We are leaving Kenya for two weeks to go back to Canada for a visit.
My (Andrea) cousin Bobbi passed away unexpectedly on Monday. We really felt like we needed to go home and spend time with family and be there for her funeral. This is so hard for me to deal with and to even imagine that it's really happening. She and I grew up together and have SO many memories. I have been in a state of shock ever since we got the news.
This all feels so strange and it's hard to just go with it...we had not planned on leaving Kenya for another couple of months, and now have been frantically planning our visit home in a very short time. But we do feel peace that this is the right thing for us to do, and we are thankful that we are able to make this work. Thanks so much to our families for helping us out in this way.
Please pray for Bobbi's family as they go through this tremendously difficult time. Pray for her husband, Justin, as this is something nobody should ever have to go through. They need your support. So please remember them in prayer.
Pray for us too, as we fly out of Nairobi tomorrow morning, and land in Grande Prairie on Thursday afternoon. Pray for safety and for good flights and transitions.
Above all, please just pray that God would be glorified in this situation.
Thank you.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Mark
Trevor and Mark 
Benedicto, Rueben, Mark, Trevor and Steven
The TAM shop will be seeing some changes in the near future...
Mark, the young man from Sudan who has been working with Trevor and the other men in the shop, has received his Refugee Resettlement documents and will be leaving Kenya on Tuesday and moving to Missouri, USA.
This is something that he has been working towards for a long time, and he is really looking forward to starting this new chapter of his life. While Trevor is excited for him, he will also really miss working with him every day.
We know that Mark has a bright future ahead of him, and know that he will be a blessing to anyone he will meet, no matter where he goes.
Please remember Mark in your prayers...life as he knows it is about to drastically change. He is quite nervous and apprehensive about all the adjustments that come with moving to a new country. But we know that he will be okay...he has already persevered through so much hardship and has worked harder than anyone else we know to get to where he is today. He has an incredible story and God has seen him through many obstacles.
So, we will say goodbye to Mark for now. It will be sad, and he will be greatly missed. But who knows when and where we may see him again...this may call for a trip to Missouri when we get back to North America...did someone say "road trip"??? :-)
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
When Children Suffer
Lately we have had to deal with many issues with the kids in Mitumba. More and more difficult situations are coming to light. More and more kids and youth are disclosing information about their lives. We are having to listen to stories of abuse. Beatings. Kids fearing for their lives because their step-mothers are trying to kill them. Kids running away to get away from the abuse. All kinds of atrocities that kids should never have to go through. And through it all, we are having to encourage them and point them to Christ while at the same time we ourselves sometimes question why God is allowing these things to happen to these precious ones.
This morning I was reading “Safely Home” by Randy Alcorn. If you have not read this book…read it! It is about the persecuted Church, and focuses on China. It brought me to tears, as it does every time I read it. It also gave me some perspective on God’s heart for His people, and in this case, children specifically. I want to leave you with an excerpt from the book:
The King drew them into the surface of His vast mind, that they could see what He saw - children abandoned and living on streets, abducted, beaten, molested, cut to pieces by men dressed in white, exterminated by human pesticides.
“See that you do not look down on one of these little ones,” the King said, projecting His voice toward the dark world so loudly it was heard on earth as thunder. “For I tell you that their angels in heaven always behold the face of My Father.”
The King pointed to a church custodian yelling at children unauthorized to play on the swings and chasing them away. “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
The King spoke to people out for Sunday dinner after church, who turned away from the street children. “Your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.”
Then He watched a man and a woman taking children off the streets, bringing them into a building, giving them a warm meal and a cot and safe refuge, and telling them about their Master. On the other side of the planet, in Africa, He watched His people caring for children born with AIDS, many of them orphans now, or soon to be.
The King nodded His approval. “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in My name welcomes Me.”
He watched His people give children a warm bath, read stories to them, hug them, and laugh with them. He smiled broadly. “Thank you,” the King whispered, “for doing this to Me.”
He looked now at men plotting and stalking and taking pictures of children, doing to them the unthinkable. He looked at men herding frightened little girls together and selling them to foreigners. He looked at the men in white coats, driving beautiful cars purchased by the blood of children. He looked at those who inflicted the suffering. His eyes smoldered.
