I laugh aloud when God makes His work abundantly clear! A central theme for my journey and a struggle I have faced while in Kenya has been trying to understand why the faith of Americans and Kenyans is exceedingly dissimilar. What I have discovered is the struggles that are faced on these separate continents are very different; therefore, the reliance on God’s strength is equally different. While I have been pondering this theme, I was drawn toward a book by David Platt titled “Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream,” it was suggested by many new-found friends. While I am only on Chapter 3 of this book, it has begun to answer several questions and unlock many new concepts for me to contemplate! This is a book I highly suggest all Christians read!! I want to share the main theory of this book with you.
David Platt writes, “As the American dream goes, we can do anything we set our minds to accomplish. There is no limit to what we can accomplish when we combine ingenuity, imagination, and innovation with skill and hard work. We can earn any degree, start any business, climb any ladder, attain any prize, and achieve any goal. James Truslow Adams, who is credited with coining the phrase “American Dream” in 1931, spoke of it as “a dream…in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are.” But underlying this American dream is a dangerous assumption that, if we are not cautious, we will unknowingly accept and a deadly goal that, if we are not careful, we will ultimately achieve. The dangerous assumption we unknowingly accept in the American dream is that our greatest asset is our own ability. The American dream prizes what people can accomplish when they believe in themselves and trust in themselves, and we are drawn toward such thinking. But the gospel has different priorities. The gospel beckons us to die to ourselves and to believe in God and to trust in his power. In the gospel, God confronts us with our utter inability to accomplish anything of value apart from him.”
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
David goes on to write, “Here the gospel and the American dream are clearly and ultimately antithetical to each other. While the goal of the American dream is to make much of us, the goal of the gospel is to make much of God. So the challenge for us is to live in such a way that we are radically dependent on and desperate for the power that only God can provide.”
A theme that has been evident in my life while in Kenya is relying on God’s strength throughout each day, as opposed to my own abilities. I have found myself in numerous situations where I felt inadequate and was forced to turn to the Lord for support. David explains this very well when he writes, “In direct contradiction to the American dream, God actually delights in exalting our inability. He intentionally puts his people in situations where they come face to face with their need for him. This is how God works. He puts his people in positions where they are desperate for his power, and then he shows his provision in ways that display his greatness.”
It was no accident this is the book that I chose to read toward the end of my journey in Kenya. I am overflowing with questions about my experiences and this book is guiding me toward the answers. I wish I had time to share more with you, but my time on the internet is short now. I encourage all Christians to read “Radical;” it will expose you to a new way of thinking!
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Mausai Mara
Jambo all!!! I have to say that I'm pretty stoked about what God has been doing in my life!!! He has been opening my eyes to so very much...it is a whole different way of life in Kenya! Although there is so much suffering and pain, there is a freedom and faith that I have never experienced!
I quickly want to update you all on my living situation for the next 3 weeks and ask for some prayer request. I arrived to Ewaso Ngiro Clinic last night safely. I am in the middle of the Rift Valley in the Mausai Mara....basically middle of nowhere! But it is amazing...well, parts of it! It is beautiful here! I am very safe...we have Mausai Warriors for our guards!! There is no running water inside our guesthouse, so we have to get our water from outside then boil it...haha! We take our baths out of a plastic container…needless to say it is not in the least bit warm. There is no toilet inside...the one outside is a concrete slab over a hole that goes down into the ground...haha!!! I will only have internet access about once a week and the phone signal is minimal if you stand in certain areas outside. So, with all that said, I cannot believe I am really here...really living this in this manner and all I can do is laugh about it! I seriously sat on my bed and chuckled for about an hour last night! One month ago I would have said put me back on the plane to the US, but now I look at it as a time to rely purely on God! I am still blessed abundantly more than others! I have methods to cook food, I have electricity, a bed to sleep on...what more do I need!?! I have my music on my computer for when it gets too quiet and I have my bible to read. I will have plenty of time to study not only school work, but my devotionals! God really does know best! I would have never volunteered to live in these conditions if I had known them before arriving, but God needs my attention! He has eliminated all distractions so I can have this time with Him!
Today was my first day at the clinic...I'm learning so very much! One Thursday they have a special HIV clinic since the need for HIV education is abundant in Kenya. They offer a group counseling session to everyone that is HIV+, today there was about 75 people that showed up. I was invited to sit in on the session. When I arrived at the meeting they asked me to talk for about 30 minutes on anything I wanted…anything! Wow...what an opportunity! I gave my testimony since I have been in Africa; I told of my experiences and how God has been working in my life. I focused on Luke 6:20-26...of course I had a translator! There were so many questions, so I stood and answered them all. The people were so appreciative! They thanked me for my spiritual encouragement...it was amazing! I pray that is was God’s words, and not my own, that were being spoken!
