Month: September 2014
Care for widows and orphans
On Tuesday we went with a group of church volunteers to Kuwinda, a slum in the Karen neighborhood of Nairobi. By comparison, Kibera seemed well-off. The story goes that Karen was a wealthy British woman...
Learning from the Magoso School and Orphanage
Even many Nairobians don’t seem to know how to talk about Kibera. Some told me there are 500,000 people in the slum. Some said three million. Some said it is the biggest slum in sub-Saharan...
And There Was Great Rejoicing in Ongata Rongai
It was fitting that our first full day in Nairobi was a Sunday, a very necessary Sabbath after an eventful and far-from relaxing day of travel. After spending 16 hours in narrow metal canisters shooting...
‘Have no fear of sudden disaster’
A proverb: My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight, preserve sound judgment and discretion; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. Then you will...
Can we safeguard against bad missions?
Over the last few years, I’ve thought a fair amount about mission work – the opportunity, the necessity, the privilege, but also the evils and hurt of it. Many of those thoughts have bounced around again,...
Here at the start
I don’t expect to be in front of a computer this week, but I scheduled a few short posts in hopes of stirring you to thought and prayer. Today’s the day we touch down in...
I Looked at the Calendar and It’s September 11 Again
It may always be impossible for Americans in my generation to say today’s date – September 11 – and not think back to the tragedy, the metal and fire and blood, of the 2001 version. It’s...
Into Africa
You know that feeling when you’ve been talking about something for a long time, and then you actually get around to doing it? Knowing something is coming… waiting, preparing, waiting… then it comes? That’s happening...