Bye Bye Kwaheri

Sorry.  Time has passed.  And now it's time for me to leave.  I know I haven't done the greatest job of keeping you posted on what's going here.  But let me give you a recap over the last few months.

In December, the boys were off of school.  We spent most of the month getting ready for our two Christmas outreaches that were to happen at the end of the month.  We had an evening of fun planned for our neighbors, and for the street community, which included dinner, fun games, and the showing of "The Passion of the Christ".  We built a stage for the fun and entertainment part, and then projected on the side of our house the movie.  With over 200 people attending our 2nd outreach, it wasn't as rowdy as expected.

Christmas day with the boys (and Laci came for the 2nd half of December :) ) was relaxing with a day of food and movies.  New Years as well was a family affair, on our roof, talking about New Year's resolutions, while watching off-in-the-distance fireworks.

Then the month of January begins school.  This year, we stepped it up a bit, sending a total of 17 people to school, 6 of whom don't live with us.  So I was quite busy getting them ready, buying uniforms, paying school fees, visiting schools and teachers.  It was quite the adventure, and kept me occupied.  While school started at the beginning of the year, some of them started school last week.  Thank the Lord though that everyone is now in school.  Here at the Rapha House, we actually started our own Bible school.  There are three boys, all who live with us (one released from prison in Nov, and one released from prison just this month), who are participating, and have become Rapha House interns.

And now here it is.  My last few hours in Mombasa at the Rapha House.  6 months - hast it really passed?  Seems much longer, like I've lived here for years.  I can't explain the mix of emotions going through my head right now.  Excited for the cold weather at home.  Excited to get back to America, where there's TV, internet at my fingertips, my motorcycle, a place without mosquitos.  But then I think again.  Are those things truly worth it?  I mean, can they really replace John's ballerina dancing, or Issa's constant jesting, or Mario's infectious laughter?  The Rapha House of Prayer is definitely composed of uniquely created Men of God, each one with a great purpose for living here.  It's sad for me to leave this place, although it's been one of the most challenging places to live.  Weird huh?  How can getting verbally abused, being constantly disrespected, getting annoyed at perpetual requests (living in this heat!) be one of the places that I've loved living the most?  Nothing to say but the presence of God is here in the Rapha House.  No doubt God is omnipresent, but my eyes have been open to Him more since living here.  And I think that there is complete truth when Jesus says "For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few" (Mt. 7:13).  When I was working in Chicago, prior to Mombasa, I lived a typical American life - 9-5 job.  Come home and eat.  Watch some TV.  Repeat.  I didn't do anything that was "hard".  I didn't necessarily go out of my way to help people.  I wasn't learning how to love God, and allow Him to work through me.  My complacency was not leading me through the narrow gate, but instead secretly and slowly pulling me down the wide and easy gate.

As I come back to the States, I wonder to myself, will I be the same Brandon who enjoyed a life of complacency, who went to church on Sundays, and an occasional BIble study, but applied nothing to my life or the life of others?  Will I go out of my way to show love to my neighbors, and to love the poor as I'm called?  Will I allow the Spirit to control my life, and the Bible teachings and devotions to change the way I live?  The latter I pray.

The girls at the Rapha House have got it going on.  Not that I don't want to come back to Mombasa, but there's no reason it only be when I'm half way across the world for me to live such a life.

Border to Border

Kurtis, a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend (who has now been upgraded to a friend) was here for about a week and a half.  He's been in Africa for the past three months, in Ethopia, Sudan and Kenya, via a couple of missions trips, visiting family, and meeting and becoming apart of the Rapha House.  So last Monday, we decided to take the day off, rent some motorcycles and go for a ride.  We started heading south, first to visit his sister who works at YWAM.  We hit the road again, for an unknown destination.  After about and hour and a half, we stopped to check our gas.  I pulled out my phone, and realized that I had a new text message welcoming me to Tanzania.  Tanzania!  Holy Crap!  Had we really gone that far?  How far was Tanzania from Mombasa?  (Stupid metric system -  I had no idea how far we had really gone, even though it was about 75 kilometers.)  So we asked our friend on the side of the road, and was told it was only 12 more kilometers to the border.  We were pretty stoked to be able to go to another country (or at least see the border since I didn't have my passport with me).  So we went to the border, saw the Tanzanian flag, and then headed back to Mombasa.