In the next 3 weeks I am requesting some prayers: Please pray for God to use me in whatever way He sees fit...pray that my words and works be used to glorify God and Him only! Asante!
I quickly want to update you all on my living situation for the next 3 weeks and ask for some prayer request. I arrived to Ewaso Ngiro Clinic last night safely. I am in the middle of the Rift Valley in the Mausai Mara....basically middle of nowhere! But it is amazing...well, parts of it! It is beautiful here! I am very safe...we have Mausai Warriors for our guards!! There is no running water inside our guesthouse, so we have to get our water from outside then boil it...haha! We take our baths out of a plastic container…needless to say it is not in the least bit warm. There is no toilet inside...the one outside is a concrete slab over a hole that goes down into the ground...haha!!! I will only have internet access about once a week and the phone signal is minimal if you stand in certain areas outside. So, with all that said, I cannot believe I am really here...really living this in this manner and all I can do is laugh about it! I seriously sat on my bed and chuckled for about an hour last night! One month ago I would have said put me back on the plane to the US, but now I look at it as a time to rely purely on God! I am still blessed abundantly more than others! I have methods to cook food, I have electricity, a bed to sleep on...what more do I need!?! I have my music on my computer for when it gets too quiet and I have my bible to read. I will have plenty of time to study not only school work, but my devotionals! God really does know best! I would have never volunteered to live in these conditions if I had known them before arriving, but God needs my attention! He has eliminated all distractions so I can have this time with Him!
Today was my first day at the clinic...I'm learning so very much! One Thursday they have a special HIV clinic since the need for HIV education is abundant in Kenya. They offer a group counseling session to everyone that is HIV+, today there was about 75 people that showed up. I was invited to sit in on the session. When I arrived at the meeting they asked me to talk for about 30 minutes on anything I wanted…anything! Wow...what an opportunity! I gave my testimony since I have been in Africa; I told of my experiences and how God has been working in my life. I focused on Luke 6:20-26...of course I had a translator! There were so many questions, so I stood and answered them all. The people were so appreciative! They thanked me for my spiritual encouragement...it was amazing! I pray that is was God’s words, and not my own, that were being spoken!
In the next 3 weeks I am requesting some prayers: Please pray for God to use me in whatever way He sees fit...pray that my words and works be used to glorify God and Him only! Asante!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
The Good News
Wow...this has been an experience of a lifetime! This could very well be my last post. Today Nathan and I are heading to a Mausai village out by Narok to work in Ewaso Ngiro Clinic for the next three weeks. I am unaware of what the internet situation will be like...it will probably be very limited at most. I want summarize my journey thus far and what I have learned from my experiences.
What I know about Kenya: this country is very poor, the standards of living here are incomparable to anything I have witnessed in the US, the diseases I have treated are rare or nonexistent in the US, the resources are limited, the country is covered by garbage, Nairobi is overpopulated, sewage runs through the streets of the slums. What I have also witnessed are: beautiful countryside’s filled with tea-fields, wildlife in its very own habitat, children who smile no matter what their day brings even if it is death, a country that welcomes anyone and everyone, families who spend a day’s worth of wages to buy you a coke, worship and praise to God that is not confined to a time limit. I have fallen in love with a country that is, to put it mildly, very different from the USA.
I have no doubt that this journey is all part of God's plan to prepare me for something more. My faith in God has grown tremendously throughout this process. Some may question or blame God for the conditions that Kenya faces. But this is not God's plan. The struggles faced by Kenya's culture and society are dilemmas created by man. Kenya is able to face these daily struggles with an open heart thanks to God! I have never witnessed such faith, worship, and love for God as I have since my time in Kenya. I want to love God like that! I found myself beginning to question why such reliance on God is not found in the US. We are blessed abundantly and have so much to praise God for in the US...why don't we?
Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets. But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.” Luke 6:20-26
I have determined that the answer to my question is that we don't "need" God in the US. Hear me out. Yes, of course I believe that everyone "needs" Jesus in their life, but how do we depend on our Lord daily? We know where our food is coming from tomorrow, we know where we are sleeping tonight, we have the opportunity to pursue a higher education, when we are sick we seek medical assistance. I have found that each of my days in the US is centered around my schedule...what is next on my list. This is a common theme in the US. List and plans are not bad things, but in what way was my life dependent upon God? I love God so very much, but did I ever really rely on Him? In the US we are taught to rely on no one, but ourselves...what a flawed concept! We should be taught to rely on no one, but God!! In Kenya reliance upon God is a must to get through the day. The Kenyan's depend on God to provide their next meal, to provide them with good health, safety, and security. What if we lived that way in the US!?! What if we left everything throughout our day in God's hands...how different would your life be perceived? Since my journey began a little over a month ago, I made a personal goal to not use my planner while I was in Kenya. I wanted to be free of my plans so that I could live each day out in God's plan. I have found a freedom in relying on God's strength! In the US I find myself only looking to God for the big decisions in life...the daily ones I can take care of myself...I don't need any help...no thank you. It is the daily reliance upon God that strengthens our faith! I don't want to live a single day on this Earth without giving it fully to God!! I want Him to make every decision in my life so that I can live more in His image! I want to look more and more like Jesus every time I look in the mirror! Kenya has ignited a new passion for my love of Jesus! I am excited to see how this passion carries over to my life in the US. I do admit, I fear this desire leaving me when I return to the states...it is so easy to fall into what you surround yourself with. I can only pray that I continue to surrender all of my days to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior! I challenge others to live this way as well...live as the Kenyans do! Surrender your worries, your plans, your everyday to God! I hope and pray that God uses my experiences in Kenya to touch others. I wish everyone was as fortunate as I have been in getting to experience such an amazing society!
I leave you with a question to ponder. Who is it you feel the most remorseful for? The Kenyans for what they must endure on this Earth, or the Americans for what they will have to endure for eternity? I love the USA, but I wonder with all the resources we have at our disposal, what a tremendous difference we could make in this world if we would just let God use us!?! God is doing amazing things in the churches of the US, let us continue to grow in Jesus and spread the good news!
"Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." Mark 16:15-16
What I know about Kenya: this country is very poor, the standards of living here are incomparable to anything I have witnessed in the US, the diseases I have treated are rare or nonexistent in the US, the resources are limited, the country is covered by garbage, Nairobi is overpopulated, sewage runs through the streets of the slums. What I have also witnessed are: beautiful countryside’s filled with tea-fields, wildlife in its very own habitat, children who smile no matter what their day brings even if it is death, a country that welcomes anyone and everyone, families who spend a day’s worth of wages to buy you a coke, worship and praise to God that is not confined to a time limit. I have fallen in love with a country that is, to put it mildly, very different from the USA.
I have no doubt that this journey is all part of God's plan to prepare me for something more. My faith in God has grown tremendously throughout this process. Some may question or blame God for the conditions that Kenya faces. But this is not God's plan. The struggles faced by Kenya's culture and society are dilemmas created by man. Kenya is able to face these daily struggles with an open heart thanks to God! I have never witnessed such faith, worship, and love for God as I have since my time in Kenya. I want to love God like that! I found myself beginning to question why such reliance on God is not found in the US. We are blessed abundantly and have so much to praise God for in the US...why don't we?
Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets. But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.” Luke 6:20-26
I have determined that the answer to my question is that we don't "need" God in the US. Hear me out. Yes, of course I believe that everyone "needs" Jesus in their life, but how do we depend on our Lord daily? We know where our food is coming from tomorrow, we know where we are sleeping tonight, we have the opportunity to pursue a higher education, when we are sick we seek medical assistance. I have found that each of my days in the US is centered around my schedule...what is next on my list. This is a common theme in the US. List and plans are not bad things, but in what way was my life dependent upon God? I love God so very much, but did I ever really rely on Him? In the US we are taught to rely on no one, but ourselves...what a flawed concept! We should be taught to rely on no one, but God!! In Kenya reliance upon God is a must to get through the day. The Kenyan's depend on God to provide their next meal, to provide them with good health, safety, and security. What if we lived that way in the US!?! What if we left everything throughout our day in God's hands...how different would your life be perceived? Since my journey began a little over a month ago, I made a personal goal to not use my planner while I was in Kenya. I wanted to be free of my plans so that I could live each day out in God's plan. I have found a freedom in relying on God's strength! In the US I find myself only looking to God for the big decisions in life...the daily ones I can take care of myself...I don't need any help...no thank you. It is the daily reliance upon God that strengthens our faith! I don't want to live a single day on this Earth without giving it fully to God!! I want Him to make every decision in my life so that I can live more in His image! I want to look more and more like Jesus every time I look in the mirror! Kenya has ignited a new passion for my love of Jesus! I am excited to see how this passion carries over to my life in the US. I do admit, I fear this desire leaving me when I return to the states...it is so easy to fall into what you surround yourself with. I can only pray that I continue to surrender all of my days to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior! I challenge others to live this way as well...live as the Kenyans do! Surrender your worries, your plans, your everyday to God! I hope and pray that God uses my experiences in Kenya to touch others. I wish everyone was as fortunate as I have been in getting to experience such an amazing society!
