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From Geoffrey to You! Poor Beggars and Loved Drunks

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

Wednesday May 13, 2009

Poor Beggars and Loved Drunks

The pastor of the church made home visitations today. Our first stop was at the home of an elderly woman who was having many difficulties within her family and with her legs. She was generous and was incredibly hospitable the time we spent together I treasure. We talked for a couple of hours, prayed and went on our merry way. No one was home at our next destination so we decided to visit a place called Kosovo instead. Kosovo is where you go to get drunk off of the illicit bootleggers’ local brew. Only drunkards go there, so we welcomed ourselves to it. Most churches don’t want drunks, drug addicts and hookers in their church and do whatever they can to steer clear of them and keep them out of their church. If you hadn’t already noticed I don’t look at myself as your stereotypical Christian or your typical pastor, I like to think outside the box and I want the people that no one else wants; when we started the homeless church we were gladly working with drug addicts, mentally unstable, alcoholics and prostitutes. I picked up that trait from reading the bible; I think that is a part of the bible that a lot of the pastors and religious gurus of today overlook.

As we strolled our way to the scattered set of deteriorated buildings, a putrid and rank smell overwhelmed our senses, this place was a pigsty. We found ourselves surrounded by waste and about forty adults who smelled so bad their clothes were begging to be burned, it seemed like they hadn’t bathed for what seemed like weeks. I have worked with the homeless for quite a while and have smelled my fair share of unclean fellows, but this group topped the charts. When I worked with the homeless I found a mystery crust covering their hands each time I shook their hands, the hands of these gentlemen; I was served forty crusty and rough hand shakes and “jambo’s” as their warm welcome. You could smell the alcohol on their breaths a mile away, they were as drunk as can be and it wasn’t even lunchtime yet. These guys were completely addicted to this local brew which looked and smelled like sewage water. Most of these men made drinking their priority, more important than school fees for their children and food for their family was this alcohol. Whatever little money they are able to make one day they drink away the next. I have friends who have had to drop out of school because their father drank away their fees.

These guys are looked down upon by the religious crowd and seemed to have a hunger for God but aren’t accepted in most churches. A few of them started blurting out scripture in a drunken blather They were a good group of guys, definitely smelly but a very good group of guys. Most of them had gone to church but were kicked out or were chased out because of this addiction.

Many Christians get this “holier than thou” thinking mentality that ruins it for the rest of us. Why are Christians labeled with the stereotypical negative connotations, it is because of those over-zealous type that read a scripture and smack people upside the head with it instead of applying it to their lives. Those Christians holding up signs condemning gays and people who have had abortions and have put themselves up on a pedestal and act as if they are perfect. I heard a preacher here in Kenya say that he hadn’t sinned for twenty years, he sinned right then by lying. I have met so many Christians that are eager and willing to point out the flaws in someone else’s life by judging and condemning them, but aren’t willing to look at their flaws. I have learned that whenever we point a finger at someone we have four more pointing back at you.

I don’t look at myself as this incredible or perfect guy. I don’t think of myself better than anyone else. I don’t think that I am holier or less of a sinner than anyone else either. Unlike those zealous religious folks, I remember where I came from and the condition in which I became a Christian, it seems like those guys holding up the signs while they shout through blow horns have forgotten that they are sinners too. The reason I became a Christian is because I was so messed up that God had to send Christ to die for my sins, apparently those guys with the signs became Christians another way… maybe they got cool matching jackets for not being a sinner like me.

Romans 8:28 “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”

I guess God had a mess up by tossing this one in the old bible huh? One of my favorite sayings is from an old pastor of mine, “I am just one poor beggar telling another poor beggar where to find food.” See I don’t have any food and I am no better than anyone else. I am just one poor beggar telling another poor beggar where to find food. Some of us forget about the fact that we are poor beggars just because we have a little food in our stomachs the truth is that we need Christ just as much as the next guy. It isn’t my place to judge or point a finger or kick someone out of a church because of an addiction or struggle. I haven’t forgotten about where I come from and the fact is that I still need God as much as I ever did.

I sat there and talked with these smelly and toothless drunk fellows. I apologized to them about what churches and pastors have said about them and how they had been treated, I tried to explain that sometimes we do a bad job representing God. I told them about John 3:17 and the fact that we weren’t there to judge them or condemn them and that they we would love to have them visit our church and if they did we would accept them with arms wide open. We told them that this was no way to live. They have wives to love and children to support and that they are missing out on life, we told them that just like us they need help because they are just as messed up as we are. Don’t worry about your addiction, don’t worry about what people will think or say, please come as our guests and sit with us this Sunday morning. I told them that we aren’t any better than them and that God didn’t send Christ to die on the cross to condemn them and hate them. No lie, as I spoke you could have heard a needle drop I think God sobered them up because their slurred ramblings turned into intelligent conversation. After a few questions we had a pretty overwhelming amount of interest in where our church was and what time to be there this Sunday, I am excited to see who comes.

Today I was reminded that I am nothing great. It isn’t my place to judge or to keep people from coming to church. It isn’t my responsibility to tell someone that God hates them and doesn’t accept them. My job is to love and show God’s love… I remembered that I am merely one poor beggar telling another poor beggar where to find food.

Asante Sana,

Mwendwa

Prayer Requests:
Carro’s surgery and recovery
Funds for different projects for Tumaini
I am going to town on Friday to buy the wheelchair for Stacy… I have had some difficulties buying it from this hospital so please pray that it goes well and that I get it
My speaking on Sunday

Randoms:
Apparently polygamy is a big hit here in Kenya
Bob Marly is cool everywhere… even in Kenya
I bought some matches today for the stove I just got woot woot… the matches are made of wax… isn’t that weird? I lit one and though I was going to break it.
It is impossible for me to leave my house without being followed by children or stopped five times by people saying “Hi Geoffrey do you remember me?” More often than not I don’t remember them… in fact I have NO CLUE who they are
A lot of people wear shirts and hats but have no idea what the writing on them means. Little kids walk around with marijuana leafs on their shirts and the F bomb on them. I have a picture of a girl at the youth camp wearing a marijuana shirt… ha ha

WORD OF THE DAY
Karibu sana
Cuh-re-boo sauna
Thank you very much or you are very welcome

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From Geoffrey to you; Service with a smile!

Tuesday, May 12th, 2009

Tuesday May 12, 2009

Service with a smile

I like to serve and volunteer my time; most of you probably realize that. I have volunteered and fundraised more times and ways that I can remember or count. I have participated in walkathons, runs, danceathons, can drives, door to door fundraising, work with orphans in Mexico, construction, washing the feet of homeless people, serving food at homeless shelters, working with underprivileged children, speaking at youth camps, I have co-led thanksgiving and Christmas feast for the homeless, collected goods for orphans, made visitations to convalescent homes, and the list goes on. Regardless on how long we have been acquainted, I am sure I have probably hit you up for money for some worthy cause or attempted to persuade you to volunteer with me somewhere. I have a problem though; sometimes I think my service has an underlining selfish ambition.

