A couple more...

It's almost 12:30 now - yes, that is indeed how slow the connection can be - and it was pretty fast tonight. I need to get up at 6am to be ready for tomorrow. Soooo, more pictures later - I have pictures of every individual on the team - the goal is to get everyone up soon. I apologize for not getting more up - I would keep trying, but I need rest in order to continue leading and ministering and learning. Thank you for your understanding and patience. Please continue to keep us in your prayers!!!

More Pictures!!!

Yay, more pictures!

One picture at a time

Sorry we haven't posted pictures - for some reason, its not enough that internet access is sparatic, but when we finally have it, we cannot attach pictures to our blogs or emails. It's midnight here and I think its finally working. I know one picture is not much, but its something. The team is alive and well. Half the group went out to a village far away with Tim Okken today and had an incredible experience. The rest of us enjoyed service at Crossroads again. The founder of Manna Worldwide is here and spoke today - his sermon was quite challenging. It has been a wonderful day!

Udate 7-28

Hey everyone!!! (I really hope someone is reading this)
So this is one of my updates!!! We are now half way through our trip and it has been amazing!!!!! Today Saturday the 28th we went and saw one of Mombassa’s cultural centers that is ran by handicap people. Then we went out to Vipingo where there is a feeding center that we had previously visited 2 weeks ago. The children remembered us and started grabbing our hands to hold. It was a futbol tournament so all the girls were not very interested so we just walked around and ended up dancing to the load gospel music that was in Swahili. Yesterday we visited the hospital for the first time. It was amazing walking into it because it was like walking into a hospital from the 40’s or even before that just one big room for every body. The hospital was gigantic with its different wards, it was just amazing. We then visited the local orphanage. That was really cool too. The children were extremely happy, and I considered them lucky compared to how the children in the bush who had less then the orphans. This orphanage was government funded and supported by UNICEF. Its just amazing seeing the Work God has done here and with the children and their family. The feeding center we went to on Wednesday used to be where the town held human sacrifices, no it is a church and a school/ feeding center and they have had over 150 conversions. It was just amazing. On and extremely happy note …. Y’all would be surprised at how entertained these kids can be with a balloon, but they say it as bAlOOn! I hope y’all are doing find I will try to update again soon.
God Bless,
Nicole

Another Day

Today we visited another feeding center. This one has 150 children. It has only been up about 6 months and school has only been in session for about 3 I believe. There is a school and church just like at all the others. The church already has 250 attenders. There have been 150 salvations in the last 6 months. They recently baptized over 100 people. What is unique about this feeding center (as though the above is not enough), is that the land it occupies was used for human sacrifices not long ago. The people of the tribes surrounding the feeding center are very animistic and in order to keep their gods happy and in hopes for rain, they would offer up a child. Pastor Alan pointed out a large mango tree and stated that years ago, in that exact spot, is where some of the sacrifices took place. 60 km up the road, this is still going on. BUT God is obviously working and it was amazing to be part of bringing God's power to such a dark, oppressed place. It is pastor Alan's hope that one day soon, they can take the love of Jesus to the people 60km away and build another church there.
I tried to post some pictures, but it is not working right now. Hopefully soon. Going to get some rest now - more later! - Rose:)

Another Perspective

Several random thoughts….
First of all, I second Nicole. These feeding centers have been more than a blessing to us so far, and from what everyone here tells us, I think we really have no idea how much we are having an impact on the people.
This morning I sat down by the water where we have breakfast every morning and had my quiet time. It’s so beautiful. I didn’t have a conversation, but I was greeted by a man that Nate has talked to several times. He is Muslim and has several wives. He is a business man and well-off, intelligent and probably quite powerful in whatever area of expertise he has. I can only imagine what he was thinking seeing me, a woman, in my pants and sweatshirt reading my Bible intently and praying. It hit me, a gentle reminder, of how big God is… hard to explain that one. But my goodness His love stretches wide and long and high and deep. He can turn the hearts of anyone. I love that.
The pastors of the churches we have met are so passionate about the Lord. They have incredible stories and perseverance. It is not hard to see Jesus in them without even talking to them. I hope people see me that way.
I love that God is so big that we can come here and serve and be passionate about the people of Kenya, be fully engaged here, and yet have God tell us things about our own lives, character and hearts. We leave behind, in some ways, another life, to come here – but God doesn’t forget where we come from or what we are facing and He is fully engaged in all the affairs of my life.
Those are reasons to praise!!

News from Mombasa!!!!!!!

