From Geoffrey to you; 30,000+

Saturday August 15th 2009
30,000 +
Have you ever taken a step back to look at your life and where you are? I look at where I am, the man I am, the time and season I am here and what I am doing and know, without a doubt in my mind that here and now is where I am supposed to be. Every circumstance, whether good or bad, and situation I have ever found myself to be in, have worked together to prepare me specifically for the things that were to come. I may not have enjoyed every situation I stumbled into, but I know that it was the collection of both the good and the bad that made me into the man I am today and without the two I don’t know where I would be.
I can’t tell you how many times I found myself in an overwhelming situation and cried out to God saying, “Where are you?” Though the bible says “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you,” in different storms I found myself feeling abandoned by God. I realize that the bible doesn’t say, “Your life is going to be perfect and you will never face any storms.” God doesn’t promise that we won’t have pains, sorrows, regrets or face depression, what he promises is that through the storm and in the most overwhelming of situations he will remain with us. In Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose,” what God says is that not only will he stand with you as you are smothered by the sting of life, but he will use both your greatest moment in life and your darkest hour “for the good.” This is what I have seen in my life. When God’s hand is upon someone or something nothing can remove it, with that being said I can’t help but say that God’s hand is most definitely on Tumaini International.
The Israelites were God’s chosen people. He delivered them from the oppression and captivity of the Egyptians. The Red Sea was parted, plagues unleashed, pillars of smoke guided them by day and pillars of fire by night, God’s hand and provision was upon them. We come to a point in their story when they are in the middle of the desert and don’t have any water for themselves or their livestock. I had always overlooked that part and read over it, I now truly understand how detrimental the absence of water can be. When I look at the community of Masii I realize that each and every person is affected by it in one way or another. With no water there are no crops, with no crops there is no food, without food hunger creeps up. Without water neither herdsmen nor farmers have anything to sell, without anything to sell there is no money to spend and without money to spend the businesses within the community go down the drain. I realize how horrible of a situation it can be without water and here Gods “chosen people” are in a situation where they have none. This situation reeked of destitution, the people were arguing to Moses and saying, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord!” Can you imagine what was going through their minds as God was guiding them on where to God and they found themselves lacking the most basic of needs?
What I guess they failed to realize was that the same God that birthed hope in their lives by delivering them from the hands of the Egyptians, the same God that led the way to freedom by parting the Red Sea, the same God that crippled the hands of their oppressors by unleashing the plagues on their account was the same God that was going to provide for them in this situation. God’s hand was upon their lives and nothing could remove it. Whether God brought manna from the heavens or allowed their clothing to grow with them as they grew, he provided for their every need and this situation was no different. God commanded Moses to speak to a rock and told him that water would pour from it, Numbers 20, Moses did so and water didn’t trickle or drip out, it GUSHED out from the rock. To God’s chosen people he provides.
The river beds here are dry. Families are forced to ration water usage. Livestock is dying because they have neither water to drink nor food to eat. The farm houses that should be laden with luscious fruits and vegetables are bare. Bellies that should be full and bodies that should be well nourished around this time of the year are going empty and growing feeble. Businesses that should be thriving are going without business. In such great famine and drought, I can see how graciously God’s hand is upon Tumaini. We just installed four water tanks, three of which are ten-thousand liters and the other is about five thousand. My heart leaped for joy because not only were these four water tanks filled with thirty-thousand plus liters of water but they became so full that water GUSHED over the sides before they had to stop the water from being poured into it.
The same God the delivered and provided for the Israelites is doing so for this organization.
In Him,
Geoffrey

UPDATES:
Keep September 12 free!! It is my welcome home party
I haven’t been able to send many emails either because of electricity issues or no internet connection. It seems like whenever I am away from home we have electricity and on the days when I need to use electricity it has been rationed and turned off that day ha ha.
I spent the past two weeks with a group of Americans who completely touched my heart. I was encouraged, inspired and loved by them. They showed me about 50 card games. I pulled a BUNCH of pranks on them, especially about the culture here. Lots of jokes and laughs. Their hearts and stories are incredible. They were a breath of fresh air.
I spent this week at the youth camp for Tumaini. I was in charge of updating all of the information of each child and taking their photos. My fellow mzungu friends (white friends) REALLY helped a bunch with it.
I was given an opportunity to talk about sex again, I really enjoyed that. In this culture, especially in the rural areas, you aren’t supposed to talk about it. Your parents don’t talk to you about it, the only thing you know is that you aren’t supposed to do it. Some of the information and rumors going around about pregnancy and AIDS isn’t accurate. I feel so blessed to be able to speak about it.
I am stoked because next week a few friends from my old church are coming out here!
I am going to hold off on going to Mombasa until another time.

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