Sunday Worship and Final Goodbyes

Today is our last day in Kenya.  We started the day attending an African Inland Church in a remote village.  Very unusual service, very cultural.  The women sat on one side of the church, the men on the other.  It seemed like a majority of the church today was children and they love music and love to dance.

Everyone was very loving and friendly.  At the end of the service every person shook the hand of every person in a sort of chain fashion that worked around the room.  Some of the women hugged or kissed us as they went by.  This church is a missionary church pastored by an AIM missionary from Moffat Bible College in Kijabe.

I had a little shadow who stuck close to my side, and Jackie was surrounded by kids wanting to get close to her or get their picture taken.  Quite a day.

We are now off to the airport for our ride home.  Both of us are ready to get home, ready to see our family and even Maggie our golden.  On the plane and during our layover in Amsterdam we have a chance to discuss our plans for the next few months and or years and how it all fits with the BethanyKids and Joytown mission.

Bless you all this Lords day,

Gary & Jackie

Blessed Assurance

2 Corinthians 5:20  - "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God."

We were blessed by attending part of a three day meeting of the Discipleship group of ladies from all over East Africa.  There were 54 ladies who traveled as much as 2 days to attend the meeting.  Five of these meetings per year are held in Kijabe.  The ladies travel expenses are paid, and they stay in a guest house on site, 6 ladies per room intended for 2 persons.  They sleep on the floor on mats generally.  The love of God was so apparent in each of them.  They embraced us (culturally quite unusual) thanked us for coming.  Mr. Justus Marete, BethankKids Director for Africa gave his personal testimony of how he was saved and what brought him to BKKH.  Heart wrenching story we will share next week.

The ladies sang for us in Swahili, prayed with us and received a message of encouragement from Dr. Erik Hansen:  http://uncommonroad.blogspot.com.  We then received a message from the word by Donald Davis of BKKH USA.  The ladies are so attentive, they reminded Rev. Davis of the message he preached two years ago when he spoke at their conference.  It is difficult to try estimate the impact of this outreach as key as it is to BethanyKids at Kijabe Hospital.  The followup with mothers of treated children is key to both the physical health and spiritual health of the families.  

We thought we were somewhat aware of the medical aspect of the work here in Africa, but we have learned so much more.  We can easily break out in song "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine.  Oh what a foretaste of of glory divine…."

Back to America tomorrow, look forward to seeing the family next week.

Gary & Jackie

Reflection and Prayer

We returned last evening after spending a couple days in the Mara game reserve.  Time to reflect and absorb what we have seen so far.  No internet, no cell phone, so could concentrate and enjoy God's creation.  

There is so much see and do at BethanyKids and Joytown, we spent much of our downtime contemplating how can we help the mission here and in what ways.  During our rest periods we were able to read, discuss, and pray.  The burden is heavy on our hearts, but like the old adage "how do you eat an elephant (pun intended), one bite at at time.

Gary & Jackie