This will most likely be our last report from Kenya. We will be posting a little on Facebook on the way back tomorrow. We leave Nairobi tomorrow (Friday) at 11:00pm. We have a 24hr trip made up of two 8 hour flights and an 8 hour layover in Amsterdam. Please pray for us as we travel. While we have all been getting good rest, we anticipate the trip home being a long one.
Yesterday we spent the morning and part of the afternoon looking at some properties that the NGC leaders wanted to show us. It takes a long time to get around in Nairobi and the surrounding areas because of the heavy traffic and the poorly maintained roads. The first piece of land they showed us was the one that the women’s group in the church had bought. It was great to be standing there where much of this vision began. We had a great time as we travelled to the properties with them and imagining what God could do with it and how many children could call it home.
Later we returned to church and continue talking about the vision of creating a center for orphaned children. We had allotted three hours for the meeting and we ended up meeting for over five hours. In the end we had a vision and a plan to take back to both of our churches.
One of the things that have amazed our group is how we have talked about ideas that we have as a group or as a church and how we can bring those ideas up with NGC in hopes of bringing them alone. Almost every time when those ideas came up NGC had already discussed the same thing. God has truly united our hearts and minds even before our church sent this team to Kenya.
The dream that both teams have dreamed for our churches and for the orphans of Kenya is a big dream and will take many people, lots of resources and several years and we can’t wait to get back and begin sharing it with you. We’ve learned a phrase that NGC uses to guide the vision of their church. We will be bringing it back with us as well. The phrase is “Kidogo Kidogo Huljaza Kibaba.” It literally means “Drop by drop feels the jar.” Or “Little by little the cup is filled.” That’s the plan that this church has for taking on the giant in its land, orphans. One small step, or drop, at a time.
By the end of the meeting some of us were exhausted and ready for bed while others had minds that continued to turn. It was an emotional day for everyone involved.
Thursday we spent sightseeing, fellowshipping and preparing to come home. We went into the city center in the morning and did a little shopping. If you think the DC traffic is bad at 7:00 on a Tuesday morning you should try to get into downtown Nairobi at 9:00am. In the afternoon we visited a cultural arts center call the Bambas of Nairobi. It features traditional African music and dance from the various tribes and cultures. It was a wonderful thing to see. After that we went to an animal orphanage.
In the evening we took both teams to dinner to show our appreciation for their hospitality. The hospitality shown to us has been enormous. They want us to be comfortable and safe while we are here. Every time we travelled somewhere there was at least three, sometimes, four cars to drive our team of seven. They did not want us having to pack in a couple of vehicles even though we would have been happy to. They also made sure that someone from NGC was always with us. Even when we were shopping, Pastor Charles made sure someone was close to each of us at all times. Nairobi does not seem particularly dangerous; they just go out of their way to protect their guest.
At the dinner Pastor Charles let us know that, while they have worked with a lot of teams, ours was the first to spend this much time getting to know the people in their church like we have this week and in previous trips. Most teams come in to do their thing and then leave. They are very similar to our church in that they want to take time to build relationship with the people they partner with.
We all want to thank you for sending us on the trip to represent FCBC. We have worked hard this week and are tired and ready to be home with our families. Pray for us as we pack, and say some difficult good-byes and travel back. We look forward to seeing you all and sharing our many stories.
