2-28-10 beautyevilandGod

2-28-10
Sunday
10:42ish

I am sitting in church @ graceway right now. Beside and around me are Eddah, Rhema, Cecelia, and Jenelle. They are so very beautiful. We have just finished singpraising God. It is mystifying how such drasticly different one day can be from another. One morning from the evening. One hour from the next. One moment to the next. These undescribably beautiful girls near me had yesterday been victims of the influence of a greatly deceived and greatly deceitful man. They are so sadden that they were influenced by this man. I and Bob and LuAnn Love these girls so very much. Here in Kitale, there is so much innocence, so much guilt, so much genuine honesty, so many lies, so much faith, so much corruption, so much love, so much abuse, and so much more. Thereis so much joy to see the innocence, the faith, the Love, the good. There is no hurt and sadness like the one that comes when the evil touches the lovely. The theft by robbers who steal from those who walk on the Way. The murder of those who Live the Life. the destruction of those who know the Truth. Satan speaks lies. ~PAUSE~> God turns all things to bring those who Love Him to Himself, to peace, to eternal Joy. He is really really strong and powerful, He has excellent hearing and eyesight, He is huge yet He is intimately everywhere at the same time, He sees the future more clearly than the most enlightened man sees the present, He is unreasonably smart and has a genius talent for planning, He knows the hidden hearts of men and women, He is perfectly wise, and furthermore… He is on the side of whoever chooses His side, and He Loves us more completely and unconditionally than we can think or imagine. He Loves us! ~UNPAUSE~> the corruption seems to have no holds barred. So many schemes rob so many children of gifts intended for them by the benevolent. They hurt the innocent and those seeking Truth. They bribe police, judges, and officials. They hire mobs, they draw their victims in through pity for children, they are “pastors”, they constantly insult and slander the Name of the Lord by identifying themselves as followers of Him. They constantly like to and steal from the church. They are running toward the vengeance of God at break neck speed. They are sprinting to Hell. –Lord, You have held back Your justice for a very long time…for Your glory and for the sakes of those who You Love, let Your Judgments be manifested.-

2-26-10B doors

2-26-10
Friday
13:50

God has really good plans. He has opened every door that He had already put on my heart to walk through. Every one. Some of the doors have my fears as welcome mats. I can see that the only way I will be following God and have peace is to wipe my feet on my fears and walk forward. He will protect, guide, strengthen, and provide.

2-26-10A walkwithhelen

2-26-10
Friday
13:30

I had just been walking with Helen. She said she lives in Kitale because it is where God planted her. She doesn’t see the sense in moving to a place where business is better, because the same God who is providing there will provide here. She says that when God guides you to follow Him somewhere else, follow Him. But be sure that it is Him in front of you and not you in front of Him. She also talked about the importance of greeting strangers, friends, and neighbors.

2-25-10B P.S.ish

2-25-10
Thursday
23:21
Remind me to tell you about the depths of corruption and the crazy faithfulness of God. And by the way, Psalm 32 is sweet from beginning to end.
P.S. yesterday I was called rasta man, was asked if I smoked ganja, and a guy told me he wanted me to be his dog (which I finally figured out, he meant to be his best friend…I don’t think he quite grasped the point of a dog being man’s best friend),
Today, I passed a group of kids who said “hey Osama”, then, less than 120 seconds later I passed another group of kids who said “hey Jesus”… having a beard makes for some interesting comparisons. (however, mama Magdalene says she would prefer if only my heart looked like Jesus).

2-25-10A magdalene

2-25-10
Thursday
22:35

As you walk through the clothes market, you see on all sides, crudely built stands with a platform for the women to sit surrounded boy their selection of second hand t-shirts, belts, jeans, coats, dresses, and every other type of cloth or clothing. Under their reused plastic sheet roofs, which protect them from rain and sun, the women are all eagerly awaiting for someone to show interest in their merchandise. They call the mazungus over to talk and buy and barter prices. Amongst the chaotic colors and shapes and sizes and calls and crooked paths between crooked stands on uneven ground, there is a woman who I simply cal “mama”. The first time I met her I promised I would cut my beard short. The second time, I cut off the rough, boxtie rope necklace that I like(d) so much. Why did I do these things? Because I can not refuse such strong requests made out of such strong Love. This mama makes enough money everyday to live in poverty. She thanks and praises God for that. She looks after the men and young men who work near her. She is a mom to them. Her joy and love for God and her ministry and service and seeking of God is not hindered in the least by her circumstances. She loves me like her son, only because the Love of Jesus burns in her heart and makes her glow. She had me read Isaiah 35 aloud, because it had encouraged her so much when she read it that morning. So sweet! She prayed for Jared and I. such a fervent and powerful prayer. She lives in perpetual, constraining poverty, yet she is one of the richest and freest people I know.
She has Life to the fullest (John 10:10). Even in her lacking, she has a continual feast (prov 15:15). (prov 13:7). Her name is Magdalene.

