A Life in Mission

Jonathan had arrived. His trip was a long one with many layovers, but he finally made it to Nairobi. My brother had decided to come and help with the media work that needed to be done in East Africa.

For some moments I sit, perusing Facebook and Google Plus. Lately, I had found such encouragement there. It seemed that it used to be that I was alone in promoting mission work and the work yet to be done in places yet to hear of the Gospel message. There was a time where it seemed that so few of my friends were involved in missions. When I left for my first mission trip, very few of my friends were in foreign missions.

But now… this is changing. Added to work in Thailand are whole families gone to the field devoting their time energies to sharing Jesus. I think of the two girls from my local church who are now working in Cambodia at a school, showing and sharing Jesus with their students. I think of others who left their own plans and desires aside and went to work in places of greatest need. But this is only part of the change that I’ve noticed.

In the last 9 months, throughout this trial of having no replacement in my work, and not fulfilling the personal burden that God gave me of sharing the need of missions through media, I have gathered courage from the Facebook and Google Plus posts of my friends who are catching the vision. In times when I seemed almost ready to give up, and too tired and exhausted to continue, the posts showing the vision of reaching the unreached coming from those in my circle of friends gave me strength to continue. It has really given me joy to see others in my circle of friends and even beyond personally picking up the burden of foreign mission work in unreached fields at the expense of their own personal dreams and plans. And yet, something still troubles me…

There are so many souls who are perishing without the Water of life. Many would receive Him if they knew of Him. True there are more labourers going into the harvest, but it’s not enough! There should be a thousand where today there is but one. If only every Bible believing Christian would feel that it is their responsibility to share Jesus with everyone they can, and not just the people who already know about Him. So many places are without any Christian influence, and even though the number of missionaries is increasing our time is rapidly decreasing. The time we have left to work is short! There is no time for delay! Delay will cost us… not money, but souls! And so although I see more missionaries going into foreign and unreached fields, my soul cries for many more labourers because the time left in which to work is so short! The night is rapidly approaching. Blessed are those who sincerely repeat and act on Isaiah’s words: “Here am I Lord, Send me.” Isa 6:8

And so even when our energy is gone, and our strength seems to have disappeared, we must continue for just a little longer. The energy may be gone, the strength may seem zapped, and our vision may feel dimmed, but we must continue for the sake of the souls who God has commissioned us to save. If we but continue working a little longer, we shall find rest in the hereafter when the work is finished and we have gone home.

“Wheh, Muzungu! You have a bomb!” A young man shouts at me, standing by the parked car with his friends.

“Oh. It’s water.” He says when he got a closer look at my water bottle hanging from my backpack. The dark color of the bottle made it hard to see the contents.

I didn’t even slow my pace as I walked by. I wasn’t about to start talking to these young men. “You never know what will happen in downtown Nairobi!” I think to myself. From people coming up to me in the middle of the street just trying to start conversation to beggars there are so many things to get you sidetracked from the things that you are there to do. I remember the countless times that someone had come up to me and begged for something…
“Hello! You’re from America?” “How is Kenya?” “You’re not cold? How do you like the climate here?” These are just some of the questions that are asked along the street by individuals that just seem anxious to talk to an foreigner. Other times someone will just come and try to shake hands like they are an old friend…

The danger with this is that once someone starts talking to you then it appears that you know them and I understand that often they will try to grab for something in your pocket, perhaps your phone, or money, or anything else they can grab. When I first came it was hard not to talk to people, but now with all the work that I’ve been having to do and the experience I have had, it’s different. When they come and try to talk, I just keep walking being careful in case they grab at something. If someone is begging, I sometimes give something.

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I see in these situations an object lesson. When we are in the walk of life, there are many things to distract us. The devil takes advantage of everything he can. Distractions may come in form of people, but often they come in the form of things such as money, and material things, sometimes even comfort. We become absorbed in the things that we think will give us satisfaction… But the reality is that these things actually detour us from our destination. Instead of becoming distracted by the things of this life, we must always keep our eye single toward one purpose… That of keeping on the strait and narrow way, and bringing along as many others as we can.

Another thing that we can learn from these scenarios is that some people want to just get your attention and distract you, while others are actually needy. Sometimes it may be difficult to tell which is which, but there are still people who have never caught a glimpse of the strait and narrow Way. They are shut up in spiritual darkness. They have no option, no choice, and unless someone helps them they will continue that way forever! These ones deserve our time and effort to bring them into the Way.

Oh that God would give us discernment to see between the ones that are needy and the others. If we could just catch a glimpse of the world the way that God sees it.

“Rongai! Rongai!”  The conductor of the big bus shouts as the bus maneuvers out of the station.

“How much?” I ask.

“Eighty bob”

“Sawa” I reply as I quickly board. The only available seats are all the way in the back… But I don’t have to wait for it to leave, so it’s worth it.

I take my seat, and think back on the day. It had started just like every other day. But instead of going to work as every other day, I had to go to town. After a board meeting with the 2CBN board, we went to visit our account manager at Pan African Networks – the company we decided to broadcast with. We had scheduled an appointment to go and review the agreement and then sign it so we could go on the air. I remembered how we prayed before signing the agreement committing this project to God, as it really is his project anyway. I think that this might be the only time this man had ever had his clients pray before signing the agreement. Whatever the case I believe that this project will definitely be a witness to all involved.

I look over to the baby sitting on his mother’s lap in the seat next to me. He simply stares at me! I make faces at him, but he simply continues to stare as only babies can!