“I made these children. I took them into my arms, put my hands on them, and blessed them. And yet you scorn them, use them for your gain, treat them as disposable. It would be better for you to have a millstone tied around your neck and be thrown into the sea than to face what I will surely do to you.”
He looked now at others who turned their heads from the children, too busy to share a meal, a blanket, or a pay check. They did little or nothing to help the children, and he regarded their failure to help as the inflicting of harm. “To you who look the other way, saying My children are not your concern: Repent! For it is I you have turned away from. I will not forget.”
He gazed at another group of people, those watching out for and reaching out to and helping the children. He said simply, “Well done. Your reward shall be great.”
The King watched the children again, though the men knew He had never stopped watching them. For a moment He smiled, then laughed; then suddenly He saw something else. Tears flowed from His eyes; then they burned with blistering heat.
“Many on earth look away from the children,” said Li Tong to Fu Liko. “But the eyes of heaven never look away from them. Never.”
We truly believe that God knows what is happening to these kids. We believe that it hurts His heart when they suffer. We believe that it makes Him angry when they get abused and mistreated by people they are supposed to be able to trust.
Knowing this somehow gives us hope. Even realizing that it doesn’t mean their situations will change, but knowing that the Father knows. He has not turned His face away. He knows. And one day, He will make it right.
Please pray for our kids. They are suffering greatly.
This morning I was reading “Safely Home” by Randy Alcorn. If you have not read this book…read it! It is about the persecuted Church, and focuses on China. It brought me to tears, as it does every time I read it. It also gave me some perspective on God’s heart for His people, and in this case, children specifically. I want to leave you with an excerpt from the book:
The King drew them into the surface of His vast mind, that they could see what He saw - children abandoned and living on streets, abducted, beaten, molested, cut to pieces by men dressed in white, exterminated by human pesticides.
“See that you do not look down on one of these little ones,” the King said, projecting His voice toward the dark world so loudly it was heard on earth as thunder. “For I tell you that their angels in heaven always behold the face of My Father.”
The King pointed to a church custodian yelling at children unauthorized to play on the swings and chasing them away. “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
The King spoke to people out for Sunday dinner after church, who turned away from the street children. “Your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.”
Then He watched a man and a woman taking children off the streets, bringing them into a building, giving them a warm meal and a cot and safe refuge, and telling them about their Master. On the other side of the planet, in Africa, He watched His people caring for children born with AIDS, many of them orphans now, or soon to be.
The King nodded His approval. “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in My name welcomes Me.”
He watched His people give children a warm bath, read stories to them, hug them, and laugh with them. He smiled broadly. “Thank you,” the King whispered, “for doing this to Me.”
He looked now at men plotting and stalking and taking pictures of children, doing to them the unthinkable. He looked at men herding frightened little girls together and selling them to foreigners. He looked at the men in white coats, driving beautiful cars purchased by the blood of children. He looked at those who inflicted the suffering. His eyes smoldered.
“I made these children. I took them into my arms, put my hands on them, and blessed them. And yet you scorn them, use them for your gain, treat them as disposable. It would be better for you to have a millstone tied around your neck and be thrown into the sea than to face what I will surely do to you.”
He looked now at others who turned their heads from the children, too busy to share a meal, a blanket, or a pay check. They did little or nothing to help the children, and he regarded their failure to help as the inflicting of harm. “To you who look the other way, saying My children are not your concern: Repent! For it is I you have turned away from. I will not forget.”
He gazed at another group of people, those watching out for and reaching out to and helping the children. He said simply, “Well done. Your reward shall be great.”
The King watched the children again, though the men knew He had never stopped watching them. For a moment He smiled, then laughed; then suddenly He saw something else. Tears flowed from His eyes; then they burned with blistering heat.
“Many on earth look away from the children,” said Li Tong to Fu Liko. “But the eyes of heaven never look away from them. Never.”
We truly believe that God knows what is happening to these kids. We believe that it hurts His heart when they suffer. We believe that it makes Him angry when they get abused and mistreated by people they are supposed to be able to trust.
Knowing this somehow gives us hope. Even realizing that it doesn’t mean their situations will change, but knowing that the Father knows. He has not turned His face away. He knows. And one day, He will make it right.
Please pray for our kids. They are suffering greatly.
