Christmas in Kenya

We need to tell you some of the things that we have done in Kenya. One of the most significant for us was soon after we arrived. The office closed early on the Thursday before Christmas so that the office staff could go to a children's home. It is run by Irvin and Ruth Schwandt. They have about 60 children of which 7 are babies. Twenty-some are HIV-positive. We provided games, art and music for the children.

Pamela took the bag of Stephen's matchbox cars that she had brought with us. We played the video of "Friends Every Day" and "Groovy Christmas." She told them about Stephen and how he would want to hug people and ask if they would be his friends every day. She also told them that Stephen loved God and prayed for everyone he knew, and even some he did not know, and reminded them that Jesus is their best friend. Finally, she explained that Stephen had a collection of cars and that we had brought enough for each to receive one car.

The need for caring homes for orphans in Kenya is tremendous to the point that it seems overwhelming. Kenyans will need to do much more to address it. The kids we saw were well cared for, and more than that, they were happy and secure.

The Schwandt's work is sponsored by the Pentecostal Evangelistic Fellowship of Africa. It is not affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene. If you are interested in more information check out their website at rehemahome.org or Google them.

African Adventure

God has been so good to us! He has already allowed us to have many wonderful adventures in our lives with Him, and He and the church keep opening the doors to more. We have been so busy that we have failed to keep you up-to-date even on our whereabouts.

We are on the equator again, this time in Nairobi, Kenya in East Africa. At 5450 feet elevation, the weeks that we have been here have been gorgeous. The flowers and trees are spectacular against the mostly blue skies. But, as much as we enjoy it, we are not here for the weather. We were asked to come to fill in for the field treasurer while she is on home assignment working in the States. She has an amazingly large job here. Have you noticed that the jobs of capable people grow and grow? In her absence some of her tasks have been taken on by others, but we are trying to keep up with just the bookkeeping.
We are living in this city of over 3,000,000 in a complex that includes the beautiful townhouse that we are living in and other housing, a workshop, audio/video studios and the offices that support the strategic coordination of the Nazarene districts and churches in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. That includes Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, Child Sponsorships, Jesus Film, NYI, Children's Ministries, and Work & Witness.

We will be here several more weeks so continue to pray for us and the people we are serving. Pray that we will succeed in letting them pursue their ministries without disruptions while their treasurer is away.

Deep Sea Adventure

We have really appreciated your prayers, your well-wishes, your notes of encouragement, and your help in making this adventure possible. Yesterday was probably the climax of the trip for us. The congregation celebrated the closing program for the children’s Bible school that it had run for five afternoons last week. It was a wonderful program and a really wonderful week.

The theme was Deep Sea Adventure; Exploring the Depth of Jesus’ Love. Helen Ann had bought most of what we needed including the “starter kit” that contained the leader guides, DVDs, etc. Laura, when she came to lead the “Catch the Wave” retreats, brought some fun decorations. Pam shopped here on the island for craft materials and snacks. She spent many hours over two weeks in preparation.

Each day, Amor led the songs and Pam presented the day’s lesson; then we rotated four groups through four areas for games with Dave, crafts with Malou, memorization of the day’s scripture verse with Amor, and snacks with Pam. Everything related back to the theme. Then we met again as a group and recapped the day before heading home.

Attendance was great with at least 18 kids from 5 years-old up through the sixth grade every afternoon. Our highest attendance was 23. (Water balloons are quite an attraction.) With four adults and two to four teens working, we were busy! From the first day, all the workers commented that things went very well and everything had been ready. Most of all, the way had been prepared with prayer.

Sunday morning, we didn’t know what to expect. The kids had been inviting their parents to come to see what they had been doing, but too often in the past parents had not made it. Saturday, Pam had arranged the chairs for the kids on one side of the room and the sofas and more chairs for the adults and teens on the other so that the kids could be a sort of choir. As we unloaded the van 19 children filled our choir and there were 15 of our regular adults and teens. Pam started the program; but as she finished her introduction, three parents drove into the yard. She happily paused, and the congregation welcomed them warmly and helped them find seats where they could see their children.

The program went very well as the kids sang their songs and recited their memory verses in unison. Everyone enjoyed watching a video slideshow of kids and their week of activities.

After the forty-minute program, we went directly into a worship service. We sang a couple of hymns that related to themes from the week. Pam and Dave played a soprano sax and flute duet for the offertory. Before the devotional message, Dave played “O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus” as a special. It is an old hymn, but the poetry of its lyrics refers to the ocean of God’s love that envelopes us and carries us closer to him. Dave had created a slideshow with the poem and various pictures of the Saipan coast and the ocean. The soundtrack of the slideshow was the orchestral accompaniment that Dave used.

