Get Involved

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

James 1:27

[Caption: Mother & her children receive seeds, Credit: Pst. Jonah]

Ever since I was a little child I've dreamt of being involved in African missions. Given I was only a child when I had this thought, I was never really sure if it was simply a flight of fancy or a real desire.

Over time, I put these thoughts aside as life got busy and very involved. A few years ago though things seemed to open up to new possibilities and it was as if God was "paving the way" for me to get involved in missions in Africa. My church has made a strategic 10 year investment in Cambodia, so I am basically on my own to try and help these missions. I do what I can as an individual to help missions in Africa, specifically in Kenya since I don't have the backing of a large non-governmental organization (NGO) or a local church body behind me.

Getting involved in missions is really not that difficult. It is simply a question of whether you will be obedient to God's word to practice pure and undefiled religion and help the widows and the orphans.

I've set out some ideas to help you in considering how you can get involved with the Missions of Hope in Kenya. I pray you will consider getting involved and making a real difference in the lives of these precious people. Now here are some ideas to pray about and implement:

* Link your website or blog to http://jonahsmissions.blogspot.com & www.jonahsmissions.weebly.com
* Pray specifically for the Kenyan pastors, their families; the orphans & caretakers.
* Fast for 1 or 2 days if you have no health issues.
* Sponsor, share sponsorship with a friend or find a monthly sponsor for one family ($55/month).
* Sponsor one child's education for a half year or year.
* Sponsor a building project (church, house, renovations, pit latrines). Africans have hands to build but need the raw materials.
* Organize & sponsor pastoral teaching for Kericho's pastors and create pastor's reference kits.
* Tell your church pastors, leaders & friends about these Missions of Hope.
* Get a group of friends to organize specific projects e.g. buy and ship bibles, sewing projects, fund raise for land rental & planting, buy animals and motor bike etc.
* Send funds (large or small) to meet urgent and long-term needs.

I hope you will become as passionate about these on the ground Missions of Hope as I am. God bless.

[Caption: Little boy holds tightly to the precious seeds, Credit: Pst. Jonah]

Bornest Goes Home

[Caption: Bornest is laid to rest. The orphans lay flowers at her grave.]

He will wipe every tear from their eyes,
and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain.
All these things are gone forever.

(Revelation 21:4 NLT)

Bornest, a young orphan woman in the community of Kericho, Kenya was my friend. She died over the weekend and was laid to rest yesterday.

In her short life on earth, Bornest touched many and I've learned that her life was mirrored in the words the people shared at her funeral. Though the rain fell heavily on that day, many people showed up to say goodbye and to pay their last respects. Bornest loved life and people and it was evident in her touching send off.

Pastor Jonah shared these photos of her going home celebration. The photos capture the order of their funerals which is:

- removing the body from the funeral home
- taking the body home
- talks & speeches
- preaching
- final farewell.

God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Matthew 5:4 NLT

Dreaming

A word is not the same with one writer as with another.
One tears it from his guts.
The other pulls it out of his overcoat pocket.

~Charles Peguy~

I love notebooks. I love them because they come in all shapes and sizes. I love them because they remind me of possibilities. Possibilities of keeping track of things, possibilities of recording things, possibilities of writing.

I buy a lot of them. I generally browse the dollar stores and buy a couple at a time for a dollar each. I think this is a great use of a dollar! What else can you buy for a dollar these days that has as much value?

The notebook in my photo is one of my newer purchases. I like it's light green colour and I adore the little sketches on its cover.

The stone with word "Believe" reminds me to record things, even if only mentally, but hopefully on paper. Thoughts that help me believe in positive possibilities keep me mindful of gratitude for everything I have.

The stones are also reminders of the possibilities of writing more some day. More than lists, more than blogs, more than contact information.

~ I can dream. ~

Today I am Thankful For.....

I have learned, in whatsoever state I am,
therewith to be content.

Phillipians 4: 11

I am thankful for....

1. Nurses attending at my mother's home to cleanse her leg wound and the scheduling of a doctor appointment to evaluate the nature of the wound. The nurses suspect it is now cancerous. My friends and I are praying that it is not. Her doctor appointment is on June 22, 2009.

2. Pastor Jonah's safe journey to and from Hekspoort, South Africa to attend the Amahoro Gathering. Read more here about his journey.