Border to border.  This phrase is used quite a bit by the boys in the house.  They use it to mean they've been all over the country.  They've seen most parts of Kenya, traveling from one city to the next because they're wanted, or because of "friends" or because they're tired of that city.  For whatever reason they from city to city, they eventually ended up here in Mombasa, and in the Rapha House.  They've seen and experienced so much during their time on the streets.  Experiences that I can't even imagine.  Abuse.  Drugs.  Prison.  Police.  Sex.  Violence.  Loneliness.  Homelessness.  Starvation.  When they say they've been 'border to border', some say it with such pride because they've been all over the country.  Sure I would probably take pride in that as well, but along with their traveling comes lots of baggage.  Unfortunately most of their traveling is due to necessity instead of pleasure.

Our hope here at the Rapha House is that these boys will one day experience the Kingdom of Heaven.  That they would experience the fullness of the Kingdom of Heaven, like they have experienced the fullness here in Kenya.  The one place where there is never any baggage, or anything to chase you away, but has everything you could ever need.  Several of the boys are coming closer and closer each day.  They've made a conscious decision to change their life.  They're not necessarily at the point of salvation, but they've seen the wrong in their old lifestyle of drugs and lies and sin, and have a desire to leave all of that behind.  Some more than others are slowly realizing that there's more to life than the next high, or the next girl.  As appealing as Satan makes that to them, and even to me, it only leaves us wanting more.  Step by step, these boys are slowly coming out of the darkness.  It's a slow process.  Much slower than I had ever expected, but the Lord has been faithful.  And as I've been here for almost 4 months, I look back at the beginning and see change in all of the boys.  Two in particular - Mario and Allan.

Prayer:
 - Mario and Allan - they've decided to leave behind their former life to live a more moral life.  They've heard that just doing good doesn't mean their a Christian, but only through complete faith and trust in Jesus will they true become saved.  And they still haven't taken the step of faith, but they're taking steps in the right direction.  Pray specifically for their salvation.  And also that they would be able to continue in the right direction, despite temptation and ridicule by the other boys in the house.
 - my attitude - I know we're told that we would suffer for the sake of Christ, but sometimes I feel like I can't take anymore.  Day after day of verbal (and sometimes physical) abuse is wearing.  When Jesus tells us to give up our burdens and to take His yolk, because it's light - well that's what I've been trying to do.  Sometimes it's hard, to even give up all these burdens the boys put on me, because I'm trying to prove to myself that I can handle it.  Stupid way to think eh?  But because of so, sometimes I have a poor attitude towards the boys.
 - safety - we're traveling to Nairobi this week for Thanksgiving w/ some missionaries we've never met (some relatives of Carly and Whitney).  Now we all know what happened last time in Nairobi, so prayers for safety and relaxation as we're gonna be gone for a few days.

i know, i'm lazy.

so i haven't written anything in long time.  sorry for those who check the blog every day hoping for a life changing post (which i know is all of you!).  i've been busy.  honestly though, if you ask me what i've been busy with, i wouldn't be able to tell you.  days seem like weeks, and weeks seem like months.  the week, i hit my 3 month mark - halfway through.  not sure what to think about that.  part of me is truly sad, because 3 months doesn't seem like much longer.  although the first three months have seemed a lot longer.  another part of me is super excited because there are days when i long for the conveniences of home.

anyways, here's a little blog post that i wrote for another blog (it was my week, so i was forced to do so).  so check it out.

http://raphahouseofprayer.blogspot.com

i'm no good at these titles.

things have been fairly busy here in at the rapha house.  sometimes i don't even know what day it - the days here can seem like weeks.  the Canadians finally left.  you can read a bit about our last hooray with the canadians at http://raphahouseofprayer.blogspot.com/2009/10/brandon-lee.html.

about a week ago, one of the boys, Farah called me upstairs before to talk with him.  "i have something of yours, but you can't ask any questions".  i started to wonder what he could have of mine, since my door is locked, and i know what i let them borrow.  so he dug deep into his cargo pocket, and pulled out my American cellphone.  first off, i could care less if i lost this (although Laci might have some sentimental value to her old phone).  but needless to say, i was extremely baffled.  my phone was inside my suitcase, under my bed, inside my locked room.  how would one even find that?  and if one did get into my room, why didn't they take more "expensive" items, like my laptop or ipod?  he was super ashamed to give it back to me.  after a few questions, i was able to get a some answers out of him.  all the boys inside the house knew he had the phone.  all the boys in the house suggested to sell the phone.  even at that statement, i was baffled - just shows that their trust takes such a long time to earn, and the friendship we have is only at face value.  actually earlier that same day, i went with Farah into town to run some errands, and he left me when we were done.  he went to Simon, one of our friends and also a drug dealer in the streets, to help him sell the phone.  when Simon found out he had stolen the phone from me, he encouraged him to return the phone.  man, i was blown away once again.  7 boys in the house, who've we poured into day in and day out turned their back on me in a matter of seconds, whereas this guy on the streets, who we see maybe once or twice a week, who deals drugs to anybody and everybody, has more of a conscience and moral standards than i would have ever expected.  when we were in the middle of talking, Farah started to tear up, and eventually ended up crying over his actions.  he seemed truly remorseful for what he did, and even admitted to voices inside of his head, telling him what to do.  Farah in particular has a huge spiritual battle going on inside of him.  he's done this type of deal (committing something, and then confessing w/ such remorse) several times to Carly and Valerie, but to much of our disappointment, it continues to happen time and time again.  he can't seem to shake what's inside of him, and i think mainly because he truly enjoys the life that he's living.  there are days where it seem he wants to get rid of the evil spirit inside of him, but most days, he enjoys living life in the world.  he enjoys the pleasures of satan, and deals with the consequences.

