On Saturday’s we usually go out to Gamasara with the kids. I blogged about this place earlier, the joy it brings to the kids, and the joy it brought me to be a part of it. This Saturday I did not go out with the kids and the rest of our team. I was sad that I was missing this time with them all, but God decided to place another, even more amazing opportunity before me. David, a Baptist missionary in town invited me to go out with him and a team to evangelize house to house in Tarime.
As we headed out we split up into different groups and each headed in opposite directions. My group consisted of me, Zach my translator, and a pastor from a local church. At the first house, the pastor did all of the speaking, and he did an amazing job. I remember thinking, how in the world am I going to be as effective as him sharing, when I have to witness through a translator? Yet at the next house, he introduced us, and then told me to go ahead and share, and so through the translator, I began to share Christ with these people. It was amazing to see God work, because no matter how much was lost through translation, or how much I felt like I messed up, He was right there making sure His message went through clearly to the people He loves so dearly. Sometime I forget that there are no barriers for God, and that he can do the impossible, and this day He reminded me of this.
We shared with a little over 20 people in our group alone, and it was amazing to see God work in their lives. Four people we shared with told us they were already Christians, so we stayed and talked with them about Witnessing to their neighbors who do not know Christ. They were very receptive, and seemed really interested in sharing their faith after we talked to them. There were about 6 people we talked with, and even though they did not accept Christ into their lives, they asked for reading material so they could look into it a little more. (We had some booklets with more information in them we handed out) Finally, the best for last, 12 of the people we shared with said they wanted to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior, and prayed to receive Him in their hearts! That afternoon we held a bible study that we invited them all to, so that the leaders could follow up with the people, and they could come to learn more about Christ, and how they should live their lives.
Please be praying for all of those we shared with. Pray for the people who accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Pray that their decision is a genuine one, and that they will continue to seek out Christ and become true Disciples of Christ. Pray that they share this new life and love they have received with all of those around them. Also, be praying for those who did not make that decision. Pray that God be working on their hearts, and that they come to know Christ as their Lord and Savior. Finally pray for the Baptist church and missionary’s who are here (David, his wife Nicole, and their 3 kids), that God will continue to use them in amazing ways in their time here in Tarime.
I have to say that this day is the best day I have had thus far in my time here. I truly saw God do some amazing things in the lives of these people. I consider it an honor and privilege to be a part of God’s work here in Tarime, and to bring God’s love to the kids, and the people of Tarime. I want to say thank you to all of you for your part in helping to show these kids, and people Christ’s love as well. If it weren’t for your support through finances to bring me here, and your prayers for me and these people, they might not have experienced the love of Christ. So know that each and every one of you have had an impact for Christ in Tarime, Tanzania without ever stepping foot here. I just hope that one day you might have the opportunity to come here and meet the children here that have impacted my life in amazing ways.
In Christ with love,
Jordan
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Burdened Heart, Righteous Anger
The other day a few guys showed up out front of the orphanage and started talking to the older girls at the orphanage. I did not feel comfortable with them being there, and went to get Bebe (Grandma) who takes care of the kids in the evenings. I asked her to come out and tell them to leave, since I don’t know Swahili well enough to tell them myself. They immediately came up with excuses as to why they were there, and Bebe didn’t understand why I wanted them to leave, but I still had her ask them to leave. Though their excuses seemed innocent enough, and they could have been, I do not believe that is why they were there. Instead of going to do what they claimed they were there to do, they immediately sat down and started talking to the older girls. This may seem innocent enough, but I will explain here in a minute why I was not comfortable with them there.
Last week I was asked to sit in on a meeting and give a guy’s perspective with the secondary school girls who are ages of about 14-18. The meeting was basically because there have been problems with some of the girls, and their boyfriends. Ultimately the meeting was basically about sex, and quickly turned from just boyfriends to other issues. I came out of the meeting with such mixed emotions that I did not even know what to begin to write about the situations these girls deal with on a daily basis. You see, I came out of the meeting with a burdened heart, having a righteous anger, yet a little happy all at the same time. I was happy because I felt like through the meeting we had helped the girls immensely. Although it took them a little while to open up, eventually they did, and it gave us the opportunity to be an example to them on how they should pursue relationships. They were thanking the girls on our team for taking the time to talk with them about the situations, and different ways they can deal with them. I truly believe God used this time to show these girls how much they truly are worth, and that He loves them very much.
