I'm groaning...

Lately I’ve started to come to understand Romans 8:18-30, and particularly Romans 8:23 more than I ever have before. The biggest theme of the Advent season is one of waiting with expectation for the day when we celebrate the coming of our Savior into the world in the form of a baby. I’ve definitely been focusing much more on such a theme of expectation during this season of Advent than I have ever done before. That entrance of Christ into the world was revolutionary.

There are those events that take place in our lives that we look to as category shifters. We look at them by saying something like: “there was life before 9/11 and life after,” or “life before colonization and life after,” or “life before the day I met you and after,” etc. The birth of Jesus took that to an extreme. No other single event in history has caused us to completely change our calendar to express life before and after an event. Isn’t that incredible? And so it is now that we eagerly await the day when we celebrate his birth; the day history changed forever. But, for those who are followers of that very Jesus, we eagerly await something else as well.

As followers we eagerly await the time when he will come again, when the kingdom of God is brought to complete fruition. This too has become all the more evident this Advent season for me. So many places in scripture we see prophecies pointing to this baby, even referring to the very way that he would come, as a child. For hundreds of years they had been expecting this Savior! And now it is the same with Christians. For hundreds of years we have been expecting our savior to return to us. Paul tells us in the aforementioned passage that creation itself is groaning out for the future hope. Think about that for just a second. Creation is making a deep, inarticulate sound, in response to the pain and despair it is going through as it eagerly awaits the finality of the kingdom of God.

So it is during this season that I pray that as an individual who has experienced the moving of the Holy Spirit, that I can groan inwardly because of the pain of all of creation, longing to be restored to it’s rightful purpose. Not only do I long to groan, but I long to respond the way that Jesus did. If my faith is not revolutionary, something is deeply wrong. Faith in Christ is something that should be a category shifter. Our faith as believers in the savior that came into the world as a baby should cause us to create those same events that we look to as life changers. People should be saying, “there was life before Roland and life after Roland.”

You see, Christ never separated the spiritual from the social. Yes, his salvation is personal in the sense that we must believe in him and allow him to change our beings. But there is something else that happens with belief. Belief leads us to social action. In all of Jesus’ miracles, the miracle itself either freed the miraclee (ya, I just made up that word) to live in society in ways that they couldn’t have before, or Jesus miracles directly impacted a social situation or social thought process. Salvation meant a complete shift in some sort of social understanding. This Advent, I’m groaning. That groaning isn’t a selfish groaning, it’s a groaning for change in this world we live in; a groaning for the moment when the kingdom has completely come.

I'm Anxious...

I only feel this way once in a blue moon. Actually, it's rarer than that; for blue moons come relatively often compared to how often I feel this way. I shall describe it like this:

Imagine you have been friends with someone for a decent amount of time. Then, some significant moment in your life comes, and you wonder, will they remember?

It's like that, but not like that at all. It's anxiousness of a different sort.

It's like waiting for the first snow fall. It's supposed to come at some point in winter, but you have no idea what it will look like. Okay, it's actually not like that at all. It's anxiousness of a different sort.

It's like devoting yourself to a cause, with only your best given, and wondering if that cause will lead to something greater. That's exactly what it's like. I'm anxious.

Behold, I send my parcel before your face...

For my high school years, I attended a boarding school here in Kenya. At that school I became friends with a quality chap named Robert whose parents were serving in Zambia. They moved up to the town where our boarding school was. Many times in the two years they were in Kijabe I'd go down and experience their generous hospitality. I'm so thankful for people like that, who come into our lives and make it better! It's been six years since graduation from our boarding school. I'm still friends with Robert, and his family has still shown that same generous hospitality to me in various ways over the years. One of Robert's many brothers was flying back to the States a few weeks ago to share the Christmas break with his family. Robert's mom asked if I would like to send any Christmas presents to my family in the States. Naturally, you can't pass up on such a speedy courier service from here in Kenya when the normal postal service can take on average anywhere from 3-6 months to get your parcels to the States.

My family had no idea what was coming. Yesterday a parcel arrived at their post office in Utah with no name in the sender box, just an address from somewhere in Roseburg, Oregon. That box of presents would be heralding Christmas from a son thousands of miles away in Kenya. My mom is going to place the presents underneath their Christmas tree, signaling the coming of Christmas day when they can open their presents.

Two thousand years ago someone else was signaling the coming of a parcel the size of a baby from a far away place as well. "John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.... 'After me comes one who is mightier than I.'" Whilst that parcel which I sent to my parents heralds the coming of a certain day where they can open gifts, John's ministry in the wilderness was heralding something so much more significant.

We as humans can often get caught up heralding the coming of things that pale in comparison to the very thing that John was heralding. During this Advent season, I pause to think about the things that I point to in my life. Do I point to/speak of things that have such little significance to the kingdom of God, or do I point to the One who ushered in that very kingdom? John had a very important ministry; he prepared the way for the One who was to change history forever. We too are called to be messengers. We are called to prepare the way for the coming of our Lord for the second time. What are you pointing to today?

Cultural Respect

The world is a huge place with billions of people from thousands of cultures. We just recently passed the 7 billion people mark on the planet. This means that there are people from various different walks of life, each with their own particular worldview. A worldview is a particular philosophy of life or conception of the world. I’m a firm believer that just as no two people are alike, so no two worldviews are alike. Yes, people who grow up in the same family, neighborhood, suburb, city, state, or country may have aspects of their worldview which are the same, but when it comes down to the nature of an opinion, it is something formed in the end, whether through influence of others or not, solely by an individual.

With the uniqueness of every single individual on the face of the planet, we must learn to respect others and where they come from. Part of this fact means that we must come to terms with the fact that others have been influenced in ways different to ourselves. Giving respect to others means that we have a feeling of deep admiration for them or their character which is elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements. Inherent to respect means that we must forget about our nature and our character and focus on the other. In my time spent in other cultures, I have seen those who live with cultural respect oozing from their lives. They look to other cultures and are amazed by the new and glorious things which they can learn from them. Sadly, I have seen the opposite as well. I have seen individuals go across cultures and always use their worldview and culture as the benchmark for grading the other culture. What are the downfalls of such a perspective? Such a perspective leads individuals to refuse to learn from others. It causes humanity to be inward focused and be concerned with the self rather than with the community. There is so much to be learned from other people and their cultures. Our experience with them allows us to acquire knowledge about them and who they are. As Christians we believe that God created us in his image. I believe that being thus created means that in others we have a chance to see a glimpse of God. When we fail to reach out to them, we fail to reach out to the God imaged in them.

