Kenya Koinonia

Away from Nairobi, Part 5

2011-05-09T00:00:00.015+03:00

Wednesday (April 27)

On Wednesday morning, we enjoyed a last cup of tea with Pastor George who, along with his family, had so graciously hosted us for three nights. I had the privilege to lead as we prayed together one last time and I later learned afterward from Pastor Keith when we were in the car that I shouldn't call a Kenyan man by his Christian (American) name in front of his family because it's disrespectful. Whoops! Pole sana (very sorry)! Now I know. Hope I won't forget next time. After dropping Pastor George off with his daughter in town to make a quick shopping run, Pastor Keith and I were on our way back to Nairobi. We stopped at a new church associated with Trinity Baptist Church in a town called Kima, just outside of Nairobi. We returned there just this past Saturday where eight people were baptized as the first step to constituting this new little church (pictures below). It was very encouraging to see elderly adults so eager to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19)! We had to keep the visit brief so that we could get on the road and avoid Nairobi evening rush hour traffic. We didn't escape it altogether, but we were back in Nairobi by around 6pm on Wednesday evening.

I'm so glad that I had the privilege to travel with Pastor Keith on this trip. I was both greatly challenged and encouraged. I was reminded of how much I have that I take for granted. To be honest, the life I live in Nairobi is just as luxurious as the life I was living in the United States, perhaps even more so (e.g. I don't cook for myself, I haven't eaten peanut butter and jelly since I got here and those of you who know me well know that this was my staple, I don't do my own laundry). And yet, I wonder if there are some things that those with less luxuries have that we don't. Greater contentment? In God's providence, during this trip I read a book called Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream. It couldn't have been more timely for me. I dare you to read it. Even if you're not a follower of Jesus. It's a New York Times bestseller so at the very least it will be an interesting read for you. The message of this book is needed just as much here in Kenya (ironically, I was actually given this book by someone here in Nairobi!) as it is in America because the American Dream has been exported to the entire world.

One of the things that sticks out to me most from this trip is that I couldn't help but feel that when these pastors prayed for their food, it felt like so much more than token gratitude, which is what it so often feels like for me when I pray for my food since my whole life I've always eaten my food in a home with a refrigerator and cabinets stocked full of food whereas these brothers and sisters, without any excess of that sort, almost literally receive their daily bread anew from God. When we prayed before going to bed and when we woke up in the morning, it seemed to bring greater meaning to the fact that by day God commands His steadfast love and at night His song is with us (Psalm 42:8) because, without any electricity to power lights, His governing of the position of the sun truly dictates the rhythms of daily life.

We left the civilization of Nairobi for several days while visiting these quiet rural towns. And now we're back to the civilization of Nairobi. But, maybe, as Pastor Keith says, there's a sense in which we left civilization behind on that Wednesday now that we're back in Nairobi.

This is the location where the church in Kima meets. The structure with the steps behind the tent is the baptistery, where the eight members got dunked in the water!

The humble beginnings of this small new church in Kima. The man furthest to the right is their pastor.

Away from Nairobi, Part 4

2011-05-08T00:00:00.007+03:00

Monday-Tuesday (April 25-26)

After getting a good night's rest and enjoying some tea and chapati for breakfast, Pastor Keith, Pastor George, and I were on the road by about 9am because we had a long drive ahead of us to make our last visit of the trip. We drove a couple of hundred kilometers in the northeast direction up the coast to a small town called Idsowe (200km north of Mombasa). As we were nearing our destination, we had to stop for a police road block. The officer let us through after we agreed to take one of his fellow officers to another station that we would have to pass along the way (I'm not sure what would have happened if we said no. I think he would have let us through). The officer got in and sat in the back with me. I'm never really sure if the people I come into contact with speak English or not so I'm usually reluctant in conversation. After Pastor George spoke with him briefly in Swahili, we soon realized that he was fluent in English and so the conversation shifted to English and Pastor Keith took control. It wasn't long before Pastor Keith was preaching the gospel to this police officer in our back seat! After opening the conversation by asking the officer about the widely known corruption among police in Kenya, he soon transitioned to the need for salvation in Christ. But the officer quickly became obviously uncomfortable and shut down the conversation by saying "no comment" when Pastor Keith asked him why he wasn't a Christian. I was challenged and encouraged by Pastor Keith's example of making the most of every opportunity that Jesus gives us to share the gospel, when so often I'm timid and reluctant.

It just so happened that the police station where we dropped of the officer was within a mile of our destination. So after we dropped him off, we arrived at the home of Pastor Titus only moments later, in the late afternoon. Pastor Titus lives with his two young daughters and has been in the same area for around 10 years with the hope of trying to bring the gospel to some unreached peoples in the area. But he has seen almost nothing to show for it up to this point. It looks like a ministry that could feel lonely and discouraging in many ways. We talked on Monday and Tuesday about some of the people in the area and the challenges that Pastor Titus has experienced in trying to bring the gospel to them. We tried to encourage him as best we could. I learned that one of the unreached groups in the area is somewhat hostile to the gospel. Another pastor associated with Trinity Baptist Church had his church burned down by them a while back. It was so tremendously sobering for me to be so close, for the first time in my life, to what I've often heard about only from afar. Living in the United States for my entire life, I don't even have a category for someone who is classified as unreached. But here I was, closer than ever to the "front line" of frontier missions. And for the first time in my life, I could almost feel in my gut the cost of what it will take to complete the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20): pain and loss of all kinds (John 12:24-26). It's men like Pastor Titus that nobody in the world will ever really hear about who I believe will receive the greatest reward in heaven (Mark 10:31). Lord, raise up more!

On an encouraging note, we were able to meet a man in the area who, though formerly a Muslim, is now a follower of Jesus. And we spoke with him about the possibility of him coming to help Pastor Titus bring the gospel to the unreached peoples in the area. It was really encouraging as he seems to be eager so we're praying that it will be a partnership that God is pleased to establish and make tremendously fruitful, while using it to keep both men encouraged. Oh how we all need partners in the gospel! It's not a work that a man ought to do by himself (Luke 10:1), especially among unreached peoples!

After meeting with this potential gospel partner for a second time on Tuesday afternoon, we had to cut our meeting short because we had a hard deadline to be on the road by 4pm since we were traveling back to Boyani, the home of Pastor George. After saying goodbye, we left the home of Pastor Titus, hopefully leaving him more encouraged than when we had arrived the day before. We were on the road for a few hours and arrived back in Boyani after dark (around 9pm), just in time for dinner, tea, and a visit to the "bat-house" before bed time.

Part 5 tomorrow...

Away from Nairobi, Part 3

2011-05-07T00:00:00.003+03:00

Sunday (April 24)

It just so happened that on Saturday there was a wedding going on maybe a mile or two away from where we were staying. Apparently there's no such thing as after hours because the music went on straight through the night and, I kid you not, it was dying out only as we were getting out of bed at like 6 or 7 in the morning. They seem to literally party till they no longer have anymore energy to. So let's just say that in terms of sleep the night wasn't much better than the short Friday night we had in Vote. But it was Easter Sunday so there was only reason to celebrate because the tomb is empty and Jesus is risen!

Pastor George had told me the night before, but in the morning he again reminded me that he wanted me to teach the children's Sunday school, which would be with both children and adults present and, again, through a translator. Pastor Keith would preach the sermon in the main service. So I struggled that morning to think about what to teach because I find it especially challenging to teach young children. I ended up using the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18 to teach the children why Easter Sunday is such an important day in history. Without Easter Sunday, this parable in Luke 18 wouldn't be anything more than just a parable. But because of Easter Sunday, it can be a reality in our lives. We can be made acceptable to God in spite of our sin. Teaching children is hard for me. And teaching them through a translator was even harder. Pastor Keith preached through an interpreter about the reality of bodily resurrection from Luke 24. The size of the congregation in Boyani (around 30 or 40) was a little bit larger than the one in Vote. Perhaps the two churches have the same number of adults, but there seemed to be alot more kids in Boyani. God has really given Pastor Keith an ability to preach to rural Kenyans in a down-to-earth, extremely simple way that engages them (he kept their attention--kids included--for an entire hour!) and applies to their context with great stories and illustrations. I think it would take me longer than the 40+ years he has been here in Kenya to do the same.