Brothers
Duke and Michael. The younger boy is the one who was lost for those few months, and who is now back with his family in Mitumba.
Michael
This family still really needs your prayers. Even though Michael is back, his mother is still not stable, and is still on medication. Just the other day, Duke came screaming into the school courtyard...his mother was allowing someone else to beat him. While we are so thankful that Michael was found and is home, he is still not always safe. Please pray for these young boys.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Could You Help?
I want you to imagine something with me.
Imagine that you live on a farm. Imagine that you have worked hard from the time you were young, gone to school for awhile as a child, but then could never finish school because of the work and too many school fees for your parents to pay.
Imagine that you marry. But as you are still struggling, you don’t have enough money to pay the dowry required by your fiancé’s family. You are still allowed to marry her, granted that you will pay the dowry at a later date.
Now imagine that you move to the city. You don’t enjoy the city or have any desire to live there, but because of the difficulties in making a living on your farm, you have no choice. When you get to the city, you move to a slum. You find yourself a tiny, one room house made of iron sheets, surrounded by thousands of other houses just like this one. A lot of danger and difficulty comes with moving to a place like this, but you can’t afford anything else, because even with this incredibly small and awful place, you still have to pay rent.
You and your wife have two children. Boys. With both of those births come many complications and you nearly lose your wife both times. Your relationship becomes strained and a wall goes up between you after these difficult years and your relationship never fully recovers.
During this time, you are struggling to make a living to feed your family. You find a good job…but a good job for an uneducated person still won’t make ends meet. You make 550 shillings a day. About $9. So some days there just is no money for food. Yet you struggle to give your children the best life possible. You vow that they will go to school so that they can have a better chance. You promise them that they will get the things that you never had. They will get an education. They will make it. They will prosper. And so you fight. And you struggle. School fees are so expensive. And there are the uniforms to pay for. The school supplies to buy.
Imagine now that your wife gets sick. So sick. Her body is weak and frail. She is only in her mid thirties and yet she does not have the energy to get out of bed. She cannot make food for the family. So you work even harder to get extra money for the medical expenses. You worry. You pray.
It’s Christmas Eve, 2008. You nearly lose your wife. You spend the Christmas holidays in the hospital. She doesn’t die, but is still so very sick. Your boys are constantly worried. Especially the younger one, who is only three. He doesn’t understand why his mama is so different and why she does not even have the strength to speak to him.
The months go on. Your hope begins to grow as your wife is regaining her strength day by day. The medications seems to be working. You begin to make plans as a family for your future. The sun seems to be shining on you again. You begin to dream of a better life. You decide to move your family back to the country. Back to the farm. You want to raise your boys close to your family. You want them to learn skills that they will not learn living in a slum in the city. You work hard.
It’s July 2009. Your wife’s health has suddenly taken a turn for the worse again. You spend more money on hospital bills and ask people to pray. She will get better, you are sure of it. After all, she did before.
It’s Wednesday, July 29. Your wife has died. You don’t understand. Why?? Why me??
You begin the process of laying your wife’s body to rest. You have no money for all these things. It costs so much money. People rally around to help. You have to find a coffin. Something not too expensive. So you barter on a price.
You have to find a vehicle to transport your wife’s body back to her home in the country. This too, is so expensive.
You have to provide food for everyone who comes to the funeral. And not just a little bit of something for people to snack on. But good food. A lot of it. Including costly food like meat.
Imagine that during this time of grief and mourning, your wife’s family is not supportive of you. In fact, they actually come to your house and steal your things. They steal your camera that you were using to make extra money as you were learning photography. They steal your wife’s clothing. They steal your boys’ clothing. They even steal their school uniforms. They take whatever money your wife had before she died. They take all your ID.
They claim that it is all rightfully theirs. And yet, during all these years of struggle for you and your wife, they were never there to help. Even though they lived in the city, they never cared enough to even come to your house. Your father in law has now insisted that you also pay the dowry. The dowry that you could not afford before you got married. It is a lot. Money plus animals.
You now have to decide what you are going to do. How will you continue to make a living to provide for your children? How will you be there for your boys when you have to work? How will you make it? What is best for your boys?
Your boys miss their mother. They don’t understand. They ask for her everyday. You have begun to tell them that she will be here tomorrow, just so that you can see them happy again. But you know that you can’t keep up those stories forever. You don’t know how to break their hearts all over again.
