God taught me so much on this trip and I know he’s nowhere near done working in my life. As we went on this trip, I realized a part of why it’s so important to go and tell others about the Gospel of Christ. I once heard a public speaker who said that children spell love t-i-m-e. They can tell that you care about them by just spending time with them. This has been made real to me through this trip but I also realize that this isn’t just for children. Everyone feels this way. In my own experiences, I know that there is no better way for people to show love to me than to spend time with me. I have been able to tell people who really care about me by the way they invest in me and try to help me grow in my relationship with Christ. I say all this so you can understand the difference between going to tell someone and just “supporting” the people who do go. I know there are always circumstances where a person absolutely cannot go but as a generalization, most people are able to and when you do go, it shows more that you care when you are able to talk to them and know them personally.
While I realized how important it is to go, I also realized how important it is to tell people right where you are. I know that isn’t usually the thing people learn about or come to understand better when they go on an international mission trip, but I did one day while we were riding in our vans. As were leaving from Masai Mara, I was looking out at all the people that were going about their everyday lives. As we were driving, I started praying for those people. I knew that there was little I could do about their eternity at that time and that I might never see those people so I began praying for someone to come along and tell those people. As we went further away, I saw church buildings and Christian schools on the side of the roads and I wondered, “Why aren’t these Christians telling everyone around them about Jesus? They at least know the language of these people and can speak easily with them.” But then I had to stop myself because I realized, I don’t do that back at home. I’m not always telling everyone I see about how great God is. We’ve individually been put in our own mission field. There are many people that we come in contact that don’t know. And, for the most part, we can easily speak their language too. This experience made me realize that going on a mission trip to Africa and telling people about Him when that’s all you’re there to do is not the really really hard part. Although it isn’t easy by any means, I feel like it might be a little harder for us to live unashamed in the place that we live. We can easily get scared about what people think when we are talking to people we know we are going to see every day. So I’m not just talking to the people reading this blog but myself as well. Let’s live unashamed no matter where we are. We have a reason to speak out because we have the greatest news in history so let’s not hide it.
In my little reflection blog here, I would like to take a second to thank all of you who prayed for us while were gone. I can’t speak for the whole team, but I think that we all would probably agree that we felt your prayers and appreciated them so much. I love you all.
Sincerely,
Leah Register
Friday, August 19, 2011
Remember Kenya
There is really no easy way to start this. I could choose the easy way out and start with an inspiring story, tell how it affected me, and then end with “Kenya was wonderful.” I could even just drone on about countless tales of humor and fun, which were quite abundant on this trip.
I choose, instead, to tell just what I learned from it, or, at least, the number one thing I learned. It is the same thing I shared Wednesday night: Kenya is in pain. The drought is slowly taking its toll on them. Some are forced to dig for water. Others spend precious shillings on it to survive. How is it that they can still thank God for all of the almost nothing that they have?
This country is far too fortunate. FAR TOO fortunate. We really should not have what we have. Do we deserve it? No. Do we conserve it? No. We are the perfect opposite of how we should really be. We have a lot, waste even more, and thank our Creator little to none. Personally, I don’t know why God would do that for us. America, you are BLESSED, but you are far too ignorant, dumb, stupid (I’m just throwin out adjectives) to realize it!
Another problem is, of course, the food. We’ve all heard how the children over in those slums get only a small portion to eat each day. Some get less than that. The last words I heard out of the mouth of a Kenyan child while I was over there were “I’m hungry”. That short sentence just might haunt me for a long time if not the rest of my life, but that is what’s happening in Africa: children are dying because they didn’t get enough to eat while we throw away a nearly full meal because “I don’t really like mustard all that much” or “I wasn’t all that hungry” or, my personal favorite, “They messed up my order… I ordered the spicy, not the mild.” How we can do that when those adorable little children are starving is beyond me. Note: these are the same adorable children that everyone “Awwww!”’s about in the Station when they show the pictures. THOSE little children don’t get to eat much. THOSE little children don’t get the food they so desperately need. But you know what? THOSE little children love the God that created them, and they are not afraid to show it. Shouldn’t we who have much more praise more? I’ll leave you to ponder that.
What I wouldn’t give to have been able to do so much more for those children. I wish I could’ve given every one of them a plane ticket to America. We cannot do that for them though. However, there is one thing we can do to heal a starving nation. There is one thing we can do to save a child’s life. This method never fails though it sometimes works differently than we expect. This little thing is called prayer. Prayer is never taken seriously here. We pray at nights, sometimes before meals, and that’s it. When we get a headache, we go straight for the aspirin. When our leg breaks, we limp straight to the doctor. But who on this Earth can fix us up better than our CREATOR can? Only the Creator can fix our troubles. Only the God of the Universe knows exactly how to mend brokenness. Only our Father can heal a broken Kenya, and that’s exactly what He’ll do. Prayer is what He gave us to lift the brokenness up to Him. Prayer is a powerful tool, and it is exactly what Kenya needs, and it is exactly what we can give them. Don’t stop praying for them. Every time you see red, white, and green, remember Kenya; every time you here a foreign language that even sounds like Kiswahili, remember Kenya; every time you get to eat a meal, no matter the size, remember Kenya; and every time you wake up in a nice, warm bed, with a shelter over your head, knowing that that day will be a normal, care-free day, REMEMBER KENYA.
God has shown me just where He wants me, and that’s in missions. He has way more to show me, but I will never forget this trip. This trip showed me that I am far more blessed than I thought I was. Before this trip, everyone told me I would come to this realization, even those who still haven’t realized it themselves. If asked to go back to Africa, I would hop a plane that second (well, I would WANT to). This is an experience that will never be forgotten. I will always REMEMBER KENYA.
-Zach Danforth
I choose, instead, to tell just what I learned from it, or, at least, the number one thing I learned. It is the same thing I shared Wednesday night: Kenya is in pain. The drought is slowly taking its toll on them. Some are forced to dig for water. Others spend precious shillings on it to survive. How is it that they can still thank God for all of the almost nothing that they have?
