Rapha House of Prayer

New Beginning

2009-09-08T05:14:00.000-07:00

To our faithful followers. We're sorry we've done such a poor job of keeping you informed of our work here in Mombasa. We've had our handful with a lot of visitors and transitions in the past few months, that we haven't even though about our blog. But we know that there are people here who are genuinely interested and care about us and our ministry. So we've decided to start a new blog - http://raphahouseofprayer.blogspot.com. Please follow us there.

'God's reckless grace is our greatest hope'

2009-06-13T06:32:00.000-07:00

Two roads
One road is narrow and hard that leads to real life. Those who find it are few.
The other road is large and easy that leads to death and many walk on it

This sign is written on our living room wall, i've read it so many times. Sometimes i dont think anything of it and then other times it confuses me. But over the last few weeks this sign has become more real to me. More real as i watch two of our boys, one walking down the narrow road and one walking down the large road.
In the last blog i talked about stolen money and we had also had a camera taken. I talked about two of the boys.
Eventually one of them confessed to selling the camera, but didnt have anything to do with the money. He apoligised and is trying to settle down and concentrate more in school. We are still working with him but he is taking baby steps down the narrow road.
The other boy however ran and is still running down the large road. He ran back to the streets and didnt come back for a few weeks. He came back yesterday for the first time and when we sat him down to talk to him, we asked him what was going on he replied 'nothing' we sat there for a long time, telling him we loved him and giving him an opportunity to say something but still nothing. As he sat there i could see the pain in his eyes, the hurt he was going through. And as i saw him walk away the next morning my heart pained so much seeing him walk away down that large road with his head down in the rain. He wont talk, he wont listen......running.

As i watched him walk away i was so upset for him watching the way they had both handled it but it seriously made me think of my own life so much. How over the last few weeks ive been running down that large road. How ive been trying to do things on my own strength. When the teachers were asking 'why i couldnt get the boys to school, Carly and Val can, your just not strong enough' Instead of running to Jesus i tried to do it on my own and i failed. I got upset and tried to run. The same things happen when the girls are here and i wondered how i used to laugh at the things that were happening around instead in the few weeks im sad and upset and im falling back into things that i used to do, that make my heart so heavy.

And as i watched him walk away i heard a voice say
'Rachel, your going down the large road, your once again trying to do it on your own strength, you cant do it. Choose the right road, in the big things, in the little things, when you make mistakes. Turn to me.'

So right now im being lifted back up from falling my face from trying to do it on my own once again. Im so glad that i have such a patient Father who lifts me up time and time again.

Im praying that through this the boys will see, as they've watched me upset over the last weeks. As i talk it through with them i pray they will see once again that even though the narrow road is hard, how good it really is.
And im praying that altough Farah is running down the large road right now that he will hear his fathers voice telling him that he loves him and that really the narrow road means life.

Altough there is always something new going on, things are really settling. The boys are doing well in school and starting to try much more. I think it really helped having my Mum come over for a week visit. It was amazing to have her walk in the house and the fighting stop completely and then forgotten about by the time she left!!

Thanks so much for your prayers, they are seriously needed everyday. And altough sometimes i can see the work as a mountain God sees each one of these amazing precious boys as a miricle.

Rach x

The joy of the Lord is my Strength

2009-05-25T06:13:00.000-07:00

Well on the week of my 24th birthday i feel like ive aged far beyond my years. The last blog i wrote i siad id cried so much but really that was little compared to the tears that have flowed for these boys over this week. Id love to paint a nice little missionary picture of how my first week has been amazing, that the boys are growing, that they're following the rules but everything is far from perfect....

I wrote this last thursday about some of the things that happened last week but since thursday so much more has happened
Well since my dear friends Carly and Val have left lots has gone on.......
With bank cards not working, lots of bills to be paid, boys refusing to go to school, one of them refusing to talk to me, alot money being stolen from me.....twice, boys lying about the stolen money, boys refusing to do the dishes, boys shouting at me and telling me i was doing things wrong, Trying to help a friend outside of the house who was arrested and then ran from the police. One of the boys faking sickness and going back to the streets until late that night. One of them throwing a book and chalk across the classroom and shouting at the teacher saying he'd never return to those teachers.

All of this happened and more while being pretty sick!! The morning after the girls left i got really sick, in the morning i tried to push through but by afternoon my fever was just too high so the rest of the day i had to sleep. I refused the docter all day but by 10 that night it was so high that they brought him anyway.

So much hard stuff has happened over the last week, Paster had to leave on the sunday to go to Nairobi so it was me and Mama Sandra looking after the boys which was a little hard with Sandra in school and with me trying to get better. My Mum wasnt so impressed with me last sunday when she rang to see how i was and i was on a moterbike going to pay a bill but God has seriously been so good, he has been my strength through it all!! Ive felt completly broken but just at the right time he sends someone or a read just the right verse. The way the boys helped me while i was sick especially the first day was so amazing, they prayed for me, they read bible verses for me, they kept getting cold towels for my head so my fever would go down, they brought me drinks and they tried to make me laugh. It felt like such a family

But then on thursday night a big fight broke out in the house, you normally hear it first with a big crash, my heart stops and everyone runs to see what it is. It was between two boys over the money that had been stolen. All the boys went into the room and i stayed out in the living room praying and singing while listening to shouts and crashing from them trying to fight.
The mess isnt over, one of the boys wont talk to me and he is threatning the other boy, he has even brought a gang of his friends to the school. All the street boys in town are now involved too, ringing me and telling me who it was. Stealing in Kenya is a really big deal and so trying to show them that no its not ok that they stole and yes there will be consiquences but fighting wont slove it and the amazing thing that Jesus did was that in all our brokeness he forgives and loves us.
Please pray for these boys that they will own up to what they have done and apologise and take the right road instead of going down the wrong one. Im really praying that they will be able to take responsibility for themselves instead of blaming others all the time.

While having phone calls threaning me and phone calls telling me that people were after one of the boys one of the hardest things this week was when i visited Maboxini and seeing Baby John there seriously was more than my heart could take, his face seriously so full of sadness, cold from the rain pouring down on him, wearing wet/dirty shorts because no pampers, playing in dirt surrounded by a bunch of high boys and then the heart wrenching cry of him wanting to leave with me when i was going. Because his Mom wanted to cling to her old life but he has no choice. I spent so much time with Baby John so my heart is completly aching over this precious boy.

To be perfectly honest i feel so weak, my pride feels hurt, my heart feels broken.
Its hard when your trying to do so much, when your trying to love so much, when you seriously give everything that is in you and they say things like "rachel you are bad" 'rachel its your fault that they are like this' 'rachel you love this one but you dont love the other' 'rachel, carly and val would have done it better, just wait till they come back'.....

But i have to keep listening to the small voice inside that keeps saying 'Rachel, its not you whose going to change these boys, Its not Carly or Val or Paster. Its only me who will change them. Keep loving them and showing them the right road. When theyre shouting at you.....keep showing them my love.....when they make you cry......keep showing them my love.'

My pride hurts when i look at this week and all the things that have gone on, when i go to the school and the boys have shouted at them and havent gone to school but i just need to keep on remembering that only Jesus, only the holy spirit in these boys lives is gonna change them. Thankfully Paster is now back and taking alot of weight off my shoulders. He has been so great.

Mario keeps reminding me and i keep saying it over and over again to myself.........for the joy of the Lord is my strength. When i am weak he is strong!

Lots of prayers needed, Rach x

May 8

2009-05-08T07:03:00.000-07:00

Well.. first of all this has been the hardest month in a long time, I think it might be right up there with December. I have never experienced such agony over a group of people. I have never drank the cup of sorrow before, godly sorrow that leads to repentance (2 cor 7.8-16). It has hurt and I have mostly hated it.. and I think I have been largely unfaithful with it. But I have repented for my unfaithfulness before God and before the boys. And today was the climax of this cup and season, I believe. We took Farah and Puez into a meeting. We asked Puez to leave for a time, and his response was to ask about his bike, not a thought of repentance or sorrow. Farah, started silent, then fiercely angry, then the truth came out…”you don’t love me”. It was about love, he will repent.
All of this pressure, rolling over, rebuking, crying, constant house meetings, silence, all for the climax of today. And Judas left and Peter fell at the foot of the cross [maybe not totally yet, but his heart is there]. It just makes me think of the beginning of the month when Val and I got the word that we were not supposed to permit evil in our house.. I never would have thought it would end like this, having to clean up the house by asking people to leave. That is the hardest thing I have done maybe ever. But when Puez left, it felt right. True love lets the rebellious son go to his sin. And true love is to take the kingdom by force and violently grab hold of the promises that are about to be lost. Whatever the outcome, I feel like God’s glory is here. There is finally clear air. What needed to happen, the build-up of the last few weeks finally hit the fan. And I feel like we endured. We didn’t give up.. we didn’t dodge the issue of sin but we took it straight on and have been faithfully sprinting to the finish line.. even if we made mistakes along the way. And I feel like because we pursued when it was hard, painful, agonizing, and depressing.. HE is pleased. I feel His pleasure. We fought the good fight and not very well… but we tried and now there is true clean air to be breathed in the house for everyone else. I feel like God wanted us to go through this so the other boys would have the freedom to change and the safe environment to do it in. And for Rachel.. really for Rachel.. so she will have the chance to do what GOd is asking her to do while we are gone.. the beautiful task He has laid out for her and the Miambos alone in this new season. As a family we needed to lay the path for the 2 months to have full success.. and we did it, we laid it with sweat and tears and more tears. But today, in my desperate tiredness I feel the peace I have been missing for weeks. We did the right thing, we completed the season of April. And now, it IS time to go home.. its finally right. There is a special purpose for this house while Val and I are gone, and they are finally ready.
This house will no longer be a house without rules and without consequence.. this house will become a house that hates sin and leaves it in the past for good. We will see real men come out of these boys. We will see miracles happen as they leave the street life, as they learn to forgive, as they learn to love, as they learn to accept perfect love, as they start to desire God and godliness, as they decide to abandon everything this world deems as good and run straight for the cross and real life that this world cant taste. We will drink the full cup of what God wants for each of us. And we will be in heaven together one day.. a family still.. the Rapha House.
Carly
Please pray for Val and I as we come home to the States for 2 months. Pray for Rachel as she takes on all of our responsibilites and stays here without us for the beautiful challenges and victories meant for her alone to be grasped. Pray for the family that they could grow in the Fear of the Lord so that they could begin to know Him.
Thanks

April 29

2009-04-29T05:10:00.000-07:00

Well where do i even begin with what has happened in the last two months. I feel already i could have written a book. Ive laughed more and cried more than ever. Its defently been more than tough but seriously wouldnt want to be anywhere else doing anything else. I love these people so much.

Ive learnt so much about myself in the last few months, i see myself so much in these boys some old patterns of behaviour but also some patterns that im still trying to work on. Ive written a few emails to my family apologising for some ways i have acted in the past that i am just now realising that i did. I realise that altough our lives growing up couldnt be more different that really our desires are the same. And although we try to fufill it in different ways, it really can only truely be met by one thing- more jesus.
As humans we long to be loved. Sometimes we do stupid things so that we feel loved and sometimes we do stupid things because we dont feel loved. These boys and Nancy need so much love, and my weak love isnt gonna change them, yes i can help and yes i can show Jesus love but they need to recieve that love for themselves. All i can do is continue to pray and continue to show them that no matter what they are loved by there heavenly father, that they need there fathers love.
So everyday i continue to love them with Jesus love, seriously its his love through me or i dont think i would have had the strength. I make mistakes all the time, i feel like i have to apologise to them everyday!!

So i just wanted to share a little from my journal the other day of some of the things that have gone on the last few weeks:

What do you do when you wake up on monday morning and 4 out of the 5 boys refuse to go to school?
What do you do when someone comes to your door at 8 o clock at night to tell you one of your boys has been arrested?
What do you do when a boy stops talking to you for a few days and tells you he's gonna make you cry (he was nearly succesful!!) just because you didnt let him use you phone?
What do you do when someone rings you every few weeks to tell you thats hes in trouble and needs money to go to nairobi and this time its not a lie like it was the time before?
What do you do when you've sat by someones bedside for two days straight, gone 30 minutes out of your way to get special mango juice for him, stayed up until 3 checking on his drip and caring for him and he turns around and says that these muzugus havent fed me in a few days?
What do you do when 6 people are surronding you and asking you for things and telling you dont love them cause your not getting it for them?
What do you do when your body is so weak but the door continues to knock from 5 in the morning until 11 at night?
What do you do when a boy smashes a blub that was put in 5 minutes before just cause he didnt want the light on?
What do you do when someone calls you a bad person cause you didnt give them a pencil even though you gave them one just the day before?
What do you do when a 12 year old street boy dies and you cant find his parents?
What do you do when one of the boys comes home drunk and goes after one of the boys with a stool?

This is seriously only the smallest part of some of the things that have gone on. These are hurting people who really need jesus. The only thing i can do is to pray in every and any situation. And to keep loving them with the love that their Father wants to show them. Sometimes that can be hard when they get angry with you for the smallest thing even though you are doing so much for them. Sometimes it is easy to try and do it on my own strength to turn around and get angry or to try to defend myself and say that i havent done anything wrong. But i just need to keep praying and doing it with Gods help and Gods strength.

But then there is the good times, the times that make me laugh every single day. Seriously i laugh so much and have gone back to school days with everyone telling me to stop laughing during the meetings and yes sometimes during praying. They make me laugh, alot of the time when they are in their moods and say the funniest things. Or times when we do things as a family, like catching crabs on the beach golf style. Or going to school for one of the boys i am helping outside the house and seeing that he is number one in the class, everyone is talking about how changed he is.
Dancing in church, going to parent teacher meetings that they are talking about escape routes because they arent meant to have tuition during the holidays(thinking of the big mama rolling down the roof seriously made me laugh so much in the meeting!!!) Or laughing so much in bed and having one of them come and tell you to stop laughing cause they are really scared (my laugh is a cackel sometimes but that made me laugh even harder)
Days are hard but laughing with them is so good and sometimes at them!!! it reminds me that yes they are hurting and yes they are still caught up in doing things from the past. But there Father wants them and loves them and they are gonna change, its gonna be slow but these are gonna be amazing men.
Please keep me in your prayers. Carly and Val leave in 2 more weeks and I really need so much Jesus so that I can give it to them as my sister's wont be here to do it with me. I will be taking on the job alone that the 3 of us have been doing together, so please pray for me as this season comes up quickly.
Rachel

April 17, 2009

2009-04-17T09:13:00.000-07:00

Some Thoughts and Prayers..
Jesus, please give me the grace of Aslan. Don’t let me fall asleep. There is only one Truth that can keep me awake. I am ashamed for not studying it enough, I could cry. We are under the curse of the darkest evil. It is almost impossible to stay awake in this age.. every one is asleep.. the lie has infected every people, land, and it is printed on all signposts. You can see the craft of the evil one from centuries ago.. the whispers that are now an endless chorus of nations. Who can withstand its power? The wisest fall the fastest, the simplest stand a chance. Truly the wisdom of this present age is poison shared at the grand banquets and then the drunk slay the slightest glimmer of dawn.
How dark is this hour? Surely there has been none darker before, or none as fooled as now.
What a wretched attack has been planned against mankind. That we should sleep in our greatest hour. We were meant to be kings and queens but we have gotten so used to the dark that we believe the sun to be a lie.
Is there a whisper of old that can be heard? And who would hear it? Give me one moment of sanity a day that I could break the curse off of my bones. I am a fool not to study the Truth with every waking breath and I am a traitor to the King if I don’t.
The betrayal of the ages. In this last hour, will it be our finest or our greatest failure. Will we be a shame to the victors we have heard legends about, and a great pit of lies to those still asleep?
If I cant recite the Truth in this hour of calm how will I stand in the hour to come?
“Suffered Loss.” How unbearable. How evil and twisted are we that we cant see a hex that has swept over before but in other form. Just a little yeast makes the whole dough rise. You are what you eat. You will be as spiritual as you choose to be. We love it because it is a glimpse of real, and our very beings cry out for it.