Later that afternoon we were spoiled with a feast of nyama (meat) and pilau (rice with spices and seasonings). During and after our lunch, we engaged in a conversation with several of the young adults about dating/courtship and marriage. At first, it was just the young men because the young women were too shy, but the women later joined us as well. One of the big issues here in Kenya (and in this particular church community) is that young people are hindered from getting married because the young man isn't able to pay the dowry that, by cultural standards, is due to the young woman's parents for giving their daughter away in marriage. This delay in marriage makes it hard for couples to remain sexually pure. And the worst part is that often the reason the dowry can't be paid is because the family of the woman wants to get as much money as they possibly can so they set a price that the man can in no way realistically pay even though culturally he's obligated to. We talked about how to best honor Jesus while honoring parents and families in this complicated situation. And I realized how blessed we are in the United States not to have that as a barrier to marriage, though we do have our own set of challenges when it comes to dating and marriage. The young men were eager for me to speak but I honestly didn't know what to tell them because 1) I've had barely any experience with dating and 2) I've never even had to think about a dowry.

Part 4 tomorrow...

Away from Nairobi, Part 2

2011-05-06T00:00:00.003+03:00

Saturday (April 23)

After tea and breakfast on Saturday morning, we departed from Vote. We then drove another couple of hundred kilometers in the southeast direction heading towards the coastal city of Mombasa. We arrived in the town of Boyani, home of Pastor George, just as it was getting dark (around 6 or 7pm). We were greeted by a large group of kids from the church community, who seemed to have been eagerly awaiting our arrival. After a short night and a long day of driving, we decided to go to bed early that night so after dinner we had a short time of prayer and introducing ourselves to the church community in Boyani. I was content to introduce myself in English this time.

Yes, please do laugh at me. And I'll give you one more reason to laugh at me. Many people in Kenya don't enjoy the luxuries of plumbing or electricity (this was true for each of the homes we visited on this trip). So outhouses are the norm. More than that, you have to use a torch (flashlight) for illumination when you visit the outhouse at night. I've experienced this before in Kenya so none of this was a surprise or discomfort to me. But that all changed when Pastor George told me that night that if I use the bathroom at night I might think that there are ghosts in there, but he wanted to assure me that there were no ghosts. When I asked him what he was talking about, he told me that a group of bats had made their home underneath the outhouse and often times they come out of the hole when someone is using the bathroom. He told me that I might be startled but he wanted to assure me that they wouldn't even touch me. Pastor Keith proceeded to tell me that, from his experience, it is indeed quite frightening but you get used to it. They gave me one more piece of advice: to make sure not to shine the torch in the direction of the hole because that would disturb the bats and cause many of them to come out. As I walked toward the outhouse--which has come to be known as the "bat-house"--with torch in hand that night, I realized that I had no clue where in the outhouse the hole in the ground was because I had never used it before. And that meant I would have to point the torch toward the hole. How many bats would come up? I have to admit, the fear began to rise and before I knew it I couldn't bring myself to go into the outhouse that night. I did go into the outhouse the next night (and to my relief there were no bats!), but Pastor Keith seemed to take every opportunity he could over the next couple of days to poke jabs at me for being a coward. And he wouldn't let me get off the hook because even though I did eventually use the outhouse at night I didn't encounter any bats. I have a feeling this might be a memory he never lets me forget.

Part 3 tomorrow...

Away from Nairobi, Part 1

2011-05-05T00:00:00.005+03:00

On the morning of Good Friday (April 22), I embarked on a short safari (journey) that took me away from Nairobi for the first time since arriving here almost exactly two months ago. I returned to Nairobi on the evening of the following Wednesday (April 27), so I was away for less than a week but those few days were full!

Friday (April 22)

We were in the car and on the road by around 7:45am on Friday morning. After wrapping up a week long pastor's conference hosted by Trinity Baptist Church the night before, there were five of us in the car: Pastor Keith Underhill (of Trinity Baptist Church), Gary Brady (our conference speaker), two pastors who had come to attend the conference from outside of Nairobi, and myself. The plan was to drop off our conference speaker at the Nairobi airport to catch his flight back to London and then to drive to the respective home towns of the two other pastors to visit their churches and drop them off as well as to visit one other pastor who is supported by Trinity. Then Pastor Keith and I would return to Nairobi.

After a short stop at the Nairobi airport, the remaining four of us were on our way to the small town of Vote (pronounced "vo-teh"), home of Pastor Benson. It's a couple of hundred kilometers east of Nairobi (I don't believe you can find it on a map). We arrived in Vote at around 1pm, in the heat of the day, just in time to find the church congregation waiting for us to begin the Good Friday service. Just before we got out of the car, Pastor Benson asked if I was going to be the one preaching. Still getting my bearings in a part of Kenya that is far different from Nairobi, I must admit I was relieved when Pastor Keith took the initiative to answer that question in the negative on my behalf.

There were about 20 or 30 people gathered in the remnants of what used to be the church building before half of it got torn down by strong winds. So we sat in a mostly open space covered by metal sheets. We sang a couple of songs and then Pastor Benson had the three of us visitors stand up to introduce ourselves to his congregation. When it was my turn, I attempted to introduce myself in Swahili. But, in the words of Pastor Keith, you know it's bad when your Swahili has to be translated. After I sat down, Pastor Keith also made a comment about how shocked the people appeared to be when they realized that I didn't speak Swahili even though I look just like them. After we sang a few more songs, Pastor Keith then got up to preach through a translator from the account of Jesus' crucifixion in Luke 23. Even though Pastor Keith has told me that he never learned to speak Swahili since coming to Nairobi 40 years ago, I came to realize through this trip that he could probably preach in Swahili if he really wanted to. Or at least come close, using English here and there.

After eating and spending the rest of the afternoon interacting with several different people, it was dark and I thought we were winding up for the day only to hear that it was now time to go to prayer fellowship. Not only that, but it was my turn to preach. Now I was almost wishing I had been the one to preach in the afternoon when the sun was out. The previous day, Pastor Keith had told me to come prepared to preach. But I had no clue what to expect. And now, the message I had preached on Jesus' command not to be anxious just a couple of days before didn't seem like an appropriate message for this people in this context. Not only that, but Pastor Benson wanted me to preach on a very specific topic: repentance and faith in Christ and the importance of salvation. And he wanted me to speak for 45-60 minutes. So for the next 30 minutes I prayed for the Holy Spirit to give me a text to preach on and words to speak for this group of people. Pastor Keith encouraged me by telling me that it would be good for me to gain experience in extemporaneous preaching. I preached on the call of Levi from Luke 5 that night for maybe 40 minutes to 20 or 30 people. It was the first time I had preached in the dark (with a flashlight to read my Bible), without being able to really see who I was preaching to. And it was the first time I preached through a translator. By the time we finished, I think it was around 12am. I'm so glad God's power is made perfect in my weakness.

Part 2 tomorrow...

Religion in the Name of Jesus?

2011-04-17T23:01:00.003+03:00

On my first trip by myself into town here in Nairobi last month, one of the first things I looked for was a Starbuck's or Peet's type of hangout spot where I could work and begin to build relationships with people. I soon realized that this kind of hangout spot didn't exist. Or at least not in the part of town I was in. All the coffee shops I saw looked more like the in-and-out kind of place you sit down to eat/drink and then leave once you're done as opposed to a place you could hangout for an extended period of time, especially not by yourself with a laptop or book.

But I think I might have found my spot yesterday at what's known as the iHub, an open space for the tech community in Nairobi. It's a lounge-type facility with wi-fi access for the purpose of facilitating innovation ("iHub" is short for "Innovation Hub"). They even have a coffee shop inside called Pete's (not Peet's)!

While attending an event at the iHub yesterday, during lunch I had a telling conversation with a young man that exemplifies a confusion that I believe is pervasive in Nairobi, and which is increasingly burdening my heart: this city is filled with religion in the name of Jesus.

Why do I call this a confusion? Because Jesus and religion don't go together. They are mutually exclusive. You can either have Jesus or religion. But not both. Through our conversation, it became clear that this young man had the latter but not the former.

After exchanging our technical backgrounds (since that's what people at the iHub have in common) and telling him that I had left my software engineering job in the U.S. to come and be a church planter in Nairobi, I asked him if he was a believer. He was somewhat confused by my question.

