reign - let's together ask God for his powerful beam of light to rest on those kids for their good.
There is a God in heaven, there is a God who owns the earth and all in it, there is a God who secures the future. So joy will not die, will not be defeated, will not dim in the presence of pain. Count on it!
charles
Friday, December 14, 2007
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Back in the USA
Darlene and I go back and forth from Kenya to USA. The contrasts are great, the details astounding, and the joy remains constant. We leave the street kids in good hands -- the Kenyan Team is astounding. The kids at Kamulu had a "Family Day" today, with any family members they have visiting for the day. It's a great time and very meaningful to the kids. Even though their family experience may have been terrible, family is still very important to them.
Now we are in California. I am at gymnastics with Morgan, the youngest granddaughter. Wow, this is fun! Watching her fulfills a little part of my heart that is special. Our daughter is in the hospital after back surgery. Darlene has gone to see her today after taking the twins to school. Her husband is getting much-needed sleep. So we are useful even here!
Being USEFUL is just what we want. It's a big part of what brings meaning to our lives. We want our usefulness to bring joy to people and also hold meaning for something eternal as well.
Have to go now -- the granddaughter is ready to move on -- happy holidays -- charles
Now we are in California. I am at gymnastics with Morgan, the youngest granddaughter. Wow, this is fun! Watching her fulfills a little part of my heart that is special. Our daughter is in the hospital after back surgery. Darlene has gone to see her today after taking the twins to school. Her husband is getting much-needed sleep. So we are useful even here!
Being USEFUL is just what we want. It's a big part of what brings meaning to our lives. We want our usefulness to bring joy to people and also hold meaning for something eternal as well.
Have to go now -- the granddaughter is ready to move on -- happy holidays -- charles
Monday, December 3, 2007
BurnOut
Dealing with Burnout
Now and then people are concerned about Darlene and me – about my health, about all the travel we do, and especially about the possibility of burnout. We see and know about a lot of terrible things that happen to children on the streets. Sometimes a young person with whom we have worked disappoints, does something wrong, and leaves the ministry. Sometimes kids we love return to the streets, choosing sniffing glue in the alleyways over a safe and warm life at Made in the Streets. Maybe a student stays with us all the way to 18 years old, gets an ID card, but doesn’t care to look for a job, and ends up on the same streets where they were when we met him.
So far we continue with desire to see this ministry through, to get all the Team fully trained and dedicated to long-term ministry, to get all the infrastructure, policy and program needed to ensure an ongoing effort to help kids get off the streets and into a productive and spiritual life.
But we are alert to the possibility that our Kenyan team members could burn out also. We have recently had a series of events on the streets that could burn out a person out. I thought you might be interested in how we deal with possible burnout.
Two weeks ago the 6-year-old daughter of one of the young women who come to our Monday program for street mothers (ages range from 18 to 34) was raped by someone known to the mother. It was a traumatic event, and our Team in Eastleigh (Ann, Anthony and Kennedy) dealt with the aftermath – getting the man in jail, talking with the mother and child. Then Nicholas, who dropped out of our program in Eastleigh in 2000, killed Patrick, who had been in our program with Kennedy and Anthony in 2003, over a card game. The next day, after the police had come around but did not act, the other guys at the base killed Nicholas. Again it was Kennedy and Anthony who met with the others at the base, with Patrick’s brother, and who took responsibility for the evening meetings where they raise money for Patrick’s burial in Western Kenya. So our Team has been up all night at the fund-raisers and working during the daytime. Then a woman named Njeri (age 34) who lives at Jamaica Base was beaten up by a former boyfriend from another base. The mother of one of our girls, Mary Muthoni, who alse lives at the base, came to ask our Team to help with first aid. When Anthony arrived there, he found Njeri in bad condition, so he got her to the hospital, after getting the young man into jail. When Anthony saw all the blood on her and was told by the doctor that she had internal bleeding, needed surgery, and might not survive, he felt a spasm in his body. He has some chest problems which may be asthma also, and the spasms made that worse.
When Anthony came to Sunday morning Bible class that I am teaching on 2 Peter this term (the Eastleigh Team comes to Kamulu for Saturday night and Sunday morning), I saw him spasm in class. It appeared to me that he has 3 spasms – his left arm, the left side of his body and his whole upper body. It is just a momentary jerk. He also feels great responsibility; a local policeman told him he was responsible if anything bad happened at the nighttime fund-raisers. At any rate, we decided it was time to take “burnout action.”