“One word, Ma’am,” he said, coming back from the fire; limping, because of the pain. One word. All you’ve been saying is quite right, I shouldn’t wonder. I’m a chap who always liked to know the worst and then put the best face I can on it. So I won’t deny any of what you said. But there’s one thing more to be said, even so. Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things – trees and grass and sun and moon and the stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that’s a funny thing, when you come to think of it. Were just babies making up a game, if you’re right. But four babies playing a game can make a play world which licks your real world hollow. That’s why I'm going to stand by the play world. I’m on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it. I’m going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn’t any Narnia. So, thanking you kindly for our supper, if these two gentlemen and the young lady are ready, were leaving your court at once and setting out in the dark to spend our lives looking for Overland. Not that our lives will be very long, I should think; but that’s a small loss if the world’s as dull a place as you say.” – Puddleglum to the Queen of the Underland in The Silver Chair.

April 14

2009-04-14T09:32:00.000-07:00

April 14, 2009

Jambo friends and family!

Today is a significant day for Carly and I – in exactly one month we will be getting on a plane to come home for a two-month visit to the U.S of A! For both of us, this marks about one year that we have been in Africa and the longest time ever we have been away from the States. As you can imagine, our hearts are full of emotions of many kinds as we think of saying good-bye to our Mombasa family for a few months and hello to a home that has felt so far away for so long. Most, we often dream aloud to one another of getting a good night’s rest & many moments free of the endless knocking on our door or discussions needed to solve every problem or fight for a house of eighteen people. We often feel like the apostle Paul when we think that even our bodies our craving rest (2 Cor. 7.5), but as we fly homeward we know the fightings without and fears within will remain: how will the boys’ be doing in school when we are away? Will they learn to submit to their teachers in honor of Christ? (Eph. 5.21) Will they remember the words we have been speaking to them, often through tears and prayers, about loving one another and so fulfilling all of the law (Ro. 13.9)? Will they remember that when they love their enemies rather than fight them and pray for those that hurt them, they can become the answer to Jesus’ most heartfelt desire, something He prayed so hard for that He sweat drops of blood? (Jn. 15.12) Will they remember that it cost Jesus His very life for them to be free from the power of sin when they are tempted to wander down old roads that would lead them to dishonor His name? In all their conduct, will they remember to walk worthy of that calling they’ve received and become more and more like men of God every day?

As these questions are heavy on our hearts, I think we are starting to understand Paul a bit more when he speaks of the anxiety on his heart for the churches (2 Cor. 11.28) and of course, the heart of the Father who desires that none may perish, but all come to repentance (a change of heart and lifestyle) himself. This last week, the boys had a holiday from school as they were in between their first and second terms of the school year. This means that our typical schedule was interrupted and we spent much more time together as a family. Our normal times of prayer and preparing for preaching/teaching (in the last month, Carly & I have accepted the opportunity to teach a Christian Religion education class at the boy’s school twice a week and every Sunday at our little home church) were replaced by attending our friend’s burial together in town, visiting some friends in prison, enjoying late breakfasts and morning beach runs together as a family. Spending such unlimited time with the boys reminded us of our pre-school days with them in December. I personally was interested to see if while during this time off of school, they would drift back to fighting and heavy addictions as they had before, and while we were encouraged to see some growth, it is more than obvious these precious boys that Jesus loves still have so far to go!

In the last week, every time something ugly has popped up in one of the boys that I did not like, God keeps replaying this scene in my mind from the movie Gladiator. Right before the ‘bad son’ who is not chosen to replace his father on the throne murders his father, tears roll down his eyes as he asks the father one last time why he is not favored as others. The father, who has already explained his disgust at his sons’ lack of character and righteousness, suddenly bursts out in tears as well and says ‘Your failure as a man reflects my failure as a father’. In the same way, how can these boys learn righteousness if they have no one in their lives to model it for them? How can they become men and women of God if they have no one to show them the way? And how can they be anything more than ‘harassed and helpless’ by the power of sin – addiction, anger, and hatred – as long as they are ‘sheep without a shepherd?’ (Mk. 6.34)

When Jesus looked at a demoniac wrecking havoc and interrupting his sermon, he saw not an enemy or an annoyance, but a person oppressed and held captive by the devil. When Jesus saw the crowds constantly ‘knocking on his door’, following him from place to place even when He just wanted one minute alone or looking to Him for healing, for food, and simply what they could get out of him (Jn. 6.26), He saw sheep that were lost without a shepherd. When He saw people stuck in sin like the woman at the well or the woman caught in adultery (Jn. 4,8), He saw sons and daughters of God who were royalty but didn’t know it. And when He saw His very own people, whom He had lived His whole life seeking to love and help, hate him without cause (Jn. 15.25) & join together to crucify Him, He forgave them because He saw people who ‘knew not what they were doing.’ (Lk. 23.34)

I’ve often wondered, how tired did He feel when after three years of constantly demonstrating and preaching love to them, His disciples still wanted to pick fights, arguing who was the greatest, or call fire down from heaven and kill people?! Or how did He feel when knowing one of His ‘own’ was actually stealing from Him and still covering it up? Knowing that His ‘leader’ would deny Him, all would eventually ditch Him in His moment of need, and one would betray Him and sell His very life for a mere 30 pieces of silver, how did He feel? (Jn. 6.71)

None of these things caused Jesus to falter, however, and I believe it’s because He knew a secret: Isaiah 55:11 - God promises ‘my WORD will not return empty,’ it will NOT fail to bear fruit. As we talked about Jesus’ resurrection and ascension this Sunday, we spent a lot of time studying His last moments with His disciples and prayers for them. Jesus told the disciples in Jn. 15:3 that they were ‘clean’ because of the ‘word’ which He had given them. When He is praying in Jn. 17 it has become so clear to me that He could leave His disciples behind in perfect peace knowing He had given them God’s Word when He was with them, He guarded them and prayed that they would be sanctified with truth – the Word of God.

It has become obvious to Rachel, Carly, Pastor Salito, Sandra, and I that as much as we try to ‘empty out the darkness’ by discussing fights or making rules, the only way to drive out the darkness is to shine the light. What will heal and change these future men of God is the same thing that heals and changes people all over the world – the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. All five of us have had an increased passion to be preaching and teaching to the boys in every situation we can! The Word says that people perish for lack of knowledge. (Prov. 29.18) People all around this world are perishing in sin…in addiction…in depression…our very co-workers and people we talk to every day are perishing on the very road to hell and they don’t know it. What’s worse is that this suffering is for no good reason – Jesus has paved the way for us to enter the Kingdom of Heaven (one of joy, peace, and righteousness- Ro. 14.17) not only after our bodies die, but right now. People living in darkness should see a great light (Mt. 4.16) and we are to be the ones to shine it.

Please pray that in this last month, the five of us would step it up and keep preaching the word – in season and out, when it’s convenient and when it’s not. Pray that when we get on that plane in one month we could say like Paul: ‘You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and trials…I did not shrink back from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house….testifying of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (Acts 20.18-22). Pray that we would truly consider our own lives as nothing precious to ourselves in only that we may give His beautiful word to people that are dying without out. (10.24)

Jesus not only preached the Word to His disciples, but He also modeled it for them. God has asked us to do the same: I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness’ (Is. 42.6) and if we don’t model it who will? When we get tired, annoyed, or tempted to give into selfishness, pride, anger, self-pity, or any sin, will we choose to ‘sanctify ourselves’ for their sakes, as Jesus did (Jn. 17.19), knowing that this world is dying for lack of seeing a demonstration of God’s kingdom and righteousness manifested in human beings?

I believe that it’s time for me to stop looking at sinners and seeing annoyances; like that father in Gladiator – he saw a certain responsibility in his son’s failures. When the church sees the lost, I believe we should see our own responsibility (Ez. 34), and when I see unrighteousness in the boys, I want to be challenged even more to live a life that they can imitate, and to preach a salvation that is consistent with that life. Paul said that though the Corinthians had teachers, they had not many fathers – ones that were willing to take them in and show them the way to life and life to the full. (1 Cor. 4.15)

While being a spiritual ‘father’ or ‘mother’ to the lost may seem like such a daunting task sometimes (because we’re not Jesus!!) may we be encouraged to remember that the One who calls us says He will equip us with everything needed for His work.

I was encouraged most this week by the story of Aslan anointing the first king of Narnia in the first Chronicle of Narnia, The Magicians Nephew. He didn’t choose the smartest person in London, the most distinguished or popular, but a simple cabby with a pure heart. This is the story of Aslan anointing him:

[The Cabby’s Response to Aslan’s Invitation to Kingship] Begging your pardon, sir, and thanking you very much I’m sure, but I ain’t no sort of chap for a job like that. I never ‘ad much eddycation, you see.

Well, said Aslan, can you be faithful in what you do know; can you use a spade and bring food out of the earth?
Can you rule these creatures kindly and fairly, remembering that they are not slaves like the beasts of the world you come from?
Will you bring up children to do the same, to rule and govern Narnia in the ways of love, righteousness, and mercy?
Will you not have favorites either among your own children or the others or let any mistreat or dishonor another?
And if enemies came against the land (for enemies will arise) and there was war, would you be the first in the charge and the last in the retreat?

Well, sir, said the Cabby very slowly, a chap don’t exactly know till he’s been tried. I dare say I might turn out ever such a soft ‘un. Never did no fighting except with my fists. I’d try – that is, I ‘ope I’d try – to do my bit, my best.

Then, said Aslan, you will have done all that a King should do…

Though we may not always feel successful in our efforts to demonstrate and preach His righteousness and Kingdom, let us continue to be faithful. And when we need help let us pray like Solomon – O Lord, grant me wisdom to govern & help this your GREAT people… (2 Chron. 1:10)

Val

2009-03-30T12:43:00.000-07:00

March 27

2009-03-28T05:16:00.001-07:00

March 27, 2009
Coroni just drowned on Sunday. Our house found out on Thursday. Today is Friday. We took the day off school together and went to the Mortuary, my first experience to see a third world mortuary. I felt like it was important that we went in to see the body with the boys, for them, and for us. For us because this boy is a landmark. Our first street friend to die [that we were actually friends with]. We went as a family and should go in as a family, which definitely meant something to the boys. And I felt like it was an experience that would have been similar to what Jesus experienced. Dead bodies, “undressed” and not embalmed. Coroni had been in the mortuary for 5 days, unembalmed, and uncared for.. because no one from the streets had the money. I will never forget the smell. Or the dead people just piled next to eachother like a bunch of sardines. Or this young boy who died alone, an accident. Now there was no one to look after him, no one to take care of his body. He died alone, undignified. He looked horrible, his body had been in the water for atleast 12 hours before Abel went and picked out his floating body from Florida.
As we looked at his body, it was obvious that Abel’s tough exterior wasn’t the real thing. This is traumatizing for anyone. And our boys tried to act unaffected, but I saw in one’s eyes, he was thinking about his mom who died at home with no one to help them. Another was thinking about his mom who died of Aids. Another was thinking about his best friend who died infront of him. We all loved Coroni, he was the coolest kid on the streets.
When someone from the streets dies, the street community tries to pull together whatever they can to take care of the body. No one had taken care of Coroni’s so our house decided to pay for the embalming. Rama or Mkono, two prominent street leaders then organize for someone to find the boy’s home. This process can be grueling, but thankfully someone knew where Coroni was from and was leaving the next day to try to find the parents (if they were still around). I figured if they find the mom or dad, they wouldn’t get to the boy for another week atleast. And if what I saw was just 5 days after, I cant imagine how the mom will feel. The last image she sees of her child, once alive and full of energy, now alone in a foreign city with no one to care for him.
Then we went to “base” where all the street people live. We went as a family, and our boys shone like stars! I couldn’t believe how different they were from their friends, it’s hard for me to notice the change at our house, but when I see where they came from, it was night and day. I think we all noticed, and the whole street noticed.
I saw one of my favorite kids, Ali. I have never met a kid so happy, we actually call him Bouncy Ali because even when he walks he adds a bounce to his step. He is always playing some game, taping your shoulder and hiding.. laughing so hard. He is the first one I saw on my way into Maboxini. Completely zombie-like. No life.. I have never seen him like this. I felt in my heart he must have been there when Coroni drowned. He spent the next hour near to me, and finally at the end I asked, and sure enough, he was there when Coroni died. An 11 yr. old kid dealing with seeing a friend die, alone on the streets with no one to comfort him. And the guilt, feeling that his friend died at the carelessness of their hands as they left the beach to go get help but no one was willing to go until the next day.
The truth is, Satan is stealing from the kingdom of God everyday we waste. Coroni’s short life was hell on earth, and possibly now its hell in hell. Everyday we “Christians” don’t do something, Satan does. We sleep, he doesn’t. His plan is to steal, kill, and destroy… and that is what he is doing here in the streets.
Val said something last night that really touched me. Jesus offers for us to have heaven now on earth; that is something I love to talk about. But she pointed out that for those not living in heaven now, they are living in hell now. Leonard Ravenhill says that our salvation will work backwards. When we get to heaven we will notice that we were living in heaven all along on earth if we truly entered into the kingdom life. But for those who go to hell, they will realize they were living in hell all along. Depression? Escape via drinking and drugs? Despair? Purposelessness? Caring about what people think? Wasting away good life on television? Unforgiveness? Doesn’t that sound like living hell?
I know everyone in our house is very moved by this recent death of our friend. I think the way I am most impacted is I have a new hatred for the devil. He is stealing precious, beautiful people like Coroni. And also, people are not just going to hell when they die, but if they are not living in the Kingdom of God now, they are living in the Kingdom of hell.. even if they don’t realize it.
Wake up from your sleep,
Climb out of your coffins;
Christ will show you the light!
So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times. Don’t live carelessly, unthinkingly.
-Paul to the church in Ephesus