"What do you mean? I believe in God and I serve in my church, but I'm not born again. I just don't feel like I'm ready to be born again."

This is something I've heard multiple times in Kenya but never in the states. Here, there's actually a category for being Christian but not born again even though the Bible makes it clear that to be born again is what it means to be Christian (interestingly enough, I didn't know what it means to be born again until after graduating from college even though I grew up believing I was Christian). Now myself confused, I asked him what he meant by that and what he was waiting for before he would be ready to be born again.

"I want my life to be consistent with what I say I am. I don't want to be a hypocrite."

"Is there something specific that is holding you back?"

"Well, even though I don't get drunk, I drink."

At this moment, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. What he had just said was shocking to me. But even more shocking was the fact that he had just become the umteenth person I've talked to in Nairobi who for one reason or another thinks that you can't possibly drink alcohol and be a true Christian. Supposedly, anyone who claims to be born again and drinks alcohol is a hypocrite.

One problem (there are many) with this mentality is that even though the Bible forbids drunkenness, nowhere does it forbid drinking alcohol itself. Even though someone might make a decision from personal conviction not to drink alcohol (which is fine and in many situations wise!), to pass judgment on another person because he or she doesn't share that same personal conviction is to "teach as doctrines the commandments of men," which Jesus condemned the most religious people of His day for doing and in the process called them hypocrites (Mark 7:5-7).

And it was these same religious people in Jesus' day who saw Him eating and drinking with non-religious people and accused Him (of all people!) of being a "glutton and a drunkard" (Luke 7:34).

I proceeded to tell the young man that I'm born again and yet I sometimes drink alcohol. And the reason I have no problem doing so is because being a Christian has nothing to do with whether or not I drink alcohol. It's not about a list of things that I'm supposed to do or not do because I'll inevitably fail (I've tried) and will always in some sense be a hypocrite. I went on to preach the gospel to him, to share with him that I can't make myself acceptable to God by anything that I do or don't do. But rather the good news is that I'm made acceptable to God through the perfect life of obedience that Jesus lived--which I could never live--and through the substitutionary death that He died in my place for all my sins, including my hypocrisy. I told him that I need to stop trying to make myself acceptable to God because I can't improve on what Jesus did. And I'm convinced that one of the reasons many people in this city don't want anything to do with Jesus or a church is because what they see the churches offering is really religion (a list of do's and don'ts) that only constrains them. So they run as far as they can in the opposite direction. And I don't blame them for one moment. Religion constrains. The gospel of Jesus sets you free.

As I spoke with him, the young man listened intently. And he told me that he could see how religion caused him to trust in himself rather than in Jesus. He then asked me what it means to be born again.

I explained to him that it's when God gives us a new heart to love Him and desire Him because by nature we all rebel against Him from birth by ignoring or minimizing Him. And just like we didn't make our natural birth happen, we can't make this spiritual birth happen. But Jesus commands us to repent of our sin and put or faith in Him and that's what we're responsible for doing.

He then asked me what it means to repent and put his faith in Jesus.

I told him that it's like making a U-turn when driving. To make a U-turn requires two things: you (1) stop going in one direction in order to (2) go in the opposite direction. It's to turn from all the things that you've spent your life pursuing and trusting in (e.g. money, success, material possessions, ambition) and now spend your life pursuing and trusting in Jesus. You can't put your faith in Jesus without repenting and you can't repent without putting your faith in Jesus.

He then asked me what that looks like practically.

I told him that trusting Jesus doesn't mean he has to become a pastor, church planter, or missionary. But what it means is that he uses the gifts and abilities God has given Him in a way that seeks to bring honor to God and point people to God rather than to bring honor to himself and draw attention to himself. Even though he will continue to work and live in this world, this world is not his home and so he's no longer living to attain heaven here on earth because the best is yet to come.

In hindsight, I wish I had told him to come to our core group meeting on Thursday nights because answering this question is what we are seeking to do from week to week.

He asked me some other questions like what the purpose of life is. But, before I knew it, our conversation was interrupted by someone on a microphone who was announcing the end of the lunch break and the continuation of the tech event that was going on. So the young man excused himself from our conversation in order to go back to the event. Because our conversation ended so abruptly, I wasn't able to get his contact information and had purposed to find him after the session was over to exchange contacts with him and invite him to our core group meeting. But once the event ended, he was nowhere to be found.

I pray that he would experience the power and freedom of the gospel of Jesus causing him to be born again and set free from the bondage of religion. And I pray that, on a larger scale, the powerful gospel of Jesus would triumph over the subtle and deceptive spirit of religion that pervades this city.

Praise updates and prayer requests in the left sidebar.

A Flurry of Firsts

2011-03-27T21:29:00.009+03:00

Wow. I can't believe I last posted two weeks ago. I wrote that post on the eve before attending Trinity Baptist Church, the church were I'm serving as an intern, for the first time since I arrived in Nairobi at the beginning of March. As I write this post, I've just spent my third Sunday at Trinity.

Sundays at Trinity are different from any other church I've attended. For one, it's an all day affair! We begin around 9:30AM with Sunday school classes, one for adults and the other for youth. I taught the latter for the first time this morning. Then the church service begins at 11am, which consists of acapella hymn singing (which I'm still getting used to! I must say, sometimes it's really hard for me to remain focused in singing without any accompanying instruments, especially when I don't know the songs!), Scripture reading, preaching, and prayer. Lots of prayer. Honestly, that was probably what stuck out to me most the first Sunday at Trinity. We pray ALOT during the church service! At multiple points during the service. It's actually somewhat refreshing. One thing I've noticed is that not only is there alot more prayer in the service than I'm used to but it's not uncommon for a public prayer by one person to go on for several minutes (10 or even more). In my experience, that just doesn't happen back in the states. I wonder why.

In addition to the morning service, there's an evening service that begins at 4PM. The attendance for the evening service is less than half the attendance of the morning service. And many of those who attend the evening service end up staying on the church campus hanging out and chatting between the two services (I've been among that number). For those who stay between the two services, a simple lunch of rice and beans--graciously prepared by some of the church members--is provided. So by the time the evening service is over, it's been a rich and full day, and my introvert fatigue has set in.

I also just finished a week of pastoral training from Wednesday the 16th to Wednesday the 23rd. What a nourishing and encouraging week of soaking in the history and theology of the Old Testament where we encounter the God who not only graciously created the world but then graciously begins His relentless pursuit of a humanity that rebels against Him! I was so humbled to be in this class with a group of pastors from various parts of Kenya, all for whom English is a second or third language and many of whom have little or no more than a primary school education. Oh how hard they work in order to be better equipped to serve their people! It was moving for me to think about the fact that in doing the same coursework, I don't have to work nearly as hard as them. I'm so thankful for these brothers and for Pastor Keith here at Trinity who pours so much into training these men and is so patient with them.

Because the pastoral training was held at the Trinity campus, I was forced to make the journey to the church campus on my own via public transportation every morning. The means of public transportation in Nairobi is called a "matatu" (watch the short video below to get a better idea of the matatu experience). It's basically a minibus that carries up to 14 passengers but it's not uncommon to see more than 14 people crammed in. This was my first time taking a matatu on my own. What an adventure that was for my first few days of doing so!

On the first day, I had no problem taking a matatu into the city center. Each matatu has a number that identifies its route (or I should say most of them do). So I figured that when I was ready to come back home I would just find the matatu with the same number going in the opposite direction. If only it were that easy. Unfortunately, different matatus pick up in different locations and after trying for two hours to figure out where to pick up the matatu with the particular number I wanted, I gave up once it got dark. Praise Jesus I had just enough money in my pocket to catch a taxi back home because my cell phone wasn't working and I don't know how I would have gotten home that night otherwise!

Then on one of the other days I somehow managed to catch a matatu that took me in a direction that I didn't want to go. I should have thought to listen to the man yelling the destination as I boarded the matatu. Oh, wait a minute...that's right... he was speaking completely in Swahili that I couldn't understand. Praise Jesus for smart phones and praise Jesus for Google Latitude, because shortly after I realized I was going somewhere I didn't want to go, Chris K. called me up to tell me that by tracking me on Latitude he could see that I was lost. And he was then able to easily tell me how to get home from where I was.