3. My student friend and little brother Enock, in Kericho, Kenya. He was to leave Bible college to the village to find more money for his tuition. But praise God, he received a phone call and his father is sending him funds. He won't have to travel back to the village after all. God is looking after his schooling needs.

4. My friend Bornest, in Kericho, Kenya died a few days ago. I am thankful that arrangements are well underway for her funeral and going home party which will be held today, Wednesday, June 17, 2009.

5. I am thankful for my brother who is handling fire insurance matters and other business. He is saving me a lot of time and energy.

6. I am thankful that rain is expected so that my little garden can flourish.

7. I am thankful for bloggers, Shell in Australia and some of her friends who blog about beautiful things and have creative gifts to lift the spirits of others.

8. I am grateful for a cleaning woman who cleans my bathroom daily while I am at the hotel.

9. I am grateful that I can soak my feet in "salts" and relax.

10. I am grateful for beautiful flowers.

My Little Garden

And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

Genesis 1:29

I live in a condominium complex in a large city and I am so grateful to have a very large patio and small garden for enjoying nature. God was good to me in providing this as nature is one of the things that gives me great joy in life and makes me feel connected to God.

I am not, however a very good gardener. I so long to have beautiful flowers and after 10 years of trying I have only once come close to it. I can make a lot of excuses and one of them is lack of knowledge. But truthfully there have been many ups and downs in the condo life, things like total exterior restoration due to rain damage. That and health issues, lack of knowledge and income and family health challenges, have all contributed to little time and enthusiasm to really do much with my small garden.

From the beginning my small garden needed a LOT of help. It had plants in it that I did not like. The garden was completely ruined during the building restoration so it gave me a reason to get rid of some plants, mainly shrubs but little by little I got rid of other plants. Over the years, I have done a little here and there and gained a bit of knowledge. I think the soil is finally starting to be healthy enough to actually grow something. The challenge now is having enough time and energy to tend the plants, weed the garden and make sure the soil is properly fertilized and watered.

This year we had a very cold spring and then we had the building fire around the time the weather was improving enough to prepare the garden. Last week, after weeks of being in a hotel, I was finally able to get out to the apartment and so some gardening. Unfortunately, I had to weed it for the 3rd time and prepare the soil before I could actually do any planting.

Gardening in this plot is a particular challenge. It isn't like kneeling down in your yard and doing your gardening bit. The garden is in a raised bed with a foot and half high retaining wall. You must either reach over and stretch as far as you can into the garden to lay soil or plant. Alternatively, you have to jump up into the plot and bend over or squat to reach the farthest parts. It is a little uncomfortable. But I press on because I want to see growth.

I've learned I'm not good at growing flowers. At least not yet. So last year, I turned half of my small plot into a vegetable garden and had an abundance of corn for the squirrels and lettuce for the salad. This year, I've decided to continue with vegetables for both the squirrels and for my household.

Here is the kale that I planted. When it is ready, I will use it to make juices. I got this idea from one of the Christian women bloggers I follow. Just in the foreground to the left, you will see a small beet plant.


Here are my corn stalks. These look so pretty when they grow high and wave in the wind. I love to watch the squirrels scamper across the patio railing in the Fall and come and collect corn kernels.

Here are my tomato plants and my various peppers (green, long yellow and sweet red ones).


I have also planted some herbs. This year I've planted dill, rosemary and basil. These are great for cooking.

My little garden also has some flowers and other plants. The rose bush you see below has never been that healthy. It is kind of scraggly. It was in the garden when I moved in and I keep it because I love red roses.

I planted the large Solomon's Seal in the right of the photo. It was a very small plant when I planted it and it has grown large and healthy. Yippee! I love the green and the little white bells that hang from the leaves. I also love the tall grasses that you see in the background because they blow in the wind when they get tall and give me a feeling of peace.


You can see that my little garden really is little. Though I also have two trees in it, one on each side. I don't grow a lot but it is enough to keep me busy without overwhelming me. I love to see even small growth and greenery. It gives me a lot of joy.

I hope you enjoyed my little garden too.

Song of Solomon 2:10-13

My beloved spoke and said to me,
"Arise, my darling,
my beautiful one, come with me.

See! The winter is past;
the rains are over and gone.

Flowers appear on the earth;
the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves
is heard in our land.

The fig tree forms its early fruit;
the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.
Arise, come, my darling;
my beautiful one, come with me."