It now finally seems that the election is behind us. The Supreme Court ruled on Saturday to uphold
the election results. There were several
demonstrations, resulting in the loss of a few lives, but overall we are
thankful for peace. Congratulations from
country leaders around the world are coming in for the president-elect, Uhuru
Kenyatta, but there is some concern over the lack of comment from President
Obama. There was some controversy prior
to the election at comments from President Obama and other officials which
seemed to indicate support for Raila Odinga.
Kenyans did not appreciate any outside message trying to sway their
votes and they insisted that other countries respect their sovereignty in choosing
their own president, without perceived threats from other countries. I loved that message of independence. President-elect Kenyatta will be sworn in on
April 9. His trial with the
International Criminal Court begins in May.
One of many well tended farms in Butere
I spent Easter in Butere.
I missed being with my children and I missed the Lent and Easter
services at Madison Square Church, with all of my brothers and sisters in
Christ. But the service at the Butere Miracle
Center was good and I enjoyed the preaching from 1 Corinthians 15. After the second service, I began my four
hour training for the 71 business people in attendance. Not a great way to spend Easter, but they
insisted that the only day business people have to attend class is Sunday –
since they work the other six days of the week.
Fish farm of tilapia...it was fun feeding them!
Elizabeth (R) and her apprentice - she is now going to sew me a suit:-)
We spent time going through the Bible to study the many
business people that God used through the Old and New Testament to forward His
message (for example, Abraham, Joseph, David, Job, Daniel, Amos, Lydia, and Luke,
just to name a few). We then spent some
time examining our cultural idols and studying how they can affect our
business. For example, in traditional
cultures (which the Butere business people concluded they are in), the idols
tend to be social stability and the good of the whole over the rights of the
individual. In modern cultures, the
idols tend to be reason (progress, science, and technology), empiricism, and
individual freedom. In post-modern
cultures, the idols tend to be uncertainty (i.e. there are no answers),
technology, and the market. [Taken from
Timothy Keller’s book, Every Good Endeavor:
Connecting Your Work to God’s Work – a good read…as well as Jeff
VanDuzer’s book, Why Business Matters to God (and what still needs to be
fixed).] We studied how the culture
in Butere views work, wealth & money, success & failure, death,
sickness, women, spirits, and time, and contrasted how the cultural worldview
lines up with the Biblical worldview.
The culture in this area tends to believe that spirits, curses, and
ancestors are heavily involved in success, failure, sickness, and death, which
can have a negative effect on businesses.
This is not unlike what I saw in West Africa. [In contrast, modern
cultures tend to explain death, sickness, and so on with science, leaving very
little to no room for God or Satan.] The
last thing we spent time on was how to set SMART goals for our business and
working towards timelines, objectives, and strategies to be able to achieve
those goals. This is always a challenge
for business people who tend to have big dreams but are unsure how to move
those dreams into tangible goals.
A very strong
business man, his wife, and daughter. They run an AgroVet shop, selling
seed and inputs to farmers, as well as animal feed and medicines. In
addition, they have a poultry farm of broilers and layers. His beautiful
wife led us in worship on Sunday morning
As
Pastor Andrew preached on 1 Corinthians 15, I reflected on one of Bob’s and my
favorite verses: “If only for this life
we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men” (I Corinthians
15:19). I believe that Bob wrote a blog
about living pitiable lives…or maybe he spoke on it several times. The idea of this text is that we are to be
living in such a way that should we be wrong about Christ, that we will have
chosen to live lives that others would view as pitiable. I started tying that in for the first time
with businesses…and actually with business ethics. Many of the Biblical business persons named
above were called to do radical things in and through their business: Abraham was called to leave his home and go
to a foreign land; Joseph and Daniel were called to be governors in lands that
were not their own, serving with excellence despite their loyalty or
allegiance; David took his shepherding skills to meet Goliath (and was looking
for the reward in it – truly a businessman!), and so on. Many would look at them and think that if it
turned out that their God was not the one true God, they were living pitiable
lives. Many business owners face many
ethical challenges, all around the world.
For many, compromising these ethics is just part of business – the only
way to succeed or even survive.
Christians in business are called to a different standard, even if it
causes others to shake their heads at their foolish business decisions. Doing business in Kenya is a challenge. On a scale of 185 countries, Kenya ranks 121
for the ease of doing business. Often
fighting these battles as a small business owner seems fruitless…but when
business owners come together, they can carry some weight. I use the following picture when I talk about
this concept:
I am thankful for the faith that we are not living pitiable
lives…that our Lord Jesus Christ is alive…and one day we will celebrate with
Him in Heaven. I am also thankful for
those who are joining with me in this work by praying for some of these
businesses…the challenges are great, but our Lord is greater!
I did get to see a white rabbit...not a sign of spring here...but certainly in the US!
With the elections behind us (well, almost...the Supreme Court will hear the case of alleged improprieties on March 25...if they overturn the results, there will be a runoff election in April), it was time to get to work in a serious way.
ATS Mt. Eglon Campus - guest house where I stayed on left.
