Eneza (To Spread About - to Grow)

Hi everyone!

I can't believe the 5th week is coming to an end, it is going so fast!

This Tuesday we were able to spend the day with the Penn State team from Rwanda as they were flying back home to the US. There were 10 Navigators from Penn State who were spending the last two weeks at an orphanage in Rwanda. It was so awesome to see them and hear about their experiences and to show them around Nairobi. It was so cool to be able to have 16 Penn Staters meet up in the middle of Africa. The day went way to fast but we were able to show them around the city a little bit, show them the YMCA where we are staying, and then we all went out to Carnivore before dropping them back at the airport. Carnivore is a really nice restaurant in Kenya where you pay one flat rate and servers just walk around with huge swords of meat and you can eat as much as you want. They had lots of beef, lamp, pork, chicken, ostrich, and crocodile. Here is a pick of us finally putting up the white flag at the end of the night because we had to get off to the airport.



This weekend we have our training program with the students, which will be from Friday to Sunday at a retreat center. The focus of the retreat is deepening roots of faith and we will spend the weekend listening to the speaker and learning in workshops and bible study together. As a team we have had to plan the entire retreat these last few weeks. It is really coming together nicely and we are all excited for it. We will be leading two workshops throughout the weekend to help equip the students to learn and grow in discipleship with Christ. Please pray for us as we continue to prepare and that the students hearts would be open to what the Lord wants them to learn. Please also pray that it would be a weekend of connecting with them and being able to rest and relax away from Nairobi.

Thanks so much.

In Christ,

Chris

Kibera Slums and Week 4

So it is Sunday afternoon and fathers day, even though somebody told us in Kenya that it was last weekend..maybe its a south of the equator thing...So I know its been a while since updating, i think the whole week, so I owe everybody a big update, and today is the day for it. Since coming back from the Safari things have been jammed packed and a lot has happened over the past week.

On Monday we were able to finally make it to Kibera and to the school and orphanage that we have been talking to. What a day that was! Kibera is the 2nd largest slum in Africa and one of several in Kenya and Nairobi alone (the largest is in Johanesburg, coincidently my next stop in a few weeks). But the Kibera slum is home to 1.5+ million people and about 3/4ths the size of Central Park in NYC. The school we went to is called Jamii Preschool. It is a free preschool for children in the slums and several of them are orphaned and pulled off the streets. There were about 40 kids in school when we arrived. It was in a very small and rusty dirt floor school house with three small rooms off of a larger meeting room. The kids were very excited that we came to visit them and we got to spend three hours just playing around with them and singing and dancing songs that they know from school. It was so amazing just to see their smiling faces and to be able to spend that time playing with them. I can't imagine the hard life that they live, but I know that it isn't often that somebody is there to pick them up and laugh with them and play with them. It brought us so much joy and broke my heart just to see them smile and laugh and run around. It doesn't seem often that these little ones are allowed to act like children. So often they are required to grow up at a very early age to begin working or worse are used by others for criminal activity or for the sex industry. 70% of the population of Kibera is HIV positive and sex trafficking among children is very common. It breaks my heart to think about how exploited these children are and that they cannot have a childhood.
We spent the day swinging the kids around and giving them piggy bag rides and chasing them around and kicking around a couple soccer balls that we brought. I wish there was so much more that we could have done for them, but what a blessing it was just to see them smile, I am reminded of what Jesus said about children in Matthew 18.
After the school we went to visit an orphanage in Kibera called Tunza. This is one of the few orphanages in the slums and is packed with almost 100 kids from about 12-17. One of the social workers that works there said that they will not turn away an children and because of that they are overcrowded and in desperate need for more space. The orphanage is two small two story buildings that serve to house the kids and as their school. The rooms are around 12'x12' and house about 8 or so sets of bunkbeds. The teachers that work there work for about 40 dollars a month and usually go months without pay because the orphanage has no money at all. They recently just came off of an 8 month period without pay. Each child only had one pair of clothes and shoes which were all either too big or too small and on the verge of calling apart. I wish there was so much more that we could have done for them and we are trying to go back to visit and bring more clothes and school supplies. But that will still only be a temporary fix to a seriously permanent problem. This is one of the issues that so many people over here do not understand needs to be fixed by the government. Leaders continue to be elected into office just to serve their own needs and to further their own gains while the people get nothing. Its easy to forget even here in downtown Nairobi that this is a third world country and there are so many people that living off of nothing and dying from the simplest things. I will definitely not forget what we saw at the slums, but if I only return home with that memory, I think I will not be doing those children any justice, "whoever receives one such child in my name receives me" verse 5. I want to help people see what is happening.

