Olepolos

Olopolos. This one church stands out as a call for all churches, and gives us all hope that the church is not dead but has power overcome the powers of this world.

Many people said Olepolos wouldn't be a good place to start a church because there were many problems there. The whole town was full of drunkards, where they said 'no one has their own wife'. A church was started there anyway.

The church had its problems like any church, but great things were happening. People were seeing the Kingdom of God in stark contrast to the society. What this church has shown is that when the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of the World come head to head, only one comes out on the other side.

Today we visited Olepolos and got to see firsthand what God has done through people who were faithful.

We got to the nearest town by car, then we met a member of the church and walked a mile or two into the bush. We got to the church, and sat for an hour or two while they served us chai. We waited for the pastor to come back from town, and talked about the history of Olepolos with George. When the pastor arrived he took us around to see the things that this church has been doing in the community.

He first took us to the church building. They have around 200 people on most Sundays, but their work is not just on Sunday mornings. They have regular times set aside for prayer and many other things, but the thing that stood out to me the most was something similar to a discipleship program. I wonder what would happen if all the churches of the world would train their members this way.

He also took us to the school. They have started a school for grades 1-8, and are planning to add the next four. He said they have close to 200 students in all, coming from as far as a mile and a half away.

As if one weren’t enough, God has saved both lives and the community as a whole. Nineveh?

The church is around 13 years old, but this church has sent out missionaries to the surrounding areas, and has planted three churches in last few years. This wildfire reminds me of the early church in Acts. People were bold. The church grew and spread. Nothing could stop it. God was big.

Hey, I think a God who can still do that is kinda cool.

Praises:

-God is moving

-Save travels to and from Nairobi

-A good meeting with the pastors

Requests:

-Focus for the rest of our time in Chepilat

-Strength in Chepilat Mennonite

-Lasting peace in Chepilat

Planting Seeds

The weeks are counting down. As most of you reading this blog have been following and supporting us since December…well, how can so much time go by so quickly? Maybe you feel like we do scrambling to do years worth of work in such a sort time. Stefan wrote a recent blog talking about the Pastors’ meeting we were so privileged to be part of. It was a step for history in this community and we are really blessed to have been there and able to see God’s mighty hand move very intentionally. On Friday we had a second meeting with them as a follow-up to the first meeting so that we could immediately begin on the foundation set Monday. Chaired by Pastor George, we were happy to see all the “executive members” that were elected to their positions show up and show enthusiasm and vision for this new alliance. That ball is rolling so we look to what else we can do in the short time that is left. The rest of the week was a lot of resting and preparing for a trip to Nairobi to meeting some EMM and KMC (Kenya Mennonite Church) leadership to discuss ways to help and encourage George and the ministry in Chepilat once our team leaves.
With so many great stories just in our rearview I confess this week may seem somewhat bland but be assured God is still moving and teaching. Therefore instead this week I will share about my reflections on the ministry and work in Kenya to-date.

So much of what we have done in Chepilat has been planting seeds. Not a day goes by that we don’t have opportunities to share a portion of Christ with someone and give blessings to those around us. Some days we visit homes, we encourage believers to persevere and hold on to the Hope we always have. Other homes are those of the community that have yet to accept Christ or have fallen from their commitment to God and are plainly struggling to continue through each hour of every day. In between homes and stretches of our walks we encounter conversations with so many people looking for so much from us yet so little for worldly standards and even less in God’s standards. We’ve played soccer with many of the local guys and even started a youth meeting on Tuesday afternoons. The pastor’s alliance has been set and all in all our relationships with so many people seem to be established. All that I’ve said above and all that comes through my mind involves the planting of spiritual seeds. But a nagging thought asks what happens when we leave? What will hold and what seeds have fallen on the rocks or on the dry ground? As I write politicians are resigning from the Kenyan government and rumblings of a divided and frustrated government persist once again. You can bet that the people of this good country are unsettled too. It is just a reminder that things here are not yet resolved and much is yet to be done. The question also nags of what this could mean for Chepilat, will everything we have done and all that has been put in place hold? Will the things hold if and when the waters come crashing down? I ask these things because they are a clear reminder to me of my place. It is my job to plant the seeds of Christ, share them with all that have been placed in my path and sometimes even strengthen them but it is not to grow them. What God asks of us is not force grow anything but only to do what he asks in planting them. When we plant something in a garden, we do it in faith that it will grow into what it should but we have no control over how fast it grows or even how high it grows. That is God’s job and only He will ever see the completed growth through to the end while we see such a minimal portion of it all. I share this as it is a reminded encouragement to me that the work we have done and are doing is not ours to “complete to accomplishment” but only ours to begin. Beginning is where we found the Spirit of God moving in Chepilat and Kenya and beginning is where we will also leave it five months later. God has provided us with the seeds to plant for a plentiful harvest but it is our choice to make and once we decide to, we plant and then move on. No more. Our God is big and His ways are beyond our understanding and as I am reminded of this I reflect on our time so far and I encourage you to not be discouraged as you plant your own seeds but just to trust that God will grow them into exactly what He intended, a creation of His eternal Kingdom. A world of seeds today will mean a harvest tomorrow.
All for His glory,
Colin