Last weekend, I went to a place called Kopsiro, on Mt. Elgon, a small rural town where the Africa Theological Seminary (ATS) has another site. The road leading to this place gives the roads in Liberia (and some in Ghana) a run for their money. I'm glad I wasn't driving! The place is absolutely beautiful, and I've realized that the camera I have cannot capture the beauty at all. But I will include some pictures anyway...just imagine a depth of color in red soil, green plants, blue sky, and a view that goes for miles.
Farms are ready for planting...waiting for the March rains.
Pastor Chrispine Juma and church members after the service.
On Saturday, I spoke to about 22 pastors and several business people about Business as Mission (BAM). As seems to be the pattern, this was new information to them and they were very encouraged by it - of course, the majority of pastors here are also involved in a business as well. They want this information for their churches, as well as to be trained as trainers, so that they can carry this ministry out. So the ATS Mt. Elgon campus is going to begin working on a schedule for that. At this point we are thinking that I will come to train businesses, with potential trainers in attendance. Then in September, I will teach the BAM class at that seminary campus, followed by a ToT session. That afternoon, I was invited to preach at one of the churches the next day. I tried to beg off, but they said their church needed to hear this message. So I quickly prepared...then at about 10 pm, they informed me that they wanted to give me an hour to make sure the full message was given. :-) I am finding that I am preaching a lot more than I had planned...but it went well. I'm now learning to travel with a message or two ready to go...thankfully I can repeat the messages since I'm not often in the same church twice!
The church shakes everyone's hand in a receiving line and forms a circle after the service; they then listen to announcements. A great way to greet everyone!
Tomato farmer
On Fridays, I am teaching the Basic Business Principles class with the Friends (Quakers) Church in Kitale. I had requested that the size of the class stay at about 30. The first class we had 48...and then this past Friday, we had 60. The pastor is having a difficult time turning people away, who are accusing him of trying to deny them this opportunity! Thankfully, no one new can now join. We will decide this week whether to split this group into two. We are spending Mondays visiting the businesses, which is what I love. Seeing the God-given creativity and initiative that people have is an inspiration. Almost one-half of the participants are small scale farmers, and what they do on several acres is pretty amazing. I've included some pictures.
Zachary (right) and Pastor Ashivaga (left). Zachary is a crop farmer, growing mostly maize. He also has these three dairy cows, whom we found in the unusual position of resting. Many people own one or more cows and it is a viewed as a source of wealth in some areas. The question is, if a person owns one cow...consumes some of the milk and sells the rest on a daily basis...does that qualify as "owning a business"?
Pastor Kibairu, Dana, Priscilla (owner of Adorable Creations), and Martin
This week, I start a project with a church called House of Hope, a small church in the "slums" of Kitale (as they call them); the pastor is anticipating about 25 business people...I preached at their church a few weeks ago. Next weekend (Easter weekend), I will be in Butere again, where we will start a similar program. That pastor is thinking that about 70 business people will be in attendance. I will spend a few days there visiting businesses.
On Saturday, Dana Boals and Martin Mutuku flew to Kitale to visit me. It was great to have some time with friends! They visited some businesses with me, visited the Friends Church, and helped me process some of the challenges relating to quick growth!
This is Richard, my translator for the class. He a teacher by profession and also a farmer. I call him my "partner in crime." He is (by his own statement) mischievous and I can tell he doesn't always translate directly...throwing in his own message or contextual jokes. But he makes it fun. You can tell by my face that he had just cracked a joke before taking this picture...and he does it with a straight face!
So lots going on...lots to do!
In the meantime, Hannah and Noah just had their Spring Break from Calvin College. Hannah was able to go to Tucson, Arizona where she visited with dear friends Ev and Mary Vermeer. She was able to soak up some sun, as well as visit the Grand Canyon, where she met other dear friends, the Barres. Noah was able to travel to Washington DC with a Political Science group and attend the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). He then spent the remainder of Spring Break with long-time friends, the Steenwyks. I thank God for dear friends who love my kids and open their home for them!!
Hannah and her good friend, Steven, at the Grand Canyon.
Noah loves wearing suits!! Who would have guessed?! He cleans up so well! Looks like Bob in this picture...
Just one of the looks I miss - the one that looked right into your soul...
It's amazing how the heart, body, and mind seems to know and understand a significant date is approaching. For the past few months, I have been doing great...better than I have in quite some time. But the last few weeks, probably once March hit...I started crashing. At first I couldn't figure out why I was down...then I put it down to feeling isolated during the election wait...but now I've figured out that while I knew in my head that March 20 was coming...my heart, body, and mind knew in a deeper way.
I took some time to reread my posts following Bob's death, one year later, and two years later. The first two and a half years were such a blur to me - so dark and confused. Last year I wrote that I was homesick for me...that I hadn't felt like myself for two years and I believed that I would never be the same again. And while it is true that I am not the same, I have seen a change in the last eight months, for which I am thankful. Let me share with you some of the reasons behind the change.