This country is far too fortunate. FAR TOO fortunate. We really should not have what we have. Do we deserve it? No. Do we conserve it? No. We are the perfect opposite of how we should really be. We have a lot, waste even more, and thank our Creator little to none. Personally, I don’t know why God would do that for us. America, you are BLESSED, but you are far too ignorant, dumb, stupid (I’m just throwin out adjectives) to realize it!
Another problem is, of course, the food. We’ve all heard how the children over in those slums get only a small portion to eat each day. Some get less than that. The last words I heard out of the mouth of a Kenyan child while I was over there were “I’m hungry”. That short sentence just might haunt me for a long time if not the rest of my life, but that is what’s happening in Africa: children are dying because they didn’t get enough to eat while we throw away a nearly full meal because “I don’t really like mustard all that much” or “I wasn’t all that hungry” or, my personal favorite, “They messed up my order… I ordered the spicy, not the mild.” How we can do that when those adorable little children are starving is beyond me. Note: these are the same adorable children that everyone “Awwww!”’s about in the Station when they show the pictures. THOSE little children don’t get to eat much. THOSE little children don’t get the food they so desperately need. But you know what? THOSE little children love the God that created them, and they are not afraid to show it. Shouldn’t we who have much more praise more? I’ll leave you to ponder that.
What I wouldn’t give to have been able to do so much more for those children. I wish I could’ve given every one of them a plane ticket to America. We cannot do that for them though. However, there is one thing we can do to heal a starving nation. There is one thing we can do to save a child’s life. This method never fails though it sometimes works differently than we expect. This little thing is called prayer. Prayer is never taken seriously here. We pray at nights, sometimes before meals, and that’s it. When we get a headache, we go straight for the aspirin. When our leg breaks, we limp straight to the doctor. But who on this Earth can fix us up better than our CREATOR can? Only the Creator can fix our troubles. Only the God of the Universe knows exactly how to mend brokenness. Only our Father can heal a broken Kenya, and that’s exactly what He’ll do. Prayer is what He gave us to lift the brokenness up to Him. Prayer is a powerful tool, and it is exactly what Kenya needs, and it is exactly what we can give them. Don’t stop praying for them. Every time you see red, white, and green, remember Kenya; every time you here a foreign language that even sounds like Kiswahili, remember Kenya; every time you get to eat a meal, no matter the size, remember Kenya; and every time you wake up in a nice, warm bed, with a shelter over your head, knowing that that day will be a normal, care-free day, REMEMBER KENYA.
God has shown me just where He wants me, and that’s in missions. He has way more to show me, but I will never forget this trip. This trip showed me that I am far more blessed than I thought I was. Before this trip, everyone told me I would come to this realization, even those who still haven’t realized it themselves. If asked to go back to Africa, I would hop a plane that second (well, I would WANT to). This is an experience that will never be forgotten. I will always REMEMBER KENYA.
-Zach Danforth
Convicted
As we have gotten home from kenya, I think it is fair to say that everyone has gotten a rude awakening to just how selfish we are as americans and how spiriutally llost we are as a nation. Every time I eat, I think about those precious ones who don't have anything tonight. I am in constant prayer for those children. It has been waying on my heart just how selfish I am. Not just with material things but spiritual things. I would thank god when things were good but I would only truly seek him when things are going wrong and that's not how it should be. I should be drawing close to him all the time. He is the same all the time he doesn't change. We do.
- Anna
- Anna
Thursday, August 18, 2011
A Call to Action
Famine. For most, if not all of our team, that word was one that we had only read about. It was something that happened to some unknown people, in a far-away land, and often, in ancient times. Then we went to Kenya. There we met the people and surveyed the land that is suffering from a deadly famine in our day and time. The disconnect is gone and that ugly word has a whole new meaning to us. It now carries with it images of faces and places that we love. It's now personal.
That being the case, it is now incumbent upon us to act. To know of our brothers' needs, to have the means to make a difference, and sit idle is irresponsible... even scandalous! The love of God compels us to act. That's why 1 John 3:17-19 reads, “But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.” Living in probably the richest nation in human history (at least economically speaking), there is no doubt that we have the means to help... hopefully we will have the heart. I pray that we will remember that God has blessed us, not primarily for personal benefit, but so that we can bless others (see Psalm 67).
When our team had the privilege of meeting and sitting down with Kenyan Vice-President, Stephen Musyoka, he asked us if we would encourage our fellow Americans to join in with the famine relief efforts. I told him that I was pretty sure we would. So now, I am unashamedly asking you to join with our team and save lives by 1) praying for the drought to end and 2) donating what money you can (and maybe even a little above what you "can") to the relief efforts. There are a number of great organizations that are working to meet needs in Kenya. I would like to point you to two such groups that have proven to have great integrity and are already active in ministering to the needs of those who are suffering from this deadly famine. I hope you will considering making a donation to one of them.
- Samaritan's Purse: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/articles/food_crisis_in_kenya/
- World Vision: http://donate.worldvision.org/OA_HTML/xxwv2ibeCCtpItmDspRte.jsp?funnel=dn&item=1754360&go=item§ion=10366&
Thank you for your consideration. Mungu akubariki (God bless you)!
- Daryl
That being the case, it is now incumbent upon us to act. To know of our brothers' needs, to have the means to make a difference, and sit idle is irresponsible... even scandalous! The love of God compels us to act. That's why 1 John 3:17-19 reads, “But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.” Living in probably the richest nation in human history (at least economically speaking), there is no doubt that we have the means to help... hopefully we will have the heart. I pray that we will remember that God has blessed us, not primarily for personal benefit, but so that we can bless others (see Psalm 67).
When our team had the privilege of meeting and sitting down with Kenyan Vice-President, Stephen Musyoka, he asked us if we would encourage our fellow Americans to join in with the famine relief efforts. I told him that I was pretty sure we would. So now, I am unashamedly asking you to join with our team and save lives by 1) praying for the drought to end and 2) donating what money you can (and maybe even a little above what you "can") to the relief efforts. There are a number of great organizations that are working to meet needs in Kenya. I would like to point you to two such groups that have proven to have great integrity and are already active in ministering to the needs of those who are suffering from this deadly famine. I hope you will considering making a donation to one of them.
