November 29, 2009

We left Cape Town with a lot to think about.  One huge impression on my heart (Pam) was the impact that one local church can have on a community.  I fell in love with John and Avril Thomas, pastor and wife of King of Kings Baptist Centre.   They have been at King of Kings for 23 years and have a love for people that is contageous.  John and Avril have motivated their church to make a huge difference.

One example is the sign on the front of the church that says, "Safe Baby Drop".  There are signs posted all around town that say: "Don't drop your baby in the dump, but take it to the Safe Baby Drop".  The church receives babies that mothers don't want or can't take care of. Before "Safe Baby Drop" was offered mothers were just leaving these helpless infants to die in the community dump.  

The second impression is the opportunity to send teams to serve in Cape Town.  If we adopt a shanty town neighborhood in Cape Town it would mean sending monthly support for a small staff who serve daily in that neighborhood. We would also send teams from Summit once or twice a year to help with kid's clubs, medical, dental, concerts and whatever else may be needed.  There is also a great need for volunteers to work for extended stays, like 1 month to 6 months, to even a year or more.  These would be people with medical skills, RN, administration skills like book keeper, secretary, etc.  My mind is spinning with ideas. 

Thank you for your prayers in our travels.  It certainly has been a stirring trip for us both and has made an impact on our hearts. 

We love you.

Pam

November 25, 2009

Yesterday and today Pam and I have been exposed to one of the most amazing local churches we have ever seen. The positive impact that King of Kings Baptist Centre is making in the greater Cape Town region is almost impossible to describe. They have taken the vision of externally focused ministy to an entirely new level. I don't know of any church in the USA that even comes close to the impact King of Kings is making.

Our encounter began yesterday morning with a tour of the church's 22 bed HIV-AIDS in-patient treatment center. Amazingly, because of new medications for the treatment of HIV-AIDS, 85% of the affected patients now leave the clinic and return home. A room in the clinic that used to be a morg has now been turned into a pantry because so few people who are properly treated now die from HIV-AIDS.

Much of the credit for this medical progress is given by local leaders to former President Bush. Apparently, President Bush's efforts to speed anti-retro-viral medications to Africa is credited with saving 1.8 million lives and preventing 4 million additional orphans.

A very poor photo of a very impressive HIV-AIDS treatment facility

Next, we toured the campus of the church's vocational training center. The facility used to house a government training program, but has now been leased to the church. The vision for a vocational training center grew out of the realization that there is a very close connection in Africa between HIV-AIDS and poverty. So, to eradicate the disease the root of poverty must be addressed.

Vocational training center and small business incubator

We had lunch with the senior pastor's wife, Avril. She is a very lovely woman who is the heart and soul of the church's community outreach ministries. She has spearheaded many of the various efforts that are now in place. Avril grew up in Zimbabwe. She and her husband, John, have been married for 25 years and they have served at King of Kings for 23 years. Among many other things, we discussed with Avril the possibility of Summit helping with a program to provide dental care in the shanty towns. This is one of the few areas the church has not yet been able to address.

Yesterday afternoon we spent helping at a Life Skills children's club in a settlement called Capricorn-Overcome. The church operates several of these Life Skills centers in various locations in the Cape Town metro area. These shanty towns are places of extreme poverty which co-exist right next to first-world communities. About 8,000 children are being assisted in the church's Life Skills centers every week. The training includes Bible lessions, games, crafts, basic hygiene lessons, a decent meal and help with school work. Each Life Skill center also offers HIV-AIDS testing and counseling.

Memory verse at Life Skills center in Overcome (shanty town)

The Life Skills center at Overcome meets in a shipping container

Today, Pam and I spent the morning helping prepare a meal and then serving at the church's homeless shelter. We had an amazing time serving about 60 homeless people. The church's ministry provides meals, showers and vocational counseling to help get people off the streets and into productive roles in society. Last year 42 people transitioned from "homeless" to "productive" through this ministry.

Chopping vegitables for lunch for the homeless

We had lunch today with John Thomas, the Senior Pastor of this amazing church. All in all, it has been a whirlwind experience. Pam and I are completely convinced that Summit can become a very strategic partner in this amazing fruit-bearing ministry.

Peace and blessing.

Steve and Pam

November 24, 2009

Sunday afternoon we had an amazing opportunity to visit the home of Ruth, a Massai girl that Summit helped go to high school 4 years ago.  We were invited into her house and served hot tea made with milk and sugar. She was going to be sold into marriage at age 14 when the short term group from Summit was in Kenya serving in 2005.  That same year her father took a second wife that was 15 years old (just a year older than Ruth).  The family was very appreciative of this financial help and gave us traditional Massai beaded jewelery they had made.  Ruth is the only female in the history of her family to have gone on to high school.  She was instrumental in her family's coming to Christ. Because of what Summit did for Ruth, the chief of her tribe as well as another chief in the area will not allow girls to be sold into marriage at a young age any longer.  Ruth is waiting for the results of her test which will determine if she can continue with her education.  She wants to be an accountant or a teacher.

