It Was a Dark and..........

I am tempted to begin this story ….it was a dark and stormy night. That in fact is true. A few nights ago I ventured into Madoya Slum village to attend (and teach -because a visitor never gets to just attend – you become the “guest teacher”), a New Believer’s class. Madoya is called “a slum within the slums”. Some 80,000 – 100,000 people live in Madoya.

Fanuel leads this class which gathers in a meeting room built above the public toilet block. Faunuel is one of the men who I have an opportunity to disciple and befriend here. I usually meet with Faunel on Monday and we go through the lesson together and then he takes it to his group in Madoya later in the week.” Faunel is a very sincere and Godly man.

I went with few reservations, Anne Marie had many – the main concern being that it would be dark when it was time to come home. It is not always a good idea to be in the slums or rather trying to get out …at night. The study was “supposed” to start at 5:00 and go to 6:00. At 6:00 is when the attendees would want to be back to their small businesses – as that is when business picks up. People coming home will stop to buy their food items or necessities at the end of their day.

I drove my Pajero to the Madoya/Huruma school building. From there we would walk to the meeting hall. Once we arrived at the school – we of course had to have tea with our friend Jennifer the head teacher of Madoya School. I met up with Boaz, another one of the men I study with and who was attending the meeting also. The rain stopped as we sipped our tea and we took advantage of the break to start off. Boaz walked with 4 white plastic chairs on his head. (Seats were needed for our meeting.) Before I could leave the school, one of the helpers from the school insisted that I take her umbrella. I declined – but she would not accept my answer. So, I set off with a bright pink umbrella! About 5 minutes into our walk – the rain started down in a deluge. We quickly found a small overhang of tin roofing to stand under and wait out the rain. We, along with literally hundreds of people scrambled for any spot out of the direct rain – but the water coming down splashed mud all over us as we waited. After a good long rain – a small break occurred and we started off again. Within a few yards from our first protected spot – we were hit again and ducked into a nearby Duka with a dozen others crowded into an 8 X 10 shop. While we waited for the rain to pass I watched the activity outside the shop. A lady who makes her living roasting ears of corn to sell was trying to gather her corn and hold an umbrella over her enterprise. Another man was selling charcoal to passers- by to do their nightly cooking on a small jiko or barbeque. He was trying to hold a stick with plastic over his charcoal as wet charcoal is hard to sell. Another long wait for the rains to take a break, and we could begin again.

At this point it is hard to express what the slum area looks like. In dry weather it is dirt and dirty with garbage and sewer ditches running throughout. In rain – it becomes moving mud and sewage. The hard packed ground becomes standing water. Unfortunately the meeting room is at the bottom of a slope – and much of the run off was headed downhill. The sewer ditches were running over and the sights and smells though familiar, are shocking to me. Yet – this is normal life during the rainy season.

As we finally approached the meeting hall building (remember the downstairs is a toilet block) the building resembled an island sitting in the midst of a lagoon; a sludge and sewage lagoon! After carefully maneuvering the high side of a ditch, we manage to make it to the steps of the building.

Despite the rain and terrible conditions to be traversed to attend this meeting, 14 new believers made it! We spent some time singing and had about 45 minutes to study before it became too dark to see enough to even read my bible or my notes. We fought the waning light during the last 10 minutes – until we literally had to give up. The group was upbeat and I was so encouraged by the faithfulness of these new believers. While there was not enough light to read by, the group stayed on to visit and shake hands for some fellowship before heading back out into the night.

As we left the building and climbed back up the hill – the air was clear and cool. People were everywhere coming out from undercover to buy their food for their evening meals, greet their neighbors and complete the details of the day – come rain or shine.