2-21-10 chrchnotes

2-21-10
Sunday
12:05

The pastor (Peter) just said “it is hard for us to give up being good men, to live a life of faith.” You know what? It’s true
Now he said “what is opened can be closed, but what is broken can not have its outpouring flow controlled.” “treasure in earthen vessels” “blessed are the broken” “the woman who anointed Jesus did not open the perfume. If she did, she could have just poured what she wanted and saved what she wanted. She broke the alabaster box.” When broken, there can be no reservations, no turning back. The flow can not be controlled. –Father, break me…break my heart, break my mind, break my soul, break my strength. Please break me-

2-18-10 toLive

2-18-10
Thursday
20:54

-Lord, guide my words and steps. Empty my heart of fear, and draw it with passion-
To talk to strangers. To eat regularly with friends. To pray with friends. To pray with family. To pray with strangers (strangers in church. Strangers out of church). To eat with strangers (in and out of church). To talk with God alot. To talk of God alot. To talk with people who I feel least comfortable talking to. To talk of the Word of God. To read the Word with people. To memorize the Word with people. To talk of Jesus. To talk of the Blood of Jesus. To take and have communion. To help people carry groceries. To pull over to help ppl whose cars are having trouble. To talk to people with or without homes. To seriously ask how people are doing. To seriously tell people how I am doing. To count nothing I possess as my own (not even my life or body). To give freely to those who lack. To openly share with institutional or organized churches the things that God is calling me to do. To invite others to join me. To invite others to lead me. To support the visions of those who are drawn and convicted to movement by God. To invite accountability. To invite exhortation. To invite rebukes, instructions, warnings, disciplines, corrections. To Love god with everything I have. To Love people as Jesus does. To give my 2 mites to God. To feed my enemies. To boldly stand against bondages…
These are some of the things that God has put on my heart. These are things my fears stand in the way of; like a wall of flames. (Isaiah 43:2).

2-18-10 monkroom

2-18-10
Thursday
6:46

-God, thank You for this room. It’s just right- my room (which used to be Caleb’s when he was here) is like the quarters of a monk in a monastery. It is small, simple, comfortableish, undestracting. I could live in this room (or one like it) for the rest of my life, happily (uhh… not meaning that I wouldn’t leave my room…you know what I mean) it is so good to have a place to be able to be alone and focus.

2-17-10 ow

2-17-10
Wednesday
15:57

So… it seems that either God has to knock sence into me to get me to hear, or He graciously forsees my clumsiness and He works the situation to ease my troubles, or I either have really good or bad timing w/ my clumsiness. I was going to meet w/ Daniel to visit the kipsongo orphanage. Daniel and I were both fre at 2:30pm to meet up. @2:ish I crouched down to talk with some kids @ the graceway school, and when I stood up…wamo! I hit my head on the corner of a low roof beam. So the reslt is that we couldn’t go to the orphanage today, but Daniel was free to hang out w/ me @ the hospital. Good timing? Bad timing? God? Coincidence? Why is the sad sabu sad? I don’t really think I need to know. If it’s out of my hands it’s in God’s hands anyway.
In the end I got to see the barber and the seamstress (the doc shaved some of my hair [it felt like he used a dull pocket knife to shave the area. It hurt worse than the injury.] and gave me 4 stitches). I also got a deep shot in the arm for Tetnis, and a few shots in the head to numb for the stitches. Well, that was a little adventure… Ha, I was just looking at the medicine they gave me, and one of them is just loose white tablets in a small brown paper bag (this is Kenya). The bag has “2x3” penned on it, I think that means 2 tablets 3 times a day.

2-14-10B p.p.p.s.

2-14-10
Sunday
17:57

P.S. it is hard to tell what is true and what is not in Kenya (I’ll explain later)

P.P.S. we did some great clinics + one on Mt. Elgon (I’ll expound later)

P.P.P.S. Benja called me a “funny mazungu”, and Pastor Peter told his church that I was a “different kind” of missionary.
Ha, both made me laugh.

2-14-10A fearislikemalaria

2-14-10
Sunday
16:17

Eiee, where to start? Uh…well the orphanage is doing alright (besides not having /= to pay the water bill).
Fear is like Malaria: it makes you stay up the first half of the night with a bad stomache ache, it keeps you up the rest of the night kneeling over a smelly pit latrine puking out every last ounce of fluid and solid that is in your stomache, then, when you drink water to rehidrate yourself, it makes you puke that up to, then it makes you dry heave (attempt to puke when your stomache I already empty), then it keeps you in bed for the entire next day, with nausea and a head ache, and a terrible back ache (possibly brought on by the preceding night’s puking)…so, fear isn’tlike Maleria in those ways so much. But malaria was like that. But, a bunch of people prayed for me (including Hellen, who also gave me flowers. [did I mention that God has given her the gift of timing?]…if she was younger…). And the day after, I was running around playing Futbol. The day after that, I took medicine for Malaria.
Fear is like malaria: it is a parasite. Sometimes you feel it, sometimes you don’t. the longer you ignore it, the harder it is to get rid of it. If the symptoms alone are treated, it often kills you (spiritually). It makes it hard for you to think straight. Even after it is confronted and treated, it can live inside of you. Only God can completely get it out of your blood!
God wants to confront our fear, and heal us from it. He wants us to be whole. He wants us to know perfect Love (incoming + outgoing). The Love of God is deeper, longer, higher, and wider than the claws of any fear can reach. (Ephesians 3). No realization of the worst fear or failure coming true can separate us from the Love of God (Rom 8:31-39). God wants us to be free of fear (2 tim 1:7). Knowing, believing, embracing, receiving, and giving God’s Love leaves no room in us for Fear (1 john 4:18-19). We have no reason to fear, because God has already redeemed us. He made us, He redeemed us, He calls us, He knows us personally and intimately, He has made us His own and adopted us, He is with us in impossible trials and opposition, He protects us from overwhelming forces, He guards us from even imminent destruction or failure, He completely cares for us, and He is realy really powerful and smart, and on top of all that, He even knows the future, so… “Fear Not”. (Isaiah 43:1-3). I have had fear about being a bad chioice on God’s part to teach Benja and Peter about God, the Word, the Way, the Truth, the Life, the Law, the Love, Christ’s Blood, and the Holy Spirit.
My good friend Daniel Lipparelli (whose name I may have spelled wrong) said (something like) “if God opened the door for you to teach them, then they don’t need a better teacher, or a better communicator, right now they need a Timo” (God knows what we need, so if He uses you to meet a need, He does so for a reason. He equips us as we Follow Him.) sweet eh?