Pastor Steve Richards

There is this moment every morning when we stop what we are doing. It is time for tea. One of the girls carries a tray filled with china cups. Into the cup is poured a hot mixture of Kenyan tea, milk, and sugar. I look forward to it each morning. It feels much too elegant for our surroundings, and yet as I stand here looking out toward Lake Naivasha and Mount Logonot with tea cup in hand, I am reminded that in the midst of doing, it is so vitally important to reflect on being here.

Friday was our final full day of work projects at Light of Hope. We have been repairing desks and making new ones for the high school students. We have been painting the interior and exterior of the dorm that was constructed a year ago for the high school girls. This dorm is their home when they are not away at one of the boarding high schools across Kenya (which high school is determined by their 8^th grade test scores). We brought sewing kits in an effort to introduce the girls to sewing. There has been some time for this, but the reality is that one week is not long enough. Some on our team have special skills that have been a resource to the school and to the girls. Classes conclude at 4:00 each day, providing opportunities to interact with the girls. Today there were spirited games of “Duck, Duck, Goose” and “Red Rover”. Tomorrow (Saturday), there is a half day of school, and we have an art project that will provide another opportunity to interact with the girls.

At this point in a mission trip, it becomes clear that in one week we can do a variety of projects but the process of being – of understanding a culture and how to appropriately live into this culture, of developing the kinds of relationships with teachers and with students that will bridge two very different worlds and continue to be a source of encouragement – this process has barely started. At each morning’s tea time, I pause to assess where I am. I have learned the names of a few more girls this time. I have learned a little more about a few of them. I have a few more Swahili words in my vocabulary. Mainly I have deep gratitude for you, the people of Messiah who have allowed a place in your hearts for these girls whom the world had thrown away. Today they have hope. Your support has given them a chance at life and the promise of tomorrow.

Yesterday on the bus, I could hear the familiar tune of “Joy to the World” being sung by the girls. It brought to mind the last time I heard the song. It was Christmas Eve night just after the sanctuary was filled with the glow of individual candles, welcoming God’s gift of light into a world of darkness. I guess that’s what we experience here. The darkness of this world and how it has wounded these 69 girls is painfully obvious to us. How the light of Jesus Christ has forced the darkness into retreat and is transforming these lives is almost overwhelming at times. Do we need to travel to the other side of the world to witness this? Perhaps not. But if we don’t go, who will go? We have seen the face of Christ this week and not one of us will ever be the same again.

Today’s readings: Genesis 31-33; Luke 13

After reading these passages, the word that came to mind was restoration. God gives us a second chance. In Genesis, God tells Jacob to return to the land of his birth. He will have to face his past and what he has done. In the process, he struggles with God. God prevails. Jacob is changed and when he meets his brother, Esau, to Jacob’s surprise, he is forgiven.

Luke 13 begins with a call to repentance. There can be a second a chance. As I read the chapter, I kept returning to the verses where Jesus says the Kingdom of God is like yeast. The Kingdom that Jesus announced begins on the inside.

When in Kenya, you learn some things. One of them is that it can take a while to get place – sometimes, a long while – much too long. Such was our experience on Thursday. Messiah had funded a field trip to Mt Kenya to see the wildlife in the national park. The girls were hugely excited. For some, it would be their first bus ride. For all, it would be their first time to see Mt Kenya, the second highest mountain in Africa. We were excited too. A special t-shirt had been designed by one of our team members. Everyone – the 41 girls making this trip, the seven teachers and thirteen of us – would be wearing the t-shirt. The staff at LOH had designed the trip and arranged for a bus. We would visit an outdoor Bible story display and then the wild animals, spending a couple of hours at each.

