"You could have saved us in a second but instead you sent a child."

Here Grace is getting to know the new girl interns

Hanging with my Bro's

The Interns learned The Blessing in Swahili and sung it over the farm workers

    The title to this blog is a lyric from my favorite songs by Hillsong.  Its called "Seasons" for me the song speaks so much to just how detailed God's plan had been all along throughout eternity.  God could have saved us once and for all in a matter of seconds if he decided to, but He gave the most precious and valuable thing in order that we might walk in fellowship with Him.  That is so powerful!  Within my walk as a follower of Jesus I would lean towards Good Friday and the Resurrection as the holidays that make it easier to share  the Gospel.  That seems like a natural bridge over into a Gospel conversation, but the reality is there could not be a death and resurrection without a birth and what an amazing and miraculous birth!

     We usually throw a big party on Christmas day and invite all the farm workers and their families. The party has over 100 people. We usually give new clothes for the children and food packages for the families. This year after all that 2020 has been we did not feel like we could pull off the big shindig as usual, but we did not want the opportunity to share about Jesus and His birth with our M friends and workers.  We decided to scale thing way back and to do a brunch at the farm instead.  We had eggs, sausages, cinnamon rolls, banana bread, fruit salad, fried potatoes, juice, tea, and coffee it was a full out brunch most of these foods the workers have never tasted before.  We just wanted them to know that we wanted to share our special day with them and we mean really share not just physically but spiritually.  

     After eating we were able to have the new intern team introduce themselves to the workers this was the first time the interns had bene to the farm since arriving in Garissa. Amos and Grace and their family our teamates were also with us as usual when we have functions at the farm.  Marissa one of our former interns now an intermediate worker was also there with us to see her friends H and M who work on the farm and she befriended on her internship.  The interns had been in Malewa (a rural area in the rift valley) which is predominantly Christian. They were there for October to mid December learning Swahili , culture and visiting churches.  Normally when you introduce yourself here in Kenya you say your name and tell people if you are born again and if Jesus is your savior you say that as well or people will assume you are not.  Since the students were used to greeting churches and introducing themselves that way they also did that at the farm.  As they were introducing themselves and each one mentioned that Jesus was their savior or that they were saved.  My first thought was I should have told them that introducing themselves is different in this context ..... but immeadiately the Holy Spirit convicted me and spoke that is the way we should always introduce ourselves. WOW! Our faith should be the most central thing to our being that shows M's how serious we are about our faith if we make sure to let them know right away.

     I decided to ask the M workers what they thought it meant when some said they were saved or Jesus was their savior.  One of the old men replied " its like if someone is living a bad life and then they are saved from that by turning away and living a good life"  Repentance.  That opened the door wide open again for the Gospel to be presented from birth to Resurrection. I used the river and an example of someone drowning and they cannot save themselves because they are unable and unless someone saves them they will die.  I linked it to the man's response and told them we cannot turn away and live that life demands of us apart from Jesus Christ.  Then I pleaded with them again to consider Christ and God's plan for each of them and told them again that's the reason we are here because we want you to have full relationship with God through Jesus our Savior.  We closed the meeting with prayer.

    Rebekah and I were discussing how many conversations and discussions we have had like this with these workers that have been with us almost 10 years now.  We also discussed with Amos and Grace and we feel the spirit at work more now than ever before.  We also know that we must take steps of obedience and take risks and be bold in this season.  We plan to engage the workers intentionally asking them to study with us one on one or in groups if they are comfortable the books of the prophets which would be the Torah or beginning of the OT and the Psalms then move into 13 specific lessons about Jesus in the Gospels or Injil.  Pray with us for boldness wisdom on the best way to go about this. I am not sure how this will work out with me being technically their boss they could feel obligated to well... oblige but I do not want to have any regrets and I am called to obey the Spirit.  Even if they initially receive the Good News from obligation the Good News is being preached and the Spirit can work. 

I find encouragement in what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:6-9

 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building.