But the most eventful matatu experience of my first week of venturing out on my own was when, after waiting for over an hour for a matatu to fill up to capacity with people (it won't depart for the destination until it's full and this could take any amount of time), the most shocking thing happened. We were riding along when all of a sudden we began to hear this loud grinding sound underneath our matatu, as though we were dragging something along with us on the ground. Shocked, I asked my friend Huston (who happened to be with me on this particular ride) what it was. He casually responded by saying that it was probably a tire puncture. But I've had a flat tire before. This didn't sound anything like that. After about ten seconds of dragging, the matatu stopped and everyone was forced to get off, which was met with many groans (having to get off your matatu before reaching your destination is a bitter inconvenience here).

"Welcome to Kenya," Huston said to me under a sigh as he got off the matatu without even bothering to look back and see what was wrong with the matatu.

As all the passengers from that matatu were quickly transferred to another one in order to continue us on our route, I struggled to look back to see what was wrong with our broken matatu. One of the rear tires was slanted into the vehicle at a 45 degree angle, a large hunk of metal (which was most likely a broken axle) was on the ground underneath the vehicle, and some fluid (gasoline?) was leaking.

Scary. Welcome to Kenya, huh?

Praise updates and prayer requests in the left sidebar.

10 Days Already!?!?

2011-03-12T14:24:00.000+03:00

Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first."
Mark 10:29-31

As I got ready to board my plane at the San Francisco airport on February 28, it meant so much to me to have my mom, stepdad, uncle and a small subset of my spiritual family there to see me off. It was sad for me to leave them.

But what a joy it was when I got to the airport in Nairobi on March 2 to have a small subset of my new spiritual family there to receive me.

I arrived in Nairobi on a Wednesday afternoon and was scheduled to speak on Friday morning at the chapel service for a Christian school here in Nairobi. What was the topic that I had been assigned? Deny yourself.

As I've thought about Mark 10:17-31, the verses I taught from, in the days leading up to and after the chapel service, it's been sobering and sweet.

Sobering because even though I've been following Jesus for roughly 8 years now, I feel that moving to Kenya is the closest I've ever come to really denying myself, denying myself not just the comforts of privilege but more so the comforts of familiarity, having lived in America my entire life. The natural impulse of a fish out of water is to want to jump back into the water. And part of denying myself means denying that impulse, which I've felt to some extent from pretty much the moment I got here. Perhaps this is close to what some of Jesus' first disciples felt after leaving their lives as fishermen, the only life they had ever known, in order to follow Jesus (Mark 1:16-20).

So it's been sobering. But it's also been sweet because of the fresh experience of Jesus fulfilling His promises in my life. I left family behind in coming to Nairobi only to have family here to receive me when I arrived. Experiencing the love of Jesus for me through the love of the family that He has provided for me here in Nairobi has been precious beyond words.

Yes, it is possible for me to feel really disoriented (which is getting better!) and at the same time say that I'm really glad to be here.

I can't believe it's already been 10 days since I got to Nairobi! I suppose that's a good thing (especially when you combine jet lag with having a cold. That's probably the reason why the jet lag has lasted a little longer than I expected)! In addition to the chapel service I spoke at last week, this past Thursday night I led the first meeting for a small group that is studying the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith. Then on Friday night I led a Bible study through the New Testament letter to the Romans. I'll be leading both of these groups on a weekly basis, the former of which is the budding core group for a potential new church plant that we're praying towards.

Tomorrow (Sunday) I'll attend Trinity Baptist Church, the church I'm serving with as an intern, for the first time since arriving in Nairobi. And this upcoming week looks like it will probably be a full week with me potentially speaking at chapel service again on Monday followed by pastoral training that begins on Wednesday.

After 10 days, you might be curious to hear what some of the things are that stick out to me most about living in Nairobi. Well, here are just a few...

It's really warm here. I haven't worn anything more than a t-shirt at any point here yet (I guess there's the exception of the short sleeve button up at church last week), morning and night included. This is a big deal to me because I'm used to sleeping with a hoody and sweats!

Traffic can be somewhat insane at just about any time of day (and some cars will drive on the sidewalk to bypass it!). And can you imagine pedestrians jaywalking on a highway!? Well, I don't have to imagine it.

I don't think many of the cars on the roads would pass a smog check. It's going to take a while for me to get used to breathing this air.

Fruit is much tastier (mango in particular!). Juice is much better (no high fructose corn syrup!).

There are far too many mosquitoes here. They've really done a number on me! I'll leave you with a picture of my bed (though judging by the number of mosquito bites I have, I'm not sure if it's helping!)...

Praise updates and prayer requests in the left sidebar.

3 Weeks Away

2011-02-08T10:58:00.001+03:00

I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
Psalm 116:1-2

I've been meditating on these two verses over the past week or so. The reason I can't get over them is because they remind me of another verse that captured me when I read it a couple of months ago:

O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I direct my prayer to you and watch.
Psalm 5:3

The LORD hears my voice. This is amazing. The Creator and Sustainer of the universe and everything in it hears my voice when I speak to Him. He hears my voice and He actually responds. That blows my mind.

Almost a month ago, I began to fundraise in an effort to raise $12,000 for my upcoming year in Nairobi. My prayer was that God would provide my budget so that I could leave by the end of February.

And He heard my voice.

After a few short weeks filled with surprises, the LORD has provided 100% of my budget through the generosity and partnership of friends and family, most of which are anonymous to me. For all of you who gave in any amount, thank you. For all of you who wanted to give but were unable to, thank you.

For all of you who prayed, thank you. He didn't just hear my voice. He heard your voice.

Having reached my fundraising goal, my plane ticket is booked. Lord willing, I'll fly out of San Francisco on Monday, February 28 (just 3 weeks away!). My last day of work at Adobe is Friday, February 18. If you're in the Bay Area (and especially if I haven't seen you in a while), I'd love to see you before I leave the country! Please drop me a line and we'll figure something out.

Truly, truly, I [Jesus] say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you.
John 16:23

Because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ on my behalf, the Creator of the heavens and earth and all that is in them hears my voice when I speak to Him. And He responds to me as my loving Father. That's the gospel. There's no better news than that.

That's why I love the LORD and will continue to call on Him in as long as I live. I'm going to need alot of mercy and grace in the coming weeks and months as I transition to Nairobi.

I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
Psalm 116:1-2

For Such a Time as This

2011-01-11T09:10:00.001+03:00

A couple thousand years ago, there lived a Jewish woman named Esther who found herself—by chance some would say—in a position of privilege that she could use to bring relief and deliverance to an entire nation. But to do so would involve radical risk, risk that could cost her life. Faced with the fork-in-the-road decision of a lifetime, Esther chose to risk because she recognized that she had been brought to the place she was in "for such a time as this."

The details of that story can be found in the Bible, in the book of Esther. Unlike any other book of the Bible, the book of Esther is unique in that God is never mentioned throughout the entire book. And yet the very reason I love the book of Esther is because as you read it you see how God is working—behind the scenes so to speak—for the good of His people every step of the way from the beginning to the end of the book. It’s undeniable that Esther chose to walk the path she did because she believed by faith that God—not chance—had brought her to her position of privilege "for such a time as this."

Two and a half years ago, I found myself (kind of like Esther) standing at the fork-in-the-road decision of a lifetime when I felt a strong sense that God was calling me to leave my position of privilege as a software engineer living in the U.S. and move to Nairobi, Kenya in order to labor there for the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And now, after two and a half years of praying and planning (and at times resisting), God has prepared the way for me to move to Nairobi "for such a time as this."

The leaders of West Hills Community Church (where I’m a member) here in the Bay Area have approved for me to become an intern at Trinity Baptist Church in Nairobi, Kenya, where I will serve for at least one year:

learning Swahili, the national language of Kenya (through mostly personal study)
exploring and familiarizing myself with Nairobi and its culture
applying for and hopefully beginning a Master’s of Divinity program in Nairobi
periodically visiting rural towns to understand the origins of migrants to Nairobi
serving as a member of Trinity Baptist Church
meeting with a core group that has already been praying and planning about starting a new church plant to continue to clarify and pursue our vision
figuring out what it will look like for me to stay in Nairobi long-term and support myself financially (so that I would not be dependent on stateside support)
if the need arises, pursuing and engaging in part-time employment
other responsibilities to be worked out with the leadership of Trinity Baptist Church upon my arrival

My internship commitment will be for only one year, subject to evaluation at the end of the year. But the goal of this project is to assess the possibility of planting a church in Nairobi as a long-term partnership between Trinity Baptist Church and West Hills.