Urgent Prayer Request

2009-02-11T22:18:00.000-08:00

Feb 11

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. Ps 20:7

Today we just want to give you a quick update. Val and I are in Nairobi right now and are leaving tonight for an overnighter bus back to Mombasa. We came into the city yesterday morning off of a tornado. Whenever we leave Mombasa for a moment or take a step back for clarity we sleep so much. The last day has been amazing, sleeping and getting important things done without the endless distractions, and we got to see a couple of our friends who live here. We came because my visa ends next week and Val’s in two weeks. Actually I was deemed to leave the country 2 months ago when my 6 months were up.. but God has done a miracle for me with this past extension. We have been waiting on our permits to process through immigration which will allow us to do the work we are doing in Mombasa. Realistically we are not even to be doing any “work” right now and Sandra (Pastor Salito’s wife) has already been arrested due to this but by the hand of God, released. We have all been under this same pressure, sadly the corruption in this country is bent on bribes, impossible bureaucracy, and especially in Mombasa, there are people who are hoping to see us in prison because we have not given them handouts. But we really know the resistance we are constantly receiving is not from flesh and blood, but the spiritual darkness over Mombasa is very real and evil and we are a very real threat.
When we come to Nairobi, it is like fresh air for Val and I, and we ask ourselves.. why aren’t we doing this work here? But then we realize shortly after.. oh yea, that’s why we are in Mombasa. Mombasa in one word is Sodom, and only the Lord knows how many hoops we have been forced to jump through and how many times He has saved us from very serious danger. But this is exactly why we are here, the Lord cries out for the lost in this city, and we already are deeply wounded by His love for specifically 10 amazing kids who are worth every moment I wish I was just home.
We went to the Principle Immigration Officer the last two days to seek out the current handle on our permit applications. He informed us that the committee was meeting next week to accept or reject our permits along with others. He looked over our applications and treated us like people and this gave us hope! And the Lord already is at work in our midst because Mr. Chariyot extended my visa 2 more months while we wait for our results.. (miracle!) But he did not renew Val’s visa, and we are positive this is because God is wanting us to ask Him for a miracle. We need a miracle that God would make these chariots and Pharaoh’s army fall at His powerful fist of water and we would be able to go free to the Promised Land. Please join us in prayer. We feel very strongly that we are supposed to pray this thing through. Honestly, in the natural, it would be most likely for them to refuse our applications and they have already been doing this to Pastor Salito for the last YEAR. There is really NO hope, but we don’t hope in horses or chariots.. we hope in the Lord that He can do the impossible. But we need your help, please pray this thing into reality with us. They are meeting next week to decide the fate of our visa status and ability to do work in Mombasa.
Other than that.. we have 5 boys finishing their second week of school right now! It is amazing to see them back in school.. they are very hard working and are facing all of the challenges they have with confidence. Some of the boys have gone as long as 8 years out of school, so to jump right into the 3 week of the semester is a lot of work in itself. They have to readjust from never thinking to focusing from 7am-6pm for 6 days a week! There have been ups and downs because its not easy and it will take time. Downs: not sleeping, struggling living a scheduled life, fitting into a classroom of students 5 or so years younger than them, struggle to catch up and do well, struggle to follow our rules and to live disciplined lives. But the ups are so glorious: we are the proud parents of the class clowns and teachers pets, the teachers are amazing and are excited to give additional help and create special bonds with the boys, we love the teachers and they are becoming my mom away from home.. when the boys are in class I go and just talk to their teachers and tell them my problems, the boys look so great in their school uniforms, they are starting to see themselves not as street boys, they are very focused, they are proud of themselves.
Now Val and I know that our focus needs to shift. We have been focused on school, food, schedules, disciple, rules, and all the details and getting of things into place. We know this shift is now specifically because He is sending us Rachel Morrell on Thursday! God has made a way for her to join us again, long term. She will lift much off of our shoulders and be the most amazing blessing to us and all the family who already love her so much. Jesus has definitely been speaking to Val and I that now we must start our in depth counseling and healing with each boy. We will also be doing teaching times on Saturdays. The biggest thing He is showing us is that they need so much more! They need more love, more counseling, more attention, more motherly love, more of Him through us! Their wounds are becoming more apparent and need immediate attention as now they really are looking to us as moms and are desperate for love. The phrase God keeps laying on me is LOVE SUFFERS LONG. I hate that phrase..
I spent the last day before our trip suffering long love for one of the boys. It hurt, he needed to test my love over and over and the Lord wanted me to be stepped on and hurt by him, but it was so that he could see Love suffers long for him. It hurt and I was extremely exhausted afterwards, but I know that is what God wanted from me.. to suffer long for this son. To let him hurt me and get healing through me probably for the rest of our relationship.. but I am honored to do it, because this is the love I don’t have for him, but God does.. His love has already suffered death for him and will suffer the wounds in and out everyday as he searches out the reality of this love and the unending relentless fight it will go through to love him.
God is amazing. I am so lucky He would suffer long for me, it is horrible to do, but He wants to do it for these beloveds and there is nothing more powerful on the face of this earth than this love that will suffer long.
There is nothing else worth living for.. Have you realized that yet? Real living and real beauty are waiting for you.
Carly

2009-02-03T18:12:00.000-08:00

Jan 27

2009-01-27T08:25:00.000-08:00

“LOVE NEVER GIVES UP…” (1 Cor. 13 – MSG)
“The secret of the saints: they ENDURED!”

Dear friends and family!
First and foremost, Carly and I have to issue an apology for our lack of communication since the holidays. The last month has been filled with many ups and downs and as we say to ourselves so often, we feel as if we’ve experienced more joy and laughter but also more tears and sorrow than ever before at the same time.

After celebrating Christmas and New Years with our family of 7 boys, Nancy and baby John, and Pastor Salito’s family, (many of whom experienced their first Christmas off of the streets) Carly and I dedicated ourselves to the task of getting the boys back into school, as the new school term begins in Kenya in January. Our two main priorities at the beginning of January were to get them back into school before it was too late in the term and to start medical records for each person (their first physical, complete blood testing, and such).

Although not without a fight and much persistence, God has been faithful to answer both of those requests! Although we’ve spent many hours waiting for appointments, being overlooked, pushed aside, and misunderstood, God has been giving us one word: ENDURANCE. One day we spent an entire afternoon waiting on a meeting that was pushed back for four hours, only to find that it would last ten minutes and we would emerge with a phone number referring us to someone else. Carly looked at me on the way home completely exhausted, “All that for a phone number! AFRICA!” I laughed, feeling just as irritated, but said, “Yes, but at least we got the phone number!”

“The secret of the saints:” one of our favorite songs right now tells us, “they ENDURED!” We’re finding that it’s in the little details of the day-to-day that our patience gets tested, our character refined, and our ministry gets validated in the eyes of men and God. More and more we’re finding that “missions” is something anyone can do; anyone can spend an afternoon waiting for a phone number, anyone can pull aside a boy that’s just started a fight and say the simple words, “I love you…God loves you…no matter what you do…” and watching the power of unconditional love completely melt their hearts and change their countenance. Every day we are amazed at how simple our job is; it requires no supernatural talent, no remarkable ingenuity, no graduate-level university degree – simply faithfulness. “He who endures to the end will be saved.” (Mt. 24:13) As I said to Carly about the phone number, anyone can wait all day for a phone number, but who will? In these monotonous details we are faced with the decision, will we be discouraged and tempted to write off our ministry and go home, or will we choose to see the resurrection light that’s coming through all the deaths we feel we’re going through every day? (1 Cor. 15:31)

We are learning to step into a new level of courage and endurance, as it says of the saints, “Through acts of faith, they toppled kingdoms, made justice work, took the promises for themselves…refused to give in…” (Heb. 11:32-24 MSG) When a school doesn’t want to accept the boys, we go to the next one. When someone cancels a meeting on us, we go to their office and ask why. We “make justice work”. When a boy breaks our hearts by coming back home high one night, we refuse discouragement and rebuke the enemy’s attacks– we love him stronger and pray harder. We “refuse to give in”.

In the midst of all these lessons (which include learning by so many mistakes!), we have several praises to report.

First miracle: Two weeks ago, after every individual received their first complete physical, we found that our house is HIV- free! Not only HIV-free, but all were declared very healthy. Malaria…TB….blood disease…a complete miracle, for eight people living on the streets, some up to 12 years. Knowing that some of their family members died of AIDS, Carly, Pastor Salito, Sandra, and I had spent much time in prayer and turmoil over these doctor visits, keenly aware of the anxiousness of the boys themselves over these tests. As Sandra said, “God gave us a complete miracle!”

Second miracle: God gave us two individuals that assessed our boys for schooling and they are currently half-way through a two-week tutoring program that is preparing them to re-enter school, joining this term a few weeks late, tentatively on February 2nd. Four boys will be entering into the equivalent of 7th grade and one boy, 8th grade (the last before high school). One boy, Mario, entered into Form 3 (Junior year of high school), this week and Carly and I are truly becoming mothers as we have to go to our first “parent-teacher meeting” for him in a few hours! (haha!) Please continue to pray for Mario’s transition and the other five to complete their tutoring and enter school on time – that there would be no change of agreements & no attack of the enemy would thwart that from happening!

Third miracle: Miraculous release from jail.
At the beginning of the week, while focused on schooling and the addition of a cook to help us with meals (another BIG praise!), Carly & I had no idea that we would be spending much of our week in courts, prisons, and the immigration office. Over the weekend, one of our boys had gone into town with the heartbreaking news they hear so often, “Municipal swept the streets this weekend and Farah & Issa are in prison!” Farah and Issa are close friends of all the boys. They were special guests on Christmas and we had set up days for them to come to the house every week, with the intention that one day (when we don’t feel so overwhelmed with the 8 we have now!), they would join our family. Because both the boys were scheduled for court dates last Monday, Carly & I had the house pray for us and went to visit their prisons immediately after church on Sunday.

It’s not easy for corrupt officials to take two young white girls seriously sometimes, but “Holy Spirit,” we always pray, “give us serious faces…give us the right words…don’t let them toy with us but pave the way for us to see Farah and Issa!” With only a few bunny trails, we were able to locate both boys, Issa on Sunday and Farah on Monday.

Issa’s meeting looked grim in the natural. We were able to bring him milk and bread, but as the head officer sat with us we heard that being accused of stealing an officer’s phone, he was faced with 2 years in prison (stealing is a very serious crime in Kenya). Though Issa was pleading not guilty, the evidence was strong. Carly & I looked into Issa’s eyes and reminded him that there is a Judge above all judges, a court above all courts and that whether he stole the phone or not, tells the truth in court the next day or not, one day he will have to answer to the One who is Truth. We gently reminded him that it would be better to plead guilty and suffer two years in prison than to face the greater prison of hell. (Mt. 10:28)“He will always help you when you call, He will always forgive you when you ask, but its based on one requirement:” we always remind the boys “YOU MUST TELL THE TRUTH. His very name is Truth, and He doesn’t play games.” We reminded him again that even if he were to go to prison, if he had clean hands before God, he would be free from prison on the inside.

After we prayed with Issa, the officer who had been closely observing us tried to offer us a bribe to get Issa out of his predicament. We told him directly that we were not interested in bribes but only justice and the truth. As we left, we promised Issa that our love for him would not change and we would be praying for him all night. The officer promised to call us the next day with the court results.

Pastor, Sandra, Carly & I interceded for the two boys for hours that night and urged the boys to keep praying as well. Carly prayed Acts 12:5: “So Peter was kept in prison, but the church prayed for him most strenuously” (MSG) The next morning, in the middle of the house morning prayer time, Issa’s officer called. “The boy you came to see yesterday,” he told me, “his charges have been dropped.” When I asked why I received the same statement: “His charges have been dropped.” No explanation. No bail and no bribe. And no two year sentence for Issa.

The house celebrated and Carly and I took it as a sign that our prayers have power and confirmation to keep praying for Farah. Farah’s story, however, became a bit more personal.

Farah’s Story
When we went to him in prison that day our hearts melted completely. I had been expecting to be taken to a room, sit down and have a conversation with Farah as we had with other boys, but what Carly and I got that day was “five minutes!” to barely talk with him through bars and a crowd of crude officers. This was 17-year-old Farah’s first time in prison; with his hair (which along with being the best football player in the streets had been a part of his proud identity) shaved, his body so small and thin, and his eyes so full of fear, he did his best to quickly shout his story to us. Like a few of our boys, Farah had been a part of a city council program intended to rehabilitate and educate street kids. Although the program receives foreign funding, as the boys say “the money is eaten,” and the program offers only little hope to a small percentage. Fed up with this program, Farah had decided to leave and upon his first night back in the streets was picked up by police for “loitering.” The city council program officials he knew would not bail him out and as he looked at us that day he pleaded, “You’re my only hope. I’m the smallest one here.” A subtle statement that might indicate he was being beaten and raped, young Farah couldn’t walk or keep food and water down he was so sick. We told him we were praying about what to do and I felt the urge to tell him strongly “PRAY, Farah! Pray hard…it’s important that you pray in the nights. God can help you.”

That afternoon Carly and I made the whole journey home without one word to each other. Our hearts were so full of pain for this young boy, without father or mother to care for him, whom Satan had pursued for so many years. “But what do we do?”, we asked. There were several other street boys in prison and we told the boys we had a policy that we don’t post bail. Even if we were to post bail, would we just return him to the streets? Could we bring him to our house which we felt was already filled to the brim with boys not getting enough attention as it is? Thinking of their own memories in prison, the boys were badly wanting to hear about Farah and insisting that we post his bail the next day. “Ah, two nights in Majengo,” one of them said, “will feel like two years.” “It’s his first time in prison – he will be different when he comes out.” We told the boys that regardless of what we did the next day, we knew that each night Farah was in danger. Feeling such despair, Jesus encouraged us through the story of Daniel in the lions’ den. King Darius, despite his own kingship, found himself unable to rescue Daniel from the decree that had sent innocent Daniel to the lions’ den. After attempts failed to free Daniel, he told him, maybe with one last flicker of hope, before he entered the den, “May your GOD, get you out of this”! (Dan. 6:16)

We too found encouragement in the fact that although Farah was in “the lions den” and we could not rescue him right away, prisons can’t keep God and his angels away. Carly, Pastor, Sandra and I decided that as long as Farah was at prison, someone would spend the night in the prayer room praying for him. What Satan meant for harm, God turned around for good because soon we found ourselves praying not just for the physical protection Daniel received, (Dan. 6:23) but devoting hours and hours praying for the salvation of this one soul. We prayed that while he was in prison he would receive a vision of Jesus (Farah has been a practicing Muslim) and discover that Jesus wants to set him free from the prison of sin and hell. As God’s perfect plan would have it, Farah had been at our house Christmas night and attentively watched The Passion of the Christ with our group. More than anyone he was moved by the film and ended the night asking, “Why did Jesus have to die?” We prayed that Jesus Himself would answer those questions while he was in prison and after one more quick visit the next day, I ripped Psalm 22 out of my Bible and reminded him that Jesus also knew suffering and He should ask Jesus to tell Him why He had to suffer.

While heavy with the reality of Farah’s situation on our hearts and trying to get the boys into their first week of tutoring as the school calendar was ticking, another challenge was thrown at as we found out that Sandra (Pastor’s wife) was arrested at her Bible school on Tuesday and letters were being passed around saying that we were doing social work here in Kenya illegally. On Wednesday we found ourselves sitting in front of the immigration officers’ desk being told that all four of us should be in prison. We knew in December when we took the boys in that our permits weren’t official but felt that God was having us take a step of faith anyway. That was a decision that none of us regretted and we were prepared to tell him the next morning that we’d rather go to prison than see the boys leave the house and return to the streets.

