The wealth from Proverbs

I have been reading through Proverbs lately and receiving a wealth of wisdom and knowledge. It's main author was Solomon who had a dream where God said, "Ask for whatever you want Me to give you." The Lord was pleased by Solomon's request which was, "Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours."
1Kings 3:5,7-9

God granted Solomon's request and even gave him more than he asked for. We can gain so much help in our everyday life from reading what Proverbs has to say. So here are some verses that have stood out to me in light of our current circumstances.

Righteous has the cutest style. She saw a pic of this skirt on Pinterest and asked a seamstress in town to try to make one for her. It turned out so well that me and her sisters are getting one made too.

"Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family, and do not go to your relative's house when disaster strikes you- better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away". Proverbs 27:10

We have just a few weeks left in Kenya before flying as a family to America to drop off Righteous at Bible College. We will land in Minnesota on July 15th and fly out on September 5th. These last few weeks in Kenya are filled with goodbyes that Righteous has to say to the many people who have watched her grow up as a missionary kid. Righteous has only experienced one winter season in the USA when she was 1 year old. She will have a whole lot of adjusting and to do that it often feels so overwhelming. The above scriptures remind me that God will take care of Righteous through friends and family that live stateside. I still can't imagine getting on a plane to return to Kenya without her but I continue to entrust her into God's hands. 

We got to go to the Indian Ocean one more time when we were visiting Bethany teamates in Mombasa, Kenya. Righteous specifically wanted to eat Shwarma and get her fill of Swahili food while we were there. It was a successful trip.

We went to the farm this past Saturday and It felt like we were playing "Following the leader" when we walked around behind Jason.

"Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son." Proverbs 10:4-5

I always admire that my husband doesn't need anyone to motivate him to go out and work hard. No one gives him directions on what needs to get done each day. He is a great example to be diligent and he is the opposite of a lazy person. 

Walking through the abundance of Napier grass that feeds the cows.

"Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty."

We live in a region that is full of poverty stricken families. Non Government Organizations (NGO's) often come here to distribute food packages to villagers but this is only a temporary solution. The free food lasts only a few days and maybe, when rationed well, up to a week. There is such an importance of learning how to work hard and not expect things to just be handed to you.

Samara loves picking limes to add to any meal of hers.

"Honor the Lord with your wealth, with your first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing..." Proverbs 3:9-10

I need to give my very best to God first, my family second,  and others third. Sometimes there is the temptation to give myself the best- like eat the best looking cookie that came out fresh from the oven. There is a blessing attached to offering up to others before ourselves. 

There are several of these huge silage bags ready to feed dairy cows. Jason is hoping to travel to a dairy farm this week, that's 4 hours away, and purchase 2-3 cows.

"The righteous care for the needs of their animals.." Proverbs 22:10

I did not grow up around animals. I did not even have a pet that lived in the house. The above verse shows that God wants us to be kind to animals- afterall He created them. 

We got to visit these Bethany teamates in March and also last week. 

"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17

We are very blessed to have other believers on the ground here with us in Gtown. Each week it's a privilege to be able to share a meal together and pray for one another and read the Bible as a team. God has equipped each of us with a different gifting and perspective. This past month we celebrated Sarah's birthday with a Carnival themed party that was loads of fun.
Our family was able to make an 8 hour drive to go see Kristen and the Scotting family. We are overjoyed to see they have embraced what God has for them in Mombasa and they have found a community there.

I got to attend my first adult English literacy class.

"Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning. "

I was so impressed to watch Kristen lead a class. She is a gifted teacher to be able to explain the lesson in both Swahili and English in a slow and simple way so that the adult students would clearly understand. There was one man who would constantly interrupt the lesson and go on a long tangent about nothing relevant to what was being taught. Kristen would patiently listen to his rantings and then proceed to pick up right where the lesson had stopped as if the interruption never happened at all. I can learn a lot from her steadfastness. 

Feasting at Char Choma in Mombasa.

"Do not eat the food of a begrudging host, do not crave his delicacies; for He is the kind of person who is always thinking about the cost." Proverbs 23:6-7

As our family gets ready to travel to America we have to rely on others for a vehicle and places to stay. We never want to be a burden on people because we know we are a family of 6, and that we can be a lot of extra mouths to feed. We put our trust in God to provide and direct our steps.

Our friend invited us to cooking class this past month.

"Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses." Proverbs 28:27

One of our friends who has cooking class has been going through her cupboards this weekend and giving things she no longer uses to the poor. Her generosity is always a good challenge for me- if I have clothing I am not wearing I should give it away so that it can be a blessing to someone in need.

I love going to the farm to greet the workers and play games on a mat under the trees. 

"Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6

Our daughters have not been brought up living the "American dream" but at the same time God has provided for them in beautiful ways. They have learned to thank God for things He has done and to turn to Him when they don't know what to do. They have learned how to make friends with people from a different culture than their own and they have become some of the most flexible humans I know because so many times things don't go according to how planned. They help me in the kitchen and are ready to serve both in and out of home. I am very proud of them and the young ladies they are growing be.