First of all, thank you so much to those of you who donated to my trip to Kenya. It has truly changed me and you played a big part in that.

Second, I want to thank Peter for his asking me to go with him to Kenya. I consider Pete a good friend, the discussions and interactions along with his servant heart have made that friendship even better. Thanks Pete.

We arrived home Friday afternoon and I saw Julie for the first time in almost 4 weeks. One of the best things about my marriage is that Julie and I truly understand each other. She and I have experienced so many life-changing things together, it is truly a blessing for my life.

As I sit here contemplating what has happened over the last two weeks I am in awe. In awe of the Lord, how He works in the lives of His children, the beauty He has created, how He blesses His children with the opportunity to understand Him better, and how He loves me no matter how ignorant I am.

I have been to many countries, on many mission trips, but this one has affected me in ways I didn't think it would. After much detoxation with Julie I've come to the conclusion that its because I lived with the people I was affecting and who were affecting me. Never before have I communed so closely with those I came to love. Don't get me wrong, I have come to love those I've served in the past, but its hard to love and build connection when you are staying at the Holiday Inn.

I played with the children, ate with the children, sang with the children, danced with the children. Nothing else could have made that lasting impression on me, nothing.

Our team has had many discussion about what we've seen, felt, heard, smelled, experienced. Biblical examples have come to mind as well. I have noted Peter's blog in previous posts, I take that liberty again:
As many of us were exposed to issues like the ones we saw in Kenya and do not know how to respond, the stories of Levi(Matthew) and Zacchaeus come to mind. One left his position as a tax collector and everything else to follow Jesus. One became a different type of tax collector. We are definitely called to one of these things as we seek to earnestly follow Jesus. It was beautiful to see Fred, Michael and Sandy as they had followed God’s calling to leave everything behind to follow Jesus. It was equally as beautiful to watch the people who come to Kenya with me try to figure out how they would go about their lives back home changed to reflect what they had been impacted by in Kenya.

Christianity is a journey, I feel I have moved along steadily due to this trip. I am reading The Irresistable Revolution to compliment my trip. This book is shaking my realm of reality. The whole of the book is living simply: being responsible with the world God has entrusted to us, loving ourselves, loving each other.

Since it was hard to update with pictures, I have placed them in a slideshow at the bottom of the page.

One of the connections I made while I was there was with JoeConn. I helped JoeConn take pictures, his pictures are titled among the rest as "JoeConn Series." I have also included a portrait I took of JoeConn.

I am still processing what I've experienced, God is still speaking to me. As these revelations become clear I will post them here. I ask you to return and I pray you will understand my words, possibly be inspired yourself.

Labels: Kenya

What an amazing last two days. Just when I thought I had learned what I came here to learn, saw what I came to see, and heard God’s voice among the people here, God opened my eyes to more of His glory.

The single most heartfelt moment I’ve had here happened before dinner yesterday: I should preface that everything here is formal. There is a ceremony for anything we do. We have “presented” beds to widows, “dedicated” new homes, etc. This is just the way of life in Kenya.

We got the group together and went to the clinic to plant some memorial trees, in honor of people from Fellowship North who have passed and had a part in the support of Kenya Relief. It was wonderful to be able to celebrate the lives and impact these people had on the members of our group who knew them and how we know they would be honored by having these trees planted for them. Pastor Fred has ordered plaques for all of the trees to be placed by them in a few weeks.

On the way to the last tree, Peter handed me the last tree and told me it was for my grandparents who passed in January. I almost began to cry on the spot. It was so tough for me to contain my sorrow, joy, grief, and appreciation.

We went through the formality of dedicating it and then prayed for the families of the people we honored. The team headed back to dinner and I walked back alone. I was so touched by this simple act, I wept.

I believe this was God’s way of saying: “Never forget them. They were amazing children of mine. They are so proud of you, they approve your life and the way you serve Me.” I am still in a state of gratitude because of that tree.