from all of this, i've realized that my relationships with the boys, as well as i think they may be, i can't let my guard down with them for one second.  they may be doing "well", trying to turn their life around, but seriously, until they have the Holy Spirit inside of them, truly helping them, they still fall back to their previous ways of life.  it sucks that i can't trust these boys, that our relationships still have penetrated their souls.  but only God can move inside them and change their lives.  we're just here to be used by God.  we're just here to show these boys the unfailing love of God.

on a good note, it's been raining here off and on for the past few days.  thank the Lord for some rain.  kenya - they're in a drought.

so some prayer requests -
 - allan update - just pray for him.
 - everything we're doing here, everything we do for the guys, everything goes back to love. 
 - continual strength in the Lord - there are bouts of discouragement within leadership - we so badly want to give these boys the gift of life, give them the promised land the Lord has set aside for them, but they so badly want to continue wondering the desert, settling for mediocrity

love love love

all you need is love - the all so familiar beatles song.  it's so true, yet so hard.  i thought i had love down.  i thought i could love people, regardless of who they are.  working with the street boys has helped to show me that love is more than just a one time thing, more than helping someone cross the street, more than something i choose to do.  it's definitely something that comes from the Lord - definitely something that i cannot do on my own.


when i arrived back to Mombasa with the three Canadians (Jesse and Curtis surprised me with another Kurtis), i was so ready to get back to the house, and hit the ground running.  i was definitely sleep deprived from the overnight bus ride.  with so much going on everyday, it's sometimes hard to keep up even on a full night's sleep.  but i think with a combination of lack of sleep and not enough time spent with the Lord, and my heart not being in it as fully as i thought, i was completely out of the loop for a few days.  during meals i had nothing to share.  during the evenings, our most one-on-one time w/ the boys, i had no desire to engage in any type of conversation.  any little thing they would do, not even to me, i would harbor a bit of bitterness towards them.  when they would talk to me, i would snap back at them a quick response thus ending the conversation.  i had absolutely no desire to be around them, despite my whole reason for being here.


i quickly realized that the love that i have for these boys is definitely not something that i can do on my own.  i cannot love them with my own strength like i thought.  i thought that maybe i would need a little boost from God to give me that extra love since i've never worked with such a people group.  but definitely not.  i to be completely filled with His love day in and day out.  and i can sense when i have no more love to hand out to these boys.

more recently, as i wanted to post this sometime last week, we've had even more visitors.  Valerie's dentist - Dr. Harty - and two other ladies, visited for a total of 30 hours.  we were a little bummed that their visit was so short, but the Lord proved to be in charge of the time they spent here.  from 5:30 with our breakfast devos, they were on the go, making the most of their time spent here.  during the day, they were involved with our prayer meetings, and also helped Whitney out with her outreach to young street boys.  during dinner, Dr. Harty and Kurtis shared some power testimonies that got the boys thinking quite a bit.  the Lord definitely had His presence in this house that whole day, and i know that the boys felt something different.  after testimonies, several of them joined us for prayer, and said they felt a sense of peace within the room.  i mean, come on, if you walk into a room, and are hit with a wall of peace, you know that somethings going on.

allan update -
allan has been doing well.  he doesn't seem to have the same eagerness about the Lord that he had a week ago.  but he hasn't slipped back into his old habits again.  i think that the Lord is still working in his heart.

also, samuel and mohamed.  both have shown extreme interest in changing their lives, but still haven't made a commitment.  so if you could keep these three boys in your prayers, we all would appreciate it.

