Home...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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:

http://www.cbn.com/tv/2424052617001

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.

http://childrenarepeople.net/lifeStories.html

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

Sorry for the delay...Monday 553 pm

On the road to Kitale, Kenya.

Power and water are down. They have been out for 48 hours. No Internet. I typed some longer blogs on my computer, but there is no service to connect to. Michael Mosley has let me borrow his 3G IPad to type up this entry. I will send the others later.

Service was amazing yesterday, as well as today during lunch hour service. Beautiful people. Simple lives. Tough way to live.

The mission trip that I am on now is in a place that is out of the way. It is not a hotel at night surrounded by security kind of trip. We are out there. No hot water, no Internet, no electricity at times. We are at an orphanage that needs resources. Needs support. God has sent us here to support. You will not meet more grateful people in this world.

I am in a van riding along a road on my way to pick up homemade basketball rims and wooden poles.

Tomorrow is camp.

I have so much to tell you. Time to get the rims.

Ephesians 2:4

Love and Blessings to you. Pray for us.

David

It is 245 PM...

We are waiting at the hotel for our flight. We are taking a 30 min hop 200 miles to Eldoret Airport. Michael Mosley and his kids have met us here. Really wonderful people. They have 2 kids that remind me of mine, with allot less computers and tv.

We are getting ready to go. I will get back tonight. Bless you.

David

We arrived at Moi's Bridge...

Today began with a good breakfast. Crepes and omelets made to order, otherwise known as roughing it in Africa. It was a nice hotel called the Grace Hotel in Nairobi. I slept great. Seven hours.

We then waited for Michael Mosley and his family. We got to the airport at about 3 pm, and we caught another plan to Eldoret. The plane ride was only 35 minutes long, and we landed at 6600 feet above sea level. It was long runway. The plane actually did a 180 on the runway and headed toward the terminal. Like old movies, the stairs were rolled up to the plane and waiting family could be seen waving to their loved ones. We also were able to carry a water bottle on the plane. Very risky maneuver. 

Great flight and we landed to load up a safari Toyota. One of those with 10 seats used to take people out on safaris. We packed in 14 people in the ten seater and headed down the road for what would be the longest two hours ever. It was quite the experience.

We go to the orphanage at about 830 PM and dinner was waiting for us. Chepada bread, white rice and stew, made  by the wonderful women of the orphanage. Good meal. Great people. Coffee followed with great conversation and testimony. There is a tremendous amount of pouring into each other happening. We are building each other up for tomorrow, the next hour, the next minute. God has brought Christians together in Great Rift Valley of Africa to disciple. Each person here has a duty assigned by the King. We all know it and feel it.

Internet is working so blogging will be a breeze. Keep up your prayers. I have a feeling that I will not want this to end. Amen!

David

Morning in Nairobi.

What an amazing sleep I had last night. Slept like a log. Hit the hay about 1 AM and got up at 8 AM. Seven hours is more than enough and I am now on Kenya time. My body adjusted well.

The amount of food served on a KLM flight from Houston to Amsterdam to Nairobi is crazy! It is like you are eating every hour, and just sitting there. I feel like I need to run all day to burn what I ate.

I was Skyping my wife just now and Pastor John and his brother came up the stairs with another lady who is here to help as well from the US. Let me lay it out for you...He had Malaria and Yellow Fever just days ago. He picked us up from the airport last night after waiting for hours on us there, then this morning at five in the morning he goes to pick up another person and carries two suitcases up four flights of stairs. He looks tired, but he does not stop. Cool guys those two.

I meet Michael Mosley today. My brother has met him before and I know he must be a great guy. He called John last night and John handed me the phone and I spoke with Michael for a bit. Michael is now the administrator of the orphanage. He handles the difficult business side of things so that John can be a pastor. Anyway, Michael told Nathan last night that he was with the Masai around a camp fire eating goat. Sounds like fun.

Today we leave for Eldoret on plane at about five o'clock. Until then it appears there is some waiting to be done. It gives me a chance to write the blog, on the positive side of things.

If any of you decide to come to Africa, bring a converter for power. It is essential.

I will begin to post some photos tonight on the blog. I will do the same on Facebook. I want you to see the beauty of this place as much as possible. Write soon.

God Bless you!

David

We landed in Africa...

Praise God! We landed. No problems at all. Zero.

Believe it or not, the Nairobi airport caught fire two days ago and almost cost us having to rearrange our itinerary. It was huge blaze...look it up. Google it. We had to check in with immigration in a tent set up in the parking lot. I have a picture of it. Crazy! Then we got the bags and had to wheel them over the arrival gate, all 350 pounds of it, and send it through a little door to a conveyor belt. Lotta lifting.

I am at a hotel about 40 minutes outside Nairobi. It is nice and has security all over the place. Gates and all. Good food too. I ate the chicken and collard greens. Bottle water will be the drink of choice for the next 8 days. I don't miss home yet. I miss my wife and kids, but not my home yet. I will I am sure.

