I’m sitting here on the shore of Lake Victoria getting ready to see another amazing sunset that will paint the sky the most beautiful orange and red that I’ve ever seen (and I get to see this every night!). In this peaceful calm, I get to watch the sunset while I listen to the waves crash against the grassy shore, sun shining, warm breeze blowing, no one else in sight and I think… I can’t believe I get to be here!
China was cold and gray. I didn’t see a blue sky for weeks.
Kenya is full of sun, warmth, and blue skies.
China and Hong Kong are full of buildings and people everywhere.
Kenya is full of open spaces, lush green hills and valleys.
But the most stark contrast was learning in China that we had to hold our tongue and restrict ourselves from some of the freedoms we’ve grown accustomed to. We had to quickly train ourselves to not openly talk about our faith, God, Jesus, prayer, church, missions. We couldn’t read our Bibles or worship in public. We did this to protect the relationship that our contacts have invested a lifetime building and to protect the students we were ministering to. Students who think they are free, yet live by what their government wants them to know. So instead we made up code words and could only speak freely behind closed doors.
So, it was a bit of culture shock getting to Kenya and hear people talk about God so openly. And not only talk about God but they shout it out over loud speakers so all can hear. I still walked with this guard up that I had to put on in China that someone might be listening, and that they may be part of the Communist Regeme, or that I would slip up on a word and expose and possibly cripple the long-term relationship built. I had to remind myself that I’m in Kenya now and once again free to express my faith and free to speak openly. It’s felt like ice melting and it’s been truly refreshing to be around our Kenyan brothers and sisters and getting to serve alongside of them at the ministry base called S.E.E.K. (Suba Environmental Education of Kenya).
SEEK is under the umbrella organization Stateside called KIM (Kenya Island Missions). SEEK works to educate the community on how to develop their own crops and live off the land and possibly earn a living. There is so much land here, but many don’t know how to manage it. SEEK plants gardens, fish ponds, raises goats, and teaches basic hygiene. We’ve learned goats milk helps reduce the HIV virus in children.
courage our brothers and sisters at SEEK by coming alongside of them and help tend their garden, help prepare their fish pond, and prepare a place for goats. Their other focus is the youth, orphans and widows of their community. We’ve put together youth rallys where we’ve performed drama’s, songs and preached the Gospel. We’ve walked for hours to visit homes in the area to offer encouragement and prayer. And when I say homes – it’s not what you’re picturing. When I say homes, I mean “a room”. Their homes are mud huts with straw on top or tin roves if you’re lucky and about the size of an average bedroom in the States…. Where the entire family lives.
We’ve visited widows – some young and some old. One of the widow’s I met didn’t know how old she was but I would guess in mid-sixties. She lost all 12 of her children to death of some kind and her husband to AIDS. I had to laugh because while her and I sat talking – chickens and 10 baby chics came in and out of the hut and roosters were jumping on her bed. I’d look outside of the door and see goats and cows right by her door. I thought to myself… TIA (This is Africa). This widow, DaMarice, in her age old and sun cracked rough skin now cares for her grandchildren and tends the land and makes rope for a living. Oh, and this12 feet of rope, which she makes and weaves by hand in one day – she then sells to the fisherman for 30 shillings. One rope, a days wages, equals less then $0.40. She makes about $146/year. I know. Staggering!
We’ve visited orphanages and loved on orphans, have taught countless numbers of action songs, shared our testimonies, preached sermons in Sunday morning church. I now have a record of preaching for over an hour (with a translator). Never thought I could talk that long in front of a group. We’ve gone along the beach communities and held open ralley’s to encourage the community. Many people have come to Christ. Many more have received healing and prayer and have been encouraged in their faith and we praise God for it. We’ve been able to visit with each sick patient in the hospital and pray healing over them. Then to visit the next day and 95% of them were discharged. I’ve spent hours under a tent full of HIV/AIDS patients. The young, the old, and babies who have been infected. Many women pass on the virus to their babies by nursing. Yet they can’t stop because they can’t afford formula so the epidemic continues. I prayed with one woman who wanted to know Christ. She had major jaw pain and I asked her if I could pray for her and she agreed. So after talking with her for a while, I prayed. For physical healing but more that she would find healing inside. In her heart and mind. That she would find Christ and let him heal all the hurts and wounds of her past and give her a hope and a future. That she could be loved in a way that no one on earth could ever lover her. After we prayed, she looked at me surprised and said her jaw didn’t hurt. Praise God how He works when we’re just available!
Finding unity among the different churches and partnering together is rare in some parts in Kenya, but SEEK is working to bridge this gap and build relationships with pastors and churches to work together to meet the needs of the community and encourage the people of Suba. We’ve been able to see these bonds form and develop and praise God for it.
But during my time in Kenya and comfortable once again in my new found freedom, I’ve learned something of the people here. I’ve learned that many people are not living in freedom at all. I’ve been living in Mbita, Kenya – a fishing village. Mbita is within Suba District and it’s home to 85% population of HIV/AIDS, the largest population in all of Kenya. Prostitution is rampant here along with polygamy. A man may have 10 wives and children by those wives. Some wives then get boyfriends and the husbands get girlfriends. It’s believed by many that if one has HIV – they can get rid of it by sleeping with a virgin. So they sleep with many virgins in hope to eliminate the virus. Others are just angry they have it so they continue sleeping around in defiance and anger.
illage, at night I see Lake Victoria full of little white lights. These white lights are the fishing boats with lanterns where the fishermen spend all night waiting for a good catch. These fisherman also have charms spoken over their boats in hope that they find favor over their business. It is for freedom that Christ set us free. God says that He will give us the nations as our inheritance. Father, I ask for Kenya to be added to the Kingdom and its people be set free.
Christmas was celebrated with lots of love, carols, tons of homemade cookies, someone from our family killing a turkey and watching my favorite Christmas movie, Elf. The night even ended with getting a Boa Constrictor hung around my neck. More on that later.
