10..9..87654...3..2..1

Yes, I know.  My countdown to Africa seems to have been interrupted by Thanksgiving, as well as by that mad scramble that occurs before every big trip.  Wrapping up stuff at work, cleaning my room, packing, making sure there aren't any dishes in the sink poised to sprout who-knows-what while I'm gone.  You know the drill.  Regardless, here I am, on the cusp of departure.

Funny stuff, life.  As I write this, late on Tuesday night/early Wednesday morning, I find myself somewhat back where it all began.  For those of you who know Eraina, you might know it was she who first spurred my interest in traveling to Africa a few years back.  In fact, our first discussion about traveling to Africa was at Carson and Hilary's wedding rehearsal dinner.  Not only am I traveling to Africa tomorrow  with the very same Carson and Hilary, who will be going on their first trip, but - lo and behold - I sit in Eraina's house the night before my 4th trip to Kenya.  It all seems so...I don't know, connected.

(An odd but somewhat related fact: I was also Eraina's 6th grade science teacher.)

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In my previous two posts I asked you to pray for this and that, and your prayers are appreciated.  I'll ask once again for you simply breathe a short prayer now and then over the next 10 days for Carson and Hilary and the rest of the group as we travel.

Most importantly, I would ask you to remember that, at least for me, the trip is about one thing and one thing only: the kids.  I feel safe in saying we are all traveling to Kenya for the sole purpose of sharing God's love with these children in hopes of bringing some happiness and joy into their lives.  Undoubtedly there are other reasons or motivations for some people, but, when it's all said and done, the trip begins and ends with the children.

So...please lift these kids up in prayer.  Big prayer, little prayer, short prayer, written prayer, even muttered prayer.  Pray for them to find something positive and lasting in our visit.  Pray for God to touch them somehow so they find hope in what must be, at times, a hopeless future.  Pray for them to laugh and play.  Pray for them to realize they aren't alone.  Really, I guess it doesn't matter what you pray, just hold them in your hearts and present them to the Lord in prayer.  He'll know what you mean.

These are wonderful, special, amazing children.  It breaks my heart, over and over, to hear their stories of loss and pain and despair, but I am so thankful to have the chance to visit them, to play with them, to hold them, and to love them.  

Thank you for your interest and your comments.  I hope to find access to the internet while in Africa.  If so I will post a couple of photos and writings.  Not guaranteed, but I'll try, so be sure to check back every so often over the next few days.  To end, I'll leave you with a photo of the amazingly cute Agnes, one of the children at the BCC.  It's ridiculous how cute she is!

Countdown: "10...9..."

Continuing on with my countdown to Africa, I'd like to introduce you to some special people.

Tony Wenani is an amazing person.  As the on-site director of the BCC (the Baptist Children's Center in Nairobi), Tony wears a lot of hats: Preacher, supervisor, manager, tour guide, host, father figure, and more.  Furthermore, in addition to managing the BCC and all the staff and children, Tony has his own family to worry over, Lydia his wife and Serita his daughter.

One of the highlights of traveling to Africa is spending time with and around Tony Wenani.  His love for God, his pure servant's heart, his patience, kindness, gentleness and charity never fail to move and inspire me.  He is also my favorite preacher (I've heard him preach twice.)  He is truly one of my heroes.

[Tony]


Please pray for Tony, his beautiful wife Lydia and their young child Serita.  Pray for Tony's continued commitment to the boys and girls of the BCC.  Pray for Tony as he brings his message of hope and joy to the surrounding  slum community.


Another special friend of mine is Tom Okore.  Tom is one of the most joyful, playful, funny, witty, flat-out greatest people I've ever met.  He is a 100% joy to be around.  I can't imagine anyone meeting Tom and not feeling the same way.  Tom works as in-country staff for Buckner, serving as the missions coordinator.  I'm not sure I'll get to see Tom this trip as he has just gotten married.  From what little I know, traditional marriage is a big deal in Kenya, requiring the groom to pay a dowry, usually in the form of money (I think) and/or livestock, usually cows (I know).  Fortunately I was able to help (along with many others) provide some funds to Tom in order to purchase the necessary cows!  Tom has a very tough job as he coordinates and travels with the many groups visiting the BCC.  Essentially, he is run ragged throughout the year dealing with us clueless Muzungos (white people.)

[Tom]


Pray for Tom and his new life as a husband.  Pray for him to have stamina and patience as he balances the demands of married life with the demands of ushering mission group after mission group through the mazes of Kenya.  Pray for Tom to never lose his boyish enthusiasm!

The man with the plan is Dickson Masindano.  The story of how Dickson came to the position he's in as Buckner's Kenyan National Director is one of those stories that moves even marginal believers to proclaim, "Surely God did this."  I won't go into his story, since I'm sure I wouldn't do it justice, but believe me, it's one of those that leaves you shaking your head in wonder.    A capable, inspiring leader with gentle, yet strong, mannerisms, Dickson is the kind of person you respect almost as soon as you meet him.  Dickson is also a man who knows how to get things done.  You get the idea Dickson is hardly ever discouraged or doubtful of the outcome.  He's passionate and completely committed to what he sees as his heavenly mission here on earth - making life better for Kenyan orphans.