ps - you should check out http://raphahouseofprayer.blogspot.com

Naurobi - a mugging, some crocodile, and Naftali

what a huge roller coaster ride.  it started off not so good, and ended so good.  first off, taking a night bus from mombasa to nairobi isn't the most exciting adventure.  the ride is usually about 7 hours, from about 10:00 pm to about 5:00 am.  and about a quarter of the road is unpaved.  with buses barely passing each other, holding on for dear life, the occasional scent of sweat, it's hard to sleep.  but the day before i leave, i try to get myself pretty sleep deprived, so that i'm pretty tired on the ride.  this trip, we did arrive in nairobi at 5:00 am.  i slept on the bus for an hour, until they told me i had to leave.  so i grabbed by duffel bag and my backpack and headed out towards the buses in town to get to where i was staying.  i was walking for two minutes when i heard the words "mazungu" (meaning white person, although i'm not white...), and next thing i knew, i was being strangled from behind.  i felt a hand shuffling through each pocket, and can't remember what happened next.  i assume i passed out for a few minutes, and when i came to, what had happened seemed like a dream.  i laid on the ground for a few minutes, trying to gather my thoughts and put together the pieces.  i had all my clothes on, i couldn't see a darn thing, and was lying down on my back on concrete.  then i realized that it wasn't a dream, but i was actually just mugged.  i turned on my hands and knees, and searched for my glasses.  luckily i found them, in tact.  as i was searching, a gracious man picked up a pen the thieves left, and handed it to me.  bless him.  i stuck the pen in my pocket, and quickly went back to the bus stage (or station) to hail a taxi to my destination.  God definitely was protecting me.  the muggers took my phone and my duffel bag, containing only clothes and gifts for my Compassion child.  thankfully, my backpack they decided to leave alone, which contained my passport, money, ya know the important stuff.  also they didn't physically try and hurt me, only to restrain me to take my stuff.  which was also another huge blessing, because i'm sure from the arm around my neck that they could have done some serious damage to me.

later that evening, I met up with the two canadians, Jesse and Curtis, and their buddy Kurtis.  we decided to head out to dinner.  i suggested Carnivore, a brazilian steakhouse well known for their exotic meat.  they had been their earlier that week, and suggested another place called Pampa Grill.  i agreed.  turns out, it was another lesser known brazilian steakhouse, cheaper and fancier than Carnivore.  chicken wings, beef hump and ribs, upper and lower beef, pork ribs, pork, lamb leg, fish, turkey.  all delicious meat.  but we were most excited about the two wild game they had their - camel and crocodile!  camel was pretty tender and a bit gamey.  crocodile tasted a lot like fish, just a bit tougher.  it was altogether lovely.  after seriously stuffing our faces until we could handle no more, we decided to go ice skating - i know, who knew they would have ice skating in kenya!  i actually didn't go because i have some pretty bad sores on my feet, but i used my professional photography skills to capture some sweet images.

monday, morning was declared a national holiday in Kenya because of Ramadan just a week prior.  but since i had arranged this date several months in advance, we decided to go for the Compassion visit.  i made it up to the center where Naftali, my kid who's 7, usually comes for his weekly programs on saturday.  there, we were able to meet for the first time.  it was so cool to see him, and then also to meet his younger brother, older sister, and mother.  we were sitting around a table having a nice little chit chat.  they were trying to compare me to the picture i had sent them earlier.  and they said they would not have recognized me walking down the street from the picture.  i like to think i look the same from two years ago.  we headed to their house, to see where they live.  the graciously invited me inside, and we presented each other with gifts - they got me a pretty fetch bracelet.  and i helped them out with some food.  we were able to play some football with his friends outside his house.  together we headed back to the center.  the center provided two baby avacado tress for Naftali and i to plant.  so together we planted them both.  (and each saturday when Naftali comes to the center, it's his responsibility to water them, so hopefully this will be a lasting memory for him.)  and then we had some lunch together, a real treat, with meat and soda.  and then some more time to hang out together playing soccer.  it truly was a blessing for me to be able to meet who i'm supporting, and for his family to meet me.  i definitely enjoyed seeing his family and where he lives, and just spending time with him.  although the language barrier was a pretty big disappointment, we were still able to enjoy each other's company and the international sport of football.

so now i'm back in mombasa, at the daily grind.  jesse and curtis are here with me, and we're all excited to see how God will be able to use this time, and all these people for His glory in the lives of the boys.  i think that satan will try and attack the boys during this time because the presence of God will be so strong in this house.  so please pray for us the next week.  pray that we will be able to stand firm against satan, and to be able to shine light into the lives of the boys.  that we would not go weary during this fight, but yet continue to rely on daily strength from the Lord.