A Journey to the Ends of the Earth

This past summer I got an email from a pastor in Vancouver, B.C. wanting to connect about Africa, while he was in the KC area. He would be heading to Kenya this fall and wanted to touch base on my experiences in Africa. The crazy thing was I had met him around 15 years ago when he and the evangelism professor at my now seminary came up to Omaha, NE where my parents were pastoring for a weekend. It was great to meet him and dialogue about Africa, theology, etc. A few months ago he asked if I’d like to join them on their trip to the towns of Narok and Naroosura. I definitely wanted to do this. It would be a great opportunity to see how God is working outside of the Nairobi area here in Kenya and to see some parts of Kenya I’ve never seen before.

This past Thursday, it was time to depart with the team for the two towns. Off we (Pastor Grant, his son, a man from their church who has been working with their project, the NCM coordinator for the field, and the driver/project lead when the team isn’t there) went. The drive to Narok was beautiful! The first part of it was all too familiar. The journey takes one up one of the main highways North of Nairobi, then splits off to the northwest. That drive is one that I have taken before and is incredibly awe-inspiring. You begin by climbing up around 2,000 feet in elevation out of Nairobi. Then when you exit to the northwest, you descend into the Rift Valley. Along the route are numerous mahindi choma (roasted maize) sellers. I am mahindi choma’s biggest fan, and so I had to suggest we stop and get some. All of us in the van were now fully loaded with this lovely snack (all for a mere 20 cents each). Then it was back to the views. I saw those views for around 33 months during my stay at Rift Valley Academy, just a stones throw from where we were.

This view includes the valley floor below, two volcanos rising from that floor, as well as the sides of the valley towering above you. The road to Narok slowly rises back out of the beautiful valley to the city. There was one time on our journey when I remember thinking, “this is sure a long hill.” Right after I thought that, the thermostat on the minibus we were traveling in, blew. Hot water began gushing from the bottom of the bus. We stopped almost at the crest of the hill. People came running down from the top of the hill to help out. Our driver talked to them in Swahili and asked them to bring a mechanic down. After about 25 minutes we were back to a new normal. The solution? Just take the thermostat out and keep going. It basically worked! We just had to make sure the minibus had enough water for the rest of the trip.

We made it into Narok safely and arrived at our hotel. On the way there, Bessie, the NCM coordinator, had called a man to tell him to meet us there. She referred to him as the chief. We would meet him there and then head out to the area where his home is to check out the new church which had been built on land he had donated. It took me a while to register who this man was. We picked him up as well as one of the Africa East Field Media crew and headed out to the location. It was about 30 minutes from town. I suddenly began to register that this was the actual chief of the area. You wouldn’t have guessed it by his appearance or demeanor. He was’t concerned with his status and didn’t want us to be either. The church property he took us to was huge! It was out in the midst of pastoral lands. Cows were being herded on either side of the church. It was in a beautiful spot, and had so much space.

After checking out the church we came back to the hotel for the night. I rested for a while before heading down to dinner with my roommate Charles, who was the driver, to meet the rest of the team. Dinner was tasty. After playing farkle with Grant, it was time for bed. Charles and I talked long into the night about culture. It was such an intriguing conversation, I didn’t want it to end, but was starting to fall asleep. As I rolled over to close my eyes, Charles told me, “I hope you don’t mind that I sleep with the TV on.” “Oh no, not at all!” I replied. Wondering exactly what sleeping with the TV on meant. It literally was blaring for the duration of the night. I woke up during the night to hear many intriguing things coming from its’ interior. In the morning I woke up to Christian taebo, things like, “okay now, left foot up, back straight, now kick, and kick, and kick,” greeted my ears for about an hour.

It was time for a big breakfast before heading out to Naroosura. All of the day before Bessie and Charles kept on telling us to wait for the wildlife tomorrow whenever we saw a measly impala on the side of the road. I didn’t really know whether to believe them or not, but I would soon believe their words from the previous day when the sights around me helped out my lack of faith. We went back to the same turn off for the chief’s plot of land he had given for the church. But then, we slowly realized that Bessie and Charles weren’t lying about another thing they said the day before: the road for today. The road is a worn down dusty road through thousands of acres of Maasai land. In many places it had been washed out, so you’d simply follow a new path to get back to the good section of road. It was a bumpy and harrowing experience. A couple of times I seriously thought we would tip over and remember once saying vocally, “Oh Lord help us!”

As we passed through a series of thickets, we were soon out in an open area. When I think of the Lion King, I think of this area. It’s a vast, wide open savannah filled with wildlife. Wildebeest, impala, zebra, ostrich, dik dik, eland, kori bustards, and other animals are scattered about for miles on end. This area is semi-close to the Maasai Mara game reserve. Yet here, the animals are not restricted by park boundaries. Truly an eden! Slowly we began to see more and more Maasai homes and their inhabitants scattered about. Maasai houses are made of mud on all sides, including the roof. This is different to your typical mud hut which has a thatched roof on top. The Maasai have great respect for cattle, and so juxtaposed to the wildlife were these domesticated animals grazing as well. It took about 3 and a half hours to go around 80 kms. Then we began to see more modern houses rising from the countryside. A town had to be close. Bessie had called the local chief to tell him we were near. We went straight to his office and picked him up. He looked much more official and had a nice army looking hat on with a baton carried in one hand. He climbed aboard the minibus and off we went.

Our destination was further than I had realized it would be. We drove through the countryside to a series of hills. We began to ascend those hills and saw various Maasai folks farming or working around their homes. As we climbed, the road got worse and worse. Finally we reached the settlement. School buildings partially funded by this team and also by the Church of the Nazarene as a whole began to rise from the Kenyan countryside. Hundreds of students fluttered about as we arrived. I spoke with some of them in my very broken Swahili, telling them my name, where I was from, that I liked their school, and asking them who they were and where they were from.

