Wednesday

Getting back to the recollection.

We greeted another day with mammoth eggs and sweet milky tea. Then it was off to Kitale again.

We arrived in Kitale at around the time we were due to be at another church doing a Pastors and Leaders thing. Which meant we had plenty of time to go on the internet, drink Coke and eat chips. I love the African time thing.

We arrived at the Pastors and Leaders thing and there were about 4 Pastors having a sing-a-long. We were ushered into this tiny little church building, dirt floor, mud walls, but three nice chairs in the front row. We were put in the front row and I couldn't see all the singing that was going on behind me, I could only stare at the English posters on the wall that looked like they had been left there by the English missionaries when they were extracted in the 1950s. I turned around to smile and clap my hands (its the closest I can get to joining in) but was told off when Albert arrived. Apparently you can only face the front in African churches. So I got to look at the posters again, which looked something like "Dick and Jane go on Paul's Missionary Journeys". I'm going get some for my church.

The Pastors and Leaders meeting was the one I was most looking forward to. I think because it was the one I felt like I would understand the culture the best, and the people who would understand me the best. I had planned before I went to speak on Servant Leadership, using Jesus Washing the Disciple's feet. Turns out I was listening to the Spirit that day, because since arriving I felt like that's exactly what I needed to speak on. They have plenty of commitment, plenty of passion. But seeing the whole "Pastor is Chief, Pastor gets the best Service" thing, I felt like my topic was spot on.

I was also rather worried about the topic because I knew I'd be having a go a cultural thing that I didn't really understand. It could seem rather arrogant.

Anyway, Howie did his bit. He spoke about Strength in Weakness, which was really good. And the Pastors all felt very encouraged.

We had a break, then it was my go. I only had three sentences of notes for this one. I was praying and believing that God would turn up. I never, ever, do that. I always have full notes, but I didn't really have the time to prepare this one, and I felt I should just trust that God would be there.

I don't know quite how I did, but it felt like the best talk I gave the whole time. The pastors seemed challenged. Perhaps not overjoyed but I think I struck a chord. Albert got up and did his post-preach preach and told everyone "Don't be a boss, be a servant" which was the a wonderful little summary. I hope they took it on board.

I spent the rest of my time trying to make sure I was a servant so they didn't look at me and think I was a hypocrite. However, seeing as I haven't done the talk back home, I intend on introducing as many "Youth Pastor is Chief" reforms as possible.

Our second revival location was at a community who's Swahili name means either "Congregation of People" or "Place of Many Problems". We parked the ute on the edge of a corn field and preache from there, on the edge of this dirt road. From there we could only see about two houses, but somehow kids just miraculously appeared. Perhaps they live in burrows. Or in the corn. Children of the Corn. Spooky.

There was almost all kids there, and they looked poorer than the kids at Tipte. The all seemed sicker, dirtier and they had worse clothes. Plus they were all more violent with each other.

There would have been about 15 adults there, but most of them were from the Pastors and Leaders thing we just did.

I preached the Prodigal Son again, and did a worse job then the first time. Still people came forward. There was one man who had been standing off to the side doing what looked like Tai Chi the whole time. Turns out he was mentally ill. So after I preached he was brought in so all the Pastoral Heavies could cast the demon of Mental Illness out of him. I get a little uncomfortable about that. I'm not sure what I think Satan does, and what I think is just illness. And where they intertwine. But I'm not wanting to go casting Satan out of every mentally ill person I meet. So I just prayed for his healing, and stepped back when things got too noisy. He seemed Ok though. He just did Tai Chi while they all fussed over him.

Later I found out that his name is Peter, and he speaks the best English I heard from a local the whole time. Sadly it's all nonsense, but he knew a lot of good sentences.

It was starting to rain while we did the revival, so we got given the night off. This was a source of immense satisfaction. Howie and I were so tired, we needed the night off. Thank you God!

We ended up eating dinner with the "team" in the resturant under our new hotel in town, then going to our room and getting ready for bed. We then stayed up late talking about how good it was we got to go to sleep early. Oh how we love early nights.