Total in air flight time...42 hours. Nathan calculated the hours in the air. The flight from Nairobi to Paris was painful, as the seats were very cramped and I had no leg room. ZZZQuil is good stuff. Slept like a log and the we arrived in Paris.
The closer we got to home the more I began to process last weeks events. The term "My cup runeth over" is applicable the way I feel right now. Nathan and I agree that we need to meet to exchange pics of the trip, as well as to debrief and put onto paper what we saw. The great analogy from Mike Hall, a very trusted friend of Nathan Jones, was that Nathan and I were Joshua and Caleb. Our job was to report back what we saw. We will do that soon.
Today was first day of teacher inservice EQ days. It has been a long time since I can remember a speaker being as motivational as Mr. Dowd was today. I was truly happy to get confirmation that people can go through life as "feelers", people that do not inhibit emotion. I am a feeler. I always have been. Nathan is a solid engineer minded logically driven person. When God placed these two things together last week, God knew we would get the job done. As a team.
Many confirmations of what God has placed in my heart occurred last week. The fact that I am a feeler is a comforting feeling. I also discovered that I am a person currently in a place to help new believers grow closer to the understanding of salvation. The vision that God placed in me is something like a stone placed in the middle of a rushing river to help those that struggle to get a across. The idea came to me in a hotel room about three years ago and my brother picked up on it and wrote a song. The river symbolizes the fear and guilt many people feel as they move towards a deeper relationship with God, the stone is there to help make the river less intimidating and easier to cross.
I am home but the blog will continue. I will try to write daily, but if I cannot I will write at least once a week. You can follow the blog by email if you would like. Nathan and I will meet and debrief this week. When we do I will keep you up to date and informed.
We are going to put together a protocol to visit this particular mission in Africa. We will have all the details for you soon, and we hope that it makes the mission trip accessible to more of you.
I was contacted through Facebook by a friend that I have not seen for more that 15 years. He said that he wanted to make a difference in children's lives. I simply told him that all he needed to do is pray and ask God everyday what he wants of him. Too many times we gush out to him what we want and fail to ask him what he wants of us. He is listening. Begin to ask that question tonight. He may answer now. He may answer 10 years from now. He may have already answered before you asked. Build a relationship with him so that you can recognize when he speaks to you.
It is good to be home. I will write again.
Peace be with all of you,
David
Monday, August 19, 2013
Friday, August 16, 2013
Trip to Bungoma...
Today we drove to Bungoma, about a 2 hour trek along unpaved roads and much traffic. On our way here, we spotted some gigantic boulders uncovered by many years of erosion. We stopped to take pictures. Nathan and I wanted to climb them, but we had to settle for pictures. What beauty!
We visited an orphanage to day here in Bungoma. There are 28 kids there, some do not know who their parents are, manyvwere abandoned by both parents. Bishop Oguerra runs the orphanage. Please pray for them. They had no food today. They need our prayers. Beautidul kids with overflowing potential.
We had a great meal spinach chicken and ugale. We ate with oir hand tonight. It was enjoyable. There is something so gratifying when you sit to eat in a circle of ken and you eat with yoir hands as you speak the gospel and the work of Jesus. What a blessing
There is so much to process, it will take some time to decompress and organize the events that occurred this week. I will do so for many years.
Tomorrow is a chance to visit one more orphanage to pray and support them. Then we are off to buy a few things for mu fakily and friends. After that, we catch a plqne from Eldoret to Nairobi at 7 pm. I kiss my wife and family. I am sure I will cry when I see them.
I will post tomorrow. If I cannot, I will do so ASAP.
God bless you. Please continue to pour into Nathan and myself. We can feel you.
Blessings,
David
We visited an orphanage to day here in Bungoma. There are 28 kids there, some do not know who their parents are, manyvwere abandoned by both parents. Bishop Oguerra runs the orphanage. Please pray for them. They had no food today. They need our prayers. Beautidul kids with overflowing potential.
We had a great meal spinach chicken and ugale. We ate with oir hand tonight. It was enjoyable. There is something so gratifying when you sit to eat in a circle of ken and you eat with yoir hands as you speak the gospel and the work of Jesus. What a blessing
There is so much to process, it will take some time to decompress and organize the events that occurred this week. I will do so for many years.
Tomorrow is a chance to visit one more orphanage to pray and support them. Then we are off to buy a few things for mu fakily and friends. After that, we catch a plqne from Eldoret to Nairobi at 7 pm. I kiss my wife and family. I am sure I will cry when I see them.
I will post tomorrow. If I cannot, I will do so ASAP.
God bless you. Please continue to pour into Nathan and myself. We can feel you.
Blessings,
David
Thursday, August 15, 2013
A Meal to Remember...
