Wednesday, October 17, 2007

i wanted to share this passage from this book that i am reading--i thought was pretty delicious...the book is called
Christianity Rediscovered--its about this missionary who rediscovers the gospel message while working among the Masai in Tanzania...

"Months later when all this had passed, I was sitting talking with a Masai elder about the agony of belief and unbelief. He used two languages to respond to me--his own and Swahili. He pointed out that the word my Masai catechist, Paul, and I had used to convey FAITH was not a very satisfactory word in their language. It meant literally "to agree to." I, myself, knew the word had that shortcoming. He said "to believe" like that was simliar to a white hunter shooting an animal with his gun from a great distance. Only his eyes and his fingers took part in the act. We should find another word. He said for a man really to believe is like a lion going after its prey. His nose and eyes and ears pick up the prey. His legs give him the speed
to catch it. All the power of his body is involved in the terrible death leap and single blow to the neck with the front paw, the blow that actually kills. And as the animal goes down the lion envelopes it in his arms (Africans refer to the front legs of an animal as its arms), pulls it to himself, and makes it part of himself. This is the way a lion kills. This is the way a man believes. This is what faith is. I looked at the elder in silence and amazement. Faith understood like that would explain why, when my own was gone, I ached in every fiber of my being. But my wise old teacher was not finished yet. 'We did not search you out, Padri,' he said to me. 'We did not even want you to come to us. You searched us out. You followed us away from
your house into the bush, into the plains, into the steppes where our cattle are, into the hills where we take our cattle for water, into our villages, into our homes. You told us of the High God, how we must search for him, even leave our land and our people to find him. But we have not done this. We have not left our land. We have not searched for him. He has searched for us. He has searched us and found us. All the time we think we are the lion. In the end, the lion is God.'"



remember who the Lion is today...be enveloped in His arms...

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Sunday, September 30, 2007

i met her this week. grace. the girl behind this blog's name. she walked into the beacon of hope clinic very timid, but captured my attention quick. her eyes told stories of her life and her smile and laughter were gifts that day. three months along in her pregnancy and found out she was HIV positive. she can't tell the father of this child about the results of the test because she fears for her life. i watched her as she curled up in a ball in her chair as much as she could--she just found out that shes HIV positive and her boyfriend is a violent drunk, and yet she cant seem to conceal the grace and joy that overwhelms her life. wow.

dear grace,
thank you. thank you for reminding me about life. thank you for reminding me about precious moments. thank you for reminding me not to conceal grace and joy. thank you for your laughter and smile. thank you for the silent lessons you taught me today that spoke volumes.

Monday, September 24, 2007

going to Beacon of Hope today...
REALLY excited...

Thursday, September 20, 2007

just checking in...
i am doing well...work is going great--VERY SLOW THOUGH...which is teaching me a lot--learning to patient and slow down...america is so fast compared to this place...

the kenyans love THE OFFICE...i brought shekinah's glory to them and i feel good about it :)

i do miss my family and friends...i miss little things too--like the team game...and ice in my drinks...and hot showers...but its incredible here...this place is indescribable...i cant even come close to describing the smell here...or what i see everyday...my eyes are constantly open taking in every ounce of this place...im not really a quiet person (as you all know), but ive done a lot of "silent retreats" since ive been here...no need for words...just glancing at the beauty that is wrapped up in this place...

i walk to work...good exercise and i get to smile at a lot of people along the way...up and down a few muddy/rocky hills--gotten some stares when i smile, but i think ive warmed up some people...even in the rain, its a good time...the guard at work thinks im funny (bwana asifiwe-praise the Lord)

