Stories from Ethiopia and Kenya

To be honest, I'm feeling a bit at a loss for words, or maybe more a loss for writing. As I think about what to share with my friends, there are thoughts formulating in my mind but they don't feel like they are going to transfer to the blog very well.

As I transition back into the swing of daily life I keep coming back to these words of Jesus from Luke 12:48 "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."

Not in a burdensome way but in a joyful "Oh Lord, you created me how you did and allowed me to be born where I was born, allowed me to have education and food and health....please, please, please, let me reflect you with all that I am and all that I have..."



I wish I could introduce you to my friends who I learned so much from in such a short amount of time. But since I can't introduce you to them, I'd like to tell you their stories...

Meet Fred and Alice. They have 3 children, help lead a network of churches in the Nairobi area, help run a school for 300 children and a home for 30. There are children who have a roof, food, education, and hear the love of Christ, because Fred and Alice know that the joy of the Lord is their strength....Proverbs 19:17 "He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done"

Derek, Cindy (with Fred and Alice's youngest daughter River), me, Alice and Fred


One of the classes at Candlelight School that Fred and Alice help run

Meet Rosemary. She is 8 months pregnant, works 40 hours a week and spends her Saturdays and Sunday afternoons walking with her husband to tell people about the love of Christ. When she gets tired, she prays that the Lord will give her strength. Oh Lord, give me that kind of fervor...

Rosemary, me, her daughter and husband

People want to be known. I was amazed when one of the boys I had seen last October walked up to me and said "Hi Kate". He remembered my name. His name is Martin. Martin reminded me that I want to spend my life knowing people and showing them the love of Christ.


Me and Martin

There is a group of beautiful, young girls at Fountain of Life who spend their days ministering with the church on a volunteer basis and then they go to class in the evenings - for hours, every evening. Those women remind me that life is not about being comfortable, being organized or being scheduled...it's about living abundantly and trusting that God will provide.


The Fountain of Life team with our group

I come back reminded that this is the truth I want to live by. Luke chapter 12...

²²Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. ²³Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. ²⁴Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! ²⁵Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? ²⁶Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

²⁷"Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ²⁸If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! ²⁹And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. ³⁰For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. ³¹But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

³²"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. ³³Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. ³⁴For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

And at the end of that chapter...From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

Will you join me in spending yourself on behalf of the hungry out of the riches God has given you? Let's remind each other that we want to provide purses for ourselves that will not wear out...we want to store up treasure in heaven, not here on earth.

Here are a few more pictures, and there's an album on my facebook page.


Me and Brian, he also lives at the Fountain of Life home



One of the church plants from a church we visited in Woliso Ethiopia


A real live dust storm...amazing


Matthew 4:19 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."


The Mathare slums


This flower was right outside the door where we stayed in Kenya


Fountain of Hope ministry team


(Left) Victoria and her siblings. Victoria is a smart little girl. Pray that her grandmother will have the money for Victoria to see an eye doctor and to send her and her siblings to school


Revelation 21 ^"3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

⁵He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."

⁶He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. ⁷He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

PS - More pictures HERE

Battle...

¹⁰Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. ¹²For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. - Ephesians 6

There are good things happening, all over the world, but specifically at World Orphans. I would ask you to pray for the staff and their families, for God's protection. For more details and more ways to pray click HERE.

And pray for the team I'll be traveling with to Ethiopia and Kenya from March 10-March 21. Pray that it would be a mutually encouraging time as we visit with our brothers and sisters who are caring for orphans. Pray also that our eyes would be opened, that we would have a better picture of the Kingdom of God and the church of Jesus Christ. Pray that we'll be honoring to Christ in how we handle ourselves.

We have the opportunity to participate in three HisKids Sports outreach events, pray that we'll learn from those and that it will be good for the team and for the communities we'll be spending time with.

Many, many thanks...look for pictures and thoughts from the trip when I get back!

A secret...

John Chapter 2 verses 1-11:
"On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."

"Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come."

His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."

Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.

Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim.

Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet."

They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."

This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him."

I taught about this story for two and three year-old children this past Sunday and I am captivated by it. This is the first miracle Jesus does, it says He revealed His glory and his disciples put their faith in him. But...other than the disciples and the servants, no one knew what he had done!! The master thought the bridegroom had saved the best wine for last and the bridegroom probably had no idea where it came from!

But...the servants were the ones who got to participate. They were the ones who filled the jars with water and then brought the wine to the master of the banquet. What does that say about on whom and where Jesus places value!!

Okay, so I don't have servants. But, I desperately desire to reflect the heart of Jesus...and I just love how he secretly shared his miracle with the servants...

A challenge

Blood: Water Mission is putting out a challenge - if you'd like to participate, here are the details:

"Make water your ONLY beverage for 40 DAYS starting MARCH 1 and ending APRIL 9. Gather your friends and join in solidarity with our African brothers and sisters in an effort to provide clean water for communities in need. As you do so, we ask that you keep track of what money you would have typically spent on other drinks throughout the day and save that money. At the end of 40 days donate what you saved to Blood:Water. Imagine, if you saved $5 a day just by cutting out a visit to your local bar or barista, then you’d save $200 in 40 days. That’s enough to provide clean water for 200 people for an entire year!"