Tonight we were taken to Pastor John's mother-in-law's house for some roasted goat. Dinner was amazing. The power was out again, but the air condition is always on in the Rift Valley. Windows open, natural sunlight, the smell of freshly cooked meat in the air. After a long day of camp and not eating all day long, that was perhaps the most incredible meal I have tasted in while.
For starters we had goat with peas and carrots and braised goat meat with tomatoes and carrots. Ugale is a dish much like grits, but with allot less water. It takes on the taste of whatever you put with it. The sauce from the goat and peas and carrots was incredible. Chapata bread accompanied everything we ate. Then came the fire roasted goat. Chunks of meat brought on a plate, unseasoned with only a side of salt in a bowl. You eat with your fingers and it is amazing.
The hospitality is unrivaled, which I am sure I have said before. I cannot say it enough. There are just no words that can accurately describe the feeling of the people here. Only that you need to experience it yourself.
Tomorrow we will be leaving this place. Temporarily. We will be back in a year to continue the work we started. That is what God has called me to do. It is written in my heart. I hope we are able to buy some things for my family here in this area. I need something to look at everyday. Something to wear.
There is so much to process.
Goodnight and God Bless you,
David
For starters we had goat with peas and carrots and braised goat meat with tomatoes and carrots. Ugale is a dish much like grits, but with allot less water. It takes on the taste of whatever you put with it. The sauce from the goat and peas and carrots was incredible. Chapata bread accompanied everything we ate. Then came the fire roasted goat. Chunks of meat brought on a plate, unseasoned with only a side of salt in a bowl. You eat with your fingers and it is amazing.
The hospitality is unrivaled, which I am sure I have said before. I cannot say it enough. There are just no words that can accurately describe the feeling of the people here. Only that you need to experience it yourself.
Tomorrow we will be leaving this place. Temporarily. We will be back in a year to continue the work we started. That is what God has called me to do. It is written in my heart. I hope we are able to buy some things for my family here in this area. I need something to look at everyday. Something to wear.
There is so much to process.
Goodnight and God Bless you,
David
Basketball and Bye to Moi's Bridge...
What a great and blessed day today was. The basketball camp was incredible. There are so many people that came and are interested in being a part of building basketball here in Moi's Bridge. I am so blessed and lucky to be a part of what the FCA is doing internationally here in Kenya, Africa.
So many children touched and shot a basketball for the first time in their lives today. They were so excited. There are actually some very talented athletes here, that if given time, will become great players. The plan is to form a team and have them coached over the next few months in preparation for competition. I wish I could have more time with them. So many friends made. So many great people.
I will have many pictures to upload soon. I will upload them both to Facebook and this Blog. If only there was a camera in my head. So many things I would love for you to see. The word for American here is Muzungu. So if you come, that is what they will call you.
I will type more tomorrow. We are going to Bungoma, a refuge for children about an hour and a half from here. We pack tonight. So many friends I have made here. I am happy to come closer to seeing my family, but I will miss these young men so much.
Thank you Lord for this gift you have given to me.
Bless you alll,
David
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
First Day of Camp... 8-13-2013
We did not get the baskets in for the
basketball camp, but soccer camp was great! 150 kids attended. It was my first
soccer camp and I love those kids!
After the camp we attended lunch hour at the church. It was a very powerful message delivered by Pastor Sunnyida of Uganda. She has a strong testimony...great cook too.
When we finished the service, I got on the back of a motorcycle with Michael who is Pastor Tabitha's brother and Pastor Johns brother in law. They have constructed rims on site along with backboards. It is difficult to ship anything in to Moi's Bridge, so all basketball items are being made. I hope to change that next year.
We then walked around town looking for poles to mount the backboard and baskets to. We wound up a a junk yard where we found 18' 1/2 gauge pipe. We hope to put the baskets in tonight and be ready for camp tomorrow morning. If not, we will host soccer again. It's in God's hands. The people here are so excited to learn basketball. I want to teach the.
To describe everything in detail would take numerous pages, and I do not have much time right now. We are on the road to Kitale to grab a bite to eat. Kids are lovely and are excited. God is good.
I still cannot get the posts from my computer to the blog. I read them last night and they are ripe with description. I wish the network worked so I could share them with you.
Peace be with you.
David
After the camp we attended lunch hour at the church. It was a very powerful message delivered by Pastor Sunnyida of Uganda. She has a strong testimony...great cook too.
When we finished the service, I got on the back of a motorcycle with Michael who is Pastor Tabitha's brother and Pastor Johns brother in law. They have constructed rims on site along with backboards. It is difficult to ship anything in to Moi's Bridge, so all basketball items are being made. I hope to change that next year.
We then walked around town looking for poles to mount the backboard and baskets to. We wound up a a junk yard where we found 18' 1/2 gauge pipe. We hope to put the baskets in tonight and be ready for camp tomorrow morning. If not, we will host soccer again. It's in God's hands. The people here are so excited to learn basketball. I want to teach the.
