Random thought, I've decided one of the weirdest things about driving in Africa is getting used to judging the width of the car from right to left instead of left to right. It's strange because you wouldn't think this would be a problem, but I really feel like I'm much less sure of my width here than in the US. Also not helping the problem are two facts, 1) I drive a different car each time I get the chance to drive, 2) the roads are insanely narrow.
Any way this past week has been quite eventful. I did make it to Nairobi on Friday as planned and spent the night in my old bedroom from high school days. It was bittersweet as I missed having the hundreds of posters and magazine clippings that used to line the walls.
After getting into town Friday I walked to a nearby mall to get passport pictures taken for my work permit and alien registration. While at the mall I popped into a computer store to see if they had any slide scanners. They had one that was about $50 more than I was really hoping to spend.
On Saturday morning I tried to call a few electronics stores in Nairobi to see if they had slide scanners. I got through to one of the three. They did have a scanner, but it was about $700! I was looking for more like $150 so I decided I'd pass on that.
My main plan for the day was to attend the Safari Sevens Rugby Tournament, an annual 3 day event. So I prepared to make my way there. There was no breakfast food in the house where I was staying and I needed to buy a few other small things so I first walked across the street to a grocery store and then made my way toward the tournament which was about a 30 minute walk down the street. I stopped about half way at my favorite coffee shop (Java House at Adams Arcade) and had a hearty breakfast so it would hold me until dinner. By the time I got to the tournament it was about 12:00, but I was just in time to see the Kenya A team take the field. I spent the rest of the afternoon with my cousin Heather Adkins watching the tournament.
In the evening I walked down to Robyn Moore's house where I would be staying for the rest of my time in Nairobi. "Aunt" Robyn had 2 other volunteer girls staying with her and the 4 of us would have a lot of fun through the next several days.
Finally after dinner a high school friend, Andrew Ruturi, picked me up and we went to another Java House to just chat and catch up. At 9:30 we were the last customers to leave the restaurant. Long day!
Sunday after church we (Robyn and volunteers Lindsay and Rachel) headed to the final day of the Rugby Tournament. The girls had never seen a rugby game before, so I got to pretend to be really smart and tell them everything I know about my favorite sport.
Monday I was met by Joel Kiathe who works with WGM helping with business such as work permits and other important, yet time consuming details. I had heard horror stories of waiting all day in long lines and trips from one office to another for this stamp or that piece of paper, so I was prepared for a long a tedious day. In fact, it moved right along and we were only there for 2 hours maximum which was a very pleasant surprise. I was actually back to Aunt Robyn's before lunch!
WIth my sudden extra time I tried again to call some electronics shops looking for scanners. I still had 2 that I hadn't heard from yet. I got one of them and was met with the quick reply that they simply didn't have slide-scanners. I had 4 different numbers for the other one, only one number connected and it turned out to be someone's private number. The lady was not interested in selling me a slide scanner. Having exhausted my knowledge of options I caught a ride with Aunt Robyn and picked up the one in the mall.
Tuesday morning I stayed at the house and worked some more on research for the Tenwek video while the ladies went to a few orphanages to check on the kids and to pick up 3 MORE volunteer girls. When they got back the house began to overflow with estrogen, but I think we all had fun anyway. :) We went to a nearby shopping center for a late lunch and then I did some grocery shopping for my return to Kericho. The girls and I had made plans to go see a movie after the shopping was done, but that fell through because the film was apparently NOT at the theatre yet.
So Plan B was made. We returned to Aunt Robyn's house for the rest of the afternoon and had tacos for dinner, then after dinner I took 5 girls out to the movies! I guess that's how you make up for not going on a date in a REALLY long time.
Wednesday I had breakfast with all the ladies before they ran off to visit some more orphanages. Once they were gone I just tried to work on more Tenwek research while I waited for my ride to Kericho to pick me up. I caught a ride with the Bishop of AGC. By evening I was back in my trailer at Kericho. Within a couple hours Michael, one of my friends from the Bible College, came over to greet me and invite me to join him and some others in leading chapel! Fortunately I wasn't given too much responsibility I was just asked to join them in singing a few special numbers. It was fun, but kind of a whirlwind turn from where I'd been the night before.
Thursday I was off to work in the Media office, I started gathering several massive collections of slides and kept going through the books that I'd been reading for research. Really not a whole lot to talk about there.
Friday was similar though rather than slides and reading I set up a video projector and VCR and looked at some old videos about Tenwek. So far the most interesting has been what was probably the first ever Kenya Field Video that WGM put out back in 1980 something. Dr. Tom Hermiz hosted an interesting trip throughout Kenya. I had a few good laughs at things like Aunt Robyn's short appearance. Don't worry I'm sure people will laugh at me some day too. (And several of you are asking "someday???")
Saturday I started to catch up with my unpacking and laundry, did some more Tenwek research and then walked to town for a few groceries. With the shopping all done I spent most of the afternoon at the church waiting for a promised goat roast.