After a short time of checking things out and the initial greetings, we went on a short hike down into a ravine to check out a water project which had been started with help from the church in Vancouver and NCM (Nazarene Compassionate Ministries). It was nice to have a chance to walk around in this beautiful area. The water which feeds the stream comes from a natural spring up in the hills, making the water very clean. The goal of the water project is to divert the water into a water catchment area and then pump it back to the school. This would provide irrigation to the land and allow them to start growing their own food in the area. This would help to cement a true partnership as the local people take ownership of the land and farm it for their own good and purposes. On the hike back from the ravine, I chatted with the headmaster of the school. He was from the area, and a local Maasai as well. In desiring to know more about their culture I asked him, “what are your staple foods?” He replied, “it used to be milk and blood.” “That’s all? Really?” I asked. “Yes, that’s all. But now we have begun to eat other vegetables and the like because of the influence of others.” I was amazed by that conversation, and again just so thankful to be interacting with this group of God’s creation which still lives quite similarly to how they have for hundreds if not thousands of years.

Back at the school we chatted with the locals and saw where a new Nazarene church would be built. You could tell that God was working amongst this people group and helping to bring about education and agriculture to their lives. It’s not like that will be their savior, but such things would provide help in the case of things like severe drought. There would be something that could help them outside of their sustainable lifestyle. I’m wrestling with what it means to help others and if they need it, and that seems a logical helping point for this group of people.

Towards the end of our stay in this settlement, the team had a time of gift giving to the school. They had packed many school supplies back in Vancouver to bring to them; things like pencils, markers, erasers, crayons, soccer balls, etc. It was a joyous occasion to see the people accepting the supplies. Many of the students, parents, and tribe elders gathered together into one of the classrooms. The Maasai women sang a song of thanks and gratitude to God for the gifts.

As is typical in many African cultures, the people had prepared some food for us. This is not just a meal, but it’s an act of gracious hospitality. People use their resources to give of what they have in order to express their hospitality to others. I honestly don’t know if there are many things that compare to such an act. It’s a time where everyone says, we are humanity, together, sharing with one another. It is essential to accept such acts of hospitality. I’m thankful for parents who emphasized that to me during my growing up years. Rejection of food is rejection of the people and who they are.

After the food we said our goodbyes. In the Maasai tribe, people, especially the ladies, will take off some of their jewelry and give it to you. Pastor Grant and his son were given a necklace and a bracelet respectively. I had never seen this done before, and it really made an impact on me. Once again reaffirming my love of African hospitality.

We were soon off to a pastors house to drop off some items and then on to another pastors house for more food. Not gonna lie, I love Kenyan food. I think I ate far too much in those days of our journey. It was neat to be able to fellowship inside of this pastor’s home. It was my first time in a Maasai house. The food and fellowship was great and after a short time we were off. We needed to get back to Narok before dark as the road to there is so horrible. As we left, a Maasai woman gave me a necklace. A moving experience, as I stated before. We then braced for the ride back. We saw beautiful sights as the sun set over the African plains. Wildebeest and their fellow animals dashed around. I’ll never forget those sights.

Back in Narok we were bushed. We ate dinner and hit the hay. Saturday we made the journey back to Nairobi. Mt. Longonot, one of the dormant volcanos previously mentioned, looked a lot more formidable from this side of the valley. We chatted, laughed, ate more Mahindi Choma, and finished off our trip.

I’m so thankful to Domenic, Pastor Grant, Graiden, Bessie, and Charles for allowing me to tag along on this journey. I’ve been given a deeper respect for the Maasai people, and most of all for the God who is working amongst them and who created them.

84 Days in Memory of Grandpa

November 14, 2008. For most, that was just another ordinary day. For my family it was our last day with my Grandpa. Grandpa had battled cancer for a while, the battle growing increasingly tough for him that previous summer. I remember one day as I was gearing up for my senior year, feeling the urge to scrap my housing plans for the year and instead move in with my Grandpa and Grandma. I had been set to move in with two friends and a new student in one of the senior apartments on campus. It would have been a fun year with them! But instead, I went and had dinner with my grandparents and told them what I had been feeling. I moved into the main guest room in their house and got settled for the year. Little did we know that just a matter of days later, things would begin to get more gruesome for Grandpa.

It got to the point where he was having to go to the bathroom multiple times a night and needed someone's help to get there. A couple of nights, I spent the night on the couch next to my grandpa's chair where he slept. I remember how horrible he felt having to lose his dignity in front of me as I helped him go to the bathroom. I kept on reassuring him that I really didn't mind. I honestly didn't. This was a man who I loved dearly. He'd been my role model all my life. I can remember following him around at their home in Colorado as he did various things. He always had some sort of a fancy project going on. Sometimes I didn't understand what these projects were about, but I followed him around and helped him nonetheless. One summer in the late 90s my grandparents were gearing up to sell their house in Colorado Springs and move to the Nazarene missionary retirement center in Temple City, California. I went out to help them clean and fix up various things. One loss of dignity moment that came long before Grandpa's final months was when I walked upstairs during that time to find my gramps fresh out of the shower standing in his birthday suit just chatting up a storm with my grandma in the hallway. Grandpa let out a "Whoops here" and scurried off into his room. We laughed about that a lot afterwards.

One of the memories I have of Grandpa during that time of his getting more sick was his faith still standing strong as ever. He would sit in his chair and read one of his newest Bibles. An English Standard Version leather bound Bible with a crown of thorns indented into the cover. I inherited that Bible after his death. In it, just like the rest of his devotional Bibles, Grandpa had underlined and scribbled different things in the sections that he was reading. In those last few days in his house in Nampa, Grandpa had been going through the Psalms. On August 13, 2008, Grandpa underlined Psalm 37:4 which says, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." On the 29th he underlined Psalm 31:14 which says, "But I trust in you, O Lord, I say, You are my God. My times are in your hand." Next to that verse he wrote, 'my pain'. In other places he underlined various verses and put the initials of various family members next to them. In one such place he underlined Psalm 34:7 for my sister and I. That reads, "The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them."

By this stage in my Grandpa's life he was in lots of pain. Yet, his faith stood firm. His trust was still as strong as ever in his Lord. My Grandpa was a man of unrelenting faith. He faced so many different circumstances in his life, yet through all of the ones that I saw him face, his never let his faith in God lose any ground. In those days of severe pain, he was still being as sacrificial as ever and considering others needs and their struggles above his own.