Because our own boys futures seemed up in the air with our legal status, we told Farah to pray hard to the only one who could save him, (Heb. 5:7) knowing that if Jesus wanted us to bail him out and take him in (despite all circumstances), he would make it clear to all of us. A few of us received dreams and by Thursday morning the Lord confirmed to all of us it was time to take Farah out and bring him home, adding him to the family. That day we were given a temporary pardon from the officer and told to see a man in Nairobi next week. It seemed that no one wanted to put us in prison or see the boys kicked out of the house. We praised the Lord, and responded to His call to bail his son out of prison the next day.

So in this blog we are asking for prayer for three major things!
1. Our work permit status. Pastor Salito has just left for Nairobi to see if he can straighten things out for us on his own so we can remain with the boys and their tutoring. We have explained to all the officials that we desire to honor the government and be completely legal in all that we do, but unfortunately have been continually misdirected as to how to get the correct status. Please pray that Pastor would find favor in Nairobi, for us to receive a righteous standing with the Kenyan government, and for the members of our house not to be ill affected.

2. The boys’ school and healing. This week the boys are finishing “re-entrance” tutoring; please pray that they will be enrolled in a school next week that is beneficial for them. Please continue to pray for their spiritual and emotional healing as well as we often feel that other things compete for the one-on-one attention and healing that they are all in such desperate need of. Their wounds are deep and addictions still high.

3. Farah Hussein. Our new addition to the family! Bringing him “home” that day from jail will always remind us of our Great Shepherd that leaves the 99 to get the one and brings him home around his shoulders. Pray for this special boys’ healing (from prison and many tragic events in his life) and transition into our house and family – that he would find his role and a new identity in Christ.

When we think about how we’ve felt these last few weeks and what we’re learning about endurance, we remember: “Love never gives up.” (1 Cor. 13:4 MSG) And because Jesus is love, this tells us that He never gives up…and because He never gives up on people, on circumstances, neither should we. Please consider this blog a personal and official apology for our lack of communication once again! We love you all and could not do without your partnership and prayers! Blessings to you all and may you be filled with the endurance of Christ Jesus, the endurance of love, today.

“Love never gives up…LOVE puts up with anything, trusts God always, always looks for the best. LOVE never looks back, but keeps going to the end…” (1 Cor. 13:4, 7-8 MSG)

Valerie

Dec 18

2008-12-18T07:26:00.000-08:00

Christmas Update:

Alright, last time we were very insistent on your prayers. Thank you for praying. God heard you!
I still remember the night we left for Nairobi, the electricity went out at our house while we were trying get ready. So picture 8 street boys, one street mom + baby, Mozambican family, me and Val trying to maneuver in the dark to pack, shower (they all had to shower and put on their new clothes…early Christmas present J), have a meeting, cook and eat dinner. Val and I snuck up to our room for one last prayer before the trip, basically our scared cry for help. As we walked down the road with our troop I felt such a mixture of excitement and fear I couldn’t decide if I wanted to do a few sprints or vomit! So many hopes and so much uncertainty of what to expect.

Literally, I try to think of what parts to tell you about the trip and all I can think of is Praise God! Praise God for everything that happened that week in Nairobi, the good and the bad. What we were able to witness was the power of God. We became deeply aware of their sins, struggles and the evil behind them and the wounds they started from. Because of our trip we were able to see into their souls. These kids have been deeply wounded, in ways that I cannot even begin to reconcile in my heart. Their stories are the kind that make you weep: prostitutes, abandoned, abused, orphaned, witchcraft, heavy addictions, lives built around survival, death… we have only begun to scratch the surface.

In Nairobi, they were able to spend a week at a YMCA where they slept in beds, had showers, and were able to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For some of them, they couldn’t get over the fact they were eating all three meals.. how easy are they to please.. haha. And most of them were very familiar with the streets of Nairobi, having spent years surviving them and in and out of the police cells. So we had great tour guides and body guards! Expect sometimes they would conveniently take us on longer routes that bypassed certain police posts!

Even greater.. we were surrounded by people of God. What a 180 for them.. they usually only socialize with other street people, and in Nairobi God gave them back confidence lost in the shame of the streets. We went to a church for youth that would remind me of a sweet youth group or summer camp in America. They played reggae, hip hop, and completely knocked our kids out of their chairs. Then we became friends with the youth in this church, we also spent time with the Iris Ministries group from Mozambique, who were very much like the youth of Nairobi that we met. The boys were so surprised to meet awesome Kenyans and Africans who were their age and in love with Jesus. We spent time everyday doing team activities and going to the 24/7 prayer room. A few nights, some of the boys left to stay the whole night in the prayer room… praying! One of our boys was able to go home and visit his family, which was a big step for him and we were able to meet them. The week had so many blessings, the boys and Nancy really had to try team work and the progress and growth we observed in them each day was always directly from God!

All this to say, God had His eyes on them all week. Which makes it all the more apparent why satan wanted to attack us so much, and attack he did. Fighting, drugs, no concept of rules or unity, Nancy ran away for 36 hours, Allan drank bad water and was dangerously ill for a few days, I got sick, Valerie had a serious eye infection and needed medical help, we had to break away from the group to try to secure visas in immigration… Every day we prayed that God would give us enough grace, and He did. We did more than survive, we had victory over all these attacks. Each fight, each bad moment was used for a learning lesson, and proved to be amazing for the glory of God and a foolish attempt of satan to steal the children’s bread.

Then came The Call. I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect because I had never been to one in America. Even if I had expectations, they would have been beat by far. I am sure God touched each heart, and seeds fell on good soil as they listened to leaders from all over the world. They saw people deeply in love with God, they were surrounded by God’s presence all day… what else could you ask for? By the end of the day, we were all together amidst crowds of people from all over Kenya and the world, and we were free.. dancing and worshiping and laughing with our new friends from Nairobi. It was beautiful, it was heaven.

Then we had a great last day, to be ended by a 10pm overnight bus ride back to Mombasa. Val and I boarded the bus with butterflies in our stomachs.. what were we supposed to do when we got back to Mombasa, send them back to the streets? We just had the most amazing week with them, they are more than just our street friends, now the love is deep. Everyone else boarded the bus completely dejected knowing that they would be back in the streets in the morning because we didn’t receive our work permits that allow them legally to stay at our house. After a week of food, love, joy, unity building, realness, friendship, clean beds.. the streets were a nightmare coming true again.

At 6am we reached Mombasa. Slowly all the travelers filed off the bus, everyone except our motley crew. They all stayed in the bus, looking out the window in sad disillusionment as the harsh reality awaited them when they stepped off the bus. Val and I were almost in tears; the tension and emotions were thick.

After about 10 minutes of us being the only ones left on the bus, one of the boys asked if they could come over for breakfast. Val and I, choking back tears looked at each other and said YES! We couldn’t bear the thought of leaving them now. So we all unloaded together, got our junk and headed the long road home, a family. They stayed all day, sleeping on the floor, eating our make-shift meals, watching movies on our laptops. After some time passed, a few boys left for the streets.. but most were unable to leave. When it became late, they asked if it would be ok if they slept on the floor and left in the morning. We again, said yes.. how could we say no! The next morning we prayed together for the boys who were back on the streets because the others were scared for them returning back to glue and the street life they had left so well for a week in Nairobi. Later that afternoon they returned to the house.. and looked at Val and I and said, do you want us to sleep in the streets or can we stay here?

We prayed so hard and felt like God was asking us to take the biggest leap of faith. Now almost 2 weeks have passed and everyone from the Nairobi trip is still living at our house! Val and I have become moms to 9 kids! So much has already happened, I wish I could tell you. It has been the hardest and most amazing 2 weeks of my life. We are being stretched every day with the Mozambican family to try to provide for all their needs and their large appetites. We have passed from friendship into family. What God is doing each day in the house has been more and more powerful and life-giving.

Everyday, Val and I have to wake up at 5am to pray victory into the day before it begins, and this has been the most amazing sign of God’s power over evil. As they file out of their rooms (we bought them mattresses) they are shouting, pulling our hair, asking us for this and that, but God is providing strength and beautiful presence of peace from heaven amidst everything that happens.

The war over these boys’ lives is intense and can only be won with weapons of prayer and the sword of the Spirit. And God has given what we need, He has poured out His Spirit, and we are seeing chains become loosed, and addictions being shaken, hearts being opened. But its not overnight, these wounds are deep and the walls are high. Addiction, fighting, lying, stealing, are always around the corner waiting to devour us. But God is teaching us how to love them and fight for them (Rom 12:21). Each day, we are more confident in the fact that we are lucky to know these boys and girl, they are amazing people who just need the opportunity to be who they are.. it is an honor to fight for them.

So Christmas is coming up in one week, we have been desperately busy, and we hope to give you a good update soon about our new family and the vision God has been pouring on us about the future.

Until then, Merry Christmas, if there is any good thing we can give you from Kenya.. it’s just this.. step into the reality of Jesus.. it’s life you have never experienced before. You don’t have to be in Kenya to have it… He is waiting for you, do you dare seek out the real beauty, joy, and adventure there is hidden in the malaise of our world? Let me be frank, we are dying of boredom in America.. are you willing to open your eyes and live for something worth dying for?

When Jesus concluded his address, the crowd burst into applause. They had never heard teaching like this. It was apparent that He was living everything He was saying – quite a contrast to their religious teachers! This was the best teaching they had ever heard.
Matt 7.28-29
That is what happened after Jesus spoke to people about the reality of life.. read it in the Message if you are interested.. Matt 5-7. It will blow your socks off if you ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes.

Merry Christmas
Carly

Nov. 25

2008-11-26T06:40:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,
Last Sunday we got together the motliest crew of 12 I have ever seen, besides the disciples. We are leaving on this Saturday for a week trip which we believe to be the pinnacle of our small beginnings here in Mombasa.
We are taking with us street boys and a street girl and her 2 year old baby. Some of the street boys already profess to be Christians, some are still addicted to glue, one is a Muslim, and they all are deeply wounded and need seriously healing that I know can only come from a revelation of God’s deep love for each of them.

As we sat around in a circle in our house for the meeting it became really apparent to me that this isn’t going to be easy. I realized I haven’t really led a trip before, and I am leading a trip for Africans? They have become so accustomed to street life that they still are unable to take on the values of normal society, still eat out of the trash, still are not used to being clean, and not used to the idea of team.
So here we are… 2 weak white girls and one Mozambican Pastor, and I started getting uncomfortable in my chair that night as I realize that each one of these people needs a lot of one on one attention. I started to worry about how we will build team unity, how we will pour into each one, how we can design this trip to cater to all of their deep needs.

The next morning I was overcome with pressure. I really like these people, in fact, I love them and I want so badly for them to have a great trip. Then God was like ‘is it about having a cute “youth group” trip? A good team building experience? Or is there something better waiting for them in Nairobi?’ Then He led me back into scripture and realizations of the time we are living in.
More and more, God is speaking to me about the season we are in. Wake up, Carly. Its not just another year, another trip, another Wednesday…each day and moment is important because they are becoming fewer and fewer.

I am coming to the realization that we are living in the End Times. Any day a nuclear attack could come from Iran, any day we might no longer have the luxuries we have become accustomed to. This is real. And Scripture says just that…read the signs…the end is near. Look what is going on with our country, with the world. Look in the Bible. It’s not so hard to see. But if we don’t see it, we will be like Anninias and Saphira – they knew the cross but they hadn’t related to Him rightly so they could survive.

It’s not about a nice trip, a thriving ministry, getting more people in your church, switching to a new and different methodology…get with the times. If we can’t read the times of our season now, we will not be able to recognize the thing that God is about to do…just like so many religious people couldn’t recognize what God was doing through Jesus and they died unsaved because they couldn’t read what God was doing. If we aren’t knowing Him so well, if we aren’t giving ourselves to Him wholeheartedly, how can we read the new thing He is about to do? How can we survive? Especially with all the garbage we fill ourselves with in America, and the stuff we don’t even recognize we are falling for, like humanism or religious nothingness.

So what is God doing right now? He is raising up a prayer and fasting movement across the globe of people who are ready to leave the silliness of the world and get real. Reality isn’t what we are seeing…reality is what the world (or the powers of darkness in control of our cultures –Eph 3) is trying to blind us from. Reality is that Jesus is real, He is coming, and He is coming soon.

It’s our job (the church aka 2 or 3 gathered who are willing to leave sin and live in covenant of love with each other and pray and fast and live real) to pray and prepare our countries for the Day of the Lord (Joel 2).
We are living in the greatest and worst times. We have the opportunity to do the most amazing thing…prepare the way for the Lord, and if we miss out on this, so many will be lost.

We are going to The Call Kenya on Dec. 6th. We are spending the week in Nairobi before to prepare and spend time together as a group hanging out in the prayer room and other things. This trip is not just about getting unity, setting a solid foundation for this street ministry, it’s about my friends getting a touch from God. It’s about them waking up to reality. It’s about them catching the wind of the Holy Spirit that is more amazing than glue, than money, than anything this world has!
That being said, Val and I are so excited for this trip. We leave Friday night with our friends on an overnight bus to Nairobi. We are thrilled to have such a fun week with them, but our hearts are deeply passionate about this week being a week that they wake up to reality. That they see other Kenyans who already are awake. Please pray for us. Nov 28- Dec 7. Please pray. Pray for open eyes, willing hearts, fertile soil. Please join us in our prayers for them. I am struck by this thought: if I really love them and I know that the End is coming…how can I truly say I love them unless I care enough about them to care about the situation of their souls?

Pray for:
Mario
Allan
Brother John
Samuel
Enoch
Muhamed
Nancy and Jon, her baby
Teddy
Puez
Alphonce
Me
Val
Pastor Salito
Kenya

Nov. 12

2008-11-12T03:10:00.000-08:00

God is Not a Secret to be Kept!
For I am not ashamed of the gospel…

No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a washtub or shoves it under the bed. No, you set it up on a lamp stand so those who enter the room can see their way. We’re not keeping secrets; we’re telling them….we’re bringing everything out in the open. So be careful that you don’t become misers of what you hear…” (Ro. 1:16; Lk. 8:16-18; Mt. 5 MSG)

BWHANA ASSEFIWE ! Carly and I have had quite an eventful week and we have so many reasons to PRAISE the LORD! This weekend, Pastor Salito with his wife and four children into the house. Their first full day in the house was Sunday – we had our morning church service and in the whole afternoon the house became an open house in which kids from nearby came in and out, teaching us Swahili, dancing and playing air guitar, and of course receiving meals, love, and Kenyan tea! This week we have added a basketball hoop and a ping-pong table to our house of prayer. Along with the four street boys that come over weekly for Thursday Bible study and Monday prayer, we have started having two of our favorite boys come over weekly for dinner & regular Swahili lessons – we are going to have the best teachers ever! With all these new additions, our home truly is becoming a “church”, filled with the prayers, fellowship, and joy of the people of God!

Carly & I have been spending a lot of time focusing on the Sermon on the Mount as we desire to show the boys the “rules of the highest kingdom.” As we find some of our personal space being taken away or our rooms being filled with the noises of crying kids and basketballs, we remember His words: If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? (Mt. 5:15 MSG) Day by day, as more friends join us, this house (our lives are) is becoming a city on a hill that cannot be hidden. Carly and I are learning to have open hands and to shine, being “generous with our lives” (Mt. 5:16 MSG) the way Jesus has been with us.

