January 1996

His Work Among the Luo People Of Kenya Go ... and make disciples of all nations Matthew 28:19
January 3, 1996

Well, 1995 went out with a bang of a success for us. The beginning of the month of December started with the Kenya National Meeting of Christians which we hosted in South Nyanza this year. This is the meeting that has been in planning stages for the last six months. Christians from 20 different areas in Kenya attended the four day meeting of study and fellowship, some traveling for two whole days before arriving. One group arrived at 3:00am due to a broken bus and a long wait on the side of the road. Ten different language groups were represented. Most of the lessons were taught in Swahili, Kenya's trade language, but at one time there were as many as three speakers teaching a lesson, one doing the actual teaching and two translating into two different languages. The singing was wonderful, such a variety of styles of singing and such a variety of languages. God surely is great and awesome to understand all that! The meeting was a big success, but we were exhausted when it was over. It was held at a secondary boarding school just 6 miles away from our home, but when the four days were over, Barry found that he had traveled over 200 miles, running for supplies, carting people back and forth, and with just general "go get it" needs. We didn't get into bed any of the three nights before 1:00am. So when the meeting was over we hoped for a few days rest, but then began "return it" time. All in all, it was a big success and we are glad it is over. We're not ready to do that again any too soon.

Mid month saw us keeping our regular schedule of teaching in the churches. We completed the Teaching Children's course in two more churches and had the added blessing of baptizing four people who will worship with the new Winyarago congregation on the last day of the course. The most exciting thing is that all four were from the same family, two brothers (grown men), one a wife of one of the brothers, and one of their grown children. The other brother's wife went along to watch, so I took the opportunity of encouraging her to commit herself to Christ as soon and as completely as possible, while we were waiting for the others to change clothes in the bushes near the river.

The end of the month was also a first, and a big success. The churches in South Nyanza held their first Youth Retreat. Over 100 children from ages 10-20 attended from nine different congregations in South Nyanza. Several walked over 20 miles to get to this fellowship. Several other traveled over 60 miles by public transportation. Adults escorted the children from each congregation and sat in on the teaching so are able to take the teaching back to their congregations, to children who were unable to attend. Barry and I taught all day on Saturday of the meeting, Barry kicking the meeting off with an introduction, and then we separated the boys from the girls to teach the tender subject of marriage under God's plan, a much needed teaching here in Kenya, and what a blessing to teach to those who aren't already steeped in mistakes. Those fresh faces, sparkling and attentive eyes and open hearts made that Saturday a real treat for me. Getting them to talk was another thing. Children here are so quiet and shy. Many just lower their heads when you try to even greet them. We were greatly challenged in trying to get them to enter into a discussion on marriage. Four young married couples headed up the evening activities, including skits both present day and straight from Bible times, debates, and performances of singing and memory work of the children in each of the different congregations. One of the youth, Lawrence Olaw, who has been teaching a Sunday school class in his home congregation, organized Sunday school during the retreat, dividing the children into three different age groups, lining up teachers and lessons for each group and he himself also taught one of the classes. I was so proud of him. The kids thought it was a great retreat. We heard no complaints from the escorting adults and parents, and all are asking when the next one will be.

We finished up the Youth Retreat on Sunday, the 31st at 3:00pm after Sunday worship and lunch. I was looking forward to a rest at home, but the Nyarach church invited us to attend their midnight service to pray in the new year. I was astounded, and oh so touched! The women of the Nyarach congregation cooked all weekend for the 100 plus youth and their adult escorts. They served Sunday lunch (beans and rice) to almost 200 people and now before the dishes were even done, they were asking us to return in a few hours to partake of an evening meal with them and help them to pray in the new year. We have truly grown into some deep and meaningful relationships with these brethren in Christ. "I'll bring cake!", I called as I closed the car door and we headed for home. We had three hours to rest at home, during which time I made five cakes, and then returned to Nyarach to share their New Year's fellowship.

Yes, it's been a tremendously blessed year and a tremendously blessed end to the year. We hope for even more work and blessings in 1996. And we hope to be able to serve our Lord even better in this new year.