Since I will be an unpaid intern, I will need to raise the budget needed to cover my living, ministry, traveling, and training expenses for the year. After crunching through the numbers, the fundraising goal I’m shooting for is $12,000 for the year. And one of my main reasons for writing this letter is to invite you to consider partnering with me through your financial support "for such a time as this."

When standing at her fork in the road, Esther knew that even though God had brought her to that place "for such a time as this," it would also require other people to stand with her "for such a time as this." So she invited them to pray and fast on her behalf.

Like Esther, I would like to invite you to pray and give on my behalf (and fast if you feel inclined). Any amount you can give will be received with joy and gratitude. And without your prayers, all the money in the world will accomplish nothing of eternal value.

I’m shooting for a departure date at the end of February, provided I meet my fundraising goal. I won’t leave until I’m able to raise my budget for the year. And anything that I raise over my goal will go towards our church plant expenses.

Your financial gift is tax-deductible. Please make your checks out to West Hills Community Church and specify Nairobi Project in the memo line. It’s important that you don’t make checks out to me or write my name anywhere on the check. You can send them to:

West Hills Community Church
P.O. Box 670
Morgan Hill, CA 95038

If you wish to give using a credit card, you can do so online. Simply follow these instructions:

After clicking link, choose any campus: Morgan Hill, Downtown, or Evergreen
Specify the amount you wish to give and choose "Nairobi Project" from the drop down list next to the amount
Fill out the rest of the form and submit

If you are a member of West Hills: West Hills will be supporting me financially as an entire church. So please don’t feel the need to give. But if the Lord so moves you to give financially to support me over and above what you already give to the church, you are more than welcome to.

If you are a member of another church: Because I love the local church and my desire is to be a church planter, I have one request. Please only give to me if the Lord would have you give over and above what you are already giving to your local church. Please don’t give to me instead of your local church or give to your church less as a result of giving to me.

If you are not a follower of Jesus: I’m especially grateful that you've even taken the time to read this far. A Christian named Augustine once said this in a prayer: "O Lord, you have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they rest in you." The very reason I’m moving to Nairobi is to help as many people as possible come to understand this and find their rest in Jesus. I do hope you’ll consider giving to this cause. But, more importantly, I hope that through reading this far you are somehow better able to hear the One who made you as He calls to you and invites your restless heart to find its rest in Him.

Thank you all for your time and for any way you are able and willing to partner with me "for such a time as this."

Freedom in Christ

2010-07-18T21:50:00.000+03:00

The fifth chapter of Paul's letter to the Galatians begins with the following statement:

For freedom Christ has set us free;

Our friends at West Hills Downtown are in the midst of a 14-part series on this freedom that is ours in Christ. The following are the messages that Chris G has had the opportunity to preach as part of the series:

Freedom & Unity in the Gospel - 5/9/10 - Part 4 of 14 from West Hills Downtown.

Freedom - Justification - 5/16/10 - Part 5 of 14 from West Hills Downtown.

Freedom - Salvation - 6/13/2010 - Part 9 of 14 from West Hills Downtown.

Freedom - To Love - 6/20/2010 - Part 10 of 14 from West Hills Downtown.

Feast at T4G and DG resources for Kenya

2010-04-21T21:37:00.000+03:00

Wavinya and I got back to Nairobi after spending last week in the US, primarily to attend T4G 2010. We had a great time of fellowship with Chris G, who graciously blogged his notes at his blog, including links to all 9 general sessions and 1 breakout session.

For me, the highlight was John Piper’s message. But Mark Dever, Matt Chandler, CJ Mahaney and others were also great. If you only have time for one session listen to Piper, but they are all worth listening to. And a word to the wise: if you wind up disagreeing in part, do not disregard the whole. Let’s be teachable.

Books!

Once again, we were loaded up with lots of free books (20 each to be specific), not to mention additional ones that we purchased from the conference bookstore!

However, the highlight of the trip came after the conference, as we were privileged to courier over 250 books from Desiring God back to Kenya. I had responded to this tweet the week before our trip and it turned out that the partner in Kenya that DG needed 60 books delivered to was none other than my wife's alma mater! I delivered the books to them today and they were so thrilled. Meanwhile, DG graciously loaded us up with books for the various other ministries that we are linked to here in Kenya. Please pray that these materials would be effectively used to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of many people in Kenya through Jesus Christ.

Preoccupied with God's Presence

2010-04-11T21:15:00.000+03:00

We are in a fight for our lives. We are at war. How are we to sustain ourselves through both the ups and the downs in life? We either flee God because we are preoccupied with our sin, or we flee sin because we are preoccupied with God's presence. Hear this recent exhortation from Chris G:

Joseph's Rise, Recognition, and Resolution - 4/11/2010
from West Hills Downtown.

Off to T4G 2010

2010-04-06T19:01:00.000+03:00

Lord-willing, tomorrow night my wife and I will board a flight to the US where we will be meeting up with Chris G. for the T4G 2010 conference. The name of this conference has a several-fold meaning; it originated from 4 pastors coming together for the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are also excited about their 4 friends joining them (Piper, Anyabwile, MacArthur, Sproul), and for the thousands of other brothers and sisters in Christ.

In particular however, the three of us are thrilled that in God's providence, He is allowing us to attend this conference together for the gospel. Here is how you can pray for our time together.

Identity Check with Chris Gatihi

2010-03-27T10:39:00.000+03:00

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."
I Peter 2:9-10

Identity Check with Chris Gatihi from West Hills Downtown.

West Hills Downtown

2010-03-24T10:00:00.000+03:00

One of the reasons it has been so easy for my wife and I to cast our lot in with Chris G, so to speak, is because of the testimony of his life and his preaching and teaching ministry, that consistently points to the all-surpassing treasure that is Jesus Christ - for all people and in all areas of life. We desire to see as many people in Kenya as the Lord would lead, be transformed through the Spirit's blessing of the gospel ministry by this dear brother. We are persuaded that it will influence many self-professing Christians to either a) desire to become more like Jesus Christ each day, or b) realize that they have never really come to know the Jesus of the Bible. For the latter group, we pray that they would then be awakened to the knowledge of Christ and His good news (gospel) for their lives.

In my last post, I linked to the page on the West Hills website explaining its new multi-site approach and if you've read it, you will have noticed the mention of a new West Hills campus in downtown San Jose known as West Hills Downtown, with a third site planned for later this year. As we walk along this journey by faith - to see a local church planted in Nairobi - God has been so kind to us in leading us through one development after another, each exceeding our hopes and expectations. We understand that we do not know what each step or each day will bring, and so we pray and take each step as it comes. The latest step came a little over a week ago when Pastor Mike Burchfield (senior pastor and elder at West Hills) approached Chris G and challenged him to go up to West Hills Downtown and help its lead pastor "get the church plant off the ground" by helping to preach, strategize, bring order and disciple the small but growing group of people there.

When Chris shared this with my wife and I and invited us to pray with him about it, we told him that it is abundantly clear to us that God is presenting him with a wonderful opportunity to serve the body of Christ in the context of a West Hills church plant in California, as further preparation before he comes out to Kenya. This past Sunday, Chris G had the opportunity to preach at this church plant for the first time (announced here: Identity Check this Sunday with Chris Gatihi with recording to follow). He was greatly encouraged by the time spent with Pastor Brad Keller and the people there, some of whom welcomed him warmly as "the black John Piper." :) We are very excited, both for Chris - who gets to exercise his gifting in a greater way - and for the people at West Hills Downtown that get to hear him preach and walk alongside him.

A couple of weeks ago, I posted an update on our prayer requests which included praying for Chris' move to Kenya in September, and so you may be wondering what implications this development has on that timeline. As of now, Chris is prepared to labor alongside Brad for the remainder of this year, and will begin to do so right away. Meanwhile, on this end my wife and I will proceed with starting the midweek prayer meeting and bible study under Trinity Baptist Church as planned. Please continue to pray for the gathering of a core group here in Nairobi, and for this season of preparation for all of us as we partner with these local churches for the cause of Jesus Christ.

