A Straight Flush

My hands fumbled the handle of the bucket as I sprinted up the stairs. Water spilling in the halls as I scurried into the room to do what had to be done. At long last this moment was upon us, we had been without water for two days and this was the first opportunity many of us had to extinguish the inner grumblings of our stomachs. This water would give us the ability to flush the toilet and avoid the “long drop” toilets that wait for us outside should we fail. I will close this opening story with one word...”success.”

We lost water in the Kijabe area a couple of days ago due to a broken pipe that provided water to the whole compound including the hospital. It has truly been a bonding experience considering sanitation and bathroom etiquette basically went out the window, and we settled for nods over handshakes and keeping a good distance in case our deodorant wore off. During the shortage, the staff at Cure were gracious enough to provide us with a 200 liter container of water for three of our bathrooms should we feel the need to shower or flush a toilet. (As of this post, most of the compound appears to have water again and the showers will be going continually for the next 24 hours.)

Stories aside, today was a day full of blessings for the whole team. We began with a day with a chapel service at CURE where Panda Paul again brought the word strongly. He talked about peace with God and the peace *of* God. So good! The day at CURE also consisted of DJ helping log charts in the business office, Greg and Daniel battling viruses of the computer variety in the administration area while building an additional computer for the hospital to use, Paul supervising his flock and working with children, the nurses (Elaine, Beth, Hannah, Kristen, and Leah) doing an outpatient clinic with Dr. Bob, Ginny in the Physiotherapy department and myself in the warehouse trying to sort out the supply situation.

We worked until around 1pm and then ventured down into the valley to check out the site for Naomi's Village (the Mendonsa's future orphanage). I must comment at this point on Dr. Bob's driving. Picture, if you will, an orthopedic surgeon at the wheel of a toyota SUV in the middle of a Baja race that consisted of nothing but jagged rocks and mountains. It is truly an adventure to ride with Bob as the smile on his face while we bounce around keeps us all laughing while the contents of our stomachs roll around with us in the car. He does listen to Chris Tomlin and David Crowder on the iPod while we do this, so at least we have some soothing sounds to accompany the occasional screams and laughter.

When we got to the five acre plot where Naomi's Village will be, you could smell the fresh air, and as Elaine so eloquently put it, “a sweet perfume of The Spirit of the Lord.” Paul suggested we each walk around the area and pray over the future of the orphanage and ask for God to bless the land, the staff, the children and all those involved in this project. It was amazing to look at this plot of land and imagine over one hundred children receiving God's grace and love through his workers in this area. This land will be where the nine thousand square foot building will stand and house both caretakers and children...such a beautiful thought. I took this time to reflect on how God had brought forth this desire in the hearts of Bob and Julie, taken them from their home in Texas and brought them here to this five acre plot in the middle of Kenya where the orphanage will stand. All of the people involved in this project, many of whom are working for nothing, see God's desire for this place, and it has all been so beautifully orchestrated by the Lord. I am so thankful that our team had the opportunity to come to this place and pray together and ask God to continue to bless Naomi's Village and all that He has in store for its future.

Please pray for God to continue to work in the hearts of those involved in Naomi's Village. Our desire is to see it not only bless the children within it, but to bless all those involved in this plan. We thank God for how far we have come and we humbly ask that He continues to place His desires in our hearts. Pray that the Lord helps those involved in this project to raise the funds necessary for its completion, and pray that the Lord begins to work in the hearts of the children that will live in Naomi's Village.

Tonight we shared our experiences of the day as a group, and Beth and Leah gave their testimonies. These two young women are living God-centered lives, and it was a blessing to learn of their stories and how far they have come in their walks. I know that God will continue to be a part of our meetings during our time here and that He will continue to reveal Himself to us through the lives of our team and the people of this country.

Following our group meeting we decided to meet a challenge between Bob and Paul to see who was the best “Wii bowler.” Now I know that a house packed full of missionaries all playing Wii together sounds a bit odd, but I can honestly say that the fellowship surrounding our event was amazing to see. Bob separated us into brackets of men and women and I, of course, had to battle his son Will in the first round. I was only Will's first victim, and he basically convinced me that Wii bowling was not my strong suite, or my second, third, fourth or fifth suite....it was a bloodbath. Will worked his way systematically through the men's bracket while his sister Emily worked over the women's. In a final round of Mendonsa vs. Mendonsa, Will came out as the victor and promptly split his winnings up among the rest of the people in the room.

Sitting in Bob and Julie's home here in Kenya doesn't feel like a home halfway across the world; it feels like we picked up right where we left off at their home in Texas. When you are surrounded by this group of family and friends, location means nothing because we have never truly left one another. We are all exactly where God wants us to be and when we are reunited, it is an absolutely amazing experience.

The events of today and this evening have shown each and every one of us why we are here. God has brought us here to serve the people of CURE hospital, to bring joy to the children of Kenya who never cease to smile or wave, to delight in fellowship with old friends, and to pray for the work He has done and continues to do here in Kenya with projects like Naomi's Village. I am so thankful that God has invited my wife Ginny and myself to “come play” with Him here in Kenya. We are so very honored to be a part of this team and I thank each and every one of you for your encouragement and prayers for our team and the people of this country.

Please pray for us in our final days of this trip, pray for family members of the team who have been without their loved ones for over a week now, pray for the men of Lost Orphans that are helping to gather the funds needed for Naomi's Village, pray for the staff and patients in CURE hospital, pray for the people in the IDP camps (Internally Displaced People Camps for families who were transplanted during the post election violence in 2008) who will be going home in the coming weeks, and pray that these people will see rain soon so that many of them can have water and go back to work.

Hii nija ya choo (where is the bathroom?)

Michael “Macguyver” Mitchell