Surprised by Hope Blog

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Business Workshop with Pastor Ouino

Pastor Ouino, a Kilifi Bible school graduate, organized an all day business workshop for me while the rest of the group ministered in churches that Saturday. About 50 people from the business community filled his small church as worship rang out. What would corporate work be like if we could sing worship songs every day before we began? Several pastors, business men, and business women came to learn about ways to strengthen their businesses.

One of the elemental components we work on is establishing a vision for the business…a picture of the future. I wasn’t surprised to hear many of the women say they were doing their business because they want to provide food and education for their children. They’re not sewing because they love to, they’re sewing because somehow they got training and have a machine. They’re not making mandazis (deep fried pastries) because they love to cook; they’re making them because it’s all they know how to do.

I challenged these ladies to think bigger, to think about how they will change the world because of their business. On one hand, I struggled to bring this challenge to them given their situations. One another hand, I know that if they think bigger they’ll come closer to reaching that vision which means they’d be closer to providing for those essential needs. The real challenge was helping them realize the truth of their bound mentalities. One workshop may not be enough.

Pastor Ouino has invited me to return for a three day workshop during my next visit to the Malindi area (which means I’d also get to visit Hidaja again, as she is nearby). I love how God is opening doors and am so thankful to BLM for their encouragement in this endeavor.

A Dress for Hidaja from Maya

A pile of children surrounded me as I sat outside Pastor Newton’s small church listening to the ladies of Next Level Church deliver their Spirit-filled messages. All were happy to shake my hand or play peek-a-boo around the bent tree trunk. None, though, were interested in the photo of the small white girl except one. The one who was interested – the one who would not smile, would not talk, would not respond when asked her name – tentatively moved forward.

I motioned her toward me and she quizzically took hold of that small photo examining the front and the back of this stiff paper card. I pulled out the adorable dress that went along with the photo and held it up to this girl, a perfect fit. Hidaja (a teacher would later reveal her name) was a willing child…willing to be hoisted to my lap while she held onto that photo and examined the dress. A short time later, she even allowed me to slip the new dress over her solid frame. She clung tightly to her old dress, and to her new white-girl picture as well as to the adorable little card written to the recipient of the dress. I later had the teacher explain to her that Maya was a little girl in America who wanted to give Hidaja that dress so that she knows God loves her.

Having to leave her and the other children behind to attend to a few details, I soon found Hidaja standing next to me with her little hand in mine. And again. And again. She so refused to leave me that she wet herself (and my dress). We shared my lunch until it was time for the group to depart. This little one looked on wondering what would happen to me. Once the van door closed, this emotionless girl exploded with screams and tears until the teacher came again to comfort her. Oh why can’t I bring all these children home with me.

The van returned the next day to pick up the team speaking at Pastor Newton’s church and I hopped out once I spotted Hidaja. She came quickly to me and as I picked her up she lifted her legs around my waist and lowered her head to my shoulder. Those who hadn’t seen this girl with me the previous day stared with mouths agape. “She really loves you,” some said. And I really love her!

Pastor Newton's Church

The women from Next Level Church ministered to the women of Lango Pentecostal Church while the men joined pastors and community leaders in door-to-door evangelism. Sadly, the enemy prevented me from participating in that my cough was exacerbated that day. Instead I made a run to the chemist’s to get some much needed Claritin D and cough medicine…which the pharmacist forced me to take before I left the shop because I was coughing so much. Good thing too, that liquid stuff is NASTY. (That medicine would eventually be swallowed by others who were fighting illness as well.) I also picked up three cases of water…must have water. Upon return, I chose a seat just outside the door and listened to the Next Level women telling their stories of encouragement to these ladies, who were so very thankful.

Lunch and fellowship was a blessing. Pastor Newton did a terrific job planning and preparing the ministry that day.

Lango Pentacostal Church

A Dolly for Eliazar from Katie

Katie is a return dolly sponsor and this time she chose a boy. Thanks, Katie, for your love of these children.

He and his maama perched themselves at the opening of this church building that would be the doorway with their backs to the three workshops taking place. Apparently Eliazar didn’t find the teaching subject interesting enough. Rather his attention was on the white lid for some aerosol product. This lid, when pounded on the rough cement floor, made quite a clatter and that was far more interesting to this little one.

I joined his maama for a short chat and then jumped to the ground and stepped in front of the small boy. He didn’t scream. We were off to a good start. Presenting him with the doll, he was momentarily interested in this fluffy thing but quickly turned his attention to the camera in my hand. His maama pointed out that he thought the camera was a phone and wanted to talk on the phone. Silly boy. Eliazar’s non-noise-making dolly was interesting for a while until he rediscovered the white aerosol lid anew.

I was honored to be invited to teach at the conference where so many qualified people had messages prepared for the group. My first workshop was called Framing Your Future and we learned how to think about church from a business perspective and to organize the strategic framework so that that foundation would position the church for stability and growth. The second workshop was called Servant Leadership and we talked about how knowing that nothing we do or say can change our lineage (we are children of the Father) releases us from the need to act as though we are more than that. Both workshops were well attended and well received. I praise God for the opportunity to teach and pray that he opens the doors to return.

Flour, eggs, oil, salt, and who knows what else get mixed together by hand until the perfect consistency readies the dough for shaping into orange-sized balls. A small but fat wooden dowel serves as a rolling pin to flatten the dough for cooking on the charcoal stove, along with just a touch of oil. Katie and Sophia were allowed to help a bit with the work and together the ladies did a fabulous job. I love chapatti, but so often it’s too oily for my taste. These works of art, though, were perfect!

Africans tend to use chapatti as a type of scoop with their food or they put fried egg in the middle and roll them into a rolex. I, however, would like to suggest cinnamon and sugar, or peanut butter and banana (I would say jelly but the jelly here isn’t like Smuckers), as the perfect compliment.

A Dolly for Daylight from Dottie

As seems typical of East African children – some are so interested in the white people while others are horrified. Daylight leaned a bit toward horrified. The first day one of the other ladies got a bit too close and so I learned. But the second day, Daylight was more observant than scared. Trying to draw her out a bit and to alleviate her fears, Daylight found this prancing dolly in her arms. Only tentatively would she hold this gift. She wasn’t quite sure what to do with the doll. Several other children were happy to inspect the toy on her behalf, but Daylight refused to release the gift. Sometimes I wonder what goes on in these tiny minds as they look, perhaps for the first time, at ghostly people with funny colored eyes and hairs.

The sounds of worship echoed through the half-completed church building in Kilifi, Kenya. This mixture of voices, foreign to one another, perfectly harmonized. The sweet aroma of the Lord filled the house and a mighty wind blew through the giant open window frames (as did the birds). Surely the fulfillment of this dream for Biblical Life Ministries was anointed.

My role was one of general assistance to Kelly and Kathy and the teams, teaching two workshops, and encouraging pastors in whatever way the Spirit prompted. But something funny happened and I wasn’t prepared. The pastors were encouraging me. Several people made sweet comments that sounded like they must be speaking of someone else, but after the second time I started wondering…was God trying to tell me something? Am I not who I thought I was? Am I not kind enough to myself? Praise God if it’s true.

And again, something funny was happening. Even more people made prayers and prophesies about my widowhood, people who know nothing of this detail. At this I began to release myself, to let down the walls of professionalism and conference assistant and to allow myself to really experience the presence of God. So many wonderful testimonies from a number of people about the many ways God was moving through this conference.