This brings me to my burdened heart, my righteous anger, and why I ran these guys off. As we were sitting in the meeting, we discovered much more about what these girls have to deal with. We found out that there are these men in town known as fataki’s. They are basically wealthy men in town (many of whom are married) who will buy the girls makeup, a phone, or even something as small as a soda in exchange for sex. There are even teachers who allow the fataki’s to come to the school and pull girls out of class. Some of the teachers will give their students better marks in exchange for sex. Most of the time it is the girl’s choice to go with the men, but there are some men who it is very dangerous to say no to. The fact that they jeopardize their very lives by refusing to go with these men angers me so much. These girls are an amazing group of young women who are worth more than a soda, makeup, or a simple phone. God created them, and that makes them worth so much more than all of the money or valuables in the entire world. I hope that now you see a little of where my burdened heart and righteous anger come from.
Now, you know why I asked those guys to leave, and why I am very wary of any guys that come to the orphanage that we do not know. Although some of them coming may be innocent, I feel a sense of responsibility to keep the bad ones away. I feel as if I have to be on guard to protect these girls and keep them safe. I am so happy for the girls on our team and the connections they have made with the older girls at the orphanage. I know God has placed them here at this exact time to speak into their lives, and be an example to them on how to live their lives for Christ.
Although it is hard for me to write about this (it did take me a week to say anything), and I know this hasn’t been a very “uplifting” blog, I had to post it. I still don’t feel like in all that I wrote, I captured all of my emotions I have been feeling about this, but I hope you have the same righteous anger flowing through you when you read about what these girls have to go through. All I can do is ask that you pray that the men doing this will find Christ, and turn away from their wicked ways, and that you be praying for the girls. Pray that they may find full contentment in Christ, that they may begin to realize how much they are truly worth, and that God may continue to watch over them, and keep them safe. Thank you for your much needed prayers for these girls!
In Christ with love,
Jordan
Last week I was asked to sit in on a meeting and give a guy’s perspective with the secondary school girls who are ages of about 14-18. The meeting was basically because there have been problems with some of the girls, and their boyfriends. Ultimately the meeting was basically about sex, and quickly turned from just boyfriends to other issues. I came out of the meeting with such mixed emotions that I did not even know what to begin to write about the situations these girls deal with on a daily basis. You see, I came out of the meeting with a burdened heart, having a righteous anger, yet a little happy all at the same time. I was happy because I felt like through the meeting we had helped the girls immensely. Although it took them a little while to open up, eventually they did, and it gave us the opportunity to be an example to them on how they should pursue relationships. They were thanking the girls on our team for taking the time to talk with them about the situations, and different ways they can deal with them. I truly believe God used this time to show these girls how much they truly are worth, and that He loves them very much.
This brings me to my burdened heart, my righteous anger, and why I ran these guys off. As we were sitting in the meeting, we discovered much more about what these girls have to deal with. We found out that there are these men in town known as fataki’s. They are basically wealthy men in town (many of whom are married) who will buy the girls makeup, a phone, or even something as small as a soda in exchange for sex. There are even teachers who allow the fataki’s to come to the school and pull girls out of class. Some of the teachers will give their students better marks in exchange for sex. Most of the time it is the girl’s choice to go with the men, but there are some men who it is very dangerous to say no to. The fact that they jeopardize their very lives by refusing to go with these men angers me so much. These girls are an amazing group of young women who are worth more than a soda, makeup, or a simple phone. God created them, and that makes them worth so much more than all of the money or valuables in the entire world. I hope that now you see a little of where my burdened heart and righteous anger come from.
Now, you know why I asked those guys to leave, and why I am very wary of any guys that come to the orphanage that we do not know. Although some of them coming may be innocent, I feel a sense of responsibility to keep the bad ones away. I feel as if I have to be on guard to protect these girls and keep them safe. I am so happy for the girls on our team and the connections they have made with the older girls at the orphanage. I know God has placed them here at this exact time to speak into their lives, and be an example to them on how to live their lives for Christ.