When I volunteer my goal is to meet a need and try to make a difference, but I always seem to get something out of it. Of course you are going to get something out of working towards some worthy cause, but there is a difference when I sign up to help versus signing up to give myself a pat on the back. It is cool to say at the end of the day that I have fed the homeless or encouraged underprivileged children and I am left with this indescribable fullness and self worth at the end of the day. It seems like a win-win situation because I get something out of it and the worthy cause or organization gets the help or donations, but it isn’t as much of a win as it could be. It is easy to sign up to volunteer and say I want to help in any area, but really only mean that you are willing to do the glamorous and fun aspect of volunteering. I always want to do the work that everyone else sees, I want to wipe boogers from the face of a starving child, hand out food to a homeless man, help a crippled child learn to walk, V.B.S., these are the things that are at the face of volunteer opportunities; the things that everyone is more than willing to help out doing. I feel like these are the things that I do that make more of a difference in my life, in making me feel good about myself, than in actually making a difference in the life of another or meeting the need of an organization. Yes I am making a difference for the cause or organization, but I am meeting a small need that everyone wants to do instead of actually surrendering myself to be used in a way that benefits them the most. I do the jobs that make me feel the best and that I consider the most important instead of the ones that are actually in the direst need of help. I know I am not alone in this.

For those of you who don’t know my friends and I started a non-profit organization called H.A.N.D.S. (www.helpingallnations.com) which focuses on feeding the homeless while trying to help get them out of their situation as well as working with needy families and orphans in Mexico. Every Sunday morning, now in three separate locations (woot woot go team), we bring out barbeque grills and cook the homeless personalized omelets, cut hair, wash feet, give away clothing, provide bicycle repair and hold a church service. We have been able to lend a hand to literally hundreds upon hundreds of people in need and have been blessed with hundreds of volunteers. Whenever we get a new volunteer it seems like they think with the same mentality that I do; I want to cook eggs cause I feel that is the most important part and it would make me feel the best. Everyone always wants to cook an omelet or make pancakes for the homeless, which is great really it is, but that is just about the smallest part of our Sunday morning ministry. Cooking the food is the glamorous part of H.A.N.D.S. and is the part that we always seemed to have an overwhelmed amount of volunteers for, but when it comes to the behind the scenes work like organizing bins or making phone calls almost no one is willing to help. I have had people come up to me and tell me that they are ready and willing to serve on a Sunday morning, but they only mean that they are ready and willing to serve if I give them the job that they want; like cooking eggs versus showing up to organize our storage unit, I can guarantee we need more help organizing a storage unit than we do cooking an omelet. Why? Because as people we want to do the thing that they consider most important and that will make them feel the best, when I go to a soup kitchen I want to serve food instead of standing at the door collecting tickets, but that job is just as important as the others. I’m not trying to make anyone feel bad or call anyone out, this is just an observation that I have made over a few years and it is something that I see in myself and don’t like. I think that I if I volunteer my time that I should want to be put in the area where I am going to make the biggest difference and meet the greatest need whether that is doing the glamorous work or the grunt work that no one sees or hears about.

When I started planning this trip to Kenya that was one of my biggest concerns. One of the first things I told Stanley before I came was that I just want to serve whether I am working with an AIDS orphan or scrubbing a toilet; I just want to serve. I can come to Kenya and play with the kids and tell them about Jesus but that is the easy stuff for me and I know it would make a difference, but I think I can make an even bigger difference doing small things and the stuff no one else really wants to do. We have plenty of groups and people that are coming here and can work on that front, we need them there, but since I am here long term and God has already provided people to work on that front I can put my focus elsewhere. Today I spent the day working for Tumaini in the office, the majority of my time there was spent writing down the names and children and their schools from one piece of paper to another. Most people wouldn’t travel ten-thousand miles to write down the names of children and their schools from one piece of paper to the next, I bet that most people would want to deliver food, play with the kids and do V.B.S. which is great and needs to be done, but I think what I did today was just as important if not maybe even more important. Since we have groups that come and are going to be doing work with the children I am free to work on another front and use my gifts and talents elsewhere. Working and playing with the children is SO important, and don’t get me wrong I definitely do play with the children, but there are plenty of other important areas that I feel I need to put my focus. When I go to Mexico to work at the orphanage I am signed up to just do grunt work, I’m not playing with the children or working with them I will be doing construction and digging holes, the stuff no one else wants to do, but it is important stuff. One of my goals when I came here was to do some of the stuff that no one else wants to do knowing that whatever my contribution was, whether cleaning a toilet or speaking in front of orphans, that I played an important role in something bigger than myself. I want to serve in a position where my abilities are going to make the biggest difference.

I encourage you, as I encourage myself, that when you volunteer your time to an organization or cause that you try to find the important things that need to get done that no one else wants to do.

Asante Sana,

Mwendwa

Prayer Requests:
I think I ate bad food yet again… stomach problems
Carro and her surgery
Funds for different needs for Tumaini

Randoms:
Let’s say that you and I are walking side by side. I like to tap your shoulder on the opposite side that I am on in some attempt to fool you and get you to look the opposite direction… apparently you aren’t supposed to do that to someone of the opposite sex here… it is a big “No-No.” I got in trouble for it.
I prayed for Esther and her malaria went away
Since I told that girl that I’m not going to marry her whenever she sees me we both get embarrassed and blush ha ha ha… awkward!
You can buy a bunch of Kenyan tea for a buck

Word of the Day
Asante kwa ukarimu wako
Uh-sss-on-tay qwa oo-car-emu wa-co
Thank you for your hospitality

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From Geoffrey to you; Like a bad car accident

Monday, May 11th, 2009

Monday May 11, 2009

Like a bad car crash…

I remember the first youth group that I attended upon my arrival here in Kenya; it was pretty painful to watch. We had a small group of young adults encircled around the pastor who was leading a dull discussion about sex, is it even possible to have a boring discussion revolving around sex when talking to teenagers.. yeah apparently it is. Every mouth was shut. Each set of eyes was fixated on the ground. Some were texting while others were talking on their phone. As questions were asked each response was an overwhelming deafening silence. No one talked, no one shared and it seemed like everyone wanted to get out of that place. They were so uncomfortable that it made me uncomfortable, I even wanted to leave. The pastor was giving it his all but these people wouldn’t budge. It was kind of like a bad car accident that you just didn’t want to watch; painful and messy.

