I woke up a little groggy today due to an 8-hour time difference between Kenya and the United States. Just outside my bedroom window, the sounds of birds filled the air, happy and carefree. Their chirping was magical, reminding me that God’s eye is on the sparrow and he is certainly watching over me, and over all of you who fear him. Everyone’s been telling me, “Don’t go downtown, it isn’t safe.” Some tension is building up in the capital city, Nairobi, and it’s becoming palpable. Kenya already has a president, but in a political showdown, the opposition party is about to swear in another president. I’m leaving the city two days before that happens. I am headed for Kolanya, near the Kenya-Uganda border tomorrow (Sunday), but I ask you to pray for this beautiful nation as it struggles to find its soul.
My day began with a communal breakfast; a delectable spread of local Kenyan tubers like arrowroot, cassava, sweet potatoes, English potatoes, mixed vegetables, eggs and of course those famous, Farmer’s Choice sausages. If you haven’t tried them, you must! They also served a variety of cereals, juices, pancakes, toast and all that, but I went with local. I dined in a quaint dining room, covered in red and gold tablecloths, with a group of other missionaries from across the world, some young and some old, but each one passionate about a unique cause in some part of Kenya. I marveled that in a group as large and as diverse as ours, no two causes were alike, and yet the same Spirit called us to this part of God’s earth.
My encounters today reminded me that we are all running a marathon and we must each learn the art of running a smart race, by staying in our lane because that’s where the Spirit helps us excel. Ultimately, it is God who chooses the lane, and no matter how lowly it may be, embrace your place, and in his perfect timing, he will promote you if he so chooses. I am so thankful you are reading this blog because Esther’s Hope Ministries, needs you. We need your prayers, we need your financial support and we need your expertise.
The young girls we are serving are also running their race, however, right now, they are unable to appreciate the sounds of chirping birds, or even the vibrant colors around them because of the competing noises of poverty, stress and struggle that they face daily. But I can assure you, they are still running, they are running with hands outstretched, ready and waiting to grab your baton, so that they in turn can pass it on to the next generation. But they won’t be able to pass it, unless you hand it to them.
So, ask yourself this: How am I running my race, and when I look up at heaven’s billboard, what score do I want to see? "So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing (I Thessalonians 5:11)."