Jesus said, "Come follow me.

This is where 900 tilapia are growing at the farm. It makes me think of the verse, "Come, follow me," Jesus said, " and I will make you fishers of men."

When Jesus first called His disciples, He was walking past fishermen at the sea of Galilee. He spoke to them saying,
"Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men." Matthew 4:19. I remember my own invitation to follow Jesus when I was 6 years old at an alter call of Valley Fellowship Church in Huntsville Alabama. Although there are many that have a similar story to my own: growing up in church, hearing the Bible read in Sunday School, and accepting Jesus as Savior at a young age- God still calls out an invitation to those who will never step into a church building. In Romans 1:20 it says, "For since creation of the world God's invisible qualities- His eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." This makes me want to shout Hallelujah! The pressure of getting the gospel into the far interior places of the world does not solely rest on a missionary going there because all of creation declares that there is indeed a Creator. Verse 21 goes on to say, "For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles."

 On Thursdays the clinic at the farm receives patients from the surrounding communities of several tribes, all being Muslim. I have witnessed little charm necklaces and bracelets on small little babies, children of all ages, adults, and even the wrinkly old. These charms are suppose to have healing powers and ward off evil spirits. To my western mind I cannot understand how a handmade piece of jewelry could be able to do these things but I can tell it is believed and a huge part of the culture. This practice is not found in the Quran but instead is part of traditional religion passed down from generation to generation. This has caused me to ask myself, what do I want to pass down to my daughters. My first response is that I want them to know Jesus by reading the Bible. Each morning we read scripture together and discuss its meaning and how we can apply it to our lives. It is an invaluable time with them. I also hope that they will have a heart to go to the nation's and that they will always be ready to serve others. We are humans and make mistakes but I want my daughters to look at our lives as thier parents and see us  putting Jesus first above all else. Despite hard times He always won the battles and that they would have no doubt of this in their own lives.

Almost daily we have to go to town to pick up something we need in the house. Because we are there during "school hours"  I often get stopped and asked why my daughters are not in school. After explaining about what homeschool is and the flexibility it allows in education, the next question usually is,
"Where will your girls go to college, Kenya or America?"
My response is, "It is their choice." Just as it is also their choice to follow Jesus in the future or not. Right now I am raising them to study Scripture for themselves, to bring prayer requests to the Lord and to trust Him in all circumstances. One day they will no longer live under our roof and how their lives will look is up to them. I am not worried. If Jesus can call out to some fishermen then He can also call out to my daughters at any age. He can call out to patients in a hospital and local people who live far out in the interior.  Jesus calls out, "The time has come, the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news! Follow me." Mark 1:15,17.

There are places of a path that is worn down on the farm making it a clear way to see where you are walking.  "But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life." Matthew 7:14

This is from when we were together as a Bethany Kenya team over Thanksgiving time. "Beloved, let us love one another. For love is from God and anyone that loves it born of God and knows God. He that does not love, does not know God, for God is love." 1 John 4:7-8

Last week at the farm, we enjoyed chewing on sugar cane and hanging out. All the farm workers watch how we get along and interact with eachother. "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another." Hebrews 10:25

This made me laugh so hard. You can see the sugar cane juice dripping down. "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22 

Doing crafts at the clinic on Thursdays. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

Matt Denham has a heart for children and they are drawn to him. "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Jesus said. Matthew 18:3

Families are in the background getting their temperatures and blood pressure taken before going in to see the doctor. "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners," Jesus said to them. Mark 2:17

A typical morning reading God's Word. "Train a child in the way he (she) should go, and when he (she) is old he (she) will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6