Blog

This week Jeff Raines will be preaching a last time before going to pastor First Baptist Church, Shreveport. The sermon is based on Paul's words of gratitude and challenge to the church in Philippi.   [more]

Back in Dubai.  We figured out that from getting out of bed at 5am Monday at Masai Mara--the next time we'd see a bed, at home, is 48 hours later!  We're in the travel twilight zone.

Today we met the children at the Mamba Crocodile Village on the southwest side of Nairobi.  As we loaded our bus at 9:00, Tom--the Buckner employee who takes care of us--received a call from the BCC manager that the children were already there.  They were so excited about the outing that they were all awake at 5 am!  The tour starts with the baby crocodile exhibit, and they just get bigger from there.  The tour guide would poke the large crocs around the face with a stick until they struck.  Even though a strong fence was between them and us, the BCC children would jump back every time!   [more]

Today we had a nice break exploring Nairobi.  In the morning we visited the giraffe park in a beautiful section of southwest Nairobi.  The unique feature of the park is the raised platform that allows for "up close and personal" interaction with the giraffe--OK, you get to kiss the giraffe.  Personally, I have never felt the need to take advantage of that opportunity, but my son shattered the record--previously held by Susan Bechtol--by kissing the giraffe 32 times!  (Please tell Darcie that I was running another errand at the time or I would have drawn the line at 20.)   [more]

Our opening activity with the orphans had them write what they're thankful for and what they're prayer requests are.  The younger children wrote that they were thankful for life, food, tea, porridge, friends to play with, water, clothes, fruits, and trees.  Their prayer requests were for forgiveness of sins, for food, their country, friends, education, bananas, and for wisdom.  One boy new to the BCC from the northern, drought-stricken area asked for meat, for those who are almost dying, and for his grandmother's health.  The older children were thankful for life, family, Kenya, support from Buckner, and eternal life.  They asked for prayer for enemies, country, the world, Buckner, sick people, people in different troubles, wisdom and knowledge.  One girl's top prayer request was for the "visitors" -for us!   [more]

Today's lesson with the children was dealing with disappointment.  We used the list of struggles Paul faced in his life and talked about how God helped him through it all.  The children were not very responsive--beyond being disappointed at making a bad grade at school.  In many ways it was a difficult lesson knowing the level of disappointments that lay in their backgrounds.  One of the older orphans had a grand mal seizure today.  She is on medication, but the staff told us these occur weekly.  She will be leaving the BCC in the next year as she will "age out" of the orphanage.  This is such a difficult transition for many, and they need our prayers through this process. [more]

Today was a long day with good work.  The topic for VBS was anger.  We used James 1:19-20 "Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires."  The first question to the children was, "What are some things that make you angry?"  The first response from an older boy was, "When people die." In the younger group, one of the new children to the BCC said, "When you don't have any food."  Later we talked about the contrast with what our children in Amarillo might say to such a question! [more]

Today was our first full day of ministry at the BCC, and like so much of our week it went very smoothly (so smoothly that I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop!)  Our VBS team had 27 children.  As I mentioned yesterday, this group is younger and newer to the BCC than groups in years past, so we have reworked our lessons to be a little more basic.  Today we talked about fear and used the story of Jesus calming the storm.  We had the children draw pictures of what they're afraid of.  Some drew lions, monsters, snakes, and a gun.  (One little boy drew a hen!)   [more]

Our first day in Kenya was a good one.  For most of our team, our fatigue won out over jet lag last night (though a few were awake and pacing their rooms at 4am!)  Sunday morning is a good "easing in" time for those new to navigating around Nairobi.  Traffic was light and horns mostly silent. Its always a shock to see the Marabu storks gathered in the big traffic circles.  At four feet tall they look like something from the age of dinosaurs rather than city dwellers!   [more]

Smoothest travel ever!  All flights on time, all present and healthy, and all bags here. We're looking forward to church tomorrow and setting up the clinic.