I have been working with youth for a few years and feel as though I have a natural knack for it. I was overly confident in my ability to give these youth a thriving and beneficial environment as I thought of my first lesson. The next Sunday afternoon I stepped up to the plate with one of my favorite lessons in hand and struck out in a more grotesque way than the pastor had the previous week. There was no getting through to them and they wouldn’t budge! No one talked. No one looked at anything besides the ground. No one was willing to share or open up. This youth group was filled to the brim with an underlining inept and gauche tone. Like the pastor crashed and burned I did too my first week. I knew they wanted to leave and so did I to be honest. I was a little curious as to why so I asked the pastor about the culture and what the problem was. The difficulty of getting people to open us was made aware to me. Most people don’t feel guilt but shame is ever present and many things are socially unacceptable and have a negative connotation or stigma. If you open up and talk about your shame then you are putting yourself in a position where you may be mocked, ridiculed, and victimized, more so than what we experience in America. These youth haven’t had as many opportunities to share and open up as we have and don’t live in a place where you can ask any type of question, many things are taboo and aren’t spoken about (HOWEVER the culture has been changing and the taboos are becoming less and less and things are now more socially acceptable than they have been previously).

The pastor has a lot of natural talent and abilities, but from what I have witnessed these talents seem to revolve more around adults, preaching and teaching than they do with youth. For whatever reason I feel as though my gifts are opposite of his and I have a natural ability to work with youth, it is as if I can get them to open up as a friend but still give them guidance from the perspective of someone who has been around a few times. Many people hate teenagers, I want to spend a large chunk of my life working with them; everyone has their calling. I’m also a people person, all of you have probably come to that realization if you have spent anymore than five minutes with me and if you haven’t I would question what rock you have been living under, I thrive in social settings and have this natural gift to bond with others and often find people ready and willing to be broken and transparent with me. Even though being the youth pastor here had a rickety rackety rockety start, I have been able to do what I do best and bond with these young adults. I feel like the environment we have now is light-years ahead of where we were two months ago; they are actually opening up. They share now. When they are going through a difficult time they actually say they are going through a difficult time. We have all grown closer together and have so many things we want to do in the future. We have a thriving environment on Sunday afternoons now.

Through these youth becoming more comfortable and opening up I have learned that the things they struggle with and are tempted by are identical to us in the good ole’ U.S. Even tough ten-thousand miles separate us, sex, drugs, and alcoholism are struggles that the youth of Kenya and the youth of America both seem to stumble into. We talked a little about getting drunk yesterday, and surprisingly everyone except one person had gotten drunk before, and we aren’t talking about people in their mid-twenties many of them are still in high school. If you ask a group of high school students in America if they have ever gotten drunk I know you will get the same reaction and response. Sex, porn, getting drunk or high, fighting and having a foul mouth are some of the main struggles that both of our youth suffer from. I’m not sure why but this completely blew my mind. I was so worried when I came here that I would have no idea what to say or how to relate. I thought that the struggles were going to be completely different than what I am used to, but they aren’t. Before coming here I have had my share of youth that have been abused, molested, raped, addicted to drugs or alcoholics, depressed and suicidal, experiencing fighting parents, teen pregnancy, abortion, prostitution, thinking of dropping out of school, and not having a father and they have all of these issues here as well.

I guess I wanted to express two things today. I think it is pretty amazing that we now have an environment in which these youth feel comfortable enough to open up, it is something that many of them haven’t done before and we have had some pretty intense things shared in the past two months. I also find it interesting that I am sitting in a third world country that is ten-thousand miles from my home and yet the struggles and temptations prevalent here are the same as if I were talking to a group of teenagers in America.

Asante Sana,

Mwendwa

Prayer Requests:
Carro’s operation and her family coping with her in the hospital
Funds for a generator
Medical building

Randoms:
I have two friends named Sarah and Ruth that are my age. They both work beneath my hotel room and if I stick my head out the door I can see them. Yesterday Sarah called me over and said Ruth wants to talk to you, then Ruth blushed and buried her face. We were all talking and like everyone else they were worried about who was going to cook for me and Sarah came up with a really good idea. Why don’t you marry Ruth for the next four months and she can cook for you… wow… really? She kept on urging us to get married. She pointed out how I live right above where she works so it would be so convenient…. Wow can you say awkward? I am pretty sure Ruth has a crush on me and Sarah is trying to make something happen between us. Sarah and left Ruth and I alone to talk… both of us were pretty embarrassed and blushing quite a bit. She asked me if I wanted to take her back with me to America, she said it with sincerity and truthfully. I had to sit there and explain to her that we weren’t going to get married and that Sarah was joking and that I wasn’t going to take her back to America with me. I have had to give the “I just see you as a friend” talk to a few friends before but this was by far the most awkward and weird. Sorry Ruth and sorry Grandma I know you can’t wait for me to get married but you are going to have to wait just a little bit longer.
Things that I do that are completely normal and acceptable for our culture is so weird for the people in Kenya. You don’t say “Bless you” when you sneeze. When I try to clean up after myself people get mad. I put on bug repellant last night and Mutuku looked at me as if I was crazy and then started to laugh at me.
When I am walking to my old house there is a group of about twenty kids that are always outside. They yell out “MZUNGU” or “Joe-free” (that is how they say my name) or “Mwendwa” then they all come running to me. They literally run so fast and drop whatever they are doing to shake my hand. Two of them always ask me for candy. I think it would be a pretty bad idea to give them candy this early in the game though, if I do they will NEVER leave me alone. I think I am going to give them a ton of candy and junk food right before I leave. So every time one of them asks me for money or candy I start to ask them for money and candy. They always say “tomorrow tomorrow.” I think it’s funny. Especially when I reach into my pocket and pull out an empty hand and start begging them for candy and money… they get a kick out of it!

Word of the Day:
Tafhathali naweza kwenda msanani
Taw-faw-dolly nuh-wez-uh qua-when-day mmm-sa-naw-knee
Please excuse me to the bathroom… this one is a must!

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From Geoffrey to You; Eager to Serve

Monday, May 11th, 2009

Sunday May 10, 2009

Eager to serve

I moved into my hotel on Wednesday and since the move I feel completely at ease. My hotel is on one hundred percent lock-down and has a substantial amount of security twenty-four hours each day; I don’t think I have felt this safe and secure since I left home. I have bars on my windows and a fierce deadbolt keeping my door securely locked. No one else has a key which means no one is going to be able to come in and steal anything, it also means that I will have to pull out some of my fancy foot work and kick down my door if I lose my key… or I’ll just have to pay for a new lock. Not only is my safety secured and my fears history, but also this place has become a paradise for me.

I love being here, truly I do, I normally have an entourage of children following me or and flocked by friends, which is great don’t get me wrong, but it is just really nice to have a refuge of my own to retreat to. This place is my get away to be alone with God, to pray, to read, to watch movies and to think. Alone time has been nearly nonexistent since my arrival, but now I get as much time to myself as my little ole’ heart desires. After playing with kids all day, traveling a great distance on the dreaded public transportation, making numerous house visits, praying for the sick or leading small groups… I am exhausted and need a place to unwind and now I have one. Besides security and personal space I have truly been blessed with a toilet and a shower, I actually have running water! I know it sounds kind of inane but you would probably react the same way if you had lived for two months without a toilet or running water (that’s right can you believe it has already been about two months since I left home?!?).

