Courageous Life

     Fastforward and Rewind         Dear Family and Friends,   Hope this finds each of you well and feeling much gratitude filling your hearts this Thanksgiving season! Through our trip toNairobi in June God has moved in greater ways than we could have imagined.  First of all, our home church Crosspoint Community has partnered with Jacaranda Creations to start up a sewing branch in another slum area of Nairobi.  As you may remember, the Jacaranda is a tree plentiful in Nairobi.  Brenda and Garry Kean, the founders of this micro-entreprise have more than 70 women and men sewing at locations around Nairobi.  These men and woman live in desparate situations but are filled joy and hope in the Lord.  They connect to him, knowing he is their vine and they are his branches. Mostly this connectedness comes through the work of Jacaranda Creations.  It is so ex...

I was driving into work this morning on I-40 and looked up to the sky at some clouds and I felt aware of God's presence. Have you ever done that? It amazes me how nature is the quickest trigger linking my emotions to our Creator. It amazes me how small I am in the universe, yet how God reveals himself even to me. My thoughts wondered to 6yo Beatrice with TB in Marurui,Nairobi,Kenya. How miraculous it was to have her been seen by a doctor that cared so much, he actually listened and become an advocate for her. This led to a diagnosis and treatment in a clinic, after months of my friend Brenda Kean, trying to solve the problem at another clinic: Beatrice, coughing, not feeling well often. She weighs 25# at 6 yo of age. It truly was a moment to feel aware of God's presence God provided for Beatrice. It was all Him, there is just no other explanation. And you know what? She is one of millions of children suffering. But God saw her! Do you ever feel like your problems are just n...

thesoundtrackofmydreams: How He Loves Us

thesoundtrackofmydreams: A Visit to Maasai Land

We named our trip Nairobi Hope Now. We felt like we could bring hope to those in need. What we learned is quite different. One team member, stated on our final night "it's like we came to save but they in turn saved us." This profound truth broke my heart further. Yes, we walked in 4-5 slums, visited homes, witnessed poverty that you think you are prepared for from pictures you have seen but in reality there is no way you can feel it unless you are there. Sitting in the homes of the women who sew with the Jacaranda Creations Ministry of Brenda and Garry Kean, (www.gbkean.com) you see the hope of Jesus in their smiles and you hear the hope in their hearts. They trust God to provide. The pray for provision and believe. They retell stories of God's faithfulness in their lives while we sit in their home of tin, cardboard and mud. They share their gratitude for school for their children because on those days a meal is provided on weekends they only have tea to gi...

Sweet Beatrice. I love this girl. I met her two years ago and she was very sick. She looks a lot better, but unfortunately has only gained 3 lbs in 2 years. She is 6 years old and weights 25 lbs. Her cough continues despite Brenda taking her to the clinic many times. My heart sank when I saw her again. But, Brenda was able to arrange a visit with a new doctor this time. I explained to him what has been happening the past 2 years with Beatrice and I do believe he was an angel in disguise. He treated her without payment and walked us to the hospital for x-rays and communicated with the chest clinic on Beatrice behalf. Shockingly, I went in with her for the chest x-ray and the "technician" took the picture with the previous patient, (another young girl) still redressing. No metal shield. I pulled Virginia and I behind a brick wall. Crazy! This is their government healthcare. Anyway, the doctor brought the x-ray to me and allowed me behind the counter to view the picture ...

I haven't been able to write much with limited internet time, but I am not sure I have words to write adequately either. This trip has been wonderful, emotional, inspiring, and tiring. It's great to be able to see the team members experience life in the slums of Kenya, meet the people and share the love of Christ with them. However, often we have experienced the love of Christ from them. It is humbling. Yesterday, we sat in slum homes listening to the testimony of single, HIV positive Moms. I really can't concentrate right now to truly express all the experiences here. Just want to say a huge thank you to all our supporters, to Crosspoint Community Church and our families back home! This team loves you! Today we are having a Jacaranda Conference for all the Jacaranda Women from the many different branches. Plan to share testimonies with them, share the bible, teach some bow making, jump rope with them, teach some health issues, laugh with them and pray with t...