My first action was to talk briefly with Anthony. I asked him to describe what he was feeling in his body. Then I instructed him to take care of himself as well as all the other people. When he told me that they were raising about 500 shillings each night in the fund-raisers, I told him to ask them NOT to meet Sunday night, and in turn I would give them 1,000 shillings. That allows Anthony to get a full night’s sleep. Then Francis Mbuvi instructed Anthony to come back to Kamulu on Monday and spend two nights with us, giving Mbuvi time to debrief Anthony and listen to him talk about his feelings and the bad stuff he has seen lately. Kennedy will handle the fund-raisers Monday and Tuesday. Then Kennedy will come out for two nights and spend time with Mbuvi. I also asked Anthony about the t-shirt that he was wearing under his outer shirt; I told him I could tell that it has a big red “S” on it. He looked at me quizzically until I told him about Superman, then he laughed and admitted her felt responsible for everything.
Our next step was to give him opportunity to do something truly good. On Monday he plans to get Njeri from the hospital, take her to the police station to write a statement, then see her back to Jamaica Base. So I gave him 1,000 shillings and asked him to find her a room down in Mathare Valley that he can rent for about 700 shillings a month, then to buy her and her two children food with the rest. He will pay two months’ rent and encourage her and her 16-year-old to earn money in the next two months and be able to pay the rent after that. Whether that happens or she returns to Jamaica Base, we will have done something good for Anthony. Tomorrow when we go to Eastleigh for the Monday program, we will take two mattresses and two blankets for the family’s bedding.
I also alerted Larry Conway to the situation so that he can find some quiet time soon to sit with Anthony and be a listener.
I’ll let you know later what happens to the spasms.
Now and then people are concerned about Darlene and me – about my health, about all the travel we do, and especially about the possibility of burnout. We see and know about a lot of terrible things that happen to children on the streets. Sometimes a young person with whom we have worked disappoints, does something wrong, and leaves the ministry. Sometimes kids we love return to the streets, choosing sniffing glue in the alleyways over a safe and warm life at Made in the Streets. Maybe a student stays with us all the way to 18 years old, gets an ID card, but doesn’t care to look for a job, and ends up on the same streets where they were when we met him.
So far we continue with desire to see this ministry through, to get all the Team fully trained and dedicated to long-term ministry, to get all the infrastructure, policy and program needed to ensure an ongoing effort to help kids get off the streets and into a productive and spiritual life.
But we are alert to the possibility that our Kenyan team members could burn out also. We have recently had a series of events on the streets that could burn out a person out. I thought you might be interested in how we deal with possible burnout.
Two weeks ago the 6-year-old daughter of one of the young women who come to our Monday program for street mothers (ages range from 18 to 34) was raped by someone known to the mother. It was a traumatic event, and our Team in Eastleigh (Ann, Anthony and Kennedy) dealt with the aftermath – getting the man in jail, talking with the mother and child. Then Nicholas, who dropped out of our program in Eastleigh in 2000, killed Patrick, who had been in our program with Kennedy and Anthony in 2003, over a card game. The next day, after the police had come around but did not act, the other guys at the base killed Nicholas. Again it was Kennedy and Anthony who met with the others at the base, with Patrick’s brother, and who took responsibility for the evening meetings where they raise money for Patrick’s burial in Western Kenya. So our Team has been up all night at the fund-raisers and working during the daytime. Then a woman named Njeri (age 34) who lives at Jamaica Base was beaten up by a former boyfriend from another base. The mother of one of our girls, Mary Muthoni, who alse lives at the base, came to ask our Team to help with first aid. When Anthony arrived there, he found Njeri in bad condition, so he got her to the hospital, after getting the young man into jail. When Anthony saw all the blood on her and was told by the doctor that she had internal bleeding, needed surgery, and might not survive, he felt a spasm in his body. He has some chest problems which may be asthma also, and the spasms made that worse.
When Anthony came to Sunday morning Bible class that I am teaching on 2 Peter this term (the Eastleigh Team comes to Kamulu for Saturday night and Sunday morning), I saw him spasm in class. It appeared to me that he has 3 spasms – his left arm, the left side of his body and his whole upper body. It is just a momentary jerk. He also feels great responsibility; a local policeman told him he was responsible if anything bad happened at the nighttime fund-raisers. At any rate, we decided it was time to take “burnout action.”