Besides being blessed with safety and running water, I have made a new friend; Mutuku. I’m not sure exactly what job title you would give Mutuku because he and his partner both do so much. He cleans the rooms. He does my laundry (apparently no matter who washes your clothes [me, Mama Carro, William, or myself] with the type of soap and the water found here your underwear still comes out stale each time). He cleans the facilities. He fixes things. He seems to be a handyman, janitor, caretaker, gatekeeper, security and concierge all wrapped up in one. He is up later than I am and wakes up before I do. He is ALWAYS here and ALWAYS ready to meet any and all of your needs. I need to take a few lessons from Mutuku when it comes to serving.

Whether I am leaving my room at the beginning of a new day or whether I am dragging my fatigued inert self into bed, Mutuku is always there and is ready and eager to greet me. He asks me if I need toilet paper, towels, or soap, but the tone in which he says it is as if my life depended on it, everyday he says “Mr. Geoffrey what can I get you?” or “Mr. Geoffrey can I do anything for you?” When I take out my trash or make my bed it is as if some immeasurable amount of gripping fear as well as disbelief have engulfed his body and he stands completely in awe with his mouth gapped open, as if I insulted him by doing his job. Anything I need or anything I want Mutuku is more than willing to get for me and I learned that apparently the good Lord forbid I do something for myself. The smile on his face and the joy in his heart as he serves and meets my needs is ever present.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Mutuku doesn’t have much. He has been working in these owners for thirteen years and by the look of his clothes and appearance of his living quarters he hasn’t obtained much wealth from it. It also seems like he never seems to be off the clock; always working and always on his toes waiting to meet the needs of another guest. He lives to serve, while on the clock or off the clock. I have known Mutuku less than anyone else here and yet his zeal, attitude and sheer will to serve has already blown me away as it is accompanied by his hospitality and benevolence.

He bends over backwards to make sure that I am being taken care of. He offers me food and fruits whenever he has some. He runs to greet me in the morning. He has no shame in his career, he is proud of what he does. He gives this job everything he has. He may not be making large amounts of money, but the joy he displays surly makes up for that. He is happy and content. Whether he is scrubbing toilets or mopping floors, he has a smile on his face as he serves with everything he has! He reminds me of two scriptures:

1 Peter 4:11 “If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

Ephesians 6:7 “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men.”

Matuku isn’t working a white collar job. He doesn’t have a 501K. He doesn’t own a car or have many luxurious items. In this job field not everyone will be treating him with respect, some guests may even look down on him and treat him like a lesser being because of his career choice. His job is labor intense and he works pretty brutal hours. Most of us, including myself, would never want to work this type of job especially for his pay, but Mutuku doesn’t look at it like we do. Whether he is serving a millionaire or a pauper he treats them with dignity and respect as if he were serving God. He goes the extra mile whenever it is possible. I can almost guarantee that if I were in his shoes I would have quit, I would complain, I would be muttering all sorts of swear words under my breath all while an extreme dislike for others continually built up. I wouldn’t give this job 110% I would do just enough to scrape by, and nothing but money would persuade me to do more than I was obligated to.

As I look at Mutuku and his situation something inside of me is stirred, I realize something that he has I need. When you look past his well calloused hands, torn slacks, and faded shirts he takes more honor and dignity in his line of service than I can even hope to come close to. Whether he is taking out trash, opening doors or scrubbing a toilet he lives to serve and does it with a smile. I feel like if things aren’t done my way or if my specific conditions aren’t met then I wont do it. I lose my zeal and ardor to serve others if I don’t see the point or if I don’t reap an instant reward. Mutuku, however, works as if he is working for the Lord. I want that and I need that.

Asante Sana,

Mwendwa

Prayer Requests:
Carro and her surgery. Her mother is really scared.
Funds for a generator
I’m still a little sick
Our new medical center

Randoms:
I was walking home from church with two friends. We heard a loud noise and my friend scremed as she looked back. I looked back and there was a mini-stamped of bulls…. When I say mini I mean mini. One bull came pretty close to stomping on us… but I screamed and freaked out and so did my other friend, in response to the initial scream. When I looked back I only looked at the one running towards us and assumed the entire herd was stampeding…. So I ran off the road… boy do I feel dumb now.
I guess me newly acquired shower had a clog or something was blocking the drain because my shower flooded, but I didn’t realize it until after I was done… my room flooded and all of my books got drenched… DANG
When I was walking to church at the butt crack of dawn, two wagons passed me. They were the old fashion kind, made completely of wood and have wooden wheels. They were being powered by bulls.
At church today there was a really “inquisitive” little boy. He found a sewage drain and took the lid off. Apparently the lid was too heavy and it pulled him into the sewage… he bumped he head and cried a bit but was fine. I just thought it was hilarious that he fell in sewage… was it wrong of me to have laughed? I only laughed after I knew he was okay… no one else laughed… I guess its an American thing to laugh at this sort of stuff huh?
I watched the God’s Must Be Crazy yesterday… seriously cracks me up each time… especially the part about the car.
The building I am staying is run partially by solar power (don’t think it is fancy and hoity toity cause it isn’t)… I am just surprised that in a third world country, in a broken down hotel, in a place filled with poverty there are some buildings with solar power…

Word of the Day
Siagi ya jugukaranga jamu mkate
See-ah-gee yah jew-goo-car-on-ga mmmmmmm-cot-aye

Butter of peanut jelly and bread… that is the best I can do to say a peanut butter and jelly sandwich…I eat about two or three a day!

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From Geoffrey to You! Calloused HANDS and Calloused HEARTS

Saturday, May 9th, 2009

Saturday May 9, 2009

Calloused hands and calloused hearts

Corruption, manipulation, and taking advantage of others make up the life mantra of some of the business owners and employers of Masii that have bought into the idea of doing whatever it takes to get ahead. The taxi drivers here break the laws by cramming two or three times the legal limit of people into a small van and increasing the price at their discretion. I have numerous friends that are forced to work sixty-hour weeks with remunerations that don’t even meet their basic needs. I have a friend who has a beautiful four-month-old baby named David, I just found out that while his wife gave birth to David he had to work, he gets no sick leave or vacation time, he works everyday but Sundays. From what I understand, laws have been put into place but there is a severe lack of follow through. In America we have corrupt politicians, sometimes it seems to be a requirement to get the job, we have employers that take advantage of employees, we have people that are overworked and underpaid, but it seems as though we are given incentives and aid from the government in exponential rates in comparison to here in Masii.

One of the most overwhelming realities of this place is that these people have the most extreme work ethic I have ever witnessed, whether delivering water, building furniture, teaching, preaching, or running a store the people of Masii work, work and then work some more; their rough calloused hands open your eyes to the extremity of the work ethic that most of these seem to have built into their DNA. Sometimes you shake a hand and its like a rock. Our work is nothing in comparison to theirs. Because of this driving force, I think quite a few people have been able to climb up the social later and define the idea of “rags to riches.” The majority don’t seem to know what it means to be lazy, though there are the few that do.

