Love your Story

Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story.

Psalm 107:2

I blinked back tears as I checked my bags at the counter.  Turning away with a sigh, I was unprepared for the huge sob that suddenly came from deep within me.  Two employees asked if I was alright.  "I have to leave my family," was the response.  One woman smiled warmly and whispered, "It's going to be OK." 

I sat down to wait for our flight and did what I always do.  Watching the people pass by, I made up a wide variety of stories about the lives they were leading.  Some were CIA agents, others circus performers or fugitives.  Their sagas kept me entertained until it was time to board the plane.

Three flights and more than 26 hours later, we arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi.  After the customs agent searched our luggage, Ken negotiated with a taxi driver to take us to our hotel for a few hours of rest before we continued our journey home.  As usual, the taxi was searched before we entered the hotel compound, and our luggage had to be inspected once again by the hotel security officer before we were allowed into the lobby.

It was just after midnight when we finally stepped up to the front desk, where we learned that our "reserved" room wasn't ready yet.  And the internet was down. Welcome back!

This Starbucks only serves instant coffee!

When we arrived in Kisumu the following day, our driver greeted us warmly and loaded our luggage into the back of the vehicle.  As we began the two-hour drive to Kakamega, he updated us on all the latest news, including the long rains that now threaten to destroy the maize crops of our people, and the rioting sparked by a recent episode of child ritual killings.  Fortunately, though, our THQ family is happy and healthy, and there is continued progress on a number of fronts.

As he chatted with my husband, I thought about the vast differences between my life in Kenya and the one which I had just left.  Then the Lord reminded me of the words penned by Franny Crosby:

This is my story, this is my song. 

Praising my Saviour, all the day long.

Home League Singers

Yes, I thought, this transition from one world to another is MY story, an exciting tale that the Lord is writing one chapter at a time.  It would make no sense for me to focus on chapters that have already been written.  Instead I must give myself without reservation to the one I'm living today, with all it's drama, laughter, tears, challenges, and victories.

Thank you, Lord, for being the author of my life.  You're a much better writer than I am, and you've made my life a real page turner. 

  

Angel Wing

If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God’s love? It disappears.

And you made it disappear. 

1 John 3:17 MSG

As soon as we left campus, I began to sob.  I mentally went through the checklist of items I knew my daughter would need during her first year at college, and then I sobbed some more.  How would she manage so far away from home?  More to the point, how would I manage without her?

That was four years ago.  Four years of missed birthdays, missed performances, holiday greetings via Skype, and more.  It wasn't easy.  In fact, as I sat in the audience before the commencement exercises began, I couldn't help but complain to the Lord.  I had been cheated.  How could He allow me to miss so many key events in the life of my child?  I should have been there for her.  It wasn't fair.

When her name was called, I sat straight up in my seat, straining to see my daughter as she received her diploma.  For just an instant, I couldn't believe it.  Was that lovely young woman I saw walking confidently across the stage really my little girl?  I jumped up, cheered wildly, and uttered my best Kenyan sigalagala.

When I sat back down, I heard others cheering for my child, and it was then that I realized an important truth.  My daughter has never been alone.  Throughout the past four years, the Lord has used others to stand in the gap, to support her, and to love her. They have all played a part in keeping Jessica connected to the Lord and the Army.  She has been mentored and loved by family, by friends, and even by people I have never met.  All of them have cared for her when I couldn't. And I said to myself, "Thank you, Lord."  

Smith College Graduation

A few days later, while walking through a trendy little bookshop that had been one of my daughter's college hangouts, I read a quote by Luciano De Crescenzo:

We are each of us angels with only one wing,

and we can only fly by embracing one another.

Reading this, I thought back to when we had invited the street boys of Kakamega to visit our THQ compound.  They told us stories of their life on the street. Their clothes were filthy and ragged, and many had untreated sores and wounds.  One young man was in obvious pain, favoring a broken leg that, due to a lack of medical treatment, had started to set improperly.  When we asked how the Army could help, most mentioned simple things -- a shower, clean clothes, a haircut, some food. The more ambitious ones said that they yearned for safety or a chance to go to school.

Cleaning Nails and Washing Feet

Of course, we said that we'd do everything we could to help. Then, while we were waiting for breakfast to be served, I asked if I could teach them my favorite Swahili chorus, which roughly translates as, "With Jesus on the throne, things are getting better." I started to sing, and to my amazement, they all enthusiastically joined in. When I asked how they knew that song, one young man told me that a local church sometimes picks them up and takes them to Sunday School.