My first action was to talk briefly with Anthony. I asked him to describe what he was feeling in his body. Then I instructed him to take care of himself as well as all the other people. When he told me that they were raising about 500 shillings each night in the fund-raisers, I told him to ask them NOT to meet Sunday night, and in turn I would give them 1,000 shillings. That allows Anthony to get a full night’s sleep. Then Francis Mbuvi instructed Anthony to come back to Kamulu on Monday and spend two nights with us, giving Mbuvi time to debrief Anthony and listen to him talk about his feelings and the bad stuff he has seen lately. Kennedy will handle the fund-raisers Monday and Tuesday. Then Kennedy will come out for two nights and spend time with Mbuvi. I also asked Anthony about the t-shirt that he was wearing under his outer shirt; I told him I could tell that it has a big red “S” on it. He looked at me quizzically until I told him about Superman, then he laughed and admitted her felt responsible for everything.
Our next step was to give him opportunity to do something truly good. On Monday he plans to get Njeri from the hospital, take her to the police station to write a statement, then see her back to Jamaica Base. So I gave him 1,000 shillings and asked him to find her a room down in Mathare Valley that he can rent for about 700 shillings a month, then to buy her and her two children food with the rest. He will pay two months’ rent and encourage her and her 16-year-old to earn money in the next two months and be able to pay the rent after that. Whether that happens or she returns to Jamaica Base, we will have done something good for Anthony. Tomorrow when we go to Eastleigh for the Monday program, we will take two mattresses and two blankets for the family’s bedding.
I also alerted Larry Conway to the situation so that he can find some quiet time soon to sit with Anthony and be a listener.
I’ll let you know later what happens to the spasms.
Friday, November 30, 2007
On Health
Took a walk after working all day at almost dark. Hard to keep the sugar level down and control the diabetes. Without the daily walk I lose the battle, even with pills and controlled consumption. As we walked we talked about the street kids in our program, especially the new ones. We walked a roundabout way to the boys’ center. There was a large group out on our soccer field playing at almost dark. And then we could hear two basketballs bouncing on the court. The boys were having a great way to end the day. Down at the girls’ center the girls were either studying or doing their hair.
What we always pray is that God will lead us to the street kids whom he is calling to himself. The five new kids are a great example of how that works out. All of them have said that what they like about Made in the Streets is that they get to know God. One said he didn’t have opportunity to learn anything about God out on the streets, and now he can. They were thrilled when I presented each of them with a Bible, and two of them were eager to carry the Bible to the dorm to read it at night. In only our third day in having sessions with them, and without our urging it, two of them, Mercy and George, have asked about being baptized and say they are ready. So Francis Mbuvi or another Team member will study with them soon.
They are believers. And God has called them to Made in the Streets, where they will have daily chapel, Sunday worship, weekday Bible classes, a Friday evening cell group, and opportunity to read the Bible in the dorm.
Now this is good health! When we see kids getting a new life, reaching out to the Lord, it makes our hearts a lot stronger. It makes me feel better in every way. And it helps them to grow in confidence and in poise. A relationship with God is able to make everything else easier, such as English and Math and Computers and Geography and Health and Skills training – all of the things they study.
What we always pray is that God will lead us to the street kids whom he is calling to himself. The five new kids are a great example of how that works out. All of them have said that what they like about Made in the Streets is that they get to know God. One said he didn’t have opportunity to learn anything about God out on the streets, and now he can. They were thrilled when I presented each of them with a Bible, and two of them were eager to carry the Bible to the dorm to read it at night. In only our third day in having sessions with them, and without our urging it, two of them, Mercy and George, have asked about being baptized and say they are ready. So Francis Mbuvi or another Team member will study with them soon.
They are believers. And God has called them to Made in the Streets, where they will have daily chapel, Sunday worship, weekday Bible classes, a Friday evening cell group, and opportunity to read the Bible in the dorm.
Now this is good health! When we see kids getting a new life, reaching out to the Lord, it makes our hearts a lot stronger. It makes me feel better in every way. And it helps them to grow in confidence and in poise. A relationship with God is able to make everything else easier, such as English and Math and Computers and Geography and Health and Skills training – all of the things they study.
