Kenya Team day 9

We staggered off the train in Nairobi today at nearly noon… it took longer than expected and bumped harder than we remembered. That’s Africa… it moves slower that the US… they say “American’s keep time and Kenyans keep sheep” in other words… the clock isn’t very important to them. Anything within a few hours is on time… so we arrived “on time” in Nairobi but nearly missed our appointment at the Nairobi Islam Conf. While Daniel Messiah started over and taught the same sessions on understanding Islam… the team was assigned Home Visits. We broke up into 3 teams and a translator and guide and made our way into the slum to bring food and encouragement to the needy church members. It is such a blessing to do this… although in such contradictory conditions. Each home is so small and screams poverty… it’s sound is almost deafening to western eyes and senses… but joy and the presence of God always overpowers it. It is hard to explain how full of joy you are when we emerge from a humble “Room-house” in this deplorable slum… only God could make this happen. I’m reminded that some of life’s greatest gifts often come in a plain paper wrapping. The other emotion we feel is jealousy, how can they have such joy without technology and toys? The one word answer is Jesus, his name is just as sweet there as any place I have ever been.

Pastor Gary

Kenya Team Day 8

Day two of the Conference on Islam picked up with Daniel sharing on the Quran and it’s problems. We all learned a lot and felt better equipped to share with a Muslim friend or encounter in just about any setting. That was a perfect prelude to our afternoon highlight… we had been invited to the largest Mosque in Mombasa for a friendly exchange with the lead Imam. I have to admit, we are a little tense going in, they ushered us into a large fellowship hall style room and gave a very friendly welcome. But it became quickly obvious that they were hoping to convert us… and though they were friendly, they opened with a prayer to Allah in Arabic (Daniel speaks fluent Arabic) when translated “allah give us victory over the infidels” which was not what he told us it meant.  We asked questions about some of the major problems with Islam and the Quran, their faces couldn’t hide their surprise. Especially when Daniel quoted the Quran in Arabic… you should have seen them squirm and bold-faced lie around the questions. Modern day Islam has been packaged for western consumption… but the Quran is clear in it’s bold teachings about Infidels, women and a host of contradictions that have produced many tragic events around the world. It became a lively exchange, one that I must admit I was glad when it was over. We kept looking over our shoulders in case we were being followed… but the traffic in Mombasa would have made that impossible anyway… funny how we were grateful for crazy traffic.
 
The next morning would be our ½ day off… we made our way to a local beach and relaxed at a beach resort until 2pm. We all took a dip in the Indian ocean and had lunch before making our way back to the train station and the 12 hour return ride to Nairobi.

Pastor Gary

Kenya team Day 7

Mombasa is Hawaii-like, a humid tropical 80 degrees or so, but it’s still very Africa with crowded potholed streets and 3rd world conditions. Honestly, the poverty grinds on you, as an American you have a “we can fix this attitude” but here it’s real hard to get your head around slums that number more than a million residents. Bottom line- we can’t fix this… and we aren’t here to fix it anyway, we are here to share the message of salvation from this world through Jesus Christ. One thing is true, Africans aren’t fooled by promises of heaven on earth as we can be in the U.S., here it is graphically obvious this world isn’t heaven.
 
Our conference started this morning at Jesus Evangelical Baptist Church with most of the local Pastors in attendance. After a rousing worship time (with a worship leader who could not sing in key, really… it was awful, even the piano player was trying to find the key she shrieked in) Daniel Messiah among other speakers were there to share what Muslims teach and how to effectively reach them. Daniel had them rolling in the aisles with his thick Egyptian accent and funny stories of his imprisonment in Egypt (which when you think of it – wasn’t funny for him when he was there). He did a masterful job of teaching the basics of Islam so that the believers can better communicate Jesus to the locals.
 