[Dickson]


Pray for Dickson as he continues what must, at times, seem like a never-ending uphill battle.  Pray for Dickson as he takes on more and more responsibilities, as he becomes more and more integral in the struggle to reach the orphans of Kenya.  Pray for Dickson to continue to find talented, capable helpers.

Along with Tom and Tony and Dickson are a large number of other Kenyan staff who make the BCC what it is.  There are BCC watchmen, cooks, handymen, teachers and, of course, care givers.  I have met many of these people, and find them all simply amazing.  Here are some of the caregivers I've met over the years:







Please pray for these Godly, wonderful people.  The love they show and the skill they demonstrate as they act as mothers and fathers and friends for these orphans blows me away.  Ask the Lord to grant them strength and patience as they perform a very difficult, time-consuming task.  Pray for them to have discernment in dealing with the children.  Pray for their continued encouragement in serving "the least of these."

These are just some of the people serving the BCC children in Kenya.  I have yet to meet the staff who work at the Seeds of Hope in Kitale, but undoubtedly they are just as wonderful and could use our prayers just as much.  Pray for them as well.

Countdown: "10..."

I will arrive in Africa in 10 days. The word "excitement" is hardly done justice in this case. As I have sat and pondered on my return to Africa...to the children and friends I've come to know...to the sights, smells and chaos of Nairobi...to the overall experience of such a far off place...a marvelous sense of anticipation has almost consumed me.

There are certainly things about the trip which cause nervousness.  Most obvious, Africa is a long way off.  Traveling there is not always easy as the flights are long (8.5 hours to London, 8.5 hours to Nairobi), people get sick, planes get delayed, luggage gets lost...you get the idea.



(click for a larger view)

Once there, other issues raise their head: Don't drink the water (or you will pay, believe me);  try your best not to be an "ugly American" (something I seem to do at least once per trip);  try to quickly grasp some basics of the Swahili language ("Jambo!" = hello, "Karibu" = welcome, "Asante Sana" = thank you very much, "Hakuna Matata" = it's all good, there are no worries); try to avoid offending the Kenyans with clumsy social faux pas; figure out how many Kenyan shillings per U.S dollar.



Finally, there is no way around the fact that traveling to Africa is not like traveling to Paris or London or Munich or any other European locale.  Africa has a troubled existence, and is very different than most of your western destinations.  Traveling in Africa, even in the relatively peaceful country of Kenya, can be disconcerting.  There are undercurrents of political unrest and tribal allegiances which make no sense to us Americans.  As evidenced by the latest round of Kenyan elections, violence born of frustration simmers just below the surface.  AIDS and poverty dominate the social landscape.  It really is a different world, a different culture, and can be overwhelming to senses and sensibilities.

All that being said, I can't imagine another place I'd rather be.  So here's the point of this post (and the next few to follow):

Pray.

I will lay out over the next several days, up to the point I leave, things for which you can pray, if you so desire.  As with this post, I will present an issue(s) to guide your prayers.  Today's requests are based on the things above:

Pray for the group as we travel to, from and within Africa.  We leave on December 3rd and return on December 13th.  In between we will take a few shorter in-country flights, drive many miles, and have several very short nights of rest.  Pray no one loses their passport!

Pray we can be effective and positive ambassadors for our country (acting as effective ambassadors for our faith comes later...I didn't forget!)

Pray we can be sensitive to the Kenyan culture, that we can be respectful of the Kenyans we meet and show deference to their ways of life.

Pray for our health.  Undoubtedly, Buckner will do a good job of caring for anyone who falls ill, but I don't think getting sick in Africa would be much fun.

Well, that's all for now.  As I said, I will post more about our trip, and the issues for which you can pray, over the next few days.

(In case you're interested, here are the names of the folks going on the trip: Melissa Moore, Brooke Moore, Zoe Spoon, Jackie Agers, myself, Jana Peterson, Mike McDougal, Dawn Terpstra, Susan Switch, Carson Schultz, Kim Puckett, Hilary Schultz, and Jessica Garcia, our fearless leader.)

Go, Matt, Go

I am reading a powerful book right now, a tragic, blow-by-blow account of post-colonial Africa.  It's a big sucker - over 700 pages - so it might take me a while to finish.  When I do finish, I'll write up a review.  However, I'll tell you now it's depressing.  And horrific.  And unthinkable.

There are lots of things going on that are depressing, but I guess it's always that way, if you look under the right rocks.  Just to name a few recent examples, there's the economy, the death spiral of The Congo (again), Somali pirates, war, missile strikes, refugee camps, cholera, and on and on and on.

So it was I came across this video.  I know...it's been around a while and you've probably already seen it, but hey, the internet is really slow where I live and it takes a while for it to update.  That aside, this video really touched me.  People want joy, not misery, and it did my heart good to watch this.  If you aren't at least somewhat touched by this video, you and I are different types of people.

Photos Page

I've added a new page called "Photos."  It's located up at the top.  I'm going to put up a few of my photos here on the Daver.net, while the rest of my photos can be found at thedaver.smugmug.com.