A few times this week I was able to go out into the campus for some outreach and evangelism. I have really been praying alot about being able to share and to have the courage to do it. I don't think there is much that scares me more than sharing my faith, for many reasons but fear of rejection being one of the biggest. But through these past four weeks God has really shown me how to trust in him and rely on him and that I can only pray and take a step out in faith and open up. I got to meet up with Arnold and we went into the first year dorms to share Christ with them through the Bridge illustration. We ended up going and talking to two rooms, the first of which wasn't too receptive, but the second which was very. The second room had four guys in it who were very interested in what we had to say and on hearing about Christ. Even though most students are familiar with the Bible, few seem to understand about Christ and the gift of his redemption of us through the Cross. Through talking with them two of them decided to accept Christ and we were able to pray with them. The next day I went out with Brett to the student center and were able to share and lead another student to Christ as well! After that we met up with David, a dentistry student in NJ, who is over for with an NGO. He is a believer and we got into a very interesting conversation with him and another guy about the problems of Kenya (a common convo here). The other man we talked to had very traditional tribal religious views and felt that missionaries only came to Kenya to steal from its people. He thought Christians were hypocrits, so why would he want to join him. I think people have this view all over the world. And why shouldn't they, Christians haven't done a very good job at all of being loving and helpful and putting others first. But what we tried to get across was that we don't follow the teachings of Christians, we follow the teachings of Christ, who is perfect, and came here not to be served but to serve (Mark 10:45). It definitely served as a reminder of why I am here and who I am serving.
At the beginning of the trip I remember being so overwhelmed with sharing my faith and thinking 'who am I to share to anybody,' but something I have realized is that when Christ called Peter and Andrew to follow him, he told them that we would make them fishers of men. Not that they might be, but that they will be (Matthew 4:19). That is true for all of us still. Not that I needed to come here to figure it out, but I know that God has shown me my desire and joy in sharing with others and I pray I can use the last two weeks to do that.

The students finished all their exams this last week so we have been able to hang out with them a lot more lately, which has been awesome. We were able to go to a Kenyan National Football game yesterday against Mozambique, which was so ridiculous! FIFA regulations don't allow the Kenyan stadium to fill up due to safety reasons, apparently somebody died there not too long ago...but it was a really fun experience and it was good to spend time with Naf and some of the other staff members. Kenya won too! which hasn't happened in a while.

This past week I was able to spend a lot of time with Naftali and I am so thankful for that man. He has such a heart and a desire to lead the students at UON and for the ministry and Gospel in Kenya. I gotten to love him like a brother and I think out of anything here in Kenya, I will miss him the most. It seems like only yesterday that we walked out of the airport and saw his smiling face holding a big Penn State sign and welcoming us to Africa.

This next week we will prep for the training program which is this weekend and kind of signifies the end of the mission for us. I can't believe it is so quickly coming to a close. Please pray for us as we prepare our talks for it and that we can continue to partner with the students in knowing Christ and making him known. Also, the short term mission team from Rwanda has a long layover on Tuesday so we will get to see some really great friends from Penn State! The team is really excited about that.

Thank you all for your prayers, they are working in so many ways!

More to come!

In Christ,

Chris

Safari Part II

The Lodge we stayed at inside the Mara was very nice, to say the least.  We stayed at Keekorak Lodge, which is one of the nicer and fancier lodges in the park.  I am pretty sure that this is the kind of place that extremely rich people fly into the private air strip and spend a long weekend driving around the park.  In fact, I am pretty sure there were several couples there that were very well to do.  It is kind of sad though, thinking that for many people this is the only few of Kenya that they receive and don't get to experience the vibrancy, love, and hurt of the people of Kenya.  The Lodge was very 'westernized' in that the staff knew English well and waited on you hand and foot at means, which kinda bothered me a little, because that is definitely not what we are used to.  But it was good for the team to be able to relax and get a taste of back home.  It was hard for me though to see the luxury of this place compared to that of the students and the people we have gotten to know and interact with, especially now that we have visited the poor, orphaned, and destitute in the slums of Kibera.  I still think I am trying to process it all.  But before I get on to Kibera, I wanted to tell you all about the Safari.