Praises:
-A great week with the Chepilat area pastors
-the enthusiasm of church leadership for progress and growth
-safety
-time for rest and relaxation

Requests:
-focus in our final two and one half weeks of ministry in Chepilat
-that God would call someone to Chepilat (missionary)
-success in George's new business proposal
-continued safety and good health
-peace within the Kenyan government

The Pastor's Meeting

This isn't what we meant to happen.

We had the best intentions. Things were going so well. Everyone was excited, preparing for the big pastor's meeting. We thought that there was no way it could go wrong - we thought the pastors were ready to work with their brothers of a different tribe. We couldn't have been more wrong.

On monday we came to the meeting. Clair Good and Clyde had arrived to speak to the pastors and get discussions going. We were excited to have him there and that we didn't have to run the meeting this time. Then we broke for lunch. Clair encouraged us to sit with people we weren't familiar with.

I was there. A kalenjin deacon let the joke slip out of his mouth. A Kisii pastor stood up, enraged. They faced each other. The large Kisii pastor laid the Kalenjin man out on the ground. The Kalenjin pastors rushed to his side, enraged, before storming out. The meeting for peace was a failure.

The Kisii pastors wanted to keep going, to get a group together to help the peace, but without the Kalenjin. Clair refused to even consider it. He was exorting the brothers to use this opportunity to love, to repay evil with good, but they weren't listening. They stormed out shortly afterwards.

It looks like these men are getting riled for war. Truth to be told, we don't think they're wrong. Colin and I have agreed to speak for the Kisii, and fight with them if need be, while the traitorous Taylor and Brook got painted in war paint ready to rush out with a war cry and steal all our goats.

A kid tried to get us to return to our senses. A baby goat told us that this was wrong, and we needed to reconsider the results this would have on the environment. He then flew away, cape on his back, and chip on his shoulder, no doubt to give guidance to other wayward missionaries in East Africa.

But nothing convinced us to lay down arms more than the visitors. I know you'll think it's crazy, but Martians with Big Elbows have arrived in Chebilat, and they aren't friendly. Something as simple as an alien invasion has made all of us realize that we are all brothers in Christ, and can band together to drive off these hideous invaders.

Peace has returned to Chebilat!

Praises:
She loves you yeah, yeah, yeah. She loves you yeah, yeah, yeah.
We've conquered several kiosks in the name of Independence and have a LOT of Coke to drink.
We're going back to America soon!

Requests:
Brook's insides feel like they want to be on his outside.
Taylor lost an arm in the conflict.
For everyone to know that we are the most awesome!

Stefan






PS. April Fools Day! (the real post is the next one)

So, that last post wasn't true. Here's what really happened.

Monday was the long awaited day for us. It seems like most of our work went into preparing for this day.

Our thought was that if the church was not united across tribal boundaries we couldn't expect others to be. We had met with the pastors from the Kisii side and the Kalenjin side separately, to discuss peace and what had happened. Both seemed willing to meet with the others, so we planned a meeting for the 30th. This was the big one. This was where the pastors from one side would hopefully be willing to work with pastors from the other side.

