We were stunned yesterday to receive some difficult news
from a couple back home who are dear friends of ours. Their four month old son mysteriously passed
away sometime in the night. Naturally
this came as a terrible shock and we hate we cannot be there with them during
this difficult time. Join us in prayer
that they will receive comfort from The Comforter as they journey through this
heartbreaking time. The words of Psalm
56:8 seem incredibly close: “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your
bottle. You have recorded each one in
your book.” How reassuring it is to have
a God whose heart breaks with His people's yet also provides such blessed hope as He will one day restore
all that was lost in this life. Say a prayer for Aaron and Kayla that God's presence will be ever sweeter and all the closer in this trying time.
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Earlier in the day yesterday I had an opportunity to meet up
with one of my favorite people of all time, Pastor Steve Njenga. I thumbed a ride with our dear friend Paul
and we headed to the Naivasha for one of the best reunions I could have hoped
for. I was so thrilled to see Pastor
Steve and we caught up on nearly five years since we had seen each other
last. The last time our paths crossed
was as he passed through North Carolina during a whirlwind trip of speaking
engagements. Nevertheless it was such a
blessing to discover all the things that had taken place these last few years. Who could have known that the greatest
surprise was yet to come!
We toured a bit of Naivasha while his wife Mary was on her
way to meet us from work. Naivasha has
grown immensely since I was there previously.
It seems as if multitudes have flooded the busy city as of late. Indeed I learned that many people settled
there after the period of great unrest following the election violence of
2008. New businesses have cropped up in
every corner and it seems as if the Kenyan economy is growing in wonderful
ways. Once Mary arrived we too shared
some wonderful memories of old as we journeyed to Eburru.
To me Eburru is quite the special place as we traveled there
at least three or four times when we were here back in 2006 – 2007. My memories had not faded too greatly as the
roads there seemed all too familiar. I
saw the same groups of baboons, impala, gazelle, rock hyrax and occasional
warthogs that used to oversee our treks through the mountains. Eburru is a unique location indeed as it is
positioned near nine extinct volcanic craters.
Hot steam vents are still easy to find coming out of the mountains and the
same excellent views are available of the Rift Valley, just on the opposite
side of Kijabe.
As we drew near to our destination, the view gave way to a
wide-spread complex that existed only in imagination when I was there last. Smiling at my surprise Pastor Steve jumped
out of the van to begin our tour. We
first started with the multi-purpose dining room and auditorium. He told me that during the year they have conferences
from groups back in Nairobi that meet there.
Directly behind the auditorium is the kitchen where they prepare daily
meals for 351 students. We stepped into
the on-site bakery where a lump of dough roughly my size was being converted
into countless tasty loaves. That
massive amount of dough, I was informed, would make enough bread for just three
days. After tasting a portion of one of
the loaves I figured I could probably make it all disappear a bit faster!
Exiting the kitchen and bakery we passed through a few
rooms, some newly built, that provide storage for the large quantities of foods
and cereals they have to buy. After that
we crossed over to the newest building, a dorm for the boarding students with a
capacity of over two hundred. The top
floor is in the process of being finished and it is a building that easily dwarfs
the others. The rooms inside are cozy,
full of amenities and complete with study areas and lounges. A dorm mother watches over the ones that are
there presently, some hailing from as far as Mombasa.
Leaving the dorm we passed by the large cement water tank
that supplies water for the entire operation.
Water is extremely scarce in this area as the only sources are rain and
condensed steam. The water tank that
Pastor Steve built can hold 500,000 liters of water and is filled by a brilliant
system running throughout the school complex.
Rain water is channeled from each roof into long gutters where it then travels
through an array of underground pipes to fill the massive tank. Drilling a well here finds no water, only
steam, much like what is found in Hell’s Gate.
Working that to his favor, he drilled into a number of steam vents far
up the hill to condense the water and pipe it down to the school. This provides an additional 5,000 liters of
water per day. That water is probably
some of the best in the world as it is produced by nature’s own distillery.
We then passed by the classrooms for the children grades 1
through 8. They were gathering back
together after their lunch and I had a chance to share with the seventh grade
class. Some asked questions about
America including our diet and a number of questions regarding snow. It was just as difficult to explain a
hamburger and hotdog as it was to describe the nine feet of snow that fell in
Boston this winter. After sharing with a
few students we moved on noting how well behaved and brilliant they all
are. To go to school, especially one as
nice as this, is a privilege and one the students seemed to readily understand. They work hard and have excellent instructors. Pastor Steve told me that they ranked above the
national standard of scholastic excellence last year.