Going Multi-Site: From WHCC to WHCoC

2010-03-17T14:21:00.000+03:00

The right-hand navigation bar of this blog has a reference to our "Antioch" - West Hills Community Church - which is the local church where Chris G and I joyfully found a home in early 2007 at the end of our separate-yet-parallel church searches. My wife and I were thrilled to be able to attend the first Sunday service of 2010 there, during which Pastor Mike spoke on the church's direction (audio link here). The outline he gave that morning - gospel equipping, expression and expansion - expanded in subsequent weeks into a mini-series and has recently been accompanied by a re-designed church website that more clearly articulates the growing vision at West Hills.

Other than the web 2.0 look and feel, the most noticeable difference between the old and new websites is the name change atop the site - from West Hills Community Church to West Hills Community. Now before you stumble over the dropped 'C' (especially if you are from an IFBx background like I once was), West Hills is neither going emergent nor distancing itself from its identity as a church. Rather, the WHC abbreviation underscores the two primary areas that West Hills has added to its focus i.e. community groups and a multi-site approach. To quote directly from the site:

The West Hills Community isn’t something people attend. It’s a community to be a part of, gathered around Jesus Christ and partnering with Him in His mission of redemption and transformation ... The West Hills Community is one church with multiple campuses; so we refer to ourselves as the West Hills Community of churches.

You can undoubtedly see how each of these two developments is of particular interest to us with respect to seeing a local church planted in Kenya. The home bible study that we are beginning in Nairobi in April is intended as an expression of this emphasis on community groups, while the multi-site expansion model provides one possible framework for this church plant in Kenya to remain in fellowship with the West Hills Community. The providence of God in the timing of these developments does not escape us, and we rejoice in awe of what He is doing in California, even as we trust Him here in Kenya.

March'ing On

2010-03-10T20:43:00.000+03:00

Marching on, marching on,
For Christ count everything but loss!
And to crown Him King, we'll toil and sing,
'Neath the banner of the cross!

So go the words of the old hymn. As the month of March is upon us, it is by our Saviour's grace that we are marching on towards the work He has called us to do. Over the three months that have gone by since the last update, Chris Gatihi returned to California where he, my wife and I were able to worship the Lord together at our Antioch (i.e. West Hills) on the first Sunday of 2010. My wife and I have since returned to Kenya after our month-long honeymoon, where we have visited with, and continued the conversation with Pastor Keith Underhill and Trinity Baptist Church about partnering together for the gospel of Jesus Christ in Nairobi.

Our time at Trinity has been sweet, and we've appreciated Pastor Keith's openness, ministry of the word, and friendship. As we've continued in prayer and seeking the Lord's direction, TBC remains the most doctrinally like-minded local church in Nairobi, both to West Hills and to the church plant that we are being called to. We are in conversation with the leadership at both West Hills and Trinity about a 3-way partnership that would see Chris G sent out to Nairobi as a church planter from WHC, with TBC as a local supporting church that we would make ourselves accountable to, both to mitigate the distance between Kenya and California, as well as to provide local oversight and counsel.

In the meantime, Lord-willing, my wife and I will be uniting with the body of Christ at Trinity within the upcoming month and beginning a bible study in our home on April 20th that will mirror one of the Sunday adult bible classes at TBC - currently teaching through the doctrines in the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith.

Here therefore is an update on the 5 prayer requests that we shared before:

Please continue to pray for Chris G, that he would remain focused and unhindered as he continues pursuing this call on his life. As I recently told him, this request will always remain on the prayer list! Right now, the plan is for him to move to Kenya in September of this year. Please pray that the Lord would make it so.
We were able to get Chris G a couple of Swahili bibles during his December visit to supplement his Rosetta Stone lessons. Please continue to pray for him as he learns the language, that it would be as easy as, nay easier than, learning a new computer programming language. :)
Thanksgiving: Please join us in thanking the Lord for a very fruitful visit to Kenya last December, and for all the helpful meetings Chris G was able to have with various pastors and others.
While we remain alert to any job opportunities that may arise, the plan is for Chris G to move to Kenya in September and be in a better position to pursue any leads in person.
The beginning of the Bible study at our home next month will increase our focus on identifying a core of people who will, Lord-willing, partner with us and be a part of this church plant. Continue to pray that the Lord would bring this group of people together in His perfect timing.

Thank you for your love, prayers and support.

Graciously Blessed With Advisers

2009-12-18T03:55:00.000+03:00

Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.
Proverbs 15:22

Here is some (quick summary) of what the past several days have consisted of:

Tuesday, December 8:

Met with Pastor Kyama Mugambi of Mavuno Downtown. His counsel:

Church planting is going to consume your life but there is a great need for it in Nairobi. There are two main approaches: A) start gathering from 0 or B) get sent out along with a core group of members from an existing church. If at all possible, choose B.

Met with Pastor Ngari Kariithi of Karura Community Chapel. His counsel:

I’m excited about what God is calling you guys to. Get to it! We need you here at our church! But as far as the Moses story goes, Moses went from highly educated and highly privileged to the complete opposite. Could God be calling you to the less privileged in the rural areas--where they also need to be transformed in their thinking--and not just to the more privileged within the city?

Wednesday, December 9:

Met with Pastor Muriithi Wanjau of Mavuno Church. His counsel:

You guys are a direct answer to our prayers because we need church planters in their twenty’s here in this city. Many people think that the majority of Kenyans are churched but the reality is that 15% are in church and 85% aren’t. We need to reach that 85% and the fields are ripe for harvest. Our challenge in gospel preaching is to answer the questions people are asking. If our preaching is answering questions people aren’t asking then it is in vain.

Thursday, December 10:

Met with Pastor Keith Underhill of Trinity Baptist Church. His counsel:

Whatever work you begin, make sure it is under the authority of an existing local church here in Nairobi.

Thursday, December 17:

Met with Pastor Julius Kiagiri (Chris’ dad) of Thika Road Baptist Church. His counsel:

Partnership with a local church is the way to go and we are happy to support you.

It’s been a full past couple of weeks here in Nairobi between meetings, visiting churches, and, of course, Chris and Wavinya’s beautiful wedding on Friday, December 11. I had anticipated we would meet with pastors here in Nairobi during my time here but as I reflect on the conversations we’ve had with the pastors we’ve been able to meet, I stand amazed by God’s kindness. Two of these pastors are leading perhaps the biggest and fastest growing church movement here in Nairobi and yet, with schedules full and heading into the holiday season, were willing to sit down with two guys they know nothing about to hear us share with them God’s calling on our lives. I praise God for the advisers He graciously provided and for my brother Chris who not only did all the work to plan these meetings but attended all of them with me in the days leading up to his wedding!

Each of these meetings had pretty much the same format. Chris and I would share our individual stories, how those two stories merge into one calling to plant a church here in Nairobi, and then we invited the pastor to ask more questions and give us counsel from his experience. And though each pastor had something different to say, there was one distinct theme running through the response of each: We affirm God's call on your lives to plant. But don’t try to launch out on your own. Find an existing church to come under, to receive mentorship from, and then either be sent out from that church to start something new or be sent out with members from the church as a core with which you will launch. There are some things you don’t even have to pray about. And this to me feels like one of them (though I did pray a bit, just to make sure =P).

So the question now becomes: which church? This past Sunday, I had the opportunity to attend three different churches (yes, it was a whirlwind and I didn’t catch any service in its entirety). All three were churches led by one of the 5 pastors we’ve met with. Even though one of the churches had a guest speaker, it just so happened that the guest speaker was one of the other two pastors we had met with. So now there is only one pastor of the five whose Sunday morning ministry I have yet to sit under. And, Lord willing, I will be spending the whole day at his church this coming weekend (both morning and evening services).

As I left from the last of the three services I attended Sunday, I felt kind of confused. Though each of the three different churches were distinct in their identities (at least from what I could gather from a single Sunday morning), it was clear to me that God was using each of them to bear fruit, though in their own ways. And I thought to myself, “Lord, you have faithful servants here in Nairobi and Your church seems to be growing. What do You need me to come all the way out here for? What could a church You plant through us possibly offer that these churches aren’t already offering?”