Man that was a long update and it's really late coming. I'm sorry, the internet has been real flaky lately.
By the way, my Uncle in the US passed away Monday evening. Please pray for my Aunt, Elain Brady, and her family.
Until Saturday, God Bless,
Jonny
Friday, June 26, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
TRY something new
Thinking about this blog today I recognized how long it's been since I updated anything here. My problem is I keep waiting for moments of inspiration and not really coming up with anything.
I recognize that the main purpose of this blog should be to keep friends and family up to date on my life here in Africa. So I am proposing (to myself) a new philosophy. Rather than just writing about the rare random story I should start going for a post a week. We'll see if I can be faithful and pull this off, but I thought I should at least try for it. So each week I will look to the week ahead, where I'll be, what hope to accomplish, and any interesting events coming up. I also hope to look back and make note of the previous week, where I was and what I accomplished. Hopefully this new blogging perspective will bring about some interesting stories as well.
So to begin...
I feel like this time I really should jump back and mention the time i was recently able to spend with my cousins Tiffany and Samuel Thaler and our friend Mark Schieffla. Tiffany had been in Kenya since September 2008 as a volunteer working in Physical Therapy in Nairobi. Mark and Samuel came for about 2 weeks to visit. Actually no account of our time is complete with out my going back about 2 weeks now to Tiffany and Samuel meeting me in Kampala, Uganda. They took the 12-14 hour bus ride over to meet me and we all went white water rafting together on the Nile.
After rafting we returned to Nairobi by bus and met up with Mark. We all spent 2 days in Nairobi seeing places where Tiffany worked, visiting the baby elephants and the Giraffes near the national park and shopping. During this time we rented a vehicle and because I was the only one with a license it fell to me to be the driver! So I had my first experience driving in Nairobi, and with the exception of a few wrong turns it went pretty well.
Moving on from Nairobi we spent a few days in Maasai Land first at a mission station there and then in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve. At the Olderkesi Mission station we were privelaged to visit an actual Maasai village (not the touristy ones you find near the park) and were also treated to a night game drive using the spot light to try and find animals in the darkness.
After Maasai we returned to Nairobi for a night and last Friday (June 12) I said good-bye to the three of them and made my way to Tenwek Hospital. They were to fly out later that night.
I've been here at Tenwek for a week now mostly beginning to research my next video project. Tenwek Hospital is celebrating 50 years since the first full time doctor, Dr. Ernie Steury, came. My coworker, John Makibior, and I have been tasked to assemble a video that tells the story of Tenwek's early days and how far it's come since then. I am very excited about this project, but it is no small task. On Tuesday we had a meeting with the hospitals Executive Officer, Mr. Geoffery Langat, to discuss plans for the project. It was reassuring to see that he was looking for similar things to what we were thinking of.
On Wednesday morning Mr. Langat asked us to join the celebrations planning committee and present our thoughts to them. This meeting also went quite well.
I have spent the days since continuing to research and beginning an outline.
So what's in store for next week?
Today (Friday) I'm heading to Nairobi to hang out for the weekend and do some business at the beginning of next week. My work permit has been approved so I need to go and finalize that and apply for alien registration and a multiple entry permit so I don't have to pay every time I come into Kenya. I also plan to try and look for a slide scanner for AGC Media that we can use for this Tenwek project and for digitizing the large slide library at the office.
Until next week, God Bless.
I recognize that the main purpose of this blog should be to keep friends and family up to date on my life here in Africa. So I am proposing (to myself) a new philosophy. Rather than just writing about the rare random story I should start going for a post a week. We'll see if I can be faithful and pull this off, but I thought I should at least try for it. So each week I will look to the week ahead, where I'll be, what hope to accomplish, and any interesting events coming up. I also hope to look back and make note of the previous week, where I was and what I accomplished. Hopefully this new blogging perspective will bring about some interesting stories as well.
So to begin...
I feel like this time I really should jump back and mention the time i was recently able to spend with my cousins Tiffany and Samuel Thaler and our friend Mark Schieffla. Tiffany had been in Kenya since September 2008 as a volunteer working in Physical Therapy in Nairobi. Mark and Samuel came for about 2 weeks to visit. Actually no account of our time is complete with out my going back about 2 weeks now to Tiffany and Samuel meeting me in Kampala, Uganda. They took the 12-14 hour bus ride over to meet me and we all went white water rafting together on the Nile.
After rafting we returned to Nairobi by bus and met up with Mark. We all spent 2 days in Nairobi seeing places where Tiffany worked, visiting the baby elephants and the Giraffes near the national park and shopping. During this time we rented a vehicle and because I was the only one with a license it fell to me to be the driver! So I had my first experience driving in Nairobi, and with the exception of a few wrong turns it went pretty well.
Moving on from Nairobi we spent a few days in Maasai Land first at a mission station there and then in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve. At the Olderkesi Mission station we were privelaged to visit an actual Maasai village (not the touristy ones you find near the park) and were also treated to a night game drive using the spot light to try and find animals in the darkness.
