Praise the Lord from the heavens,
Praise Him in the heights above.
Praise Him, all His angels,
Praise Him, all His heavenly hosts.
Praise Him, sun and moon,
Praise Him, all you shining stars.
Praise Him, you highest heavens and you
waters above the skies.
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For He commanded and they were created.
He set them in place for ever and ever;
He gave a decree that will never pass away.”
Psalm 148:1-6
The first memory I have of my time in Africa is an image
I can picture in my mind at any given moment, recalling the sounds, the
feelings, the colors, and the joy. The setting is in Kijabe, Kenya just on the
eastern lip of the Great Rift Valley, approx. an hour northwest of Nairobi, the
capital of Kenya. Looking out into the Valley, with the cool wind blowing on my
face and the sounds of monkeys jumping from tree to tree, I felt like I was
getting a glimpse through a window into Heaven. Sure, there is plenty of
corruption, drunkenness, and carelessness throughout Africa (like anywhere else
in the world). But there was an overwhelming sense that THIS was a special
creation of God’s.
Have you ever heard any stories of an artist, who during
the day is working hard to make the paintings that will sell well, please the
employer, and feed his family? But when he gets home, he spends some time with
his kids, has a good talk with his wife about their days, and then he goes into
his own little studio and paints the painting that he has a passion for, that means so much to him, that expresses all
of the love he has for his wife and kids. That painting is not something that
can be sold, not a creation that can be spoiled or ruined. It has a special
place in the artist’s heart. That’s how I saw the Great Rift Valley- a work of
God’s own hands, an expression of God’s love and passion for us, His children.
My team leader on Karis, Lindsay Heston, recently wrote a
blog titled “Valleys Fill First,” about being in the low place, the hard place
away from the mountaintop experience we so desire. But she explains that it’s
in those hard, dry, dark places that God is closest, working and growing us
more and more. It’s because that valley, though it doesn’t always seem like it’s
any sort of creation from a loving Father, is not some trap God has caught us
in. It’s a work of passion, love, and desire, a piece of art made by the hands
and heart of Our Father. 
He loves us so much that He wants us to grow, learn, and
become closer to Him. The Valley is exactly where we are supposed to be, fully
experiencing the passion of our God!
Our debrief and
preparation for our time in Africa gave us a week in Kijabe, worshiping,
praying, resting, and dancing. I was given the opportunity to be the first
G-Squad member to preach in front of the squad. We had some amazing times
praying for patients in the local hospital and speaking with local shop owners.
But our time in Kijabe was only a jump start into our ministry in Kenya (click to read part 2)…
