Its been a while. A Kenyan would tell me – umepotea - you have been lost.
Just thought I'd share about a little minute I had the other day with a lady who hates me, well she only hates me sometimes, it depends on what level of drunk she is.
I struggle a bit with this lady because I know her daughter and the way she treats her, but I ended up sitting on the floor with her at Turning Point's birthday party the other day and it was one of those moments where it felt like God was there in His 'I'm doing something that you don't understand' sort of way.
As we sat around some of the little kids came over to play some clapping games and the lady started laughing at our songs so we started to teach her some. That was it really, nothing very exciting happened but it was just an awesome moment to just hang out and have fun with this lady, to include her, to respect her and have an honest moment of appreciating each other's company.
This lady can do bad things when she is drunk but surely she only spends most days wasted because life hurts so much. God's answer is love and community.
As we celebrated 7 years since TP started it was awesome to see this community of amazing people that has grown in that time. Staff who are so devoted, kids brimming over with confidence and potential and parents who work together to build a future for their kids. I'm excited that this lady is now part of the Turning Point community and I'm praying that she will experience some of God's love and His costly grace through that community.
Thursday, 4 March 2010
Thursday, 28 January 2010
Mo Faya!
At the end of last year I went to see a musical called Mo Faya written by Eric Wainaina, the synopsneeze is as follows:
DJ Lwanda’s voice rings out daily on local radio, leading and inspiring the Nairobi community of Kwa Maji. But Anna Mali, an avaricious real estate diva, craves the land beneath their slum. She seduces the fiery young DJ away with a job at a top nationwide station, and organizes a violent campaign to terrorize the people of Kwa Maji. When the government and media turn a blind eye to the decapitated bodies in the streets, DJ Lwanda must return home to expose the truth. But at what cost?
The tag line is 'they call it a slum, we call it home'. It was awesome! The music was so good, lots of Kenyan styles cleverly done. My favourite musical bit was when they used the singers voices as matatu horns while the others sang over the top. Tidy. There are loads of fun characters and heroes and villains that are scarily true to life if a little simplified.
The dialogue is full of cutting remarks, mocking and exposing various different groups of people and I guess the system at large. Like this woman Anna Mali, the main villain, runs an NGO which they say stands for New Growth Opportunity. In fact there is a whole song where they talk about development lingo and give every phrase a new meaning – UEA lecturers would love it. There was the usual blaming the government and rubbishing politicians but I enjoyed the few rude comments about Christians and do-gooders too.
Basically, in Kenya there is hectic poverty and there are lots of people working to change that but the systems and organisations working to do that are infested with people with bad motives, in the business of trying to empower and provide for the marginalised and impoverished there are opportunities to sneak a little bit of that power and that money for yourself and there are plenty of people doing that including 'Christians'. I think some people like to suck up to do-gooders because they want something, so it was nice to hear this play reflecting the true feelings of some people.
DJ Lwanda’s voice rings out daily on local radio, leading and inspiring the Nairobi community of Kwa Maji. But Anna Mali, an avaricious real estate diva, craves the land beneath their slum. She seduces the fiery young DJ away with a job at a top nationwide station, and organizes a violent campaign to terrorize the people of Kwa Maji. When the government and media turn a blind eye to the decapitated bodies in the streets, DJ Lwanda must return home to expose the truth. But at what cost?
The tag line is 'they call it a slum, we call it home'. It was awesome! The music was so good, lots of Kenyan styles cleverly done. My favourite musical bit was when they used the singers voices as matatu horns while the others sang over the top. Tidy. There are loads of fun characters and heroes and villains that are scarily true to life if a little simplified.
The dialogue is full of cutting remarks, mocking and exposing various different groups of people and I guess the system at large. Like this woman Anna Mali, the main villain, runs an NGO which they say stands for New Growth Opportunity. In fact there is a whole song where they talk about development lingo and give every phrase a new meaning – UEA lecturers would love it. There was the usual blaming the government and rubbishing politicians but I enjoyed the few rude comments about Christians and do-gooders too.
Basically, in Kenya there is hectic poverty and there are lots of people working to change that but the systems and organisations working to do that are infested with people with bad motives, in the business of trying to empower and provide for the marginalised and impoverished there are opportunities to sneak a little bit of that power and that money for yourself and there are plenty of people doing that including 'Christians'. I think some people like to suck up to do-gooders because they want something, so it was nice to hear this play reflecting the true feelings of some people.
Monday, 4 January 2010
Christmas thinking
Its a little late but apparently some celebrate Christmas at the end of the 12 days so here are some Christmas related thoughts (quickly before we get to the 12 drummers drumming) from Viv Grigg whose book I have been enjoying...
'Two thousand years ago a seed fell from the sower's hand from heaven to earth. The God of eternity now inhabited humanity in the cry of a child, in the frame of a manger, in the tramp of sandaled feet.
But the symphony the angels sang at Jesus' birth was tinged by the melancholy of poverty. In coming from heaven to earth, the seed did not remain at the surface among the unrealities of the rich and haughty. He buried himself in the depths of humanity. And those depths have weighed down the labouring poor for thousands of years.
The prophet Isaiah declared that God has two homes: “For thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is holy: I dwell in the high and lofty place, and also with him who is of a contrite and humble-spirit” (Isaiah 57:15)
Two homes, two addresses: eternity and poverty.'
'Two thousand years ago a seed fell from the sower's hand from heaven to earth. The God of eternity now inhabited humanity in the cry of a child, in the frame of a manger, in the tramp of sandaled feet.