How will you pay for your kids schooling? How will you pay someone to come to the house to cook and clean and be home when your boys come home from school, the things your wife used to do? What about when your children get sick? You have no extra money. None. There is no savings account. Or that extra money tucked away for emergencies. There is no money. What will you do when the unexpected things happen? And there is still that dowry to pay.
I am asking you to imagine these things with me because they are real. This is Elly’s story. You remember hearing about him in previous months? He works on our compound as a gardener. We have grown to love him and his family throughout our time in Kenya.
I looked into his bloodshot eyes, shiny with tears, as he asked me for help this afternoon.
“I tried so hard to save Violet’s life,” he told me brokenly. “I tried so hard.”
“I have some questions I want to ask God at the final judgement. I have a lot of questions for Him. Why me? After all my years of struggle, after all the things we’ve gone through…now death? Now you take my wife? We had plans! Is this a punishment? Because if it is, it feels like it is just too harsh.”
Elly needs your prayers. His two sons, Wesley and Timothy, need your prayers. I cannot even explain to you the look in his eyes. Hopelessness. Defeat. Despair.
I don’t want to have you read this story and just think that it is a story that is supposed to tear at your heartstrings. Because yes, I hope that it makes you feel for this family. But I want you to realize that this is real. This is LIFE for a widower and his children. He is only thirty-five years of age. His sons are age six and three.
If by reading this story you feel that you could and should help financially, please send us an email at ta.wolfe@hotmail.com. We have an account that you could put money into and we can access it here and give it to Elly. Any amount would be so much appreciated.
Please, this dear family needs us to stand behind them. They need us.
"I try to hold on to this world with everything I have
But I feel the weight of what it brings and the hurt that tries to grab
The many trials that seem to never end
His word declares this truth:
That we will enter in this rest with wonders anew
But I hold on to this hope and the promise that He brings
That there will be a place with no more suffering
There will be a day with no more tears, no more pain, and no more fears
There will be a day when the burdens of this place will be no more
We’ll see Jesus face to face
But until that day we’ll hold on to You always
I know the journey seems so long
You feel you’re walking on your own
But there has never been a step where you’ve walked out all alone
Troubled soul don’t lose your heart
‘Cause joy and peace He brings
And the beauty that’s in store
Outweighs the hurt of life’s sting
I can’t wait until that day where the very One I’ve lived for always
Will wipe away the sorrow that I’ve faced
To touch the scars that rescued me from a life of shame and misery
This is why, this is why I sing
There will be a day with no more tears, no more pain, and no more fears
There will be a day when the burdens of this place will be no more
We’ll see Jesus face to face
But until that day we’ll hold on to You always "
Imagine that you live on a farm. Imagine that you have worked hard from the time you were young, gone to school for awhile as a child, but then could never finish school because of the work and too many school fees for your parents to pay.
Imagine that you marry. But as you are still struggling, you don’t have enough money to pay the dowry required by your fiancé’s family. You are still allowed to marry her, granted that you will pay the dowry at a later date.
Now imagine that you move to the city. You don’t enjoy the city or have any desire to live there, but because of the difficulties in making a living on your farm, you have no choice. When you get to the city, you move to a slum. You find yourself a tiny, one room house made of iron sheets, surrounded by thousands of other houses just like this one. A lot of danger and difficulty comes with moving to a place like this, but you can’t afford anything else, because even with this incredibly small and awful place, you still have to pay rent.
You and your wife have two children. Boys. With both of those births come many complications and you nearly lose your wife both times. Your relationship becomes strained and a wall goes up between you after these difficult years and your relationship never fully recovers.
During this time, you are struggling to make a living to feed your family. You find a good job…but a good job for an uneducated person still won’t make ends meet. You make 550 shillings a day. About $9. So some days there just is no money for food. Yet you struggle to give your children the best life possible. You vow that they will go to school so that they can have a better chance. You promise them that they will get the things that you never had. They will get an education. They will make it. They will prosper. And so you fight. And you struggle. School fees are so expensive. And there are the uniforms to pay for. The school supplies to buy.