Although it is hard for me to write about this (it did take me a week to say anything), and I know this hasn’t been a very “uplifting” blog, I had to post it. I still don’t feel like in all that I wrote, I captured all of my emotions I have been feeling about this, but I hope you have the same righteous anger flowing through you when you read about what these girls have to go through. All I can do is ask that you pray that the men doing this will find Christ, and turn away from their wicked ways, and that you be praying for the girls. Pray that they may find full contentment in Christ, that they may begin to realize how much they are truly worth, and that God may continue to watch over them, and keep them safe. Thank you for your much needed prayers for these girls!
In Christ with love,
Jordan
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Gamasara
Saturday we had the privilege to spend the entire day at Gamasara (the property the new orphanage is being built on) with the kids. As we arrived, it was awesome to see each and every kid bolt out of the van as quick as they could. The joy that this place brings to each of the kids makes me love it all the more. I cannot wait for the building to be finished and for the kids to move out there. If you take a look at the current place they are living, and the new building, you would understand why they love this place so much.
Before the kids were allowed to play, they had to work the shamba (farm). One thing that really stuck out to me is that there wasn’t a single person not working, and not once did I hear any complaining. These kids had such a joy to know that this entire shamba and all that came out of it was theirs, that working it was truly a privilege and not a burden. It reminded me of Philippians 2:14-15, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world.” As I saw them doing this work in this manner, without grumbling or disputing, I truly caught a glimpse of Christ. I am here to love the kids and be a light for Christ, and instead, on this day the roles were reversed, they were the light of Christ for me. It all the more reminded me that not only does God show up in the most amazing ways, but that I need to have a privilege mentality in all I do. To go into all things knowing that God has placed opportunities before me, and I have the privilege to serve Him by doing them.
Some of the older boys have been going out to work the shamba by themselves. It was neat to see the leadership roles the older boys took as they taught the younger ones how to properly work it. What would take days for a single person to pick by hand we had done in an hour or two. These boys’ knowledge and leadership will be so valuable as they all move out there. After we were done working the shamba, we all spent the afternoon doing a variety of things. The three biggest things were soccer, boxing (picture below), and swimming in the river. It was a great day, because there were no words required. I felt like I grew so much closer to many of the kids, and yet said so little. I cannot wait to head out there again next Saturday, and take part in the joy that Gamasara brings to each and every kid. I know God is at work in each and every one of these kids lives, and I am glad He is letting me take part in it.
In Christ with love,
Jordan
Nossi (the youngest) boxing with me. It was the funniest thing ever....she won, lol.
Us & the kids swimming in the river, which was a blast!
A few of the kids harvesting the beans!
Sammy, holding some carrots he pulled. He has really warmed his way into my heart.
Before the kids were allowed to play, they had to work the shamba (farm). One thing that really stuck out to me is that there wasn’t a single person not working, and not once did I hear any complaining. These kids had such a joy to know that this entire shamba and all that came out of it was theirs, that working it was truly a privilege and not a burden. It reminded me of Philippians 2:14-15, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world.” As I saw them doing this work in this manner, without grumbling or disputing, I truly caught a glimpse of Christ. I am here to love the kids and be a light for Christ, and instead, on this day the roles were reversed, they were the light of Christ for me. It all the more reminded me that not only does God show up in the most amazing ways, but that I need to have a privilege mentality in all I do. To go into all things knowing that God has placed opportunities before me, and I have the privilege to serve Him by doing them.
Some of the older boys have been going out to work the shamba by themselves. It was neat to see the leadership roles the older boys took as they taught the younger ones how to properly work it. What would take days for a single person to pick by hand we had done in an hour or two. These boys’ knowledge and leadership will be so valuable as they all move out there. After we were done working the shamba, we all spent the afternoon doing a variety of things. The three biggest things were soccer, boxing (picture below), and swimming in the river. It was a great day, because there were no words required. I felt like I grew so much closer to many of the kids, and yet said so little. I cannot wait to head out there again next Saturday, and take part in the joy that Gamasara brings to each and every kid. I know God is at work in each and every one of these kids lives, and I am glad He is letting me take part in it.
In Christ with love,
Jordan
Nossi (the youngest) boxing with me. It was the funniest thing ever....she won, lol.
