Today we returned to the Watoto Wa Ahadi Rescue center (which is Swahili for Children of the Promise). We spent the morning doing more painting as well as some plaster work. The plastering technique involved scooping the wet mud with a trowel and slinging it against the wall. We ended up with more plaster in our hair than on the wall. I don’t know if it was a commentary on my lack of mastery of the trade, but at one point the Kenyan woman who was co-leading our work crew took my trowel away from me and started using it herself! My job at that point was simply to go behind her and scoop up the left over mud from the floor. It’s nice to know we all have a part to play.

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Today we visited Lin Joka, a small village where Sodzo International hosts one of its family strengthening programs. Family representatives are invited to join in groups of 25-30 people who meet weekly for education and financial support. Each family contributes a small amount each week - about 20 shillings, the rough equivalent of 20 cents. The group accumulates this money over time and collectively decides how to use it by making micro loans to group members who have a need. For example, if this week I have school fees to pay for my children, the group loans me the amount I need and then agrees to a time period for me to pay it back. In this way, the group serves as a local bank by keeping the resources within the local community and enabling individual families to meet needs without becoming dependent on people who do not have their best interest at heart.

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After spending our weekend traveling, we began our first full day of work today. We spent the day at the Watoto Wa Ahadi rescue center. This is the residential facility Sodzo International runs for boys who have been rescued off the streets. They spend anywhere from a few months to a couple of years at this facility while work is being done to reintegrate them with their families. Some of these boys arrive struggling with substance abuse, others are victims of abuse, and others have simply been abandoned to the streets by a family that doesn’t want them or cannot support them. Here they receive housing, food, and most importantly, Christian nurture.

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We arrived in Kenya last night to begin a week-long mission experience. Five of us from Bonsack Baptist met up with five others from South Main Baptist in Houston, Texas. We will spend the week working with a ministry called Sodzo International, which works with boys and young men who are living on the streets. They provide housing, education, and job training to these young men, while also working with families in neighboring villages to address some of the systemic issues that led to these young men leaving home in the first place. We will spend some time with the young men and some with the families. Exactly what will be doing with them remains to be seen, but that is part of any international experience. You simply have to remain flexible and be willing to adapt to what the circumstance require at the moment.

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I have a friend who is kind enough to grant us access to some waterfront property, so with the church office closed, I spent Labor Day at the lake. It is a beautiful piece of land, just far enough removed from other homes that you have a strong sense of being “out there” in nature. At night there are no competing streetlamps or front porch lights, so the stars shine far more brilliantly than what I usually see at home. During the day the only traffic comes in the form of the occasional boater, so you are much more likely to see the local wildlife make an appearance.   

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In yesterday’s sermon we talked about economic simplicity.  Using Jesus’ parable of the so-called rich fool in Luke 12:13-34, we discussed how easily we are controlled by the “stuff” in our lives.  The things we own soon own us, so if we want to reduce anxiety and worry and create more space for God and others we need to find ways to live with less.  We need to constantly ask ourselves, “How much do we really need?” Truth be told, we probably don’t need nearly as much as we think! 

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Our vacation this week began with a funeral.  My wife’s 94 year-old grandmother died last Friday, following a battle with prolonged illness.  I first met Mema 23 years ago when Heather and I started dating.  Heather is the oldest of her cousins, so she was the first to bring home a potential mate.  That means I was the test case for how her family would respond to such a new addition.  I would like to say I passed the test with flying colors, but it was more the case that I was graded on a curve!

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I enjoy something about all the seasons, but we are primarily summer people in our household.  The long days and warm temperatures make it possible for us to get outside after being cooped up for months on end.  We particularly enjoy striking out for the lake whenever we get a chance.  When a Saturday afternoon opens up for us, we grab the dog, hook up our old boat, and head out for the water.  Sometimes we even take the kids. 

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This year my parents celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.  Apparently, that many years of marital bliss can cause you take temporary leave of your sanity, because to mark the occasion they decided to take the entire family to Disney World.  Yes, we just returned from a long weekend of standing in very long lines, usually for the privilege of standing in another line…

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