During his message, Dave had the kids recite his texts from their memory work. They fit the three-fold way that a congregation demonstrates God’s grace: Love (1 John 3:1 and Romans 8:39), Acceptance (Romans 15:7), and Forgiveness (Ephesians 4:32). (Many of you will recognize that he borrowed that theme from Tempe and some other churches.) For one of Dave's talks, it was brief; and, after dismissal, everyone went to the kitchen for snacks of brownies and Rice Krispies treats. We had about 45 minutes of good fellowship as the slideshow was replayed and the crafts were examined. We also asked everyone to take a car from Stephen’s collection in his memory.

Kid's Club

Dave's greatest challenge is remembering the bus route for Kid's Club and Sunday School. It really is simple and there is always some child who will "follow" (go with) Dave to keep him on course. They are great!

Backyard Flowers

Dave and Helen Ann's home is set in a clearing with many beautiful plants. Obviously, a tropical climate makes flowers which are exotic to us thrive. I've posted more pictures on Flickr, but here are a few.

Oh yes, there is a spider in the garden. It is not dangerous, and it posed for at least 10 minutes while I tried every setting on my camera to get a good close-up of it. After I uploaded the picture to the computer, I was amazed at the beautiful design on its body. It is as intricate as a Persian rug.

The plumeria is fragrant and beautiful leis are made from it.

We Are Here

In the words of Dr. Mark Reighard's great parody chorus, "We are here. We are here. And because we're here, we're not there."

Thanks to Doris and Bill, we made our flight to Seattle. We took the train into downtown and had a late breakfast at Pike Place Market. Arriving back at the airport just in time, we had a good, long flight to Narita, Japan.

Since we arrived there in the late afternoon and our flight out was not until morning, we were forced to leave the airport. That was a blessing. After checking in at the hotel, we enjoyed a short visit to the garden of a nearby temple at sunset. It was beautiful!

The other blessing of the long layover was that it broke up the trip and let us rest and recover from the flight. We were also able to start adjusting to the time difference.

Since we arrived on the island (Thursday afternoon, local time), we have been having a wonderful time getting to know our hosts, Dave and Helen Ann. They are treating us like long lost friends, and we feel like we are. This afternoon is Kid's Club, so we will begin to meet the congregation.

A New Adventure

A week ago we were at our cabin in Prescott enjoying a beautiful afternoon and thinking about a summer in the pines. About then we noticed a message to call the office at the Global Ministry Center that coordinates volunteers. The conversation went something like this:

"Would you be interested in house sitting for the pastor of our church in Saipan? They will be on the mainland for a month, and someone is needed to keep the church open during that time."

"We would consider that. When do they need us?"

"June 27."

"Really? That soon?"

We quickly called some friends and asked them to pray with us. At lunch, we had been talking to our friend, Byron, who is our district superintendent, so we tracked him down again. Byron and his wife, Leanna, had lived and worked in the Asia-Pacific Region, so we wanted his advice. He promised to pray for us as we considered the opportunity.

As we were talking with Byron, Dave, the pastor, called us from Saipan to explain the situation. He and his wife Helen Ann teach in the public schools on the island and pastor a church in their home. They invited us to stay in their home and provide continuity for the congregation in their absence.

We prayed and Googled. Our only big expense would be the airfares, nearly $4000. The weather is hot and humid; that would be different from hot and dry. The language is English. The Northern Mariana Islands are a US commonwealth. Could we get everything ready that quickly? What is more important: was this something that God wanted us to do?

After more conversations and e-mail exchanges, we were convinced that we should do it. Early Saturday afternoon, we e-mailed Dave and Helen Ann to let them know that we intended to come. With the 17-hour time difference they started their Sunday knowing that we were coming. Sunday afternoon, we bought our tickets.

The race is on. To get a reasonable airfare and to get there for the Sunday before Dave and Helen Ann leave, we are flying a week from today, June 22, on an early morning flight to Seattle, then on to Tokyo-Narita, and finally, after an overnight layover, on to Saipan.

We need your prayers. This is a stretch for us: to try to help a congregation that we do not know. It is obviously also a financial commitment. If you would like to financially partner with us in meeting this need, send us an e-mail or give us a call. Look for us on Facebook to find our contact information.