Imagine now that your wife gets sick. So sick. Her body is weak and frail. She is only in her mid thirties and yet she does not have the energy to get out of bed. She cannot make food for the family. So you work even harder to get extra money for the medical expenses. You worry. You pray.
It’s Christmas Eve, 2008. You nearly lose your wife. You spend the Christmas holidays in the hospital. She doesn’t die, but is still so very sick. Your boys are constantly worried. Especially the younger one, who is only three. He doesn’t understand why his mama is so different and why she does not even have the strength to speak to him.
The months go on. Your hope begins to grow as your wife is regaining her strength day by day. The medications seems to be working. You begin to make plans as a family for your future. The sun seems to be shining on you again. You begin to dream of a better life. You decide to move your family back to the country. Back to the farm. You want to raise your boys close to your family. You want them to learn skills that they will not learn living in a slum in the city. You work hard.
It’s July 2009. Your wife’s health has suddenly taken a turn for the worse again. You spend more money on hospital bills and ask people to pray. She will get better, you are sure of it. After all, she did before.
It’s Wednesday, July 29. Your wife has died. You don’t understand. Why?? Why me??
You begin the process of laying your wife’s body to rest. You have no money for all these things. It costs so much money. People rally around to help. You have to find a coffin. Something not too expensive. So you barter on a price.
You have to find a vehicle to transport your wife’s body back to her home in the country. This too, is so expensive.
You have to provide food for everyone who comes to the funeral. And not just a little bit of something for people to snack on. But good food. A lot of it. Including costly food like meat.
Imagine that during this time of grief and mourning, your wife’s family is not supportive of you. In fact, they actually come to your house and steal your things. They steal your camera that you were using to make extra money as you were learning photography. They steal your wife’s clothing. They steal your boys’ clothing. They even steal their school uniforms. They take whatever money your wife had before she died. They take all your ID.
They claim that it is all rightfully theirs. And yet, during all these years of struggle for you and your wife, they were never there to help. Even though they lived in the city, they never cared enough to even come to your house. Your father in law has now insisted that you also pay the dowry. The dowry that you could not afford before you got married. It is a lot. Money plus animals.
You now have to decide what you are going to do. How will you continue to make a living to provide for your children? How will you be there for your boys when you have to work? How will you make it? What is best for your boys?
Your boys miss their mother. They don’t understand. They ask for her everyday. You have begun to tell them that she will be here tomorrow, just so that you can see them happy again. But you know that you can’t keep up those stories forever. You don’t know how to break their hearts all over again.
How will you pay for your kids schooling? How will you pay someone to come to the house to cook and clean and be home when your boys come home from school, the things your wife used to do? What about when your children get sick? You have no extra money. None. There is no savings account. Or that extra money tucked away for emergencies. There is no money. What will you do when the unexpected things happen? And there is still that dowry to pay.
I am asking you to imagine these things with me because they are real. This is Elly’s story. You remember hearing about him in previous months? He works on our compound as a gardener. We have grown to love him and his family throughout our time in Kenya.
I looked into his bloodshot eyes, shiny with tears, as he asked me for help this afternoon.
“I tried so hard to save Violet’s life,” he told me brokenly. “I tried so hard.”
“I have some questions I want to ask God at the final judgement. I have a lot of questions for Him. Why me? After all my years of struggle, after all the things we’ve gone through…now death? Now you take my wife? We had plans! Is this a punishment? Because if it is, it feels like it is just too harsh.”
Elly needs your prayers. His two sons, Wesley and Timothy, need your prayers. I cannot even explain to you the look in his eyes. Hopelessness. Defeat. Despair.
I don’t want to have you read this story and just think that it is a story that is supposed to tear at your heartstrings. Because yes, I hope that it makes you feel for this family. But I want you to realize that this is real. This is LIFE for a widower and his children. He is only thirty-five years of age. His sons are age six and three.
If by reading this story you feel that you could and should help financially, please send us an email at ta.wolfe@hotmail.com. We have an account that you could put money into and we can access it here and give it to Elly. Any amount would be so much appreciated.
Please, this dear family needs us to stand behind them. They need us.