It didn't go like we expected though. The meeting was supposed to go from 9 till 4, and by 10:30 only two pastors had shown up. We began to get nervous that it wasn't going to happen. By 11:30, only pastors from the Kisii side had shown up. Clair and Clyde were our guest speakers, and they could only be there on that day. Finally, past 12, they showed up. Clair Good spoke to them briefly, focused on getting them to talk, and listen to each other, in some exercises. The holy spirit was definitely in those conversations. By the time we broke for lunch, there was tangible excitement in the air. Something was going to happen.

We came back, had a few short talks on principles of peace and reconciliation and such, but then went straight into the founding of a pastor's fellowship, with the purpose of churches from different denominations working together to serve the community and bring about peace and reconciliation.

By the end of the day, we knew God had moved in a big way, to bring all these men together from hostile sides to work for peace - it was just incredible.

We will meet with them one last time on Friday to share some ideas for organization, but they will be on their own after that. We're glad - it seems that something that we have helped to start will have a life of it's own and continue after we are gone.

Praises:
-The pastor's fellowship was a success!
-Men are stepping up to help at the church.
-We're fairly relatively healthy

Requests:
-Safe travels to Nairobi this week.
-That a meeting in Nairobi for George's well-being after we leave would go well.
-Various plagues and infestations of gnats, cockroaches, bees, wasps, and other assorted vermin.

God Bless you,
Stefan

Tayla Asifiwe

So Taylor got a kid named after him.

There is a young couple living here in Chepolet named Alfio and Mary whom we were introduced to through a very good friend and church member. When we first met Mary in January, she was having complications with her pregnancy and was feeling very sick when we visited their home. We came at the request of our friend Rose, gave a short sermon, prayed over the family and their home, and moved onto the next home. Apparently, after our visit and prayer, this woman's pain went away and didn't return as it had been in the habit of doing.

After this, our presence was very much in demand at this household. We were told that every time we go over to Rose's for lunch or a visit, we are not allowed to return home without visiting Alfio and Mary. Every time we dropped in to say hi on our way home, they'd sit us down, chat with us for awhile and bestow gifts of green vegetables and guavas to eat for dinner. Taylor and I continue to play Football with Alfio and his buddies every Saturday evening. He has even started coming to church, and has been taking on responsibility by helping with administration and leading the service. It's really terribly exciting.

Anyway, Mary's child got around to being born last week and she and her husband decided to name the newborn after one of us, so on Wednesday after lunch we went over for the naming ceremony. First, they put the four names: Stefan, Colin, Taylor and Brook, on individual slips of paper. They then rounded up the baby's older brother, who was completely naked and screaming at the top of his lungs from fear of these white creatures, and had him choose a slip of paper. The word 'Taylor' appeared on that paper that the terrified child chose and from that moment on the little guy was called Taylor.

In other Taylor-related news, some of the drunk men from the town attended our youth meeting at church on Sunday. Because of Taylor's ministry. I'm not sure if its because he's the only one of us who can sport a full beard or because his name is the easiest to say, but every time we walk down the street we're bombarded with children and adults alike shouting greetings to our friend Taylor Sr. There is a group of largely idle men who hang out at the stage where the taxis and buses pick up their passengers. They are there without fail and are usually too drunk to remember any conversations they'll have, but Taylor almost always stops, sometimes much to our annoyance, and he talks to these guys to whom very few people will spare more than a passing glance.

We bought tea for some of these guys at a local hotel on Monday and chatted a bit. Taylor invited them to our youth meeting that we were holding the next day and several of them came. One even abstained from drinking his local brew for the occasion. I preached on the Prodigal Son, a sermon that was defiantly God-inspired and God-led. That meeting was a bit rowdy, but just the fact that we got them into the church was a very exciting step. It showed us and all the town that there is hope for these hopeless young men who appear to be victims of the times.

Colin, Stefan and I are having an impact here too, its just that Taylor's is a bit more exciting and blog-worthy.

Also, Brook was the second choice for the baby's name, I know you were wondering.

Praises
-Stefan has returned to Chepilat after spending a week and a half in Nariobi
-Church members becoming more involved in the services and church business
-We're gonna see some big animals this week (Lord willing)!