Hey you guys!!!!
This is an update!!!!! We just got back from another feeding center. These kids were amazing!!! They were so much fun to play with. These children only eat one meal a day and it is the meal that is provided at school. Today the feeding center we went to only had 92 children, but that is out of 300 children who wanted to come to the school. Sunday we are going to go to that church’s first baptismal. Our first week is half over and it seems so long. For any of you who think we are enjoying the hot dry sandy pictures of Africa, you are wrong!!!!!!!!! It is very humid with it being hot in the sun and cool in the breeze and shade.
Nicole

Day 1

Today we spent most of the day rejuvinating from jet-lag and our travels here. However, tonight we did go to bible study at Crossroads, the church we are working with here. The women were together studying Phil.3 while the men were outside studying.... something else?? I guess they'll have to post about that. In any case, our bible study was great. What fun to be with women from different parts of the world. Our teacher was a woman from Zimbabwae. It was also neat studying that passage because it includes are verses for camp - the focus of the camp we will run in a few weeks.
We have been having a great time so far - lots of laughs with one another. And today we were worshipping outside under a patio and it started to rain - it was a pretty neat moment. It was beautiful being where we were and doing what we were doing. Also, today I looked down from my window and saw 4 of our guys sitting at the same table, not speaking to each other, but digging into God's word. Pretty cool sight. Can't wait to see what else God has in store for us.
Tomorrow we will visit a feeding center where we will play with the kids and feed them and then go into the community where they live and interact with their families while they are in school. Should be amazing! More later!

They're here!!

13…14…15 tired but smiling faces arrived in Nairobi this morning! Safe and sound and in one piece- the Huruma team is in KENYA!!! Although there was a two hour delay in London, the team arrived with all their bags and we were all able to make our connecting flight down to Mombasa this afternoon. We dropped off our bags at the flats where we will call home for the next three weeks and then went into town for supplies and groceries. At dinner, half the team nearly fell asleep at the table but with the ten hour time difference that’s to be expected. It’s 8pm right now and I’m the only one awake! But tomorrow I’m taking everyone into town to an internet café so they can write home. I’m sure the team will have exciting stories of their first impressions of Africa. It’s really fun for me to see Kenya through their eyes- things I take for granted because I see on a daily basis are completely dazzling to them! Thank you for your prayers for safety while we traveled. Praise the Lord and here we go…!

Thought I'd try the picture thing before we leave!

He Gives and Takes Away

There is a song that says "Blessed be the name of the Lord" and it says "He gives and takes away, my heart will choose to say, Blessed be Your name." I have always thought of the part about giving and taking to mean that He gives us good things and can surely take them when he wants. And that we just need to trust Him. And sure, its true and the song is partially talking about this very thing. But lately I have been reminded of another way that God takes away. In our case, for example, He has given us the finances we need, the support we need, the passports we need :), the team we need, and on and on. And He has taken away (or is in the process of) our fear, anxiety, worries, etc. God takes these things from us as we trust Him. I am soooo excited to see what is in store for this team. I can't believe we leave in 3 days!! We're coming, Tina!! We'll see you soon!

A joyful conclusion…

Well, after several disheartening letters, I am overjoyed to share the final chapter of the Crossroads burglary story. As you know, the church was robbed last week and all the sound equipment was stolen. Because of this, they had to rent equipment from a local DJ for the Sunday service. The DJ, Tony, is a close friend of several families within the church and he gave a significant discount on renting the equipment and running the sound board. Sunday came and the message was on having faith during harsh times. After the message, there was an alter call… and Tony went forward, tears streaming down his face, as he accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior!!! God definitely works in inexplicable ways. Satan thought he had won but God definitely had bigger plans.
One of the songs we sang last week was Blessed Be the Name of the Lord. It’s a song I’ve sung many times in many different churches but this past week God really spoke to me as I was singing the words:
Blessed be Your name, when the sun’s shining down on me,
When the world’s all as it should be.
Blessed be Your name.
And blessed be Your name, on the road marked with suffering,
Though there’s pain in the offering.
Blessed be Your name!
Every blessing You pour out I’ll turn back to praise. And when the darkness closes in Lord, still I will say:
BLESSED BE YOUR NAME!!
It’s easy for us to simply sing pretty words to pretty songs but not really grasp what we’re saying. Do we bless His name during suffering? I must confess that far too often my reaction is to question God in frustration when things go wrong. But it’s so amazing to know that while He is teaching and growing me through trials, He is also changing lives and building His kingdom! Blessed be the name of my Lord!
Tina