- Samaritan's Purse: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/articles/food_crisis_in_kenya/
- World Vision: http://donate.worldvision.org/OA_HTML/xxwv2ibeCCtpItmDspRte.jsp?funnel=dn&item=1754360&go=item§ion=10366&
Thank you for your consideration. Mungu akubariki (God bless you)!
- Daryl
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| Citizens fill barrels with water at this Kamuwango distribution center. |
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| Locals travel miles to dig for water in this dry river bed in rural Kenya. |
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
The Journey that Began in Childhood
You get asked in Sunday School sometimes...where would you go if you could go on a foreign mission trip?...my answer from the time I can remember was Africa, but more recently that answer has more meaning behind it than it did. When Chloe went over and came back with stories of the kids and the life there I knew one way or another I was going to go to Kenya. The kids had a special place in my heart even though I didn't know them. When Daryl brought up the idea of going to Kenya I was so excited. I prayed about it and I felt like thats what God wanted me to do. When I first got to Kenya though I thought..Oh gosh, what have I done. But that nervousness passed as quickly as it came. God gave me a peace only He could give. He also gave me the power I needed to continue on even though I was tired or didn't feel good. I learned a lot being over there and a big thing was trust. While I was gone I lost my Uncle Jack. I say that not for you to feel sorry for me but to see how God shined through and taught me more about Him and more on how to follow Him. I learned that there is nothing I can do alone. I have to let God take control and let Him guide my way. That counted even when I didn't feel good, He gave me the words to say during a lesson and the encouragment I could give my other team members. My experience there was amazing! I miss those kids soooo much! I think about them everyday and pray for them as well. Please pray with me that they will have the courage to continue on and know that God is with them. Pray also for Pastor Wambua and the work that he does. He was such an encouragment while we were there and everyone can agree leaving him was very hard. We all got very close. And thank you to Daryl for everything you did to make this trip happen! You are the best youth minister any youth can have but I do have one question...when can we go back?:)
Umpatie mungu shukrani!
(Give thanks to God!)
-Jessica
Umpatie mungu shukrani!
(Give thanks to God!)
-Jessica
Answered Prayers
This trip was so life changing you wouldn't be able to believe it without seeing it. Pictures just don't capture how Kenyian life goes on.
You know the saying accidents happen? How is it that we were on time for all of our flights, we never had a flat tire, everybody was on time, sickness passed by quickly, and we experiences so many more blessings? I believe many prayers were answered and much love was shown. The prayers were from the people of God, but He sure showed us the love that we can't show others. Our love is nowhere close in comparison to the love of God. This trip opened my eyes and taught me a few things. One, never rest until all the work is done. Two, Kenya is a safe place for kids. Three, there is no time for spiritual rest NO MATTER WHAT!!! Four, prayers are answered if they are prayed with the right motives instead of just for show. Last, but no least, if you want to laugh, take Arnold Rye with you.
Thank you Daryl for all that you done to make this trip possible and thanks for just being you. :)
Yesu ni bwana (Jesus is Lord)
- Aron
Learning to Let Go
Kenya was amazing. I'm so glad that God allowed me to go on this mission trip. He taught me & showed me so many things, but the main thing was to let go of things & let Him haldle it. One day, we couldn't find a supply bag for VBS that I was in charge of. After helping look for it for a few minutes, I went back to my class. As I went back, I was just praying "God, we really need this bag here. I don't know how, but please let this bag be here. We don't know where it is; we need it. I leave it in Your almighty hands." A very short time later, Daryl came to my class & stuck his head in the door, "We found it," he said. I thought right then, "Thank you God. Only You could do something like this." God supplied the money, the safety, the words & the courage I personally needed to speak when standing before 50+ second and third graders (speaking out loud in front of a crowd doesn't come easy to me). God taught all of us that we could go with ALOT less and still be happy. He taught me, & I'm sure most of the others, that great worship doesn't have to be wild & crazy like the video, but as long as your heart's in it, that's all God wants. Kenya is a place that I'm going back to as soon as I can, God willing, & I just pray that God will send physical rain there, yes, but also a spiritual rain. He showed me that the lost people in the slums have no hope; that the slums they live in are all there is in life. These people need Christ. They need a hope of something better than this sinful world.
- Josh C.
- Josh C.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Looking Back... and Ahead!
Daryl asked us for reflections. He might as well have asked for a Unicorn. I'm reminded of the lyrics of Kutless: "How do I speak of the indescribable to you? All of the words in all of my life could never explain and never describe."
One of my central prayers for this trip was for God to show me if I'm going to be doing missions for the rest of my life; and He answered. I was sitting in New Life Baptist Church in Kamuwongo, Kenya, when Anna Strickland leaned over and said "I want to stay here." I immediately questioned myself: could I stay here? The answer, surprisingly, was no. I was sitting in a church. A church. What about where there are no churches? What about the places where it's illegal to share the Gospel? Now of course, no shame on Anna. If she's called to Kenya, so be it. I'm know that they need discipleship, and God can supply that through Anna and others like her. But as for me, I must go where none have gone before.
But I live in Eastman. So? There's lost people in Eastman. There's hell-bound sinners in Eastman. We must live to impact the people around us, wherever that may be. When I go off to college, when I begin my missionary career, when I go to a gas station... My life should SCREAM the Gospel.
And that wasn't the only prayer God answered. I'm sure the team could share for hours about answered prayers. Who would've thought that when we prayed in faith, God answered?(weird, right?) And the same God is here with us now. He doesn't change: we do. I have been motivated to pray with faith, not JUST while on a mission trip, but without ceasing. Let's pray to God and prey on the Devil (hahahahaha... i so punny).
