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Kari-bu Sana!
By Jerry Warren
**On the Ground Report!**
I’m bringing you warm greetings from Nairobi! After several days of meeting current and new friends here, I must say that God is about to do some wonderful things here in the Eastlands of Nairobi!
After an exhaustive air-travel journey to East Africa, I can say that my time is well spent. With only a few impressionable mosquito bites on my arms and legs, the mission efforts continues. So far, we have rekindled the relationships with our school children in Buru Buru. With some now taller and much wiser, we impacted the group with some helpful solutions to grow in Christ. In particular, we provoked their minds with ways to Bless God while pursuing a suitable career.
Usually as parents or adults, we often find ourselves asking the youth by saying “What do you want to do when you grow older?” A much more serious, yet harder question was presented to the graduating teens this week – “What kind of job would you pursue that can bless God?” The atmosphere of the room grew strange and the faces transfixed in deep thought. A few brave souls attempted to answer the question, but didn’t rise to the type of response we were looking for. Hours later most students privately told their teacher the question was really hard to answer.
The following day, a few students wanted to further dissect the question and I illustrated a parable to them. “You are walking along a dirt path and the soil ahead is very smooth. As you continue to walk, the sole of your shoes make imprints into the soil. The action of your shoe has disturbed the existing soil as you walked by.” I further said, “The question I raised the yesterday was an attempt to disturb the soil composition of your mind. It’s easier to respond to a cherry-flavored cough syrup question than a castor oil type question. The question wasn’t tasty enough easy to go down!” They understood and took the question into consideration.
From the community’s stand point regarding these students, they have been labeled ‘out-cast’ of their own society – students who aren’t able to afford a quality education, some are drug dependent, and others have been forced out of their homes for being disobedient. Yet these kids remind me of a milder-version of the popular late 70s television sitcom “Welcome Back, Kotter!” The show depicted a compassionate teacher returning to his inner city high school of his youth to teach a new generation of remedial students.
Our coming to meet with them was one of delight and intrigue. The next day, a group of young men from the class wanted to speak with me. They told me about the things I said to them yesterday and wanted more. I was quickly challenged to offer additional seedlings of hope to them. We challenged them to understand the “The Game of Life.” Using the American sport of football, I shared with them key lessons about each quarter of their expected life.
As I explained further about each quarter of the game, they were extremely engrossed with each word I expressed and they feverishly wrote every word to memorize the moment. If you care to know more about the rest of the story, you are invited to join me for dinner at our next Friendly Eat & Education Dinner (F.E.E.D.)! Please click on the invite button to reserve your space. I’d love to see you there!
This year, LifeWalk Mission International will be looking for passionate go-ye-therefore individuals to embark on mission field trips in 2016. We want to challenge your thoughts as we pray that you to evaluate the calling God has given you. In our summer newsletter edition, we’ll speak on “Vertical with Jesus!” Write us if you’d like to comment to this article.
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