The story of one friend really exhibits the severity of some of the mistreatment some employers inflict on their employees in some desperate attempt to gain more wealth. Her name is Cara and she is easily one of the most kind, benevolent and compassionate people you will ever be fortunate enough to cross paths with. She leads our worship and praise team, her voice sends goose bumps down my spine each week. She is one of the few that is willing to show up to church at 6 AM every Sunday morning to pray. She is on our leadership team and is a faithful in her tithing. The small group that she is involved with takes up offerings to help meet the specific needs of people in bad situations, and like clockwork, she always gives to those who have less than her. On Sundays and other days when William and I have been working all day, she comes to our home, after work ten or more hours herself, and spends an hour or two making us dinner. Cara has such a great heart and is such a wonderful person, which makes her job situation even more difficult to know about.

She works in a small gift shop over sixty hours a week for two thousands shillings a month, which is equal to twenty-five dollars. After her tithe and rent she is left with less than five dollars each week to buy food and water and basic needs, oh but don’t forget that she is always giving to other people who have less than her. Cara doesn’t eat every day. Cara doesn’t get any days off. Cara can’t afford her basic needs. I just found out that Cara now has to work Sundays as well, ten hours ever day of the week, seventy-hours a week, for a measly twenty-five dollars a month. If she continues with this job she wont be able to lead worship, serve in the church, or have a day to herself to enjoy life.

She the eldest of her siblings, meaning that the her whole family is looking to her to help support and cover their school fees and basic needs, but how can she do that when she can’t even afford to feed herself? She has no money saved up. Job opportunities are far and few between. She has an elaborate idea of starting her own business but she has no access to a loan to start this business. How much longer will Cara’s body allow her to work these many hours with so little rest and nourishment?

The pastor I work under was talking to me just the other day about a ministry that he was dreaming about starting. He wants to start a ministry to help different members of the church start small businesses and to get out of working environments that mistreat them and take advantage of them. I told myself that I wasn’t going to help anyone else financially until right before I left, but I am thinking of making an exception. A few people have given me money and told me to use it as I felt God lead me to. I have used this money to buy food and meet the basic needs of a few individuals and I am going to use part of it to stock up the food bank at the church, but I think Cara’s situation is another perfect opportunity to use the money. I seem to have problems every time I give a gift or buy food for someone, but you don’t have to worry this will be done anonymously so my safety wont be jeopardized. My idea was to give her the money as a loan, ask her to make payments back to the church and that money can then be used to help another person start a small business (I know of quite a few people that want to start their own business but lack the funds). It is something that I am going to need to work out the details with the pastor but if things work out it could really help a lot of people out in this community. This could also be the start of an incredible ministry.

Asante Sana

Mwendwa

Prayer Requests:
Cara and her job situation
My safety
Dr. Stanley’s travels
Funds for a generator
The work of the medical center Tumaini just completed
My family we had a death in the family and my aunt had a stroke

RANDOMS:
Masii isn’t very big. My old house is literally a quarter mile from the hotel I am staying at. All of my friends have started to tell me how much they miss me and how sad they are that I wont be seeing them anymore… what? Huh? Literally I see all of them everyday still and if they want to come see me it takes them three minutes to walk to my hotel. I think it’s REALLY funny.
I LOVE peanut butter and jelly. Even though the peanut butter taste and looks different, even though the jelly is WAY different then what I am used to, and even though the bread is sometimes REALLY stale… I now eat PB and J a few times a day… oh how I love it!!! This is going to get me through the next four months… I’m also buying a stove and going to be eating at the hotel whenever PB and J can’t satisfy me… ha ha ha I don’t think PB and J could ever not satisfy my hunger…
I just bought a DVD with all of Eddie Murffy’s stuff and The Gods Must Be Crazy! I am stoked… and it was only like two bucks! And has about twenty movies on it… SWEET!
I think I get more visitors now then I did at Williams… ever twenty minutes someone comes by lol…
Most of my friends keep on coming by because they think I am bored when I am here by myself. He has no one to talk to and nothing to do… poor Geoffrey lol. I funny thing is that I ALWAYS have stuff to do, watching movies, reading books, typing emails, writing letters, editing pictures, making houses out of cards… lol. I try to tell them that I am fine and am completely okay, but they everyone is still so worried.
A few friends told me how much they miss me… even though I had seen them the previous few days ha ha
The people here definitely have a way of making you feel special and loved. It is nice to know that they are so concerned and worried about me. My friends treat me good : )
In my shower, YES I SAID SHOWER I HAVE ONE NOW, there is a knob that kind of sticks out and I keep on bumping my head into it… it really hurts
Someone is playing “cry me a river” by Justin Timberlake… of all the songs to make it out here it had to be that one huh?

WORD OF THE DAY
Tafhathali kucheza inje
Taa – faa – dolly coo-chez – uh in-jay
PLEASE play outside… I use this one when I am swarmed with little kids

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From Geoffrey, pray for Carro

Saturday, May 9th, 2009

Tomorrow afternoon Carro, the girl with the swollen head, is going to be taken to the hospital to have the water drained from her head. PLEASE pray for her safety and the success of this operation. If everything goes well she should be able to learn how to walk. Please pray for her and her family over the next few days.

Thanks

Geoffrey

And an extra thank you to those people who provided the funds for this operation. Praise God for their generosity

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From Geoffrey to You! The rich amongst the Poor

Friday, May 8th, 2009

Praise report. My fever seems to have gone away

Friday May 8, 2009

The rich amongst the poor

Most of the messages I have written so far and the commercials you see
late at night all depict the idea that everyone in Africa is starving
and everyone in Africa is HIV positive, I don’t want you to think that
is all there is here. 60% of this nation is unemployed. There are
hundreds of people who die each day from AIDS. Not everyone gets to
eat each day, an estimated 800 million people wont eat today. Many
single mothers are forced into prostitution. Many people are behind
on rent. We gave out a soda to every child at the camp and some
children wont get another until the next camp but some will get soda
on a regular basis. Not everyone eats three times a day or even every
day, but some do. Many people are only able to afford dried corn and
beans to eat. Many people lack running water and electricity. Many
people wear rags with holes. Many people don’t wear shoes or are
wearing shoes that don’t fit or are broken. Many people are
overworked and underpaid. Many people die of starvation and
malnutrition. Diseases that are wiped out in America are still found
in Kenya. There is starvation, there is poverty, and there is a lot
of hurt and pain in this place but not everyone is suffering. Not
everyone lacks basic sanitation, school fees and food. Not everyone
makes less than a dollar per day. I have written a lot about the
suffering and struggle that many people face on a daily basis here I
think because I was overwhelmed by what I saw, but I don’t want you to
think that is all there is here. I want to let you know that there is
more than that. The rich exist in this place and a middle class does
exist. Today I want to write to you about someone who has been able
to build up a treasure in heaven as well as a treasure here on earth.