Friday, November 9, 2007
At the Kenyan Coast
Magnificent is the only word to describe snorkeling at a coral reef. Because of a kind gift to our Team, they were able to take a trip to the Kenya coast, and we went along with them. We took them in two groups, so someone could stay and work with the kids. We spent 2 nights at the Turtle Bay Beach Club, one of those all-inclusive places where you can eat all day if you like! And juices and sodas are always available, and the meals are all buffet, so the Team loved it. They could swim in the pool, play table tennis and volleyball, then go to the beach and play in the ocean.
Very relaxing for Darlene and me. We had time to talk to one another and enjoy one another's company. Of course, we almost spend 24 hours a day together, but there is something about reclining on a mat looking at the Indian Ocean near the one you love that is special!
The Team felt really special. Only 3 of them had ever been in an airplane. Now they are back at work, 24 hours a day with our 45 kids, as usual.
We have used Skype today, talking to people in the USA. If anyone wants to Skype us, we are usually at the Java House with our headphones on our Saturday morning at 7 am. That would be 8 pm Friday in California and 10 pm in the Central time zone.
be happy,
charles
Very relaxing for Darlene and me. We had time to talk to one another and enjoy one another's company. Of course, we almost spend 24 hours a day together, but there is something about reclining on a mat looking at the Indian Ocean near the one you love that is special!
The Team felt really special. Only 3 of them had ever been in an airplane. Now they are back at work, 24 hours a day with our 45 kids, as usual.
We have used Skype today, talking to people in the USA. If anyone wants to Skype us, we are usually at the Java House with our headphones on our Saturday morning at 7 am. That would be 8 pm Friday in California and 10 pm in the Central time zone.
be happy,
charles
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Source of the Nile
After 16 years in Kenya, we finally travel to Uganda, which has been a hot spot for American church of Christ missionaries in recent years, with teams in Mbarara, Kampala, Jinja and Mbale and a family in Fort Portal. We spent a week in Mbale, where the local mission team and church have a training school for church leaders, a congregation and dreams for a University. I taught a course called the Ephesian Connection -- all the Scripture and events in the New Testament surrounding the city of Ephesus. 20 students from their advanced program attended, and we had a good week.
And once again in our short lives God has given us richly of his wonder. After flying to Kampala, we took a public bus (large van) to Mbale, 6 hours on the road. Then we had good fellowship and good treatment by the Mbale church. It turned out that one of the cars belonging to a Kampala missionary was in Mbale, and we had the privilege of driving it back to Kampala. That meant we could stop off in Jinja. There the church has developed The Source Cafe, so we had lunch and bought some of the coffee they produce. We were planning to spend the night at a hotel. But while we were drinking coffee, Kim Langford showed up at the Cafe and invited us to her house. It was great being with Kim and her two boys, one of whom is just the age of one of our granddaughters.
Our sense of wonder was filled to the brim by the natural setting in Jinja. This is where the explorer Speke in 1860 found the source of the Nile River. All my life I have read and fantasized about the Nile -- mostly about Egypt of course. But here we could take a boat ride up the river a little ways to where it begins in Lake Victoria -- we could stand at the Zero Mile marker (it's 4000 miles to the Mediterranean). A great experience.
After spending the night, we drove up a dirt road to Bugajali Falls, which is one of the #5 level rapids in the area (this will soon be destroyed by the new hydroelectric dam they will build). We climbed down the rocks and sat a few feet from the river just below the rapids -- incredible! I can't describe the joy of that moment. So we sat and talked about all the places in the Bible where water is mentioned, and we especially thought about the voice that John heard in his Revelation vision that was "the sound of many waters."
We are grateful for all our experiences, in family, in the church, in nature. They are all filled to the brim with joy. And we will not soon forget the sound of many waters.
"let the living water flow over us"
And once again in our short lives God has given us richly of his wonder. After flying to Kampala, we took a public bus (large van) to Mbale, 6 hours on the road. Then we had good fellowship and good treatment by the Mbale church. It turned out that one of the cars belonging to a Kampala missionary was in Mbale, and we had the privilege of driving it back to Kampala. That meant we could stop off in Jinja. There the church has developed The Source Cafe, so we had lunch and bought some of the coffee they produce. We were planning to spend the night at a hotel. But while we were drinking coffee, Kim Langford showed up at the Cafe and invited us to her house. It was great being with Kim and her two boys, one of whom is just the age of one of our granddaughters.