After Maasai we returned to Nairobi for a night and last Friday (June 12) I said good-bye to the three of them and made my way to Tenwek Hospital. They were to fly out later that night.
I've been here at Tenwek for a week now mostly beginning to research my next video project. Tenwek Hospital is celebrating 50 years since the first full time doctor, Dr. Ernie Steury, came. My coworker, John Makibior, and I have been tasked to assemble a video that tells the story of Tenwek's early days and how far it's come since then. I am very excited about this project, but it is no small task. On Tuesday we had a meeting with the hospitals Executive Officer, Mr. Geoffery Langat, to discuss plans for the project. It was reassuring to see that he was looking for similar things to what we were thinking of.
On Wednesday morning Mr. Langat asked us to join the celebrations planning committee and present our thoughts to them. This meeting also went quite well.
I have spent the days since continuing to research and beginning an outline.
So what's in store for next week?
Today (Friday) I'm heading to Nairobi to hang out for the weekend and do some business at the beginning of next week. My work permit has been approved so I need to go and finalize that and apply for alien registration and a multiple entry permit so I don't have to pay every time I come into Kenya. I also plan to try and look for a slide scanner for AGC Media that we can use for this Tenwek project and for digitizing the large slide library at the office.
Until next week, God Bless.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Unique Offering
Every once in a while I experience something that reminds me, in a good way, that I'm not totally and Kenyan and some things here are still strange to me. This is one such story...
This past weekend I attended church a little outside of Kericho and joined in the celebration for several recent graduates of the Theological Education by Extension (TEE) program. I was there to film and help create a short story about the program and graduates. At the end of the service a special offering was taken. I was surprised here to see a woman bring forward a live chicken and give it to the pastor. Honestly, I should not have been surprised, this is not really an uncommon occurrence in rural African churches, but it did catch me off guard. I actually started thinking of my church back in Michigan and wondered what Pastor Dave would do if someone brought a live chicken and set it in the offering plate. I started picturing his face and laughed a little to myself.
What I had forgotten, or had never known, was what is done here with chickens that are given in the offering. Once all the congregation had been given a chance to give their gifts the chicken was auctioned off to the highest bidder! So Pastor Dave, if someone brings you a live chicken for offering that's what you do with it! The chicken sold for about $6.35. Later I found out that if I went to the market to buy a chicken like that I could expect to pay about $3.75 for it.
In this area people mostly live off their live stock and what they can grow on their farm. Most families will have at least one parent involved in some kind of small business, but the money from this mostly goes toward paying for the children's schooling. The chicken that this woman brought could have been a meal for her family, it's possible that it used to lay eggs for them even and she probably gave it because she had no money. Today I've been thinking about the gift she gave and how God used that small amount to instantly bring in an even larger return. If she had come with the 300 shillings the chicken was worth, that's what she would have given, but because she brought forth this chicken she was able to give that amount and God was instantly able to multiply it! I guess this just made me think of how we can bring so little to a God who created everything and He can use it to do amazing things!
This past weekend I attended church a little outside of Kericho and joined in the celebration for several recent graduates of the Theological Education by Extension (TEE) program. I was there to film and help create a short story about the program and graduates. At the end of the service a special offering was taken. I was surprised here to see a woman bring forward a live chicken and give it to the pastor. Honestly, I should not have been surprised, this is not really an uncommon occurrence in rural African churches, but it did catch me off guard. I actually started thinking of my church back in Michigan and wondered what Pastor Dave would do if someone brought a live chicken and set it in the offering plate. I started picturing his face and laughed a little to myself.
What I had forgotten, or had never known, was what is done here with chickens that are given in the offering. Once all the congregation had been given a chance to give their gifts the chicken was auctioned off to the highest bidder! So Pastor Dave, if someone brings you a live chicken for offering that's what you do with it! The chicken sold for about $6.35. Later I found out that if I went to the market to buy a chicken like that I could expect to pay about $3.75 for it.
In this area people mostly live off their live stock and what they can grow on their farm. Most families will have at least one parent involved in some kind of small business, but the money from this mostly goes toward paying for the children's schooling. The chicken that this woman brought could have been a meal for her family, it's possible that it used to lay eggs for them even and she probably gave it because she had no money. Today I've been thinking about the gift she gave and how God used that small amount to instantly bring in an even larger return. If she had come with the 300 shillings the chicken was worth, that's what she would have given, but because she brought forth this chicken she was able to give that amount and God was instantly able to multiply it! I guess this just made me think of how we can bring so little to a God who created everything and He can use it to do amazing things!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
A day in the Life
As I've been uncertain of what to write about here I think this time we'll just go for a basic topic... A day in my life in Kericho, Kenya.
I am now living in Kericho and working with John Makibior in the Media department at the Africa Gospel Church head office. I live in a small house on the compound that is referred to as "The Trailer" because it is a converted trailer. To get a sense of this small but homey living space check out my Facebook group "Adkins Media On Location."