One of my central prayers for this trip was for God to show me if I'm going to be doing missions for the rest of my life; and He answered. I was sitting in New Life Baptist Church in Kamuwongo, Kenya, when Anna Strickland leaned over and said "I want to stay here." I immediately questioned myself: could I stay here? The answer, surprisingly, was no. I was sitting in a church. A church. What about where there are no churches? What about the places where it's illegal to share the Gospel? Now of course, no shame on Anna. If she's called to Kenya, so be it. I'm know that they need discipleship, and God can supply that through Anna and others like her. But as for me, I must go where none have gone before.
But I live in Eastman. So? There's lost people in Eastman. There's hell-bound sinners in Eastman. We must live to impact the people around us, wherever that may be. When I go off to college, when I begin my missionary career, when I go to a gas station... My life should SCREAM the Gospel.
And that wasn't the only prayer God answered. I'm sure the team could share for hours about answered prayers. Who would've thought that when we prayed in faith, God answered?(weird, right?) And the same God is here with us now. He doesn't change: we do. I have been motivated to pray with faith, not JUST while on a mission trip, but without ceasing. Let's pray to God and prey on the Devil (hahahahaha... i so punny).
- Paul
The Safari
While on the Safari last week in Kenya, I found out the word safari means “journey”, so that’s what I’m entitling my reflections on the Kenya Mission Trip. While words will never tell the whole story, this is my feeble attempt to give glory to the God of my salvation, for all he has done in my life, not only in Kenya, but through the body of believers he has placed in my life at First Baptist Church Eastman, Georgia. My journey to Kenya didn’t begin on the bus ride to Atlanta on July 30 2011, my journey to Kenya begin two years earlier when the team from FBC left on mission for Kenya, July 2009. At that time I remember thinking to myself, why would anybody want to go to Kenya? With all the needs and poverty and lost people in Eastman Georgia, why would anybody want to waste money time and energy on mission in Nairobi, Kenya? I am too “spiritual” for that (“Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” - Proverbs 16:18).
Fast forward nine months (April, 2010) when Daryl Summey took a small group of youth to the Church at Brook Hills to a “Secret Church” meeting. So, what was the big deal about Secret Church… never heard of it… I know all I need to know… what could a young Pastor named David Platt possibly teach me (again, Proverbs 16:18)? When my son Paul returned from the meeting, he could not stop talking about “Secret Church”. He mentioned a book titled “Radical.” The next thing I know, Daryl and Dr. Peele are both offering Bible Studies on the book Radical. So, I signed up for the class because I wanted to know what had piqued the interest of my son so intently.
As we began the study and I began to read “Radical”, I began to search my own heart, my own motives, my prayers, and my desire. I begin to realize my life was more in line with the American Dream, than the Gospel of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As David Platt puts it in Radical, “We take Jesus’ command in Matthew 28 to make disciples of all nations, and we say, ‘That means other people.’ But we look at Jesus’ command in Matthew 11:28, ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest,’ and we say, ‘Now, that means me.’ We take Jesus’ promise in Acts 1:8 that the Spirit will lead us to the ends of the earth, and we say, ‘That means some people.’ But we take Jesus’ promise in John 10:10 that we will have abundant life, and we say ‘That means me’.” Was David Platt right? Was I guilty of picking and choosing verses in the Bible that fit my purposes? Could I honestly pray the Lord’s Prayer… “Our Father, who art in Heaven, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done…”? No. My prayer had been my kingdom come my will be done in my life and in my family’s life. What did this mean? I began to confess my sin and ask God to change me and He did.
Fast forward six months, October, 2010 when I attended an “Imagine Me Set Free” conference that Debbie Mercer had planned six months earlier. God used that conference to reveal idols I had in my life. At that point, there were thousands of woman all over the world praying for the women at the women’s conference at First Baptist Church Eastman Georgia. The first thing we were asked to do that Friday night was to write down things in our life that were hindering us from giving one hundred percent of our life to God. We listed these idols on an index card and placed them in a prayer basket. Pat Layton’s prayer team prayed over each of these cards and God worked in powerful and mighty ways that weekend. My life was forever changed.
When Daryl invited us to a parents meeting last fall to discuss plans for a possible mission trip, God had completely changed my heart. Now, not only did I want my son to, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age (Mat. 28:19-20).” I wanted to go, as well.
I began to help Paul raise money and help him prepare for the trip, wishing I could go, but thinking it impossible ("If you have faith as small as a mustard seed” - Luke 17:6). At this point I must confess that I did not even have faith as small as a mustard seed, but I did have the desire (“delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart” - Psalm 37:4). The desire of my heart was to go to Kenya, but I didn’t have the faith to believe I could go. Then one by one adult leaders that had desired to go had been providentially hindered. As their names begun to be removed from the list, God began to work again, He then granted me a mustard seed worth of faith, perhaps maybe somehow some way, I could go to Kenya to share the love of Jesus with people on the other side of world. Satan wanted me to walk by sight and not by faith, but the purposes of God were not thwarted by the schemes of the devil and the when the plane left on 30 July, I was aboard, not knowing what the future held, but knowing Who held the future.
What did God teach me while in Kenya?
1. He gave me a greater love for my First Baptist Church family, who has a passion for the Gospel to be proclaimed to the outer most parts of the world. While in Kenya, I was the part of the body of Christ known as the feet, but the feet could not have gotten there without the head, the hands, the heart, the ears, the eyes, etc. Each member of First Baptist Church was a part of this team and thank God for each of you and your partnership in the Gospel! I want to especially thank my husband Randy for the sacrifices he has made to allow Paul and me to travel to Kenya (Philippians 4:15-20).
2. He taught me that prayer is the most vital and necessary part of a mission trip if the glory of God is your goal. One of the first things Daryl asked team members to do, was to obtain two prayer partners who would be dedicated to praying for the team individually and collectively. God answered prayer, after prayer, after prayer. From courage to get shots, money to pray for shots, suitcases, patience, self-control, love for our brothers and sisters in Kenya, love for each other… I could go on and on how God heard your prayers from Heaven and poured out His Blessings on Kenya through the faithful prayers to His saints in Eastman, Georgia. To God be the glory!
