Be encouraged... From Africa.

**dont have time/energy for an edit... sry for misspellings/grammar woes :/**

Jambo friends... I write this from Kitali...  Today was one of the more difficult for me... my spirit dealt with some very difficult things, the rocking from which I have faith will sink my foundation to an even greater depth, a more sturdy place for my spirit to rest with His.  Difficult nonetheless..  

We've to this point visited three orphan homes, all of which have their own unique and beautiful experience attached to them....  I want to share about today though.  

We left yesterday on a five hour journey up the Rift Valley (runs all the way to Israel.. beautiful history here) to a village inhabited by the indigenous poqout people.  I cannot possibly describe those I encountered here, on the drive to here, in all of Kitali for that matter... the poverty/oppression they wear on their sleeves (if they have any), the intensity of which rivals the poverty our culture experiences on its inside... it's not pretty.  I could tell you of their joy, their smiles, their kindness, their laughter... I could share with you of the many fruits I've picked off of these peoples low hanging branches... the diversity of flavors/colors/nutrients which exist in experiencing each one individually.  I'm tasting good things...  I'm touching tough things.  Touching people who are obviously not well.. a handshake, a hug, a warm gesture they aren't to be denied...we learn this in scripture.  I won't attempt to describe the conditions these people call home... photos later will have to tell that tale.  

Haiti prepared me well for this trip... the spirit has reached to touch some newly sensitive areas in my life this time 'round.  

I've the chance to speak with many people, men, boys, children, in these conditions about our mutual love for Jesus Christ.  Brothers who share in the vision of one day dancing in heaven together, a place described in revelation as being a new eternal home to those who "never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst.  The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat.  For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water.  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." rev.7:16

Sink in this please... but first sink into my shoes, if you can.  I have written next to that verse in my bible "i am too comfortable"... yes, it is true.  If these are who are to inhabit the kingdom one day.. gosh.. so much there.. i move on.

Arriving at the poquot village, our goal was to register a small handful of the children who were to be placed in the orphan home once it is constructed..  While pictures were being taken and names/birthdates recorded, all the while dozens of children and tribesmen/women hovered around the shaded area where we met the elders of the village... a scene I won't soon forget.

Michael Silitei... my brother.  I sat down next to this man, and to my surprise, he spoke fairly good english.  I was gifted this relationship by the spirit, because at a very tough time for me (I have become increasingly disgusted at the westernization of these places, and how it is to blame for the poverty and destruction of beautiful cultures rich in tradition and one with the earth... one of many crushed by the west, capitalism, the love of money... a whole other blog), we were able to share in these sentiments.  We sat together looking out at the valley, painting the vision of what it must have been like to be a Poquot tribesman thousands of years ago, before colonization, before money... We dreamed about heaven together, and in his broken (but well understood and felt) english, I had him read the whole of revelation 7... tears escaping all four eyes looking on, although I would imagine he felt them at a much deeper level than I can possibly imagine, being that he will truly be freed from these things in this place we read about... free from hunger, thirst, scorching sun... 

He told me how he was raised in the catholic tradition, and in school they weren't allowed to have a bible, that it was expected they would rely on the priest for scriptural guidance (I won't share how I feel about this.. here at least), and when he finally did was once he was an adult and out of the church... reading scripture on his own he found jesus.  He told me how he discovered Jesus was/is not religion... but love.  He shared with me how upon reading the story of zacchaeus, he could relate.  Raised having misunderstood the gospel, he crawled up and above the crowd of "judges" (as he called them, and while it doesn't call them that in scripture, it's the message), he could now see Jesus... and He (Jesus) came through the crowd, and called to him.  He has been healed, touched by the spirit, brought above the crowd - the law - and given freedom...  "zacchaeus was a wee little man, a wee little man was he..."  bla bla bla... a catchy tune the church taught me and so many others.. the message Michael gave to me about this passage came in power, and from the spirit... I saw it in a new way, with new eyes.  He told me how he was a volunteer teacher with the children... and not once did he ask me for anything (so refreshing you don't even know), but our spirits connected and in sharing scripture together he said he was "given new courage", while I was given new hope... the body of Christ at work.  After a long while learning eachother and resting in a nest of spiritual encouragement together, we wandered into a shaded area outside of where everyone was communing to pray together...  In the middle of our praying, the children were roused by something and dozens ran by and through where we were standing yelling joyfully in a playful manner like kids do all across our beautiful earth.. it was perfect, and the prayer needed it as we were praying at that moment for 'faith like children...'  eyes closed, it was surreal to in this moment hear these children running by all around us - it seemed they didn't even know were there, but the spirit knew, and He knew we needed that.  

I could go on, go on, and go on some more... but I leave you with that... 

As my spirit processes this, that, and so many other new relationships/revelations... pray for me.. pray for them... pray to feel the power of prayer in your life, to feel how REAL it is... for faith like a mustard seed is not about how much you can do with so little, but how with faith - faith like a mustard seed - we 'know' how grand the gift is which awaits us as we exist now, a seed in soil, faithfully awaiting life which will soon spring forth up and out of the s(t)oil into an existence which cannot possibly be imagined, but with faith.  

Off to bed... on to Lodwar tomorrow... be well friends :)