Last night I started writing about my typical day here in Kericho, it wasn't very interesting. Then today came along and I had a rather unusual day! So I'll write about that day!
I have been running low on groceries for 3 days now and each day I just put off going shopping especially as I've been quite busy at work writing and re-writing a script. Well after dinner last night I was running real low so I decided I had to go to town today.
I got to work a little after 8 this morning and worked probably until around 9. I decided to walk to town, good exercise and it's cheap, so I went out and took a short cut I learned last weekend. It was quite a nice walk though if I had really thought it through I would have left behind some of the things I was carrying. I have no idea how long it took me to get to town but I would guess 45 minutes based on the fact that i listened to a 12 minute podcast and half a CD album on the way. On the way in I passed some fruit vendors and made a plan to buy mango and pineapple on my way back.
I had 3 place I wanted to visit in town, there's the photo shop which I only know how to get to from the book shop, the book shop which I was pretty sure I could easily find from the grocery store, and the grocery store which I totally know how to get to! I went straight to the grocery store since I knew the way there, but my plan was to find the book store first so I could buy a small Bible. Well, when I got to the grocery store (Stagemat) I looked in each direction for which street looked right. I didn't see the book shop. I decided to pick a direction and start walking, nothing looked right. When the plan goes wrong go back to the beginning. I took another direction. still nothing looked right. Back to Stagemat, I asked the guard at the door if he knew the way. He just pointed me into the store. I thought maybe he was intending down the street and to the right so I tried that, still not right. Finally, I admitted defeat, I had misplace the book shop. Now it should be mentioned that this is Bethany Bookshopt, it was started by my Grandparents or Great Grandparents, this is almost like misplacing the family jewels!
Any way I decided to adjust my plan and do my grocery shopping, call a Taxi and have him take me to the book shop before coming back home. I did my grocery shopping and things were good. I called this taxi driver I know, his name is Soldier, and after a few minutes he came and got me. When I was getting in the car I asked if we could go by Bethany Bookshop first, he looked at me a little funny and then drove across the street! It was right there! Went into the shop and bought my Bible, it's a small one so I can easily pack it when traveling.
Soldier and I then headed out of town and stopped at the fruit stands I had passed on the way in. He helped me get a pineapple at the first one for 40 Shillings (about $0.50) which he said was expensive since they are out of season. Then we continued on to the Mango stand by the speed bumps and got a Mango. That was 20 Shillings ($0.25) which again he said was a rip off. As we came on to the church office Soldier explained that there's a market in town where Mangos are about 5 shillings (almost nothing). I have decided that finding this mythical market will be my next adventure!
When I got back to the house it was about 11, so 2 hours to loose a book shop, get groceries, find a book shop and get back, not too bad really.
I went back to work where I found Koech, my friend who brings chai twice a day, cleaning the office. The board is visiting us tomorrow. Koech poured me a cup of tea almost as soon as I sat down and that motivated me to keep working until lunch time.
I decided to make lunch my small meal for today so I just had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It was pretty good.
The afternoon was mostly spent working on my script and logging my footage from Burundi about a month ago. John, my co-worker, has been in meetings all this week so I just kept myself occupied. John did make it back some time around 4 and then we suddenly go busy straightening the place up until sometime after 5 when we came home.
Getting back to the house this evening I had to do laundry (again I direct you to facebook to see my oh so efficient "Laundry Machine"). Once the laundry was out of the way I set about taking care of my produce. I had an onion, a pineapple and a mango to cut up and store in the fridge. The onion was easy to cut, but it was a strong beast of an onion so I cried through the whole thing. Then I went for the pineapple, I'd never cut a pineapple. I figured it couldn't be too hard, but I wasn't really interested in messing up either. So I went to Google and man it pulled through for me, I fond a site with step by step instructions and photos. Turns out cutting a pineapple is exactly as easy as I thought it would be. By this point I was feeling pretty good, so it was on to the Mango! I was pretty sure I knew how to do this so I skipped google and just dove in. Well I'd completely forgotten Mangos have a hard seed in the middle. That was issue one, but should have been something I could get around. However, I think the fruit was also a little under or over ripe because rather than a nice firm inside that can be cubed it was all mushy and stringy like a pumpkin. I salvaged what I could of it and we'll see how it turns out.
Finally, I cooked dinner. When I first got to Kericho nearly 3 weeks ago the only meat I found at Stagemat was hamburgers. Only problem since has been a lack of buns. Well I found some buns today and so I dug into one of my burgers. Oh man that was good. I followed the Burger with pineapple and cookies. Oh man that was good. After I finished eating I hopped her on the internet and have been blogging ever since. It's now nearly bed time, 11PM, so I hope you will all enjoy my roller coaster day as much as I did and we'll see you again soon.
I am now living in Kericho and working with John Makibior in the Media department at the Africa Gospel Church head office. I live in a small house on the compound that is referred to as "The Trailer" because it is a converted trailer. To get a sense of this small but homey living space check out my Facebook group "Adkins Media On Location."