Grandpa passed away about two and a half months after I moved in with him. During those last few weeks of his life on earth, his faith still stood strong. He saw visions of angels, prayed as fervently as ever, and lastly surrendered his life over to God, this time for eternity. The day he passed away my parents, my grandma and I were there with him. I turned quite horribly sick in his last few hours on earth. I threw up multiple times. As Grandpa was breathing his last, we sang various hymns; ones he had asked us to sing in the time before his death. That afternoon a couple of children's choirs were touring the care facility where he was. They too sang songs to Grandpa.

Grandpa passed, and as he did, in my sickness, I began to faint. Suddenly someone gave me Grandpa's oxygen mask. I breathed deep and alas I didn't faint. In Grandpa's death, he was still giving of his resources to help others, albeit unknowingly in this case!

My grandpa was 84 when he passed away. Today I will begin an 84 day challenge. Hopefully it will go longer than that. There will be some practices which I will take up, and others which I give up. Through this period, I hope to live my life more like my Grandpa. Not to put any savior characteristics on my Grandpa; but rather to try and live my life like a man committed to his faith, family, friends, and world. Thanks for everything Grandpa!

A Crazy Matatu Ride

Most Kenyans or people who live here in Kenya will laugh at that title and respond with something like, “Aren’t they all?” The truth is, yes, they are all quite an adventure in the make up. Matatus assume in many cases that they have the right of way in Kenya. Often times you will be traveling in a Matatu and they will pass another car even with head on traffic coming directly at you. Last Friday I was trying to get up to RVA for the weekend to see some old friends and watch the soccer teams participate in a tournament with other local schools. I’ll tell you more about this in my next post. But for now all focus on the Matatu ride and journey to Kijabe.

First off, I left the ANU school grounds about 2:30 pm. I climbed aboard a tuk tuk with five other ANU students. Four of us were crammed into the back seat. Tuk Tuk seats are way smaller than car seats. It was a squish! We made it to the junction with the main road called Magadi road which then takes you to Langata road and then from Langata road you can get to many places in town. The matatus at the junction will take you all the way to one of the main Matatu depots in town which is based at the Nairobi Railway Station. Everything was normal until a spot which is normally about 6 minutes from the depot. All of the sudden traffic was at a standstill (I later found out that some were stuck in this jam for five hours). So our Matatu driver looked ahead and took the last turn possible before the jam. Off we went on a road that took us in a big circle around southern Nairobi. The problem was that we weren’t the only ones doing this. The normal ten to fifteen minute drive to Railways, as they tend to call it here, took about an hour and half. I had gone to this depot in good trust after a friend here told me I could get a matatu to Kijabe from there. I should have known by the look on his face he had no idea what he was talking about! I got to the depot and asked what number matatu I could take to Kijabe. They told me there were no matatus at the depot that you could take to get there. But they pointed me in the direction of a large green building that had some matatus I could take there. I walked over there hurriedly, for by this time I was already going to be a tad late to Kijabe. When I got to the green building, I found the line of matatus I thought would take me to Kijabe. Unfortunately, they didn’t! A driver pointed me in the direction of a boda boda on the street corner that could however take me to the place where you catch such a matatu to Kijabe. I climbed on back and he held up his helmet inquisitively. He said, “Will you wear this, or do you want me to?” Quickly I responded I would most definitely wear it. I have taken this risky form of transportation often in the more rural area around ANU, but never had I taken it in the city. An ANU student actually died this past year taking this form of transport. The city is full of all of the crazy Kenyan drivers one could desire. I hopped aboard and we dotted in between traffic for about fifteen minutes till we arrived at the correct matatu depot. This depot is not very depotish in nature as it really is only a few matatus at any given time and is designated only for Kijabe and surrounding areas. Many people who need to visit family and friends at the AIC Kijabe Hospital often gather here for a lift. Upon hopping in, I chose a seat in the front of the back cabin, i.e. not up by the driver. The front of the cabin is generally less claustrophobic. I also chose the outside seat by the door so I could get air when I wanted. Kenyans get cold easily. They also consider cold 75 degrees and below, so when matatus get stuffy, I like to have an escape to fresh air. We started out, and immediately I could tell we’d too be part of the crazy Friday afternoon traffic. It was okay though, because soon we’d be to the main road, the A104 which takes you up to Kijabe. Or so I thought.

My first sign that this matatu was worse than most appeared as I saw raindrops begin to fall from the big, dark, clouds which I had spotted as I previously circled through South Nairobi. As the rain drops started, the driver and his compadres up front noticed the windshield wipers weren’t working. What would we do? In the western half of my brain, I figured maybe they would have us all switch matatus since that is rather unsafe. However, the African half of my brain soon began to reason through the brainwaves with the chaps up front. In the traffic jam, one of the passengers up front got out and put the left wiper (in Africa the non-driver’s side wiper) straight out. in other words, pointing directly out like an antenna searching for a signal from the cars, buses, lorries, matatus and others we’d be driving behind. Problem solved! The left one stuck straight out and the right one cleared the drivers side of the windshield. But, after a few minutes of success, the wiper on the right failed to work. The obvious solution? Hit the windshield as hard as you can until it begins to slowly move into normal working order.

Those clouds I had witnessed previously, were as ominous in their contents as they were in their aesthetics. It was a torrential down pour. As we reached a new flyover in town, I began to see the rivers of water flowing down the road. These rivers continued almost until we reached Kijabe. So the next exciting aspect of the trip was found directly stationed to my left. The sliding door to the matatu was not sealed properly, if at all. Every single river or puddle we passed trough meant that I would get splashed. As the rain poured down, our bodies heated the inside of the matatu. The windshield was soon covered with the moist, warm air from our bodies colliding with the cooler air outside. I pretty much feared for my life the entire trip in ways above and beyond the normal fear I feel when in the bounds of a matatu’s shell. However, these drivers are experienced. They have driven through the deluges of of Nairobi and other places in Kenya before. There is a weird faith that I am able to put in them. A faith that I know what they are doing with our lives as we hustle upon the tarmac of Kenya’s roads.

