From: Sara Curdie <SCurdie@fachurch.com>

Date: June 21, 2011 8:45:15 AM MDT

To: Clay Rans <crans@fachurch.com>

Subject: update from Africa

Wow!  We're just about to conclude our week in Kenya!  We fly off to Dar es Salaam tomorrow.

 

What a week we just had, non-stop action.  Since I last wrote, we were able to visit a children's home called "Christ Our Refuge" for children from abusive families or street kids.  What a place.  We were able to buy paint and help paint their classrooms & benches and also we bought food to make them lunch, that had a special treat of beef included.  We wish we could have spent more time there and had more funds to help them out.  They are in desperate need of mattresses to put on the bunk beds and for mosquito netting.  That evening we went back to Dandora church to minister at the youth service.  We were able to teach them a few Tehillah songs and pray for them. 

 

On Friday we spent the day at Teen Challenge Kenya.  Except it's all adult men there, no teenagers.  But they are living in a beautiful house rented to them by a lady for a really good rate for that part of town.  We joined them for their morning chapel.  All of the men that live there are being rehabbed from drug & alcholol addicictions.  When they lifted up their voices to say "thank you God, you are merciful to me" it brought tears to the eyes.  Terin shared his testimony that morning and I don't think there was a dry eye in the house.  I was able to help in the kitchen again, learning how to cook Kenyan style, while Claire and the team led a worship party in the other room.  We also ate our meal Kenyan style, no utensils!  Pick up a bit of ugali, add some spinach and meat and dip it in the sauce and pop it in your mouth.  Yum yum.  After lunch we had fun playing volleyball and table tennis.

 

Saturday was a crazy day.  We spent the day at Dr. Mwenje Secondary School for a rally.  Over 200 youth came out from that school and other schools.  We ministered alongside the Tehillah Kenya team, what a blast!  After some praise & worship led by Tehillah Kenya, we broke out into workshops to teach on topics like purity, discipleship, poverty mentality, worship, and peer pressure.  Had some great discussions and the kids really opened up and asked some great questions.  I was in the group teaching poverty mentality, which was very challenging as a "rich" white girl to talk to the kids who live in slums.  One of the boys ask, what do you do when your father is a thief, and all your brothers are thieves, and the only way you can get a meal is to steal?  How do you answer that?!  It sounds to pat to say "God will provide".  But it's the truth!  We were able to share that if you honour God and try to live obedient for him, even it means choosing to go another way than your family teaches you, He will bless you and provide for your every need.  After a great meal of rice and beans, we went back into general assembly for a rocking Tehillah service.  Stanley preached the word on how to have an Encounter with God.  Those kids were sure hungry for more of Him.  Over 30 kids gave their hearts to Jesus and many more were at the altar wanting to have a personal encounter with God.

 

On Sunday, we spent all day at Dandora Church.  First service was at 7:30am!  Or, at least it was supposed to start then, but, hey, it's Africa, so we started at 8:00.  The pastor was kind enough to hand over a good portion of each service (3 services!)  Our group leaded some worship, plus a song in Swalili "Wewe Watosha" (God is enough/He satisfies).  I was able to preach.  After all the services were over at 1:30pm, we had a great lunch with the Pastor and His wife and the Tehillah Kenya group.  Then it was time for another youth concert.  Another Praise Party and some pretty amazing dancing.

 

On Monday we finally had a day to go more slowly.  We visited another children's home, this one were about half the children have HIV.  Spent some time playing with them, and you could tell they were starved for some one-on-one attention.  After that ... shopping!  Our team was introduced to the joys of shopping in the market, getting ripped off, and learning how to be a hard negotiator.  Then dinner.  What an experience.  We went to Carnivore, which is known  to serve all kinds of exotic meats.  We were treated to ox balls, chicken gizzard, camel, crocodile, alongside more normal meats of beef, chicken, and lamb.  We had Noah's ark in our tummies!

 

Today we spent the day at PAC University, where our accomodation is.  It is the start of their Spiritual Emphasis week, so we joined them for chapel and our team led worship for over an our and had a great time in God's presence.  Tonight we are off to our favourite restaurant (Java) with the Tehillah Kenya team for our last time together.

 

God has been so good.  But keep praying for more!  We want more!  We're off to Tanzania and are expecting the miraculous.

 

Blessings,

 

Sara