Week Two in Kenya

Already we find ourselves coming to the end of our second week here. This week seems to have gone much quicker than the first; maybe because we have more of a routine (most days), or maybe because we have quickly grown quite accustomed to the slightly slower pace of life here (for most people). It's not that we've not been busy, but there has certainly been plenty of time to rest and reflect, or ponder and pray over the next thing we are speaking at/leading. This is definitely a luxury we both feel blessed to enjoy!

We have continued to meet & pray each morning with Terry & Judy and this week Hilda & Ian have joined us too. H&I are T&J's co-missionaries here who arrived for another three month stint last Friday. We are also still meeting and praying with Dorine (the church pastor) each morning and believe we have been able to encourage her.

This week Paul has taught four 'life skills' lessons ~ essentially some biblical teaching on the book of Esther, followed by a Q&A session. Although some of the children's questions have been around the taught topic, they quickly move off-topic and fire at him from all angles with wild and wonderful questions. This however, is progress from last week where only one or two asked anything. Many of these children are from a 7th Day Adventist background (SDA is the predominant denomination in this area) and the questions are sometimes about teachings that differ from our own theology, but Paul simply answers faithfully out of our own understanding of Scripture and encourages them to keep questioning :D

In the afternoons I have been taking some of the littler children for art-class. This has been fun for me and them ~ and their teacher ;-)

On Thursday morning I shared some encouragement for the ladies at the young mother's group at the church. Two young mothers came who are not regulars (one of whom was very young). I had struggled in the week to know what message to bring them, but felt God kept pulling me back towards forgiveness, and specifically forgiving others. I had been struggling with this because I felt that these ladies lives are so tough and they are often so abused & neglected that I didn't feel I had a 'right' to bring this message ~ if that makes sense. However, when I spoke briefly to Paul about what I was thinking and the passage I was considering using (from Colossians 3: 12-15) God confirmed it to me ~ it was the exact same passage God had laid on Paul's heart to share with the men's group this week! So in obedience I took my message, and it was most certainly the right one to bring. It very much touched the heart of three of the ladies there, and one of the young girls in particular. And it was very humbling for me to pray for her.

So, tomorrow Paul is teaching again at the Men's group ~ who we are told were greatly encouraged by his message last week, and he is teaching from Colossians 3 too.

I have also continued to meet and teach the young teenage girls most evenings, encouraging them to grow in love of each other, themselves and of God; seeing themselves and others as God sees them. It's fun and they are lovely bunch of girls. I love teenagers!

In addition, Paul has been doing some 'Stomp' style worship in the evenings with the young boys - using water bottles as drums! I am so looking forward to hearing it, as everyone is saying how great they sound. They have been asked to 'perform' in assemble on Friday :D

Paul is preaching again on Sunday too ~ so they are keeping us both busy!!

I think that's about it this week ~ enjoy the pictures (more HERE) and on the all-new Hope and Kindness Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/HopeandKindnessKosele. Why not go and 'Like' H&K- better still think about supporting the work here: In the near future I hope to be setting up a gallery of the children that still need sponsorship, and a little bit of info' about each one ~ perhaps you might pray and consider sponsoring an individual child directly :D

Next week will be our last week at H&K ~ so don't forget to come back for the last installment!