"Eve! Why are you wearing the environment?"

Tara and I have just returned from our prison ministry with Pastor Julius and I was reflecting on our travels and ministry over the last few days. I kept thinking of all the people we had seen and of all the beautiful scenery in Kenya and the one thing that kept popping up in my mind was a statement Julius made. See we were discussing my sermon during the prison service. And we were discussing what had happened there in the garden with Adam and Eve, especially where it says "both of their eyes were opened." Julius was contemplating what would have happened if Eve's eyes were opened before Adams eyes were opened. Eve would have recognized her nakedness and put on her fig leaf and Adam, not knowing nakedness yet, would have screamed "Eve! Why are you wearing the environment?".....but you have to say it in Julius's accent....a heavy Kenyan British accent where every syllable is pronounced proper....."Eve!Why are you wearing the environment?"......and when you say it you have to burst out laughing because that is what we all did....burst out laughing!

But I have been thinking about that comment...about that thought. Why were both of their eyes opened at the same time. Upon further discussion, Julius made the comment that if Eve's eyes were opened and Adams were not, perhaps Adam would have noticed the change in Eve....the shame...the guilt....the fear...and Adam probably would have not eaten the fruit. He would have thought the fruit made Eve crazy because "now she's wearing the environment."
Anyway, just some forbidden food for thought.

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Rejoice in the Lord!

A story from Joram retold by Joel

This story was told by Joram during a devotion service at YWAM Athi River, Kenya. Here is my attempt to re-tell the story.

There were these two Africans. One was a Christian and the other was not. They both got a job at the saw mill. They were very happy. One day one of the guys got his finger cut off. The Christian told him to "rejoice in the Lord!" and he responded, "how can I rejoice in the Lord? I just lost my finger!" The Christian said, "you must rejoice in the Lord no matter what. For the Lord makes all things good, so I say rejoice in the Lord!"

A few months went by and they had saved enough money to travel and visit family. They decided to travel together. However, they had to travel through the bush. While traveling through the bush they ran out of water. They had not brought enough and it was very hot. They came upon a well but had no way to draw the water. They decided to take turns and lower each other into the well to drink. The Christian lowered the other into the well and he drank. Then the Christian was lowered into the well and he drank but when it was time to be brought out of the well the other said "remember that time I lost my finger and you told me to rejoice in the Lord no matter what? Now I am telling you to rejoice", and with that he left him in the well and continued on his journey.

While he was traveling through the bush he came upon some nomadic bush people, the people that make human sacrifices to their gods. They captured him. They tied him to their alter as a sacrifice. But when they noticed he was missing a finger they said "we cannot sacrifice this to our gods. Our sacrifice must be whole and this man is not whole. He is missing a finger." So they let him go.

As he was running from the nomadic people he realized that because he had lost a finger he did not lose his life. He began to rejoice. he also thought about the Christian in the well. He thought that if he had not left him in the well and they had been traveling together they would have sacrificed him because he was whole.

He ran back to the well and lifted the Christian out and shouted "YOU MUST REJOICE IN THE LORD!"

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Just two stories I thought would share some of the humor and the fellowship that Tara and I are experiencing here in Kenya. It is a blessing to be in God's will.

So, I think Eve's response to Adams question of "why are you wearing the environment?" should have been..."rejoice in the Lord! For the Lord makes all things good!"....yes indeed, rejoice in the Lord no matter your circumstance.

Giraffe! Why are you wearing the environment?

Rejoice in the Lord!.....no matter what

Blessings,
Joel and Tara

Mazungu in a Matatu. (Translation: white man in a mini van)

Just go ahead and GET IN THE BUS!

Outside the bus

Last week I got to travel from Machakos, Kenya to Nakuru, Kabarnet and Tambach, Kenya. All travel was done by local public transportation which means I rode in a matatu, rode in a tuk-tuk, rode on a motorcycle and did a lot of walking.

Inside the bus

It was very exciting to visit with Pastor Julius and minister in the prisons with him, because that is specifically what the Lord has called me here for (41 inmates now know Jesus and are being discipled!!), but it was also just as exciting getting in the bus with all the Kenyans and seeing how they travel in their own country. I mean that really got me out of my comfort zone, especially the two young boys that practically sat in my lap for 2-1/2 hours from Nairobi to Nakuru and stared at me because I was the one and only mazungu they had ever seen.....but they were great and did not cry, praise God!

Tara and I have been very fortunate to have met so many missionaries here at the YWAM Base. Some of the missionaries are in training and have just begun their journeys and some have been missionaries for many years with a lot of experience and a lot of great stories. One of the missionaries with a ton of wisdom is Connie Taylor. Connie and her husband are starting up a YWAM base in Cambridge, UK. She brought her DTS team here to Kenya on their outreach mission. We got to hear her speak a few weeks ago. She was very encouraging. She talked about potatoes. She grew up in the states and she knew all about potatoes, especially couch potatoes. People that just sit on the couch like potatoes and watch the world go by on their TV. Couch potatoes don't really do much but they sure like to watch much. Connie also said she knew a lot about pew potatoes. Pew potatoes sit on the pew, much like couch potatoes, and watch all the things going on in the church. Pew potatoes don't really do much but just like couch potatoes they sure like to watch much.

I listened to what Connie was saying. I had been a potato for most of my life. Mainly a couch potato but when I went to church I was a pew potato. I heard Connie's words of encouragement a few days before I left for my trip to the prisons. While I was sitting in the matatu surrounded by people staring at me, I couldn't help but think how grateful I am to be inside the bus and not outside the bus. If I was outside the bus I would just be another pew potato watching people inside the bus. I could feel God's blessing upon my life...I mean I could feel the joy and love and grace and peace.....and blessings....I could feel it...not just hear about it. I was experiencing it for myself, because I was inside the bus and not outside the bus.

So, just go ahead and get in the bus. Get off the couch, get off the pew and get in the bus. Whatever God has been telling you to do...do it! Go do it now....no matter how uncomfortable or uneasy...no matter what others will say or think....no matter even if they will stare at you as if you are the one and only mazungu they have ever seen. GET IN THE BUS!

Blessings to you,
Joel and Tara