As we give away things like friendship and food, however, the cry of our hearts still remains – “Lord, let us not withhold the greatest treasure we have-your gospel!” Every day we find more occasions/circumstances that illustrate lessons that Jesus teaches (how to demonstrate that “love is not rude” or how to stay out of fights, for blessed are the “peacemakers,” the real sons of God), and we pray that more and more those we interact with are catching glimpses of Him and His passion. One night, during a storm when our night guard didn’t show up, our friend and day guard, Stanley had to stay over & since we were planning on watching “The Passion” movie that night, this friend got to join us and see very vividly a movie that has given him much to think about.

When we pray that our conversation are always “seasoned with salt”, I often think of times also in America when I felt too tired or unable to share about Jesus with a co-worker…a neighbor…a friend. They’re not ready & don’t care, now’s not the time, or talking about Jesus is irrelevant in the day-to-day. I know in my heart, however, that the minute we become His disciples, we lose all our rights - just as the moment He looked at us and chose to love and save us, He lost everything as well. Because of this, we have no right to withhold not only our personal space, our food, our time, but most importantly – the gospel He died for as well. TRUE LOVE doesn’t only give away food…housing, etc. We’ve been given too great a treasure to withhold for ourselves – life & life to the full! – so as Eugene Peterson says, let us not become “misers” of what we know – the gospel, that many are dying daily without. Jesus says that if we aren’t willing to let him put us up on a stand and shine others can’t “see their way”. They’re falling into depression….addiction…despair…and worst of all hell itself. Let us be faithful stewards of “the mysteries of God”, the great treasure that only we’ve been given (1 Cor. 4:1; Lk. 8:10)!!

The Savior that tells us you can’t even bury your father because “First things first. Your business is life, not death. And life is urgent: Announce God’s kingdom!” (Lk. 9:60), truly wants us to make the MOST of every opportunity – not only to care for the physical or more visible needs of our neighbors but to look to the deep heart needs as well. Pray that we will be ones that DO live without regret, sharing the love of Jesus every chance we get before it’s too late: “No procrastination. No backwards looks. You can’t put God’s kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day.” (Lk. 9:62) God is Not a Secret to be Kept!
Valerie

2008-11-09T13:57:00.000-08:00

Nov 5

2008-11-05T06:59:00.000-08:00

Why this Waste?

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany and they gave a dinner for him there...Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. But Judas Iscariot said, “Why this WASTE? Why was this ointment not sold for 300 denarii and given to the poor?”

“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, and it will not be taken away from her.

(Jn. 12; Lk. 10:41-42)

As Carly and I have found ourselves steeped in some of the most monotonous tasks these last few weeks preparing the house (chasing down electricians & plumbers, scrubbing toilets & floors, killing gigantic spiders that very rudely seem to believe they can make a home in our house, the list goes on!), we have sometimes found ourselves asking the question: “Wait a minute, why am I here again?”

When a street boy we’ve poured much time into runs away to a different city and we fear never seeing him again…when we can’t complete daily tasks, struggling to find anyone that will treat us fairly despite our white skin…when we hear someone say, “you’re smart – couldn’t you find nice jobs & do such nice things living in America?” or “why did you get this house if all you’re doing right now is filling it with prayer? Why start so small- why not begin with large programs and make it grow fast?” When some of our favorite boys tell us they don’t want our friendship or show no gratitude for our efforts for them, it’s tempting to ask like Judas did, “Why this WASTE?” Am I just wasting the “best years” of my life away in Africa…?

They say that the perfume Mary poured out was worth $20,000 – it was her dowry; it was her past, present, and her future. IF Jesus really loved her, couldn’t He have stopped her and said, “Mary, please don’t get caught up in the moment” or “Mary, you’re not thinking of your long-term future here”? The more we dive into our Revelation study with the older boys & look at the world around us, however, we have begun to wonder, what if Mary was thinking of her long-term future?

When Isaiah tells us that there’s coming a day in which “the earth shall be utterly empty & plundered” and “as with the slave, so with his master; as with the buyer so with the seller” (or as with the poor African, as with the rich American, as we emphasize to the boys), we have to wonder, what IS “long-term” anyways? When Jesus tells us not to be impressed by things like buildings in front of us or a certain “super-power” (what the boys call America) that may be powerful one day and weak the next, when James tells us that our life is “but a vapor”, or when Paul says what is seen is temporary and in reality, actually fading away, how ARE we supposed to live? (Mk. 13; Jas. 4:14; 2 Cor. 4:18; 1 Cor. 7:31; 2 Pet. 3:11)

When economies crash, “super powers” rise and fall, or people we’re serving come and go, Jesus said that “the WORD of the Lord remains forever” (1 Pet. 1:25) Jesus’ word to Mary was “what you have chosen will NOT be taken away from you”.

Jesus’ words tell me that whatever I do unto the least of these, I have done it unto Him, and I will “surely not” lose my reward. Jesus’ words tell me that if everything that I know now is stripped away from me as it someday will be, I cannot lose Him and the reward for even the smallest of things (even a cup of cold water!) I have done for Him in this life.

A man named Mike Bickle has said, “You don’t have an option whether or not you will waste your life – you won’t have ANYTHING in the end. You only have a decision as to HOW you will waste your life.” Jesus said that we will not perish (a word which can also mean “be wasted”) if we “believe in Him”. (Jn. 3:16) Believe in me, He says, and your life won’t be wasted.

America’s riches won’t last forever, we tell the boys…Mugabe’s cruel reign in next-door Zimbabwe won’t last forever – someday every king must give account to the King of Kings who is above every rule and authority we see right now with our physical eyes. You can’t run away to America to solve your problems or grab onto a riches or power to fix your life – that sand will sink someday and you must grab onto something more substantial. “But YOU, the ones who held tight to God, your God, are alive and well today…” (Dt. 4:4 MSG) Grab hold of JESUS, we say, take hold of a kingdom that can’t be shaken!!! (Heb. 12:28)

I once heard it said that the amount of money Joseph lavished upon Jesus when giving him a burial was worth five times as much as Mary’s alabaster jar. I was faced with the question: “Which ended up being worth more to Jesus? Twenty thousand dollars given to Jesus BEFORE He died, or one hundred thousand dollars given to Jesus AFTER He died?” Surely now is the time to trade in “what we cannot keep” to gain “what we cannot lose” as Jim Eliot said. When I think of Mary standing there at the foot of the cross, I bet any doubt in her mind, “Was that a waste? Should I have not given SO MUCH to Him? Was that wise thinking?” , vanished COMPLETELY.

When the day comes in which every knee MUST bow, when we no longer have alabaster jars to give Him, I only pray that we would have no regrets. Living a life of no regrets is a prayer we pray not only for these boys, but for ourselves as well. When every valley is raised up & every mountain is made low, when the rich and the poor have equal status in eternity, and when Jesus finishes shaking everything that can be shaken, may we be ones, like Mary, that have “chosen what is better.” Thank you, Jesus, we pray – that our lives won’t be wasted! (Ps. 25:3)

Valerie

Oct 27

2008-10-27T04:40:00.000-07:00

Now I am writing you this blog from the balcony of our home! We finally have a place to lay our heads at night! We are staying in one of the rooms in the home we bought for the street kids. I want you a better idea of our vision for the next couple of months and then beyond for the home and the ministry.
Something God has been showing me is that everything does happen for a reason. And as of right now we still don’t have our missionary permits for Kenya. In the past I have been upset about this because it means that we cannot start doing any thing more with the boys than have them over to the house, we are not legal to let them stay the night. The permit should not take this long to process, so God has been using this time to teach me patience and to show me His plan is actually different and way better than mine.
Instead He wanted us to move into this home to get it ready. So for the last week, Val and I have been living in here and realizing how not ready this place really is! Things here take significantly longer than they do in America, and it took 3 months for the owner to get the water hooked up! And now that the water has been working for the last week, it is giving off an electrical current. So every time Valerie and I use any tap we are being electrocuted, haha yes, it hurts. But a water man came yesterday and reassured me that it is not too high of a voltage so it’s ok. I was comforted of course.
This is one of many many problems we have to work through which take time here. And on top of that we are slowly filling the house with furniture now! The place is starting to look like a beauty, and I am excited about the work we still have to do.
Not only is it good for us to live here to get the physical aspect of the house ready, but the spiritual. This place is not just going to be a rescue place for needy kids, its going to be a place where they receive healing. After the time we have been spending with the boys on the streets, reading books about this and the Bible, praying, and talking to other people who deal with the same situations, we have been realizing more and more the thing they need most is Jesus. So we want this place to be a place where Jesus is. We want to cultivate this home into a house of prayer.
A place where they can come and find the only water that doesn’t dry up. Where they meet this guy who is more fun than glue, who cares more about them then they do, where they can play and laugh like the kids they are, where they can have privacy to pray, where they can read about God, and feel how amazing it is to be in His presence. When they come here we want them to love it more than they love glue, more than they love the false freedom of the streets, and we want them to be made alive again and the only way for them to wake up is if the Holy Spirit does it! We cannot do it and neither can they. So it is vital that they enter into His presence.
We have been reading about this lady Jackie Pullenger, who did the same ministry in Hong Kong with drug addicts, and these boys were being miraculously healed from their lifestyles and addictions when the presence of the Spirit came on them. And since I really love these boys I want them to have the best thing I have and the only real cure for their sickness. They deserve it. [actually none of us do].
Our plan of action is to start a weekly schedule of some days going out to the streets and some days having the boys come into the house. We will have different activities for each day at the house. And the best part is Pastor Salito’s family will also be joining us to live in the house for this vital period. We will become the church! Living together, becoming united in constant prayer, sharing everything, and giving it all away to the needy. Nothing could make me happier! His plans are always so much greater than ours!
This strategy is fantastic. God cares more about our foundations being strong more than we do. This is evident in the way He is timing everything and changing our plans because He has the best ideas planned already. He is really showing us that our plans are just human but His plans are perfect.
The boys are going to become so in love with this place because of the presence a loving Mozambican family brings, and the presence of God, and the fact that two white girls are inviting street boys into their house is such a culture shock here. And when the day comes that we move out and they move in.. whoa, that is just going to make it all the much more worth the wait.
God has shown us that we need to be ready, the house needs to be ready, and the boys need to be ready and that is going to be this next period. Getting this in place, getting things ready, becoming prayer centered, and not just giving away our better things (bikes, basketball, smoothies, movies, books which they will love!) but giving away our best thing, Him.
Our schedule will start this next week, and we are still meeting with our 4 leaders for Bible study on the End Times (their choice). This last meeting was awesome, and after our Bible study we hung out and Val and I made them dinner. It was rice and beans, and for your information Mario said I made the beans poorly… what does he know.
For the next month we will be bringing the boys into the house and then on Dec. 1 we will be taking a group of them to Nairobi. We will be staying there for a week because The Call is coming to Nairobi Dec. 6! For those of you who haven’t heard of the Call http://www.thecall.com, it is a mandate to pray and fast for something, and this Call is focusing on praying and fasting for all of Africa and Kenya in specific! The Call is usually taking place in America, and this is the first official Call in Africa! http://www.thecall.co.ke/We met with the coordinator for this Call and he thinks 50,000 people should be coming from not only Kenya but all over Africa. They are doing a 24/7 prayer room for 2 weeks leading up to Dec. 6, and we are taking our boys for one week. It will be something like IHOP constant prayer room, but African style.
I truly believe this is God’s timing, especially showing our boys other Kenyans and Africans who are passionate about God and praying and fasting to change their country. This is the key to us emptying Maboxini (the dump street the boys live on).. we have to pray that every boy will leave! [Mk 9:29]
And even better, God is raising up a group of rough, tough street disciples to change their own friends and the future of so many who might end up in the streets unless we close down the streets of Maboxini! That’s God’s plan..
November will be cultivating the presence of God in the house and setting the standards and foundation for our house of prayer. December is the Call and then Christmas! Then we are praying God will show what comes after that.. cause we don’t know!
So if you think of us, please pray for us in these 2 months. I believe that first week in December the Lord is going to do some amazing things for Kenya and especially for us and our boys. Pray into this please.
That’s the vision. Other than that, Val and I are having a lot of fun getting back to normal after those 3 weeks of living with our Kenyan Grandma! We are definitely loving getting this house ready for our friends and getting back into a schedule and in rest. Thanks for praying for us, your prayers are what hold us up.
Carly

Oct. 13

2008-10-13T04:16:00.000-07:00

Hey Folks! Quick update: Val and I just returned home from a few days trip to Nairobi. It was a great trip and we were able to get everything done we needed to! We spent time in the Embassy doing so much and actually got to vote! We met great people along the way from all different walks of life. We met Christians from an assortment of ministries and lifestyles. It was awesome to be around Americans again.
The highlight was that we were able to meet with Val’s pastors, who happened to be traveling through and agreed to spend the day with us! This was such an incredible blessing to Val, that words cannot express. God allowed her to come under their covering, and we were able to receive prayer and encouragement from them that we know will greatly affect our time here. God is so good.
And my favorite part about the trip was meeting Abdia. Abdia is the older sister of one of our street boys. I was so moved by our meeting with Abdia, that I wanted to share it with you. She shared with us the background of our street friend and the stark reality of his life. I felt like God wanted me to take parts of our written record of him and let you in on a typical street boy’s life. It is very personal, and he is a very dear friend to my heart, so I changed his name in the story below.
I desire to give you insight into a street boy’s life to shed light into what we are dealing with and how beautiful these people really are, and how important it is that they be helped. So here is a little snip bit into our lives, and more importantly into the reality of life for the street boys.
Thanks for reading and please continue to remember us in your prayers as we go through some huge transitions this week (God willing, moving into the home!)

Rasheed, The Story of a typical street boy:
Rasheed grew up in a small village outside of Nairobi. He lived with his mom and 4 siblings. At the time I think they lived with his father also, but he had 2 wives.

Rasheed was known for being hilarious, and got on well with his older sister Abdia. They grew up in a quaint little village with one Mosque. He went to the local school, made great friends, and was very bright in class. Abdia recalls he was always making everyone laugh and he was always playing around with his friends.

When Rasheed was the age of 11 his mother died of malaria (2001). He and his siblings were very close to their mother, and deeply wounded. Because his father was a polygamist, they moved in with their “step-mother” who was his other wife. For the next few years of their lives, they went under severe abuse. She physically and emotionally abused them, as she had her own children and despised these children. He submitted to the abuse until his junior year of highschool and then decided it was enough. She was constantly abusing all of them, and Rasheed had had enough. He decided it would be better to run away than deal with this pressure at home. He left at the age of 15. And went to the streets of Nairobi. He stayed there for 6months? Then with friends moved on to Mombasa, where he has been for a few years.

Not only did he have to deal with the tragedy of loosing his beloved mother, but he was being beaten daily by a step mother and unprotected by his father. He mustered up his courage to find if there is something better in life than that and left home. He ran away for greener fields, leaving his beloved siblings behind. Soon he realized the greener fields looked a bit differently than he first hoped.

After struggling to survive in Nairobi, he hopped a bus to Mombasa. The friend he came with, somehow abandoned him and left him alone to fend for himself. One of his first friends in Mombasa was Furah. Furah has lived in Mombasa for a long time, and took Rasheed in. Somewhere along the line, Rasheed started sniffing glue. He became quite addicted to glue.

