Non American Christian Faith Lessons

A recent exchange on Facebook about the worship like status afforded the Super Bowl, the contenders, and half-time performers by so many who also claim to worship the Savior reminded me of one of my first mission experiences on "this side of the pond."

Having spent a year in Kenya coordinating relationships between USA presbyterian congregations and Kenyan presbyterian congregations We returned to our beloved home in IL and set about trying to coordinate the relationships from this side.

Helping to develop the relationship between our local presbytery and one in Kenya, we invited several Kenyans to visit with us.  My job involved coordinating all aspects of that visit including the itineraries, interpretation, and providing counsel to both sides of the visiting teams - the hosts and the guests.

One of our guests, the Moderator of the partner presbytery and leader of the guest contingent was housed in a neighboring town.  That Sunday, just after worship I received the call.  The American host was upset that the Kenyan guest was steadfastly opposed to attending the region's Corn Festival.  When asked if he'd like to attend to see some of the culture, the guest asked what the Christian purpose of the event was? 

The response was given that it was not a particularly Christian event but a festival celebrating the crop that played such an important role in the region's economy and that a group from the church would be attending. The guest asked what the church group was going to do and was told, they'd be watching the parade and walking around looking at the booths.  The guest asked if they church group would be handing out evangelistic tracts or otherwise sharing their faith?  The response was no, it was just for fun.  And the guest declined wondering why the church would involve itself in such a thing without making some sort of witness.  The host was confused and a bit upset.  The host was committed to going and the guest was committed to not going and the  question arose as to whether or not the host could leave the guest alone...

The question was a multi-faceted one. At its core, however, there was a cultural disconnect between E. African concerns regarding the pantheistic aspect of agricultural religious movements (as witnessed in the Old Testament) and the western agronomistic focus on God's bounty.  But the response raises another question - why do we attend such events (as a congregational group) and not use it as a specific evangelical outreach.  I hear of church groups attending all sorts of sporting events, just for fun, going to theme parks just for fun, seeing movies as a group, just for fun.  There is no distribution of trracts, no purposeful witnessing, and I wonder, why not?  Why do we continue to compartmentalize our faith, limiting it to Sunday School, Worship, and Fellowship (and why do so many end up talking about nothing but worldly matters at Fellowship gatherings)...

Why is there any aspect of our lives wherein we do
not discuss, share, witness to our faith?  Because we might lose our jobs?  (Will not the Lord provide?)  Because we don't know how to witness?  (What is evangelism but one beggar telling another where to find food?)  I am left wonder if it is not a simple matter of not sufficiently trusting the Lord?

I headed out the door to the neighboring town and sat and talked with the host and the guest to try to ameliorate any bad feelings and any negative impact to the partnership.  It the end the guest gave in and went to the Festival.  I understand he was a bit "embarrassing" to the host church as everyone to whom he was introduced he asked if they know Jesus...  The heart of a true believer, cannot, will not be silenced. 

We have a lot to learn from non American Christians.  

And as a post script it's interesting to note that this international partner is now sending missionaries to sister America as a return favor.  They say "you once brought us the gospel, and now it seems you need it too."

The PCEA Womens Guild

 

One of the great joys of international mission work is being in on the development of something big.  To be able to watch the organization with which one is working reach the heights of their dreams. Such was the case when I snapped this picture in 1994 on a visit to our partners Hotel project in Mombassa, Kenya. 

My job as a projects coordinator was to assist the Projects Secretary, Mr. K. with oversight, review, resourcing, and encouragement of the over 200 projects formally sponsored, managed and/or supported by our partner denomination. 

Mrs. W. had the office next to mine and kept teasing me that I should see more of her denomination's Women's Project work since the women were the one's who spent "more time working and less time meeting and eating on the church's dime" (an oblique reference to the men in charge). And it was she who encouraged me to come to see the beginnings of this Hotel project. Their aim was to provide a hostel for children of Christians who would be attending university in Mombassa, a strongly Muslim enclave.

And so my office staff made the arrangements and I headed down on the train. Now I love trains, so this was going to be a biggee. The trains used were the old Pullman style with mahogany trim on the inside. The stewards still wore white gloves to serve dinners with china plates and silver plate flatware. It would be an overnight in second class accomodations meaning I would share my cabin with as many as three other persons.

I happily took my seat and laid my luggage down next to me. I was immediately greeted by a friendly gentlemen, a teacher who happened to be affiliated with the denomination with which I worked in country, and who was also headed to Mombassa for a teaching position at a primary school.  And then just before we left the station a second man joined us, quite talkative and interested in what this mzungu (white person) was doing in second class rather than first.  The teacher and I had some good conversation, with the soldier - over his first, second and third bottles of beer - before going to the dining car.

Following dinner, at which the soldier managed to put another three bottles to rest, we retired to our cabin which had been made ready for sleeping. And then the questions began, questions that stem from the depressed logic of a largely inebriated person trying to justify his own righteousness. You can fill in the blanks.  It was interesting, long, and sometimes disjointed but I was eventually rescued by the Teacher's request for silence that he might get some sleep.  Having consumed a few more bottles the soldier was ready to fade off.

Morning came and we pulled into the station in Mombassa and we were all off to our respective destinations.  As often was the case I was on my own to get to a destination for which I had no address, in a town to which I had never been, in a country in which I had lived for just a few short months.  It was a part of the excitement. This was a part of what I loved about my work.

The taxi driver was helpful as I tried to describe a new building project in a growing city and we eventually found our way to the project.  Upon arrival I was greeted with an absolutely delightful lunch which had been prepared purposefully based on word from Mrs. W. that I should be there before lunchtime.  Although Mrs. W. had planned on being there during my visit she was called away to another project which had reported having some difficulties.  Remember, this was in the days before email, and when telephone communication, at least in East Africa could still be quite spotty.  We still wrote letters.

But let's get back to the lunch for a minute.  

Ndizi na Nyama (Beef Stew)

Chapati (Flat Bread)

 

 

      sukumu wiki (lit. push the week - collard greens)

Kenyan women KNOW how to cook.  Whether its Kienyeji, Ugali, Kienyeji Mukimo, Githeri, Njahi, or any of the other "comfort foods" or something simple like a fresh fruit plate, a couple of samosas, or just a cup of chai (tea) with mandazi, Kenyans tend to eat well and to enjoy eating. The fellowship, the conversation, the exuberant joy is just a blessing.  Eating with Kenyan believers is always an event!

But I digress...the purpose was reviewing the progress that had been made to date on this hotel.  Mostly local funding, from individual Women's Guilds in Kenya, built as money had become available.

 

The progress they had made was a great source of pride. We toured the rooms and talked of the work yet to be done. Their dreams were well outlined and their excitement was abundantly obvious.  

I finished my interview, closed the notebook, we prayed and I returned to my hotel for the night before heading to the train station for my return trip. A trip which paled in comparison to the short but moving time I had spent with the Womens Guild members at the poject site. The years went on.  Our family eventually moved back to the states but I followed the project at a distance and was so elated when they finally opened their doors.  Today the hotel stands as a witness to perseverance, the women's commitment, and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 p.s...

And in a flash of inspiration, coincidence, or God-incidence I found this article about a building that was begun before we arrived in Kenya.  It's financier was a wealthy, crooked, political character. Unlike the Christian women's hotel projec, the Yaya Center West Wing building is still incomplete...https://biznakenya.com/yaya-west-wing-building/