I leave you with a question to ponder. Who is it you feel the most remorseful for? The Kenyans for what they must endure on this Earth, or the Americans for what they will have to endure for eternity? I love the USA, but I wonder with all the resources we have at our disposal, what a tremendous difference we could make in this world if we would just let God use us!?! God is doing amazing things in the churches of the US, let us continue to grow in Jesus and spread the good news!
"Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." Mark 16:15-16
A Glimpse into the Slums
I have no words to adequately describe what I have seen today. My words will not give it justice. The conditions that I have walked through, the conditions that I have seen with my own eyes...they are unlivable, yet people live in them. The smell alone made me gag repeatedly. I walked around paralyzed by my emotions most of the day. I wanted to breakdown and cry, but what good would that have done? As children ran toward me with smiles on their faces, they would yell out, "Mzungo (white person), how are you?" one of the few English phrases they knew. My only thought was, "How could they be smiling in these conditions?" Somehow the people living in the slums of Kenya find joy among their conditions. They live among garbage, filth, feces, sewage...yet they find joy! My only answer is Jesus! They know there is something better awaiting them after this life...their conditions now are only temporary. Children squat in the streets to use the bathroom, women eat rocks for calcium when they are pregnant, men rape young virgin children because they are told it will cure them of HIV/AIDS, women are so frightened to leave their homes at night that they use the bathroom in plastic bags and throw it into the streets. Homes are thrown together with metal sheets and plastic tarp...there is one room and one room only. The homes have no bathrooms, no kitchen, no running water, and houses entire families. The water system running through the community is overflowing with garbage, goats and pigs bathe and drink from the same water supply as the people. Children sit and play in the sewage and garbage, men rape their neighbors, human beings starve to death. There is no way for me to accurately describe the conditions of the slums, therefore I will post some pictures so that it will give you a glimpse of what I walked through today...of what people live in everyday.
There are over 50,000 people that live in slums of these photographs. The largest slum area in Kenya houses over 2 million people.
There are over 50,000 people that live in slums of these photographs. The largest slum area in Kenya houses over 2 million people.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
28!!!! Happy Birthday!!!!
What a great birthday...for sure one I will never forget!!! My birthday actually started off a bit early the night before with a wonderful surprise from my church family...they made a "Happy Birthday" sign, took various pictures with it, made an album on facebook, and tagged me in all the pictures! It brought tears to my eyes...I miss them all so very much!!! I received a very lovely letter thanks to facebook, from my fiance, Justin Crowe....I received numerous messages from other friends and family, and I was even blessed enough to have a card from my wonderful BFF, Courey McCubbin (she loves me so much, and me her, that she sent my birthday card with me before I left the states)!!! Wow! I am truly blessed!!
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4
I wanted to do something a bit fun on my birthday, and what could be more fun than surgery!!!!!! Thanks to Dr Trent Wilson and Dr Greene, I was able to scrub-in on some very interesting cases!!!! What an exciting way to spend my day!
Distal Radius Fracture:
Quadricep Tendon Tear:
As I have previously stated, all of the short-term missionaries at the guesthouse have bonded and became somewhat of a family! I was very surprised when they all gathered the night of my birthday for a celebration! It was a wonderful way to end the day! I sat around the table with new friends and shared birthday cake and ice cream! They all sang "Happy Birthday" to me and I received a stuffed bear and a pack of gum! It was so very special to me! Thanks to all who had a part in it!!!!
Surprise Birthday Party:
So, the big 28!!! What an amazing day the Lord blessed me with!!! Thank you to all of my old and new friends, to my family and my church, to my fiance for making this birthday one I will always remember!!! God has blessed me time and time again...thank you!!!
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4
I wanted to do something a bit fun on my birthday, and what could be more fun than surgery!!!!!! Thanks to Dr Trent Wilson and Dr Greene, I was able to scrub-in on some very interesting cases!!!! What an exciting way to spend my day!
