The Unlikely Missionary:

From Pew-Warmer to Poverty-Fighter

by Dan King

Foreword by Tom Davis

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© 2011 | All rights reserved.

The Unlikely Missionary | theunlikelymissionary.com

ISBN: 1466481048

ISBN-13: 978-1466481046

DEDICATION

To my incredibly supportive wife Krista, and the best kids a dad could ask for… Samuel and Chloe.

table of contents

foreword

introduction

chapter one: beginnings [an ordinary Christian trying not to be lukewarm]

staying healthy

chapter two: finding a compass

microfinance solution to poverty

children of microfinance: esther in indonesia

children of microfinance: fernando in bolivia

chapter three: i’m on my way...

[trip journal] day one: arriving in nairobi

chapter four: culture shock

[trip journal] day two: the road to thika

[trip journal] day three: visiting the clients

chapter five: investing my talents

[trip journal] day four: first day of teaching

[trip journal] day five: finishing with our first group

[trip journal] day six: starting with the next group

[trip journal] day seven: wrapping up business in kenya

chapter six: experiencing God’s creation, unfiltered

[trip journal] day eight: a retreat to remember

chapter seven: culture shock, part deux

[trip journal] day nine: headed to kampala

[trip journal] day ten: the road to kasese

[trip journal] day eleven: a walk in the clouds

chapter eight: paradigm shift

[trip journal] day twelve: teaching in uganda

[trip journal] day thirteen: our last classes

[trip journal] day fourteen: back to kampala

chapter nine: there’s no going back to ‘normal’

[trip journal] day fifteen: headed home

credits (the people who helped make this happen)

about the author

My Personal Testimony

Stuff I've Written

Social Networking Profiles

index of images

foreword

There’s something I absolutely love about this little book – it’s a story about how one person with a burden can change the world.

It’s something all of us can do.

The reality is that Dan King is a normal person. Just like you and me. He has a family, a full time job, and many normal responsibilities. But the inspiration behind his story has the power to bleed into all of our lives and give us the courage to follow our hearts and realize that we can change the world too.

That was my story. When I realized there were millions of orphans suffering around the world I was compelled to do something. I had no idea where to start but I heard about this small organization that was helping Russian orphans. These children were forced to leave the orphanage at fifteen to sixteen years old. What happened to them was abhorrent. Sixty percent of the girls were forced into the sex trade and prostitution and seventy percent of the boys ended up living on the streets or in jail.

But what could I do? I was simply a youth pastor with few connections and little money. All I had to offer was a big heart and a little faith that God would lead me each step of the way. Today, I have the privilege of leading a great organization that helps care for tens of thousands of orphans and vulnerable children around the world. It all started with one small step.

This is Dan’s story and it’s your story. We can all do small things to help the poor and oppressed. The results are up to God. I’ll never forget hearing about a comment that was made to Mother Theresa. Someone asked her, “How do you do such big things for God?” She replied, “I don’t. I do small things with great love.”

And that is our challenge. My prayer is that as you read this book and see the journey of one man doing small things with great love, your heart would overflow with love and compassion and you would act. Not necessarily in a huge way but in one simple way. After that, trust God for the results. He is faithful and He will lead you in the direction you should go.

Your job is to take the first step and that will be the beginning of the most exciting journey of your life.

For the Fatherless,

Tom Davis

CEO/President – Children’s HopeChest

Author, Fields of the Fatherless, Red Letters, and Priceless – A Novel on the Edge of the World.

introduction

From the moment I decided to follow Christ, I never wanted to settle for lukewarm Christianity. I was 28 years old at the time, and I never looked back. See, I’m not a seminary-trained pastor or some big-time, faith-based non-profit CEO. I’m just a guy with a regular job and a regular family who sits in the regular church pews that most people do.

But I believe in a God who radically transforms lives, like he did with mine.

The God I serve doesn’t need perfect people to pour out his love to the world; he’s just looking for open vessels. And I’ve told him that’s exactly what I desired to be for him.

But remember, I’m just a normal dude sitting in a church. This is an important distinction to make before you go any further. I’m a normal dude who wants to be used by our big God.

In this book, you’ll read about a trip I took to Africa, but it is more than a memoir about an exotic mission trip to a place that most of us only dream of going. This is a story about...

