Nairobi - Sunday

Today was a good day.  Today is Sunday and Sunday is church day. There are Pentecostal churches everywhere.  Our drive toward Great Commission Fellowship Church in the center of Nairobi was very eye opening.  After our first day of being wisked around the city by our driver Martin, this week, we saw what the majority of Nairobi is like.

After getting stopped by a herd of cattle crossing the road in one of the busiest intersection in the city, we made our way past the poorest of the poor in a slum called Mathera.  This is the second largest slum in Kenya.  Only second to the world famous Kibera slums (largest in the world).  There was a very sobering effect on all of us along the way.

We arrived at GCF church/school at 9:30 where we met the leaders of the church and got a chance to talk and get to know them.  The worship part of the service lasted from 10:00 to 11:30, during which time some of the children came to the stage and danced before God with a Spirit that I have never seen before.  They are soooo beautiful (inside and out) and their Spirit is one of joy and gladness in the midst of some of the worst poverty i have ever seen.  After their dance, I was asked to teach (some would say preach...but you all know that I am not a preacha).  I want the entire Leadership team at VWS to know that I finished in 33 minutes (in case you were wondering).  I had a translator standing on stage with me to translate everything I said into swahili (spelling?).  In case your wondering, I taught on LOVE WINS.  

After the service was over we had the chance to meet with the members of the church in their Sunday bests on the dirt playground outside of the auditorium and school offices.  The kids were all over us (especially Carrie as you can see in the photo).  This only sparked our excitement for Monday when we would meet them in their classrooms as we toured CGF's modest and run down facilities.

Afterward, Pastor Peter, Pastor Joel, Pastor George, and Ms. Mary and Ms. Vera took us to an American like Mall (very close to American embassy and housing).  The food was great, the company even better as we got to know the hearts of the men and women who work so hard to change the fortune of the children living in the streets around them.  I feel like they are part of Vineyard Westside and God has sent us to learn how to care for our brothers and sisters, but more importantly to learn how to Act Justly, Love Mercy and Walk Humbly in the ways that they understand far better than us.

On our way home, we drove by the Mathera slums and looked at a distance at the worlds worst poverty known to man.  Families with no clean water, nothing to eat...the best word is "nothing."  Pastor Peter told me that he lived in the Kibera slum for 6 years.  We were not allowed to go in the slums because of the safety risks, so we drove by slowly and eerily while we watched the sea of tin roofs go on for what seemed like forever.  Garbage covering every inch of the ground, and the indescribable smell that can't be explained in words.  You really have to be here to know what I am talking about.  The poorest of the poor reside here.

At the end of this day, I am a different man.  I came here looking for the Kingdom of God and found it in the eyes of the poor.  Great commission Fellowship is teaching me how to look like Jesus in a world starving for hope.  These people are hope peddlers, seed throwers, and fire starters...and they love unconditionally.

After my teaching, Pastor Peter got up and recapped my message encouraging the congregation to be better tippers in restaurants and to preach the gospel by their actions and generosity rather than with words all the time.   Then to my shock, he warned them against complacency, apathy and religion and told them to start showing Africa what God is like by the way they live their lives.

I was in awe...Jesus lives Here.  I am convinced more than ever, that this trip is much more about what God is teaching us versus what we are doing for our Brothers and Sisters in Kenya.  I am truly humbled to be here.  

In Nairobi - Day 1

Today we met the Great Commission Fellowship Team at 10:00 AM ready for a tour of the Metropolitan area of Nairobi.  This would be a fascinating day as we saw the business, education, retail, finance, and general good vibe of the Nairobi cityscape.  Mostly, we saw the good side of the city and were actually blown away by the diversity of people, the influence of both West and East culture, and the overall kindness and peacefulness of the people that we met.  This was a great way to start the trip and get ourselves acclimated to our surroundings without too much pressure to meet too many people, adjust to jet lag, and remember our names at the same time.

I have to say however, that what we saw was probably not reflective of the majority of Nairobi or Kenya for that matter. This was a day where Nairobi (as a whole) looked like most other international cities that I have been to, but I have a feeling the days that will follow will show an entirely different picture.

On a lighter note, I think Pastor Atandi (Peter) somehow found out about my longing to see a giraffe.  So we took a bit of a short cut and went to the Giraffe Park in Nairobi (still hope to see one in the wild, but this was pretty cool.  They are beautiful animals and as you'll see, Betty (thats her name kissed me, however, she took a great liking to Ric and decided to french kiss him).  I have to say...I am going to have a lot of fun with this photo at church when we get back.

Already, we have fallen in love with the Great Commission Fellowship Leadership and felt a very kindred Spirit with them.  They have hearts of Gold and they deeply care for the people of their city.  They are doing God's work here at a level that many of us in the west would throw our hands up at and walk away because it is too daunting of a task.  

