The Harvest is Plentiful: 10-26 through 11-3

For the past week and a half, I have been working closely with Timothy (who runs the Post Test clubs and HIV/AIDS awareness programs). We have done home visits, delivered food baskets, presented the gospel through evangelism, and worked on our project for the girls and now boys in MOHI schools.

I have learned a lot about the power of the Holy Spirit and the confidence it brings. Last week I accompanied Timothy on home visits for the people in the HIV/AIDS Post Test Club in Area 2. The very first woman we visited had decided to go off her antiretroviral meds. She is battling alcoholism on top of it and has been sick. I prayed for her and her mom. After stumbling through my prayer we continued to the next shanty. As the day went on and I met more people, my confidence grew. By the end of the day I was preachin’ it Kenyan style (although not nearly as epic). We visited about 10 shanties in one morning.

It is very interesting that the more we are in prayer, the more comfortable praying is. Funny how that works. The more you talk to you friend, the more comfortable you are spending time with them.

As Timothy asked each person for their prayer requests, I realized that regardless of where a person lives, human struggles are all similar. The people we prayed for were concerned about their finances, their children’s schooling and health, their alcoholic husbands, their salvation, and the safety of their families. All concerns any American could feel as well, only magnified in Mathare. Here in Mathare people are living in shanties eating ugali for every meal in the dark, their children’s education is probably the only practical way they can get out of slum conditions, there is virtually no healthcare or access to affordable medicine, men can do basically whatever they want (like have two wives, drink all the time, abuse their children and wives, have no job, and then desert their families), many have never heard of the hope and grace offered by Jesus, and their daughters could be raped before they even get to kindergarten. Frustrated much? Yes.  Okay, I will put away my soapbox for a bit now.

Matthew 9:37 – Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.”

Never have I seen the truth of this verse until now.

I got to join Timothy in delivering food baskets to two women in Madoya. The first woman was blind and a widow. She has literally no way of making a living. We got to meet with her and pray for her. She was SO appreciative of the food. It was amazing to be a part of it.

The second woman we brought food to had been bed ridden for a long time and was just getting a bit better. She has HIV/AIDS and has three children. Her youngest son was adorable and very happy. He was a few months old. She had an older son and a daughter too. She is the skinniest person I have ever seen. Her legs were the size of my arms. She was so bony and frail. She had a basket full of medicines she has to take every day. We brought porridge for her kids, flour, rice, and toothpaste. There is no man in her life and her children are from two different men. She was very happy to have company and I got to pray for her and her children.

We also visited another 4 shanties that day. At the last shanty we visited we did some sweet spontaneous evangelism. Timothy asked me to explain what it meant to be born again. This time I was ready with my “sermon on reserve.” She decided to give her life to Christ and became a believer that day.

It was an amazing and overwhelming day. I absolutely love praying with all the people we meet. The Holy Spirit is so powerful. It is amazing to see lives being transformed. People are searching so hard for hope and once we present the gospel to them, many want to put their trust in Jesus. It is so beautiful. God’s love for his children is so great.

Yesterday I got to go out and do some evangelism. I used the EvangeCube and Timothy translated. I was explaining who God is and what Jesus has done and the hope he brings for the first time to people. Many are hearing for the first time. Also, in Mathare, I am explaining the gospel for the first time so openly. Why can’t I be so open at home? I love having conversations with people about Jesus, but I need to share the gospel more often. Just straight up explain who Jesus is and what he has done for us. Present his invitation to follow: If we take that first step of faith, he will run to us with open arms and meet us where we are. This can be done without becoming a Bible-thumper. It needs to be done.

It is so exciting to see people put their trust in Jesus. I just want to dance through the muddy, trash covered streets of Mathare every time. The angels truly are rejoicing.

On Saturday Julie and I taught the first part in our series for the girls in Pangani. The topics we covered were: your changing body, life goals, self-esteem, prayer, and wisdom. It was sweet! The first session was with class 4 and 5. About 50 girls joined us in the library for an hour and a half. We all had such a blast. After the first session, the class 1, 2, and 3 girls came in. We had the same talk with them too. My favorite part of the day was the anonymous questions.

We gave each girl a piece of paper and pen to write down any questions they had anonymously and then we collected them. Julie and I went through them all and answered many right then. We saved the ones on sex and pregnancy for next time. A lot of the questions were pretty typical. Some were pretty intense. The girls totally loved getting to ask us whatever they wanted. It was so much fun. I answered the questions on anatomy and Julie answered the questions on relationships. It is awesome to work with Julie because we both have different strengths and together we can rock it.

On Tuesday, Timothy told us that the boys wanted some sort of session too! I guess the girls told the boys how much fun they had and now the boys feel left out. We are working to arrange a lesson for them with Timothy. Also, in the works, is going to Kosovo, Mathare North, and Joska to teach the kids there.

It has been so exciting to really empower these girls through knowledge. I’m sure I will have more to say on that later after we do all three parts of the lesson.

I can’t wait to get to heaven and see my brother and sisters in Christ from Mathare. God is so faithful and his love is unfailing. I get goosebumps just thinking about Jesus saying to these little girls in Mathare, “She is mine. She is my child. I love her.” It is my prayer that these kids can feel that love surrounding them. That they can feel the showers of grace poured out over them.