He spends most of his time sniffing glue, laying around all day sleeping. He still loves to play soccer. And the Rasheed pre-streets, still is inside of him, with his lack of desire to steal and really doesn’t beg much. Good Muslim morals still inside. At night he goes with a few friends to park cars.. here he gets enough money for food for dinner and for the next day of chai and glue. He never makes enough money for anything but the daily needs. He never even saves to buy new clothes or do anything besides eat and sniff glue.
He gets high so that he can pass time and forget about his pains. He spends a lot of time sleeping, and dreams about being at home with his family. He calls his brother or sister occasionally to let them know that he is ok. For a long time he did not tell them he was living on the streets. He couldn’t bare the shame of being known to them as a street boy.
Meanwhile, at home, his father finally divorced the step mom because she was beating his children. The children had complained to the point of sending their youngest sister away to live with an auntie so that she would not be put under the same abuse. And after he divorced her, he remarried another woman, the abuse stopped. But the pain of their lost mother, and their years of suffering abuse still lingers inside each of them. Even if they chose not to run, they are deeply wounded and have dealt with their pain in other ways which could be just as harmful as Rasheed’s rebellious way.

In Feb 2007, Rasheed decided that the street life was too horrible to bear. He concluded that it would be better to go home and face his fears than to live one more day as a chokora.

When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!’ Lk 15:17

He missed his brothers and sisters, his friends, having fun, being a kid, he missed the good life of his past. He called his sister and asked his dad if it would be ok if he came home. His dad said come home, son.

He went home and was welcomed by his family. They missed him so much and loved him no matter what, they were thrilled to be with their brother again. And he was so happy to be home. He was fed, he was loved, he was with those who knew him, he was with his friends.

They tried to ask him, Rasheed, where have you been? But he would never tell them, he did not want them to know what had been happening to him while he was in Mombasa. He was not clear if he was on the streets or not, but they could tell in his eyes that they were worn with the colors of street life. They could tell he had been exposed to so much in the streets, but little did they know what had really happened. Rasheed could not tell them and share his shame, for it is far worse than they could imagine, and he has done horrible things and seen things they would not believe. His sister would press him to know about his life the past few years, and he would even get to the point of anger because he could not talk about it with any of them. He was still their brother, but they started to realize, he was very different from the Rasheed they remembered. He didn’t go out and have fun like he used to, he spent most of his time sitting inside. Just sitting. It was like he was hiding from the outside world, embarrassed of the shame when they see him and look at him no longer as their neighborhood friend but as a street boy, a chokora.
Rasheed, himself, also was realizing that he was no longer the same Rasheed that left for the streets years ago. He was different, he didn’t know that until he came home. Being home, he saw how his family had changed, they have spent the last few years together and have lots of inside jokes and are tight. They are with the new step-mom and things seem to be ok. Life had gone on without him. And now, being home he missed the way he used to have fun with his friends and laugh with his siblings. He also had memories of his dead mother, and the pain that still accompanied those thoughts was strong. And the memories of his step-mom beating him. He looked at the living room and envisioned all the nights of torture that ran him out of the village.

This thought made him want to get high on glue. He remembered the last few years he had spent on the streets and his desire to sniff glue was nagging him. He ran away to the streets because of abuse, but now the streets were holding onto him and he was in prison to the life on the streets. This scared him.

He liked to be around his family, but he felt different. He wasn’t who he used to be, and they knew it. He knew they knew about his habits, even if they didn’t know how bad they really were. His stomach knotted with his deep love for them, it was almost like he had died just like his mother, to them. And he felt dead. He came home, he escaped the street life because he realized home was better, but now that he was home, he wasn’t so sure he could stay.

He spent the next couple of months at home, deep in thought. He thought about his mom, the streets, the abuse, his addictions, how different he was. He didn’t go out with his friends as much, and he didn’t laugh as much. The Rasheed they knew was still there on the inside, but just buried by all the pain from the last few years. In the streets he saw evil face to face. The things that happened during the night that he can never tell anyone about.

He had to fend for himself everyday, some days not getting to eat at all. He hit a point where it was an option to pick food out of the dump. He started to get very familiar with this idea, and a lot of his meals came from the garbage piles in town. He got used to sleeping outside on busy roads. He got used to mosquitoes in his ears, where he had to pass out from glue just so he could sleep. He got used to being filthy, and not having anything but the clothes on his back. He had even lowered himself to beg. He got used to being called a chokora. He got used to being looked at as a worthless piece of trash that people were scared to even walk by. He even started to believe it was true.

He had forgotten who he was. He remembered in dreams, but woke up to the reality of being on the streets needing to get money so he could have something to subdue the pain in his stomach. He remembered the good parts. He had made some great friends along the way, and had some great memories with them. Furah was a good friend, Enoch was a great guy. They didn’t really know Rasheed though. They never really talked about much. They spent all their time together, but the truth is, they never shared the pain of their hearts. You keep that kind of stuff to yourself. No one knows who you really are. So as much as he liked them, they really only talked about money, how to get money, what to do with the money, and if they had more money what would they do. It was nice to not have to worry about money now that he was home, but for some reason he still thought about it all the time.

He wouldn’t realize it, he would be in the room with his family but his mind would be off on these things. He spent so much time thinking, he didn’t even go out so much. But this was ok with him because he was so ashamed to be seen by anyone. It was hard for him to show his face to his neighbors. He still saw his friends, but even they were different than him by now. They had been living different lives.

He loved his family and wanted to make it work to be home, but it was hard, something was different, it was him. Nevertheless, he still tried, and spent time trying to get used to the old way of his life.

One day he was out with the neighbors and one was riding his own bike. Rasheed wanted to ride, so he asked but the boy said no. Rasheed tried to get the boy to let him with words, but then something happened. He got so mad that he beat up the boy. Afterwards he went home. He couldn’t believe what had happened. Something came out of him, it was the streets. The street was inside of him, and it just manifested itself, and he beat up his neighbor, which he never would have done before. There was something inside of him that took over, and he was scared even of himself.

Later his dad came home and his neighbor’s dad told his father. Rasheed’s dad said when he got home the next day, he was going to beat Rasheed for what he had done.
These words cut into Rasheed more than he ever would have known. The thought of being beaten again in this house, was all too familiar. The thought of waiting to be beaten was enough to make him sick. His fears arose, the old life of being beaten became so real again. And this new thing inside of him told him to run back. That this is why he left in the first place. On the streets he gets beaten, why should he come home for the same treatment? On the streets, if he wanted something, he could just beat someone and get it, so why couldn’t he do that now? And now he is going to be beaten by his father? The father that didn’t stand up for him all those years, now was going to punish him, as if he hasn’t already been punished enough. The street was thinking for him, so he couldn’t even think clearly anymore.
He told his sister he had to go. She begged him to stay, but he couldn’t bare to be beaten when his father came home. He resigned to believe that home maybe wasn’t for him anymore. He didn’t really belong there, he had no choice anymore, but the streets were all he had. Home wasn’t home, he didn’t fit, he knew it and they knew it too. He tried, but the streets came out of him and he was sure it would happen again. It was better for him to go back. And then his need for glue would be met again, he would be able to go back to his addiction which he was missing anyways. It was the only way.

So after a couple of months at home in 2007, Rasheed made his way back to the streets of Mombasa with a new resolve.. there is no place for him. He has no business to be at home, and he hates living on the streets but he has no where else to go. Deep in his heart he wants to be at home, he still pictures it the way it was when he was young, when his mom was still alive. But now he knows things are different, especially he is different, and there seems to be nothing he can do about that.

What he doesn’t know yet….

He doesn’t know that God has sent us for such a time as this. God has sent us girls here to meet Rasheed at such a time as this. So that he can finally go home.

But while he was still a far way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son and threw his arms around him and kissed him…the father said to his servants ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Lets have a feast. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and now is found. Lk 15

Rasheed has yet to know that his home is not a small village outside of Nairobi. When he finally goes home, he will not have to worry about being different or being beaten anymore. He does not know that he is wanted and worthy to go to his Father’s house.
This is exactly why we were sent. We were sent to bring our Father’s son home. He needs to realize there is a home where he can get full repentance, healing, and unending love. Where he can be the Rasheed that seems lost right now, where he can lay down his worries about money and all the evil that is trapped inside of his heart that he witnessed in the streets. Where he can laugh again and be the funny kid, where he can use his intelligence and be a pilot but even more than that.. a SON.

And God is going to use this prodigal son to save his hurt and wounded brothers and sisters. He is going to use Rasheed to save his entire family and give real life to all of them.

Rasheed has yet to know there he has a Father in Heaven that calls his name, and longs for him to come home. That there is a place for him with a bed, food, love, joy, and great family times. Where he is called to greater things than he can ever imagine. Where life just seems to get better and better and no one knows him as a chokora, but as royalty.. who he REALLY is.

Carly

Oct. 7

2008-10-07T05:16:00.000-07:00

First Bible Study…
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” (Matt 28:19).
In the last few months during our prayer times the Lord has been highlighting to us the phrase “make disciples”! We began praying that the Lord would single out
a small group or street leaders, already desiring to know more about God, that we could pour into in a small Bible study-type setting. Before Rachel’s departure, one Thursday we decided to cook the boys American chocolate-chip pancakes & bring them breakfast. As we prayed, ate, & fellowshipped with many of the boys, eventually they all scattered but five of our closest boys remained behind, wanting to hang out for a few more hours.

“When Jesus knew that his hour had come…having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” (Jn. 13:1) “No longer do I call you servants…but I have called you friends…” (Jn. 15:15) As we joked around with them as we normally do, Carly soon sensed that it was time to take our relationship with these boys, some whom she has known for almost a year, to the next level. “We’ve known each other all for awhile now…and many of you know my favorite songs or color or other things, but you don’t really know me, or many of the things I’ve been through, just as we don’t fully know your stories & the things that have happened to you.”

I listened as Carly explained how we’ve been asking ourselves “What is the best possible thing we can give these boys, who are our friends?” She explained that we talked about food, housing, a good education, and many other things but realized that if we were only to give these things to the boys, we would be cheating them of the greatest thing that we have. "Every teacher of the law…. is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old." (Mt. 22:52) “Because we are friends, I want to share with you about the hardest thing I have ever been through – and what I have found through it.” Suddenly there was a holy stillness in the room as the boys realized that what Carly was going to share was something real, straight from her heart, that she had never shared in a group setting ever before.

In a small hot room in Mombasa, Kenya, I sat still as I listened to my friend recount the story that over two years ago, made my small & tight little Christian university’s community, stare death in the face & caused my friend to experience the pain of losing her best friend and sister for five long weeks. As the emotions and memories were stirred up again within me, I watched as five street boys, no doubt having experienced more than their fair share of pain in their short 17 or 20 years as well, well up in tears or have to leave the room as they heard what happened one day to their friend Whitney, whom they also knew and loved.

Coming to an end, Carly explained, “I share all these things with you because I want you to know that though we may appear so different – I’m from America, you’re from Kenya; you’ve lived on the streets, I have not – we’re still alike in many ways. I’ve made bad choices as well as you - I’ve gone to “bad things” to try to fill the hurts in my soul or experience a “good time”, but in the end I found that none of them really satisfied. In JESUS and His HOLY SPIRIT I have found a friend that will never leave…promises that don’t lie… a joy that knows no bounds.” “I have found a peace that plows on through the storm. I have found a joy that jumps over sadness. I have found a love that lights up every room. I have found [JESUS]…” (Kim Walker song) “I’ve searched & looked, and I can promise you – not the riches of America nor the highs of the world, can satisfy as Jesus does – he’s the BEST FRIEND you’ll ever find, the only one in the world that will never disappoint you. We’re not telling you about Him because we want you to be religious or go to church or be “nice people” – we’re telling you because we’re friends. And we want to share with you the best thing we’ve found – in all of the Earth. If anyone wants to meet Jesus and experience the infilling of His Spirit, we can pray for you right now. God is a giver and He desires to give good gifts – He gave His Son, the One that can free you from addiction, give you joy in all circumstances and purpose in life, & help you refute the lies of the enemy when he tells you that you are worthless, and you can have Him right now. Does anyone want prayer?”

Quietly but quickly the youngest boy, ‘T-Bone’, piped up, “I DO.” After answering more questions about how Jesus can give us the power & purpose to leave addictions like drugs, we prayed for this precious young 16 year-old boy. As we began praying and speaking the TRUTH of God’s word over him, “You are a son of God…accepted in God’s house…His “treasured possession” made in His image…”, we felt the Lord starting to undo years of lies that have been spoken over him. The Word says that death and life are in the power of the tongue & every day, Carly and I are amazed to see at the havoc that has started in many of these boys lives, simply by others speaking words of death to them. Daily we find ourselves just sitting with a few of them saying “You’re special…God made you…God loves you…you are valuable, made in His image” realizing the pain that years of lies spoken over them (they are scum, worthless, or will never amount to anything) has caused. As we see every day what Satan’s lies have caused, we’re reminded ourselves to never pay attention to his taunting, for why should we ever listen to someone of whom it is said “LIES” (not English…not Swahili!) is his native language?!! (Jn. 8:44) Just because Goliath said to David, “you will be dead”, didn’t make it true; so also should we remember in our lives….our ministries…that though Satan may taunt us or discourage us, he has no power but that which we give him. We are “more than conquerors”, whether rich or poor, American or Kenyan, seen as scum in the eyes of the world or as smart & respectable, when we know that we are CREATED BY and LOVED BY a great and amazing God.

Please continue to pray for precious T-Bone, God’s dear son, and these five boys that the Lord has given us to share our lives with and the truths of the gospel as well (1 Thess. 2:8). Pray for us, that the Lord will use us to give them new treasures as well as old, milk & solid food! Pray for the advancement of the gospel (Phil. 1:12) and the start of a “church” that the gates of hell (nor the lies of the evil one) will not prevail against! (Mt. 16:18)

So from this one precious morning turned afternoon, God did something greater than our greatest expectations.. He put together our core group of leaders. In that small, hot room, God bound our hearts together in such a holy unison as a group of friends who are going to meet every week to pray, study the Bible, and see what more God has in store. But we both feel that God is preparing something amazing with these hungry children, that maybe they could be the answer to all the prayers for these street kids, maybe they could be the warriors God has been looking for to fight for these kids in the streets.

Blessings to you all!!!!
Valerie

Oct. 1

2008-10-01T08:58:00.000-07:00

Oct. 1

We’re back! Sorry that we have been so bad at updates! We have resolved to write at least one a week from now on.
So to catch you up, God has been doing a lot in the last month. Valerie arrived and sadly Rachel went home. We were living in an apt. and our rent ended so we were kicked to the curb and started searching for a temporary place to live. We were asking the Lord where to go and felt like we should walk around the neighborhood the house for the boys is in. God sent us on a faith walk to a home to ask if they had any room for us! haha. They couldn’t believe 2 white girls were asking for a room, and sadly there was no room in the inn. But because we took this step of faith, the residents took us around the neighborhood and we met all our to-be neighbors! God actually showed us the perfect apt. to live in but with no vacancy. (Believe me when I say I left out all the adventure of this search. We went 5 days in the same clothes with close to no food, searching for a place to stay because we were pretty much homeless! And we were complaining about it on the 4th day until we saw the street boys in town and decided we should not complain anymore! haha).
So while we are waiting to move into this apt., a nice older woman named Margaret took us into her humble abode! Right now, Valerie and I are staying with a precious African grandma! She is so nice to us and has cooked us dinner at night and treats us like her daughters.
We have come up against much difficulty getting the house ready for the center, but as we have waited God has done so much in our midst. We have been receiving miracle after miracle. And each day gets better and better! God has come to these boys not only to give them education, counseling, and shelter, but to give them HIMSELF. He is showing them that He is a good Father and that He wants them to have more than they could imagine, He wants them to have the fullness of life. We have spent the last month amazed at the miracles He has been doing for them and us. He has been showing us that His plan for these boys is specific and better than anything that we could plan. All we have to do is listen to Him and follow His lead.
We want to start sharing some of these stories, and will be adding them each week we promise! Thank you for your prayers, please keep praying for us and for these precious kids.