I recently finished the New Testament for my daily Bible reading so I naturally just decided to continue at the beginning of the Old Testament. Little did I know that this is all part of God’s amazing providence for how He desires to speak to me specifically in the situations I find myself in day-by-day. I found myself beginning the book of Exodus during my first couple of days in Kenya, entering into the life of Moses, the man whose biography (Hebrews 11:24-27) God used to call me to Kenya in the first place because of how much I feel my life resembles his. And I’ll just be honest with you. That Sunday morning after attending those three church services and at several other times over these past several days, I have felt tempted to tell God: “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else” (Exodus 4:13). But I know how that turned out:

Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? “
Exodus 4:14

In other words, God told Moses, “OK, I’ll send someone else. But he’s going to go with you, NOT instead of you. You're going. Period.” And it’s no coincidence that God has already given me an “Aaron,” as it were, in my brother Chris (he’s actually the one who made this point in one of our meetings). So I’m not even going to bother trying to tell God to send someone else. =)

No, the church in Nairobi doesn’t need me or Chris or anything we have to offer. But God didn’t need Moses or Aaron either. So, for them, the ministry that they participated in came down to one thing and one thing only: obedience. And the same is true for us: obedience. I’m here in Nairobi because apparently God wants me to be here in Nairobi. And He’ll determine what for. Our job is just to do what He says, to preach the Word that He inspired just like Moses spoke to Pharaoh over and over, “Thus says the LORD… (Exodus 7:17)”

Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded.
Exodus 7:20

We follow Jesus as Lord (Master). But, as I heard one pastor so profoundly and yet so simply point out, you can’t have a Lord (Master) unless you are a slave. And a slave doesn’t have any will or rights of his own. He only does what his Master tells him. If you aren’t willing to be a slave who has no will and no rights, then you don’t have a Lord, whatever you say.

That’s convicting. Not only Moses’ and Aaron’s lives, but Paul’s life, the man who calls us to imitate him as he imitates Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1), clearly shows this to be the case.

So please pray for this grateful and joyful slave (though not as grateful or joyful as I ought to be because of the sin that remains in my heart that makes me want to have it my way and causes me to grumble when my Lord's way is different):

Lord willing, I will be leaving Nairobi on Friday and Saturday for the first time to go spend time with my relatives in some more rural areas just outside of Nairobi. Please pray that God would show me if ministry in these areas is something He wants us to pursue and what that might look like.

Please pray for my time at Trinity Baptist Church this Sunday. There is so much I haven’t said but this is the church that we are leaning towards coming under so please pray that God would use this weekend as an important (if not decisive) part of confirming whether or not this is indeed the church He wants us to partner with.

Once again, thank you for participating in this labor with us.

Merry Christmas! May this season be filled with rejoicing in the God who became a man so that He might become our Master, and we His joyful slaves.

O LORD, Please Open My Eyes...

2009-12-02T20:44:00.000+03:00

When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?" He said, "Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." Then Elisha prayed and said, "O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see." So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
2 Kings 6:15-17

Lord willing, late tomorrow afternoon (Thursday) I will get on an airplane in San Francisco to travel to Nairobi (the capitol of Kenya), where I will spend the rest of the month seeking to move forward with the vision and initial logistics for the church plant that God is calling Chris and me to partner with Him in establishing.

I know that when I am there I will be overwhelmed by the gospel need I will see just like Elisha's servant was overwhelmed by the forces that stood against him. Please pray--as Elisha prayed for his servant--that during my trip God would open the eyes of this young man (me!) to see what Nairobi looks like with all things brought into subjection to Jesus under His feet where they are supposed to be (Colossians 1:15-18), especially since the reality is that He's already won the victory and is triumphantly reigning (Ephesians 1:22-23)! And in giving us such far-sweeping vision of what gospel transformation looks like in Nairobi and beyond, please pray that God would show us how to practically begin planting the seeds and carrying out this work in the power of His Spirit, according to His perfect timing and wisdom.

Thank you for participating in this labor with us.

Foolishness and Investments

2009-09-17T01:54:00.000+03:00

If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God.
1 Corinthians 3:18-19

When I look back on my short two weeks in Kenya this past summer, perhaps the most defining part of the trip for me came at Alliance High School as I stood before a chapel filled with young men at this boarding school, exhorting them to use the first-class education and opportunity they are receiving in such a way that when the world sees what they do with it, the world will call it a foolish waste. But not because it really is a waste but rather because the world doesn’t understand. It cannot understand.

The reason that experience was so significant for me is because I could see myself in those young men. It wasn’t that long ago when I was in boarding school as a high school student, just like them, receiving a first-class education, just like them. So as I stood there preaching to those young men, what I was really doing was preaching to myself, calling myself to use the first-class education and opportunity I have received in such a way that when the world sees what I do with it, they will call it a foolish waste.

As I reflect on that experience, it’s almost as though God’s calling on my life is embodied in that night. He’s calling me to defy the world and its wisdom by leaving America to go and stand before a group of Kenyans. But I’m not just to stand before them. I am to call them to the very thing that He is calling me to: forsaking the pursuits of the world in favor of the passionate pursuit of Jesus and His kingdom. As I do so, I am not just preaching with my voice. I am preaching with the testimony of my life, in all of my preaching saying, like Paul, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).

And so it was through this trip that God has laid on my heart a burden to serve His church specifically in urban Nairobi (the capitol of Kenya), where I will come into contact with many men and women who I can in some sense see myself in, who I will be able to in some way relate to and who can relate to me; and to call them to join me so that we can together forsake the pursuits of the world in favor of the passionate pursuit of Jesus and His kingdom.

Specifically, I sense God leading me to begin a new church plant in an urban area of Nairobi. I don’t know a whole lot about church planting, I don’t have a seminary degree, and I don’t in any way feel qualified, but I have the treasure of the gospel of Christ (as a dear brother reminded me this past weekend) and I know that God loves to use weak jars of clay to carry that treasure in order “to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us” (2 Corinthians 4:7).

Part of the reason I feel so excited and eager in this calling is because God is not calling me to this by myself. Unbeknownst to me, it appears that when He called one of my dearest brothers in the Lord, Chris Kiagiri, to move to Kenya two years ago, He was only sending him on ahead of me. On my last night in Kenya in July, I told Chris about my desire to plant a church in Nairobi and asked him to consider/pray about partnering with me. And as we’ve sought the Lord together over these past couple of months, God has been confirming for us both that this is the direction He would have us go in. I love the fact that Jesus still sends out two by two (Luke 10:1)!

But I guess it’s actually more than two. Chris was recently engaged and I was able to meet his wonderful fiancée, Wavinya, during my trip to Kenya this summer. The two of them were such a joy to fellowship with and, Lord willing, I will be the best man in their wedding this December! I couldn’t be more excited as I look forward to witnessing their union in the Lord and partnering with them in the work of the gospel.

So up next in this journey: Lord willing, a trip to Kenya in December that will be a little longer than the one I took this summer. After watching Chris and Wavinya tie the knot, my hope is to continue to pray, listen, learn, and do more ground work by connecting with some local pastors/churches. I also hope to explore possible job opportunities during that time because I would like to begin my ministry in Kenya as a tentmaker. I know it sounds ambitious, but my goal is to be in Kenya by next summer (2010). When God, in His perfect timing and wisdom, grants me the right job opportunity, after wrapping up the responsibilities for my current position at Adobe, I’m ready to move.

So please pray:

That I would remain focused and unhindered as I continue on this path. Jesus said, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62).
I’ve been enjoying learning Swahili through Rosetta Stone. Please pray that God would keep me disciplined in a regular rhythm of doing my lessons every 1-2 days.
That I would use the time in Kenya this December wisely and fruitfully and, specifically, that God would grant during that time greater clarity concerning the who, where, and how of church planting in Nairobi.
That God would provide me with a job opportunity in Nairobi that wouldn’t consume me because I want to be consumed with gathering for Jesus’ church and planting.
That God would bring together a core of people for the plant and raise up more partners who would want to be a part of the plant, there AND here.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’
Matthew 25:20

This servant had to risk losing five talents in order to gain five talents. And some might have called him a fool for risking. But this parable is proof that the men and women who make the most “profit” for Jesus are the men and women who risk the most for Him and, in so doing, look like the biggest fools to many.