Requests
-Endurance and passion as we enter our last month here in Chepilat
-Team unity
-Continued protection in spiritual and physical health

Apathy

Apathy is one of my least favorite words. This is the fatal wound that causes the church to look at the mess under it’s feet, and decide that it isn’t worth the effort to reach out and be love to a dying world. God seems to have given me the want to want to not want apathy. This isn’t something I was born with, or something that I have worked to achieve, but I know the little faith I have has been given to me. The past week this faith has been tested, and I think I have failed by wanting apathy.
When I look back at the week, I see now that I should have known it would come. I had forgotten to pray every day. I had given in to judging. I had given myself over to apathy with the nice living conditions at the guest house. I had even decided that it was alright.
We arrived back here in Chepilat and things seemed to be going all wrong. When I would pray, I knew there was something in the way, because I didn’t have any passion for outreach in the community. Having an energy to be in the community was something, and it seemed like one of the only things, that God had equipped me with, so when it wasn’t there, I didn’t know what to do. I guess the things I have seen in the past few months have been really great, so when the gifts that God had given me didn’t seem to be there, I really felt at a loss.
So I went outside to pray.
The thing that I was shown was my unfaithfulness to the gospel. Love your enemies is what He said. I would repeat this to the tribes who were full of hatred toward each other, but in the little things it was hard for me to love people for who they were. I was telling people that judging would ruin relationships, but after all that I would still do it. Hypocrisy comes easiest when you apathetically don’t care.
Back when we were in training things were so easy. Every day was either a celebration of the little church we had going there, or was full of spiritual growth. We saw God in just about everything. God was making himself very clear to us.
We are now far from there. The past week for all of us has been hard for many different reasons, and I have realized that I have forgotten many things that should never be forgotten. I can’t see what I could just a few weeks ago. It is very sad when you can’t see the light that keeps you going. ‘Every lament is a love song.’
That night when I went out to pray, God told me one thing, and made it very clear: that the faith I had in training was the first step, but that He required something more.
When the light in a dark room is turned on, do you have any doubt of what is in the room? But what happens when the light is turned off, and you are asked to start walking? Faith is strongest when you can’t see.
That night He still said ‘Go’.

Praises:
-God faithfully teaching
-Safe trips
-The relationships we are building here

Prayer Requests:
-Strength in our team as we are down a member
-Stef’s time in Nairobi
-Strength in Chepilat Mennonite Church