1.    an average dude who discovers purpose for his life

2.    an incredible God who flipped my world completely upside down, shook it up, and refuses to let it settle

3.    a collection of real people who are living in poverty and need us to fight for them.

This book is even more than that. If all I do is tell a great story, then some of you will find it to be an interesting read, a pleasant diversion from the stress of life. That would be great, but it’s not enough. Remember I believe in a life-transforming God. Not that my story will transform your life. Rather I’ve added some things to think about, talk about, and actually do.

I’ve added some “praxis” to help turn my stories from this trip to Africa into something practical for you. I want you to want your life to be transformed too.

You may not end up in Africa like I did. You may end up finding more purpose right at home in your own backyard or your office or your neighborhood or your school district. The location isn’t as important as doing the things that will allow God to use you to the fullest.

I believe in the power of the laity of the church. Sadly, most of the laity doesn’t believe in its own power... yet. We’ve become a follow-the-leader culture. Too many people wait for someone more qualified to show them what to do. But we have the tools, and we have the call. We just need to realize it.

Much of the praxis in this book involves taking small, simple actions, and then talking about them. They are actions that anyone can do, and yes, that includes you. That’s how it started for me. I ended up on a poverty-fighting mission trip in Africa, but I started by taking small, simple actions that eventually snowballed. You’ll read that part of the story soon. Just be encouraged that I’m not asking you to take on the world. I am asking you to start a journey of discovery that will transform your life if you let it.

I pray that everyone who reads this book will be radically transformed... not by my words, but by an Almighty God who wants to use you as a vessel of transformation in the world today. I pray that my stories bless you, and encourage you, but most of all that they challenge you. I pray that through PRAXIS, God will show up for you and fill you to the brim, full of his irresistible love and overflowing. And as you go and pour out what he has given you, I pray for the people whose lives will be touched... that they experience every ounce of mercy, grace, hope, and love of our Father God who radically transforms lives..

Amen.

Focused on Him,

Dan King

chapter one: beginnings [an ordinary Christian trying not to be lukewarm]

“You’re going to call it what?”

My wife was never one for holding back what she thought. I figured she had not heard what I said, so I repeated it.

“Um, Bible Dude. And um, I already looked and BibleDude.net is available. I checked for .com, but it looks like it’s already owned even though no one is using it. Pretty cool, huh?”

Unfortunately, she already knew what my idea of cool looked like. She had seen what I do whenever someone gives me a microphone in front of the youth group. Am I the only one that thinks it sounds awesome when you hold the microphone really close to your mouth, lower your voice a few octaves, and throw out a lingering “duuuuuuuuudddee”?

No doubt, memories like these made my wife smoosh up her face in confusion. She asked, “Who in the world is going to read that?”

Maybe she was right, but I had to do something. I knew there was more to this whole faith thing than volunteering at church and reading the Bible enough to sound somewhat intelligent when attending (or especially when leading) a small group discussion.

One or two of the young adults (20-somethings) in our small group had been talking about this blog thing that they were doing. It sounded pretty cool. But more than anything else, it sounded like a great way for me to sort things out.

Even in my mid-thirties, I was still pretty young as it relates to my growth as a Christian. I went to church on a regular basis. I could sing all of the songs during worship, mostly by heart. Well, maybe the good contemporary ones. I didn’t quite get the hymns. I served faithfully, and was working my way up in leadership at the church. I was even plowing through a really cool three-year Bible reading plan that laid a really strong foundation of the Word in my life.

I knew there was more, but I wasn’t sure where to find it.

Starting BibleDude.net was a way for me to process things. As a student of the Bible, I shared what I was studying and learning. Writing essays gave me something specific to do with all of the information by engaging in conversation with other bloggers and hearing their perspectives.

As a small group and ministry leader in the church, I shared what I was sharing with others. It was a great way to work out my thoughts regarding the discussions I was trying to generate. If I was lucky enough to get a couple of comments on the blog post, then it even helped me anticipate some of the things that people would bring up in our meetings.

I was serious about being active in the church, so I needed something to keep me from growing lukewarm. That’s the one thing that I’ve always been most afraid of as a Christian, because I have skipped to the end and I know what God does with lukewarm Christians (Revelation 3:16), right?