Last night I started writing about my typical day here in Kericho, it wasn't very interesting. Then today came along and I had a rather unusual day! So I'll write about that day!
I have been running low on groceries for 3 days now and each day I just put off going shopping especially as I've been quite busy at work writing and re-writing a script. Well after dinner last night I was running real low so I decided I had to go to town today.
I got to work a little after 8 this morning and worked probably until around 9. I decided to walk to town, good exercise and it's cheap, so I went out and took a short cut I learned last weekend. It was quite a nice walk though if I had really thought it through I would have left behind some of the things I was carrying. I have no idea how long it took me to get to town but I would guess 45 minutes based on the fact that i listened to a 12 minute podcast and half a CD album on the way. On the way in I passed some fruit vendors and made a plan to buy mango and pineapple on my way back.
I had 3 place I wanted to visit in town, there's the photo shop which I only know how to get to from the book shop, the book shop which I was pretty sure I could easily find from the grocery store, and the grocery store which I totally know how to get to! I went straight to the grocery store since I knew the way there, but my plan was to find the book store first so I could buy a small Bible. Well, when I got to the grocery store (Stagemat) I looked in each direction for which street looked right. I didn't see the book shop. I decided to pick a direction and start walking, nothing looked right. When the plan goes wrong go back to the beginning. I took another direction. still nothing looked right. Back to Stagemat, I asked the guard at the door if he knew the way. He just pointed me into the store. I thought maybe he was intending down the street and to the right so I tried that, still not right. Finally, I admitted defeat, I had misplace the book shop. Now it should be mentioned that this is Bethany Bookshopt, it was started by my Grandparents or Great Grandparents, this is almost like misplacing the family jewels!
Any way I decided to adjust my plan and do my grocery shopping, call a Taxi and have him take me to the book shop before coming back home. I did my grocery shopping and things were good. I called this taxi driver I know, his name is Soldier, and after a few minutes he came and got me. When I was getting in the car I asked if we could go by Bethany Bookshop first, he looked at me a little funny and then drove across the street! It was right there! Went into the shop and bought my Bible, it's a small one so I can easily pack it when traveling.
Soldier and I then headed out of town and stopped at the fruit stands I had passed on the way in. He helped me get a pineapple at the first one for 40 Shillings (about $0.50) which he said was expensive since they are out of season. Then we continued on to the Mango stand by the speed bumps and got a Mango. That was 20 Shillings ($0.25) which again he said was a rip off. As we came on to the church office Soldier explained that there's a market in town where Mangos are about 5 shillings (almost nothing). I have decided that finding this mythical market will be my next adventure!
When I got back to the house it was about 11, so 2 hours to loose a book shop, get groceries, find a book shop and get back, not too bad really.
I went back to work where I found Koech, my friend who brings chai twice a day, cleaning the office. The board is visiting us tomorrow. Koech poured me a cup of tea almost as soon as I sat down and that motivated me to keep working until lunch time.
I decided to make lunch my small meal for today so I just had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It was pretty good.
The afternoon was mostly spent working on my script and logging my footage from Burundi about a month ago. John, my co-worker, has been in meetings all this week so I just kept myself occupied. John did make it back some time around 4 and then we suddenly go busy straightening the place up until sometime after 5 when we came home.
Getting back to the house this evening I had to do laundry (again I direct you to facebook to see my oh so efficient "Laundry Machine"). Once the laundry was out of the way I set about taking care of my produce. I had an onion, a pineapple and a mango to cut up and store in the fridge. The onion was easy to cut, but it was a strong beast of an onion so I cried through the whole thing. Then I went for the pineapple, I'd never cut a pineapple. I figured it couldn't be too hard, but I wasn't really interested in messing up either. So I went to Google and man it pulled through for me, I fond a site with step by step instructions and photos. Turns out cutting a pineapple is exactly as easy as I thought it would be. By this point I was feeling pretty good, so it was on to the Mango! I was pretty sure I knew how to do this so I skipped google and just dove in. Well I'd completely forgotten Mangos have a hard seed in the middle. That was issue one, but should have been something I could get around. However, I think the fruit was also a little under or over ripe because rather than a nice firm inside that can be cubed it was all mushy and stringy like a pumpkin. I salvaged what I could of it and we'll see how it turns out.
Finally, I cooked dinner. When I first got to Kericho nearly 3 weeks ago the only meat I found at Stagemat was hamburgers. Only problem since has been a lack of buns. Well I found some buns today and so I dug into one of my burgers. Oh man that was good. I followed the Burger with pineapple and cookies. Oh man that was good. After I finished eating I hopped her on the internet and have been blogging ever since. It's now nearly bed time, 11PM, so I hope you will all enjoy my roller coaster day as much as I did and we'll see you again soon.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Of My Last Days...
Well I am on my way to Kenya. Currently I am sitting outside my gate in Chicago and ready to leave American soil for London. The first leg of my trip was uneventful, that is to say we did not hit a flock of birds and land in Lake MI. These past few days have been pretty crazy as I’ve been putting the finishing touches on a video project, trying to pack everything I’ll need, want and desire for the next year. Realy it’s only by the Grace of God and the help of my parents that I got it all done.