"I try to hold on to this world with everything I have
But I feel the weight of what it brings and the hurt that tries to grab
The many trials that seem to never end
His word declares this truth:
That we will enter in this rest with wonders anew
But I hold on to this hope and the promise that He brings
That there will be a place with no more suffering
There will be a day with no more tears, no more pain, and no more fears
There will be a day when the burdens of this place will be no more
We’ll see Jesus face to face
But until that day we’ll hold on to You always
I know the journey seems so long
You feel you’re walking on your own
But there has never been a step where you’ve walked out all alone
Troubled soul don’t lose your heart
‘Cause joy and peace He brings
And the beauty that’s in store
Outweighs the hurt of life’s sting
I can’t wait until that day where the very One I’ve lived for always
Will wipe away the sorrow that I’ve faced
To touch the scars that rescued me from a life of shame and misery
This is why, this is why I sing
There will be a day with no more tears, no more pain, and no more fears
There will be a day when the burdens of this place will be no more
We’ll see Jesus face to face
But until that day we’ll hold on to You always "
{There Will Be A Day. Jeremy Camp}
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Eternity in Our Hearts
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11
Sometimes we get a glimpse of eternity. You know. When you realize that you were made for something more. When you can see beyond the day-to-day. When God speaks something so incredible into your heart, and you see. You realize. You are awestruck by knowing that God is doing something! It’s like you can see past the earthly things, the mundane things, the temporal things…and you get a glimpse of the bigger picture. And it makes you think about Heaven. And what it will be like. And you are not satisfied with what used to satisfy you. The material things. The secular things. The things of this world.
If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probably explanation is that I was made for another world. {CS Lewis}
We have been studying Ecclesiastes with our cell group from our Church. God has been teaching us a lot through this study…and we are only on Chapter 3!
Trevor was asked to lead the chai time devotions this past Wednesday at the hangar. (Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, someone will lead the devotion time for everyone who works at the AIM hangar.) Trevor talked about this verse, Ecclesiastes 3:11...and he used this story of what happened to me this week as an example:
It was on Monday. I needed to go to the store and had a random collection of things going through my head as I was getting ready to go. One of those things was wondering if I would see any street kids on my walk. This is something that happens frequently and we often don’t quite know what the correct response should be when we are confronted by dirty children holding out their hands to us and begging for money. This sounds like the answer should be easy. Just give them something. But it’s not that simple when you get to know the problems with this “solution”…and as terrible as this will sound, we have also gotten so used to seeing this that it becomes “normal” and our hearts have started to become calloused. Lately though, I’ve been challenged to really, truly and seriously be God’s hands and feet to those I meet, especially these kids. We often compare them to our kids in the slum, knowing that many of our kids have had experience with this sort of lifestyle…and for us, that makes it personal. These kids need to know that someone cares, and we have felt convicted to be that someone who cares.
Back to the story. Before I left the house, I put half a loaf of bread in my purse. It felt funny to do that, but for some reason (yes, I know that it was God!!) I thought I might have use for it on my walk. I put on my sunglasses, and started on my way.
I was not so far from the store after walking about ten minutes, when I saw them. Two boys. Coming my way. Bedraggled. Grubby. Hands palm up. In my face.
“Madam, please give us something. Madam, please.” My first instinct? I wanted to continue walking. I really wanted to. Then I remembered. I remembered!! “Andrea, what is your correct response to this situation? Don’t you have bread in your purse for this exact reason??”
Oh right. Okay.
I stopped. Took off my sunglasses. Smiled at them. They stared at me.
“Jina lako ni nani?” What is your name?
“James.”
And to the other boy...”Jina lako ni nani?”
“Joel.”
They are still staring at me. Not sure what to think.
I reach my hand in my purse and take out the bread. I make eye contact with each of them, and hand over the bread. In the process, I drop an object that had fallen out of my purse. Both of them immediately said “Oh sorry!” as I bend down to pick it up. I smile at their concern.
They take the bread that I give them, look at me and say “Thank you”.
I say “Karibu”. (you’re welcome.)
They slowly leave, and so do I. We both look back at each other as we walk away. And smile.
I continue on. Go to the store. Do what I came to do. Buy what I need to buy. But all along I am thinking about two boys named James and Joel. Who are they? How old are they? Are they brothers? Why are they on the street? I buy another loaf of bread, the Supa Loaf brand. Just in case.