3. God gave me a God sized love for Kenya, for their culture, their people and their climate. He showed me their extreme poverty and their hopelessness. Behind the smiles in the photographs, there is a darkness that is real. Every thirty minutes a teenager in Kenya commits suicide. The young children in the slums are raped, prostituted, and become victims at a very young age. Alcoholism is epidemic in Kenya. Half a million people live in Korogocho slum, home to the Kariobangi Baptist Youth Center, directed by Pastor Euticauls Wambua, where we ministered for two days. The needs are overwhelming. The poverty is extreme. For more information about how you can help this much needed ministry, please visit Pastor Wambua’s Equip Kenya website http://equipkenya.org/kariobangi-youth-center.html. The Korogocho slum is just one of four slums in Nairobi.
4. God gave me a greater love for Pastor Wambua and his wife, Jane (Mama Joe), and their desire to change the lives of these children that live in these slums. I don’t know all that this means right now, but I am seeking God’s will. To be continued……
5. God taught me what true humility was, through His servant Pastor Wambua, his wife, and his flock, who daily washed the feet of the thirteen disciples from First Baptist Church Eastman. We went there to minister, but we were the ones who were ministered to the most. They have so little and yet gave so much. America we have so much…………
6. God gave me a tremendous love and respect for ten amazing youth from First Baptist Church Eastman, Georgia, of whom one just happens to be my son. I was so amazed at the spiritual depth of these youth. No, I was blown away. I would lie in bed at night and just thank God for letting me be part of the ministry these kids were doing for God. I would thank Him for letting me see first-hand, the laughter and the joy and smiles that these ten youth from Eastman brought to the slums of Nairobi, Kenya. I could not believe the God of this universe allowed me witness this first hand. I am “filled up with the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19).
7. A greater respect for Daryl and Leigh Anne Summey and the impact they have and continue to have on the youth at First Baptist Church, Eastman. I can’t say enough about their ministry. Daryl was allowed to go only because he trusted Leigh Anne enough to take care of his home while he was away. His leadership, his time, his energy, all he does each day and the extra energy he put forth make this trip possible. The handbook was the icing on the cake. Leigh Anne, I know that he could not have this ministry if he had not married a Godly woman who loves the Lord as much as he does. Thank you for your ministry to your children and ours.
8. God showed me, amidst the drought, famine and dust in Nairobi, Kenya, that there is a spiritual hunger for the word of God. As we traveled to Mwingi, to do VBS at New Life Baptist Church in Kamuwango, we had anticipated that approximately 100-120 children would participate. These are children who have to walk wherever they go, and yes they had to walk to VBS. Some walked a few minutes, some walked for half a day to hear to word of God being taught by Mzungus (“white people”) from First Baptist Church, Eastman. We were in awe when 330 kids in their Sunday best, showed up at this mission church. Our classroom was in the vacant dusty lot beside the church. There were four legged goats and donkeys interrupting out lessons, but none the less, they came; and they came seeking their greatest need the Good News of the Gospel. I, along with Arnold Rye and the rest of the team, had the privilege of telling children who spoke in a tribal language that neither of us understood, how they could have a personal relationship with the God of the universe through the shed blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Now for a country girl, from Cochran Georgia, it just doesn’t get any better than that!
Love,
Friday, August 12, 2011
Mission Accomplished
As we are traveling from Miami to Atlanta this afternoon, there are several emotions running through my brain. Sadness, however, is not one of them. To a certain extent this lack of sorrow is troubling. For the past ten days I have been ministering to the Kenyan people, and they have been ministering to me. We poured out our hearts to each other. Now I am leaving. Shouldn’t I experience a little grief? While puzzling over this, I realized that, if my heart was pure, there is no need to be sad. We did what we came to do. We loved. We shared. We made friends. We sang. We reached out. The Gospel was preached. Being used by God to accomplish such tasks is a source of joy. As Christians, our ultimate satisfaction comes from glorifying our Father. Therefore instead of sadness, there is satisfaction within me.
A few scriptures in closing:
Psalm 115:1Ã God receives all of the glory for this trip. He made it possible. His name is to be praised.
Jeremiah 29:11Ã Did we want to leave Kenya? No. But HE has the plans.
Philippians 1:3-5Ã Thank you. Thank you 1000 times over for your prayers.
Paul Coogle
P.S. Mission: Eastman.
Blown Away
This was entry originally written Tuesday evening, but we were not able to post it until now.
Over the past week-and-a-half, the experiences our team has encountered have been exciting and life-changing. The two different Vacation Bible Schools, the worship with The Baptist Chapel, the safari, and many other things, were used by God to help us better comprehend just how vast God’s love is for us. To know that out of all of His magnificent creations, we are His chosen favorite is nothing less than mind-blowing!
We could spend a number of paragraphs sharing tales of excitement and fun, but those joys were simply side effects of serving the Father, for He pays His servants very well. VBS with the children in both the slums and in Kamuwango was probably one of the single most rewarding experiences of our teenage lives. While viewing God’s creations in Maasai Mara was astounding, it paled in comparison to seeing the joy on the children’s faces as we shared God’s love with them. We were excited to leave many small items with them as gifts (t-shirts, socks, necklaces, balls, pencils, crayons, candy, etc.), but when it was all said and done, we’re convinced that they blessed us more than we blessed them.
Kenya is a very religious country. In many areas, including the areas we worked with, the majority of people have some sort of Christian affiliation. This week, however, God placed before us the Maasai tribe. They are an ancient and very experienced people group who are widely known for their culture. This group however, is mostly unreached with the Gospel. It is devastating to know that so many in of these amazing people are bound for Hell without a relationship with Jesus Christ. God has placed them on our heart. We can pray for them to be reached and it may be that on a future trip, we can seek to minister the love of Christ to them.