We met Pastor John today. What a guy. Charismatic smile, great laugh. Mind you he is this way just 2 days after a bout with yellow fever and malaria. He has a great heart. You can see it in his eyes. He stared me right in the eyes and gave me a huge hug. Made me feel welcome. Pastor John is in charge of the orphanage. It was his doing that saved hundreds, possibly thousands of children displace about 5 years ago with the violence in the Sudan. What a guy. I will take many pics with him this week. He is tall and slender with a kinetic smile. He shared a bit of his testimony with me as we waited to get picked up, and I shared with him.

There were two others that helped us take all of our gear to the hotel. Our driver's name was Franklin. What a great kid. He must be about 15 or so. Great smile and laugh. So grateful for us being here. I have been in Africa only a couple of hours and I already feel the graciousness of the people here. Particularly those that seek Jesus and believe in his word. Brother. The call me brother. I am a tall white guy with big ears from Texas, and they call me brother. I am humbled. I am going to give those kids the time of their lives, all in the name of Jesus.

Nathan said that basketball is my platform. God has prepared me to use basketball to help people all over the world. I am so thankful to be able to do this. It is not easy. The road gets harder tomorrow, but I know God is with me. And all things are possible through HIM!

Amen...Good Night. Tomorrow the orphanage awaits.

David

August 9, 2013 (Amsterdam Airport)

What a plane ride. I was able to get about 1 1/2 hours of sleep...I think.

Sitting for 8 hours is a challenge for me. I went exploring on the 747...It is gigantic! enjoyed the food and movies were good.

So far things are going well. Smooth. God certainly has his hand on this mission. I was mentioning to Nathan that it felt like I was getting ready for a game the day before. Now that I think more about though, the more it probably feels like the Super Bowl or Final Four.

We take off in 3 hours to Nairobi. Everything is on schedule for now. We pray it stays the same way the rest of the trip.

Here is something I wrote from the plane earlier today, tonight, yesterday...who knows.

I am on the plane to Amsterdam right now, and there is about 4 ½ hours left on this flight. I slept a bit, and ate the in flight meal…chicken.

Enough of that.

When I was young, or younger, whatever sounds better, I had a vision. That vision was of me teaching kids to play the game of basketball and to have healthy fun. The vision was in Africa, with a wooden backboard, a rusty rim, and a torn net. I was helping a few young boys learn to make layups. In the vision, it is late afternoon, about five pm or so, with a fantastic breeze in the air.

There is not much more to the vision than that. I can say only that the vision was placed in my heart long ago, by God. That I know for certain. When I was about 22, I had this incredible urge to travel the world helping people to make their lives easier. I contemplated the Peace Corps, which I came to find out can be very difficult to get into. The very next time the vision came to me was in church, when I heard that a group was going to help people that needed aid. That is all I knew. When I read the itinerary for that particular mission trip, I saw the safari 3 day trip and was turned off. I didn’t feel the pull in that scenario.

Along came my beautiful kids, relative comfort, and all that I or my family could ever need. I was content. Seeking is the word that I truly discovered to be a huge part in personal relationship building with Jesus Christ. I began to look for him in everyday things. What a revelation that was. As I got up day after day after day, I looked for him in everything I was a part of. The miracle is…I found him. He is in everything. From birth to death, from light to dark, from cries of joy to cries of sorrow, God is there.

To say that I have changed over the past two years would be wrong. I have changed, but I didn’t change me. God did. I happened because I asked for it. I have been a Christian since I was just a little boy. I have attended many denominational churches, as well as non denominational churches as well.  I was baptized as a baby in a Catholic church, and grew up Catholic. I chose to symbolize my growth with Jesus in 2003, electing to get baptized in front of all of my family. What a glorious day. 

Here is the kicker though. Since that day, I have grown closer to God. Not because I was submerged under water,  but because I went looking for him. So then here is something that I feel has changed me. The word is “Works”. I always looked at my faith as a way for m e to o feel better about myself and my surroundings. Where true blessings come, however, is through giving. Do something for somebody else. Even when you feel you have no time to do it.

Marin Luther, the protestant founder of the Lutheran Church, said something in a passage that astounds me. He said something along of the lines that he did not have enough time during the day to get all things that he had to get done to a completed stage. Too much work, not enough time. Sound familiar? His answer…Pray. Not at night before bed, which I am sure that he did, but pray during the time you feel most pressed for time or a deadline. So you and I should sound something like this, “I don’t have enough time today to finish, I need to stop and pray for three hours.” Boom!

Keep the prayers coming all the way to the 18^tha when we get back. Every day just tell God that he is the greatest and thank him for what he is. Amen…

Thank you, 

David

August 8, 2013 - 235 pm CST

On the giant 747 from Houston to Amsterdam. This is amazing. Bags were allowed on the plane. Another travel mercy. It is 9 hours to the next destination.  I will update when I can.

This is only the journey there. I look forward to helping these young and old kids smile and appreciate God's grace. 

Continue praying. It's working.

David & Nathan

August 8, 2013 - 120 pm

Landed in Houston.

We had to exit and go to the KLM desk for boarding passes. My big bag of basketballs is heavy! I'm hoping it will fit overhead...

