Today’s post comes to us from Polly Harrington.  Polly went on a short-term trip to Nairobi, Kenya last year.  She had an amazing experience and is leading a trip back there this January!  To find out more about her trip, click here.  Below is one life-changing encounter among many Polly and the team had, and check the end of the post to find a link the blog from last years team.

My dear friends,

I’m in the computer lab right now at about 3:00 in the afternoon.  Since I wrote you this morning, I have written two additional drafts of more updates, only to lose both.  I had planned to share more impressions about Kenya, the food, the guesthouse, etc., and how the morning went with our first two classes.

Small teaching lab in Kenya. That's Polly on the far right.

Instead, I’m going to tell you about Mary and Florence.  Mary lives just outside the NEGST property with her children.  She came from the Sudan as a refugee.  She has nine children of her own, one of which is still missing.  In addition, she’s taken in three orphans.  Mary is amazing.  She rolls beads from magazines (her children help her roll the beads) and make beautiful jewelry to sell to support her family.  She’s friends with a woman here at NEGST, Christy, who is our on campus contact for vacation Bible school.  Christy told us that Mary was worried this month about how she would be able to the next tuition payment for her children (three are currently in school), as all the Christmas orders for beads had been filled and January was a slow selling month.

So, we had Mary come to show us her beads.  They’re beautiful!!!!!  She has a gift for taking something ordinary and making it extraordinary.  We bought lots of jewelry from her.  I wanted to keep buying just so that I could help her as much as possible.  Florence is her new friend.  Mary is teaching her to make jewelry, so that Florence can support herself.

Women from the team looking at the beads

When I had made my purchases, I paid her.  My purchases had come to 3,850 Kenyan shillings, about $50.  I gave her 4,000 shillings and said, “No change.”  She looked me in the eyes and took my hand and said, “It’s time to pray.”  We joined hands, Mary and Florence and three of my teammates, and she prayed for us.  I was so profoundly humbled.  Mary, who is a Sudanese refugee whose husband was murdered, who was cut by knives by rebels, who came very close to starving to death, who has nine children and a heart for helping those who have nothing … she prayed for us and thanked God that He has brought us to Kenya in her time of financial need when she’d been praying about how to buy food for her family.  Mary, who loves the Lord, depends on him wholly to provide for her, who even lived in a church (God’s house) when she had no home of her own.  Mary, who believes in “sucking it up” (my words, not her’s, although I think you get the picture) and depending wholly on God.  Mary, who opened her heart to us to share her story of oppression and survival.  Joyous, laughing Mary, prayed a prayer of thanksgiving and praise to God.  That’s a powerful prayer, my friends.  I’m privileged and honored and humbled to have met her.

To read more stories from last years team, click here.

Summer Interns at Grace are a very special groupNot only to they contribute mightily during their summer here, but they go on to do amazing things.  Of the 110 interns since 2001, More than 1/3 are in vocational ministry…the rest are still college students, are in graduate school, are staff here at Grace, are overseas missionaries, or are committed volunteers working in the world.   All of them are part of our legacy here at Grace.

Welcome to our four Interns who recently started with us this summer.

Amber, Kendra, Trey & Janelle

Here is a story that comes from a former Summer Intern, Joe Reed. Joe and his family are serving in South Africa and recently participated in a conversation called Amahoro.  (It is interesting to note that Nairobi Chapel, one of our three strategic partners, sent two representatives to participate in this conversation.  And Remember, South Africa is where our strategic partner Loving South Africa is focusing their efforts).

Here is an excerpt from a recent blog post of Joe’s.  What an amazing story of reconciliation!  We are so proud of Joe and all our interns! Enjoy:

This past week, we attended a continent wide conference called “Amahoro”.  It’s a word that holds the same meaning as “Shalom”.  In parts of Africa, you would greet someone with this word repeatedly until you feel the connection with them.  It’s quite a beautiful thing to read, but to experience amahoro… I may begin using this word in my speech more often.  I’ve been quite overtaken by the significance of it.

Once upon a time, a man named Adriaan Vlok (pronounced Flok) was the minister of the police in South Africa.  In his brigade was a fiery young officer named Sean.  Mr. Flok instituted a great number of raids against black people.  There were bombs set off in buildings, raids on people’s homes, people hunted down by the police (of which the young Sean was part of).  At the end of Apartheid, Sean found himself dealing with serious post-traumatic stress disorder.  The counselors told him he needed to stop carrying the weight of what happened solely on his shoulders and find someone to place that blame on.  He blamed Mr. Vlok.