In Total Darkness

July 3, 2007

Well, after ten days of being completely cut off from my team I finally have access to email! Praise the Lord and keep your fingers crossed that nothing else happens to disrupt the internet signal. It’s been a frustrating fight this past week. I spent six hours waiting in line on Friday to get a wi-fi signal loaded into my laptop so that I (and the team once they get here) can email back to the States. The signal was working when I left the shop but as soon as I got it home, the connection was lost. No email. So I went to plan B and caught a ride down to the cyber café to use their internet. The power went down. No email. Okay, plan C. I went to ANOTHER cyber café all the way across town where there was power and got online. But the connection was so slow that it was taking 15 minutes to load one page. So after an hour and a half I had only gotten to my main Yahoo page and the cyber café was closing. No email! Since all my contact information for people had been in a notebook that was lost when the car got stolen I was completely sunk. No email and no phone numbers for people!! It’s funny how the little things, like communication, are conveniences that I take for granted. I spent another three hours this morning back at the internet shop and finally got a wi-fi signal put on my laptop. It’s slow, but it’s working!

These past ten days in Kenya have been extremely frustrating and emotionally exhausting. Three nights ago we awoke to the sound of someone banging on our front gate. That is never a good sign. It was the night watchman from Crossroads who had come to tell us that the church had been robbed and everything was gone. Sound equipment, microphones, musical instruments, computers… everything. Everyone of course was upset. It just seemed so unfair- here is a church that has struggled to build itself up and just when it seemed like things were starting to go well, Satan attacked! The mood that day was heavy. Between the break in and the hijacking I have become more and more paranoid, constantly looking over my shoulder for an attack. I’m sure that’s what Satan wants- to distract me from the excitement of having the team out here.

Last night we went out to celebrate Nathan’s parents’ 40th wedding anniversary. We had dinner on a boat and went sailing out into the Indian Ocean to enjoy the quiet, calm sea. About halfway through the meal, Nathan’s father realized his mouth was feeling tingly and he was having trouble breathing. Apparently there had been shell fish in the rice mixture we were eating and he is terribly allergic to this. So there we sat, miles out to see, no medicine, and he was getting worse by the minute! All we could do was pray. We got a bit closer to the shore when one of the other patrons came over and told us he was a doctor. He had enough medicine on him to get things under control until we could get back on land and get to a pharmacy. What a night!

Please keep us in your prayers. It seems like each new day brings a new trial. We have a saying here in Kenya, “Hapana meneno,” which means “No problem.” Everywhere I go I hear this. I went into town to pay for the vans we will have when the team arrives. The driver I had hired told me, “Sorry, my company has gone bankrupt and I am no longer in the transport business. Hapana meneno.” I went to pay a deposit at the apartments the team and I will be staying at and the lady behind the desk said, “Sorry, our computer is down and we cannot take payment. Come back next week. Hapana meneno.” Every time someone says this to me I feel like screaming, “It IS a problem!!” But this is Kenya and in Kenya there are no problems. I have to stop and wonder if God ever looks at us and simply says, “Hapana meneno.” Everything is in His control and although sometimes I fight it, I have to stop and realize I cannot do anything in my own strength. Alone I am weak. I make mistakes, I fall, I fail. But I do not have to fight alone and with Christ, I hang on to the promise that I can do all things.

Tomorrow we leave for Tsavo and from there back to Nairobi. My two weeks down in Mombasa have been less than productive. I feel like I am leaving with more things on my to-do list then when I arrived. But… hapana meneno!!

Hopefully more later,

Tina

A Week on a Battlefield

June 30, 2007

I’ve been in Kenya for a week now and it has been a rollercoaster time. God is doing some amazing things but we are definitely on Satan’s radar. Nathan and I spent our first day in Kenya up north in the town of Kijabe on the Rift Valley. We had a wonderful time of visiting family and catching up with old friends. Saturday evening we flew down to Mombasa and sent our luggage down to the coast in Smiddy’s (my future in-laws) car. Since the driver, Denis, was a close friend and a member of Crossroads church we thought our car and luggage would be safe with him. However, halfway into the 8 hour drive, Denis was hijacked and the car was stolen along with all our luggage. Clothes, camera equipment, and all the toys and materials we had brought with us for the orphanage kids... all gone. We got word on Saturday night about the incident and started praying. God was gracious. Although he was shook up, Denis had not been injured. And although it is an inconvenience to now be in Africa for three months without our possessions, it’s only material. Danger is all around us is this world; it’s found in Africa, the Middle East, Los Angeles, and even Mesa, Arizona! It is not safe to drive on the Nairobi-Mombasa road at night but unfortunately Denis drove anyway. Some things are just not worth the risk and safety is one of them. Rest assured the Huruma team will NOT be doing any travel at night. But it is still a good reminder that our every moment belongs to the Lord’s will.