While this trip is coming to a close, the work God has started through us here in Kenya will continue long after our feet leave African soil. We wish we could’ve told you many other things God has showed us on this trip, but we have a long day ahead of us and are running on little to no sleep. We have a time of ministry with students from The Baptist Chapel & the community, tomorrow, before heading to the airport to begin our journey home tomorrow night. In short, we thank you for all of your comments (we’ve read EVERY LAST ONE… even the long ones!), all of your support, and all of your prayers.
Love,
Zach, Jason, and Fluff (Jacob)
Over the past week-and-a-half, the experiences our team has encountered have been exciting and life-changing. The two different Vacation Bible Schools, the worship with The Baptist Chapel, the safari, and many other things, were used by God to help us better comprehend just how vast God’s love is for us. To know that out of all of His magnificent creations, we are His chosen favorite is nothing less than mind-blowing!
We could spend a number of paragraphs sharing tales of excitement and fun, but those joys were simply side effects of serving the Father, for He pays His servants very well. VBS with the children in both the slums and in Kamuwango was probably one of the single most rewarding experiences of our teenage lives. While viewing God’s creations in Maasai Mara was astounding, it paled in comparison to seeing the joy on the children’s faces as we shared God’s love with them. We were excited to leave many small items with them as gifts (t-shirts, socks, necklaces, balls, pencils, crayons, candy, etc.), but when it was all said and done, we’re convinced that they blessed us more than we blessed them.
Kenya is a very religious country. In many areas, including the areas we worked with, the majority of people have some sort of Christian affiliation. This week, however, God placed before us the Maasai tribe. They are an ancient and very experienced people group who are widely known for their culture. This group however, is mostly unreached with the Gospel. It is devastating to know that so many in of these amazing people are bound for Hell without a relationship with Jesus Christ. God has placed them on our heart. We can pray for them to be reached and it may be that on a future trip, we can seek to minister the love of Christ to them.
While this trip is coming to a close, the work God has started through us here in Kenya will continue long after our feet leave African soil. We wish we could’ve told you many other things God has showed us on this trip, but we have a long day ahead of us and are running on little to no sleep. We have a time of ministry with students from The Baptist Chapel & the community, tomorrow, before heading to the airport to begin our journey home tomorrow night. In short, we thank you for all of your comments (we’ve read EVERY LAST ONE… even the long ones!), all of your support, and all of your prayers.
Love,
Zach, Jason, and Fluff (Jacob)
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Safari Day 1 - Maasai Mara, Kenya
Gen 1:25 - "God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good."
Day 1 of our Safari in Maasai Mara was incredible! We had so many "wow" moments! What an incredible artist our planet has! We saw the great wildebeest migration, leopard, lions (20 all together, with 2 males and a whole pride of 15!), elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, hippos, crocodiles, cheetah, ostrich, warthogs, Thompson gazelles, impalas, topi, hartebeests, hyenas, jackals, baboons, monkeys, storks, buzzards, hawks, secretary birds, and a variety of other incredible creatures! As the sun set, we made our way to Sierra Springs Tented Camp, another beautiful place, for the night. Aron, our team "animal whisperer" found a hyrex and her two babies and we were able to hold these balls of fur. Thank you Father for allowing us this exciting glimpse of your glory... you are truly an amazing God!
Day 1 of our Safari in Maasai Mara was incredible! We had so many "wow" moments! What an incredible artist our planet has! We saw the great wildebeest migration, leopard, lions (20 all together, with 2 males and a whole pride of 15!), elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, hippos, crocodiles, cheetah, ostrich, warthogs, Thompson gazelles, impalas, topi, hartebeests, hyenas, jackals, baboons, monkeys, storks, buzzards, hawks, secretary birds, and a variety of other incredible creatures! As the sun set, we made our way to Sierra Springs Tented Camp, another beautiful place, for the night. Aron, our team "animal whisperer" found a hyrex and her two babies and we were able to hold these balls of fur. Thank you Father for allowing us this exciting glimpse of your glory... you are truly an amazing God!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Worship
“I will take Your name to every nation, spread the good news of salvation, baptizing them in the name of the Father.”
Today, we worshiped at The Baptist Chapel, the church Pastor Wambua pastors in Lucky Summer. It was an amazing experience! It was so eye opening to see these beautiful people that have so little worshiping our God! They have so little yet worship so much. We have so much yet worship so little. There are no words to describe the experience I had today. People from different nations were worshiping the living God together. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever heard. Two different races, with two different languages, worshiping one great God. In other words, we had the privilege of practicing for Heaven today! Never have I felt so close to home and I know that God was glorified in that place today.
The Baptist Chapel is right down the road from the Korogocho slums, where we had held the VBS earlier in the week. My heart was broken. Oh how I miss those precious children! They are so beautiful! No words or pictures can do them justice. The Lucky Summer community, while not the slums, is not an affluent neighborhood to say the least. These people struggle do not have very much at all materially, but they have so much in Christ! God gave me His eyes for just a glimpse and showed me that even though in America, we say we are blessed, are we really? We rely on stuff to get us through and hardly ever do we depend on God as we should, or give Him the glory He deserves. They rely on God for everything and give Him the glory whether they get what they want or not. Could it be that they are truly the blessed ones? Could it be that all of the stuff that we consider blessings actually act as a curse when it comes to our spiritual lives?
The day we left the slums, it felt like I was being ripped from my family and closest friends but right as we were getting on the van, a 13 year old girl came up to me and said, “Why are you crying? This isn’t goodbye. You will be back. I promise!” I believe that God may have used that girl to show me this is where I am going to serve Him later… possibly for all my life. Whether that’s the case or not, I’m confident that He used that girl to show me that He has called me into missions. We serve a mighty God!
Though it was been about 4 days since we left the slums, my heart is still there and God has broken me away from all of my prideful habits and most of my selfish ways. I am so glad I came on this journey and it’s not going to end when I get home! My heart will forever stay with these people and I ask you to join me in constant prayer for these precious children that one day we would be able to see them in Heaven and also that their hope would stay in Christ. Thanks for all of the encouragement and comments! They mean so much! Love you all!
