Yet...
Yet...
I have been using that word more frequently these last few days and weeks. It seems everyone I speak to has the "state of the nation" (i..e. the economy, the war, the bail outs) on their minds - and for good reason. The uncertainty in the air is almost palpable, with each day bringing more bad news of our troubled times.
Yet...
As I pray, I praise God - I have never known hunger, I have never known thirst, I have never been without a roof over my head, I have never been without more than enough clothes to wear to keep me warm and protected from the elements. Because I live in the "land of the free and home of the brave" I am more comfortable than 4/5ths of the world's population. Those same people live on LESS than $2 a day for all their basic survival needs to be met - that is less than a regular cup of coffee (no fancy Grande Caramel Machiatto) at my neighborhood Starbucks.
Yet...
To whom much is given, much is required! Which is why in a few short hours my comrade and I leave for the other side of the world - yet again. Our burning passion and desire is to see those who have little in the eyes of the world - gain everything in the eyes of God; the salvation knowledge of the love of Christ. We will fly to Amsterdam and then on to Nairobi where we will spend the night and meet up with the third person on our team, before catching the first flight out to Amboseli (at the foothills of Kilimanjaro). There, we will spend our time establishing relationships and working with the Maasai people in the area. We will then fly back to Nairobi and catch a flight for Kitale where most of our ministry will take place; meeting local pastors, spending time at the Adopt-a-Legacy orphanage and meeting with area believers to assess the needs of the community and how future teams can come alongside the work being carried out in this volatile region.
In my daily reading (Mark 8:10) I came across a city I had never taken note of before - Dalmanutha. I was convinced it was the translation I was reading because who has EVER heard, read, or remembered "Dalmanutha"? After checking all versions - the name of the city was the same. You might be wondering why this caused a pause in my study - face it there are a lot of Hebrew names in books like Numbers and Deuteronomy that make our eyes glaze over - Dalmanutha doesn't flow off the tongue quite as easily as Cana, Capernaum, or Galilee.
Yet...
There were people in Dalmanutha Jesus went to see. He taught there, healed there, ate meals there and probably rested there as well. The people of Dalmanutha may not be remembered by us - but they were remembered by the King. You may have never heard of "Amboseli" or "Kitale" and you may wonder how we chose these particular destinations. We didn't - but our King did!
We pray His name is spoken on their lips and His love remains in their hearts - even if we glaze over the unfamiliar sound of the cities "at the ends of the earth" like I did with Dalmanutha.
Yet...
"By an act of faith, (we) said yes to God's call to travel to an unknown place... (As we leave we) have no idea where (we) are going.." Hebrews 11:8
But He does and it makes me smile
In His service
One by One video from Kenya trip 2004