We made it to the turn off at Kijabe. Every time we would stop on the way to release passengers and receive new ones we were inundated with the pervasive crowd of business people at the stops longing for you to purchase some roasted maize, sausage, fruit, vegetables, toys, etc. I would have purchased some maize, for I love that stuff, but I had a big lunch before the journey. Good thing, because it was a long one! We reached Kijabe in the familiar fog that gathers in those high areas in the hills. I thought we’d actually go down to Kijabe, but it was just a stop at the turn off. I’d have to find another means down. Thankfully, Deborah, a teacher at Kijabe Boys High was there to help me coerce the taxi drivers for a cheap ride down to Kijabe itself. We found some fellow travelers and we meandered our way in the taxi down the hill to the infamous school in the clouds. In all, the journey took about four hours to complete, a trip that can take as little as an hour or so, just as it did upon my return Sunday afternoon.

This is Kenya

TIK

Friendliness from strangers

Potholes, and lots of them

Horrid traffic

Matatus

Various sizes and shapes of buses

Tuk Tuks

Boda Bodas

Piki Pikis

Bicycles

Acacia Trees

Jacarandas

Swahili

Sheng

Kikuyu

Dancing

Drums

Melodious singing

Roasted Maize

Shambas

Road-side sausages

Java House

Dorman's

Sarit

Yaya

Galeria

Pizza Inn

Galitos

Creamy Inn

Dusty paths

Walking Everywhere

Chai

Chai Time

Milo

Samosas

Chapatis

Sukuma Wiki

Ugali

Githeri

Mandazis

Passion Fruit

Passion Fruit Juice

Free range goats

Free range cattle

Free range chickens

Bird calls beginning at 3:30am

Dust reducing rains

Hospitality

Smiles

Rugby

Football

Cricket

DSTV

Amazing sunsets

Non-vehicular policepeople

Bribes

Tusker

Mombasa

Wazungu prices

Bartering

Markets

Bottled Water

Maasai

Beads

Roadside plant nurseries

Slow internet

No night travel

Christians

Loud worship services

Joyous worship services

Muslims

Call to prayer

Peace

African traditional religions

Witchdoctors

Mangos

Vegetable ladies

Roadside butcheries

NGOs

Mission agencies

Poverty

Slums

Wealthy people

Mansions

School uniforms

Animals normally only seen in the zoo

.... much, much more!

What else do you think of?

Dear True Love by Sleeping at Last

Dear True Love
A writer without any words
I'm a story that nobody heard
When I'm without you
I am a voice
I am a voice without any sound
A treasure map that nobody found
When I'm without you
Dear True Love
I'm a lantern without any light
I'm a boxer much too afraid to fight
When I'm without you

So with this ring
May you always know one thing
The little that I have to give
I will give it all to you
You're my one true love

I am a memory
a memory bent out of shape
a child hurt already bruised with age
when I'm without you
So Dear True Love
I'm an artist without any paint
A deal that every one breaks
When I'm without you

So with this ring
May you always know one thing
The little that I have to give
I will give it all to you
You're my one true love

I am a whisper
I am a secret nobody keeps
A dreamer of someone else's dreams
When I'm without you
Dear True Love
I'm a farewell that came too soon
I'm a hand-me-down that dreams of being new
When I'm without you

| Sleeping At Last - Yearbook: February |
Official Website
Check out their February EP on The Drop

The Valley...

The valley is a dry, empty, nutrient less place.

My soul is thirsty,

My spirit hungry,

My body desires nourishment.

I let the sun bake down upon me

Not knowing what lies beyond the above ridges

There's redemption up there

Lasting comfort and love.

To make the hike is the mission.

A Marvelous Weekend

One of the very first people I met here on campus was a man by the name of Lucas Dibo, but everyone calls him Dibo. He’s finishing up his masters degree in the Religion Department here at ANU and is also a TA there. I will most likely be working a lot with him this year. Friday night he called and asked if I’d like to go over to his house the next day and then go to the organizing service of his mom’s church, called Soweto Church of the Nazarene in Soweto, Kenya, on Sunday. I said sure and was quite excited for the next day.

Saturday came along and Dibo came and met me at my flat here on campus. We then walked the one kilometer or so over to his house. Dibo is married to Jeanette, a current student at ANU from Oregon. They have a beautiful boy named Xola. Saturday it was great to just spend time making new friends and share fellowship over Monopoly Deal and tons of great food. We also spent some time walking around the area and visiting some local shops. I had more of my favorite Kenyan food with them on Saturday as well as some new foods such as Blue Band pasta. Those of you RVA friends will know what that is and may have some certain views on that once hearing Blue Band was in it:) It was a great day of getting to know the local culture more and meeting some awesome people of God. I’m excited to see where God leads that family.

This morning we woke up early and got ready for a busy morning/afternoon. We walked down to Magadi Rd a main road that takes people from Nairobi to Ongata Rongai (the town where the school is). At that intersection we got into a Matatu (A Kenyan mini-bus taxi that fits 14 passengers) and headed to one of the main if not the main train station in Nairobi where we would walk to our next Matatu ride. That walk took us right through a massive market. There were thousands of people there selling and buying a huge variety of things from fruit to shoes to furniture. Those of you who have been to Africa or a good global market before know what I am talking about. We reached our Matatu after Jeanette and Me were called various American names such as Michael and Steve for me and Mary for Jeannette. That Matatu would take us pretty close to the Soweto Slum where Dibo’s mom’s church was having their first organized service. We walked about a km into the slum again through very busy streets with various folks practicing their trade. The last time Dibo had been to the church it was in a different location in the slum and was about a year before. We had taken a wrong turn, but managed to find our way after Dibo called for help.

The church is not like anything you would ever find in America. I wish I had a picture from the outside, but it’s basically tree branches holding up a tin/metal roof with metal surrounding the building as walls. We had missed a good portion of the service since we were lost, but we made it in time for the official organizing of the church and in time to hear some great stories from people there. As well as sing some music as part of the worship time. At the bottom of this blog you'll find a video clip of the District Superintendent speaking.

It was such a great time with the people of the church there. I was reminded of the true global nature of Christianity today, not just with the people in Soweto, but as we were traveling throughout Nairobi via Matatu, I head the worship services of many different churches coming through the church windows and into the street. God truly is moving in and amongst his people in Kenya.

We had some great stew and chapatis for lunch with the church there in Soweto before following our same route back to Ongata Rongai. The Lovett’s, a missionary couple here, were kind enough to cut out the first leg in the Matatu by giving us a ride to the second stop. We had a refreshing glass of Fanta and a few more rounds of Monopoly Deal at the Dibo’s before Dibo pushed me (walked me back to) Campus at around 6:30.