One of the problems in Kenya is that looking at the map, we should have been able to make the trip in 3-4 hours. It took six. By Amerian standards, part of the road was impassable but not by Kenyan standards. The broken pavement and massive potholes meant the bus moved very slowly, swerving from left to right and prompting some car-sickness in the back of the bus. We got to the outdoor Bible story and instead of the 3 hour tour, we asked for the 40 minute version. We had time to eat lunch and after several attempts to find the national park, we decided to return to LOH. This time we took what would be better roads through Nairobi. But in Nairobi, the traffic at 8:00 p.m. was complete gridlock. In places, cars were attempting to go all four directions at the same time. The return trip was even longer than six hours. It was frustrating and disappointing. It was a long, long day on the bus. Such is travel in Kenya.

But I learned a few things:

1. The girls have an amazing spirit. There was not one single complaint from the girls – or from the teachers. Turns out that we were the ones doing the complaining.
2. The singing on the bus would have made your heart sing. And it wasn’t just singing, it was worship.
3. Restroom stops (called toilets, here) can happen anywhere and in far less time than I remember it taking our family of four.
4. The scenery in Kenya can be breathtaking. Driving through the mountains, we could see mountain sides covered with tea fields, coffee, pineapples, sugar cane, banana trees.
5. There are troubling sights that at first seem beautiful but are not. We stopped alongside a pod of elephants that included a baby. It appeared the mother was playing with her baby. However, the longer we stopped, the more agitated they became. Then we realized the baby had been caught in a poacher’s trap. One  – elephant charged the bus and fortunately, the bus moved just in time. (Later, the bus driver called to report on elephants. Today, we saved an elephant.)
6. We had a “loaves and fishes” moment on the bus when a few leftover peanut butter sandwiches and bananas were divided so that every child and teacher could receive something for dinner.
7. Maybe this is most significant: Luke 12:7 (in the midst warnings about this world, Jesus proclaims that we need not be afraid because God has even the hairs on our heads numbered). We made it back to LOH safely – when there were moments that was in question – such as when we were lost, stopped for directions and a villager with a machete firmly in hand threatened to cut off the head of one of our team members who was standing only a few feet away.

So, I look at another day in Kenya and these words coming to mind, often repeated by the girls. “God is good all of the time. All of the time God is good. For that is His nature. “

Amen!

This is my second trip to Light of Hope. Already, it is every bit as emotional as my first trip was. In my post last night, I referred to Jesus’ teaching that greatness comes when we welcome the child. I wondered how those words would be lived in the next day. Little did I know that God had a plan that would break the hearts of everyone on our team for what breaks the heart of God.

After lunch, our team was invited into a classroom. The 66 girls, teachers and staff were standing in a circle. We were welcomed into the circle. Then three girls were introduced. That morning, three members of our team accompanied two staff from LOH. There were three girls and a boy ranging in ages 11 to 3 – children raising children. Their mother had died. They were being raised by their grandfather, but he is currently hospitalized and not likely to return. In an emotional morning, the three sisters said goodbye to their three year old brother (LOH only takes girls, leaving the boy under the care of a neighbor boy.), were taken to the hospital to say goodbye to their grandfather, taken to a store to be fitted for a school uniform and their first pair of shoes, and then taken to LOH where they received the first shower of their lives, were given new dresses that you provided, ate lunch, and finally introduced to us all. I tried, but I could not keep my tears from flowing.

Today you welcomed three children and in doing so, you saved the lives of three girls. By the end of the afternoon, all three had been embraced by the other girls. The smiles on these three faces was amazing.

Last Sunday, I preached during worship at LOH. I told the story of the Good Samaritan from Luke 10, where a lawyer asked Jesus, “who is my neighbor?” The swahili word for neighbor is jirani. I told the girls they would have an opportunity to be a jirani. I told the adults that they would have an opportunity to be a jirani. In that gathering after lunch today, I stood in the presence of room filled with jiranis – and I have no doubt that there was much joy in the Kingdom of God.

Today’s readings: Genesis 25-26; Psalm 6; Luke 10

We lead complicated lives. Our interpersonal relationships can be complicated. Our personal health can be complicated. Trying to understand our lives is often difficult. Even seeking to be faithful can be complicated. The priest and the levite were focused on being faithful and believed that stopping to help the wounded person by the side of the road would violate their understanding of what the Law taught them was necessary to be faithful. What does God expect? Love God. Love your neighbor. The more we love God, the more we will love our neighbor. To the extent we are the Jirani, we will live God’s love.