I am not so sure words can describe it all and I am not even sure that my pictures were able to capture it.  The landscape and the animals were amazing and breathtaking.  We were able to see upclose countless lions, elephants, giraffes, cheetahs, buffalo, zebra, wildebeasts, and dozens of random weird little deer/antelope creatures.  It was just sweet.   We would spend our days driving around in our little van in the middle of nowhere looking for animals and enjoying the landscape.  We were always up before the sunrise and out till after the sunset, which were so beautiful and breathtaking.  On the safari I was really struck with the power of creation and just seeing so much point toward the sovereignty and majesty of God.  

On the second afternoon we were able to visit a Maasai village inside the Mara.  We were able to join them in their dancing and singing (they are the tribe that jumps really high), its a sign of manhood, we didn't do too bad, I even put a lion headress on and was fairly certain I was going to get lice for a while...so far so good.  They live completely and entirely off of their cattle, including poking them with sharp spears and drinking their blood and letting it heal over.  They live in huts of dried cattle dung and practice pologamy and male and female circumcision.  After going through their village they took us to the village market, which surprise surprise they sold the same tourist junk that everywhere else does.  I did manage to get a sweet pair of Maasai sandels though, which they make out of used tires.  It was cool to see their way of life, but sad to see that even they too have sold out. 

It was a great three days though and I think that the entire team was able to come back to Nairobi recharged and rested for the remaining three weeks of ministry.  

Safari Part 1

Hi everyone,

Sorry it has taken me so long to get back on and send another update.  Its been hard to get back on these last few days after getting back from the Safari to be able to post.  But the safari was amazing and such a great time for the team to be able to rest and relax and get a little pampered.  We started out leaving the YMCA on Tuesday morning and took the 4 hour drive with our guide and driver through Nairobi, out the Great Rift Valley and into the Maasai Mara for the safari.  The drive there was very bumpy but extremely rewarding in being able to see much of the Kenyan country side and small villages.  The Kenyan infrastructure is definitely not the best and the majority of the roads were filled with bumps and potholes and dirt.  Our driver didn't really seem to mind it that much so we sped through around 60 mph, which definitely made the ride just like a roller coaster.  Leaving Nairobi we broke through the mountains and came across the breathtaking view of the Great Rift Valley, a gigantic valley plane that crosses 5 countries and gives way to the Maasai Mara and the Serengheti of Tanzania.  As we drove further from Nairobi we slowly passed town after town that seemed to get smaller and more primitive....the land was just dotted with these little towns that seemed out of a Western movie, a single row of stone buildings with a bar, hotel, and butcher shop intersecting a dirt road.    When we passed the last outpost town we started coming across Maasai villages and herdsmen as we started entering into the land surround the Mara.  More or less the Maasai are the Amish of Kenya and still live as they did hundreds of years ago.  They are nomadic herdsmen by trade and the men spend their lives watching the cattle and goats in the land as the women take care of the food preparation, children, and building houses.  Maasai culture has definitely changed in the last several decades, but they use to be a fierce people who required all their men to slay a lion before they can marry and build a house.  I kind of wish they still held this tradition and that I could somehow be invited to join them in this tradition.  They still live a harsh and very simple life though.  As we passed by all these villages it reminded me of what it must have been like for the men of the Old Testament, for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  A life spent always moving and taking care of the animals in the harsh sun and conditions.  I think seeing this has helped me to appreciate the parables in the Bible about Christ being a shepperd for his people and how they hear and follow his voice.  After passing through a dozen or so villages we finally got to the gate of the Maasai Mara Game Reserve and entered on our way to the Keekorak Lodge where we were staying.  

I wish I could write more but we have to get ready to go to the Kibera Slums to visit a school we have been in contact with.  These slums are the 2nd largest in all of Africa and home to some 1.5 million people in the area the size of central park.  It is definitely going to be eye opening and a very interesting experience.  Write more later.

Safari Tomorrow

So week 2 of ministry has come to an end and we have begun week 3. I think it would be an understatement to say that the team is tired and definitely ready for a break. We leave for the Safari tomorrow morning and it definitely cannot come sooner. I think everybody could really use the couple days off to rest and relax and be rejuvenated for the next three weeks. The last two weeks have been so amazing and productive though and I would have to agree with Naf when he said that he couldn't believe that we have done as much as we have in only 2 weeks. Thinking about how we have been able to connect to the students and build so many relationships so quickly has just been such a blessing from God. Please pray that as we set out on the Safari that it would just be a chance for the whole team to rest up and be able to come back to Nairobi completely energized! We will be back on Thursday night. We are going now because the students just entered their week of final exams which are about 70% of their grade for the semester so they are not really available to meet this week.