There was an instant connection between an elderly woman named Ester
and myself right off the bat. It took only a few days before she
decided to call me her adopted son. This woman is the definition of
success. Her husband passed a few years back, but that hasn’t
hindered the success of her business in the slightest. She owns a
small shop as well as a small apartment complex. “Hard work” seems to
be built into this woman’s DNA; she works generally from 6AM till 9PM
each day but Sundays. She has one of the nicest estates I have seen
in Masii, it is HUGE and has many crops and many rooms. If her lovely
home, business or apartments didn’t do a good job painting a picture
of her success her katumbi sure does (her tummy). Esther makes enough
and owns enough to be considered very wealthy in these parts, I don’t
understand how that is possible with her giving away so much.

This woman sends food to my house what seems like each day. She takes
orphans into her home and pays their schools fees and provides for
them. I think she has about eight people living in her home right
now. She doesn’t rent out all of her apartments, she allows certain
people to stay there free of charge to help them get onto their feet.
Anytime I go into her shop she either buys me food or water, I leave
her shop with my arms loaded with groceries. She has a relative who
is HIV positive whom she provides for while providing for relatives
that have been orphaned. She donates the little free time she has
towards working on the church leadership and singing in the choir.
During this famine people come begging at her shop and they leave with
something to satisfy them. Any child that meanders into her shop
always strolls out with a piece of candy or a sweet. This woman gives
and then she gives some more, and when she doesn’t have anything left
to give she gives even more. I stop by her shop nearly every day. We
sit and talk for hours her, the grandchildren and myself.

My mom and I always seem to laugh incessantly at the most random
things. When I was growing up we could just look at each other and
burst at the seams with laughter. Esther is the same way as my mom.
I like to tell jokes to her and her family; we are rolling on the
ground with our sides pounding from the inside out. She instantly
took me under her wing and has made this trip a lot easier to cope
with.

Don’t get me wrong, the poor do exist, in fact I would say that a
majority of people here are financially challenged, but not everyone
falls into the category of starving, AIDS positive, orphaned and
malnourished child.

Asante Sana

Mwendwa

Prayer Requests:
Safety
Funds for a generator
My cold…. I feel a lot better than I did yesterday but I’m still not 100%
Stanley’s travels as he goes home today

Randoms:
Being able to shower and go to the bathroom in a toilet are INCREDIBLE
My American friends gave me all of their toiletries and I now have
enough immodium to plug me up for a year… this stuff is your best
friend out here
If you buy a soda you get charged for the soda and extra if you take
the glass bottle – yeah they still use glass bottles
Everyone seems to be worried about me cooking. Literally each person
who knows about me living by myself has been VERY concerned and
worried… I guess cooking rice with a few tomatoes is harder than it
looks lol. The funny thing is that I cooked all the time when I
stayed with my other roommate. They are insisting that I eat at the
hotel, which I think I am going to do, I just hope I don’t get sick
each time
I found out that you aren’t able to carry around folded laundry in public

WORD OF THE DAY
Lywele yako ni mzuri – your hair looks nice
Lee –wellaye ya-co knee Missouri

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From Geoffrey to you: Dr. Stanley

Wednesday, May 6th, 2009

Wednesday May 6,2009

Dr. Stanley

First and foremost I want to give a praise report. The drought this past year for Kenya has been pretty severe from what I have heard. The prices for food has gone up, water prices have increased which means that the basic needs became more and more difficult to attain. It has been raining every few days, and Californians have no idea what rain is. My living room flooded a little last week! I have been able to see a HUGE difference since I have been here. At one point the price for filtered water was twenty dollars for those five-gallon water jugs that are used for the water coolers and regular water quadrupled when our well broke. I have about thirty liters of water stashed in my room and it cost me about six dollars. The terrain is becoming green and luscious. The fruits and vegetables that are sold in the market place aren’t shriveled anymore, we have papaya the size of watermelons instead of baseball sized ones. God has heard the cry of his people and the rains have begun.

I met Dr. Stanley Mutunga a few years ago and before I came here my information on him was quite limited. Nothing but good reports about him were brought to my attention and I had a couple of nice discussions with him but I never really got to know him. All I knew was that he founded Tumaini International and tricked me by giving me some Kenyan food called Andazi (I think you spell it that way) and told me it was giraffe meat.

It wasn’t until I came all the way to Kenya that I was able to see how big of an impact he has made in the lives of so many people and how incredible of a person he is. Within days I began to understand that Stanley is far from being your average Joe. In the town of Masii it seems like almost everyone knows Stanley or has heard of him, nothing but praises and fond memories come from their mouths. “I used to teach with Stanley,” “I was his student,” or it seems like everyone says “I have known Stanley for ten years!” I can walk through Masii and mention someone’s name and I am sure a few people will know them, but Stanley’s reputation and popularity is outstanding.

I have been fortunate enough to hear small pieces of his story growing up and was blessed enough to have a sit down with him to hear more. His story BLEW me away, I can’t even explain to you how encouraged and inspired I am by what God has done in his life and through him. He is the epitome of perseverance and being humble in my eyes. I would love to write out the different things I have learned about him but my words wouldn’t do him the slightest bit of justice, besides I don’t want to ruin it for you because he is writing a book and will hopefully be able to include his biography or part of it within it. God used him in such a powerful way one night as he spoke during the youth camp. He looked hundreds of underprivileged children in the eye. Some of these children were absolutely poor, others maybe had food in their stomachs but had emotional wounds and I think that almost everyone there, including myself, held a pretty low self-image which has a crippling effect.

Stanley was the perfect speaker for these children because he was there, and instead of being just another statistic he took the initiative and God gave him the strength to overcome. When I hear about what God has done in his life, even without starting Tumaini, I am forced onto my knees in awe and adoration of how incredible God is and what God can do in someone’s life. The words spoken through Stanley left us all encouraged and equipped with a new thinking mentality that through God the impossible is possible (which we all “know” but few of us really “know”). I doubt that anyone left that facility thinking that the mistakes of yesterday or today would ever shatter their future.

When we had our “one on one” and throughout the length of his stay I was able to hear more about how Tumaini begun. The intention was never to grow as big as it did, change as many lives as it has, or become as successful as it is. Apparently him and his family originally wanted to help out maybe five or ten children that had been orphaned by AIDS, but like all great ideas word got out and people wanted to get involved. Here we are a few years down the road with almost a thousand children who have been assisted, a medical facility has just opened, a church has been built and the lives of hundreds that have been touched by playing a part in this. It seems like incredible ministries, organizations and movements all start by someone taking initiative. Instead of talking and planning out details and coming up with a ten year plan these associations begin by someone taking action. Stanley started by helping a few people and look at the ramifications.