It was about a year ago, when I finally decided to take on the challenge of Jesus being my husband - He is described as such in Isaiah. Isaiah 54:4-5 says, "You will...remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. For your Maker is your husband - the LORD Almighty is his name - the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth." There was definitely a reproach to my widowhood in Ghana, in large part because of the some of the cultural assumptions regarding widows. That made my experience very different than if we had been in the US when Bob died. Leaving Ghana, which was difficult because of my love for my friends, colleagues, and the work there, was also necessary for me to get out from under that sense of reproach. Several people had talked to me about Jesus being my husband during the first two years, however my attitude was that I wanted Jesus to be my Savior and Bob to be my husband. But with the crisis of self that I went through...along with becoming an empty-nester, feeling led to a career change, and moving to a new country...I finally came to a point where I told Jesus that I was open to accepting Him as my husband. But I did stipulate that we would have to court first. So I began to be intentional about exploring the idea of Jesus being my husband, and started having "dates" with Him. And what happened was pretty amazing. In the quote that I wrote from Jerry Sitszer last year, the last line said, "In the experience of loss, we come to the end of ourselves. But in coming to the end of ourselves, we can also come to the beginning of a vital relationship with God." The vitality in my relationship with Jesus is amazing; I have experienced true joy and peace at a level that I haven't known before.
There are quite a number of stories that I could tell you about ways that Jesus has shown Himself to be my husband, but I will limit myself to just one - from this past Valentines Day. While we lived in the US, Bob always gave me a dozen roses with one daisy each Valentines Day. That tradition started on our first Valentines Day in 1990. I was living in Toronto and the day before Valentines, he sent me one daisy, with a note that said, "Our love is simple and beautiful, like this daisy." As our relationship was only about six weeks old, I thought, "Hmmm...interesting...one daisy...okaaaay." The next day, Valentines Day, he sent me a dozen red roses, with a note that stated how that simple beauty has grown into an explosion of love. If you didn't know Bob was a romantic, now you know! The last time he gave me roses was in 2009, when we were stateside, in-between Liberia and Ghana. I am ashamed to admit it but I didn't receive them well. We had just returned from a land of great poverty, money was tight, and it was difficult to receive these roses, knowing how much they cost. Bob was hurt...I felt bad...not a good Valentines Day. [Giving things was his love language ...unfortunately not mine...and I apparently hadn't thought through it that day before opening my mouth.] Of course, I have wanted to redo that day many, many, many times since then. Anyway, this past Valentines Day, I woke up and was "talking" to Bob, and I asked him if he had forgiven me yet...(of course he has) and if he were still on earth, would he try again to give me roses. No answer. So I said to Jesus, somewhat tongue in cheek, that as my new husband, I would be looking to see roses from Him today. I then went on my way, not thinking twice about Valentines Day (the nice thing in Africa is that you aren't inundated with reminders of holidays at every turn!).
I went to Eldoret that day - about an hour and a half from Kitale, to visit the Reformed Institute for Theological Training. They are on the other side of Eldoret, in a rural area, on a very bumpy dusty road. At the end of the day, as we were leaving, we were advised to take another road on the way back - one that was not quite so bumpy. We took that road and after driving for a bit, we saw ahead a number of greenhouses. When we got closer, I was amazed to find out what type of fresh flower farm it was....roses. I still get goosebumps when thinking about it. Who would have thought....out in the middle of nowhere...on a dusty road in rural Kenya...on a road that we hadn't planned to travel on...on Valentines Day....I see maybe 15 or 20 huge warehouses of roses. I was shocked. And I imagine that Bob was watching....chuckling...and saying..."and it didn't cost a thing!" And then I imagine Jesus chipping in, saying, "Well, it actually had a pretty high price for me...you know...the cross and all."
I can only imagine that the detour was arranged by Jesus for me that day. That He would care enough about me to do that is amazing. We serve a God who intimately cares about us and longs to be in relationship with us. And I am so thankful and privileged to be in a relationship with Him!
Last year I posted the following video of our homes over the years, to the song Homesick by Mercy Me. While I am grateful to God for His love, it doesn't change the fact that I still miss Bob. I miss our daily conversations, our frequent debates about the mundane and the important, his wise input, his love and affirmation, his encouragement, his voice, his sense of humor, his cooking, his off-key singing, his touch, and so much more. I have definitely been struggling with loneliness here...intense at times, but all within the context of knowing how blessed I am. I do long to see Bob again and I do long for Heaven. So I've decided to re-post this song of memories.
"Homesick" by Mercy Me
You're in a better place, I've heard a thousand times
And at least a thousand times I've rejoiced for you
But the reason why I'm broken, the reason why I cry
Is how long must I wait to be with you
I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now
Help me Lord cause I don't understand your ways
The reason why I wonder if I'll ever know
But, even if you showed me, the hurt would be the same
Cause I'm still here so far away from home
I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now
In Christ, there are no goodbye
And in Christ, there is no end
So I'll hold onto Jesus with all that I have
To see you again
To see you again
And I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now