A Story of Friends

Hello all,
Our team has had a very abnormal week as most of you are aware of by now and it also marked our 3 month marker since entering Kenya. We had the opportunity to trek into Nairobi to renew our visas for another 3 months and coincidently stumbled upon some American food, hot showers and nice beds during these few days. It was great. So instead of going into detail on this week I want to tell you a story just to share a little of God’s unpredictable but awesome nature.
Story #1
I want to tell you about a man who’ve I’ve (and our entire team has) grown to know. Thomas is Kipsi (for short), from the Kalenjin tribe, living just outside of the main town of Chepilat where we are stationed. In the first 2 months of living here I would irregularly run into Thomas on the street. Thomas always seemed to remember my name despite our previously short encounters and his constant states of intoxication. In fact, to us, he just appeared to be another one of the examples of a hopeless, discouraged, frustrated and idle men of this town. One day George was with us when he stopped us in town and upon returning to our apartment George was eager to tell us the story of this man who had found unusual interest in us. Thomas is the son of a man named Jonas (who recently passed away) who’s name is very well known in the area for being one of the original Kipsi’s to sponsor the growth in this town and thus came upon heavy influence for the area in political matters. The Kipsis of the area hold Jonas’s family, especially his sons, in very high regard and the Kisiis, though they don’t necessarily recognize their “authority” as the Kipsiis do, are forced to acknowledge the influence and importance of this family. We were informed that Thomas, his brothers and even their wives were very active in the stirring up and post election violence of this specific area. Thomas himself was one of the instigators of the violence. This blew our minds to hear especially considering his friendly demeanor and average appearance to us. However we knew that this very well could be an open door from God into this community as we seek peace and reconciliation.
From the first day that I had met Thomas God had laid him on my heart and though I never saw any dramatic advances in my relationship and opportunities with him I found myself with a heavy burden and compassion for this man. No difference at least until a few weeks ago when he invited us to his home…
We went one morning to his house for tea because he had been insisting we visit him for many weeks and once we arrived I was discouraged and disappointed to not find him home but only his wife. Yet by the end of that day his wife had accepted Christ and determined to become a member of our church (which still lacked more than one other Kipsi). Only 2 weeks later, we were attending our church fellowship at his house and in the middle of the sermon Thomas walked in. George took this opportunity to minister towards him and within that hour Thomas was on his knees accepting Christ and confessing his violent past. And no it didn’t stop there. Thomas stood up at the end of the service and shared his life story and problems to date all while having tears run down his face. He appeared such a different man that I hardly recognized him. But he wasn’t finished… Thomas ended his story saying that he had been moved to give a portion of his land for our church! This had been a prayer this church had been praying for since it was first opened last May in a small burned building that is rented monthly. Wow. God did this much movement in Thomas in a matter of weeks. What a blessing to be part of it. I don’t know where Thomas’s walk will go from here with Christ and though many here doubt his promise to give part of his land I can tell you that all I saw in him was genuinity, from the day I met him, to the time of brokenness where he kneeled before Christ, in view of many people whom he had fought against a year ago, and confessed his short-fallings. What matters is not if Thomas does give the church land (because Christ will get the land for the church in his own time and manner) but that this man from this background, a background that this community would suggest is too much to find forgiveness in Christ and its Body, has been reminded and reaccepted what the meaning of this life is really about, just to serve the one true God and be obedient to his call before we rejoin him and approach his throne where we will be held to account for our short lives.
Thomas has an amazing story. I have only seen a very small portion of it and even less have I been able to express to you today but his story makes me think about many things. Last Sunday I preached and at the end of the service encouraged people to begin praying for God to open the eyes of our hearts because this prayer moves much more than the physical which we often pray towards, it moves the spiritual and opens up awesome opportunities for God to move without boundaries in all our midst. This prayer allowed God to give me an unexplicable compassion and heart for a man that appeared to be “just another hopeless cause” seen in uncountable amounts of drunk men in this community. Being open spiritually allowed God to bless me, my team, Pastor George and the church with the opportunity to carry the message of salvation to the very doorstep of a family that held so much hatred a year ago they seemed to lose Christ completely. We have been blessed with the relationship to Thomas and his family and he will forever serve as a reminder that God’s plans and what He sees are so much larger and greater than what we can comprehend. Two lessons come out of this.
One is that (as Thomas once stated) it was simply our friendship with him that opened the door for him to receive Christ. Secondly, God is on the move in Chepilat (and all over the world) and we can be blessed beyond our imaginations if we decide to get on board and be used by Him or we can continue on in our busy lifestyles and miss out on these opportunities God is looking to give out. It is funny how we pray to God for him to use us and yet we grow frustrated with the silence we receive while we daily drive by hundreds of homes that are hurting and in need and while we walk through the stores and rush by at work glancing at faces that are unknowingly crying out and seeking the very truth we hold in our hearts. These are the homes and these are faces of people that God places in our paths every single day that are opportunities and blessings we look over. I don’t want the regret someday of knowing there was some many people so near to me that I was just blew past without thought. We are accountable for those who God places in our paths, those closest to us and those who’s faces are yet unfamiliar to us (but familiar to God), and one day we will be asked why we never stopped and listened. Our team stopped for Thomas but how many opportunities before and since have I missed that God has placed in my path by my own prayers and just not noticed or paid enough attention to? This thought challenges me and may it challenge you as you begin to take notice of every single person God places around you each day…they aren’t there by accident and there are no coinicidences, God is giving us opportunities to advance the Kingdom if we just open the eyes of our hearts to His will all around us.

All for His glory,

Colin


Praises:
-safe travel to and from Nairobi
-smooth renewal of visas
-continued growth in Chepilat Mennonite

Prayer Requests:
-continued opportunity to minister to the community
-sensitivity to God’s opportunities and discernment in God’s will
-continued protection in physical health
-strength for every day
-Brook and his adjustment to new responsibilities and expectations
-Stefan in his time of counseling, mentoring, healing and growth of personal and spiritual
matters