Just having glimpses of the poor in Nairobi has started to shake me.  I realize more than ever that this trip is about what we can learn from Pastor Peter, Pastor George, and Pastor Joel...about what it means to take the teachings of Jesus seriously and live out a day to day walk that loves "the least of these".  The Bible tells us that God lives amongst the poor.  And if we are with them...then God is with us.

I am in search of Jesus here...and I can already tell you that he is here.  We feel Him in a very surreal way.  It hasn't quite sunk in yet that a white kid from Cincinnati is in the heart of the African continent experiencing God on levels I have never experienced Him before.  Other than marrying the girl of my dreams and having 4 incredible kids, I'm not sure what could ever compare with this.  But...who knows what tomorrow will bring?

Africa - Day 1&2 "Getting There"

Ok...so Ryan, Carrie, Ric and I left my house on Thursday at @ Noon and we just arrived in Nairobi tonight (Friday Night) at 10:00 pm.  Wow, that was  a lot of flying.  I feel like I haven't been to sleep for 27 hours...  Probably because I haven't.  It was a decent trip though all things considered.  British Airways is a great way to fly.   The only time we had a problem was when we crossed through the Jet Stream on our flight from Heathrow (London) to Nairobi.  My coffee spilled all over my pants and some of us were a little rattled by the turbulence.  However, on our way, I ended up sitting next to a Pastor from Kenya who filled me in on the state of the church in Kenya.  Got his number and we are going to connect again while we are here.  His name is John and he was a great seatmate on the plane.

We were all pretty tired when we got here, but now that we're here, we are excited about what we get to do tomorrow.  Already, i feel a connection to the Great Commission Fellowship Team here in Nairobi.  We will get to hang out with them more tomorrow.  But it's late, and I am on my way to bed so we can start the day off fresh tomorrow.  I will be adding pics and blogs daily if I can with stories so enjoy and tell me what you by commenting us.

A Pretty Good Read

So I had the chance to catch up on some reading over the holidays as well as take a sabbatical from the facebook and blogging world.  It did me good for sure.  One of the books that I read was a bit of a surprise for me.  It was a really easy read, but gave me hope in the business world that the principles shared in the gospels work better than any other business principles I have learned.   While the principles may not be labeled as the teachings of Jesus...they clearly are rooted in the gospels.  I would recommend this to everyone.  It is a very simple read (you could probably get through it in a day) and it is written in story form.  If you decide to read it, it may simplify your approach to how you do business, interact with people, network, and grow your organization.  Enjoy everyone.

My Awesome Grandma!

This is my Grandma.  She is 90 years old and we just celebrated her birthday.  Now, you have to know a little bit about her to appreciate this.  She's 90, just had her knee replaced and still acts like a 60 year old.  Her mind is sharp, her heart is gold, and her kids, grandkids, and great grandkids love her.  So many memories, such a rich life, so humble, so beautiful, and above all else, she has spent her life putting others ahead of herself.  As a result, she is one of the happiest people I have ever known.  She is living proof of finding your life when you lay it down.  90 years of giving through life have brought pure joy.  I love my grandma.  Did I mention that she was pretty? 

To top it all off, at the end of her party, she gave us all a gift, it was a book that she wrote over the last 3 years with my cousin Nicole.  It was a full length book about her life and the life of our family.  On her 90th birthday, she gave me one of the greatest gifts I will ever get.  What an amazing woman.  No wonder my Grandpa was always so happy.  

The Economy

My wife saw this sign sitting outside a local beverage drive-thru in Cleves.  I have to say, this is one of the best signs I have ever seen to illustrate the state of our economic and spiritual lives.  After I got done laughing, I thought i would throw it out to all of you and get your thoughts.  So Here it is...What do ya think?

Opening Weekend at the Shack

Today we began the next chapter of the VWS story.  We moved into an abandoned church building in hopes that we could begin to make it our own.  In a lot of ways, this building is representative of the things that God is calling us to on the Westside.  

You see, there is a Spirit that lives on the Westside of Cincinnati that holds the people here in apathy, complacency, and mediocrity.  It uses tools like fear, failure, and condemnation to hold people in the status quo and remind them that they will never fully be who God made them to be.  This Spirit is called "Religion" and it is a very old and very strong spirit over here.

Enter Vineyard Westside...  A tribe of messy Jesus lovers who have moved into the territory of Religion to break this spiritual bondage and bring real freedom. 

 

This is not just a church, not just a tribe, not just a movement... but the beginning of a REVOLUTION.  Don't get used to seeing us sitting in these seats because God is turning our hearts outward to invade the city.  

"Greater things are yet to come, greater things are still to be done in this city."

As excited as I am to see this old run down building filled with God's people.  I am even more stoked by the idea that God is calling an army of servants together to REACH the Westside with the message of hope, purpose, and making famous the name of the only one who can break the bonds that hold this city captive... Jesus.

LOVE WINS!!!