Our sense of wonder was filled to the brim by the natural setting in Jinja. This is where the explorer Speke in 1860 found the source of the Nile River. All my life I have read and fantasized about the Nile -- mostly about Egypt of course. But here we could take a boat ride up the river a little ways to where it begins in Lake Victoria -- we could stand at the Zero Mile marker (it's 4000 miles to the Mediterranean). A great experience.
After spending the night, we drove up a dirt road to Bugajali Falls, which is one of the #5 level rapids in the area (this will soon be destroyed by the new hydroelectric dam they will build). We climbed down the rocks and sat a few feet from the river just below the rapids -- incredible! I can't describe the joy of that moment. So we sat and talked about all the places in the Bible where water is mentioned, and we especially thought about the voice that John heard in his Revelation vision that was "the sound of many waters."
We are grateful for all our experiences, in family, in the church, in nature. They are all filled to the brim with joy. And we will not soon forget the sound of many waters.
"let the living water flow over us"
Friday, October 19, 2007
It's the Economy!
Amazing how much a missionary's life can be determined by the economy. The usual missionary doesn't choose this life in order to make extra money, or even to live at the level most Americans live at. But we are deeply affected by it.
One reason is that we live on exchange rates. Back in 1993 many missionaries left Kenya because the rate of the dollar against the Kenyan shilling changed so much so rapidly. We are facing a similar time now. The US $ has dropped 8.5 shillings to the dollar in the past year. That is 11.64%. Our personal buying power has lost that much in a year, and the Made in the Streets has lost the same buying power.
In addition to that, the Kenyan economy has seen a surge in growth, which leads to a rise in the inflation level. Couple that with the rise in the price of oil worldwide, and prices go up rapidly. It isn't only the price of gasoline and diesel, which have increased a little more than $1 per gallon in the past year. It's that flour has gone from $1 for 4.4 pounds (2 kilogram) to $1.70. And milk has increased twice in the past two weeks, once 5 cents a quart and the next 7 cents a quart. And bread -- our kids eat a lot of bread -- went up 5 cents a loaf last week. In the news today was a note that sugar will increase in price soon.
Besides all that, Kenya has joined the world conservation movement and has begun a campaign against plastic bags - this is one of the worst parts of the litter problem in our cities - and the government has slapped a 120% import duty on plastic goods. That also will make prices go up.
In today's paper are articles about salaries in Kenya. Now we are also faced with the fact that our Kenyan Team members are in the lowest level of salaries in the country, since economic growth has led to a rise in salaries generally.
So...we have to pay attention to the economy. And we need people to pray for us that we will be wise in using the Lord's money, the funds that Christians have so generously given us. Please ask God to give us wisdom. Even the economy points to our need for God's care. It's good to have many things in our lives that point us to the need to trust God with our lives and futures.
May the Lord guide your daily life... charles
One reason is that we live on exchange rates. Back in 1993 many missionaries left Kenya because the rate of the dollar against the Kenyan shilling changed so much so rapidly. We are facing a similar time now. The US $ has dropped 8.5 shillings to the dollar in the past year. That is 11.64%. Our personal buying power has lost that much in a year, and the Made in the Streets has lost the same buying power.
In addition to that, the Kenyan economy has seen a surge in growth, which leads to a rise in the inflation level. Couple that with the rise in the price of oil worldwide, and prices go up rapidly. It isn't only the price of gasoline and diesel, which have increased a little more than $1 per gallon in the past year. It's that flour has gone from $1 for 4.4 pounds (2 kilogram) to $1.70. And milk has increased twice in the past two weeks, once 5 cents a quart and the next 7 cents a quart. And bread -- our kids eat a lot of bread -- went up 5 cents a loaf last week. In the news today was a note that sugar will increase in price soon.
Besides all that, Kenya has joined the world conservation movement and has begun a campaign against plastic bags - this is one of the worst parts of the litter problem in our cities - and the government has slapped a 120% import duty on plastic goods. That also will make prices go up.
In today's paper are articles about salaries in Kenya. Now we are also faced with the fact that our Kenyan Team members are in the lowest level of salaries in the country, since economic growth has led to a rise in salaries generally.
So...we have to pay attention to the economy. And we need people to pray for us that we will be wise in using the Lord's money, the funds that Christians have so generously given us. Please ask God to give us wisdom. Even the economy points to our need for God's care. It's good to have many things in our lives that point us to the need to trust God with our lives and futures.
May the Lord guide your daily life... charles
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