We finally arrive in Rongai, and as the bus starts making it’s stops I wait in the back until the we reach the end of it’s route at Guare. All the buses stop there, or so I think from the other times I’ve taken the route. When a lot of people get up and start getting out of the bus, I look out and realize that it’s Guare. I move up to the front but other people are moving in and by the time I get up to the door the bus is moving again. The bus drivers says they are coming back to Guare, and for me to just take a seat. I realize I know where this bus is stopping, and from there I can catch a matatu for 20 shillings to my home place. As I look outside I realize it’s raining fairly hard, so I pull out my long sleeve wool shirt and put it on as we reach the end of the route.

Standing by the side of the road in the rain and dark, I have no doubt that people think I’m crazy! But that doesn’t matter. After several minutes I flag down the next matatu. The conductor rattles something off in what sounds like his native tongue. “How much?” I ask. He rattles off again and I board the matatu. There’s no spare seat so I’m stuck in the iron chair position sitting on the edges of two seats with my backpack on my lap. The conductor who is sitting next to me looks at me and says something again in what to me is an unrecognizable accent or different language! I just look at him. This is really unusual in Kenya! All the matatu conductors I’ve seen speak English fine, at least all they need to know. When he gestures with his hands, I understand he is ready for me to pay him. I expected this. “How much?” I ask. “30 bob!” I pretend I didn’t understand and give him 20 shillings.

“10 bob!” He replies, obviously unsatisfied!

“But its just a short distance!” I answer.

“Ah, but it’s raining! I’m giving you a deal! Everyone else is paying 50 from Guare!” So he does speak English!

“But 20 is the rate!”

“But it’s raining outside and you have to run to catch transport so we take advantage of that and charge more!”

Exactly. I think to myself. They just take advantage of people because they don’t want to wait in the rain. I turn to the man seated behind me and ask him how much he’s paying. He’s getting off at the same place as I am. He said he paid 40, but he boarded at Guare. Then I know I’m not just getting the mazungu (white man) price!

“But I don’t mind being in the rain!” I still persist. “Did you see me running? I don’t care about being in the rain!”

“But it doesn’t rain in your place!” He guesses. “You just get this ice stuff!”

“How do you know? It rains in my place too!”

“10 Bob! Before I forget!” I realize that there’s no point in continuing.

“Where are you from anyway?” He now asks. “Germany?”

“You have a lot of Germans here, don’t you?” I answer playing along.

“But which place are you from?” He persists! “France?” By this time nearly everyone in the matatu is chuckling at our interchange! No doubt they are surprised at this mazungu giving this funny conductor a bad time!

“I’m going to let you guess.” I stall, I don’t feel like saying where I’m from.

“Asia or America?” He guesses. “No I know you’re not American!”

“How do you know?” I ask surprised at his conclusion!

He said something about me just not being like an American as we stop at my stop.

Cross-culture interactions are sometimes amusing but a lot of times they also give special opportunities. If we learn to take advantage of each opportunity in the right way, we will be used of God in every situation.

Walking in the cool rain toward my flats appartment, I think how I wish I would have had tracts to give to the people in that matatu. I ran out of the 300 glow tracts I brought with me shortly after coming to this place! Well with the TV station going on the air soon, then that will give me an easy witnessing opportunity. All they have to do is ask what I’m doing here. I pray that the station will reach many people and bring them the hope and love and joy that are found in Jesus and His Word.

“I think I see an object lesson here…” I think as I’m editing pictures from a recent event at the end of May when GC President Ted Wilson came for the opening of the Library of the Adventist University of Africa. President Wilson had invited President Kibaki of Kenya for the event and he accepted. Needless to say, it was a busy day! I had been part of the press taking photographs of the event. Having never been taking pictures as part of the press for such an event, it was all new to me! However I got a lot of good pictures in spite of the security personnel that managed the press. I remember how grateful I was when at one point when I found people all in front of me and no way to get a good shot how someone took me and forcefully moved me to a place where I was able to get a shot. I remember the first thing President Kibaki did after he came out of the University administration buildings, the small tree that he planted in front of the large building. I remember him pulling the curtain away from the plaque by the front door, then cutting the ribbon, signing the document, and then seeing the modern technology of the place and how lecturers in the lecture hall could teach and interact with students from other universities in the country through a camera and projector.

Adventist University of Africa, Ongata Rongai, Kenya

A teacher explaining the setup to President Kibaki. Security Minister George Saitoti is on the left.

As many of the high officials from the government had been accompanying the President, I think what a witness opportunity it was. Then I think of how when I returned from Tanzania someone told me about how George Saitoti had been killed when his helicopter crashed and all on board were killed. The Kenyan Internal Security Minister had been a prominent figure in Kenyan politics and also had been the countries longest serving vice president, and was to run for president in the coming elections.

Ted Wilson greeting George Saitoti

Kenya President Kibaki and GC President Ted Wilson

I think of how Ted Wilson had given a short message speaking about education and how true education began with a knowledge of God. He thanked President Kibaki for the level of religious freedom that exists in Kenya and he mentioned other things as well… I think of what an opportunity to witness that had been. That could have been the last time that George Saitoti or others for that matter heard the truth. What if Ted Wilson had not invited the president? Would the eternal salvation of Saitoti be different? What if Ted Wilson decided it wasn’t important to come to open the university? How many opportunities of witnessing would have been lost?

Ted Wilson preaching

I think of how Jesus commanded us to be as a light. He said: “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.” Matthew 7:14-15  Being a light on a candlestick means taking every opportunity to be a witness… not hiding under a bushel ever! I have to admit that I hide under a bushel a lot more than I should. I think many of us struggle with actually getting out there and sharing Jesus with people, but it’s not something we should be afraid of! Jesus promised that all power is given to him and that we should “Go and teach all nations…” What if we really took this command seriously? What if we really obeyed it? What if we determined never to miss an opportunity to witness for Jesus?