Beside Still Waters

 

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
  He makes me lie down in green pastures;

he leads me beside still waters;
  he restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
  for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk
  through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil,
  for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
  they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
  in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
  my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
  all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
  forever. [NRSV]

People ask, "Do you worry about Neil when he is on these trips?" Yes, I do, but there is comfort in knowing Jesus is with and in him. Neil is also in your prayers. Thank you for your prayers while he was traveling to the Uganda border on the northeastern shore of Lake Victoria. The previous blog entry left Neil in a car limping on its sore little hoofies on its way to Nyamira. 

Neil and Francis arrived safely in Nyamira without further mishaps in the car. If you know about Norwegian "goodbyes," rest assured Kenyans are even more reluctant to bid farewell. Mary and Hellen, pastors from the Kisii District, had accompanied Neil, Francis, and Atkinson. So how does the MPMITW (most patient man in the world) tear himself away when there are visits to make and people on the other end holding dinner and sleeping accommodations? Your imagination will best depict the scene. Actually, it was accomplished somewhat "patiently."

The transfer from the car to the evangelism truck went smoothly, and they were on the road again toward Kisumu. Neil sent a text asking why there are demonstrations in Kenya. Well, now here is a good reason to pray -- not only for Neil but for the people of Kenya. The day before they arrived in Kisumu, Raila Odinga held a large gathering on his country tour preparing people for his massive demonstration to be held on Monday in Nairobi to protest his most recent loss in last year's presidential election. You can read about the many people who died in the 2007-2008 post-election violence that erupted in Kenya when Raila Odinga lost that presidential election and led violent protests. Several news reports are on the web about the upcoming demonstration planned for Monday. Every news agency presents its own biases, so the links I provided are slanted toward their political agendas. However, if you click those links, you will be given reasons to pray. God knows what is best, and we know God uses even the worst circumstances to turn people's hearts toward him for help.  

Neil had been planning to travel to Nairobi on Monday, but instead, he and Francis will try to take a bus on Sunday night to arrive ahead of the mass demonstration. Neil's flight home is scheduled to leave Nairobi on Tuesday just before midnight. Please also pray that God will protect the airport from violence. There has been terrorist activity in Nairobi in recent years. In 2013 a fire burned the arrivals wing of the airport. 

With that in mind, continue with Neil on his journey yesterday to Maumau Market along the Ugandan border. Francis brought Neil to a lunch counter in Kisumu while the brakes were being adjusted on the evangelism truck. However, when they returned to the truck, their driver could not keep the "mechanics" from stripping off the truck's new tires. Francis flew into action and restored order. They were soon on the road again, making it all the way to within a mile of their destination before one of the new tires went flat. Their trip from the Kisii District to the Ugandan border had taken from pre-dawn to dusk. Neil was on the phone with me just after he got out of the truck, and Maurice's brother Nick walked up to shake Neil's hand. Nick welcomed Neil to spend the night at his house. Maurice was Neil's Kenyan interpreter for 3 years and married our Minnesota friend Ellie. Maurice and Ellie now live in Rochester, MN, where Maurice is completing medical schooling while working at the Mayo Clinic. I immediately sent a text to Ellie and Maurice to share the moment.

Neil called this morning, sounding rested after a good night's sleep at Nick's house. The flat tire is now fixed, so they have a spare for the truck again. They have settled in with Francis' contacts in Maumau Market, where they will minister until Sunday afternoon. Neil told me not to worry about Monday's demonstration. He assured me he would be fine. I've heard that before, but long ago, I developed the attitude, "Why worry when we can pray?" 

Thank you so much for your prayers! As you pray, you are right there with Jesus as he watches over Neil, Francis, and the people of Kenya.

Love,

Ruth

Credit: Picture of Lake Victoria is from Hailey Reyes' Pinterest post: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/64176363410746232/