Last Thursday and Friday we started evangelism in the dorms with the students. It was very encouraging to see the students step up and lead as we went into the dorms, especially among the girls. I went in with Naf and we went to a couple rooms and shared the bridge which was awesome. The second room we went to had four guys in it that were not Christian and didn't really have an understanding of the Gospel and it was so great to share with them. They definitely were sitting on the fence though, but we got their info to hopefully continue to follow up with them, pray that we would get the chance to see them again. I know its hard when you share with a group of guys because none of them want to open up or act interested to you because of what the others might think, but one of the guys Alan was very interested and I would love to continue talking to him.

So last Friday was a very interesting night, we went to this Friday night worship/performance/concert at the student center on campus to see one of the Navs girls dance. The main performer was a Kenyan Gospel artist named Mbuvi with way too much energy and affinity for white people. He made the four of us from the team that were there sing really loud into a mic in front of about 100 or so students....it was so ridiculous and maybe a little embarrassing, haha. We had to sing "Osavinya" which means "The Lord is my Strength or Shield or Fortress" in Kampa, which is a Bantu dialect, which is one of the native languages kinda similar to Swahili.

Thanks so much for everybody's prayers, they have been so helpful and encouraging. I will write when we get back from the safari and let you all know how it went.

In Christ,

Chris

Week 2 of Ministry

¹⁶So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, ¹⁸ as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. - 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Verses that I have definitely found myself repeating over the last couple of days. As we are well on our way in ministry here and settled down I have realized something, this is tough and tiring (haha). But in all honesty it has been challenging for the entire team this past week and I can see that everyone is getting warn down and tired. It has been great to be able to spend the mornings together to share and to talk about the happenings of the week. Being the leader of the trip has been so rewarding but also has presented its fair share of issues and hardships, again I keep going back to the 2 Cor verse and find strength in the fact that these are light and momentary issues that are preparing great and eternal things. Please pray for the team, that we would continue to find rest and strength not in our own abilities but in the LORD only.

Ministry hear has been very exciting. We had our second Bible Study last night and it went really well, the students blow me away by how excited and hungry they are to grow and learn and how knowledgable they already are. We went over the Bridge Illustration with all the students in the hopes that they all can practice it and use it to help better share their faith with other students. Everyone is connecting great with the students and with the staff and tonight and tomorrow night is when we go into the dorms for evangelism with the younger students. I think we are as nervous as they are, but I know we speak not as peddlers of God's word but as ones commissioned by God to speak in Christ (2 Cor 2:14-17).

For all the promises of God find their Yes in Him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
- 2 Cor 1:20-22

A couple of days ago we went and visited the Maasai Market, which is supposed to be the biggest and craziest market in town with dozens of sellers just waiting for 'rich' and unsuspecting Americans to come with all their money and buy touristy junk...Needless to say that was not us. It was pretty overwhelming though and definitely an interesting experience, we bought a few things and got to practice our haggling skills, which definitely do not work compared to the pros as the market, but I think we all walked away without getting ripped off. It was hard to see how desperate and impoverished a lot of people are around here and how they are so desperate for a few shillings that they will sit on a blanket in a field hoping to sell cheap, touristy, knock-off gifts to foreignors, but I think the worst part was seeing the different vendors fight and deceive just to try and get your attention from the vendor next door.

Being here I have seen just how starved and hunger the people of Kenya are for true leadership and justice. A couple days ago was independance day and since their freedom from Britain 63 years ago their country has been plagued with bad leaders and empty promises, one after the other. Kenyans love Obama, because he has heritage here, even though most of them cannot tell you anything about him, which I used to think was kinda funny, but now I understand why and my heart goes out to these people. The leaders of this country have squandered the people's power, money, and energy into enhancing themselves and furthering their own agenda...they long for somebody that will keep their promises and fight for them, a hero. Right now, the president of a country half-way around the world is all they can get. The University of Nairobi is the most prestigeous, largest, and oldest university in the country and many of the countries next future leaders are in school there right now, as were the leaders who run this country were there decades before. The Navs ministry has a unique chance to greatly affect the next generation of this country and create men and women that will build and establish spiritual generations to come. If you pray nothing else for this trip please pray for these students here that they might know Christ and make him known through out this country.

Thank you for partnering with me and for your labors in the LORD

Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. - 1 Cor 15:58