Pam and Ruth in her Massai mud home

Steve, Pam, Ruth's mom and baby, Ruth, Ruth's dad

We were given the Massai necklaces as a thank you gift.

Blessings,

Pam and Steve

November 23, 2009

We left Nairobi, Kenya early this morning and arrived in Cape Town, South Africa a few hours ago. Let me share some impressions about our days in Kenya.

We spent the first full day with Sammy and Shannon Murithi learning about their ministry. We mostly listened and asked questions. Sammy is involved with leadership training. His passion is to coach Kenyan national pastors helping them to achieve greater effectiveness in their efforts to advance God's purposes. We spent the day talking at a small game reserve located not far from Nairobi. It was a very African environment to discover more about their ministry.
                                                                                               

Pam with Sammy and Shannon Murithi

While we were spending the day together we began to see the first of many, many African animals we saw during our time in Kenya. On this day we saw zebras, giraffes and water bucks.

Saturday morning we met two men that Sammy and Shannon work with in leadership training. Both men are engaged in efforts to reach people for Christ in northern Kenya and southern Ethiopia. They thrilled us with inspiring stories of how the Lord was working. This past August their efforts resulted in over twenty small new churches being established primarily among unreached peoples.

Steve, Pam, Pastor I, Pastor G and Sammy

Saturday afternoon and Sunday we ventured into Massai country which is out in the bush. We drove two hours on pavement and then two hours on a very rough "sort of" road which led us to a small town called Naarosura. We spent the night in a very nice home (by Massai standards) owned by a man named Sammy (not Murithi...another Sammy). He is Massai but you would never know it. He is a very prosperous famer who has two children studying in the university. Sammy has worked with many missions organizations over the years and offered great insights into how to effectively help people. Sammy and his wife served us a wonderful meal. By the time Pam and I hit the sack we were really, really tired.

Pam, Emily, Sammy and Richard (our Massai translator)

Sunday morning we went to the place where Summit built two water wells for the Massai. They had prepared a special service to thank us for Summit's concern and investment. The wells have been recently damaged by the local elephant population and we discussed ways that Summit might provide a more permanent solution to their water shortage. Water is life and when draught hits it can be terrible. The road was littered with cows that had died due to the recent draught. The highlight was being in a church service with the local Massai people.

Sunday morning Massai church service

Steve preaching...the adults were in the back.

Massai folks gathered after church service.

We had a great time with Sammy and Shannon and their two twin boys. We bid good-bye to Kenya this morning and now are in Cape Town. We are very excited to see the ministry here.

More later.

In Christ's love,

Steve and Pam

November 20, 2009

Hello everyone,

We are in Naarosura, Kenya which is way off the beaten path. We're on our way to church in Ntuka where Summit paid to have water wells installed some time ago. All is well. I will write more tonight when we get back to Nairobi.

Peace.

Steve and Pam

November 18, 2009

Well, here we are in London for a few hours enroute to Kenya. We spent all night on the flight from DFW. You can learn a lot of things about yourself on an overnight flight in the coach seats of an airplane. Let me explain.

Pam arrranged for us to have bulk-head seats to provide more leg room. That was cool. But after the plane was enroute the flight attendants moved a mother with a tiny baby to the seat right next to us. That was not cool. :) Right away I heard the waa-waa-waa I mentioned in my sermon last weekend. And it wasn't me doing the waa-waa-waa. At least at first. But after a while I started to get pretty grumpy.

Until, that is, I recalled that the mother next to us was not unlike my family with four tiny kids who traveled many, many times back and forth on overnight flights to South America while we were missionaries. When I remembered that, I chilled out and felt a lot more compassionate toward the mother and her baby. The child was up most of the night and I'm sure the mom felt quite tired and maybe a bit embarrassed to be keeping everyone else up.

All this to say, it's so easy to slip into the flesh and think we are the center on the universe..even while we're on a mission trip to serve the Lord! Happily, this time I caught myself and I really focused on living in the power of God's Spirit. Getting only 30 minutes of sleep didn't even really bother me---honest!

I am resolved to live with gratitude and joy today!! This is the day the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it!

Steve and Pam

November 17, 2009

Well, we're off and running. Our flight to DFW went fine. I read five magazines while we were on the flight. One article in Christianity Today was about how Christian musicians are helping to fight global poverty. Very cool. Pam and I want very much to make a difference regarding global poverty. I came to Christ in a left-handed way after exploring Marxism. What impressed me about Marxism was the idea of transforming the world to a more just society. The only problem was Karl Marx overlooked humankind's sin problem. That's when I discovered God's love in the person of Jesus Christ! But even though I'm not a Marxist I guess I'm still passionate about seeing change-for-the-good happen throughout the world.  That's what this trip is all about! So, please pray for us to see with God's perspective and to have his wisdom!

Love and peace.

Steve and Pam