Today was our first true work day at Light of Hope. In tomorrow’s post, I will describe the work that we are doing. Today, I want to share a couple of moments from my day. I was working with four others from Messiah, painting the inside of the dormitory for the older girls. I took a break and walked outside. I could see the lush green of the grass, the bright colors of flowers, buildings to my right and left, and in the distance Lake Navaisha. It was an idealic scene, a haven of rest and hope not just for the 66 girls but for the fourteen of us who are guests. And then I listened to the voices of children. They were in their classes reciting their lessons and repeating what their teachers were saying. It was a happy sound. I went back inside and as I picked up my paint brush I could hear singing from outside my window. There are a few girls who are not in classes because they are waiting to hear where they will be going to high school. Last month they passed the entrance exam for high school. They are excited about their next step, and also excited that their rooms are being painted – almost like a gift for having completed grade 8. At various point during the day, I could hear Margaret outside the window and from inside the dormatory. She was singing songs of faith – songs we had heard yesterday in worship. It was a beautiful, happy sound.

This trip is about 66 girls who have a chance. Too many girls in this country have none. Thank you, Messiah congregation, for the way you have embraced this mission, supporting girls and providing them with hope. I met many happy girls today. My day began by reading Luke 9. In verse 47, I hear Jesus say that greatness comes in welcoming the child. Today, I feel very proud to be part of a congregation that understands this.

Today’s readings: Genesis 23-24; Luke 9

Our Old Testament reading gives us a story about Abraham finding a burial place for his wife, Sarah. But this is a story about much more than that. Why would there be so many verses devoted to this? By purchasing this land for her burial, Abraham is laying claim to God’s promise that Canaan would be the Promised Land. How have you investing in or laid claim to God’s promise for you?  In the next chapter, we see the next generation (Isaac and Rebekah) living into the Promised Land. Rebekah has never been to this place and has never met Isaac, and yet she says, “I will go.” In doing so, God’s covenant is passed to the next generation. There is hope for the next generation.

In Luke 8, Jesus sends forth the disciples – the next generation. This is their first venture without Jesus. In the not so distant future, they will be given the responsibility to bring God’s promise to another generation. Maybe that’s why later in the chapter, Jesus places a child before the disciples and tells them and us that we experience greatness when we welcome a child. As turn in for the night and look ahead to a new day, how will that be accomplished in my life tomorrow? I have a great responsibility and an opportunity for greatness. We all do – with God’s help.

This is Sunday. We walked the half mile to Light of Hope. It had been two years since my first visit, and the changes have been amazing. To see what Messiah Church and others have accomplished in just two years was an emotional moment for me. There are now 66 girls who attend school. 46 of them live at LOH. 20 come from the surrounding area and return home each night, some walking for miles. These day scholars will bring impact on the community around LOH. We hope to have a video ready to send back for worship next Sunday.

The girls led our worship this morning – such spirited singing and powerful praying. How our worship would be transformed if they were in our midst! In the afternoon, a new classroom building was dedicated – though a couple of hours sitting in the hot sun just miles from the equator almost did us in. Our Minnesota complexions now have a red tint.

Over lunch, I had a conversation with three Kenyan women from Nairobi who spend a Sunday at LOH every couple of months. The offer encouragement and hope while giving the girls the opportunity to interact with women who have successful careers. I asked how attached they have become with the girls. We began talking about the importance of touch and how giving hugs could be the most significant gift they offer. When we arrived this morning, the girls gathered around us – many of them remembered me, though I must admit I had not remembered. The gentle smile of a recognition can melt this heart. They quietly spoke their names and several found a lap on which to sit. And later as I read today’s scripture from Luke 8, I heard the gospel’s message about the power of touch. All it took was a woman reaching out to touch Jesus and Jesus touching those who came close.