Distal Radius Fracture:
Quadricep Tendon Tear:
As I have previously stated, all of the short-term missionaries at the guesthouse have bonded and became somewhat of a family! I was very surprised when they all gathered the night of my birthday for a celebration! It was a wonderful way to end the day! I sat around the table with new friends and shared birthday cake and ice cream! They all sang "Happy Birthday" to me and I received a stuffed bear and a pack of gum! It was so very special to me! Thanks to all who had a part in it!!!!
Surprise Birthday Party:
So, the big 28!!! What an amazing day the Lord blessed me with!!! Thank you to all of my old and new friends, to my family and my church, to my fiance for making this birthday one I will always remember!!! God has blessed me time and time again...thank you!!!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Weekend #3 = Fun at the Guesthouse
My last weekend at Tenwek was filled with fun and laughter!!! We kicked the weekend off with movie night in the activity center. All the short-term missionaries were present to watch "Remember the Titans." I've seen it at least 10 times and it never fails, when "Superman" gets paralyzed my eyes fill with tears! Haha!
Saturday was a day filled with relaxation! It was my first day off while in Tenwek. I enjoyed a 2-mile jog....meaning I was out of breath and struggling the whole time! We are at a high elevation here, so simply walking the hill to the hospital exerts me! I spent the rest of the day being productive and working on school work. Saturday night, we celebrated with games, popcorn, and brownies...what a treat!!! We played a vigorous game of "Mad Gab" and of course my team won! Lyle and David were pro's! It was a very competitive night! Dr Spears was kind enough to host game night in her very very lovely house! We were all a bit taken back at house extravagant her house was...a house this nice is not quite so common in Kenya. All in all, a wonderful weekend filled with friends!
Game Night!
Dr Spear's Stunning House:
I love this nativity scene!
Sunday started off a bit earlier than usual. A group, including: Trent, Lyle, Nathan, Dr Greene, Cheryl, David, and myself, all awoke at 4:30am to hike up to Motigo! By 5:40am we reached the peak, well in time to see the sun rise! I stood in awe of God's creation...it was breathtaking! Our group shared in a time of prayer as the sun began to rise. The second the sun peaked over the farthermost mountain all of our cameras began to click. It was a beauty that a picture cannot give justice to, but I will still display some of my photos!
A boy standing at the peak of the mountain:
Group Pics:
David and Cheryl Lee:
Our decent down our muddy path!
After our quick decent from the mountain, we all rushed to get to breakfast which was being hosted by Barbara Pinkley, one of the long-term missionaries. As soon as we finished our breakfast, we went to church service. During worship, Nathan joined the musicians and played guitar. Along with the rest of the musicians, the boy displayed in the picture below was stroking away on his guitar...it was adorable!
Saturday was a day filled with relaxation! It was my first day off while in Tenwek. I enjoyed a 2-mile jog....meaning I was out of breath and struggling the whole time! We are at a high elevation here, so simply walking the hill to the hospital exerts me! I spent the rest of the day being productive and working on school work. Saturday night, we celebrated with games, popcorn, and brownies...what a treat!!! We played a vigorous game of "Mad Gab" and of course my team won! Lyle and David were pro's! It was a very competitive night! Dr Spears was kind enough to host game night in her very very lovely house! We were all a bit taken back at house extravagant her house was...a house this nice is not quite so common in Kenya. All in all, a wonderful weekend filled with friends!
Game Night!
Dr Spear's Stunning House:
I love this nativity scene!
Sunday started off a bit earlier than usual. A group, including: Trent, Lyle, Nathan, Dr Greene, Cheryl, David, and myself, all awoke at 4:30am to hike up to Motigo! By 5:40am we reached the peak, well in time to see the sun rise! I stood in awe of God's creation...it was breathtaking! Our group shared in a time of prayer as the sun began to rise. The second the sun peaked over the farthermost mountain all of our cameras began to click. It was a beauty that a picture cannot give justice to, but I will still display some of my photos!
A boy standing at the peak of the mountain:
Group Pics:
David and Cheryl Lee:
Our decent down our muddy path!
After our quick decent from the mountain, we all rushed to get to breakfast which was being hosted by Barbara Pinkley, one of the long-term missionaries. As soon as we finished our breakfast, we went to church service. During worship, Nathan joined the musicians and played guitar. Along with the rest of the musicians, the boy displayed in the picture below was stroking away on his guitar...it was adorable!
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