(ps - if you haven't already, check out carly's latest post at http://raphahouseofprayer.blogspot.com)

me, naftali and my bracelet

me and naftali with his family

me and naftali planting our tree

salvation - part 3

since the showing of "the cross and the switchblade", our nightly Bible study for the boys has been mainly about salvation - trying to expose these boys to the Holy Spirit. so much head knowledge from these boys. they can spit out answers, even better than me sometimes, but only because it's all rote memorization from school. usually during these Bible studies, most of them are sitting doing their own thing - sleeping, twiddling their thumbs, gazing off into who knows what. Allan Smith (he liked the last name Smith) is one of the boys trying to pay attention. there's seriously a battle within him, trying to win his soul. you can tell each night, as he listens eagerly. just last night, after Bible study, he went straight to bed because he had a lot on his mind. he's expressed some of his temptations and his desire to "do good" to me. he has a desire to read more of the Bible, and even called me today during class to write an explanation of a verse for him. the Holy Spirit is definitely working in his life, but as of yet, he has failed to accept the Holy Spirit in his life. he can tell you that people need to accept the Holy Spirit in order for salvation, but that has not sunk into his heart yet.

Allan Smith

more good news is that I'm headed to Nairobi this weekend to see my sponsor child. that's not really the best news. here it is - i'm headed back next tuesday with the two canadians, Curtis and Jessie, that visited us earlier. they've finished their work in the Congo, and have a desire to help out at the house during their last two weeks in Africa. what a huge blessing. with Allan's spiritual struggle, and our huge desire for all the boys salvation, God's timing of allowing them to join us could not be any better. even up to this day, the boys still talk about the activities and teachings we did while Curtis and Jessie was first here. so we're praying that their extended time with us will have a huge impact on the boys and us as well.

God's laid it on my heart recently to learn more about His righteousness. not only that, but about my righteousness. how i can become more righteous in my life. how i can display God's righteousness to the boys in the house. it's something i've never really studied before, so we'll see how God will open doors, and give me wisdom on the subject.

prayer:
- Allan - that the Holy Spirit would continue to touch his life, and remove him from the darkness
- Curtis and Jessie - that they would bring a strong Godly presence into the house and the lives of the boys
- that I would seek after God's righteousness and learn how to become righteous like him - either through His word, relationships, sermons, whatever it takes.

salvation part 2

so actually, the other night, we presented salvation to the boys.  we read a testimony from the book "the cross and the switchblade", by david wilkerson.  the testimony was of nicky cruz, who was a former gang member in NYC.  a lot of his testimony and experiences in life resonate with the boys in the house.  we talked about how the Holy Spirit can come into a person's life, and totally change a person's life; remove struggles and temptation; perform miracles that people could not even imagine.  we held an open invitation for the boys to come and receive the Holy Spirit, but only if they truly desired to change.  only if they truly desired to give up everything to follow God.  it was disheartening to know that none of the boys even had a little desire to truly change.  none of them wanted the transformation that nicky cruz experienced.  it was their first exposure to salvation.  it was their first time hearing about the Holy Spirit becoming apart of them and changing their lives.

tonight, we're planning on watching the movie "the cross and the switchblade" based off the book.  we're coming at them with another opportunity to allow the Holy Spirit to move powerfully through similar situations.  the book is about david wilkerson and how he started off as a country preacher in PA and felt called by God to minister to gangs in NYC.  a revival started within the gangs of NYC.  and we're hoping this movie will allow the Holy Spirit to move in the lives of our boys here at the Rapha House.

so our biggest prayer request right now is for the salvation of the boys.  not that i didn't realize before, but we definitely need the Holy Spirit to move in them for anything to happen.  our work is in vain if we're not moving along side of Him.  we all feel that we need to step up the level of maturity within the house, and that next step is salvation of the boys.

salvation

the salvation of these boys is still non existent.  after having been off the streets for 9 months and in a house of the Lord, with constant teachings and head knowledge of the Bible, they still revert back to money or drugs or worldly things to satisfy their problems.  there are days where things are going well, and days, well, i just want to leave.  these boys totally remind me of Israel, constantly getting the blessing of God, and constantly turning their back on Him.  God pulling them out of hard situations, but Israel turning to thank their idols.  God revealing Himself in so many ways, but Israel not acknowledging. i know God has me here for a reason, but frustration sets in when sometimes it seems like our work here is in vain.  i know it's not, but honestly, it seems like God wants these boys to follow Him - so why not snap a finger and make it happen?  why not give us our desire to change these boys lives?  obviously, none of this is part of His plan at the moment.  obviously He wants us to "struggle" through our current situation for specific reasons.

if i could leave you with one prayer request - it would be that us leaders here (carly, valerie, whitney, pastor salito, sondra, and myself) would align our work here in Mombasa with God's plan.  that we would continue to trust that God has these boys lives in His hands, and that our work here is not in vain.  that despite our human flaws, we would be able to continue seeing and loving these boys as sons of God.

new blog

ok. so i don't have a new blog. but the girls here in Mombasa do. it's http://raphahouseofprayer.blogspot.com. for those of you who have followed carly and valerie in the past (via http://cerakmorrellupdate.blogspot.com), this new one should be much better. they are going to try and update weekly about happenings, personal stories, praises, whatever is on their heart. although i maybe a guest poster on that blog, i will still continue to remain true to my one and only blog.

work and play

it isn't all fun and games here in mombasa. sometimes i actually have to do work.

