No More Lies

That's right...It is finally the truth: Benya is in Kenya. It was quite a long journey yesterday, and the day before, but the time has finally come. Here's a little journaling of mine I've done in these first hours of this glorious place.

The First Morning

As I opened my eyes, all looked normal except that the white tint that appeared on everything. It had been my first night in a mosquito net. And the music playing in the background: none other than David Crowder Band’s A Collision. It doesn’t feel like a foreign place at all. The pattering of children’s steps running on wood floors also was the first beat of this day.

I walked through the doorway and was greeted by five joyful faces. Edward’s two Children-Jean, 11 and Andrew, 6. I’m sure it was a strange sight to see a tall goofy white guy emerge from his room to join them for breakfast. I’m about this from the looks of their faces. It didn’t’ take long though before they stopped chattering in Swahili and allowed me in on their African lives.

So many of you who have been here before have gone on about how much this place feels like home. I’m sure that will come shortly but already it feels comfortable. I don’t even realize I am in Africa.

Crowder’s voice now is soft in the background as he sings, “heaven came down and glory filled my soul.” Already glory has been present in my soul this day. I can’t wait to be blessed by these children’s lives. I’m sure that’s only the first of many things. I leave in about an hour to go to City Harvest and to see the rest of Nairobi.

It is all very surreal right now. I don’t know what to expect of my 90 days here and I still haven’t fathomed that I will be here for such a great length. A half of a half a year.

….8 hours later…

We have power! The power to communicate! Though the connection is slow, I still have the internet which means I can talk to YOU. Skype is kinda working and should be better as time goes on. The world seems so small as I browse facebook and check emails in utmost wonder. My wonder is much like that of Edward’s children who had a camera war this morning (it was much like a game of tag as they traded off my digital camera chasing each other around trying to get a shot of one another)

And with that I hope to communicate this prayer request to you. I entered City Harvest, the church I’m working for, just a few hours ago and they were in the middle of a prayer meeting. That pray that God will deliver them land to build new Church facilities. Edward described the building plan as “3 Dimensional”. He said one wing would be for the Church offices that run the different AIDS programs and offices open for rent that would help support the church. The offices would bring more than just church people to the church. Another wing would be an auditorium. It would hold the church services and also house conferences, pastoral training, as well as many other things. The other wing would be a guest house, to house those traveling abroad who have come to see and learn the beautiful way City Harvest does ministry.

It would be a glorious thing if you could pray that this vision and this dream become true. The Church now meets on the third story of a building. The sanctuary is the size of a 3 car garage but still has 70-100 Kenyans worshiping in it on Sunday. The offices are no bigger than a college dorm room. They are thankful that God has provided this building, but their ministry has expanded past what the building can hold.


I’ll keep this first post, the first truthful post, under 700 words.

Keep on Loving, Keep on Living
Shalom-bc