We toured the quarters where the teachers live there on site. Due to the remote location it would be
difficult to live elsewhere and make the journey to the school every day. I also saw the garden where a portion of the
school’s food is grown adjacent to a number of cows where fresh milk is
gathered every day. There is even a use
for the cow’s other functions as the dung is collected in an underground tank
that harnesses the released methane, powering the gas burners in the
kitchen. Everything about the facility
is nothing short of brilliant and well on its way to becoming a fully self-sustaining
community. Even the children take part
in chores that enable the work to be accomplished and completed in a
streamlined fashion.
As I stood there talking with Pastor Steve I was nothing
short of amazed. His vision and heart
for this place is tremendous. I remember
some eight years ago as he told me what he saw in Eburru’s future and so much
of it has come to pass. The stories of
how God has miraculously provided are myriad and only a book of size could
document them all. Pastor Steve had a
goal of not only reaching the residents of Eburru with the gospel but improving
the entire community in the process. As
such thus far he has planted two churches, created a dispensary (the only
medical facility within a 90 kilometer radius), a mission training center, and
a nearly self-sustaining school and conference center, not to mention the great
growth in moral, spiritual and economic areas for the entire village.
I listened with intrigue as he spoke of renovating an old
mansion adjacent to the school that would serve as a sort of bed and breakfast
as well as housing for other conferences.
He spoke of eco-tourism, starting a high school, creating steam saunas
(the only kind in Kenya for sure), bike paths and easy access to the new
national park that is being created around the wilds of Eburru. To be with him was to be with a true
visionary whose only limit is the size of his God’s ability to provide. Eventually he said the adjacent facilities
will fully fund the schools while providing people an opportunity to enjoy
Kenya’s culture and landscape, thus making it a ministry that is entirely
self-supporting.
He told me that he announced to the most recent church he
planted there in Eburru that they would preach to the world. That has already been fulfilled as mission
groups have come to visit, observed the great work God is doing and been set
ablaze with the Holy Spirit to go back to their homes with greater purpose than
ever before. Pastor Steve sees
opportunity with every mission group that passes through as he desires to
change their perspective thus impacting the work that goes on back in their own
communities. The scope of what I saw
yesterday was incredible.
In listening to Pastor Steve share I felt like I was in the
class of life, learning lessons that were worth far more than gold. He speaks with great wisdom and yet with such
humility. He shared that he has never
asked for money or resources, something that is remarkably true. In actuality it is even difficult to learn of
what the needs may be even when direct in asking. God has just connected him with people who
are impassioned by the God he serves. Not
long ago he came to the United States and had 60 speaking engagements in only three
weeks. His travels took him through the
south, to Washington DC and even to New York City where he sat down with some
rather influential people. As he related
it all to me yesterday, he said, “I’m a nobody, what could I share with these
important people? So I just shared what
I know…Jesus.” It is clear that
everything he is involved in really is just a testimony to the goodness of God.
Needless to say I had plenty to ponder and process as we
began the trek back to Naivasha. The
work of the Lord in Eburru has been incredible; it truly is the city that God
built. When we arrived back in Naivasha Paul
and I departed with some delicious samosas and a heartfelt farewell. We jumped in a matatu and headed back to Mai
Mahu, Paul’s home town and the city just below Kijabe in the valley. The skies were growing dark and I still
needed to make it back home so I bid Paul adieu for now and commissioned one of
the local motorcycle taxis for a ride.
Although I am quite used to being on a motorcycle, I am not so familiar
with being a passenger, especially through rough terrain…this was going to be
some kind of ride I was sure.
I am not positive but I think the fellow may have been under
the influence of some sort of substance due to his peculiar demeanor yet we set
off on the rocky road regardless. This
did not bode well when we added an additional passenger on the already dragging
motorcycle. The 125cc machine groaned
under the weight of three people as it zigzagged and lurched up the impossibly steep
incline. The ruts in the road dealt with
us mercilessly and I felt like sitting behind the two other fellows caused me
to be the recipient of the greatest amount of jostling violence. At long last, and still a mystery how, the
motorcycle wheeled into Kijabe with its three passengers and one highly
pressured carbonated drink in my backpack.
As I staggered the few remaining paces to our humble abode, the night
turned the sky a beautiful dusty orange and an incredible day came to a
close. In the distance one could almost
make out the shape of Eburru’s peak, stretching toward the heavens, connecting
with her divine source.
For more information you can visit David's Hope to find additional updates on the work taking place in Eburru!
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