Sunday, Sunday, Sunday - Great day with Great friends

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Sue and I started our day out with another run to the beach.  Then it was off to Ingili, another school and church run by Bobby and Lisa Bechtel, close to Mombasa.  This is where Pastor Allan preaches every week.  We went out there because we missed Anne at Bomani and one cannot come to Kenya and not visit our precious hard working, great cooking Anne.  When we got there she was not there yet so we met with Alan.  First he showed Sue around the school.  Then just as an aside as we were talking in the dining hall, he said he was talking with a Christian friend of his about the adoption mission we are working on.  This friend just happens to have some property right off the road in Mtwapa which she was willing to sell significantly cheaper to help with the Christian mission. The property should sell for $160,000 or more but she is willing to sell for $48,000 or so.   That was another chilling God moment.  We were to meet up later to view the property though it is only a vacant lot.  Yet another example of letting God use His strength not mine.  What more is there to say!

Then we stayed for some worship at Ingili -it was like being at Zumba class.  The praise music and dancing and singing was fun to watch.  It was great fun.  During worship we were able to say hello to Anne. 

Then we had to leave to head back to Crossroads Fellowship - Nyali to get Liz and Penninah and the swahili bibles.  Then we all headed out to Vipingo to do a woman's bible study about all of us being ambassadors of Christ, not just pastors.  They laughed when I said many times woman are the strong spiritual influence in people’s lives.   It was a great lesson time and then we formed a circle to do prayer requests and to share our struggles.  They all jumped right in, it was great.   Sickness and parenting and single person issues were the biggest prayer requests.  Nicole was amazing interpreter.  After so discussions with the pastors of the church, Sue and I are encouraging her to start her own weekly bible study with little things that we send her via email.  UPDATE – Nicole got right on that and was so excited to continue the bible study with the woman.  They started last week and they all enjoyed the message, in fact a few of the woman FB me about it.  Nicole was amazed.  They had 25 people last week and they expect to double that next week!    God is awesome!

On the way back to town us girls stopped for lunch at Moorings, a floating restaurant on the water under the Mtwapa bridge.  Boats pull right up and hop on the barge to eat.  It was great food.  While we ate, we each shared our stories.  It was great to get to know their stories.  Really special times.

Penninah grew up in western Kenya.  She had a single mom with 2 brothers and her and they were very poor.  The Catholic church paid some of her school fees.  Her brother was to bring some money back to the family but that only happened for a very short time.  Her mom worked so, so hard selling anything she had to raise rent and school fees.  She would be in and out of school because fees were not always there on time.   She actually spent a year or more helping housekeep and nanny for some extended family so they would help with school fees but they never did and she suffered abuse in that situation.  She did not do so great on her tests as she was in an out of school.  She ended up redoing Senior year to get higher marks but, she still had to beg her way into Shanzu teacher college.  Her and her mom used their last bit of money to travel from the west to Mombasa area to Shanzu teacher college knowing she did not have the qualifications or the money.  But the grace of God they did admit her and they were able to work out the fee.   She is now a teacher at a very nice school - Light Academy and doing very well.  She has returned to school for business and is working and going to school right now.  She works so, so hard day and long into the night.  She is great full for the experience because it made her who she is today and she is able to help others learn the same.  She thanks God for all her circumstances because it brought her to where she is today and with the ability to help others in similar circumstances.  She is so thankful and greatful even though life has been tough – it is a real lesson to us.  

Liz grew up in Nairobi.  Her family was not supportive of education.  They wanted to marry her off and not send her through high school.  She had to run away to avoid the marriage. She was able to get herself through high school by sitting outside the minister's house, day after day after day.  She then finally agreed to pay her school fees for her persistance.  She also raised her 7 or 8 brothers and sisters and paid their school fees too.  She works 3 jobs and works all day and long into the night.  She is working with Operation Give Hope and doing an amazing job.  I would love to have her persistance and business expertise at the Children's Home if she is interested.   She has an amazing story of perseverance, dedication and resilience.  She also is so thankful for all of her circumstances and is such an example of God’s love to everyone she touches.  

Then we all ran to WIFI at Cimimax.  We were going to go to a movie, but there was only one movie playing and it was not a good movie.   We walked to the beach instead and Nina taught us how to do facials with the sand and salt water.  Then we walked home.

Sue and I had some quiet time to talk and pray, while relaxing in the pool for over an hour.  A lot of ideas came together  - woman's bible studies.  We will be meeting weekly to provide small verses and an outline for someone in Bomani and Nicole in Vipingo to lead the woman in bible study sometime during the week.  They will report prayer requests so we know what verses will most encourage the woman in the respective groups.  Paul also mentioned teens are getting into drinking, sex, pregnancy and other similar issues and we may help the person that volunteered for that group also.

Another great day of sharing God’s love and seeing His work in action.