Therefore...Let's Go!

2009-06-21T03:53:00.000+03:00

Jesus…suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.
Hebrews 13:12-14 (emphasis added)

I don’t think the word therefore every felt mightier than it did for me when I heard John Piper read these verses in Kentucky in April of 2008 as he drew near to the end of preaching a sermon called How the Supremacy of Christ Creates Radical Christian Sacrifice (excerpts above). The words blasted into my heart like a lightning bolt out of heaven:

Therefore…Let’s go!

Where Lord?

I left Kentucky that day without hearing an answer to my question. But I would have my answer within a couple of weeks. I received a call from my dad the day after I got home from Kentucky informing me that his father, who lives in Kenya, had just died. And he asked me if I would accompany him to Kenya for the burial. So in May of 2008 I traveled to Kenya, the native homeland of my parents, for an unexpected and unplanned trip that lasted less than a week. I got on an airplane to Kenya for the purpose of attending my grandfather’s burial. And I flew home just a few days later having encountered God at a burning bush and having an answer to the question I had asked Him only a few weeks earlier in Kentucky.

The first sign that God was trying to get my attention came when I was sitting in my grandfather’s funeral listening to one of my distant relatives speaking about her memories of my grandfather. She was much younger than me (about 15) and was visibly moved as she communicated all the ways that grandpa taught her about the value of hard work and the importance of always doing her best in order to be successful because it always pays off. I didn’t doubt for one moment that this was true about my grandfather because, throughout my life, my father has always taught me the same thing. And my uncles have always taught me the same thing. That’s how they were able to immigrate to America. And that’s how they’ve lived their lives in America ever since. They have done so because they learned it from their father and this is what I was hearing testimony of as I sat in my grandfather’s funeral that day. For many in Kenya, America and all that it has to offer represents the greatest payoff that hard work and success can secure. Why else would a relative that I was meeting for only the first time, knowing that I was from America, ask me, “What did you bring me?”? From his perspective, if I am from America, then I must be rich and his hope is that I’ll share my wealth with him. Well, compared to all of the people I came into contact with in Kenya, I am rich and so are my parents and all my uncles and aunts who have immigrated to America from Kenya. And whenever they travel back to Kenya, my parent, uncles, and aunts always bring some of that wealth to share. As I sat there listening to this account of the legacy left by my grandfather, the Holy Spirit impressed these words of Jesus upon my heart: If you then have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches (Luke 16:11)? There are two kinds of wealth Jesus contrasts in this verse: unrighteous wealth (worldly riches) and true riches (eternal riches). In that moment, it was as though Jesus was saying to me that in Kenya everyone expects the Americans to bring the unrighteous wealth when they come. And then He left me with this question: But who’s going to bring them the true riches? In light of the legacy that my grandfather has passed on to his sons after probably having received it from his own father, I sensed Jesus asking me what I wanted my legacy to be. I could continue the pattern and pass on to the generation after me a legacy associated with unrighteous wealth or, by the grace of God, I could shatter it and begin a new pattern of passing on the legacy associated with the true riches that Jesus speaks of. To be honest, I didn’t like the implications of what I was hearing so I didn’t think much of it.

But on the last night that I spent in Kenya before leaving, God would capture my attention in an undeniable way to confirm that He was speaking to me that day at my grandfather’s funeral. I spent that last night at the home of a dear friend of mine who is an unbeliever. We spoke much about Jesus that night and he said something to me that I don’t think I’ll ever forget because I didn’t know how to respond. Though I don’t remember the exact words, it was something like this: I’ve been to church before and they talk about a lot of things but it’s not about God. Even if I wanted to know God, who is there to teach me? And I felt my heart break like Jesus’ must have when He saw the crowds that were harassed and helpless, as sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36). Emotionally overwhelmed, I told my friend that I needed to spend time alone with the Lord. So he excused me to my bedroom where I began to pour out my heart to the Lord in prayer, asking Him why He was burdening my heart in this way and what He wanted me to do about it. What did He want me to do about my dear friend who was like a sheep without a shepherd that I didn’t know where to send and who I would soon be leaving? What did He want me to do about the cousin I had talked to only days earlier who told me that she didn’t know what churches and pastors she could trust since, according to her, one of the easiest ways for someone to earn a comfortable living is to open a church and exploit the congregation by collecting from them in order to fund his desired lifestyle? I don’t remember exactly how, but somehow as I prayed that night the Holy Spirit directed me to Hebrews 11:24-27, which in that moment became for me a burning bush at which I encountered the living God as He re-preached to me the message He had preached to me only a couple of weeks earlier in Kentucky.

By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.
Hebrews 11:24-27

It wasn’t the first time I had read these four verses. I had just heard them read and preached on in Kentucky. But in that moment the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to see something in these verses that I didn’t see in Kentucky and that I had never before seen: I’m Moses. I trembled as I saw all the parallels between Moses’ life and my life that had never before occurred to me:

Moses was born and raised in Egypt even though he was ethnically an Israelite, having been born to two Israelite parents. I was born and raised in America even though I am ethnically Kenyan, having been born to two Kenyan parents.
Moses wasn’t just born and raised in Egypt. He was born and raised as an Egyptian of highest privilege, being the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. I wasn’t just born and raised in America. I was born and have been raised as an American of highest privilege, being a graduate of Stanford University, receiving one of the most highly marketable degrees they offer (Computer Science), and I work for a top-tier high tech corporation making a prince’s salary.
Moses made these decisions as a grown up. I’m no longer living in dependence on my parents.
Moses joyfully chose to identify with the Israelites and leave Egypt in spite of all the comfort and pleasures that he could have enjoyed in Egypt. I…

I’m all setup to follow in the footsteps of Moses. The question is: will I? For Moses, the people of God were the Israelites because God was only the God of one nation at that time. For me, the people of God are the people of God in Kenya since God is no longer the God of one nation but is the God of all nations and continues to call to Himself those from every tribe, tongue, and people group. God’s call on my life from these verses is so clear and compelling to me not only because I see myself in these verses, but because of where I was when I first saw myself in these verses and what I had asked the Lord only weeks earlier. It’s impossible for me to convey the significance of this revelation about Kenya coming to me in Kenya other than to say that it was an encounter with God at a burning bush.

Where Lord?

Kenya.

I wept greatly that night as I thought about leaving everything I’ve ever known to come and live in Kenya, a place that I’ve spent no more than six total weeks of my life in. And I prayed that night that God wouldn’t let me wake up and think that this was all just a dream even though part of me wished that would happen. I told God that night that I was wholly surrendered to Him and I would do whatever He wanted me to do. He just needed to make the way straight by opening a door in Kenya and showing me when He wants me to come.

One year later, He’s answered part of that prayer by connecting me to a dear family that is faithfully serving His church in Kenya. I’ll be spending two weeks with them learning about their ministry and praying that God would answer the other part of my prayer by showing me when He wants me to come to Kenya and what my role will be when I come. Lord willing, I depart for Kenya on June 27th (one week from today) and will return on July 12th. I would love your prayers for me over these next several weeks:

That God would enable me to discern with open eyes and ears and a surrendered heart, first and foremost, if He indeed wants me to be in Kenya. Please pray for confirmation of what I feel He has been leading me in and, if so, for wisdom to discern when the right time to go is and what particular ministry He is calling me to.
That God would grant me great compassion for the people of Kenya and sensitivity to the needs of His church in Kenya so that I might know how to best serve and pray for them and not view them through the lens of American church culture.
That God would grant me sweet fellowship and oneness of heart and mind with Pastor Daniel, his son Josiah, and the rest of their family, who I will be staying with as we pray and plan and dream of seeing more gospel transformation in Kenya and among the nations for the glory of Christ.
That God would grant me grace to preach His Word in a way that would above all exalt Jesus while building up and encouraging His people, especially for the high school students I will have the opportunity to speak to. I’m praying for God to give them a holy ambition to make a name for Christ and that somehow my life would be undeniable evidence, if any of them seek the privilege I have been granted, that there is something more secure, more durable, more enduring, more life-giving, more joy-producing, and infinitely greater to seek after.

You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many…For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
2 Corinthians 1:11, 4:15

Thank you for holding me up in prayer. May our lives be spent outside the camp as we labor to bring as many with us to be with Jesus where He is.