Enock, Allan, Mohamed, Samuel
So Tuesday was the first day of school.


Mohamed had a new bag given to him for school. There were some surprises left for him in the bag by the previous female owner.

back to school, back to school, to show my dad that i'm not a fool

so school starts tomorrow for all but two guys. it's funny, because all of these guys are in level 8 (basically 8th grade), and are much bigger than their fellow peers. sometimes their school friends come over, and to see them interact is pretty funny. one would never imagine them to be friends. amazingly, the guys in the house have accepted the fact that their much older, and aren't too troubled by it. one starts his last term of his second to last year of schooling (their in 3 terms a year). next week, and the other, we're working on getting into an art school. i'm so excited for this. not only for them to continue in their education, but also for a break, a more structured schedule, and the discipline they'll be getting in school (not that i want them to get into trouble, but being disciplined at school helps with their discipline at home). i'm ready for more "alone" time w/ the leaders and in prayer. the most excellent thing about them being in school, is that it's basically all day - 6 am they leave the house; 6ish they come home. so the whole morning/afternoon is "free". whitney and i are planning on building some relationships w/ the younger boys in the streets, and having them over to the house once or twice a week to get them off the streets for an afternoon, while loving them. other than that, i'm not sure what all i have planned during the school days. maybe some arrested development. maybe some event planning. maybe chillin with the neighbors. maybe some ministry organization. whatever's going i'm, i think that it'll be very different, and less chaotic than my first month here.

zaora

this is zaora. our cook's daughter. i think i'm in love.

get to know...

here's a couple of canadians who visited. they posted a video of the guys in the house introducing themselves.

http://curtisandjesse.blogspot.com/2009/08/boys-from-rapha-house.html

safari

Enock and Me

'safari' in swahili means journey (not the band). And boy, have I been on a safari this past week.

I literally went on a safari with a with two of my friends here, Derek and Melissa. We went to Masai Mara, a wildlife park in Kenya, that's an extension of the Serengeti Desert in Tanzania. It's the best park to go on a safari in Kenya hands down! And even at this time, it's even more amazing because the zebras and wildebeests are migrating together, so the park is filled with both of them. We were able to see 4 of the Big 5 - which is a named dubbed by hunters to the 5 hardest animals to hunt - elephant, cheetah, rhino, hippo and buffalo. Our tour guide Fred took us around the 700 square mile park, and we were able to see all but the rhino. To see these animals in their natural surroundings and not in captivity was incredible. 10 feet, 5 feet, we were almost close enough to touch God's creation in the wild. We were able to see the in their natural surrounds grazing, preying, eating, chillin. A lion and a lioness were taking a snooze in the grass 10 feet away from our car. 3 cheetahs were on the prey, stalking gazelles, having to maneuver around our car we were so close. A lion laying tired next to his kill is much different than seeing a lion in a zoo eat torn up meat given to him. Staring at buffalo hoping they'll move and not ram us is much different than watching them lazily stand around in captivity.

Just like the safari in Masai Mara, I've also been on a journey getting to know these boys. Each and every day I'm faced with challenges to get to know them on a deeper level. I think I've loosened up to them a lot, and they've seen that in me, and have in turn started to loosen up to me. Several of them have confided in me about their daily activities, about their past, about their lives in general. It feels great to be accepted by these boys, when I'm sure they feel just the same to be accepted by us. I was even invited by one of the boys, Enock, to where he grew up - his aunt's house in Nakuru - about a 9 hour bus from Mombasa. So immediately after my safari in Masai Mara, I made the trek to Nakuru to meet his aunt. Only by the grace of God, did I make it to Nakuru safely without any troubles. 2006 was the last time Enock had any contact with any of his family. So for 3 years, his family only imagined the worse, and thought Enock was dead. So after much excitement and disbelief, they finally accepted the fact that Enock was alive and well in Mombasa. Another blessing was that his mother was randomly visiting his aunt during Enock's visit. So he was able to see his mother, of whom he wasn't sure where she was. To catch a little glimpse of Enock's past, to hear a bit more of his history, to see where he grew up - I feel so blessed to be apart of this. I've entered a new journey in my relationship with Enock that hopefully will allow him to see that I truly care and love him for who he is. That is my wish with all the boys in the house. That it doesn't matter where they came from, what they've done, how they got here, but only who they are and the decisions they make now.