Mungu Akubariki (God bless you)!
Anna
It was an amazing day at The Baptist Chapel! To say that the worship style at this church is different than what we’re used to would be an understatement. Dancing, shouting, crying, everyone praying out loud at one time, are just some of the characteristics of the Kenyan style of worship. It makes for a very energetic and exciting worship experience. Our entire team enjoyed the experience very much. Tonight at our team meeting we discussed our reactions to the service. Our initial reaction tended to be along the lines of “this is what worship is supposed to be”. However, the more we talked, the more we realized that may not be the case. While we definitely believe that our church could benefit from a freer expression of worship, we also remembered that true worship isn’t determined by any external expression, but only by the heart. Someone who is more reserved in their worship style may be worshipping fully and faithfully while someone else who is very emotional and expressive may not be worshipping Christ at all, and vice versa. All that matters is that Jesus is exalted, that His Word is not violated, that the Spirit is obeyed, and that God is on center stage instead of man. In the end, we concluded that we were all thankful to have had the experience of worshipping with our brothers and sisters in Christ at The Baptist Chapel and we are all more committed to worshipping our Lord “in Spirit and in truth”, however that may display itself.
After worship, the Wambua family had our whole team over for dinner and Momma Joe (Pastor Wambua’s wife, Jane) fixed us a wonderful meal. We all crammed into their living room, almost sitting on top of each other, and enjoyed a great time of fellowship as we ate with Pastor, Momma Joe, Joe, Jeff, & Jane. Their hospitality, friendship, and partnership in the Gospel are a wonderful blessing, for which we praise the Lord. What a great family! Afterwards, we were excited to go see the new house that they are building. This home which is under construction, down the road, is a much larger 3 bedroom home in the same community. It will be such a blessing to them and they are so deserving. They’re already looking into how they can add space above the home to use as a guest house for ministry purposes. The US based, Mission Link International’s Equip Kenya program, for which Pastor Wambua serves as the National Director, has handled the fundraising for this project and they only lack around $1,500 to be able to fully fund the remaining construction. Though Pastor Wambua didn’t ask for it, please pray that those funds would come in and let Daryl know if you would like to know how you can contribute.
We’re off to Maasai Mara tomorrow for safari and are so excited about seeing God’s glory on display in the wonderful works of His creation. Pray we’ll continue to be on mission even on safari!
Press on!
Daryl
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Fun!
Whoever said "being a Christian isn't fun" is nuts! Here's just a few examples:
Pic 1: Aboard our first flight... giddy with excitement!
Pic 2: Jason "falling" off a mountain we climbed!
Pic 3: The team at a giant boaboab tree (look for Daryl in the tree)!
Pic 4: Jason... being Jason!
Pic 5: The Fluff Monster grabs another tickle victim!
Pic 6: Paige, Anna, & Arnold "dancing" for Jesus in Kamuwango!
Pic 7: More dancing... this may have been a mistake to try, but it was fun!
Pic 8: The baby porcupine Aron found - their quills aren't sharp at that age!
Pic 9: Aron & All the rest of us got to hold the cutie for a picture!
Pic 10: Zach, with help from Aron, hunting one of the many gheckos in Mwingi.
Pic 11: Some of our group at world-renowned Carnivore Restaurant!
Pic 12: Arnold a couple of hours before he entered his protein-induced coma!
Pic 1: Aboard our first flight... giddy with excitement!
Pic 2: Jason "falling" off a mountain we climbed!
Pic 3: The team at a giant boaboab tree (look for Daryl in the tree)!
Pic 4: Jason... being Jason!
Pic 5: The Fluff Monster grabs another tickle victim!
Pic 6: Paige, Anna, & Arnold "dancing" for Jesus in Kamuwango!
Pic 7: More dancing... this may have been a mistake to try, but it was fun!
Pic 8: The baby porcupine Aron found - their quills aren't sharp at that age!
Pic 9: Aron & All the rest of us got to hold the cutie for a picture!
Pic 10: Zach, with help from Aron, hunting one of the many gheckos in Mwingi.
Pic 11: Some of our group at world-renowned Carnivore Restaurant!
Pic 12: Arnold a couple of hours before he entered his protein-induced coma!
Friday, August 5, 2011
Eyes Opened
I’ve learned so many things and been so encouraged by the wonderful people here in Kenya. I’ve realized that there are some things I just can’t fully explain in words. I’ve also found that pictures can never show you what it is really like. You just have to see some things in person to understand. For example, pictures don’t fully show just how beautiful the children are here and they never show you just how serious poverty is.
If you have ever heard someone who has been here and worked with children, you will have heard this already, but the children are so beautiful and so happy! Their smiles are so contagious. It would be extremely hard to be upset when they smile at you, grab your hand, or sing their songs to you. It was amazing to see just how happy they are with what they have and where they are. They aren’t constantly complaining about their circumstances or whining because they don’t have everything that they think they should have. They are so much fun and I wish that I didn’t have to leave them, but I know that the Gospel is being preached to them and I’m so glad that I will be able to see many of them in Heaven.
Yesterday and today we did a Bible school at Kamuwango New Life Baptist Church. This VBS was a little more frustrating for me at times because we had to use translators. Most of the children do not speak English, or even Kiswahili, they speak their tribal language, instead. I realized today that this was especially frustrating because I have a tendency to want to do everything by myself. God had to humble me a lot this morning so that I could allow others to help. I needed to come to the realization that I can’t do it all by myself. God gave us other people to come alongside us and help out. When I tried to do the whole lesson by myself, I realized that I wasn’t able to completely convey the message that I was trying to get across. When I stepped back and let my partner and the translator speak, we were able to feed off of each other’s ideas much better. I praise God for allowing me to see this. It made the Bible study much more effective and enjoyable! I feel confident that the children heard the Gospel, at least once, and I pray that God would be working in these children’s lives even more after we are gone. It’s also helpful knowing that God is in control and will take what we have shared with the children and use it for His glory. I’m so thankful for all that God has done!