Around the compound, we’ve nearly finished all the aesthetics. Last night, we let all the children help us with the final touches of painting in their dorms. The head boy, Shadrach, came and told us how proud everyone was. He told us that as head boy, he intended to keep it very clean and never let the boys forget us, and what the colors on the walls meant to them as Kenyans (we used the colors of the flag to decorate the boy’s dorm).

We just left a devotional with all the children. Their voices are so beautiful. We hung around for a few minutes after and taught the kids “Big House.” They were so excited to learn a new song.

All we do here is for the children. Even though we are here for a short time, the work is hard; the children make it all worth it.

This experience has been so much better than I could have asked for. God is good, Amen.

Labels: Kenya

I just took my first shower since we arrived. I feel like this is an appropriate start to this entry in which I plan on pouring out my heart like water down a drain. Here goes:

I thoroughly enjoyed my boiling lava hot shower. Although refreshed, I walked away feeling guilty; knowing that the children sleeping less than 100 feet away get to bathe twice a week, a cold water bath from a basin.

Having seen the joy on people’s faces when they receive small things we take forgranted, I would love to get some of those kids a warm shower. Think about how that would make them feel! But, someone wiser than I brought into this dialogue a valid point:

Case: At Mirindi, the children used to receive tea and bread for breakfast. The kids love the tea (with milk and sugar). But, their diet has changed based on the experience of one little girl. She went home to spend the night with her grandmother, who prepared the best breakfast she could because seeing her granddaughter was a special occasion. The girl however, did not want to eat her breakfast without tea (with milk and sugar); which the grandmother went to market and bought for the girl. There is no telling how much the grandmother spent on the tea, milk, and sugar.

Point: Mirindi was doing the children a disservice by allowing them to live outside of their realistic means.

What a struggle! It makes me feel like a frog in a pot of slowly boiling water. As Americans, are we doing ourselves a disservice by living in excess? If we are, at what point have we gone too far? Are we like the frog who never realizes the water is getting hot?

Excert from Peter's blog: As a team we discussed the complexities between coming to be here versus sending the money it would cost. This is multiplied by the needs we see and how much that money could do. We visited a woman who has a house supplied by Kenya Relief. She still sleeps on a large straw mat with all of her children. The mat cost $1.50. Again, I was guided by my reading of Shane Claiborne’s “Irresistible Revolution.” “Often wealthy folks ask me what they can do for the Simple Way. I could ask them for a few thousand dollars, but that would be too easy for both of us. Instead, I ask them to come visit. Writing a check makes us feel good and can fool us into thinking we have loved the poor. But seeing the squat houses and tent cities and hungry children will transform our lives. Then we will be stirred to imagine the economics of rebirth and to hunger for the end of poverty.”

Back to the hum-drum of work around Mirindi: we really got a lot done today. We are ready for the boys and girls to leave their marks on the dorms and they’ll be done. Also, I have been chosen, based on my girly handwriting, to design the memorial for Brittney James, the girl who inspired Kenya Relief.

We also got to go to a market in Tanzania! Now I’ve been to three countries in Africa!

On the way home we stopped to see Irine, the widow Peter’s parents sponsor. She has 7 children: Quinter 17, Faith 15, Violet 13, Beatrice 11, Deyan 6, Sammy 4, and Pastor-Craig 1. Yes, Pastor-Craig; Named after Peter’s dad. As soon as we arrived Beatrice latched herself to Peter. It was so cool to see a family personally connected to someone from home. We stayed there a while and enjoyed playing with the kids. As we were preparing to leave, Irine presented Peter with a gift: a chicken! “Roxanne” will be our dinner later this week, hopefully she can help with breakfast too. It was so hard to take form a family who needed much more than we did, also Peter is not too fond of animals and has never held a chicken. He was a champ. But, we had to take the chicken, you don’t want to offend Irine so you really don’t have the option.

I learned much today, there is much to process.