I've only just begun my safari into the lives of each of these boys, some further along than others. But hopefully, with the grace of God, they'll open their hearts and minds and allow me to enter their world, a world which they have let nobody into.

prayers:

first and foremost - The safari I've been with each boy. Hopefully they will continue to see me for who I am, and that in turn they will allow me to see them for who they really are. Specifically here are the names of each of the boys (in order of who i feel i have the strongest relationship with):
- Enock
- Farah
- Allan
- Mario
- John
- Samuel
- Muhammed

wisdom - Understanding how to deal with and handle these boys and situations that I encounter. Every day I'm faced with little things, such as them asking for money, or more clothes, or more "stuff". They maybe happy with such things if I give it to them, but really it's something deeper that they want and need.

love - I always thought I knew how to love people. Come to find out, that's not true at all. Love is all these guys want, and they are constantly testing my dedication to loving them. I'm realizing what sacrificial love is, and it's hard. Prayer that I'll just continue to unconditionally love these boys, and that I will be constantly overflowed with love.

chicken killing

my friend who soon died.



his blood.

go karts w/ the guys

identity

So the missions team is gone (but we actually have two extra Canadians till the weekend), and things have quieted down a little bit. We’ve been allowing the boys in the house to have some free time, to relax from the craziness of last week. But Thursday, we started a 3-day mini-series on identity for the boys of the house. This came about because there are 4 male muzungu’s (white person) here (me, Derek and two of his friends). We talked about our identity in God, and how we should be MOG (men of God), like King David (1 Chronicles 11). This entails having integrity and self-control, being a man after God’s own heart, turning the other check…etc. But we also talked about how David was not a perfect man either, and how he lied, committed adultery, and even murdered. But the fact that David repented (Psalm 51) and was truly sorry for his actions, he was forgiven by Jehovah Rapha (the Lord Healer). The Rapha boys seemed truly interested, as I’m sure they’ve all been in situations where they’ve encountered sin such as David (or even worse), and still have not been completely forgiven of it. We also talked about male/female relationships – how to treat them, and how to keep sexually pure. Most of them have been sexually abused and active, so I think it’s important for them to know that the Bible is serious about sexual purity, and that fooling around before marriage, or what has happened to them previously is not acceptable. And even just this morning, we talked about responsibility – the responsibility we have because we are MOG, and how we need to take responsibility for the actions we commit.

The Rapha boys have had their identity in such Satanic situations for a lot of their lives, and so for us to help them change has been such a challenge. Some days, even some minutes, they can be your best friend, laughing and joking, but one small action or response can trigger something in their heart, allowing Satan to take a hold and control them. Therefore lashing out in anger at us leaders or each other. The boys are fighting hard to turn their identity towards Christ, but Satan has such a stronghold on their lives, it’s hard for them to be free in Christ. In the past few days, I’ve seen Satan control and use these boys for his glory. I’ve witnessed my first knife fight, trying to restrain the victim who’s probably 100lbs more than me. Thankfully nobody was seriously injured. I’ve “strolled” through the slum-ish village in pitch dark (with the help of some of the other boys) to help bring back one of them who wanted to leave the house. I’ve seen (or so I’ve been told) one of the boys possessed. Not to scare or brag about what I’ve encountered, but to inform you that this battle of rehabilitating street kids is definitely more than just meeting physical needs. These boys have been in places and apart of situations that many Americans could never imagine themselves in; places that are inviting to Satan and his powers. Not all things have been bad. You can definitely see glimpses of Christ shining through their lives, and how they treat each other. The joy of sitting down with them and talking about their lives, and to see how much they’ve learned and been changed within the past 9 months (since they’ve been living at this house) is so incredible. The boys have their identity torn between Satan and God. So our prayer is to point them in the right direction so their full identity could be solid in Christ. They have tons of knowledge about Christ. They know the Bible so well. All around the house are scriptures or uplifting sayings, which they all can quote. But all this knowledge is useless, unless they put it into action. So that’s what we’re trying to do now – show them that they need to act out their thoughts, so their identity can be grounded in Christ, so that they can become Men of God.