I am so thankful for the neat opportunities which I had this weekend. It was great to take a deeper plunge into life here and to make new friends and visit a church on the other side of town.

Check out my photo page on here for more photos from the weekend.

Peace!

Roland

Support me Through Sponsoring a Kilometer of my run in the Nairobi Marathon

A marathon. It is one of the greatest running events in the world. It’s also a sign of personal achievement and determination. Last fall I ran in the Kansas City Marathon. Last week I began training for the Nairobi Marathon 2011. The race will take place on October 31, 2011 through the streets of Nairobi. Running has slowly become a passion of mine over the last 10 years. Only recently did I begin to get “marathon” serious about it, however.

I now have just under three months till I depart for Kenya. Many people have already given generously to my cause, and I am thankful beyond words for their kindness and generosity in doing so. I also have a few “deputation services” lined up in the next few months which will also help to continue to show God’s provision in this journey back to Africa. Good grades have also provided some vital scholarships for school fees while I take classes from Nazarene Theological Seminary online whilst in Kenya. But, the bottom line is that I am still in desperate need of continued support from family and friends.

A marathon is 42 kilometers. I have a challenge for you. If 42 people pledge $100, or in other words if 42 people sponsor a kilometer of the race, I will have a good chunk of my remaining funds raised for Kenya. You can feel free to sponsor more than one kilometer if you like. One question: Will you team with Roland and take him to Kenya? Whatever you feel led to do, please see the below information on how to support my trip to Kenya.

Tuition Expenses

Tuition expenses for the 2011-2012 academic year will be roughly $9,000. Support for tuition expenses is tax-deductible. While living here in Kansas City, I have a job to help pay for tuition, but as I go to Kenya, I won’t have a job, I will be doing mission work and studying full time. If you’d like to help with Roland’s tuition funds please send monies to:

Nazarene Theological Seminary

Attn: D. Martin Butler

1700 East Meyer Blvd.

Kansas City, MO 64131

Make sure to place “365m Scholarship: KENYA” on the memo line.

Non-Tuition Expenses

This includes everything from travel costs to Kenya, insurance, room and board, etc. The average flight to Kenya from Kansas City comes in at around $2100. If you’d like to help with Roland’s non-tuition expenses, please send monies to:

Nazarene Global Ministry Center

Attn: Molly Cole

17001 Prairie Star Parkway

Lenexa, KS 66220

Make sure to place “ROLAND TEDDER 365M KENYA” on the memo line.

Those who are part of the Church of the Nazarene will receive mission giving credit for their local church for funds donated towards Roland’s non-tuition expenses.

Online Giving

The 365 program is teamed up with Nazarene Mission Corps. You can check out my Nazarene Mission Corps website at http://web.nazarene.org/goto/rolandgoestokenya

Purchase Fair Trade Kenya Coffee From me, Support my Year in Kenya

Many of you know that I will be venturing to Kenya next year with a program at my school called 365M. I will be a missionary apprentice whilst still taking classes online from my school here in Kansas City, MO. My year in Kenya is not cheap, yet I know that God has called me and I can't turn away. You can support my trip to Kenya through purchasing some of the best coffee in the world! I am selling fair trade coffee beans for $15 per 1lb bag for Kansas City locals, and $20 for those outside of KC. I have purchased the beans from a company that pays Kenyan farmers at least 50% higher than the base fair trade regulations, sometimes as high as 100% or more. Not only are you supporting my trip to Kenya, you are providing a fair wage for local Kenyans. E-mail me at roland.tedder@gmail.com if you are interested!

I'm headed to Kenya next year!

Family and Friends,

Starting September 2011, I will be investing a year at Africa Nazarene University (ANU) in Kenya, just outside Nairobi. You are invited to “go along with me” on this jo

urney of faith!

Each journey begins with a single step that eventually leads to a divergent point. My life journey continues with my most recent divergent point coming in the form of a letter from Nazarene Theological Seminary (NTS), saying “Congratulations, you have been accepted to Kenya.” NTS in Kansas City, Missouri, is where I have been pursuing a Master of Divinity degree. It offers a program called 365M in which NTS students are sent to countries all over the world to minister and be educated in a cross-cultural setting.

Last year I was approached about joining the 365M program going to Ireland. While that would have been a fantastic experience, I hadn’t been released from my life and studies in Kansas City just yet. However, when the opportunity for Kenya opened, I applied. It was really a “no brainer” for me since I am a dual citizen between the U.S. and South Africa. I also went to boarding school for four years at Rift Valley Academy in Kijabe, Kenya, an hour away from Africa Nazarene University.

While I had my heart set on going to Kenya, I needed to make sure it was God’s desire as well. For several weeks I prayed for God’s leadership. One afternoon I was reading in the Gospel of Luke. I had been taking a class on Luke at the seminary where we were discussing God’s hospitality. The God we serve is a God who practices hospitality with his creation. His Son Jesus replicated this hospitality as well. Now, it is our turn to be sent out to show hospitality to others, empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus sent out his disciples—whether they were ready for their mission

or not, whether they had materials to take with them or not. That afternoon, I knew that I, too, was being sent. Like it says in Luke 9:62, I can’t look back, for if I do, I am unfit for the Kingdom of God.

My assignment in Kenya will be:

--Teaching (both at ANU and via extension education in rural areas)

--Ministering in Ongata Rongai, Nairobi and other areas

--Building relationships with local students

--Ministering under Dr. Rod Reed, the deputy vice-chancellor at the university

--Taking online classes from NTS

--Embarking on many other journeys

I ask you, as I begin this new journey to Kenya, to partner with me in prayer. Prayer is a vital part of ministry and I feel strongly about it. My prayer is that the people of K

enya will be open and willing to hear the gospel through our friendship, testimonies, and shared experiences. So please be praying for God’s work already being done in Kenya and our work that lies ahead. Please pray for me as I prepare for this journey that will help shape the rest of my life. During my time overseas, I will be updating a website that you can follow at http://web.me.com/roland.tedder. If you prefer to go directly to the blog, check out http://web.me.com/roland.tedder/Roland Goes to Kenya/Blog/Blog.html. There will be pictures and weekly updates about the ministry being done in Ongata Rongai and beyond.