The next day was Sunday and not just any Sunday but the 5th anniversary for Crossroads Fellowship Church. This is a church that was started with only 4 people meeting in a storefront. After a year they grew to 200 people and moved to a hotel to meet. This past Sunday they had 605 people and are putting the final touches on their own church building. Sunday’s service was an incredible time of looking back and reflecting on all the blessings God has given to the church, the congregation, and the outreach ministries they have started!

Monday I received call from a good friend of mine here in Mombasa. Some plans she and I had been arranging had fallen through and she was publically blaming me. Because she is a youth leader at Crossroads the situation went before the deacon board and she was reprimanded by not being allowed to do youth ministry this term. The entire situation was wounding to me since she is a friend and I trusted her. To top it off, she was my main contact here and was supposed to be the representative from Crossroads to take the Huruma team around to the feeding centers and orphanages. So I have suddenly found myself alone to make all the arrangements and preparations for the team. But things are progressing and coming together. I’m so excited for the team to see my Africa and every time I visit the orphanage I think of how it will be for them to see these precious children for the first time! God is good and He is in control!!!

We are right in the middle of helping Smiddy’s pack up and move. They will be returning to Indiana for home assignment on July 15th so Nathan and I have been busy packing and boxing up a lifetime of ministry. In addition to that, we are newly engaged and in Africa, that translates to extremely booked. We have not had a single day since arriving where we didn’t have a lunch and/or dinner date at someone’s home. It is customary to invite the betrothed couple over for a big celebration meal and because Nathan is the pastor’s son at Crossroads and I’m the pastor’s daughter within my parents’ ministry, we have a LOT of people who want to have us over. It is wonderful and such a blessing to be surrounded by people who love us so dearly… but I was not planning on 4 hour meals at people’s homes every day. I’m fighting the line between spending time with people to build relationships and getting “work” done for the team.

Wednesday morning I got some heartbreaking news from the States that a dear friend of mine had been killed in a car accident. She and I worked together last year at the same Tiwi camp that the team will be leading this summer and just before I left she told me how much she had wanted to return to Kenya again this year but God was calling her to remain in Tennessee to work with a children’s outreach. Her name was Jessica, she was 20 year old, and she loved the Lord with all her life.

The devil is definitely out to steal our joy. For every amazing event God has shaped there has been a calamity to heavy the mood. It is a fantastic predicament to be on Satan’s hit list because it means God is being glorified and His work is being accomplished. I am trying to keep that in the forefront of my mind. My quiet time has been getting longer and longer everyday as I count up all blessings I have been given. I am so thankful for your prayers- it is the greatest weapon we have. Please remember the people here involved in ministry. Although the battle continues, we know who the victory belongs to!

Because of His Grace,

Tina

Kenya At Last

June 23, 2007

Well, after 20 hours on a plane I arrived in Nairobi, Kenya!! It is so good to be back on African soil. My head is foggy but I’m not sure if it’s from the jetlag or because I got engaged 15 hours ago and am floating on a cloud! Nathan proposed during our layover in London so sitting still through the second flight from London to Nairobi was a very difficult task! I didn’t think the other people on the plane would appreciate me jumping up and down the aisles or doing back flips over the seats… but that’s what I felt like doing!
Nathan and I will be here in Nairobi for a day. Tomorrow we will be driving up-country to Rift Valley Academy to visit his sister at the same boarding school both he and I went for high school. Then tomorrow evening we will catch a domestic flight down to Mombasa. I have no idea when I will find an internet café so for now I’m just writing down the news and will try to post this as soon as I can.
Praise God for our safe journey…. 1 Huruma member down, 15 to go!!

Engaged!!!

June 24, 2007

As many of you know, Nathan Smiddy and I are spending this summer out in Kenya to do ministry and visit with his family. We had a day layover in London and decided to take advantage of our time by playing tourists and going all over the city sightseeing. We went to the theater to see Les Miserables and had a wonderful romantic dinner at a little bistro… it was a perfect day. After dinner we had a few more hours to kill before we needed to head back to the airport and Nate suggested we walk back to Big Ben and Westminster to see everything lit up at night. It was a typical London night, complete with fog and light rain when we finally arrived in front of Westminster Abby. As we were gazing up at the clock tower in the distance Nathan started talking about time- the time we’ve shared in our lives and how God’s timing is so perfect. I was so wrapped up in his words and gazing up at the clock that I didn’t even realize he had gotten a ring box out of his pocket and was holding it in front of me!! It wasn’t until he got down on one knee right there in the middle of the square and asked me to marry him that it finally dawned on me what was going on!! It might have taken me a while to catch on but it only took me a second to say yes!!



It's so amazing how God works. Two missionary kids from Africa living half our lives next door to each other and never knowing that God would join our futures together. Who could ask for more than to marry their best friend...