Us & the kids swimming in the river, which was a blast!
A few of the kids harvesting the beans!Sammy, holding some carrots he pulled. He has really warmed his way into my heart.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Pictures, and a glimpse of life here!
Below are a few pictures I thought I would post. No pictures of the kids yet though! We thought it would be best to leave our cameras behind for the first week, and focus fully on just being with the kids. The first is a picture of the current progess of the new orphanage being built. The second is one of my favorites from the serengeti, a lion cub playing with its mother. The last is our team as we were entering Tanzania!
There are two main modes of transportation in Tarime that we use. The first, and what we use the most is our own two feet :) As we walk each day to the orphanage or other destinations, it will never fail that we will hear the word “mzungu” (which means white person) yelled out multiple times. Kids will wave to us or follow us. Some of the youger ones will run up to us and want to walk with us for a while or for us to pick them up. I also enjoy trying to respond back to people on the street when they greet me in Swahili…I am learning the proper responses slowly. The second mode of transportation is called the piki-piki. It is a motorcycle, and you just hop on the back behind the driver. They are fun to ride, and we use them if we need to get somewhere quick, or if it is getting dark, we will use them. There is also a taxi driver in town as well if we need to call him.
It is always uplifting each time I arrive at the orphanage and I am greeted with a hug by almost every kid. There have been encouraging and discouraging times in my time with them, yet I am slowly falling in love with each and every one of them. Trying to figure out how to be most effective at the orphanage has been a challenge, and I know will continue to be for a while. There are times when the communication barrier leaves me feeling useless, which is not a good feeling to have. I am slowly learning a few key points from those who have been here for a while. The first is that sometimes, to go and give one or two hours of my very best to the kids is better than being there for 4 hours and not giving them my all. The second is to go with something planned. To have a game or an activity, anything that we can do with them that communicates in a different way than words. I have learned that the times I feel I am connecting most with the kids, is not through words, but when I am interacting with them through games or activities. I am able to show them that I do care about and love them just by taking the time to sit down and do an activity, or play a game with them.
These are just a few of many thoughts I have thrown together. I hope that this gives you a little glimpse of what it is like here.
There has been a lot to soak in so far in my time here. Things are the same yet very much different here in Tanzania compared to Nairobi. I will try to describe parts of life here so far the best I can. We finally have power which is really nice to have! But, we still do not have running water, and do not have any idea when we might have it. Something I am learning is to just go with the flow. You could have something planned out and the next minute you are headed in a completely different direction to do something that had nothing to do with your plan.
There are two main modes of transportation in Tarime that we use. The first, and what we use the most is our own two feet :) As we walk each day to the orphanage or other destinations, it will never fail that we will hear the word “mzungu” (which means white person) yelled out multiple times. Kids will wave to us or follow us. Some of the youger ones will run up to us and want to walk with us for a while or for us to pick them up. I also enjoy trying to respond back to people on the street when they greet me in Swahili…I am learning the proper responses slowly. The second mode of transportation is called the piki-piki. It is a motorcycle, and you just hop on the back behind the driver. They are fun to ride, and we use them if we need to get somewhere quick, or if it is getting dark, we will use them. There is also a taxi driver in town as well if we need to call him.
It is always uplifting each time I arrive at the orphanage and I am greeted with a hug by almost every kid. There have been encouraging and discouraging times in my time with them, yet I am slowly falling in love with each and every one of them. Trying to figure out how to be most effective at the orphanage has been a challenge, and I know will continue to be for a while. There are times when the communication barrier leaves me feeling useless, which is not a good feeling to have. I am slowly learning a few key points from those who have been here for a while. The first is that sometimes, to go and give one or two hours of my very best to the kids is better than being there for 4 hours and not giving them my all. The second is to go with something planned. To have a game or an activity, anything that we can do with them that communicates in a different way than words. I have learned that the times I feel I am connecting most with the kids, is not through words, but when I am interacting with them through games or activities. I am able to show them that I do care about and love them just by taking the time to sit down and do an activity, or play a game with them.
These are just a few of many thoughts I have thrown together. I hope that this gives you a little glimpse of what it is like here.
In Christ with love,
Jordan
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
We are here!
