notes from Africa, chapter 5

Hello all. Greetings from Africa. I apologize for not posting a blog in so long. I have only recently began to have access to the internet (or anything resembling technology). I thank my bro for posting up that e mail I sent just to my family.

I am back from in Nairobi and doing well. Things were very much up in the air when we first arrived in Nairobi. We were hoping (as you all know) to make it to Sudan. It was kinda the main destination while in Africa... I recently recieved the final "no go" from our contact. This is very dissapointing, but I trust God is guiding my steps; closing doors and opening doors for travel. It turns out that there has been some serious security problems/stephan (our contact) said they have just been through "a terrible situation". Please pray for continued safety for the our connection (Stephan and his family) in Sudan as well as...innocent people.

To up-date you on what is going on with Timm and I now I will just tell you what we have been doing this week. Friday: Took Timm's bro John to the airport and then were homeless and directionless for the afternoon. As the day progressed we had a meeting with some SIM people and began to get caught up in a vision for coming alongside/encouraging a ministry in Kibera (a huge slum in Nairobi). Then...Timm got sick. I went out in Nairobi by myself for the first time and tried to find us somewhere to sleep for the night. I did. It turned out that SIM's guesthouse had one free room, so...We have been staying there since. Saturday: we went down back down into Kibera and taught VBS for the day. Man, I love African children. There were a ton of kids, I taught the story of Daneil and the lions Den, and Timm then took the kids and taught them to draw lions and what not. I love the idea of bringing art into a place like Kibera. Sunday: I preached at the church, and then after church we found out that they had a second service...they then asked Timm to preach. It was pretty funny. He did well for having not had a chance to prepare at all. Monday: this day was Kenya Indpependence day, so we did not go down into Kibera. Instead we met up with some guys that are about our age and went into downtown Nairobi and saw the actual downtown. We also had some sweet african food at a little hole-in-the-place. Timm got sick again... Please pray that Timm would stay healthy. Today/Tuesday: we went door to door in Kibera talking with the people learning about thier sitautions and praying with them. It was a very good/encouraging to them/informative for us - time.

So, we will be working in Kibera here for at least the rest of this week. Tommorow we are going door to door visiting all of the HIV positive people that are part of the ministry and learning from them, and hopefully encouraging them to have hope.
I am not yet sure what we will be doing for Christmas. We have been toying with the idea of going to Mombassa with the guys we went downtown with yesterday or going back down to Massai Mara and spending Christmas with the Russells. I think either way some serious public transit is involved, and it should be interesting to say the least.

There are many things I need prayer for now:

Kibera: it is truly desperate. Pray for hope and comfort for these people. Most of them have fled from upcountry somewhere and live thier b/c it is the cheapest place to live. Many/most of them have Aids or are sick in some way. Pray for Chonesus (that is the group through SIM that Timm and I are working with) - pray that they would grow. This group is truly sharing the Gospel with these people, may they continue.

Health: Please pray that Timm would stay healthy. He is off and on sick, and when he is sick he cannot function very well. Please continue to pray that I stay healthy and if I do get sick that it would not be concomitly with Timm's sickness.

Sudan: Pray for the Stephan and his family's safety. And...just pray that that innocent people would stay innocent and unabused. Pray for Justice to be served in Sudan.

Development: I have been learning at an extremely fast rate about mission work, relief work, God, and justice. Please pray that God would give me a sharp mind in conjunction with compassion for the poeple here. I am being expected to evaluate the ministry in Kibera and help them progress. Please pray for God to give me helpful and encouraging words for them.

Direction: Please continue to pray that Timm and I would be were he wants us to be, living with love, in our Time after Christmas.

Christmas: Also please pray that I would take advantage of this Christmas without my family. I've never missed one and I am will miss them tremendously. Please pray that I would face the expereince, grow from the experience, and be grateful it happened the way it happened.

I miss you all very much and thank you for your prayers.

'out from the 'frica.



Aunt Sharon and Uncle George: Thank you so much for your prayers it means alot to me that you guys are daily praying for me. I am very encouarged to hear from you. I am also glad you are making use of the blog, that is why it exists. I missed you guys on thanksgiving, I hope yours was good. I ended up having a very decent thanksgiving in the middle of nowhere. I am very excited to share pics/video with you guys about what it is like here when I return. Much love.

Scotland: Thank you for the words brother. And don't you worry Timm and I have been syf'ing teh shyt hardcore for some time now. I preached on Sunday about Paiema (greek word for workmanship), look it up. I hope that greek is really chaning your understanding of the scriptures. Also look up the occurences of "good works/deeds" in the new testament in greek compared with the hebrew word Mitzvot (commandment) its mind-blowing. I love ya man.

Deja: It is cool to hear your descriptions of what it is like at home. I miss the snow hardcore. Also, thank you for the encouraging words/verses/talk of thankgiving. It was great to read. I hope that you get to make the cake for dave's wedding, and you enjoy it (the wedding). It is a crazy idea for me that he would be getting married. I have known him for going on seven years and this is the first time I have ever seen him with even a girlfriend. If you would, please greet him/the church for Timm and I. We miss him/and church. take care.

kate: Thanksgiving turned out to be okay. I was literally in the middle of nowhere. I was surrounded by camels/foriegn stuff, but I happened to be staying with an american family and we had a kickass thanksgiving meal. It felt good. I hope that you are learning a lot these days about whatever you want. I hope you are still wearing your Sudan t-shirt and praying. I miss hangin' out with you and Jared. take care and tell your family "what up" for me.

Jared: I have not seen any aliens yet, but I will keep looking. I hope you are doing well and enjoying school/chic-fil-a/music/reading/whatever you want. I am well and doing stuff, you know. take care. you and kate keep rockin' the suburbs.