“Whenever I would swear, I would never use a swear word, Mr. Vlok.  I would use your name.”

Three years ago, Mr. Vlok met Jesus.  Things changed.

I believe that Jesus changed the heart of this once cold heartless man because he sought reconciliation. He went to find people he had hurt and not only asked for forgiveness for what he had done, but asked if they would be willing to let him wash their feet (literally).  He has made a life of reconciling his past.  Confessing his sins to those whom he sinned against.  Many would say that’s not necessary if Jesus forgave him of his sins.  I think the way of Mr. Vlok’s journey is a much deeper experience of salvation though.  He is bringing healing to countless others in his experience of the resurrection power of Jesus.

“I’m so sorry that I caused you this pain.  I think this pain you’ve been experiencing for the last 15 years needs to end now.  Sean, first, can you forgive me?  Second, can I please please wash your feet?”

With tears in his eyes, Sean responded.  The sins of the generation were broken… right in front of my eyes.  Countless Afrikaaners in the room were in tears as they were given words for pain they had been feeling as well.  Hope was extended for a wholistic reconciliation of South Africa.  It wasn’t just racial reconciliation.  It’s generational reconciliation, gender reconciliation, economic reconciliation… it’s the reconciliation of all things that MUST happen in South Africa.  It’s the wholistic reconciliation that I believe is precisely what God has in mind for ALL of his creation… Americans, Congolise, Kenyans, British, etc…

What makes a church great?  I know it when I see it, and I’ve seen it once or twice in my 42 years of week in and week out church.  One of the very best happens to be in Kenya, East Africa.  Land of tea, lions, and marathoners.  And home to Nairobi Chapel, one of the most innovative and effective churches in the world.  Why do I love Nairobi Chapel?  Let me list 10 ways:

1. They are in Nairobi, Kenya, not here in the United States.  I love to see the different perspectives and facets of God that other cultures reveal to me.  And wow, the country is beautiful.
2. Pastor Oscar Muriu can climb Mt. Kenya without any training at all.
   

   Pastor Oscar on top of the world!

   Am I jealous about that?  Maybe just a tad . . . awed would be another word!

   

   Pastor Oscar on our 8-day trek to the top of Mt. Kenya

3. Nairobi Chapel taught Grace the value of strategic partnerships and reciprocal relationships.  They introduced us to the concept and invited us to share in their life.  And we’ve never been the same.  Nairobi Chapel has deeply impacted much of who we are as a church, from short term trips to missions to church multiplication to leadership development.
4. Kenyans have a way-cooler birthday song than our pathetic funeral dirge that doubles as “happy birthday to you.”
5. Nairobi Chapel places a very strong emphasis on leadership development.  And the proof is in the pudding – they have turned out some amazing leaders, such as Pastor Muriithi Wanjou who leads Mavuno Church, a church plant of Nairobi Chapel that is absolutely booming these days.


Pastor Oscar and his protege, Pastor Muriithi

6. Kenyans know how to worship with reverence and abandon, and they can dance!
7. We have received some amazing interns from Nairobi Chapel who are now involved in ground-breaking kingdom work, like Muhia Karianjahi and his ministry, Tanari.  And some of our interns we have sent to Nairobi Chapel have been inspired to start ministries of their own, like Barry Rodriguez and his ministry, World Next Door.
8. Nairobi Chapel has been such a popular place to worship, people sit and stand outside the church just to be able to participate (when was the last time that happened at your church?!).
   

   Sitting outside the church listening to worship!

9. Kenya has some of the best sunrises in the world.
   

   Sunrise from Mt. Kenya as we prepare to rope up for the last 1,500 foot climb

   The sunsets aren’t all that bad either.

   

   Sunset at Amboseli Game Reserve, 2004

10. The faith displayed by our Kenyan brothers and sisters makes my faith looks so puny and miniscule in comparison.  But it inspires me to trust God more!
    

    Pastor Muriithi and Pastor Bob looking out over the future home of Nairobi Chapel

Now, tell me why do YOU love Nairobi Chapel?