Two sides of the same story.

The main religion here in Gtown is preparing to celebrate  Eid al-Adha. It probably will be on Tuesday July 20th (depending upon the moon). It is to remember how Abraham/Ibrahim was willing to follow Allah's command to sacrifice his son, Ishmael. How incredibly close this story is to the Holy Bible's. Just twisted slightly exchanging Isaac's name for Ishmael. The birth of this religion comes from this lineage.

We just recently had a team of 6 who all originated in Suffolk, Virginia at some point or another. That's where Jason grew up and his family still is. This team stood out to me with their enthusiasm and hunger to learn about the culture here. They have gone to Haiti multiple times to serve God in different capacities. Going there prepared them to be ready for anything during the time they were here. On their very first day in Gtown They walked around town with the interns and Marissa and ate at local restaurants. They went to different Kenyan churches on Sunday and walked around the market. They acted out the story of Jericho and the walls falling down in two separate schools and then helped facilitate a Sports/Games Day in the nearby village.

At the end of the day we had time to discuss the things they noticed that were unique to this place and answer questions they might have. We got to read through Genesis 16. In this chapter God had made a covenant with Abram,  promising that his offspring would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. His wife Sarai got impatient waiting for that promise to come to pass and took matters into her own hands. Sarai  asked her husband to sleep with her slave Hagar. Hagar conceived. This caused problems for Sarai so she mistreated Hagar who then ran away. An angel of the Lord found Hagar and gave her this blessing in verses 8-15

The angel of the Lord told Hagar

"Go back to your mistress and submit to her." The angel added, "I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count."

The angel of the Lord also said to her:

"You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard your misery. 

he will be a wild donkey of a man;

his hand will be against everyone 

and everyone's hand against him, 

and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers."

She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me, for she said, " I have now seen the One who sees me."

So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the sons he had borne. Abram was eighty six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael. 

Fourteen years go by and Sarah conceives and gives birth to a son, Isaac. When Isaac was weaned there was a great feast prepared. Sarai who was now Sarah discovered Ishmael "mocking " Issac on that special day and asked Abram- now Abraham to send him and Hagar away. God told Abraham to do as his wife asked. 

"Hagar and Ishmael wandered in the Desert of Beersheba. 

When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, "I cannot watch the boy die." And as she sat there, she began to sob.

God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What is the matter Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation."

Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer. While he was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt. " Genesis 21:15-21

These passages always allow me to see that prophecy has been fulfilled throughout the 10/40 window. Indeed the people who live in this area of the globe are a great nation. It is the home to the largest unreached people groups in the world. Just as Hagar picked out a wife for her son, parents are still arranging the marriages for their 

children. There is often war and hostility in many of these countries including the one that Kenya shares the border to. We can see the evidence to these scriptures. These people have a chance to be transformed by God and enter into His inheritance. What we can really take away from this is knowing that even when we do not have faith God is still faithful. Even in Abraham and Sarah's disobedience God still remains faithful. He still blesses Ishmael and upholds the promise He originally made to Abram. He also still sends His angel to speak to Hagar. Just like He is still sending His angels today to speak to our "cousins" all over the world! Lets continue to pray for hearts to turn to Jesus especially during these holidays when they are seeking God may they find Him in Jesus!

This team blessed me with so much art supplies!

Preparing the Bible craft.

Getting henna done at the shop.

inside the shop.

The shop's advertisement. 

Mixing water in to make a paste.

This is great opportunity to build friendships. 

Exquisite designs.

Scraping off the excess. 

This was applied onto the arms at the end.

On the last night the team was here we went searching for wild giraffes in the bush.