When we visit someone in the rural areas of Kenya - and if it rains, they thank us for bringing the blessing of rain to them. I am not sure it looks or feels like a blessing in the slums of Nairobi when the rains are falling down. These new believers are wanting to build their lives upon the rock - so that when the rains come down, the streams rise, the winds blow and beat against the house - it will not fall because it has a foundation ON THE ROCK! Matt. 7:24-27

OASIS -HOPE IN A DRY PLACE

 

 

These photos make me think about an oasis. Both photos seem to symbolize hope. The tall palm tree is the only living, green thing in this entire area of Mathare Valley. It rises above the cement, dirt and rubbish - proof that life goes on and hope is still present. This is a view out the window from the Pangani Hope Center. Like this tree - the Hope Centers symbolize resilent life and a present hope in the midst of bleak surroundings

Lee meets with these two men. One is a new believer with a very dark past, and the other a long time believer - still worried about his past. Both seem to have the same questions: "Is faith real?" "Can my sins really" be forgiven?", "Is there really hope?".

THERE IS HOPE!

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Rom. 15:13

View from Above - Mathare Vally - Kosovo

 

 

 

These pictures show the view from the top (unfinished floor) of the Kosovo Center
Life in the Slums is the color of rusted tin.

Mathare Valley - Kosovo

 
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The Mathare Valley is home to over 800,000 people. This huge slum is divided into smaller "slum villages" that help form community, boundaries and identification. There are 10 villages with approximately 80,000 people in each. These pictures are from the area called Kosovo. The MOHI center in Kosovo is a small dirt and cement block compound that houses a school for over 350 children ages 3-10. These children range from nursery class through 1st grade. The cooks (seen here in the "Kitchen") cook meals each day for the children and staff. The children eat a lot of cabbage, carrots and ugali. For many of the children what they eat at the center is the only food they will have that day.

This week a visiting team from the states did a Vacation Bible School with the children in the Kosovo school as well as doing home visits into the community.

The Kosovo Hope Center is also a church. The "Hall" or church building is a tin shed with a cement floor and during the week it is used as classrooms for the "Nursery Class". Lee works with a couple of young men who help pastor this church. They meet together weekly for discipling and also to develop materials for the New Believers. This past week while a visiting group was in the community sharing Christ - 2 people accepted the Lord! They were told to come to the church the very next day to join in the New Believers Class and they did!

Last week one of the pastors came back to Lee to share that he had taught the New Believers in the village of Madoya on "Assurance of Salvation" and there were 7 new believers in class. He was so excited!

Thank you for your partnership in ministry. Please continue to pray with us as we serve here. Please pray for spiritual strength, wisdom and protection for Lee. "Discipling takes more faith then any other task of the church. Since it is top priority for God, it is top priority for Satan. No work of God's servant draws more resistance than disciple making." (The Disciple Making Pastor by Bill Hull pg. 39)

Grace and Co.

 


These are two of Grace's friends. They slept over last night while the boys spent the night with one of their friends. Wow, are girls different than boys! These sweet things disappeared for hours and reappeared smelling of way too much perfume and singing High School Musical tunes. They watched Camp Rock - maybe 3 times AND went to bed on time. They ate cinnamon rolls and smoothies for breakfast instead of a double batch of pancakes and 2 liters of milk. Nothing blew up, was broken or destroyed in the last 24 hours. Nothing was caught on fire and I did not find a miscellaneous assortment of sticks in the house. The front door remained shut and I could hear myself think. I heard "thank you for having me over Mrs. Pruitt." at least 4 times during their first 30 minutes in the house and they took everything with them when they left. While they were here - one of the boy's friends arrived looking for his scooter that he left behind about a month ago. He also remembered to ask for his toothbrush that he left here last weekend!

Oh yes, boys and girls are different! It is almost too quiet around here, almost!

THE RED TEAM!

 


O.K. - it isn't the "Ted Team" but the "Red Team!". They finished the season with 4 wins and 3 losses and lots of fun! Lee doesn't play soccer - but parent volunteers were needed and he wanted to invest a couple of hours in the kids and school. It was fun!

I am still trying to get the whole "Blog" thing figured out. Patick Gerber graciously set this up for me and switched it over to this blogger account. I quickly messed it up and have been trying to be brave enough to get back on here and figure it out for about a month now. Today was the day to try again. Lee and I both spent a couple of hours trying to get it straightened out. Now, at least I can post and I will call in the assistance of trained professionals another day!

THE TED TEAM!