So, I’ve been thinking that I’ll keep this blog active for a while longer. Having had a transforming experience, it is hard to let go of it. Not that I want to live in Kenya, but I’d like the experiences to continue to live in me. In the final day of our trip, we did some tourist shopping. I kept saying to my wife Amanda, “I came here for memories not memorabilia!” But at the final stop, I caved in. After looking at so many things, I decided I needed at least one memorabilia to maintain the memory. So, yesterday I placed a wood carving of three giraffe on my desk. I think I’ll remember.

We don’t need to go to Kenya or even a mission trip to experience something profoundly transforming. Like climbing to the top of a mountain, we cannot live there. Eventually we come down or we wake up or another day arrives.

I’ve appreciated the JB Phillips translation of Paul’s verse from Romans: do not let the world squeeze you into its mold. We can hang on. An experience is truly transformative only when we hang on. Don’t let the world squeeze it out of you!

On Wednesday we boarded a small plane for the flight back to Nairobi. The twelve passengers had been to various resorts for safaris. The person seated next to me was from California and was flying home later that day. There were others from England and Scotland – and the four of us from Minnesota. I began wondering what my time in Kenya would be like if all I experienced were resorts and the capitol city of Nairobi. This flight took us over neighborhoods in Nairobi that looked every bit as upscale and well kept as my neighborhood in Plymouth. We also flew over Kibera, the second largest slum in Africa where over a million people live in tiny “homes” made of sticks, cardboard and pieces of metal. But I would not have known that if someone from our team had not pointed that out to me.

In two weeks, I had many experiences that have given me a level of understanding – just enough to realize how little I truly understand. Yet, much of what I understand was only possible because I spent time with people and witnessed their personal struggles.

In our final day in Nairobi, we visited a bead factory where 320 single women are being employed and given free medical care. This is a marvelous example of one person who saw a greater need and found a way to improve life for several hundred. We also visited an orphanage where infants are rescued and given a place of love and hope until they are adopted (mainly by expatriates living in Kenya – one must live up to a year in Kenya before being able to adopt a Kenyan child). Then we also visited the Conference offices for the Methodist Church in Kenya. Methodists in Kenya are not United Methodists but Methodists modeled after the British Methodist Church. The offices were new, modern, and large – even by American standards. The contrast between these offices and a ten days spent among the poor raised many questions about justice and compassion and how funds are utilized. There is so much we do not understand and without a deeper understanding we are prone to pass judgment. Where are the Kenyan aid agencies? We only observed work being done by persons and groups who have come into the country. Perhaps there are efforts that have emerged from within the country.

On our first Sunday, we met three Kenyan women from a Nairobi church who have been mentoring the girls at Light of Hope. Yet in my conversation with Pastor Reuben, he admitted it is challenging to persuade his churches to respond to the needs of the poor around them (even while they are also the poor). They are interested in saving souls, but when the first fruits of the harvest are given to the church, the elders want to sell it all for use within the church.

I write this now that I am home. I turned to the words from James and a teaching that places a high value on listening. The two weeks have been about listening. I am continuing to listen to what I heard and not so I can judge but so I can hear what God has for me in this experience. I went to meet 45 girls who have been rescued from the worst of what this world offers. In so many ways, I fell in love with these girls and the gospel message. Love God, Love Each Other, Love the World.

Eight of us returned to Minnesota on Friday. Carol remained to spend one more week with children in Kenya and then in Ghana. As my experience grows within me, I look forward to hearing the gospel within me and sharing more with you. Thank you for an amazing opportunity and empowering the nine of us to serve in Jesus’ name.

This, the final verse from Psalms, came to mind over and over again the past few days. Four of us experienced a Safari in Masai Mara – a park reserve. It was a surreal experience. At points I wondered whether this was what the Garden of Eden was like as we observed the beauty and majesty of animals I had seen previously only in zoos or in books.

As we drove within a few feet of a pride of elephants, I wondered about their purpose in life. From my perspective, they looked gentle. They are not preditors. They eat vegetation. What purpose do they have in God’s creation? Then I remembered the Genesis story of creation. They exist for God’s pleasure. As we watched, I could see how God would take pleasure in these magnificent creatures. I could only hope that as I experienced pleasure in God’s creation somehow I was bringing God pleasure.

Like so many things in Kenya, this was also a place of extreme contrast. Yesterday afternoon, we visited a Masai village. Walking into a small dung hut I knew that I had entered the last place I would ever want to spend a night. At first I felt like we were visiting a village that had been constructed as a museum to show how people lived thousands of years ago, except this is the way thousands of Masai still live today. This village of 250 people is sustained by raising cattle. Although they have maintained a close attachment to the natural world, it has become a repressive, impoverished existence. But education is improving life by helping children see another way. And as each child is given the opportunity to fulfill his or her potential that must surely give God pleasure, too.

