Are you ready yet?

No doubt every one of us on the mission team is being asked this question a couple of times a day now. I imagine that most people asking the question are referring to us being packed or to the “stuff” that we are purchasing and bringing with us.

My hope is that each of us on the team carves out a substantial piece of time to “get ready” with the Lord. We desperately need the fruits of His Spirit! We need His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control to get through this journey!

SpiritHome.com describes the Fruit of the Spirit in this way: “When Christians speak of the work of the “Holy Spirit”, they are speaking about the operations of the Spirit of God in the material world we live in, and within us. But God the Holy Spirit isn’t here just to hang out, or to do a miracle or two for sport. The Spirit is there to cause things to happen in peoples’ lives that bring them more in tune with God’s purposes on earth (and beyond). When the Spirit starts changing someone, it shows as a growth in character, a change in their way of life that is good for the people they live among.”

If we stay focused on Him, then no matter what we have or what we might forget to take, we are ready!

Meet the 2010 Kenya Mission Team

Kenya Mission Team 2010

Front Row from left to right: Robert Levesque, Stephanie Halvorson, Barry Phelps, Debra Merrill, Amber Ostrup, Gracie Wiersma, Sarah Lindegren, Richard Sheridan, Liz Leavenworth.

Back Row from left to right: Jeff Nekoba, Bill Shugarts, Faith Majette, John O’Brien, Roger Bick, Stu Mentzel, Amy Ashley, Kim Leavenworth, Diane Nothnagel, Pastor John Speight.

Not Pictured: Sarah Lloyd, Tony Jones, Denise Page, Wally Edens, Jen O’Bryhim, Jason Coleman, Vito Brown.

God’s Promise / Our Prayers

As of today, we are 16 days away from leaving on our next mission trek to Kenya. As of today, we are suddenly down by 5 medical providers out of 7. These 5 men belong to the US Army – literally – and the Army at this point is saying no, they can’t go. And we are praying.

Rewind to last year. We had never done a medical mission and had no idea how to get medicines, plan for logistics, had no idea how many people we would treat or what we would treat them for. We didn’t know what we didn’t know. One month before we left, we had very, very little in the way of supplies beyond the 1000 bandaids, 1000 packets of antacid and 1000 alcohol wipes that were donated. And we prayed.  When we actually took off for Kenya a month later we had more than enough to care for 3000 people and a surplus to leave behind.

This year I have been part of a small group Bible study that examines when and how God answers prayer. Did God get our medicines? Will God get our Army providers the permission needed for them to go? Or does God answer the prayer by giving us the peace and confidence to keep our heads about us and calmly, diligently keep working the problem because we know we are on His mission? My life experience is starting to lean toward answer 3.

I am starting to see again and again that what God gives as His answer is the strength, peace, mercy and grace to work through the challenges that life throws at us. His grace is what fueled us last year to walk through the crowds of thousands and set up camp like we knew what we were doing, to work hour after hour without stopping for food or rest, to have energy to work all night to pack the next day’s medicines, and to laugh and cry with each other as if we had known each other forever, though we were only recently strangers. That’s what God does. He calls us, prepares us and enables us to do His work – when we are willing to be servants.

So, 16 days and counting. And we are praying. We are hoping that our Army brothers will be able to join us. But we are praying that God will enable us to go, work and be successful even if they can’t.

OTC Medicines Needed!

As we prepare for our upcoming trip to Kenya, here is a list of inexpensive over the counter medicines that anyone can donate to help:

- Claritin (or generic loratidine) 10 mg (at Costco, Kirkland brand, $12 for 300 pills)
- Tylenol (or generic acetominophen) 500mg, infant drops and kids chewable
- Advil / Motrin (or generic ibuprofen) 200mg, infant drops and kids chewable
- Zyrtec (or generic cetirazine) 10mg
- Generic kids and adult multivitamins

Leave your donations in the Christ Church Community Collection bins and mark your package “Kenya” or give them to anyone on the team.

Asante sana! (Thank you!)

The countdown begins

In a very brief 8 weeks, this year’s team of 26 medical professionals, teachers, business professionals, moms, dads, daughters — in other words, people just like you — will be boarding a plane for Nairobi, Kenya.  Ultimate destination? The very rural, very poor village of Sakwa, home of our adopted Hope Educational Centre.  Sakwa is located approximately 7 hours drive northwest of Nairobi in one of the most lush, beautiful parts of the world that this writer can ever imagine.

Hope Educational Centre is just that — the hope for an education for nearly 200 children, ranging in age from 2 years to 10-11 years old.   Our mission again this year is to offer love, compassion, and basic medical care to the children and the school’s staff, and then to the residents of the village and surrounding area at large.

There is much to do yet before we go!  Funds to raise, plans to make, medicines to secure, educational materials to collect and packing — lots and lots of packing.  Please bookmark this blog and join us on the journey as we record the process before, during and after this incredible experience.  Please pray for us that we will work well together, be effective in our work and never forget that it is God’s work and God’s plan that draws us together.