So I reviewed books and wrote about magazine articles that challenged me. I tried to challenge other people the way I was trying to challenge myself, and connect them with the resources that impacted me. It’s easy to see how I was thinking in posts like ‘staying healthy’ (my fourth post ever at BibleDude.net)...

staying healthy

For those that know me, you probably know that I love to study the Word of God and study what other great minds have to say about it. There are many great authors (ancient and modern) that have shaped my understanding of the Holy Scriptures and how I wrap my life around them.

Too often today people are always looking for the latest thing, and trying to find someone to validate their position. It is like dieting. It’s common to see people find a new fad diet based on what’s “easiest” for them, or what worked for their friends. The problem with this mentality is that too often these fad diets are simply quick fixes. And when they do work, they still don’t create the long-lasting behaviors required to keep the weight off. Nothing works better than just eating right and exercising, but that doesn’t always fit easily into our busy lifestyles.

I believe that the same thing applies to the Word of God. Nothing is better than a straight dose of the Word itself, but the best perspectives on it are the tried and true ones that have been around for a long time. It’s not the latest fad that’s going to bring you the greatest impact on your Spiritual Health, but the perspectives that have endured the test of time. There’s a reason that they’ve endured the test of time; it’s because they work…   consistently.

Twenty Things You Should Read (Tyndale House) is a great way to get some of the most important perspectives that have endured the test of time, and every follower of Christ should find this to be a valuable resource.

But even as a semi-consistent blogger, I still struggled with direction, purpose, and mediocrity. In those early posts, I wasn’t sure what mark I would actually leave on the world, if any. I felt kind of like Kwai Chang Caine (in the early 70’s TV show Kung Fu) wandering America armed only with his skills in Kung Fu. My moves were nowhere near as cool as his, but I had a Bible, and I knew (somewhat) how to use it.

Maybe you feel like you are wandering too. That’s okay. I wandered in the world of blogging for about a year and a half. The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years, so long that people died. It kind of makes you wish that Moses and Aaron and all of them had blogs to work things out a little more quickly.

PRAXIS

1.    Make a list of the networks (especially the church-based ones) that you are a part of. Do you meet regularly with a small group, men’s ministry, or women’s ministry? Think about these networks and have some conversations with people in them about what it means to be a Christian.

2.    Find a handful of Christian blogs that challenge you and stir something inside of you. Talk to a friend or your church small group about some of the essays that affect you the most.

3.    Tell others what you are doing by writing on a blog or Facebook post about this book. Explain what you hope God will do in you during this process. If you link to me, I’ll try to come by with some specific encouragement for you!

4.    If you don’t have a place online, yet, consider starting your own blog. Don’t worry about building an audience; just use it as a public journal to think about what God will be doing in you throughout this journey of discovery. WordPress.com or Blogger.com are good places to start. Some people even use Facebook notes.

chapter two: finding a compass

Just like any good startup blogger (can I still call myself that after a year and a half of doing it?), I’m looking for blogging networks to join and memes to get in on that’ll provide much needed writing inspiration.

It’s a somewhat awkward process.

The networks require you to follow other people and say great things about their work with the hope that they’ll come back and do the same for you. It’s like speed dating, but you’re looking for a large number of compatible companions. I mean, how humiliating is it to put yourself out there to only find one new online friend? Worst of all, sometimes we engage in networks looking for new friends and receive the blogger’s version of a rejection letter: silence.

People are silent when they have nothing to say, when our words haven’t affected them at all. If there’s anything I’ve learned about blogging, it’s that content is still king. It doesn’t matter how much you can network with other people if you can’t tell the stories that they’re interested in reading.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve never considered myself a powerhouse writer. I need help... badly.

Some bloggers are amazing, highly trained writers. And then there are bloggers who are, umm, well... not. I’m the latter, and I need all kinds of help with the craft of using words to skillfully communicate an idea. I need help in developing characters and stories. And I need help with inspiration.

One of the great things about the blogging community is that someone is always willing to provide the topics for writing inspiration, and often they include ways that you can share your efforts in community with other writers.

Several years ago, I was digging around for opportunities to be inspired by a topic and to share my writing with other like-minded bloggers when I stumbled on Blog Action Day (http://blogactionday.org). On October 15th of every year (since 2007) bloggers from around the world write about the same topic. Registered bloggers then have their contributions become a part of the massive collection of perspectives on a single issue.