Another lesson learned. God does not expect me to meet all the needs of the street boys. He just needs me to stand in the gap. 

Lord, I thank you for all those who helped my daughter take flight.  And I thank you for the opportunity to be someone else's angel today.

Shifting Sand

Come, let us sing with joy to the Lord.

 Let us sing loud with joy to the rock who saves us. 

 Psalm 95:1 

Last Sunday morning, Ken and I climbed into our vehicle and took a long safari into the bush to visit the Mulimani Corps, which is actually built on huge boulders at the top of a large hill.  As we were touring the rocky compound, I couldn't help but imagine myself as a mountain goat -- with heels, of course.  I also started humming one of my old favorites, "On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand."

A few days later, I was given the incredible honor of dedicating a building at the Army's Kolanya Health Centre.  Some of Ken's ancestors (Captains Pell) served at Kolanya in the late 1920's, which made the event even more meaningful to me.

Mrs. Captain Pell 

Construction is not one of my areas of expertise, but as I was shown around the building, I asked the contractor, village chief, and local elders what I hoped were appropriate questions about its foundations and structure.  I think they were a bit surprised by the fact that a woman had been chosen to lead the dedication, but they were all very kind, and they proudly showed off their work.  We then visited the Army's clinic, where I prayed with each patient, and we ended the day with a quick visit to the maternity ward that is now under construction.  Again, I was assured that it had been built on a firm foundation.  What a wonderful ministry!

The Maternity Ward -- Almost Complete!

Visits like that never fail to thrill me, as I'm able to see first-hand how the Lord is using the Army to meet the needs of His people.  I've also found, however, that the next day in the office can often be very difficult, because it's then that I find myself at my desk, trying desperately to find solutions to the difficult problems that confront us.  This week, for example, Kenya's President signed into law a bill allowing men to take as many wives as they wish without consulting their current partner.  Despite the fact that it is now illegal, we are still receiving reports about Junior Home League members being taken by village elders for female circumcision.  The most recent economic survey reported that Kakamega County has the highest number of poor in Kenya, with 56% of the population below the poverty line.  And to top it all off, because desperate people can do desperate things, we always have to be on our guard.

It's at such moments that I thank the Lord for being my rock and my foundation.  When everything around me seems to be shifting, I know that I am safe in His care.

But it doesn't end there.  In my devotions, the Lord reminded me of the song penned by William Doame:

Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
 Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o’er the erring one, lift up the fallen, 
Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save. 

It is not enough for me to stand on the rock and declare sanctuary.  I have to get on my knees and reach down into the shifting sands.  I have to grasp the hands of as many as I can, that they too may find safety.

Deadly Poision

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely,
and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.  Phil 4:8

While we were in the States recently, a woman at the beauty counter tried to sell me a brownish powder for my vanishing eyebrows.  But while I loved the product, I did not love the price.  When I got back to Kakamega, I noticed that Pinterest recommends cocoa powder as a great alternative.  So, with nothing to lose, I decided to give it a try. And you know what?  It actually works!  AND it smells scrumptious! 

This discovery unleashed something in me that I'm finding a bit difficult to control. I've since done some research on the web, and I've learned that 60 to 80 percent of the lotions and potions we place on our bodies go directly into the bloodstream, and that most of them are full of toxic chemicals.  Knowing this, and having no chance whatsoever to purchase my favorite products locally, I've taken to making my own concoctions from the contents of my pantry.

It's been amazing.  At last count, I'm making my own shampoo, conditioner, hairspray, deodorant, body lotion, face wash and face cream. I am particularly proud of my homemade blush and lipstick, and while I couldn't bring myself to use crushed beetles (as that famed beauty Cleopatra did), I once again consulted Pinterest and turned to crayons as the basis for my color palate. That's right -- crayons!  (The Crayola website indicates their crayons are non-toxic and safe to eat so long as the paper is removed.  Go figure!)

Watch out Revlon!  There's a new girl in town!

Apparently, you can also dye your hair with tea bags, but Ken drew the line and asked me to postpone that little experiment until later in the year, after we get back from a couple of conferences. That's OK, because in the meantime I'm turning my energies to making stain remover, all-purpose cleaner, spray starch, and Febreze!   As you might guess, Ken's not exactly ecstatic about this new trend in my life, but I have to admit that he's done reasonably well in embracing my new-found passion for homemade products, although I also suspect it's primarily because he likes the effect on his wallet. 