Our Messiah group is urging me to introduce some of the aspects of worship that we experienced here. Today’s service lasted two hours and ten minutes. (one person that we met described a church where worship lasts 5 1/2 hours) Sunday School began 2 1/2 hours before worship. In the first hour of worship every group in the church was invited forward to sing at least one song: the women, the men, the youth, the children, the girls from Light of Hope, and yes – even their guests from Messiah were asked to sing. The singing was loud and spirited with tambourine and drum and a keyboard that added other percussion sounds. Some of the tunes were recognizable to us. The language was kikuyu, which is the tribal language of people in this part of Kenya. The official languages of Kenya are Swahili and English, but the common language is kikuyu. This morning’s worship was led by the youth as is the practice one Sunday a month when the pastor is at one of the other churches that he serves. The preacher was a 14 year old girl. She spoke with confidence and power and without notes.

We brought a gift for the church from Messiah – a stained glass cross. Near the end of worship they prayed for God’s blessing on the gift and on the people of our congregation. With all that is different about our cultures, we are bound together by faith in Jesus Christ. Even when we could not understand the language, we understood the expression of faith.

We brought the girls from LOH back to the farm. We made lunch for them and celebrated them. They were wearing the dresses made by persons in our congregation. We gave Bibles to the older girls. We gave each girl a hooded sweatshirt. It was an afternoon of singing and dancing. God is good. I came to Kenya to collect experiences and I have not been disappointed. We are eager to share our photos and our stories. Each night during our devotions, we are mindful that we are here on your behalf. Each day, we sense the presence of your prayers.

Tomorrow morning, four of us leave to spend two days in Massai Mara – one of the largest wildlife parks in the world. The rest of the group will remain at Light of Hope until Wednesday when we come together again in Nairobi. I will be without Internet for the next few days. Look for another posting on Wednesday.

Grace and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen and Amen.

I walked with two of the teachers the mile and a half to the main road where we caught a matatu (a Kenyan version of a taxi – i.e. a minivan that holds 16 or more people. And every seat was filled.) We traveled about 15 minutes to a small village. They rent a modest home. It is fortified and secure – a reminder to me of the desperation of many people and the high rate of crime.

We shared what ministry is like for each of us. The joys and challenges are very similar. 80% of Kenyas identify themselves as Christian but many of them do not participate in church. They are finding it difficult to reach younger people. Islam (particularly the radical form) is spreading rapidly and reaching young people. Also an indigenous religion that uses drugs in its rituals is also reaching young people. And the Christian Church is resisting change that he believes is necessary to survive to the next generations. When I described the different ways we worship on a Sunday morning, he shared how much he wished that were possible in his churches.

Reuben serves three churches but can only attend one each Sunday because his only means of travel is a bicycle. However, even that is a great improvement from a couple of years ago when he had to walk everywhere.

As we shared our faith stories, we discovered a common faith and the power of God at work in our lives. We spoke of passages from the Bible. Our conversation had moments when understanding was difficult – but not when we could share scripture.

One final realization. They have no real understanding of what life is like in Minnesota. I described the fast pace of our lives. I also described how cold it is this time of year. They could understand why our lives are so hurried since we must collect a lot of wood to keep warm. With all the snow, our cattle cannot graze and we must take a lot of time to bring feed to our cattle. I started to correct them but realized the only way they could fully understand our American ways was if they visited our country.

I am beginning to realize there is so much of Kenyan life that can only be understood by being here. So much I cannot describe. It must be experienced to understand. As the afternoon grew late, they wanted to escort me back to the farm. They asked for my email address, promising to correspond. It is important to have friends, they said. You are our friend. A few hours of listening to one another, a cup of tea, and sharing our faith – I am grateful for my new friends.

School ended at 3:30 p.m. On other days, the girls were available for a variety of activities, but not today. Friday afternoon the hour and half after school was devoted to “prayers”. I was thinking this must be quiet time. I soon found there was nothing quiet about prayers. They were singing – and singing loudly – from the heart. I was painting a classroom, but I was drawn to the singing. I walked to the place where they were singing and looked through the window. Teachers and students were on their feet singing and dancing. It was beautiful.

One of the teachers noticed I was at the window. She walked to the door and said, “we are praying.” One of the children invited me inside. And I said, “I’m just listening.” Because just listening was good for my soul.

I’ve been thinking about this experience. A room filled with teachers and students singing praise, praying praise. From my perspective it seemed they had much in their lives not worthy of praise – and yet they were praising in a way I had never experienced. What if we took an hour at the end of our week to pray by singing our loudest praise to God. If I could experience what I did by just listening, imagine if we would sing.

Thursday afternoon, we experienced the world of tourism. Part of visiting Kenya is discovering something of the surrounding environment. We visited Lake Naivasha – about the size of Lake Minnetonka – but filled with thousands of hippos. We also walked through the grounds of one of the resort hotels and saw giraffs, monkeys, zebras, and buffaloes. It felt like walking through a zoo – except there were no fences or barriers. We looked like tourists, too – with cameras ready to capture every animal we saw. Two worlds – both amazing and compelling – and unlike anything I’ve experienced.

It is already Friday morning. Time for our tea break. I’ll share more this evening about the experiences of this day.

Steve