So far so good. We were able to upgrade for 40 bucks to roomy seats for the last leg into Nairobi. So far many travelling blessings.

Pray that the 3 giant  cases of stuff gets there with us.

Thanks again. I will blog in Amsterdam while you are sleeping.

Keep reading and keep praying. I love you all.

David

Thursday August 8, 2013 - 1045 am

On the plane to Houston. Slept well last night. Great prayer from my sister in law Carol Keith last night, right after an amazing meatloaf dinner that Rosette made. What a wife!

My kids cried. Particularly my littlest Liv. She is daddy's girl for sure.

God is great! Many blessings already felt this morning. Keep up your prayers. 

Good news! 300 lbs of gear is on its way to Nairobi...

God bless you! I will write in Houston.

August 7, 2013 (10:15 PM)

Just finished packing and rechecking my pack. I am carrying on a large hiking backpack and a medium duffel bag. The duffel bag is full of 20 basketballs for the camp that we are going to host at the orphanage, and a few other items that the Americans that are there need and miss.

The combination flight time/travel time is about 22 hours. The total amount of gear we are taking weighs about 300 pounds. T-shirts, bracelets, bibles and some other gifts for the kids and adults helping us with the camp are filling up four poly-carbonate tubs weighing about 50 pounds each. In Houston we will need to change airlines to KLM and hand carry the 300 pounds of gear out the gate and check in again.

In the backpack, we have packed four days worth of clothes. The plan is to wash two days out of the week and hang them out to dry. That way we were able to save space for essentials.

The journey up this point has been a miracle in itself. We have not even began the journey itself, yet I have seen God working in the my life and the lives of the people around me. I know that God's hand is directly on this trip. He would not send us over 9000 miles for nothing. He has a plan. That plan is big, and I am blessed to be part of his work.

More to come tomorrow from the airport.

Thank you for reading this blog. It is my first not "required" for a class in order to get a grade.

I hope to help all of you move towards the uncomfortable, and then move even further through life altering experiences.

God Bless you all!

We leave tomorrow...

Wednesday, August 7, 2013 (12:18 PM)

We leave tomorrow morning to Nairobi, Kenya, Africa. This is a vision that was placed in me by my creator over 10 years ago. Over the years, this vision has become something that God has been preparing me to fulfill.

There is some news that just came out of Kenya. There was a major fire, and the airport was shut down. Nathan Jones got on the phone in order to see if there was any change in our itinerary. All is good.

As we get closer to leaving, the challenges become abundantly clear. Faith is the only way. He will work miracles next week.

I have attached an email from Nathan Jones that lays out our itinerary.

I will update tonight:

Pray for us. Pray for our safety. Pray for our travel & lodging. Pray for our funding. Pray for our continued obedience & surrender. Pray for our spiritual ears to hear God while we’re there. The heartbeat of this trip is twofold: 1. minister while on the ground at the Orphanage 2. receive a vision from the Lord on how to move forward with the Mosley’s for years to come. At this point, David & I have our FCA mindset fully engaged and will be looking for opportunities to further the kingdom via Sports Ministry opportunities, and I’ll also have my BT head in the game looking for opportunities related to orphanage facility improvement projects & quality of life improvement projects of which BT McAllen can engage. We’re looking forward to ministering to the 100+ kiddos who will be at the orphanage where we will be staying, and we look forward to building relationships with those who the Lord desires for us to minister alongside for years to come. Pray for us, and pray as to how the Lord might be tugging on your heart to be engaged with us.

General Expense Budget -- $3,500 (per person)

Pre-Trip Medical Preparation for Africa (Yellow Fever Shots, Malaria Pills, etc.) -- $500
Roundtrip plane fare (McAllen/Houston/McAllen) -- $300
Roundtrip plane fare (Houston/Nairobe/Houston) -- $1,800
Roundtrip plane fare (Nairobe/Kitale/Nairobe) -- $200
Other Expenses (VISA in Kenya, one night lodging in Nairobe, food for 11 days, misc fees, incidentals) -- $700

Trip Itenerary
August 8 – Thursday -- fly from McAllen, TX to Houston, TX to Amsterdam, Netherlands
August 9 – Friday – fly from Amsterdam, Netherlands  to Nairobe, Kenya, and spend Friday night in a hotel set up by Michael Mosley
August 10 (Saturday) -- fly from Nairobe, Kenya to Kitale, Kenya, meet the other two who will be joining us for the week, ultimately end up at the Orphanage, settle in
August 11 – (Sunday) – Go to Church, continue building relationships, get briefed for the week of ministry that awaits us for the week to come
August 12-15 (Monday-Thursday) – Sports Ministry & Relationship Building
August 16 (Friday) – debrief, rest, say our farewells
August 17 (Saturday) – fly from Kitale, Kenya to Nairobe, Kenya to Paris, France
August 18 (Sunday) – fly from Paris, France to Atlanta, GA to Houston, TX to McAllen, TX

In closing, I am reminded of Psalm 37:5 “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act,…”

Blessings,