3 Days till Take Off

Blessings Received and Blessings to Give

Kenyans are not shy about offering words of blessing and I have been the recipient of abundant blessings in the name of Christ these past weeks. Two nights ago, lit by the amber glow of a campfire, utterly exhausted and just thinking about bed, my thoughts were interrupted by a suggestion from a wise and humble mzee (elder), “I don't know how many of you know this, but Jim is leaving Kenya in just a week's time. He has been such a blessing to us and I suggest we take this time to bless him before heading home.” One by one they went around the fire offering words of encouragement and speaking blessings over my life. How humbling. How Christlike. I came to serve them and they are blessing me. They 'washed my feet' with their words.

This wasn't the only blessing I received either. Last Sunday, I visited my friend John's house in Kibera. Kibera is the largest slum in all of Kenya, possibly the largest slum in all of East Africa, over 1,000,000 people living in temporary, corrugated metal homes. John and his family had me over for dinner. This wasn't the first time either, actually the third. Their humble home did not mean humble portions of food. I ate till I could eat not a bite more and Rose, John's wife sent me with 5 extra chapatis! John offers this same royal treatment to anyone visiting Kenya, to show them 'the slums' as he calls it. He will not only share with you an experience in 'the slums' but he will also share with you his God given vision for 'the slums,' to extend the arm of the churches in Kibera through a resource center he runs. In the words of Paul, He welcomed me as if he was welcoming Christ himself.

One of the blessings prayed over me were the words God gave to Abraham, “I will bless you and make you a blessing to others.” I pray this will be so through Jesus Christ our Lord.