On Sunday as I was at Church for the last time, and playing the bass for the last time and playing with the kids for the last time, I thought, “well this is kind of like dying.” That is that it’s like those movies where the doctor tells someone they will die in 24 hours. Our “hero” then goes out and has a series of adventures living their life for one last day. He will tell the boss what he really thinks and then quit his job to tulmotuous applause from his co-workers. He goes skydiving for the first time, tells his mom he loves her one last time (love you mom) and stays up all night playing cards so he can donate the winnings to charity in the morning. What I realized about this type of film is that I don’t think that’s quite how I’d live my last day. I would probably be scrambling to make sure everything was ready. Who was going to inherit whatever I have to pass along (it’s not much), how can I finish my current project, and who should I tell (I love you Mom)? Then in the last minutes I think I’d start looking back and evaluating what I’ve done with my life.
Eventually I thought of what the best response could be. I think I’d like to go out like Schindler in Schindler’s List, first evaluating what I was able to do with my life and then realizing what I should have done. True at the end of the film Oscar is fleeing and not dying, but as he bids farewell to the Jews whose lives he has spared he suddenly realizes how much more he could have done. The car he is leaving in is worth at least 5 people and the Nazi Pin on his coat is worth one more. The Jews who love him for what he’s done try to comfort him and say that he did more than he could imagine, but Oscar still says that he could have done even more. Where I’m going with this is that Schindler is a pretty obvious metaphor for our mandate as Christians. As I think about the impact that my life may have had in this world the only measurement that counts is weather or not I was able to show Christ to the world or even just a few individuals. Now think of your own life, if you knew you only had 1 day left to live would you spend it skydiving, scrambling to get your affairs in order, or would you run to your unsaved friends and spend all day trying to convince them of the love of Christ even in the midst of your situation? Now, I ask why wait? Of course, I know that this is something that many of you have heard before and at the same time I know that I am just as guilty as any of taking tomorrow for granted, but may I just encourage you not to do that. Live each day as if it’s your last.
On Sunday as I was at Church for the last time, and playing the bass for the last time and playing with the kids for the last time, I thought, “well this is kind of like dying.” That is that it’s like those movies where the doctor tells someone they will die in 24 hours. Our “hero” then goes out and has a series of adventures living their life for one last day. He will tell the boss what he really thinks and then quit his job to tulmotuous applause from his co-workers. He goes skydiving for the first time, tells his mom he loves her one last time (love you mom) and stays up all night playing cards so he can donate the winnings to charity in the morning. What I realized about this type of film is that I don’t think that’s quite how I’d live my last day. I would probably be scrambling to make sure everything was ready. Who was going to inherit whatever I have to pass along (it’s not much), how can I finish my current project, and who should I tell (I love you Mom)? Then in the last minutes I think I’d start looking back and evaluating what I’ve done with my life.
Eventually I thought of what the best response could be. I think I’d like to go out like Schindler in Schindler’s List, first evaluating what I was able to do with my life and then realizing what I should have done. True at the end of the film Oscar is fleeing and not dying, but as he bids farewell to the Jews whose lives he has spared he suddenly realizes how much more he could have done. The car he is leaving in is worth at least 5 people and the Nazi Pin on his coat is worth one more. The Jews who love him for what he’s done try to comfort him and say that he did more than he could imagine, but Oscar still says that he could have done even more. Where I’m going with this is that Schindler is a pretty obvious metaphor for our mandate as Christians. As I think about the impact that my life may have had in this world the only measurement that counts is weather or not I was able to show Christ to the world or even just a few individuals. Now think of your own life, if you knew you only had 1 day left to live would you spend it skydiving, scrambling to get your affairs in order, or would you run to your unsaved friends and spend all day trying to convince them of the love of Christ even in the midst of your situation? Now, I ask why wait? Of course, I know that this is something that many of you have heard before and at the same time I know that I am just as guilty as any of taking tomorrow for granted, but may I just encourage you not to do that. Live each day as if it’s your last.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Getting What You Ask For
What a blessing this past Sunday was, in preparation for going to Kenya and in seeking to raise the necessary funds I spoke at Sparta UM Church. I've been looking forward to this opportunity for about a month and hoping that God would help me know what to say and how to introduce myself to a church that had never heard of me. I told my former roommate that I had to figure out how to be memorable in 5 minutes or less.
I decided to keep my "speech" simple, count on having a good display with memorable pieces of Kenya and some of my past video projects playing. Also I knew that one of my videos would be shown in the service as I was tag-teaming with the founder of the ministry I had created it for.
Saturday night as I was getting ready for bed rather than asking God to bless me by getting all my funds and making me more memorable than other ministries represented at the missions fair and so funding me and not them, I asked that He would be glorified first and foremost. I asked that all the ministries represented would be blessed and encouraged and that the congregation would be blessed as well.