few descriptions of some people i spend a lot of time with:
Dave--host dad, very genuine, talks slower when hes around kenyans, lived in kenya for 4 years with his wife, used to live in other parts of Africa working with Wycliffe
Susan--sweet house help, hums ALL THE TIME (absolutely precious), gets REALLY excited when i come home (sounds like shes out of breath sometimes because shes so excited), hardworker, loyal, new friend
Lilly--golden retriever, ENERGETIC, loveable, might have to buy a bigger carry on to fit her and the kids in...
Caroline--mentor at BTL, very busy woman, quiet, sweet, really impressed with what i do, very busy woman
Florence (FLO)--hilarious, the one im really helping at BTL, attentive to everything i say, new friend, incredible mom, hilarious, the kenyan version of me maybe?
Josiah--he works in the finance department at BTL, really small (like a Tiny Tim), he can't find clothes to fit him so his clothes are always way too big, gets picked on a lot where he lives, my project (i leave him encouraging notes during the week to lift his spirits up), smiles a lot, tiny, comes by my office a lot to check on me.
John Ommani--works in the language dept, friends with Tim Holden, met him 2 years ago when i first came to kenya, amazing man of God, personable, family man
Pascal--servant's heart, faithful, hilarious, a blessing, bodyguard
Harry Potter--Pascal's best friend, funny, great dancer, bodyguard #2
Nyota--one of Pascal's brother, great soccer player, funny, looks up to his brother P
Flo and Tekla--two of Pascal's sisters, full of life, gorgeous, made sure ive felt at home
Melvin--Pascal's nephew, sings Youre Beautiful by James Blunt every time he sees me, precious
Gayle--crazy, absolutely crazy
Kitty--Gayle's sidekick, made me feel really welcome

its absolutely beautiful outside--i think its frisbee and/or picture time in the park...

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

my time thus far has been absolutely delicious. the family i am staying with is wonderful--they are from wisconsin and work at BTL (wycliffe) also. dave is the only one here though because his wife debi and their adopted kenyan daughter are in the states visiting her dad and other family. dave reminds me a lot of my dad. he is very down to earth and easy to get along with. susan, their house girl, is staying in their small house in the back. she is precious and has been teaching me many things, including swahili and how to clean vegetables here. work is great--today, i laughed a whole lot. flo, the girl that i share an office with, is HILARIOUS. we teach eachother things. she is amazed at my love and interest in everything about africa. i'm really going to like it here at BTL (bible translation and literacy)...everyone is relational in kenya--americans could really use some help in that area. kenyans acknowledge EVERYONE in the room and shake everyone's hand before bringing up the reason as to why they stopped by in the first place. we begin every morning with a prayer meeting--this includes singing a hymn, updates from each department, and praying for each people group that they work with--kenyans can pray. it is amazing to listen to them as they talk to the most important person in their life.

in other news, i had lunch with crazy gayle on monday. that woman blesses me--to see her flag people down while she is driving and to hear her demand that iced tea be a concept that the kenyans should understand is downright hilarious...she is not afraid of anything...especially speaking her mind...things with Compassion International are great--i spend the majority of my weekends with a project site in Shauri Moyo...saturdays are filled with kids, kids, kids, and more kids...i love their smiles and their sincerity...they are absolutely precious...it's been refreshing to be there with Pascal...the kids ADORE him, as he adores them...it's been beautiful to spend time with him--my heart is full...ive gotten to spend a lot of time with his family, which has been good...his nephew Melvin sings "you're beautiful" by james blunt every time he sees me--that blesses me...that's definitely on my team...

i do miss everyone back in the states...but i know that right now i am supposed to be here...and its breathtaking...each day brings new joys...its simple here and i love it...i want simplicity...


**i was reminded today of this summer and how after i got back from ministry site each day, i always asked my camp roommate "what if i went to worship naked?" --because i hated figuring out what to wear, etc...at work, i was designing a newsletter and uploading pictures from the field and came across a people group that only wears wraps--men and women--everyday--just wraps that they wear around their waist...sooo simple...thats life...sooo simple...if only the states werent so consumed with "what to wear" and all the wasted energy in the things that dont matter...what if....

it's raining a lot here...at least today...the guard at work asked if i was going to melt today...i laughed and spun around in the rain and watched him stare in amazement...it feels good to dance in the rain...walking a nice distance back home in wet clothes=not so much a good feeling...



larry, one of the computer guys at work, who asks flo everyday how i am doing and if i am single in swahili because he thinks i don't understand=steven's team.

Friday, September 7, 2007

i work at a place where people have devoted their lives to translating the Bible into people's mother tongue. it blows me away when i hear and read that it takes close to 20 years, maybe longer to translate the Bible. right now, i am looking at a copy of the digo's new testament. in front of me is the result of devotion to God and to the people of God. i take for granted my copy of God's Word...how dare i? am i starving for the Truth and excited about reading the Word as the digo people are? am i walking miles and miles to hear the Gospel because i'm that thirsty? i am looking at a copy in front of me of something that i should be starving for daily...that i should be excited about reading...that im so thirsty that i would walk miles and miles to hear it. Jesus, i have taken for granted the sweet words of Yours...take me back to that place where i earnestly yearned...thank You for the digo people and their patience and excitement for You...help me to run miles...