The Final Countdown

[Sorry, this post is late - we were supposed to have this up at the Kenyan airport but the internet was flaky there and we were pressed for time, and they wanted to charge us 8 pounds in London.]

Best. Trip. Ever.

So we're sitting on the floor here in the Kenyan airport waiting for our flight. We will do our final debriefing and try desperately to process all that Christ has done on this trip. Good luck, us.

The day started off by doing final packing, weighting luggage, and doing stupid-checks in the ENT house. After that we loaded the vans up and headed to the slums of Lunga Lunga to go to church. We got a bit lost on the way and arrived 30 minutes late to church (the one thing Kenyans do on time), so we had to scratch the song we'd prepared to sing. And the peasants rejoiced. The place was rockin' when we walked in and kept rolling for the next three hours.

Paul spoke out of 2 Timothy about not having a spirit of fear. This was a message the church was more than ready to receive due in part to a tragedy that hit Festus (one of their pastors). About a month ago, while he was in the church praying, his house burned to the ground with his wife and child inside. Grief is great with this family and with us for them. However, he was there worshipping his heart out and serving the Lord. Truly a Job-like spirit.

After service, we took polaroids of all the families and stuck them on pieces of paper with encouraging scripture on them. Then everyone sat around in the church (a room about 20' x 20'), ate African Donuts, drank Fanta, and just talked. They made sure to spread out all us Mzungus to make sure everyone got a full experience. The church in Lunga Lunga sends its greetings to all of you and The Village Church as well.

The slums were probably the most counter-cultural environment we've been in. There was a single road with families/shops packed in on either side. The mucky road wound about with trash littering the ground. It also had a very distinct smell. And I pray desperately that Christ will NOT remove these sights and sounds from our head. This is how these people live and my fear is that we will retreat to our warm showers and clean floors thinking, “Well I'm glad THAT'S over.” Instead, I would rather us look for the shoes we've had to throw away, think about our brothers and sisters over here, and hit our knees for them. They were amazingly welcoming and were poor in money only; but rich in everything else.

We left Lunga Lunga and finally got to try Java House in Nairobi. This place was as good as advertised. Good food, great conversation. Recommendation: try the minty-pineapple drink. From there we walked outside and into the Masai Market to do our final shopping. Let me tell you, our girls are awesome at bartering. This was no Black Rhino incident. They were trading pens, power bars (for athletes!), hair bands, wet naps, and Transform bracelets. We even had one final group effort to fend off a pack of wild wolves (vendors) and get the price we wanted. [Thanks guys!]

Now we're in the airport. We got here early so the drivers could get back to Kijabe before dark. We've repacked out bags with our new goods and “showered” with wet naps. Ahead of us lies the monumental task of grasping everything. Christ, help us. Sear these images, moments, people, and thoughts into our brains. Allow it keep pushing us deeper into you and deeper into love. There's so much more on my heart, but as is true for all of us, it will have to wait for post-trip conversations.

In that light, we are looking forward to seeing you soon and thank your for partnering with us on this trip in prayer and other ways. There are many ways to continue serving once we get back. Invite a team member over for dinner. Email. Ask questions. Continue to Pray. Re-entry can be a very difficult time as we've been in a different culture for almost two weeks. There will be several conflicting emotions as the Lord works on our heats.

Please pray for the team. Several of us left in obedience with precarious situations in work and family. Pray for directions and processing. Pray for Festus and the church family in Lunga Lunga. Pray that God would call us to continual mission living (both overseas and at home). Pray for safety in travel as we come back. Pray for lives that will continue to be challenged by all that's been revealed to us. Pray for the Mendonsa's. We get to leave here and go back home to family/friends and they continue to be half a world away. Now don't be mistaken, this is where true life is for them, but it is ALWAYS great to be connected to loved ones. Pray for their ministry, all God is doing with them, and how you might play a part.

Thank you so much for everything, more to come, so...

Best. Trip. Ever. (So Far)

-Daniel

Reminder Flight Numbers:

Nairobi to London – BA 64

London to Dallas – BA 193

What we are looking forward to back in the states:

DJ – Courtney

Greg – Piano

Beth – Own Toilet

Leah – Milk From a Cow

Elaine – Kiddos

Michael – Working Shower

Hannah – Email/Connectivity

Ginny – Dog

Kristen – Own Bed

Paul – Susan Boyle

Daniel – Green Boogers