When we returned to the guest house, we had to cross the local ocean channel by ferry (3/4 mile wide), the only way to our accommodations. Three boats ferry cars, trucks, motorcycles, bikes and hundreds of people on foot to the other side 24 hours a day. We arrive at 6 pm, the height of rush hour, which takes on new meaning… no rush hour in San Diego or LA even comes close to this--- trust me. We were part of a sea of people in a waiting area with close to a thousand people or more. As they prepared to load the ferry… the crowd of foot passengers broke loose like a flood and we got swept with them to the waters edge and were literally carried with the tide onto the already OVERLOADED ferry amid sick cheers from the people. It was like the “Running of the Bulls in Italy” or the wildabeast migration complete with water but with people running like beasts! It was like being in a Mosh pit at a concert you didn’t pay for and music you didn’t like. We got separated into groups of 2 or three in the flow… the ferry limped across the channel, and we all had images seen on CNN with Ferry boats capsizing in our minds. Well, we did make it--- gratefully, but we made other arrangements for our next 2 days of necessary crossings to remove any repeat scenarios!

Pastor Gary

Kenya Team Day 6

We leave for Mombasa in the evening so we made use of the morning to visit with Zaccias and Doreen who started SODA School ( Supporting Orphans & Destitute Academy). They had the team over for breakfast and to share the story that is SODA. Here is the short version:  As a young married couple Zac & Doreen were involved in local politics. African politics can be dangerous they explained, so the opponent and his party (of thugs) had her abducted, beaten and were preparing to kill her and throw her under a train bridge. Through a series of miracles due to Zac’s prayer and Doreen’s courage she was released accidently by one of the abductors just around the corner from her own home! She recovered but it set them on a course to really serve God and their people. They started a school with 20 kids and it has blossomed into a significant force for God of 383 kids, a goodly portion of which are orphans. It’s been said – you measure greatness by what it takes to stop someone. If that is true- we had the privilege of meeting two great people.
 
It’s 7pm and we are on the Train to Mombasa… it’s like going back in a time warp into a 1950’s black and white movie.
This train is old, rusty and it defies logic how it still runs, in fact we are bit skeptical it’ll make the 12 hour overnight ride to Mombasa. We are all checked into our sleeper cars, 4 to room with two sets of bunk beds. And we rambled, rock and rolled down the tracks out of Nairobi through some of the wild areas of Kenya. We were told this is the actual train line that was made famous around 1900 when it was the scene of the famous lion attacks at Tsavo. Two male lions attacked the railway workers and killed over 130 people before they were stopped. Their lions skins hang in a British museum. The Movie “The Ghost and Darkness “ chronicle the incidents. It goes without saying, between the Lion story and the bumpy  ride with numerous stops along the way… we didn’t sleep much. We arrived in Mombasa, alive, red eyed and grateful at around 10 am.

Pastor Gary

Kenya Team Day 5

Today is Sunday, so we headed out at 7:45am for church at Calvary Chapel… not an easy task to get all 12 of us out the door, the fatigue is catching up some. We helped set up the three room tent for the children’s ministry outside in the parking lot (a task they do every Sunday- whew!). The service began at 10am with only about 10 people in the seats, but by the time worship ended the seats were full (Some things are just like at home!). I had the privilege to share the Word and we studied Simon of Cyrene, the African man who carried the cross for Jesus. (It was the only African text I could think of). We loved the African style worship songs----one song went on for 5 minutes and those of us who are rhythmically challenged did our best to keep up. Man what a treat!

Lunch today was out at an Ethiopian Restaurant… that was a real adventure in taste. A huge sour spongy tortilla looking bread with unidentifiable meats and sauces where everyone eats with his hands. Strange but good food including BBQ Goat… followed by thick (motor-oil) coffee with a cool incense censer on the serving tray.

We made our way back to church for the Sunday evening home fellowship gathering in the area behind the church. So once again we trek back into the Slum. The air was filled with smoky charcoal fires outside the one room shanty homes with dirty kids and adults milling around. We arrive in a little open area next to a large aluminum building and set up chairs and wood scrap benches. As dusk settled, we sang African worship songs in Swahili and then enjoyed a recap of the morning sermon. I have to say… it was gratifying to hear them review all the points and details of my study on Simon of Cyrene… they totally got it. As a pastor you always wonder if they do… they did. (can you tell I’m smiling?)

Tomorrow we leave Nairobi and take the train for Mombasa, a resort town on the ocean and predominantly Muslim area where there is a new church being planted. Daniel Messiah will be teaching the believers on how to reach Muslims with the gospel. However… we do not expect to have internet there… so we will be unable to blog or communicate consistently.

Once we return to Nairobi on Friday, I will share more highlights.

Pastor Gary