Today’s readings: Genesis 20-22; Luke 8

In the story of Abraham and Isaac, I see at least two perspectives. The first comes in focusing on Abraham. After all of Abraham’s missteps and lack of listening to God, here is a test. It is a difficult, unreasonable request – to sacrifice his one and only son. It would be a test that God would face with Jesus on the cross. Would God intervene to save Jesus as God did with Abraham?

The second comes when we focus on Isaac. What must Isaac’s perspective have been? How could his father put him at such risk? What impact would this event have on Isaac? Jesus would be called “the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.”

Today’s Readings: Genesis 18, 19; Psalm 3; Luke 7 Redemption and judgment: Haven’t we heard this message in the story of Noah and the flood? How do we interpret the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah? Sometimes we end up focused on the trees and miss the forest. Is this a story about fire and brimstone? Is it a story about what happens when we are not righteous? Is it a story about a particular sin? In a city called Sodom, the only righteous people God could find were Lot and his family – and then even Lot’s wife lost her focus. God does not want harm or judgement to befall any of us. God seeks redemption for all. But what if we choose “wicked” and not righteous? The Bible will continue to help us understand what it means to be righteous. The story concludes with a scene involving Lot and his daughters, showing that even those who appear righteous may not live that way. Who can save us from ourselves? “Lord, how many are my foes!” (Psalm 3) My greatest foes are the ones within me. “From the LORD comes deliverance.” Could someone who appears wicked actually be faithful? (an officer in Herod’s court) Who can tell? Only Jesus, it seems.

This morning, Psalm 8 came to mind. “LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.” The psalmist expressed my sense of the previous day. We are in the Masai Mara, a game preserve of several hundred thousand acres. If you’ve seen the movies, The Lion King or Out of Africa, that’s the scenery that we are experiencing. We are observing the Circle of Life. We came upon a pride of lions after a kill and watched with awe as the lions interacted with one another. Then noticed one lion injured in the course of making this kill. We watched a mother cheetah, playing with her cub – the only one of three cubs to have survived. We saw elephants, giraffes, water buffalo, antelope, warthogs, and many, many others all coexisting.

But places like the Masai Mara are disappearing. It would be too easy to pass judgment on all the reasons this is happening. We only need to remember our own nation’s history with the westward migration of the 19^th century and what happened to the buffalo. Yesterday and today, we have spent time with a man named George who is passionate about preserving places like this and the animals that live here. As he described a 15-year-old leopard that is pregnant for what will likely be her last pregnancy, he began to cry. To him, this is not just a leopard. Nor should it be – just a leopard to any of us. He has worked for the past six years to create conservation practices and preserve what is a patch of paradise in a broken world. This morning as our group headed out to look for this leopard, one person made the comment: how could anyone look at what we are seeing and not believe that the Lord God made it all. These are not just leopards and lions and zebra. Somehow God intended that we not only coexist, but that we be the stewards who will care for all that God created. In a world that is filled with so much that is not right, this is a day of hope. We have spoke to someone committed to hope. We are in Kenya to be guardians of hope and the promise that God made in the scripture readings for today.

Today’s readings: Genesis 15-17 & Luke 6

Nobody’s perfect is a common expression to excuse human behavior, but as we read the Bible we see the reality of such an expression. The people that God chooses are not perfect. They are flawed and do some things that can leave us scratching our heads – people that sometimes resemble me! Not I need to look for an excuse. God laid out a grand covenant. The reading begins “Do not be afraid. I am your shield, your very great reward.” Come on Abram; trust God to be faithful! But no, Abram in chapter 16 takes matters into his own hands – a head scratching moment that results in certain estrangement from his wife, Sarai, and from God. How could Abram do it? How could I?

Genesis 17 with the story of how circumcision is a natural prelude to Luke 6. Although Jesus does not mention circumcision in this chapter, he goes to the heart of faithfulness. It is not circumcision, an external marking, but faithfulness is a way of living – an extreme love that goes beyond what’s expected and even beyond what seems common sense. It is a very different kind of head scratching way of living.