Not only would I seek your prayers, but your financial support if you feel led. Since I will be living overseas and will not be able to work at a paying job, I need to raise money for my year-long ministry by August 15, 2011. May I ask you to pray about financially investing in my overseas ministry. The cost of this journey is over $10,000 for the entire year. My previous life steps confirm God takes care of me—always. I am extremely grateful to, and blessed by, those whom God has prompted to support me financially. Thank you in advance for your contributions of prayer and financial support for my endeavor in Kenya. They will be thankfully accepted and wisely employed.

If you feel led to financially support my journey to Kenya, please choose from the contribution channels listed below.

Grace and Peace,

Roland Jerry Tedder

If you feel led to financially support my journey to Kenya, please use the following contribution details:

TUITION EXPENSES – for the 2011-2012 academic year will be roughly $9,000. Support for tuition expenses is tax-deductible and can be sent to:

Nazarene Theological Seminary

Attn: D. Martin Butler

1700 East Meyer Blvd.

Kansas City, MO 64131

Be sure to designate “365M Scholarship: KENYA”

NON-TUITION EXPENSES—includes everything from travel costs to Kenya, insurance, room and board, etc. The average flight to Kenya from Kansas City is around $1700. Monies for these expenses may be sent to:

Nazarene Global Ministry Center

Attn.: Molly Cole

17001 Prairie Star Parkway

Lenexa, KS 66110

Be sure to designate “ROLAND TEDDER 365M KENYA”

Those who are part of the church of the Nazarene will receive mission-giving credit for their local church for funds donated toward these expenses.

ONLINE GIVING

The 365M program is teamed together with Nazarene Mission Corps. You can check out my Nazarene Mission Corps website which has information on how to support me online at http://web.nazarene.org/goto/rolandgoestokenya.

Note:

My goal is to keep in contact with as many people as possible who want to know my steps since I believe God is pointing me toward full-time ministry overseas. My 365M steps are a big part of that journey. If you would like to be placed on an email list to get updates from my adventure, please email me at roland.tedder@gmail.com. Please let me know how you would like to keep up with my life steps in the journey God has placed me on for Him.

post lenten reflections 1

this year i decided to do lent a little differently. part of the reason for that was because i didn't really think of anything to give up around lent time. another was that i wasn't theologically ready to do so. as i contemplated lent and what it means during lent, i thought about how necessary it is for followers of Christ to have the same attitude outside of the lenten season that they do during lent. part of lenten theology is giving up something that you have a lot, or think you can't live without, in order to think of Christ and his ultimate acts of self denial in going to the cross. Jesus utterly denied his will when he went to the cross. as a human being, he wanted life, not pain and suffering. thus, why he asked God for God's will, not his.

so, with that, monday i began a post-lenten journey. my goal is to make the way of the cross ever more evident in my daily life, not just forty days before easter. there are several things which i am attempting to give up this year. it will be a task which goes against my will, and that is my goal.

in these first few days of my journey, one of the biggest ideas which has been floating around my mind comes out of the book of philippians. there we see a verse which says do nothing out of selfish ambition, but in humility consider others above yourself. how utterly revolutionary of an idea! how many followers of Christ actually live this out? my guess is not many. i most certainly do not. however, i've tried to let this pass through my mind often in the last couple of days. i pray that it is not just often, but always.

the journey continues,

rjt

It isn't well with my soul

Suffering. It's a fact of life. Everyone will go through it at some point or another. The main reason we go through it is because we weren't created for death. God breathed his very life into us so that we could thus enjoy his creation. We weren't created for sorrow or tough times either. That wasn't God's intention when he created us.

Recently, there has been a lot of suffering going on in several of the facets of my life. This year, I've known several people who died from cancer. I also know several more people diagnosed with cancer. And I know several who have continued their journeys through cancer. One is a seven year old boy with a twin brother and two young sisters. Another is a twenty something lady. I also know of several friends who have recently lost their jobs.

This really hit home this lenten season when our seminary president's wife found out her cancer had returned. Our seminary community was devastated. Today our president preached his final chapel service at NTS as president for he and his wife will be moving to California to be near to family during this time of what will probably be her last days on earth. She was there today to listen to her husband preach. As we began to sing, I couldn't look over at her and at the same time sing the lyrics to a him proclaiming that was fine with my soul. Yet, at the same time I was deeply moved by it.

The reason was because she and her husband could sing those two hymns. They knew that whatever their lot, God had taught them to say, it is well with their soul.

In moments of pain and moments of sorrow, we aren't ever promised that things will be easy. Our lots in this journey through life can be down right miserable. But the fact is that we have a God who journeys with us through those moments of infirmity or destruction. I don't understand why, and I am still learning to say it is well with my soul. But today, I was moved by two people who can firmly say in the face of sorrow that it is well with their soul.

I will be living in Kenya next year...

I've been accepted into a program at my school called 365m, a program through which students are sent all over the world to do mission work and take classes all at the same time. Check out my website at web.me.com/roland.tedder for more info!

I interrupt this normal blogcasting moment to ask a favor:

I really love rugby. My favorite team is the Natal Sharks. They are in a rugby tournament called the Super 15 with other teams from South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia. The tourney kicks off in two weekends. There aren't too many places to watch it here in the states. One of the last places to do so was Fox Soccer Channel. They are thinking about discontinuing their coverage. Please send them an e-mail through http://msn.foxsports.com/feedback and ask them not to do so. If you have a heart, if you are human, if you have two hands, heck one that can still type, please send them a message!

Part of missing the rains down in Africa entails missing this:

My good friend Robert is currently back in Kijabe, Kenya where we went to boarding school together. I saw this view a few times on hikes with him and others. I miss it so! Glad he gets to be back experiencing this!