Hello all,
We arrived here in Tarime late Friday night after a long drive from Nairobi! Thank you for the prayers for safe travels. These last few days have not been what I would call "normal" with all we have been doing to get settled in. We spent Saturday and Sunday on a safari out on the Serengeti, which was a blast. It was amazing to see God's creation in this setting. We have been getting the exciting experience of Tarime, with no power for the past few days, or running water for a day. Hopefully later this week, we will have both of these things working....I can hope, right? :)
As we arrived at the orphanage, we were received with open arms...literally. I think we spent fifteen minutes just giving and receiving hugs from each and every child. At times, I felt defeated because of how big the language barrier really is. Yet, I found joy yesterday when I was able to communicate through just playing ball with some of the kids. I could interact, and start to form a common bond between us, which was awesome! I just pray that communication will not be as much of a barrier as it has been.
Yet, through all of this, I know God is at work here in the lives of each of these children, and I am thankful for that. I consider it a privilege to take part in His work, and I must continually remember that it is not me at work, but Him working through me. To know that no matter what barriers there are for me, there are none for Him. I must strive to live a life that is holy and pleasing to God. Sonny, the sports and discipleship coach, led a devotion over 2 Corinthians 2:14-16, while we were in Nairobi. I encourage you all to look over it. It makes me ask, am I truly showing others the fragrance and love of Christ in all of my words and actions at all times? I encourage you to ask yourself the same question. These are just a few thoughts of many I have on this passage, take the time to look over it!
Again, thank you for your thoughts and prayers, I appreciate all of you so much. I hope I can post some more on here soon, I will have to wait on power...we had to go to a neighboring town to a small internet cafe that had a generator for power to post this.
In Christ with love,
Jordan
We arrived here in Tarime late Friday night after a long drive from Nairobi! Thank you for the prayers for safe travels. These last few days have not been what I would call "normal" with all we have been doing to get settled in. We spent Saturday and Sunday on a safari out on the Serengeti, which was a blast. It was amazing to see God's creation in this setting. We have been getting the exciting experience of Tarime, with no power for the past few days, or running water for a day. Hopefully later this week, we will have both of these things working....I can hope, right? :)
As we arrived at the orphanage, we were received with open arms...literally. I think we spent fifteen minutes just giving and receiving hugs from each and every child. At times, I felt defeated because of how big the language barrier really is. Yet, I found joy yesterday when I was able to communicate through just playing ball with some of the kids. I could interact, and start to form a common bond between us, which was awesome! I just pray that communication will not be as much of a barrier as it has been.
Yet, through all of this, I know God is at work here in the lives of each of these children, and I am thankful for that. I consider it a privilege to take part in His work, and I must continually remember that it is not me at work, but Him working through me. To know that no matter what barriers there are for me, there are none for Him. I must strive to live a life that is holy and pleasing to God. Sonny, the sports and discipleship coach, led a devotion over 2 Corinthians 2:14-16, while we were in Nairobi. I encourage you all to look over it. It makes me ask, am I truly showing others the fragrance and love of Christ in all of my words and actions at all times? I encourage you to ask yourself the same question. These are just a few thoughts of many I have on this passage, take the time to look over it!
Again, thank you for your thoughts and prayers, I appreciate all of you so much. I hope I can post some more on here soon, I will have to wait on power...we had to go to a neighboring town to a small internet cafe that had a generator for power to post this.
In Christ with love,
Jordan
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
First part of our travel complete!
Hello all!
After spending 43 hours (two overnight layovers sleeping on the airport floor!) and flying over 9000 miles, we are now officially in Nairobi! I just thought I would do a quick post to let everyone know we made it safely. We will be spending the day in Nairobi tomorrow, and then driving to Tarime, Tanzania on Friday! Thank you for all of the prayers during the first part of our travels, and I hope to update you a little more soon!
In Christ with love,
Jordan
After spending 43 hours (two overnight layovers sleeping on the airport floor!) and flying over 9000 miles, we are now officially in Nairobi! I just thought I would do a quick post to let everyone know we made it safely. We will be spending the day in Nairobi tomorrow, and then driving to Tarime, Tanzania on Friday! Thank you for all of the prayers during the first part of our travels, and I hope to update you a little more soon!
In Christ with love,
Jordan
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