I almost forgot: I got to drive a 4-wheeler on a real Kenyan road, dodge bikes and pedestrians, pass cars, and drive on the left side!

Again, sorry for the lack of communication, I'm practically in the bush!

Labels: Kenya

What a blessing it is to be here at the Mirindi Children’s Home of Grace. It is a blessing to see these children so filled with joy at our presence and to be welcomed like family into the Mirindi family. As an aside, it is a blessing to be here because that means we are not on a plane or bus (over 51 hours).

Due to limited communication (we are in the middle of African no-where) I will not be posting videos while we are here. I am planning on shooting some of the children and the compound, possibly on safari to post when I get home.

Today (Monday) was our first full day on the compound. We woke up early, before the sun, and walked the “Mtotos” (kids) to school. They were so excited we walked with them. We got to see everyone of their classrooms, they are so proud of their school. They kept telling us all of the items they wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for Mirindi Children’s Home or Kenya Relief. There has been so much improvement to this area and community in just the short time Kenya Relief has been here it is unbelievable.

I cannot begin to put into words the gratefulness of the Mirindi kids. They have so little, come from various backgrounds, yet are so grateful for what they have. They have got it right. They live so simply, praise the Lord for it all, see God in every living thing and are completely content, wanting for nothing.

After lunch we got started on our various projects. The funding that we raised is going to build a new latrine for the boy’s dorm, a group hauled handmade clay bricks to help fortify the building. We are also getting involved with some aesthetic projects, painting around the common areas and in the children’s exam room in the Brase Medical Clinic.

We are exhausted, mostly from travel, but are planning to hit the ground running tomorrow.

Things of note:
• The “Welcome” song from the children at Mirindi (they learned all our names and included them in the song!)
• Teaching the kids to play with a Frisbee (tomorrow we plan on going “ultimate!”)
• Getting to walk the Mtotos to school
• Learning some basic Swahili
• Visiting some of the community widows
• Drinking Starbucks Kenya Coffee in Kenya with Kenyans (even though we have only found one who drinks coffee).
• Seeing a Maasai guiding his sheep and goats with a staff and cell phone.

Labels: Kenya

Labels: Kenya

I ask humbly for your prayers as an unforseen future is in store for Julie and I.

On Tuesday, July 1, 2008, Starbucks made an unprecidented announcement to close 600 company-owned stores in the United States:

“In January, we committed to transforming the company through a series of critical and strategic initiatives to improve the current state of our U.S. business and build the business for the long term,” stated Howard Schultz, chairman, president and ceo. “Our executive and field leadership teams conducted an extensive review of our U.S. company-operated store portfolio with a goal of enabling our organization to focus its efforts on locations where we can more effectively improve the customer experience.”

“Throughout the history of the company, we have always aspired to put our people first. This makes our decision to close stores difficult, because it is disrupting the lives of the people who have worked so hard to deliver superior service to our customers,” Schultz continued. “We sincerely thank each one of them and are very proud of their many contributions to the company. At the same time, we recognize that it is necessary to make decisions that will strengthen the U.S. store portfolio and enable us to enter into fiscal 2009 focused on enhancing operating efficiency, improving customer satisfaction and ensuring long-term value for our partners, customers and shareholders.”

As you have concluded, my store is one of the 600 selected to close. Fortunately, my store is the only store closing in the Little Rock area, making it easier to find new Starbucks homes for all my partners.

We do not have a closing date, Starbucks announced all stores will be closed by March 2009, potentially we could be open until then.

I have been guaranteed a store manager position, which is a blessing but is the reason I ask for your prayers. This means I have to decide whether or not to stay in the area, or move elsewhere, international opportunities are available as well. This is a tough decision for Julie and I as we are finally comfortable with our lives in Little Rock, now God is shaking us up a bit.

I ask you pray for the Lord's guidance, and that Julie and I will be able to hear God's voice despite our own wants. He knows what we need, even though human emotion is such an influence in our lives. Thank you in advance.

Labels: Prayer Requests, Starbucks