What does it take to be the hands and feet of Christ?

it takes courage.

recently, i think that God has been placing people in my life for a reason. as i noted in previous posts, i took a course called the gospel of luke as a module course here at seminary. in that class two of the biggest subjects we dealt with were the hospitality of God and liberation for the poor. well, low and behold a few situations have occurred in the past several days that have dealt exactly with this.

last weekend, my sister and i had just finished grocery shopping when a lady motioned at us and came walking up. then she began her story. generally i just start to tune them out when that story starts and look for some change to give to them. but thankfully, my sister helped me not to do that. the lady's name was rochelle. she worked on the side of town where we were shopping, but lived with her young children at least twenty minutes away. she and they were hungry and cold and she didn't have a way to get back to them. we offered to take her to the bus depot, and she didn't want us to bother. but she did want us to pray. there in front of aldi's we prayed with her.

then tonight after a week of reading more into the gospel of luke, where just this morning i read about the good samaritan, about helping to usher in the kingdom of God, about asking God for our daily bread; libby and i encountered another similar situation. a gentlemen named terrance came up to us in westport, kansas city and told us of his young girls who needed diapers and nutritional milk. again, i longed just to end the conversation with me sticking my hand in my pocket and taking out some coins i got at the tip jar as a barista today, but thankfully yet again my sister continued in dialogue with the man. we went down to the local grocery story and got him what he had asked. he didn't come in with us, because he said he was already caught stealing some diapers earlier. this man had said that he had come to kansas city in hopes of a fresh start. he'd been a druggie in chi town, and wanted to take proper care of his wife, azetta and his girls.

it's times like these that we're faced with decisions. we can either just say, sorry i've got to go, or look to the scapegoat of some loose change. or, we can physically try to help these people. sure, there are cons out there. maybe even these people were cons. but we cannot be the judges of that. we're called to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the least of these. it's something that takes courage. it takes courage to take that step of getting out of our comfort zones and helping strangers.

yet, i also know there's so much more that can be done. i hope that i can find some meaningful ways, and i hope that the church can find some meaningful ways to help the rochelle's, terrance's, and azetta's which are all over our cities, our world.

the way we experience church

first off, i don't want to title this the way we worship. worship should be our very existence. there should be no separation between our life and our worship as followers of Christ. so therefore i entitle this the way we experience church. for now, i just want to touch on the notion of music in church. there will forever be a battle between the generations as to how we partake in the said subject whilst at church. i'm reading a book about christian ethics, by a collaboration of authors, at the moment, and in it the author of a chapter talked about music styles and whatnot. basically he was concerned that music styles play too much to the current culture. i agree with this. i don't think that church needs to be some flashy place that caters to the desires of the cnn and itunes followers. however, the author did seem to advocate the hymns of the past as the way to go. hey, i enjoy hymns, no quibbles with that. but the fact is that those hymns are culturally relative in themselves. yes, many do speak a great theological wonder and biblical truth, but many of them do not as well. i think i am coming to the point where i believe wholeheartedly that theological significance should be the way we deem music suitable for the church. personally i'm a fan of hillsong united. i don't necessarily advocate everything the leader of their parent movement, brian houston, preaches, and i find a certain youtube parody of their church quite accurate in many regards. but, some of their songs speak of what the gospel is all about, and i wouldn't mind singing this in church sometime. this song is called solution. especially after this gospel of luke class that i was in, i think it sums up some key points we believe about Jesus, his love, compassion and hospitality:

It is not a human right
To stare not fight
While broken nations dream
Open up our eyes, so blind
That we might find
The Mercy for the need

Singing, Hey now
Fill our hearts with your compassion
Hey now
As we hold to our confession
Yeah

It is not too far a cry
To much to try
To help the least of these
Politics will not decide
If we should rise
And be your hands and feet

Singing, Hey now
Fill our hearts with your compassion
Hey Now
As we hold to our confession

Woah-oh-oh,
God be the solution
Woah-oh-oh
We will be Your hands and be Your feet.
Yeah, yeah

Higher than a circumstance
Your promise stands
Your love for all to see
Higher than protest line and dollar signs
Your love is all we need

Only You can mend the broken heart
And cause the blind to see
Erase complete the sinners past
And set the captives free
Only You can take the widows cry
And cause her heart to sing
Be a Father to the fatherless
Our Savior and our King
We will be Your hands, we will be Your feet
We will run this race
On the darkest place, we will be Your light
We will be Your light

We will be Your hands , we will be Your feet
We will run this race for the least of these
In the darkest place, we will be your light
We will be your light
We'll sing

Woah-oh-oh,
God be the solution
Woah-oh-oh
We will be Your hands and be Your feet.

what i've learned in seminary this semester: modules

so this semester started for me two and 1/2 weeks ago on january 17th. i was in a module class. a module class at nazarene theological seminary is a two week intensive course. they are just that, quite intense. my module class met every week night for 4 hours and 45 minutes. some people take two of these and so they are in class for 9 and 1/2 hours. most modules have pre course work, course work, and post course work. they are crazy.

i was in the gospel of luke. i was pretty excited for this class. the learning started right away. my favorite book before the course started (during the pre course work) was Jesus and empire by richard a. horsely. this book really gave me an in depth look at what the roman empire was like during Jesus' day. i really discovered how brutal the empire was. in fact this book helped me during my writing of a sermon that my sister Libby and i co-prought (past tense for preached) at our parents church, salt lake city first church of the nazarene, the day after christmas. it was entitled the refugee God. basically we talked about how Jesus was born into life as a refugee, for his family fled to egypt right after his birth because of the brutal killing of male babies which herod imposed on the people. maybe i will post our manuscript on here sometime.

during the class the biggest themes which we talked about were hospitality, liberation and jubilee. the liberation and jubilee themes were talked about in relation to leviticus 25 and how this chapter talked of the year of jubilee which would be practiced every 50 years by the people, where debts were forgiven, where land would lie fallow, and where basically everyone would have a new start (it's a lot more detailed than that, so you can go look it up if you like). liberation was highlighted in the fact that Jesus brought liberation to people who were oppressed, both spiritually and physically.

lastly, we talked about hospitality. i was in a group which focused on the book "the hospitality of God" by brendan byrne. this book focused on how luke highlights the fact that Jesus practiced the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers in the gospel of luke. this all started through God's gracious hospitality which he extended to his people through sending his Son Jesus to them. then we saw how Jesus extended hospitality to those he came in contact with and how some of those who came in contact with him did the same.

my friend Jared brought up a good point, that maybe as wesleyans we would refer to this as prevenient grace. i think that i tend to agree with him, because God was preceduous in his extension of his hospitality through his love, both throughout the old testament, but also through sending his son to us.

it was definitely an intense couple of weeks of study. i enjoyed learning from my peers and learning from our gracious professor as well. i'm really glad that i took the class. it's opened up my eyes to how Jesus lived his life and how we are called to replicate this.