The Story of Rachel’s Party and the Stolen Phone...
Before Rachel left Kenya we decided to throw a party for the street boys. We made one of their favorite dishes with a friend. We were worrying about how to get the large pots into town to the party because taxi’s are so expensive and this guy piped up out of no where… “I can transport the food for you without cost.” Whoa, that is definitely uncommon in Kenya and with people under a poverty mindset. We packed the good food in the back of his little truck and squished in the front.
When we arrived to the beach about 50 of our closest street friends were there waiting, how lovely! When the driver, James, who was so kind to help us for free saw that the party was for street people he was, to say the least, a bit surprised. “Blessed are you who are poor for YOURS is the kingdom of God” (Lk 6:20).
The boys started jumping on the vehicle and hanging off of it like monkeys and shaking up this poor man! But he smiled politely and let them hang on the vehicle until we got to the designated area. (Yes, these are the “friends” we are having a party with, we explained!) After we removed the food and said goodbye to James we were getting ready to serve to the hungry boys. James returned with the sad news that his phone had been stolen in the process. We froze in the midst of feeding the hungry but with a serious problem on our hands.
We sat the boys down and told them about the problem. Street boys are not very concerned about these situations and everyone knew the phone was gone forever. So we told them how James did us a favor to bring the food into town and we wanted whoever stole the phone to return it to him. We explained that we would not be angry with whoever stole the phone but that they would still get to eat. In fact, we explained that we would do something special for the boy who turned himself in and returned the phone because it is better to tell the truth and do the right thing. We stressed that we would not be mad but happy if someone was courageous enough to tell the truth.
All of the sudden something beautiful happened - the boys started to get to the bottom of the problem. They were going around trying to figure out who stole the phone and where it went! This was awesome to watch, as they were doing it on their own. They completely forgot about the food! They spent the next hour retracing the stories and coming and going to different places. Val took James, the driver, back to his car to double check and pray that God would provide a miracle and recover the phone. Just as they finished praying, our great & merciful God who promises to be gracious at the first sound of our cry (I. 30:19), answered: a boy came forward.
Omundi admitted to hiding the phone in the bushes and he took a large group to recover the phone. He came up smiling, and said “IT WAS ME!” haha.
They found the phone! James was ecstatic and was in awe that street boys returned a cell phone! It really was a miracle. He later asked us to pray for him again because our God is real and answers our prayers! It’s true, and it’s normal for a child of God to have stuff like this happen.
Afterwards we fed the boys. “Blessed are you who hunger now for you will be SATISFIED” (Lk 6:21). Then we played on the beach. We took the 2 boys who stole the phone and thanked them for telling the truth. We looked them in the eyes and told them that we were so happy they were bold enough to tell the truth and that we didn’t think any differently of them but we were so happy that they would rise to the occasion. We used the moment to tell them that Jesus was a man of stories. One story He told was about two boys. One said that he would obey his father and work in his vineyard, but did not go. The other said he wouldn’t obey but later changed his mind and obeyed. (Mt. 21:28-32) We told them that even though they chose to steal the phone, they changed their minds and made their Heavenly Father proud. It is never too late (until the day He returns!) to do the right thing.
Later that week we took those boys and gave them a special gift (an afternoon go-karting!) to honor them for being honest and doing the right thing. Watching the smile on little Saleem’s face as he rounded the track in his kart was a beautiful sight. When we think of the boys that didn’t steal the phone or do anything wrong that day still sitting in the streets and not getting to take part in the go-karting, we remember the story of the prodigal son. Simply because they changed their minds, these boys were elevated above the rest! A party was thrown for them, and we must remember the Father’s heart: “Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity? So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”! (Mt. 20:15-16). We serve an Abba daddy who is not just, but generous. He is patient with us, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9), and no matter how many unrighteous decisions are made in the past for surely, there is more JOY (the same kind of joy we saw in Saleem’s face) in heaven over just one sinner who repents! Praise God for stolen, but later recovered, cell phones!!! And more than that, praise God for His mercy & kindness that leads us to repentance! (Ro. 2:4) Surely in keeping His ways there is great reward! (Ps. 19:11)
It was amazing to give those boys a special day where we showed them love and let them be kids, doing kid stuff not street stuff. It was precious! Let the little children come to me for theirs is the kingdom! (Lk 18:16).

Carly and Val

2008-08-30T10:35:00.000-07:00

August 30

2008-08-30T04:48:00.000-07:00

Well last week was definitely a harder week than most here, it was filled with so many challenges and hurts and meetings that its hard to even know where to begin so by the end of the week both Me and Carly were so exhausted both physically and emotionally. But although it was such a tough week it’s so good to be able to look back now and see how God has really been faithfully providing for us through it all. How at just the right time he would send a boy to us in the streets to cheer us up or how he would make a bird poo on me twice in 5minutes to release tension before a really hard meeting. (seriously twice in 5mintues, me a girl who walks looking up so I won’t step under a bird, needless to say it definitely made me and Carly laugh so much!!!!)

It has been such an answer to prayer this week that our dear friend Valerie joined us on Thursday night. We feel so so blessed to have her here with us. She is such a prayer warrior which is exactly what we need here and just such a good friend to us both. It’s amazing how God is connecting us all here in Kenya although we are from different countries God brought us all here together.

In the last two/three weeks every time I talk to Jesus an image comes into my head that me and him are sitting on a beach, a beach that looks like paradise to me, white sand, the bluest sea, the bluest sky and a palm tree sitting just behind us on the beach. It has been so comforting to me as life here seems to be so hectic and so far away from that quiet place so I look forward to those times with God. On Monday morning me and Carly were praying together and I just kept praying that he would give us such rest and peace during the day as we were spending it with him fasting and praying. We had rested physically over the weekend but felt that we were both still so overwhelmed with everything that went on last week. We were meeting Pastor Salito and he told us to come to a prayer room that was down the road from his house. We had never been before so Pastor led us through the building and out the back. My heart nearly burst and my eyes definitely filled with tears as he lead us down the steps to the beach, exactly the beach that I have been having visions of me and Jesus sitting on for the last weeks. It even had the same kind of Palm tree. It was such an amazing time to just lie there in the quiet and just be in Gods presence and let him just fill us up completely and to just feel so loved by him. We both definitely left our burdens at the beach and it felt so good to walk away from it feeling so free. Knowing that even though Satan is trying to attack us on every side that we have God on our side and he IS going to help these precious children.

One of the boys Wilson has been weighing heavy on my heart for the last few days. Wilson is such an intelligent, friendly, loving person. From the start when we meet him every time he asks for a book to read. If we bring him a little one he tells us that he will finish that in an hour or two so can we bring him a bigger book. He’s so hungry to learn and to read and to really change but he has an addiction that he struggles so hard to fight. He recently became a Christian but his addiction keeps getting a hold of him. I am so thankful he was able to tell me about it and that he could tell me that he wants to go to rehab. He rings me every day to just say hello and I met with him the other day to just listen to him and talk through what we can do to get him help. I am so glad that Wilson is willing to take this step and pray that I will be able to help him get into rehab.
There is story after story of boys like Wilson that my heart just aches for as I see the hurt in their eyes as they find it to overwhelming to make that first step.
But God has been showing me that I was trying to do it all on my strength, that it felt like such a massive task to help so many people. My heart so many mornings would wake up feeling just so so heavy, my body so weak and my eyes filled with tears wanting to help my friends. But I read a quote that I wrote in my journal:

‘It’s not your responsibility to change someone, it’s Gods. Your responsibility is to communicate love and approval.’

Yes we can give them food, a place to sleep, bring them to school but to change them really change them its not up to me as a weak 23 year old girl from Ireland but my job is to love these friends like they are a prince or a princess. That my job is to ring them back when they ring at night to just say hello or to pray for them when they go missing, to buy them food when they are hungry, to just bring them a little bit of heaven into their hard lives on a day to day basis. I have to remember that God’s heart is to help his children.

This week we are spending time trying to get things ready for the house, getting beds, couches, tables and chairs made. We also need a lot of prayer for Pastor Salito and Sandra as they wait for their work permit. It’s the only thing that’s holding us back at the moment, we can’t register until he has it. We can’t even talk to anyone in the children’s department until we have it.

Thank you for all your love and the interest you are showing in these boys and girls of Mombassa.

Rachel

2008-08-23T23:48:00.000-07:00

Aug 19

2008-08-19T10:36:00.001-07:00

We are now beginning to have one on one meetings with the street boys to determine which we can take first (believe me it is harder than you think). So I met my favorite, George, in the streets and set up a time to meet and he asked for my number just in case he needed to call me. I thought that was funny since he didn’t have a phone.
Later that night, my phone rang and on the other end a street vender told me he bought air time for his friend to talk to me for a minute. Then George says “Hello Caaaly” He called to confirm that we were meeting the next day, just incase I forgot. Then the street vender said “please help my friend George.” See George is one of those smart kids, too smart, the kind of friend that you cant wait to see everyday. He is 13, absolutely hilarious, the dirtiest of the dirty, the rudest of the rude, but there is something pure about him, something so real, it’s like looking into the eyes of Jesus.
Then the next morning at 8am I get another random call from a hair stylist in town who bought credit for his friend George to talk to me. “Good Morning Caaaly” I started to laugh and he said “please don’t laugh, I am serious about going back to school.” And after I hung up, I was honored. I’ll do anything for this friend, and he wants some help so badly, so bad that he is scared he might miss his chance. Well, not if I have anything to do with it.
He was supposed to meet me at 3, and I didn’t find him until 4:30. He was so high from glue, he forgot about the meeting. Sweet George, little kid, confused and alone in this hard world.

If I have unperfect love for my friend, George, and God has perfect love for George, wow, this kid is really lucky.
If we think about it, our world is a mess, rabid with hate, murder, rape, deceit, and even the decent people often only think about their own skin. There is no cure, sometimes it is suffocating. Is there anything that can break through these chains?
Then the other day I was thinking about love. The only thing in our world that is radical and different is love that is perfect. See we cannot have that kind of love.. test your heart.. are you capable of that kind of love? It is impossible for us to give that love, it is unhuman. It is extraordinary and is really the only answer for our problems today.
No one really has great love in them, no one really can give perfect love. That kind of love is unheard of in this world, and sadly, mirrors of it are becoming extinct even in the good people.
Then I was overcome by the fact that perfect love was on me. Woa.
Perfect love looks at me.
Perfect love wants me.
And even more, perfect love is on me to give to the world, the world that has no answers and no solution. I actually carry the solution with me each day. I have the authority to change the world every day. I have the authority with this perfect love, the only truth, the only real answer, I have the authority to change history, to win battles, to conqueror kingdoms, to face evil and this world and defeat it. I carry perfect love, I carry the answer, I have the ability to do anything. And I will. If we only walked in our authority, think about the beautiful Georges who would realize theirs.

Caro (my name here.. I guess Carly is too hard)

2008-08-19T10:36:00.000-07:00

We are now beginning to have one on one meetings with the street boys to determine which we can take first (believe me it is harder than you think). So I saw my favorite, George, in the streets and set up a time to meet and he asked for my number just in case he needed to call me. I thought that was funny since he didn’t have a phone.
Later that night, my phone rang and on the other end a street vender told me he bought air time for his friend to talk to me for a minute. Then George says “Hello Caaaly” He called to confirm that we were meeting the next day, just incase I forgot. Then the street vender said “please help my friend George.” See George is one of those smart kids, too smart, the kind of friend that you cant wait to see everyday. He is 13, absolutely hilarious, the dirtiest of the dirty, the rudest of the rude, but there is something pure about him, something so real, it’s like looking into the eyes of Jesus.
Then the next morning at 8am I get another random call from a hair stylist in town who bought credit for his friend George to talk to me. “Good Morning Caaaly” I started to laugh and he said “please don’t laugh, I am serious about going back to school.” And after I hung up, I was honored. I’ll do anything for this friend, and he wants some help so badly, so bad that he is scared he might miss his chance. Well, not if I have anything to do with it.
He was supposed to meet me at 3, and I didn’t find him until 4:30. He was so high from glue, he forgot about the meeting. Sweet George, little kid, confused and alone in this hard world.

If I have unperfect love for my friend, George, and God has perfect love for George, wow, this kid is really lucky.
If we think about it, our world is a mess, rabid with hate, murder, rape, deceit, and even the decent people often only think about their own skin. There is no cure, sometimes it is suffocating. Is there anything that can break through these chains?
Then the other day I was thinking about love. The only thing in our world that is radical and different is love that is perfect. See we cannot have that kind of love.. test your heart.. are you capable of that kind of love? It is impossible for us to give that love, it is unhuman. It is extraordinary and is really the only answer for our problems today.
No one really has great love in them, no one really can give perfect love. That kind of love is unheard of in this world, and sadly, mirrors of it are becoming extinct even in the good people.
Then I was overcome by the fact that perfect love was on me. Woa.
Perfect love looks at me.
Perfect love wants me.
And even more, perfect love is on me to give to the world, the world that has no answers and no solution. I actually carry the solution with me each day. I have the authority to change the world every day. I have the authority with this perfect love, the only truth, the only real answer, I have the authority to change history, to win battles, to conqueror kingdoms, to face evil and this world and defeat it. I carry perfect love, I carry the answer, I have the ability to do anything. And I will. If we only walked in our authority, think about the beautiful Georges who would realize theirs.

Caro (my name here.. I guess Carly is too hard)

2008-08-11T09:16:00.000-07:00

Dear friends and dear family,

It feels like I have been in Kenya for ages, but 7 weeks and 2 days have come and gone and it is now time for me to fly home to attend Taylor University for my last year. (crazy isn’t it-- my last year in college!!) I leave Mombasa on Tuesday afternoon and arrive in Michigan on Monday night. I am very excited to come home to my parents picking me up, my friends, living in a house off-campus, driving my car, using my cell phone, having meals that don’t take so long to prepare and ranch dressing! Even though I have all these exciting things to look forward to, I have never been more sad to leave a place. This has been by far the best summer I have ever had and I cannot imagine leaving this place and not seeing Smith, Alan, Peter, John, Daniel, Pastor, Shadrach, Mishach, Ali, Eric, Ali, George, Kevin, Nancy, Betty, John, Feurah, Muhamid, Omar and everyone else in Tononoka Hall and Maboxini everyday--these people have taken my heart.