Anyway, since I have been saving so much money lately, Ken drove me on Saturday to Kisumu so that I could splurge on a haircut and a good meal.   Unfortunately, after a two-hour drive, we found that my hairdresser had gone out of business.  Ken saw the devastated look on my face, and he quickly developed Plan B.  We would visit the two best hotels in town, he announced, and ask where they send their wazungu guests for haircuts.  Sadly, both hotels referred us back to where we'd started.  Not to be defeated, Ken then took me to the largest market in town to find some residents who might give us a lead. We did meet one charming gentleman, but you guessed it, he too referred us back to my original hairdresser.  We had struck out.

A typical local salon

So, despite a great meal and a day out, I found that I wasn't in the best of moods on the way home.  I started running through my mind all of the negative experiences of the preceding week, which ultimately left me feeling terrible.  But when I reached the depth of my self-pity, I remembered a quote by Alan Rufus:

Negative thoughts are poison to the body, mind, and soul. 

It was just like my body.  My toxic thoughts were stealing my joy, I thought.  So I promptly banished the poisons from my mind and prayed that God would take captive every thought, so that I could give them back as gifts of praise.  He did just that, and my spirit was healed. 

Now, I wonder what else I can find in the pantry!

Simply Chaos!

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart.  
And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.  (John 14:27)

Last Monday, we closed the offices, handed out work assignments, and as a team, cleaned our headquarters from top to bottom.   This is the third time we have held what we call "Projects Day," and everyone looks forward to it.  It's a complete change of pace, and it's a chance to bring a little order to what might otherwise become chaos rather quickly.  Furthermore, once the assigned areas have been cleaned and organized, everyone can go home early.  Whoopee!!

Two cabinet women sweeping Kenyan style

After thanking the staff with a cup of tea, Ken jumped into his vehicle to make an overnight trip to Nairobi, and I went home for a quiet evening.  But just as I was settling down for the night, one of our drivers called to inform me that there was rioting in the streets of Kakamega.  He asked that no one leave the compound, and while I felt perfectly safe (this Mama is well-protected), I prayed all night long for our people in the midst of that chaos.

The next morning, national newspapers reported that the local university would be closed indefinitely. Apparently, university officials had told the students they could not take their exams if they had not paid their school fees in full. This produced an angry mob, which soon brought out a large police force, which used tear gas on the students. Sadly, there were countless injuries, extensive property damage, and three deaths.  So we'll be feeling the effects of that night in our little town for some time to come.

Students vacating Masinde Muliro University 

The next night, I was particularly eager for Ken to get home.  Unfortunately, he got caught in a bad rainstorm, which turned the roads into quicksand.  And wouldn't you know it?  The battery on his mobile phone was low.  Ken has always pledged not to drive at night, but this time he had no choice. So when he finally drove up, I threw open the door and blurted out, "I am so mad at you for making me worry!"  But before he could respond, I just threw my arms around him and thanked the Lord for his safe return.

The next morning, I discovered a family of very unattractive spiders living in our pantry, the local ATM machine ate Ken's card for no reason, and more of our Kenyan family members fell ill with typhoid and malaria.  Everything in my life, it seemed, had suddenly become very chaotic.

But this shouldn't surprise me.  Order does not come naturally.   After all, isn't God's role in bringing order out of chaos one of the most prominent themes of the Bible?

CS Lewis wrote:

God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself,
 because it is not there.  There is no such thing!  

With effort, we can bring order to our homes and offices.   But when we are overwhelmed by the chaos around and within us, it is only Christ that can bring peace. Thank you, Lord, for reminding me of that.

A Far, Far Better Thing

  
They left everything and followed him.  Luke 5:11b

It has been over a week now since we returned from the States.   All critters, dead and alive, have been ushered out of our cottage, and every surface has been thoroughly disinfected.  Our food has been carefully checked for signs of life, and an inventory has been taken of that which survived.  The pantry has been restocked and is once again bursting with beans. We have stored our empty suitcases, and all the gifts from home have been put in the "perfect" place.  Most important, I have hidden the dark chocolate from Ken and announced a rationing plan that will make it last! 

I thank the Lord for every moment we spent with family and friends during our visit. When our daughter first returned to America, I remember that she threw her arms around the greeter at Walmart.  I was really no better, particularly when I jumped over the counter at Burger King and hugged the rather startled staff.  I'm sure they're still wondering about that crazy lady who ordered a whopper. Sorry folks.  I just can't help myself, but I hope I have made some new friends.  