Prayer:

- wisdom – I’ve been humbled so many times, when the boys call me out on things I’ve done wrong to them. They see more than I think. So wisdom in living my life. Also the spiritual battle is so evident here, and so I’ve encountered situations in which I don’t know how to handle. Often times the boys will come to me with their minor problems, which can turn into a huge situation if not handled correctly because it’s not really a minor problem – there’s an underlying spiritual battle that’s going on.
- strength/rest, love, patience – as before, these are things that I thought I had a handle on, but living here has stretched me further than ever. I’ve never felt so physically, emotionally, and spiritually drained as I have in the past few weeks. 
- adjusting to Kenyan time – everything is 15, 30 or an hour late. I knew I was structured at home, but didn’t realize how dependent I was on structure and organization. So I get really frustrated when things don’t happen when they should. Instead I need to accept and understand that this isn’t America, and this is how things happen around here.

empty

Man, so I’ve only been here for a week, and it feels like months! I got here in the afternoon on Thursday, the 30th. A missions team from Gaylord, MI arrived the next morning. And since that time, we’ve been “catering to” the missions team. There’s been so much going on, I just unpacked my bags two days ago! Don’t get me wrong, I glad that they’re here, but it would have been great to have a bit more time to adjust to the culture and such. (Thank God that I adjusted to the time quickly. My first night, I didn’t go to sleep until 11 PM that evening, and ever since then, I’ve been on Kenyan time.)

The 7 boys in the Rapha House (Samuel, Enoch, Mohammed, Mario, John, Allen, and Farah) – I feel like they are family already. They have quickly accepted me into their household, with me moving in and Carly and Valerie moving out of the house, just one day after I arrive. With some words of caution from Car/Val, and even seeing it first hand, these boys are literally going to be a handful (which maybe a bit of an understatement). Even Rachel (the Irish who wishes she were American) thinks that I have been given too much responsibility too quickly. All I can do is rely on God for strength and endurance. These boys demand constant attention. But yet, when it comes down to it, they all have such sweet souls, and are quite funny. One example is the other night, one of the boys John was pretty sad all evening. After the Americans (missions team) left our house, he was downstairs in the prayer room. I asked him if he needed anything and he snapped at me, and told me no. 10 minutes passed before I talked to him again, and I asked if I could pray with Him. There he poured out his heart before both God and me about his concern of Mario (who was sick w/ dysentery), and also for his American team he was placed into for ministry this week. My heart sank and his was mourning over his friend who was in the hospital for treatment. These boys are just like you and me. They can look tough on the outside, but on the inside, they are just as soft and have a desire of love, just like any one of us.

All this week I’ve been constantly praying for strength to make it through the day. Strength to continue doing physical work around the house, but also mental and spiritual strength to pour into these boys, and to build up their character in all aspects. I feel as if each day, I’m so drained from talking, enjoying others, loving, encouraging, organizing, and the list goes on, that there’s no way I can do this all on my own. I think I’m starting to understand this whole process of being filled with love – being constantly filled with love because I’m pouring it out. Once the missions team leaves tomorrow, things will become a little (just a little) less chaotic.

I was reading James on the plane and here’s what he says in 1:27 – Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” What an appropriate verse for the beginning of that book.

The Lord has definitely blessed me so far, and the time the group from MI has spent here. I’ve seen multiple miracles of healing (both physical and spiritual) within and outside of our group. I’ve seen such incredible leadership given both by the boys in the house, and the group from MI. I’ve seen great growth desire in people’s walks with God. I’ve seen relationships being built, all in the name of Jesus. The Lord has also given me enough strength to get through each day, as well as an overflow of love for His people here in Mombasa. An Indian family who invited all of us over to their house for an authentic Indian meal also blessed our group yesterday.

Some prayer:

• Rapha boys – these boys have so many deeply rooted issues, and hurts and struggles that I can’t even begin to imagine. They’ve lived on the streets with a life of drugs, starvation, sexual promiscuity, no family/love, things we don’t think about because we are so blessed. These boys need constant loving and caring. Although they’re fairly well adjusted to “normal society” (i.e. – living in a house, eating 3 meals a day, having rules, going to school…), they still are tempted and haunted all the time by their past.
• continual overflow of strength, love and patience– loving on these boys is so difficult. As Jesus wants to give us the gift of life, only if we surrender, we also want to show these boys love, only if they let us. Sometimes it’s hard to accept something that you have never seen or don’t understand. Just the patience and strength to love and love and love.
• Momboxini – this is the main slum in Mombasa, where most of the boys in Rapha house come from this slum, and it’s an extremely evil place. Yesterday, when we were there, Satan took over, and fights broke out, and a mini-riot was going on – over food. Thank God nobody in our team was hurt.
• Guidance/direction and wisom – Car/Val are giving me a lot of responsibility in this house, mainly because I’m a guy, leading a house of guys. So direction on where the Lord wants me to bring these boys, and how to challenge them in their faith. Direction on where Car/Val want this house to go, and what they want to do w/ their ministry in Momboxini and other places in Mombasa. Wisdom on how to deal w/ deeply rooted issues each boy possess, and how to handle situations that I’ve never encountered.