Sunday morning I arrived at the church and felt instantly welcome, the first couple I met helped me find my way around the building, find the Pastor (who used to pastor at my home church and is the only person I knew at this church), and where I would be setting up my display. As I set up my display I met several other wonderful and helpful members of the congregation.
During the service the Holy Spirit was at work and I sensed that God was pouring a blessing on everyone in attendance. One couple got up and shared with the church how they had just that week seen God provide for a gift toward the missions fund and he had come through. Soon it was time for the other speaker and I to share. Before we spoke Pastor Ray introduced us each and truly humbled me in telling the church about the impact that my family had had on his life and about my heart to serve. It's hard to write about this and not feel like I'm tooting my horn so just know I was greatly blessed at that moment. Jesus also granted me calm nerves as I shared with the church, and the congregation was very responsive. When I finished we watched part of the video and then Pastor Ray got up and challenged the congregation that at least 17 people should take up support in me, now that's seventeen because I had announced that I needed 18 but Pastor Ray followed up by announcing that I could count on him to take a share.
A few minutes later I was back by my display table and several members of the congregation came to talk with me for a few moments and took letters and information on how to support me. Not only was I being blessed by the fellowship, but I was greatly encouraged by the interest in supporting me.
Once the congregation cleared out and I got my stuff put away I went out to lunch with the pastor and his wife and the missions coordinators. I expected this to just be a nice time to sit, eat, and fellowship, but Pastor Ray brought along the extra copies of my letter that I gave him. This wasn't simply because his coat pocket was a convenient place to keep them but so that he could give copies to the restaurant owner and several of the customers whom he knew. As we were eating he would periodically get up and I'd see him pointing me out to some one and handing them a letter.
Driving home that afternoon I realized that God had given me precisely what I had asked for. I could tell from the service and the responses afterword that the congregation was excited about their involvement in missions and that those ministries represented were greatly encouraged. But then God went above and beyond that (as He is known to do) and blessed me specifically with great amounts of encouragement and what will probably turn out to be a great shower of new support. Since I get my weekly support updates on Tuesdays there hadn't been enough time between Sunday and my most recent update for it to show any support from that service, but I believe that next weeks update will be very exciting.
I decided to keep my "speech" simple, count on having a good display with memorable pieces of Kenya and some of my past video projects playing. Also I knew that one of my videos would be shown in the service as I was tag-teaming with the founder of the ministry I had created it for.
Saturday night as I was getting ready for bed rather than asking God to bless me by getting all my funds and making me more memorable than other ministries represented at the missions fair and so funding me and not them, I asked that He would be glorified first and foremost. I asked that all the ministries represented would be blessed and encouraged and that the congregation would be blessed as well.
Sunday morning I arrived at the church and felt instantly welcome, the first couple I met helped me find my way around the building, find the Pastor (who used to pastor at my home church and is the only person I knew at this church), and where I would be setting up my display. As I set up my display I met several other wonderful and helpful members of the congregation.
During the service the Holy Spirit was at work and I sensed that God was pouring a blessing on everyone in attendance. One couple got up and shared with the church how they had just that week seen God provide for a gift toward the missions fund and he had come through. Soon it was time for the other speaker and I to share. Before we spoke Pastor Ray introduced us each and truly humbled me in telling the church about the impact that my family had had on his life and about my heart to serve. It's hard to write about this and not feel like I'm tooting my horn so just know I was greatly blessed at that moment. Jesus also granted me calm nerves as I shared with the church, and the congregation was very responsive. When I finished we watched part of the video and then Pastor Ray got up and challenged the congregation that at least 17 people should take up support in me, now that's seventeen because I had announced that I needed 18 but Pastor Ray followed up by announcing that I could count on him to take a share.
A few minutes later I was back by my display table and several members of the congregation came to talk with me for a few moments and took letters and information on how to support me. Not only was I being blessed by the fellowship, but I was greatly encouraged by the interest in supporting me.
Once the congregation cleared out and I got my stuff put away I went out to lunch with the pastor and his wife and the missions coordinators. I expected this to just be a nice time to sit, eat, and fellowship, but Pastor Ray brought along the extra copies of my letter that I gave him. This wasn't simply because his coat pocket was a convenient place to keep them but so that he could give copies to the restaurant owner and several of the customers whom he knew. As we were eating he would periodically get up and I'd see him pointing me out to some one and handing them a letter.
Driving home that afternoon I realized that God had given me precisely what I had asked for. I could tell from the service and the responses afterword that the congregation was excited about their involvement in missions and that those ministries represented were greatly encouraged. But then God went above and beyond that (as He is known to do) and blessed me specifically with great amounts of encouragement and what will probably turn out to be a great shower of new support. Since I get my weekly support updates on Tuesdays there hadn't been enough time between Sunday and my most recent update for it to show any support from that service, but I believe that next weeks update will be very exciting.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Two Thirds Down!!!