Jambo! Our team arrived in Nairobi about 9:00 p.m. Kenya time (a nine hour time difference). Ready for a good night’s sleep. We were quite a sight with twenty-four large suitcases (twelve of them filled with supplies for Light of Hope) and an equal number of carry on bags. This is my second trip to Kenya. Arriving feels more like returning and renewing my memories of all that I experienced two years ago. It is already causing me to look at things in a way that I should understand better in the coming days. I am now awake after a few hours of sleep. We leave soon for the Massai Mara. Since several people are traveling to Kenya for the first time, we will take a short trip to experience the wonders of a safari before going to Light of Hope on Saturday. I don’t anticipate having Internet access again until Saturday night or Sunday.

Today’s readings: Genesis 12-14 & Luke 5

I often wonder if Abram was the first to be called or the first to say yes. His yes set a faith in motion that reaches out to me today. Am I listening? Where is God calling me to go? I’m here in Kenya, and we have an itinerary that we will follow. But am I prepared to go and to do what God calls even when God’s destination for me is not on the itinerary and has not yet been revealed to me?

A 75-year-old man heard a call and was promised a great nation of descendants. Problem was he was married to a post-menopausal woman, and they had no children. We are not told that faith will be easy. Abram and Sarai go to only God knows where. Then in Luke, Jesus calls. First he shows fishermen who he is, and they leave behind the lives they have known to go to only God knows where. What happens from here (with Abram and Sarai, with the disciples, with me): is it too good to be true or too good not to be true?

Luke 5:26 – “We have seen remarkable things today.”

I am writing this during our four hour layover in Amsterdam. Nothing quite like spending the night on an airplane. We are waiting for our flight to Nairobi. Sleep deprived, we are so looking forward to reaching Nairobi and a bed for tonight’s sleep.

Today’s readings: Genesis 9-11 & Luke 4

God has promised. Note that when creation is renewed, God gives even more to the man and woman than in the original creation. Now they can eat plants and animals. God establishes a covenant. God promises never again to destroy creation. God has promised. But then humanity continues to choose that which is not pleasing to God. This will be a recurring theme throughout the Bible – and our lives.

From Luke: temptation (interesting how the themes of the Old and New Testaments are linked together). Even Jesus is touched by temptation. Have you faced the kinds of temptation that Jesus faced? How does Jesus resist temptation? But Jesus will be visited by temptation later in Luke’s gospel. Temptation never ceases to be an issue in our lives.

From what we have been reading in Genesis about the rocky relationship between God and humanity, it does not seem surprising that Jesus is rejected by his own hometown. God sends Jesus and empowers Jesus. Then Jesus faces temptation and experiences rejection. Only then does his ministry of healing begin.

God, give us the wisdom to know what to do and the courage to do it.

After nearly six months of preparation and anticipation, our mission team departs this afternoon for eighteen days in Kenya. In Acts 4:29-30, we are given a prayer for boldness that many of us have worn as a wristband since they were distributed last June. If you still have yours, you might wear it these next eighteen days as a prayerful reminder of our mission team. The words from the prayer that I hold today are these from verse 30: “stretch out your hand to heal and to perform signs and wonders through the name of your servant Jesus.” (Tomorrow’s posting will find us in the air over Africa.)

Today’s Bible readings: Genesis 6-8 and Luke 3.

From bad to worse: have you ever been there – watching someone, even yourself move from bad behavior to even worse when you thought it could never get any worse? That’s what God was seeing. Why doesn’t God do something? Well, this is the story of what happens when God, who created humans with the ability to choose, does something. And God finds one man…

(Note in Genesis 8:1 – “wind” – once again, this is the Hebrew word for Spirit. The “breath” of God renews creation.)

In Luke 3, we see God working to redeem humanity through John who is “preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” Then John meets a force of evil (Herod) greater than himself, but not before God calls forth God’s own flesh and blood. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ ministry begins. (boldness)