During our visit, this Kenyan doll from Disney World was anonymously delivered to us.
 And you guessed it.  It sings "It's a Small World" in Swahili.

While in the States, we splurged on Krispy Kreme donuts, kettle corn, Dairy Queen blizzards and See's candy. Snickers bars, M&M's, and peanut clusters were a daily indulgence.  Grapes, berries, and fresh greens were eaten in abundance, and we couldn't get enough of that magnificent water -- from the tap even!

Ken luxuriated in air conditioning (glad I brought my flannel pj's), and he constantly praised the smooth roads and working street lamps.  I will also admit that, from time to time, things got a little ridiculous. I fought back tears as I strolled down the aisles at Target, and I choked up the first time I used a washer and dryer.  Oh boy.

One day, we visited the Florida Strawberry Festival.  If there was ever a celebration of Americana, that was it.  We had arrived early to beat the crowd, and I'll never forget the moment the fair officially opened.  A man sang the National Anthem over the sound system, and no matter where they were, everyone stopped dead in their tracks.  Hats were removed.  Hands were placed over hearts. Conversation ceased, and except for few brave souls that tried to sing along, it was perfectly quiet.   Tears streamed down my face.   O God, I thought.  Please bless America.  

The Strawberry Festival pig races made me feel like I was home in Kakamega!

Now we're back in Kenya, doing what we've been called to do among people we love. It's certainly not the first time I have had to leave friends and family behind, and I am sure it will not be the last.   It never gets any easier to say goodbye.  In fact, as our loved ones get older, it becomes that much harder. But I do believe CS Lewis when he says:

There are far, far better things ahead then any we leave behind.

God has proven the truth of that statement in my own life over and over again.   I have learned that my own dreams and desires inevitably fall short of the life He has planned for me.  So where He leads me, I will follow.  After all, He has brought me to this wonderful part of the world called Kenya.  Once again, His plan has surpassed my wildest dreams.

The Fog

Fog is where heaven meets earth. 

Last week, we received reports from our district leaders in Turkana that the food situation there was getting worse by the day.  Drought has left all of the rivers and boreholes as dry as a bone, and people are starving.  Animal carcasses litter the landscape, and families have resorted to killing cats and dogs in order to feed the children.  It is estimated that over 400,000 men, women, and children are affected.

What makes this situation even harder for me is that I can put a face to those who are suffering.  When I close my eyes, I can still see the beautiful young girls who danced for me when I visited Turkana last December.  I think of the old woman who took my hand and wouldn't let go until I danced right along with her.  The ladies adorned me with beautiful beads, and then despite intense heat, prepared one feast after another for Ken and me to enjoy.  They were so kind, so loving, and so it's hard to hold back the tears.

A Turkana family

Desperate to help, Ken offered to send funds, but apparently there isn't much left to buy in Turkana.  He then offered to send a truck filled with foodstuffs, but he was told that bandits are hijacking food shipments.  Ken's going to try the truck option anyway, praying that the Lord will work a miracle and get the supplies through to our people.  Both of us know that anything we send will only be a temporary fix, but we just don't know what else to do.

Meanwhile, our work in other parts of the Territory must go on.  On Sunday, Ken and I climbed into our vehicle and made our way north in order to visit a small corps that has never before been visited by Territorial leaders.  We traveled for a while on the main road, but then we turned and drove deep into the bush, leaving any kind of road far behind.  The undergrowth was almost impenetrable, and our vehicle lurched from side to side as it negotiated the rocks, potholes, and sand that conspired to block our way.  Dry branches made a terrible racket as they scraped the side of our vehicle.  At one point, the lead vehicle in our convoy got stuck, and I chuckled when several men, resplendent in their white Salvation Army uniforms, got out to push.  The trip seemed to go on and on, and I couldn't see any end in sight. But eventually, I heard a band in the distance.  We pulled into a clearing and began what I can only describe as a joyful day of worship among the Teso people.  Two hundred of us gathered under a tree to sing songs, dance, and pray.  It was wonderful.

Ken dancing as we were welcomed at the corps.

As we drove home that night, I sensed a connection between what I'd experienced that day and what was going on in Turkana.  In both cases, I thought, I couldn't see a way out.  It was as if I was in a fog. But I think the Lord was showing me that, when I can't see the way, it's often because he's protecting me.

Scripture says in Matthew 6:34:

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, 

and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.

My God is in control.  All He asks of me is to take one step at time and believe that, when the fog of uncertainty clears, I will once again have reason to celebrate His goodness.