Yesu ni bwana (Jesus is Lord)!
Leah
Kamuwango VBS in Mwingi District
Last picture: our team with Kenyan Vice-President, Stephen Musyoka (center)! We had a great talk with him about our trip, the status of Kenya, and the famine. We even got to pray with him before he left!!!
After supper, Daryl was also interviewed by a reporter for a possible article in the Star newspaper of Kenya! God is so big!!! Needless to say it was a pretty exciting night! Of course, all of this was just the topper to another amazing day in Kenya...
On this, the final day of VBS in Kamuwango, we had over 300 students in attendance. There was such a stark contrast between Day 1 and Day 2 in the way the children here responded to us. The walls that we had previously encountered with this group, who had little previous experience with outsiders, had come down! They opened up to us, engaged in Bible discussions, asked questions, clinged to us more, and just participated more freely. It was such a blessing. We earned their trust in Day 1 and we reaped the benefit in Day 2. We only wish we had a few more days. But we trust God's providence and we know that He is faithful to finish the good work he has started with the children there.
Great Bible study sessions were had by all. The schedule and meeting space issues were all handled smoothly. Ample food was acquired to feed the masses of children, family, and other community members that arrived for a free, wonderful meal. Though we weren't able to give every child all of the gifts that we had hoped to, due to the unexpected high attendance, we were able to give every age group a number of gifts, which were received with much excitement & appreciation. The church and everyone involved showed much gracious appreciation to our team at the closing service and asked us to please come again soon. We drove away from the church feeling so encouraged and so blessed to play a small part in what God is doing in that village. Pray with us that God would use Pastor Paul and the members of His church to assimilate as many of the children and their families, into their church body, as possible. Pray that a great harvest and revival would come to Kamuwango.
One other praise report. Everyone was feeling better today! Aside from some congestion and some raspy voices, you couldn't even tell that anyone had been feeling bad the day before. Praise be to our great God... our Defender, our Provider, and our Savior! "To Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen" (Eph. 3:21).
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Send Your Rain, Oh Lord!
Quick post tonight as we're all going to try and get to bed early! The whole team is exhausted and many are struggling physically with sore throats & sinus problems due to the constant dirt, dust, & wind. The amount of dust is terribly amazing. If nothing else, it's presence has given us a more urgent passion to pray for rain in this part of the world. Pastor Wambua says that Kenya is experiencing the worst drought that they have had since he was a young boy... and he's even older than me! Another motivator to pray occurred while driving over a bridge on our way to and from Kamuwango. This bridge stretched over a very wide river bed without a drop of water in it. We took pictures of locals digging deep holes in the river bed, trying to find water for their family. Please join us urgent prayer that God would open the flood gates of Heaven and send rain to this dry, thirsty land.
After about a 45 minute drive to Kamuwango this morning, we waited at Kamuwango New Life Baptist Church for area children to arrive for the VBS. Pastor Wambua had speculated that we'd have 100 to 120 kids attend. Some children were waiting for us when we arrived and a steady stream of curious, but shy children, flowed onto the church property throughout the rest of the day. By lunch time we had 265 children present... and more came in after that! Wow!!! Not only that, but many parents and other adults came to observe all of the excitement. Obviously, this made for an interesting day full of adaptations. Our craft plans had to be totally scrapped due to a lack of supplies and new activities had to be developed to fill those time slots, teachers had to work hard to find locations for their large classes to meet on the limited grounds of the church, Jacob had to come up with different ideas for rec in order to accommodate the numbers, and our cooks had to prepare all of the food they had bought for 2 days of VBS, so that they could feed the vast throng. Our team and the wonderful translators from the Baptist Chapel did a great job adapting and the day turned out to be a great success. Tomorrow, we're expecting even more children to attend, so we're getting geared up for another hectic, yet incredible day! Pray that we'll be humble & flexible servants of our King tomorrow. Pray, too, that God would send a spiritual rain there and that His Spirit would awaken dry bones, breathing new life into them through Christ Jesus our Lord (Ezek. 37:1-14)..
We noted that there were 585 page views of our blog yesterday! Another wow!!! The support and encouragement that we've received from all of you has been instrumental in keeping us going. Like we said earlier we wouldn't want to do this without you and we're so thankful that we're not having to! Know that we love you all. Umpatie Mungu shukrani (give thanks to God)!
Daryl
After about a 45 minute drive to Kamuwango this morning, we waited at Kamuwango New Life Baptist Church for area children to arrive for the VBS. Pastor Wambua had speculated that we'd have 100 to 120 kids attend. Some children were waiting for us when we arrived and a steady stream of curious, but shy children, flowed onto the church property throughout the rest of the day. By lunch time we had 265 children present... and more came in after that! Wow!!! Not only that, but many parents and other adults came to observe all of the excitement. Obviously, this made for an interesting day full of adaptations. Our craft plans had to be totally scrapped due to a lack of supplies and new activities had to be developed to fill those time slots, teachers had to work hard to find locations for their large classes to meet on the limited grounds of the church, Jacob had to come up with different ideas for rec in order to accommodate the numbers, and our cooks had to prepare all of the food they had bought for 2 days of VBS, so that they could feed the vast throng. Our team and the wonderful translators from the Baptist Chapel did a great job adapting and the day turned out to be a great success. Tomorrow, we're expecting even more children to attend, so we're getting geared up for another hectic, yet incredible day! Pray that we'll be humble & flexible servants of our King tomorrow. Pray, too, that God would send a spiritual rain there and that His Spirit would awaken dry bones, breathing new life into them through Christ Jesus our Lord (Ezek. 37:1-14)..
We noted that there were 585 page views of our blog yesterday! Another wow!!! The support and encouragement that we've received from all of you has been instrumental in keeping us going. Like we said earlier we wouldn't want to do this without you and we're so thankful that we're not having to! Know that we love you all. Umpatie Mungu shukrani (give thanks to God)!
Daryl
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
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