On my last Sunday, Carly and Rachel through me a farewell party at a beach close to Maboxini. This was by far my favorite day that I have spent with all my friends in Mombasa. My friends from both places came to celebrate my time in Kenya and (God willing) my return next year. The day started off with a praise time in Maboxini, during this time boys would get up and say why they appreciated me coming to Mombasa. This was so amazing to hear and brought tears to my eyes to hear what they had to say. Then we walked down to the beach, only to find one of our favorites, but the most stubborn boy standing by the beach waiting for us to arrive. It was such a great surprise to see George at the beach with the best smile on his face. We all played on the beach and it was so fun, making it so hard for me to want to leave these boys. After swimming, playing soccer, and sitting on the beach we had lunch. This time was hard to see because some boys did not get any or not enough, but hearing that they liked the party regardless made everything seem ok again. The day was filled with smiles, laughter, and more of a desire to help these children. It was easily the best party I have ever been thrown.

We are signing for the soon-to-be home for the boys on Monday! What an exciting thing to do right before I leave. It is a bummer that I cannot be here until the boys move in, but I was here until the end of the first stage, finding the house. This is such a big step, but we feel like it is a great building for the boys to be in and it will continue to grow and grow. Please continue to pray for the center as the next big step is going to start happening very soon!

I want to leave you with one of my prayers while I was in Kenya:

Father,

I am so thankful for all that You have done in Mombasa and in me. You work in ways that I don’t even understand, but when I understand it a little bit, I am so excited! You have made this trip and my time worth it. What a blessing it has been to be here and how You have made my heart grow for the boys and girls on the street. My heart breaks for them, I want to do all that is in my power to help them, but I know none of this is through me, Lord. I know You will take care of them and provide for them. Continue to work through me, Carly, Rachel, Salito, Sandra, Joyce, Justice, Ann, and Alphonze. I pray that You use this team to do Your works—You are the potter and we are the clay. I pray that You bless Your street people with so much favor. Continue to show them Your love-as we only have a fraction of Your love for all of them.

Bless them, Bwana.

-Whitney

2008-08-05T07:24:00.000-07:00

2008-08-05T07:19:00.000-07:00

WE HAVE A HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you so much for praying! By God’s grace alone, we found a house that we all can imagine as our first home. The way we found it, the price, the owner, the location were all orchestrated by Jesus. We cannot take any credit for getting this amazing first home; it is only by God that everything worked out this well and this timely.

The house has lots of space and we already picture our friends living in it. Street kids sleeping in their own beds, having a safe place to be loved, good meals, school, a chance.. can you imagine? We want nothing more than to be apart of God showing these beautiful people their FULL potential. Thank you Father for the joy of loving your beloveds!!! Thank You for the deep joy, thank You for loving them more than we can even believe possible, thank You for not forgetting them, thank You for coming at the right time!

All of this is definitely happening at the right time for the street kids. The municipal is constantly capturing more and more kids off the streets and putting them in a correctional facility. They are all very scared and every day they ask us “please bring us to your center!”

So here we go, into the next phase of this process. Hopefully within the next week we will have the house ready for us to fill with furniture and beds.

And we need your prayers more than ever. We need so much wisdom on how to do this next phase. We need prayers for bringing the right amount, for finance, how to best approach the counseling process. Pray especially for the boys.. they need serious transformation to be able to understand the love and acceptance that God has for them. Pray that we are protected and that the Lord will provide and give us greater faith for even greater things!

Thank you so much for standing by us, your prayers along with the prayers from Kenya are making the heavens move.

Carly

2008-07-28T10:42:00.000-07:00

July 27

The last week has been very full.. full of responsibility, appointments, searching for answers, ups and downs, the joy of loving the poor, the exhaustion of the long days, and the refreshment of answered prayer.
Answered prayers this last week:
1.We met this street leader named Mkono. He is a one-of-a-kind, inspirational person you meet and are in awe of his story. He has been on the streets since he was a child. He has been through it all, and I know more than he is willing to even tell us. Sometime during a low point in his young adulthood he decided the street life was not good and started to volunteer and the red cross, met the right people and they helped him finish secondary school and start a 3 year technical school for social work. He has overcome the addictions and entrapment of street life. When we met him at his school it was the day he received his final exam back to let him know if he graduated from the school. He graduated and was on cloud nine. He has stepped into the beginning of his dreams, and he desires to take this knowledge and accomplishment to the streets to properly help his “brothers and sisters” instead of leaving them in his dust.
I couldn’t help keep picturing my favorite street kid, George, graduating from a college and reaching his full potential.. It was so exciting!!
Needless to say, he is so respected and loved on the streets as a role-model and friend. We have met with him a couple times now, and the insight and knowledge he has is vital to accomplish this goal. Can you believe we happen to meet at exactly the right time? Thank you, Jesus.
2. Our great friend, Valerie Long will be joining us in one month! She has been in Mozambique for the past month and will be coming here shortly after Whitney leaves to go back to school in August. It’s so hard to believe Whitney wont be here soon; it has been such a blessing to see the Lord use her with the street community and to inspire me. And as she leaves Rachel and I have been praying that the Lord would provide Val to come along and help carry the load, and be apart of our team, and God answered!
3. Tomorrow we are looking at 3 different houses that are definitely in our price range and could possibly have a home to start with by the end of the week! Please pray so much for this.. we need to have a home to move any farther in this process. We are excited that we are starting to have more options and are hoping one stands out right away.
4. The Lord has been our strength each day. We have been so busy each day with various activities, and we are spending an average of 4 hours a day on the streets. Because of our long hours in the streets we are gaining so much love and trust between our friends and learning so much from them each day. We could never do this without the Lord being our strength and our love for each one.
5. We are surely receiving favor from the Lord. He has definitely hemmed us in from in front and behind and He lays His hand on us. It is so evident that this is His will. It is so evident that He loves these street kids enough to do something crazy like send 2 girls from America, 1 from Ireland, a family from Mozambique, and then have things start fitting in place at the right time. He is so great, and each day is a joy to be doing what He desires and to desire it with all of our hearts. He is doing great things here, please pray that He continues and gives us even more love, faith, joy, open-doors, and favor.
Thanks!
Carly

July 19

2008-07-20T09:28:00.000-07:00

Well another week has come and gone here in Kenya, and I think its safe to say for all three of us that with each passing day we are falling more in love with these precious children. I’ve heard quite a few times this week that Mombassa has 3,000 street children and families. That’s a massive number who each night have no where to sleep and no money for food. But I feel like it’s so easy sometimes to lump these people together in a number, feel sad about it and move on, meaning that each individual gets lost in a number. But as I sit in the streets or as I hold one of the kids’ hands they become so much more than a number to me. They become a friend, they become Collins or Eric or George or John or Peter or Betty or Nancy. They become a friend that I am desperate to help; they become a friend that at the end of the day I have to leave on the side of the street knowing that they’re gonna have to sleep outside tonight. They become friends who are in desperate need of love and in desperate need of someone to sit with them while they try to fight their addictions.

From our meetings this week with people who are also working with street boys I think its been made clear to us that what these kids need is a place to stay, a home, love, so that they can start attending school and get off the streets. This is exactly what we want to provide for these boys. A place that we have started to go to this week, Tonanoka Hall, provides food but not much else for them. So as we sit through hard and long meetings and as we sit with the kids on the street it’s amazing to be part of what God is planning for these kids in Mombassa. And as I spend more time with these new friends I feel like I am becoming more desperate to help them. Sometimes it feels like such a mountain to climb but I feel like God is helping us take it one step at a time.
We are still at a stage where we are trying to find somewhere where we can start this home and trying to find where the best place to do that is. We obviously want what’s best for these kids: somewhere not too close to town and street life and we want to do it according to the regulations set in place. This is a part that we can’t really help with because as soon as they see that we are white they will raise the price. So we have had the joy of spending a lot of time with the boys and also the street Mums this week. Eating with them, talking with them, listening to them, watching films with them and getting to know them more. I feel like this is such an important part of what this ministry is going to be, helping them know we love them and helping them trust us will be a big part of making this home a success.

I feel like God is teaching me so much through these kids, more than I can ever teach them. Even though these kids are so dirty I want to hold there hand, even though they are addicted to glue I want to sit with my arm around them and let them know that I love them. I think it’s such a picture of how God loves us and I can’t love these kids half as much as God loves each one of us.
Rachel

July 12

2008-07-12T01:56:00.000-07:00

Our God comes and He will not be silent! Psalm 50:3
Friends and family–
Time in Kenya seems to fly by. It seems crazy that I will only have 4 more blogs and then will return home to go to school. It seems crazy that we have been in Kenya for 3 weeks. It seems crazy that we have sat through so many meetings. We know it is all pieces of the puzzle that we are trying to put together.
We have spent time with the street boys almost everyday. The boys are getting to know Rachel and I more and are getting to know Carly better than they did before. We all have great stories about the boys and funny things they do during the day. There is this one boy Peter, who is an absolute doll (one of Terra’s favorites from before), he is usually so tough and rough around the edges. He has been saving money that he has been begging off people and he was able to save enough to get a new pair of clothes! The smile on his face was so perfect when he first saw us and tried to show off his clothes. He turned into a little boy all over again. He was so excited to give us hugs and to call us his rifiki (which means friend in Swahili). This helped make our trip seem worth it.
The Lord is teaching us so much about faith. Faith that He can do the impossible. Faith that dies for the sinner, that raises the dead, that parts the water, that forgives the deceiver, that shuts the mouths of lions, that quenches the flames, that administers justice, that walks around the promised land until the walls fall down, that continues through destitution, hunger, and trial, faith that takes our Bridegroom to the cross for the JOY set before Him!
Because of this cloud of witnesses we can be confident in our Perfect Father that He will provide to the poor children here in Mombasa. If He has provided for those before us, we know that this is a joy for Him to help the wander to find shelter, the glue-addicted child to find freedom, the unloved to know true love, and the abandoned to know the Father.
This is where you can help...
We are still in the process of going through meetings and buying a building. We are seeking the Lord on if we should purchase this 3 acre plot with a home already built on it, with a well, electricity, a garden that would create enough revenue to pay most of the monthly expenses, the location is perfect, and there are good schools all within walking distance. To buy costs more money than we have by far. We believe that He will provide, and feel like it is our responsibility to give any of you the opportunity to help out if you have wanted to. Now is a great time to help as we would love to have a building to start up with! Many of you have expressed the desire to help with donations and we have not really had a need until now. We praise God for any help we can get because He is doing the giving through all of us, so we pray that He will give you even more than you give to these kids!
Thank you. Keep us in your prayers.

July 5

2008-07-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

Thanks for all your prayers so far. This week we have been blessed. Rachel arrived on Monday morning and it has been amazing to be all together. We have started the mornings early by eating mangos and bread and taking some African tea and praying. Then our day begins.

This past week has been full of meetings with our team, visiting established orphanages, and hanging out with the street kids. The first day Rachel was here, she fit right in, she got down in the dirt and started arm wrestling the kids, and won of course, that is why we brought her, she is strong. Our team decided to visit orphanages in the area to get an idea of how they run. We learned a lot from the different homes we visited. We also met with a consultant who gave us advice on how to proceed in the process and follow all the laws and regulations in place. Starting an orphanage here has a lot of paper work and bureaucracy to push through. Please pray for us in this part of the process. For this to be long-lasting, we want to make sure we dot every i.

Everyday is full of running around and our favorite part.. seeing the street boys. Last week we filled a mtatu with street boys and mothers and babies and took them to the beach. It was so fun! We played in the water and played soccer on the beach all day, until Sandra, Salito’s wife, brought lunch she prepared. We all sat in the grass and ate rice and chicken. Then we took a bus back to Maboxini, where they sleep on the street, and they sang the whole way back. We were squished in the bus, but it was the best part of the day to watch them sing and fall asleep with the windows open and just relaxed with no worries for the moment.

Yesterday we bought a soccer ball, and were so excited to take it to the streets. We went into Mombasa city, and had a meeting with a previous S.O.S orphanage manager in a restaurant area, and the boys saw us from the street and crowded around the front while the guard tried to push them away. But as soon as the meeting was over we showed them the soccer ball and they couldn’t wait to play! They pulled us to the fields and called all their friends in Maboxini.

There is so much the Lord has been doing and preparing already in these first 2 weeks, and we are more able to see the long road ahead. Please pray for us to stay encouraged and focused on the goal, Jesus.

Carly

June 27

2008-06-27T09:41:00.000-07:00

We are here!!!

After traveling across the ocean, down Europe, into Kenya, and down into Mombasa we are finally here!! 48 hours of traveling made it seem like we would never arrive, but only after a few days I know that it is worth it. Carly and I have been able to meet up with some of her old friends, Joyce, Justice, Sandra, Salito, and most of the street boys! It has been so great for me to see Carly be with them and see how much they love her, but also for me to see how they see Jesus through Carly and all she has done for them. The boys were dirtier than I thought they would be, but their smiles and eyes covered up the flies that were around them. They were so friendly and so accepting, when we saw them I thought they would just be excited to see Carly and I would be in the background, but the boys would hold my hand and want to go on my back (they loved piggy-back rides!).

A cute story is a street boy, John, said his ankle really hurt either because he twisted it, was in a fight or hit by a car (he had a lot of different stories, but we don't know what to believe). Anyway-he kept crying, so I would ask if he is ok, his response was so cute, he would say "My ankle is ok, but my heart..my heart hurts."Carly and I think we can read into that answer, we are here to help his ankle and his heart..

As for the orphanage, a lot of ground work was done before we got here through Carly’s missionary friends and much is being covered right now. We are in the process of finding a building in a good location, with electricity, running water, near a school and church and we are praying hard to help lead us in the right direction. Please continue to pray for us as we try to find the perfect spot and work so close with people that live here. Other than those positive updates, I don’t have an African horror story to tell you, so please pray that it will stay that way….

Whitney

2008-06-09T15:31:00.000-07:00

Friends and family

In less than a week Carly and I are taking off from Detroit, MI and landing in Mombassa, Kenya. For the last 3 months Carly and I have been in different parts of the world and experiencing things we never would thought we would. We have been at home for a month learning Swahili and getting our path ready to go to Kenya for a few months.

Carly, Rachel Morrell (our good friend from Ireland) and I are going to Kenya, where Carly was working 6 months ago, and upon returning we are going to be working with a Mozambican missionary family to establish a home for the street kids.

We are planning to help the same street kids Carly was helping 6 months ago with Terra Bailey, Topher Goodenough, and Jamie Bosnich in Mombasa. During that trip they were able to pave the way for the orphanage, and after they left the missionary family arrived to stay with the kids. The family does not have enough support or money to establish the home, so Rachel, Carly and I are going June 23rd to provide our help.

We are hoping to buy a home, furnish it, and start moving kids in. The missionary family has been working to get all registration finished, and when we arrive we want to make the next step of faith.. getting the home and preparing for the kids and all that includes.

We covet your prayers. This is a huge step of faith for each of us, please support through your prayers. We will be adding weekly updates to a blog along with specific prayer requests. The blog is cerakmorrellupdate@blogspot.com

Please keep us in your prayers.
Thank you!

Carly and Whitney and Rachel

We felt led not to raise support and go by faith.
For the orphanage, we are taking all money that has already been donated to this cause since Carly and Terra returned last December. If you feel led to donate, please send money to Gaylord Evangelical Free Church with Kenya in the Memo.

Gaylord Evangelical Free Church
P.O. Box 493
Gaylord, MI 49734

2008-06-09T15:13:00.000-07:00

We are leaving June 23rd. Please pray for us!