But the symphony the angels sang at Jesus' birth was tinged by the melancholy of poverty. In coming from heaven to earth, the seed did not remain at the surface among the unrealities of the rich and haughty. He buried himself in the depths of humanity. And those depths have weighed down the labouring poor for thousands of years.
The prophet Isaiah declared that God has two homes: “For thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is holy: I dwell in the high and lofty place, and also with him who is of a contrite and humble-spirit” (Isaiah 57:15)
Two homes, two addresses: eternity and poverty.'
Monday, 14 December 2009
Naivasha and Nakuru - Kenyan Lakes (Part 1)
Here is my big brother's write up on our trips over the summer. Very well written!
Naivasha and Nakuru - Kenyan Lakes (Part 1)
Naivasha and Nakuru - Kenyan Lakes (Part 1)
Monday, 23 November 2009
Forest creatures
Recently Jon P has been fasting and praying about the spiritual side of Turning Point's work in Kibera. It has been quite challenging to watch, not in a watching takeshi's castle sort of way but in a feeling a bit inspired and uncomfortable sort of way. You can read more in depth about this at healingonthestreetsofkibera.blogspot.com yes, you thought my blog name was long.
To top it off our Pastor spoke about fasting this weekend and what its all about, I don't know that I have understood correctly the full dynamics of fasting but to me it seems fasting is about doing something costly to show God you really want Him, you really want what He wants and in the process you find out a little more what that might actually be.
Anyway this week all this seeking God has led to a group of Pastors from Kibera meeting to talk about praying for people around Mashimoni, praying for healing basically. I sat in on this meeting and just felt super humbled. They all talked of how we should go about preparing ourselves, one suggesting we fast and live in the woods for a full week like hungry squirrels. In Kenya people are very used to fasting, they do it a lot, its an important part of the church tradition I guess. In the end it was decided we had work that still needed to be done so the squirrel idea was dropped but it was very challenging to hear how much these guys sacrifice to seek God. We prayed for each other and it was amazing to be prayed for by this Pastor from Kibera, I don't know why, it just was.
During the meeting I remembered something very cheesy that Pastor Martin in India once said to us, that if you want to be a winner for Christ you need to surround yourself with winners. That's ridiculously cheesy and sounds like something a motivational speaker would say but it stuck with me. When you recognise that someone has a true passion for God, someone who is earnestly seeking Him and desperately wanting to see His will done. That's good people. You want to stick with them, learn from them.
I think that is what I saw in those that gathered today, I felt like a grade 1 drummer sitting in a room with Chad Smith, Mitch Mitchell and John Bonham, like I could learn a lot here.
To top it off our Pastor spoke about fasting this weekend and what its all about, I don't know that I have understood correctly the full dynamics of fasting but to me it seems fasting is about doing something costly to show God you really want Him, you really want what He wants and in the process you find out a little more what that might actually be.
Anyway this week all this seeking God has led to a group of Pastors from Kibera meeting to talk about praying for people around Mashimoni, praying for healing basically. I sat in on this meeting and just felt super humbled. They all talked of how we should go about preparing ourselves, one suggesting we fast and live in the woods for a full week like hungry squirrels. In Kenya people are very used to fasting, they do it a lot, its an important part of the church tradition I guess. In the end it was decided we had work that still needed to be done so the squirrel idea was dropped but it was very challenging to hear how much these guys sacrifice to seek God. We prayed for each other and it was amazing to be prayed for by this Pastor from Kibera, I don't know why, it just was.
During the meeting I remembered something very cheesy that Pastor Martin in India once said to us, that if you want to be a winner for Christ you need to surround yourself with winners. That's ridiculously cheesy and sounds like something a motivational speaker would say but it stuck with me. When you recognise that someone has a true passion for God, someone who is earnestly seeking Him and desperately wanting to see His will done. That's good people. You want to stick with them, learn from them.
I think that is what I saw in those that gathered today, I felt like a grade 1 drummer sitting in a room with Chad Smith, Mitch Mitchell and John Bonham, like I could learn a lot here.
Monday, 16 November 2009
Shoot the Rabbit
The latest news from E3 (that's our apartment) is we've got a baby rabbit, her name is shoot. She fits in the palm of your hand. When she cleans her face, you want to cry. We have made her a little hutch out on the balcony and when we work at home she snuggles up against Jo's laptop where is gets all warm on the side.
Jo Bayley is the new volunteer for Turning Point, she is focussing on fundraising and doing a splendid job! The original housemate Cara is still around but preparing to get married next April. Lee, the Kiwi who lived here for a few months also moved out to get married to Bruce. The Bruce Lee wedding is this Sunday in a friend's back garden in Karen.
Things are always changing in Nairobi it seems, one of our good friends who arrived around the same time as us is leaving soon having finished her contract here and not finding another job, we said she could be our house girl and wash our dishes but she wasn't up for it...she hasn't met shoot yet though. Here's a video of Shoot's first day exploring the apartment.
Jo Bayley is the new volunteer for Turning Point, she is focussing on fundraising and doing a splendid job! The original housemate Cara is still around but preparing to get married next April. Lee, the Kiwi who lived here for a few months also moved out to get married to Bruce. The Bruce Lee wedding is this Sunday in a friend's back garden in Karen.
Things are always changing in Nairobi it seems, one of our good friends who arrived around the same time as us is leaving soon having finished her contract here and not finding another job, we said she could be our house girl and wash our dishes but she wasn't up for it...she hasn't met shoot yet though. Here's a video of Shoot's first day exploring the apartment.
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