Home Again

I arrived home Monday night after a little over 30 hours in the air and in airports.  It was good to see my family and I am glad I am home, but as I said to Syl and the girls, part of me wants to be in Africa.  I love the many friends and students I have met and I feel I have contributed something, perhaps small, to their faith and understanding of pastoral ministry.  However, my calling is here and I see my ventures into Africa's mission as rare opportunities that our Lord has presented me with.  I am grateful Syl was able to go.  She sees what keeps drawing me back and someday maybe we will be blessed to return.  I am deeply grateful for my hosts in Nairobi, Sam and Elizabeth Ngewa.  They are my brother and sister in Christ and have taught me much.  I am grateful as well to my cousin's wife, Sheila Dilworth.  It was Sheila who first gave me an invitation to come and who has contributed immensely to my life over the years.  My last pictures are of them and also of Sheila's son, Rich, and daughter-in-law, Trish.  They too are serving in Africa and my last Saturday was with them and their 6 children.  It was fun.  So again thank you for your many prayers.  I came back healthier than I was most of the time there.  So as we all must learn, "My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness."

My friends and hosts, Sam and Elizabeth Ngewa





Sheila's grandkids



Rich and Trish, Sheila's son and daughter-in-law






August 13, Class over

My last class was yesterday, so I threw a party.  Three of us had August birthdays and one miracle baby of one of my students was born last August.  It was fun.  I felt I got to know my 5 students well.  Small classes have their advantages.  But as I said it was intense, teaching 5 hours a day.  It will be fun to introduce them to you because they are all fascinating people with very diverse backgrounds.  So after class one of my students, the happy one in the front on the right, took me out to Kibera, the largest slum in the world.  Her husband pastors a church there.  It was a wrenching experience, but I also saw the church of Jesus has planted itself right in the middle of this plight and is helping many.  There was light in the darkness.  I return home tomorrow.  Today I will spend the day with my cousin's son, Rich.  He and his family work in Africa and just happen to be in Nairobi.  I have missed my family, my church, and friends, but part of me loves being here.  By the way, for all you who have been praying for me, my body is healing.  I feel much better than I did a week ago.  So thank you.  See you soon, John

August 9, Nunguni

High in the hills southeast of Nairobi is a town called Nunguni.  Dr. Sam grew up here and on Sunday we headed up there.  I was going to say a prayer of dedication for their new building, which our church helped build.  Only half way up the pastor called and the guest pastor couldn't come, so you guessed it, I preached.  My text, "My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness."  It was the best I could do.  The building is beautiful.  They did a wonderful work.  The people were warm and welcoming.  I have gotten to know some of them and their two pastors, Pastor James and Pastor Ruth are doing a great job.  So here are some pictures.  I will tell you more later.  I am in the midst of teaching a very intensive course, 5 hours a day for five days.  Pray for me. 

This is the front of the church as you walk in.  Very beautiful!

This is the children's side of the church.  I tried to get them to smile.

This is the adult side.  Some smiled.  Sam's mother is in the third row middle.

Inside of church from front.  Note floor is done and windows. Our gift  helped with both.

And the children.  Does it look like it was cold?  It was.  Kenya is not warm in August, but no rain.  They need our prayers

August 5, Time to Pray

Sorry its been a few days to update.  I had to celebrate my birthday on August 3.  Sam and Elizabeth Ngewa, my hosts threw a fun party.  Elizabeth baked me a pumpkin pie from scratch, and then they sang a new version of Happy Birthday I had not heard.  They have been very kind.  Then for a birthday present I got a nasty cold.  I haven't had a cold in years, so the bugs here must be mean little viruses seeking new blood to attack.  Last night I taught my second Homiletics class and learned as much as I gave.  It was great fun.  It is a small, but diverse class, two scientists, an attorney, two young pastors, and an American working at a mission organization here in Nairobi.  Then I went home and took as much medication as I could find to try and make it through the night.  Thankfully Sam, my host, had some cough syrup that helped immensely.  The next big event is to go up into the coffee hills, south of Nairobi, to a town called Nunguni, where I will take pictures of the church we helped to build.  I will participate in the service and probably eat a delicious traditional African meal.  It will be fun as long as my cold improves and Sam's car doesn't leak to much exhaust.  Then Monday I begin a class on Theology of Ministry.  I do covet your prayers and know that I continue to pray for you, my church family.

Can you believe this.  I am freezing in Nairobi.  We have had fires for the last 3 days.

For my birthday Elizabeth made a pumpkin pie from real pumpkins.

Now I am going to eat it!! And they sang happy birthday in a version I never heard.

Sam and Elizabeth's house on campus of African International University.

My happy class on homiletics.  I made them smile.

Monday, August 1

Today is a sad day for me, Sylvia is going home.  But we have had fun and Sylvia has made a great impression wherever she has been.  I am particularly glad we did the Alumni Seminar together so the Tanzanian pastors could meet a real female "pastor."  In their country women can only be designated evangelists, even though they do the work of a pastor in a local church.  Things are slowly changing and  many do support ordaining women. 

We came early to Nairobi in order for me to see a doctor.  I got a strange growth called a hematoma on my backside.  It is a collection of blood and can be caused by many things.  But rather than go the route of surgery, which one doctor said I needed, I took the surgeon's advice and went conservative with medication.  It has been helping.  So please keep praying.

Yesterday we went to a huge church in Nairobi, the Nairobi Baptist Church.  They must have had close to 7 or 8 hundred in the service we attended.  We were a little sad that they primarily did western praise songs with a full band.  But at least we felt at home.  Sheila, my cousin, who is traveling back to the states to see her daughter, and her sister, Andrea were with us and took us to an Ethiopian restaurant.  Wow, was that different.  We ate a lot.  Then last night we were finally with Sam Ngewa.  His uncle had died and he been gone all week, home to his village for the funeral.  Today he is off to take a cousin's son to a hospital because he injured his knee.  Sam is very busy.

I will be helping him teach a class on homiletics this week.  That is the subject of preaching.  Then a week from today I start my class on the Theology of Ministry.  But I took time out to learn how to wash clothes African style.  Elizabeth Ngewa thought this quite funny, but wanted to put a cloth on my head and an African wrap around my body so that everyone would say, "Who is that tall African women?" 

John learns a new way to wash clothes.

But he doesn't like it and would like to hang himself on the line.

 Enough for today.  Pray for Syl on her journey home and pray for me.  You are in our prayers daily.  Out of Africa, John

Sylvia enjoys all the beautiful African flowers on campus.

John enjoys the bananas in University garden.

An ibis who has a diabolical laugh.