If anyone can gloat or brag about “how much they have accomplished” it would be Stanley, but his humility is something I strive for. In all things, whether words or deeds, he gives God the glory; not by his strength but God’s. His actions and words away from the crowds are what I want I am working towards.

I have a new name to add to my list of heros

Asante Sana,

Mwendwa

Prayer Requests:
My family: my grandma died a few days ago and my aunt had a stroke and isn’t in the best of condition right now. It is a little tough being so far away.
The medical facility
My speaking on Sunday
The funds for a generator
The travels of the group from America
I just started feeling sick a few hours ago. It is either a cold or the flu… I’m not sure what the difference between the two is.

Randoms:
Instead of saying that someone looks nice you say “you look smart”
I saw a herd of wildebeests running by the side of the road
Apparently you can’t carry your washed and folded clothes outside. I’m not too sure about it. I had some shirts and jeans in my arms that had just dried and I was carrying them to the hotel. I got stopped by some friends and they were appalled.
My friend watches Mexican soap operas
I never knew that black women wore weaves… I always thought that hair was real… until everyone’s hair started to change dramatically every couple of weeks. Apparently I wasn’t the only one who was fooled, some of the Americans thought the SAME thing. We were driving around in Nairobi and saying “real” or “fake” to each woman that walked by.
Everyone is amazed that I know how to cook… when people found out about my moving into the hotel they were worried about what I was going to eat. “You cook?” seemed to be everyone’s response.
One of my favorite things to do is hide behind a corner and jump out and scare my friends.

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From Geoffrey to You — Safari fun and carnivorious adventure

Tuesday, May 5th, 2009

Tuesday May 5, 2009

I know this past week the youth camp kind of hindered my sending out emails and the last few days I haven’t been able to send many out as well because of hanging with the other white folks. I wanted to give you all a recap of what the past few days have been like.

We went to this place called Wyunu (something like that) and it is the prime place to buy those infamous Kenya wood carvings. We pulled up late in the afternoon and were simply amazed. There were dozens of men chopping, sawing, chiseling and creating the most astounding things out of wood. These guys were taking giant blocks of wood and turning them into the most detailed and gorgeous animals, masks, and creations imaginable. These guys spent hours upon hours on these creations. I was baffled to say the least. One of the Americans took a picture of a guy carving and he charged him money after he had taken the picture, hilarious!

I preached Sunday at church and then we headed to Nairobi and stayed in this place that is a five star hotel in comparison to where I have been living. It is called “Heart” and is run by this little old woman named Vicky, who has one of the most peaceful and gentle souls. It is actually an organization that does incredible things, I wont give you many details cause I am going to save them for a different blog. This place was GREAT! I got to use a toilet and take a shower. I ate some American food… Thank you Jesus!

For dinner we blessed the staff of the Carnivore with our presence. This place was just what I needed. Imagine a place where you have every kind of meat imaginable and can eat as much as you want. Servers are walking around with swords gouging slabs of chicken, beef, ostrich, meat balls, sausage and constantly fill and refill your plate. You can imagine how much I enjoyed this place after not really eating much meat in about two months. I think that my stomach shrunk since I have been here though because I ate a lot less than I would have when I lived in the states. It was one guys birthday so we had cake.. never eat Kenyan cake… just say “No.”

Yesterday I went on a safari in Nakuru. We saw everything!!! Thousands upon thousands of flamingos were within inches of us. Volchures crept along a river. We saw hyenas rolling around in the mud. We crossed paths with literally DOZENS of zebras and DOZENS of water buffalo. Eagles. Monkeys (with blue private parts). We fed baboons cough drops and Pringles. We saw a baboon with a baby that was only a few hours old. We saw antelope and gazelles, or maybe just gazelles they kind of look the same right? Giraffes are simply INCREDIBLE, we also saw a bunch of them near the airport as we dropped off the Americans. I think one of the coolest things was the fact that we got charged by a rhino. We were just about done with our trip and were going through pretty thick bushes. We didn’t see anything interesting and then all of a sudden this GIANT rhino started to charge at our van and stopped within a foot or two. It was literally the size of the van. HOW COOL!!! We were within feet and sometimes inches when we saw all of these animals, and they were all in their natural element.

We took the group of Americans from Pathway Church to the airport a few hours ago. They are such amazing people. I can’t explain how incredible their hearts are. I was getting a little lonely and they completely reenergized my batteries. I feel pumped and ready to go because God blessed me with them. We laughed and shed a few tears. Sometime REALLY funny is a video we looked up because one of the guys told us about it. If you go onto youtube and type in “bottle rocket butt” you will get one of the FUNNIEST videos. I know it is a bit inappropriate and a little crude but we watched it a few times, us missionaries, and were crying from laughing so hard. If you don’t laugh at really idiotic things I don’t recommend watching the video, if you have a sense of humor like me check it out and you wont go wrong.

Asante Sana,

Mwendwa

Prayer Requests:
Travels for my new American friends
More rain… we are doing MUCH better but are still lacking the rain
Finances for a generator
My safety
Our medical staff and that everything goes well as it opens

Randoms:
Stanley Mutunga is BY FAR one of the most incredible Christian men I have ever met. He is the one God chose to start this organization. I’ll have to tell you more about him in a later blog.
I guess that if you have a green light or a red light they both mean go when you are driving in Kenya.
The lane lines are more like suggestions here.
FUNNY STORY: The first night I came here I went to a hotel to eat dinner with the guys who picked me up. Now I know that the plumbing in Mexico is really bad and you cant flush the toilet paper, I assumed the same for this place. When I went to the bathroom there was a trash can right next to the toilet so I put all of my used toilet paper in it, thinking that I couldn’t flush it because of bad plumbing. I was wrong. You can flush toilet paper. I feel really bad for the guy who had to take out the trash. I was reminded of that because I am staying in that same hotel tonight.

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From Geoffrey to You — One Life Changed, just the beginning

Monday, May 4th, 2009

Monday May 4, 2009

First and foremost I wanted to apologize. I didn’t mean to freak you guys out about where I am staying. I haven’t been stabbed or anything like that. I am just not living in a very safe place and because of that we want to take as many precautions as possible. Ill give you more details later, but as an overall this famine is really hurting a lot of people financially and seeing as how they all think I am a millionaire the best thing is for me to be in the most secure place to make sure I don’t get robbed or get out of any kind of danger.

PLEASE don’t freak out, keep me in prayer because I’m not in the safest place in the world, but understand that I am fine.

Anywho…

I want to write to you about Carro, the girl with the swollen head, my mom said it is called hydrocephalous meaning that a build up of water is around her head. This excess fluid has crippled her body and stunted her growth; she is eight years old with a body the of a three year old and lacks the ability to walk. Transporting Carro is quite the task, her mother has to heave her fifty pound body onto her back and carries her by foot to their destination, which can be miles, through rain and extreme heat, her mother is getting old and carrying Carro is an heavy strain on her body.