As I head back home, arms full with my Nakumatt bags, I see something out of the corner of my eye. I turn my head and see two boys running my way. James and Joel?? Yes, it is them. My first thought was that they were back to beg for more stuff. But no.
James caught up to me first.
“Madam, you asked us our names, but you never told us your name!!”
Seriously?? This kid came up to me to ask me my name?? Not to ask me for anything? My heart has started to melt.
“My name is Andrea!” They ask me to repeat it, so I do.
They try it out. “Andrea.”
I start to visit with them. I ask them how old they are, (they are 11, and 12), if they are brothers (they are), if they go to school (they do) and other things. We smile and laugh and talk excitedly. They ask if I remember their names, and when I say “You are James and you are Joel” they both smile and nod. I ask them if they will remember my name the next time they see me….
…And they say “You will come back? We will see you tomorrow??”
Seriously, God, what are You doing to my heart???
The look on these dirty boys’ faces, the light in their eyes, the connection my heart made with theirs was almost more than I could take. Eternity. Right here.
I was made for this. And I was made for so much more.
“He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”
We were made for more. Even though God has set eternity into our hearts, we still cannot fathom what He has done. We can’t. But we know. We KNOW that we were made for more than the things we often live for. The earthly. The temporal.
It’s when we get these glimpses of what God is doing. Of what God can do with a heart fully yielded to Him. A picture of the difference we can make. Of what life is really about. A glimpse of what He has called us to. A glimpse of eternity.
We know that we are made of different stuff than when we began.
But we also know that we were made for more.
Eternity in our hearts.
Sometimes we get a glimpse of eternity. You know. When you realize that you were made for something more. When you can see beyond the day-to-day. When God speaks something so incredible into your heart, and you see. You realize. You are awestruck by knowing that God is doing something! It’s like you can see past the earthly things, the mundane things, the temporal things…and you get a glimpse of the bigger picture. And it makes you think about Heaven. And what it will be like. And you are not satisfied with what used to satisfy you. The material things. The secular things. The things of this world.
If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probably explanation is that I was made for another world. {CS Lewis}
We have been studying Ecclesiastes with our cell group from our Church. God has been teaching us a lot through this study…and we are only on Chapter 3!
Trevor was asked to lead the chai time devotions this past Wednesday at the hangar. (Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, someone will lead the devotion time for everyone who works at the AIM hangar.) Trevor talked about this verse, Ecclesiastes 3:11...and he used this story of what happened to me this week as an example:
It was on Monday. I needed to go to the store and had a random collection of things going through my head as I was getting ready to go. One of those things was wondering if I would see any street kids on my walk. This is something that happens frequently and we often don’t quite know what the correct response should be when we are confronted by dirty children holding out their hands to us and begging for money. This sounds like the answer should be easy. Just give them something. But it’s not that simple when you get to know the problems with this “solution”…and as terrible as this will sound, we have also gotten so used to seeing this that it becomes “normal” and our hearts have started to become calloused. Lately though, I’ve been challenged to really, truly and seriously be God’s hands and feet to those I meet, especially these kids. We often compare them to our kids in the slum, knowing that many of our kids have had experience with this sort of lifestyle…and for us, that makes it personal. These kids need to know that someone cares, and we have felt convicted to be that someone who cares.
Back to the story. Before I left the house, I put half a loaf of bread in my purse. It felt funny to do that, but for some reason (yes, I know that it was God!!) I thought I might have use for it on my walk. I put on my sunglasses, and started on my way.
I was not so far from the store after walking about ten minutes, when I saw them. Two boys. Coming my way. Bedraggled. Grubby. Hands palm up. In my face.
“Madam, please give us something. Madam, please.” My first instinct? I wanted to continue walking. I really wanted to. Then I remembered. I remembered!! “Andrea, what is your correct response to this situation? Don’t you have bread in your purse for this exact reason??”
Oh right. Okay.
I stopped. Took off my sunglasses. Smiled at them. They stared at me.
“Jina lako ni nani?” What is your name?
“James.”
And to the other boy...”Jina lako ni nani?”
“Joel.”
They are still staring at me. Not sure what to think.
I reach my hand in my purse and take out the bread. I make eye contact with each of them, and hand over the bread. In the process, I drop an object that had fallen out of my purse. Both of them immediately said “Oh sorry!” as I bend down to pick it up. I smile at their concern.