It has occurred to me recently that maybe you'd like to know just how one helps out his neighbor in Kenya. I fear that Americans have become too insular, what with everyone having his own car (to the tune of four or five cars per family), and with air conditioning taking us indoors instead of sitting on the front porch of an evening and sharing a word or greeting with a passing neighbor, with "his" and "her" everything, and "privacy" being the watchword letting the fear of intruding keep one from helping out a neighbor. It started me to thinking that my life differs from yours tremendously in this way, and maybe you'd like a peep into my life here in Kenya. Why not? Everybody else peeps in. We live in a fishbowl here and there is not even a plant to hide behind. Why, you wouldn't believe how many times I've been caught in the cornfield when there is no choo (latrine) available, and have been forced to greet a passer-by in that ignominious squatting position. I've even been caught singing in my own choo more than once!

Anyway I started thinking about this "helping your neighbor" thing on Sunday afternoon of the last day of this year. I had just laid down in my own living room on the couch for a quick rest while one of my new years cakes was in the oven. Havilah was taking a nap and Kit was out playing with his friends. Suddenly, I heard a man babbling loudly outside. I couldn't even tell if he was laughing or crying. He's probably drunk I thought, hailing in the new year a bit early. But it wasn't long before I heard the wailing coming from all directions. Another death, probably an old man by the sounds of it. I laid there listening, and was soon disturbed by the intensity of the crying. I could still hear the man clearly but to his voice were added hundreds of others. Kit came in a few minutes later and reported that a child had been hit by a vehicle on the road just in front of our house. I went out to see. Sure enough, the sides of the road were lined with over 200 of my neighbors. The mother and father stood in the street over the body of their four year old who had just been killed by a hit and run vehicle. Those neighbors stood on the road with that mother and father and cried for over two and a half hours while they waited for the police to come make a report and take the body to the local police station for inspection. When the little body was lifted into the back of the police pick up truck to be taken to the police station the crying increased in intensity eventhough it hadn't lessened any in the whole two and a half hour wait. The entire neighborhood then proceeded (as they cried) to the home of the parents. They sat with the family, in and around their house, waiting till the body was returned to the family. They then sat with the family all night, crying on and off. The child was buried on Monday and the whole neighborhood was still standing vigil with the mother and father.

As I was turning away from the scene of the accident, one of my neighbors stopped me to tell me she had received my fresh (from the cow) milk that morning because I wasn't home, had boiled it because she doesn't have refrigeration, and would send it over with one of her children. And I got to thinking, that there really are some similarities. Probably the most frequent request from a neighbor here is, "may I please borrow a cup of sugar" just as it is for you too. Or, "I collected your package because you weren't home." One day a man came to our back door with Barry's key ring in his hand. "I saw them hanging in the lock on your gate early this morning, and I didn't want anyone to steal them so I took them home and watched for your return so I could bring them to you."

Here in Kenya, neighborliness is so important. When three million people live so close together, each family having about an acre of land to call its' own, being a neighbor is bound to take on a deeper meaning. Oh! Sometimes I hate it. My neighbors know it everytime I stub my toe, or go to the choo. They wait outside the front gate for us to pull out in the car, hoping there is a seat empty and we are going their direction. They know how much I pay for food I buy in the market, and everytime I have to discipline my children. They know everything I do every minute of my day. But they know when I'm hurting, and are oh so ready to help whether I even know their names or not. And they know most of all when another neighbor just needs them to cry in sympathy even for a whole day and a night, until the child is buried and even longer . . .

When was the last time you really knew that your neighbor was hurting, or needed your help? Did you even know they had a problem? Or were you afraid of "intruding"? Being a neighbor can be so much more stressful here in Kenya, but it so much easier to know when you're needed, and so much easier to help without fear of intruding. Gives me a whole lot more chances to show the compassion of the Saviour. And that's a blessing!

I'll be praying for you as you try to be a better neighbor this year. Please pray for us too, because we need all the strength and wisdom we can get as we are busy being neighbors to the Luo community.