If being crippled and lacking proper resources for her needs isn’t bad enough, Carro lives with her mother and her two younger sisters in a room the size of a closet; they are the epitome of poverty. If you venture into their home the grotesque smell of decay and rot floods your nostrils, probably from the mold-covered, soiled and decaying mattress on the floor that they all share. A broken bench, if you can call it that, is pressed against the wall. A grimy old sheet laden with rips and tears is strung across this incredulously small room, in some futile attempt to separate the bedroom and living area; but that doesn’t do much good in eight-foot by eight-foot room. Mama Carro, Zipphorah, uses every ounce of energy in her body to provide for her small family, but with this famine she isn’t able to buy enough food for them to neither eat each day, or pay bills on time, nor send her children to school. This woman was married and had six beautiful children but because of Carro’s condition, I am told that the father took the three other children and left. This stay at home mom was abruptly thrown into the work field without any skills or specialization in any trade and had three other mouths to feed. Lacking family to turn to, without access to a proper job, and as a last resort she turned to prostitution. When I put myself in her shoes, having my children crying, dressed in rags, and going DAYS without food I can understand why some mothers turn to prostitution.

The tides have turned as of right now. Mama Carro has an entire year of rent covered, which cost about sixty bucks. When we told her that news about her rent you would have thought we wrote her a check for a million dollars, it was an answer to prayer and a Godsend. This past Friday night Carro was given a wheelchair. No longer would this aging and broken-down mother have to strain and pain just to move Carro around. Instead of sitting and crawling on the ground all day, this little girl is free to venture around and see what Masii has in store for her. She normally spends all day sitting in the dirt in front of a shop, playing quietly and peacefully to herself, and now she is free to move about. Mama Carro shed a few tears when the news was broken to her about how she wasn’t going to have to carry Carro around anymore. Carro NEEDS to have the fluid around her brain drained, the pressure from it is what’s crippling her. After this surgery she should be able to walk and should grow at a normal rate. This procedure costs roughly four hundred dollars to perform and so far we had only raised about fifty. The group of Americans that came this past week donated the rest of the needed money for the operation. Mama Carro’s life was turned upside down when she was told about the operation. This woman went from being the trash of Masii, the lowlife, the prostitute, the woman that everyone talked about and that was only good for one thing… she went from that to being loved and cared about more than she had ever experienced before.

I preached about money yesterday at church. I talked about a few different aspects of it, but something I said really took me off guard, yeah I know how can something you say take you off guard? How can you surprise yourself by what you say? I guess I was just talking and it came out of my mouth… I dunno. Anyways, it was something that I said as I read from Malachi.

Malachi 3:9-10 “Will a man rob God, yet you rob me? But you ask, “How do we rob you?” “in tithes and offerings. You are under a curse the whole nation of you, because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse so that there may be food in my house”

I have heard the argument, if God is so great why does he let children die in Africa? Why are people starving and malnourished? Why are people suffering so much throughout the world? I don’t think it is God’s will for these people to starve to death and that isn’t how he designed it to be. There are over 2,200 references in the bible talking about money and how we need to use the resources we have been entrusted with to help others in need and to be faithful to God in our tithes and offerings. It talks about one of the first churches in Acts, which is the perfect example of the relationship that should take place between the church and believers. It said that whenever there was need people gave and were charitable in their giving, some sold properties and laid the money at the alter of the church, and because of this it says that there was NO NEEDY AMONG THEM. “Bring the whole tithe into my house so that there may be food in my house,” that food we bring into the house

God has given us the resource. He has given us the command, 2,200 of them. He has made it perfectly clear what our responsibility is dealing with finances and yet we continue to ignore that part of the bible. We say God take my life it is yours, I will pray, I will fast, I will go to church, you can have EVERYTHING but don’t touch my money that is mine. Only three percent of Christians faithfully give to the church. With only three percent giving to the church there is no food in God’s house, there are no resources to provide for those in need. We didn’t used to have welfare, the church met the needs of the people. When we are obedient in our giving our society looks like the church in Acts, where there are no needy among us. On the flip side, when we are disobedient we end up with a continent like Africa. My disobedience in my giving affects other people. If I was faithful, if everyone was faithful, the needs of others would be met. It isn’t Gods will that people starve and die each day, but God has given us free will and the opportunity to either honor him and follow his commands or do our own thing. According to the U.N. it would cost about eight six billion dollars to theoretically end world poverty. If every Christian in the U.S. faithfully gave their ten percent there would be an extra eighty seven billion dollars in the church. Is God the reason that people are starving and dying, or is it ours?

I didn’t write this to give you guys a guilt trip, I just wanted to express this “ouch” that I was feeling. I have been tithing faithfully for years but this is something that I never thought about before; my disobedience causes others to suffer and die. “you are under a curse the entire nation of you,” I can’t think of a worse curse than starvation and prevalent disease like here in Kenya. “Because you are robbing me,” because faithful givers are few and far between.

I’m not asking you for money or any donations today. I told this story about Carro and her family because it shows what life can be like when people give faithfully and it was a HUGE encouragement for me as well as a rude awakening. This entire families life was changed and transformed because a few people were obedient. This was just one family because of a few, imagine what society as a whole would look like if everyone was. In Masii people are dying and suffering like no other and, like most churches, a few people do the bulk of the work and are the only ones who tithe. I can’t tell you what it was like speaking in front of a large group of people and to give them this reality check. This church has never talked about money before. Never has it been mentioned in a sermon, they just take an offering. I have been given such an incredible opportunity to deliver these messages and hope the rest of them went as good as this one did. I had TONS of people come up to me and applauding the presentation, praise be to God it was Him not me. I hope that this message was an encouragement to you, it really inspired me to continue to be faithful in my giving. I hope it made you think about your tithes and offerings in a different way, if you are religious. I also hope it showed you what type of difference can be made in the life of someone when we are faithful. We can become like that church in Acts.

Asante Sana,

Mwendwa

Prayer Requests:
Speaking next week
My travels the next few days
Funds for a generator for Tumaini
This week they are opening the medical center for Tumaini, it is going to cut down costs dramatically, pray for the staff and that all goes well
Pray for my move into the hotel I am moving in Wednesday… bachelor pad woot woot

Randoms:
I went on a safari today… we got charged at by a rhino.
You can buy ostrich meatballs here
Apparently being fat is a good thing here… they used to tell them American women they were fat as a compliment, they learned pretty fast not to do that tonight.
I ate STEAK tonight… SOOO good
Each time I go to buy something at a market people look at my skin and try to charge me like twenty times the price. I look at them and tell them “I have been living in Kenya for two months, don’t think I’m dumb just because of my skin color.” Then they lower the price and then we haggle with each other. It normally ends with me saying “I’m not dumb. I’ll buy it for _____ shillings or else I am walking away.” Then they lower their head in shame and say… …ok…. I still give em a good deal, I just don’t let them take advantage of me like they do everyone else.

WORD OF THE DAY
Simba (like from the Lion King)
Lion

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