To describe everything in detail would take numerous pages, and I do not have much time right now. We are on the road to Kitale to grab a bite to eat. Kids are lovely and are excited. God is good.
I still cannot get the posts from my computer to the blog. I read them last night and they are ripe with description. I wish the network worked so I could share them with you.
Peace be with you.
David
2nd Day of Camp... 8-14-2013
Great Day! The baskets were built and delivered. It took all day to install all four of them, but they are in the ground and ready for tomorrow. From what I am hearing, over 300 kids will show up for the basketball camp tomorrow morning. We have 16 basketballs and two full size baskets and two kid size baskets. It seems overwhelming to me, but to my spirit, it feels tiny. God has brought us here and God will take care of tomorrow.
There are so many underlying cultural and national issues surrounding what we are doing. Sudanese and Kenyans, from what I am told, do not mingle or hangout, except on Saturdays. They were together today. An older gentlemen came over to me to tell me this and he began to thank me for doing this. I said I could not do this, I can put the baskets up and teach basketball, but I can't mend relationships between nations. That is God's doing. He smiled a big smile.
A few Kenyan basketball players showed up today. Pretty good players. They are excited to play tomorrow, and I told them if they help us with the younger kids tomorrow they could play after. The said they would. Pastor John and the Mosleys are excited as well. Nathan brought tshirts and wrist bands for everyone. The picture should be amazing. The entire town of Moi's Bridge, Kenya, Africa will be here. They are excited that we are missionaries not coming just to do one project and leave, but that we are here to teach kids and coaches to grow the ministry through basketball. What a hook!
The goals are manufactured by some guys that live here in Moi's Bridge. Everyone just wants to be a part of what God is doing here. It is going to be great. According to Nathan, this is a manifestation of the vision God gave to me long ago. It is also a vision of everyone at the orphanage. God has been at work in this for a long time. God is joyful and proud as he looks down to see what we have done.
Keep praying for us. Pray for my family. Pray for God's mercy and love as we glorify HIS name.
Ephesians 2:4 "But God..."
Peace and Blessings,
David
There are so many underlying cultural and national issues surrounding what we are doing. Sudanese and Kenyans, from what I am told, do not mingle or hangout, except on Saturdays. They were together today. An older gentlemen came over to me to tell me this and he began to thank me for doing this. I said I could not do this, I can put the baskets up and teach basketball, but I can't mend relationships between nations. That is God's doing. He smiled a big smile.
A few Kenyan basketball players showed up today. Pretty good players. They are excited to play tomorrow, and I told them if they help us with the younger kids tomorrow they could play after. The said they would. Pastor John and the Mosleys are excited as well. Nathan brought tshirts and wrist bands for everyone. The picture should be amazing. The entire town of Moi's Bridge, Kenya, Africa will be here. They are excited that we are missionaries not coming just to do one project and leave, but that we are here to teach kids and coaches to grow the ministry through basketball. What a hook!
The goals are manufactured by some guys that live here in Moi's Bridge. Everyone just wants to be a part of what God is doing here. It is going to be great. According to Nathan, this is a manifestation of the vision God gave to me long ago. It is also a vision of everyone at the orphanage. God has been at work in this for a long time. God is joyful and proud as he looks down to see what we have done.
Keep praying for us. Pray for my family. Pray for God's mercy and love as we glorify HIS name.
Ephesians 2:4 "But God..."
Peace and Blessings,
David
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Lost Boy of South Sudan...
There is such humility in his demeanor, yet he walks with such presence. Pastor John has a testimony and life story that will blow you away. Watch this video:
When the opportunity to serve through the ministry of basketball presented itself, I jumped at the chance. It has been a vision of mine for many years, but God had me wait and mature. I am here now. In Moi's Bridge Kenya, with Nathan Jones, serving the children and the Mosley's and Pastor John now. I had no idea what existed here ,or that I would become brothers with Pastor John. He is the man in the video above. He is a good man.
The link below is for the non-profit organization geared at directly helping the orphans of South Sudan. Click on the link and you will find out more about the ministry.
The Lord has blessed me to be a part of this mission to help these children. John likes to sit and drink Kenya Green tea at night and looks upon all of what God has done and he smiles. Tonight he said, "I did not pay for your ticket, you are here because of the love that God has for these kids." What a great statement from man that has been through more devastation and heartache than any one man should endure. That is why Michael Moseley was sent here by God, to help these Lost Boys of Sudan.
The internet, power, and water are back on at the house, and it feels like the world has been given to us here. It is harsh land with much beauty. You must come see it.
Pray that the basketball goals are ready tomorrow. The entire city is excited and wants to come learn how to play. There is not one basketball or basketball goal anywhere for at least 2 hrs. I am so elated to be here.
Have a Blessed Day
David
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