I am very excited to announce that I have raised over 60% of my required funds! It has been truly amazing to see your gifts come in from all over the country and to know that there are so many people praying for me and believing in this ministry.
Lately, I have been even more convinced of my calling into video ministry as I have been working on a project here in Michigan. Back in the early spring my former pastor connected me with Chaplain Kurt Glover. Kurt has been working hard since the fall of 2007 to start a ministry designed to reach out to men and women who have recently been released from prison. Kurt’s ministry, Certification for the Incarcerated (CFTI), helps to provide training and education to assist ex-offenders in getting decent jobs and turn their lives around. Over the past several months I have been producing a video that will help others understand the goals and intentions of the ministry and how it is already changing lives.
This project is quite similar to what I will be doing in Kenya, helping missionaries tell churches and supporters how God has been putting their gifts to good work. As I’ve been working on this project and fund raising at the same time, I’ve been thinking about my calling and what I can relate it to in the Bible. I’ve come to realize that my ministry is similar to two disciples of John the Baptist as mentioned in Luke 7:18-23. John’s disciples came and visited him in Prison and told him how Jesus was preaching and performing miracles. For an unspecified reason, John had a small moment of doubt and so sent two of his disciples to Jesus to ask if He was the Christ. The names of these disciples are not given and we know almost nothing about them except that they were entrusted to carry messages between John the Baptist and Jesus. When these men asked if he was the Christ, Jesus had them observe Him for a time as He “cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind.” (Vs.21 NIV) Then rather than answering John’s question with a simple “yes” he told the disciples to go back and give their own testimony of what they had seen. The Bible keeps the focus of the story on Jesus after that point but I’m sure that the two disciples returned to John simply ecstatic about what they had seen and eager to share the news with him.
So how do John’s disciples relate to my life? Well let’s look at my most recent project, the CFTI video mentioned earlier. I have to admit that I had trouble getting a handle on how this was going to look until we fi nally began shooting, and I met some of Kurt’s students, and heard their stories. Having seen some of the fruits of Kurt’s labor, I was excited to share that knowledge with others. So, like John’s disciples, I see myself as merely a messenger who is privileged to witness the work of Christ and document it.
In closing, I would like to thank each and every one of you for your sacrifices and your gifts helping me come so far towards my goal for this trip. I am still planning to leave as soon as possible and am searching for additional supporters to help make this a reality. I need just twenty seven people or groups to pledge to support me with $20 a month and I’ll be on my way to Kenya. Will you pray that these twenty nine people will come forward soon and agree to support me? Or will you be one of these twenty seven to help me get on my way to Kenya to assist others in telling their stories?
Lately, I have been even more convinced of my calling into video ministry as I have been working on a project here in Michigan. Back in the early spring my former pastor connected me with Chaplain Kurt Glover. Kurt has been working hard since the fall of 2007 to start a ministry designed to reach out to men and women who have recently been released from prison. Kurt’s ministry, Certification for the Incarcerated (CFTI), helps to provide training and education to assist ex-offenders in getting decent jobs and turn their lives around. Over the past several months I have been producing a video that will help others understand the goals and intentions of the ministry and how it is already changing lives.
This project is quite similar to what I will be doing in Kenya, helping missionaries tell churches and supporters how God has been putting their gifts to good work. As I’ve been working on this project and fund raising at the same time, I’ve been thinking about my calling and what I can relate it to in the Bible. I’ve come to realize that my ministry is similar to two disciples of John the Baptist as mentioned in Luke 7:18-23. John’s disciples came and visited him in Prison and told him how Jesus was preaching and performing miracles. For an unspecified reason, John had a small moment of doubt and so sent two of his disciples to Jesus to ask if He was the Christ. The names of these disciples are not given and we know almost nothing about them except that they were entrusted to carry messages between John the Baptist and Jesus. When these men asked if he was the Christ, Jesus had them observe Him for a time as He “cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind.” (Vs.21 NIV) Then rather than answering John’s question with a simple “yes” he told the disciples to go back and give their own testimony of what they had seen. The Bible keeps the focus of the story on Jesus after that point but I’m sure that the two disciples returned to John simply ecstatic about what they had seen and eager to share the news with him.
So how do John’s disciples relate to my life? Well let’s look at my most recent project, the CFTI video mentioned earlier. I have to admit that I had trouble getting a handle on how this was going to look until we fi nally began shooting, and I met some of Kurt’s students, and heard their stories. Having seen some of the fruits of Kurt’s labor, I was excited to share that knowledge with others. So, like John’s disciples, I see myself as merely a messenger who is privileged to witness the work of Christ and document it.
In closing, I would like to thank each and every one of you for your sacrifices and your gifts helping me come so far towards my goal for this trip. I am still planning to leave as soon as possible and am searching for additional supporters to help make this a reality. I need just twenty seven people or groups to pledge to support me with $20 a month and I’ll be on my way to Kenya. Will you pray that these twenty nine people will come forward soon and agree to support me? Or will you be one of these twenty seven to help me get on my way to Kenya to assist others in telling their stories?
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