They take the bread that I give them, look at me and say “Thank you”.
I say “Karibu”. (you’re welcome.)
They slowly leave, and so do I. We both look back at each other as we walk away. And smile.
I continue on. Go to the store. Do what I came to do. Buy what I need to buy. But all along I am thinking about two boys named James and Joel. Who are they? How old are they? Are they brothers? Why are they on the street? I buy another loaf of bread, the Supa Loaf brand. Just in case.
As I head back home, arms full with my Nakumatt bags, I see something out of the corner of my eye. I turn my head and see two boys running my way. James and Joel?? Yes, it is them. My first thought was that they were back to beg for more stuff. But no.
James caught up to me first.
“Madam, you asked us our names, but you never told us your name!!”
Seriously?? This kid came up to me to ask me my name?? Not to ask me for anything? My heart has started to melt.
“My name is Andrea!” They ask me to repeat it, so I do.
They try it out. “Andrea.”
I start to visit with them. I ask them how old they are, (they are 11, and 12), if they are brothers (they are), if they go to school (they do) and other things. We smile and laugh and talk excitedly. They ask if I remember their names, and when I say “You are James and you are Joel” they both smile and nod. I ask them if they will remember my name the next time they see me….
…And they say “You will come back? We will see you tomorrow??”
Seriously, God, what are You doing to my heart???
The look on these dirty boys’ faces, the light in their eyes, the connection my heart made with theirs was almost more than I could take. Eternity. Right here.
I was made for this. And I was made for so much more.
“He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”
We were made for more. Even though God has set eternity into our hearts, we still cannot fathom what He has done. We can’t. But we know. We KNOW that we were made for more than the things we often live for. The earthly. The temporal.
It’s when we get these glimpses of what God is doing. Of what God can do with a heart fully yielded to Him. A picture of the difference we can make. Of what life is really about. A glimpse of what He has called us to. A glimpse of eternity.
We know that we are made of different stuff than when we began.
But we also know that we were made for more.
Eternity in our hearts.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
The Lost Has Been Found!
I first have to say that we can NEVER underestimate the power of God!! We have been reminded of His sovereignty and His greatness this week!
Do you remember me telling you about the little boy, Michael, who was taken by his mother who had a mental breakdown and couldn’t remember where she took him? That happened in June, and we had completely given up hope of ever finding him.
Well, you know where this story is going, right?? HE IS BACK!! And completely unharmed and healthy!
Here’s the story of his return, as it was told to us:
His mother, Betty, hadn’t given up on finding him, and for some reason (I don’t know all the details) had gone to another lady who has been praying about this situation. This lady told Betty that God had revealed to her that Michael was in another slum and that they should go there to look for him. So Betty went to this place…and found that her son has been taken care of by a lady there! She had kept him healthy, and even took him to school (and exclaimed about how well he has been doing there, and what a bright boy he is!) Isn’t that incredible??!!
All this time, God has been using this lady to take care of little Michael. And after two months, He brought him back to his family. God knew where he was all along and never stopped taking care of him. Seriously amazing.
It gives me chills just to think about it.
What a privilege it is to serve a God who not only holds the whole world in His hands, but who cares about a lost little boy from the slum.
Do you remember me telling you about the little boy, Michael, who was taken by his mother who had a mental breakdown and couldn’t remember where she took him? That happened in June, and we had completely given up hope of ever finding him.
Well, you know where this story is going, right?? HE IS BACK!! And completely unharmed and healthy!
Here’s the story of his return, as it was told to us:
His mother, Betty, hadn’t given up on finding him, and for some reason (I don’t know all the details) had gone to another lady who has been praying about this situation. This lady told Betty that God had revealed to her that Michael was in another slum and that they should go there to look for him. So Betty went to this place…and found that her son has been taken care of by a lady there! She had kept him healthy, and even took him to school (and exclaimed about how well he has been doing there, and what a bright boy he is!) Isn’t that incredible??!!
All this time, God has been using this lady to take care of little Michael. And after two months, He brought him back to his family. God knew where he was all along and never stopped taking care of him. Seriously amazing.
It gives me chills just to think about it.
What a privilege it is to serve a God who not only holds the whole world in His hands, but who cares about a lost little boy from the slum.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
