For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
Praise God that He has a plan laid out for me. I try so hard sometimes to work out my own plans. Thinking at times that the plans that I have made up will fit into God's plans. Truth of the matter is, my plans never work according to what God already has planned out. I must be obedient to His plans.
Week 3 was a difficult week for me. If I could have gone home during this week, I probably would have. On Tuesday, January 17th, we loaded up in the little car of Pastor Shem's. We prayed over the car and then began our long, almost 4 hour car ride to Eastern Kenya. We were going to stay in a hotel in a town called Mwingi which was just 30 minutes from Nguni where the conference was being held.
Eastern Kenya is a very dry part of the country. What little bit of corn that started growing during the rainy season a few months back, has all but dried up. The only living things were the cactus and a few trees that thrive in the desert heat. The hills were very rocky and later I found out that some of the rock in this part of the country was granite.
Digging to find water from a dry river bed
This is a Cactus tree. They grew pretty tall too.
This interesting tree is called a Baobab Tree. Another name that has been given to this tree is "The Tree of Life" This tree can grow up to 100 ft tall and 35 ft wide. Inside the very large trunk of the tree, approximately 32,000 gallons of water can be stored. The water helps sustain the tree during the harsh summer days. People are able to drink from the tree by using a straw like piece of grass. The leaves are edible and are also said to have medicinal value to them. They can be used to rid headaches, fever and other ailments. The bark of the tree can be used to make ropes and clothing. Because of the amount of water that the tree can hold, it will not burn to the ground if there were a fire. This tree also bears fruit. This fruit has 3 times the vitamin C and calcium that is equivalent to an 8 oz glass of milk. It also contains potassium and tartrate which is the base for Cream of Tartar. This fruit can be cooked in many different ways. I found this tree to be very interesting. It is not every day that you see a tree that can bring life to a dry and barren land. The tree was not blooming while I was there so I am not sure when it does bloom. And by the way, during my research, I discovered that this tree only grows in the desert areas and can live thousands of years. I believe that the oldest tree found was about 6000 years old (not exactly sure where the tree is). Imagine the stories that tree could tell. I wonder if our Lord Jesus passed by the tree.
The ride to Mwingi was long and hot. There was no air conditioning in the car just what came from the opened windows and the ride was not a smooth ride the entire distance either. Needless to say, by the time we got to the hotel, I was not feeling very well at all.
Here is the hotel we stayed at. It was not a bad hotel and we were very secure. The cars parked inside and at night, the large steel doors were closed and locked. There was someone there to guard the gate day and night. When we arrived, we went into the small restaurant to order our dinner. We ordered chicken and was told it would take about an hour before dinner would be ready. I was pleased with that. I gave me time to rest up before dinner.
Here was our dinner! I heard them clucking while I was resting and then they were quite. When I sat down for dinner, my dad leans over to tell me that our chicken is very fresh.......LOL...They were extremely tough birds and my mind just wouldn't let me enjoy my food!
My room was on the bottom floor this time. At night, about 3 of those white trucks parked inside the hotel garage. Between 6:30-7:00 each morning one of the drivers of a truck would come downstairs to start the truck, then the driver walked away. Maybe he went to eat breakfast, I don't really know. I can tell you that as the truck idled, the carbon monoxide fumes crept through the tiny window and filled my room. Every morning I left for the conference feeling a little queasy.. Add that feeling with being all day in the heat with no escaping it until late in the evening, all equaled a very miserable week.
The Church in Nguni where we held our second conference
Sweet baby taking a nap
The kitchen crew
Tomorrow's lunch
The kitchen
Graduation Day
As I said earlier, this was not one of my better weeks. I did not feel that I connected all that well with the ladies plus I felt sick and hot, but God had a specific purpose for my being there at this conference. He had set up an appointment for me to meet and speak with a certain woman on the last day of the conference. She is in the picture above wearing a white shirt and gray skirt with short hair. Her name is Joyce.
I was sitting in the very back of the church next to an opened window so that I could a catch a cool breeze every once in awhile. I sat on an old wooden bench. There was a gentleman sitting at the end next to the door. He made sure that everyone was registered for the meeting. I liked my special place. I don't like to feel crowded, so the bench was perfect because there was quit a bit of room between me and the man at the other end.
Joyce came in a little late. The conference had already begun. The church was crowded. As she was signing in, I scanned the room only to find that there were no empty seats, so I moved over to let her sit next to me. Some time had passed when she passed me a note that read, "Can I speak to you before you leave today?" I nodded yes.
After lunch, Joyce and I went into the church and sat in the back on the old wooden bench. She then began to share her story with me. Her story started with a dream that she had of meeting a white person and sharing her story with this person. She shared this dream with a friend of hers. The friend told her that there were white people teaching in the church at the edge of town. Joyce began to pray and heard the Lord speak to her. He told her to go to the church and the white person that you sit next to, share your heart with that person and they will help you. I was that person she sat next to.
Joyce then told me about her 4 children and how she worries so much about them especially her 16 year old son who dropped out of school and left home. Joyce knows that he is not living a very good life right now and she has not heard from him since he left. I could sympathize with her. I worry about my children too and pray for them often. Her request to me: "Could you just please pray for my children?" What a great request, Of course, I told her...."I will pray for your children when I pray for mine."
I heard a song last Sunday, not sure of the name of the song, but when I heard these words: "I'm living in the days ahead and can't wait to see Jesus face to face." I thought to myself, we need to live day by day and look for Jesus' face daily. On that particular hot January afternoon, I met Jesus. I met him through a women who was troubled and was in need of an encouraging word and the knowledge that she will not be alone praying for the children she loves so dearly.
This meeting, this appointment that I had with Joyce in Nguni, Kenya on a hot summer day on January 19th had been pre-arranged by God long before I ever arrived, and I praise God that I did not allow my discomfort to interfere with this Divine appointment.
John 5:30
By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me. Psalms 105:2-5
Sing to him, sing praise to him;tell of all his wonderful acts.
3 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
4 Look to the Lord and his strength;
seek his face always.
5 Remember the wonders he has done,
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