It’s really pretty incredible... so many voices all singing the same song like a giant choir that’s determined to make sure the whole world feels the ripple.

I know that I felt it.

Blog Action Day 2008 was on the topic of poverty. Now that’s a topic that I knew that I wanted to write about!

After all, I’m a Christian, and Christians are supposed to care about poor people and stuff, right?

I’m pretty sure Jesus talked about that kind of stuff, and the more I dig into the Old Testament I see some references back there too. In fact, the Bible talks about poverty all over the place, so I figure I should probably be talking about it more.

I thought of that one verse at the beginning of a sermon where Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor...” Then I looked it up in Matthew 5:3. Oh snap, that’s referring to “the poor in spirit.”

Now I was on a mission. I stare at the screen of the computer that costs as much as some people make in an entire year and rub my eyes because I’m up way too late for me to be completely coherent at work the next day. But I had to get to the bottom of this issue.

Let’s see, there’s that story where Jesus tells about the poor widow and her two coins. (My handy dandy BibleGateway.com helped me find it in Mark 12 by searching for the word “widow”). But Jesus doesn’t say what we should do about poverty. He just talks about what the poor widow gave. Still, I’m on to something. God seems to look after those who have very little.

Hmm... What else? That’s right, Jesus told some rich guy to sell everything he had and give it to the poor, and then follow him (in Mark 10). I knew all about this one. Jesus is saying we shouldn’t be so connected to our self-made, earthly wealth. It’s the rich guy’s bad attitude more than hungry poor people. Right? Regardless, I think I’m getting on the right track. There’s definitely some stuff in the Bible about the poor, and it’s certainly clear that God cares about them, and not so much about the comforts we tend to cling to.

By this time, Blog Action Day was only a few days away. I wouldn’t have time to iron out an entire theology of poverty. That would have to wait. I had enough to know that poverty is important, so now I needed to figure out what Christians should be doing about it.

Except I didn’t know anyone personally who was doing anything about the problem.

I didn’t even know how widespread the problem is. So a little research was in order.

I did a little poking around, mostly by surfing the Internet on poorly designed webpages that seemed to have good information, but looked like they had been created by some kid in the 5th grade trying to earn extra credit. I’m floored by the numbers that I find. Did you know that half of the world’s population lives on less than $2.50 per day? UNICEF reports that 22,000 children die every day due to poverty. I was shocked by the news that one billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their name.

But the problems don’t stop with poor people. The rest of us are getting richer and fatter every day. Yeah, I said fatter. I get angry when I learn that the poorest 20% of the world accounts for 1.5% of total consumption, while the richest 20% accounts for over 76% of total consumption. Then I look around and see obesity becoming a bigger problem every day in the United States, not to mention my own ever-increasing waistline.

Yeah... theological reasons aside, a little bit of Google activity looking for poverty statistics reveals the world’s self-made epidemic.

Now what to do with my new found rage? Who’s fighting poverty? And more importantly, who in the church (if anyone) is fighting poverty? If the church should be leading the charge since God cared so much about it, right?

Of course, I run into some crackpot solutions that’ll never fly. One guy says that all of the world’s wealthiest people should develop a moral conscience and give everything they have too the poor. (Hey, that sounds like what Jesus challenged someone to do, and we know how that turned out). People simply won’t give everything away to the poor, and people who blame the wealthy for the problem never seem to recognize their own wealth. The wealthy people who should be doing taking on the issue of poverty always seem to be just a little wealthier than they are.

But I found people who were doing some interesting work.

microfinance solution to poverty

Poverty is one of the biggest problems our world faces today. Many experts believe that the gap is widening and that simply throwing more aid at the problem only makes it worse. The best way to bring people out of poverty, they say, is by enabling people to pull themselves out. Dealing with this important issue is something I feel that more Christians should actively participate in.

Microfinance ministries loan (small) sums of money so people can start their own businesses and produce their own income streams. This relatively new movement is making a big difference in several poverty-stricken communities. For example, Enterprise Development International (www.endpoverty.org) is doing some great work in this area. Often people will purchase something small, like a sewing machine, a rickshaw, or some other equipment that allows someone to start a small business. The really cool thing is that they must repay the money so that others can then get similar loans.

(I highly recommend a video from Enterprise Development International titled “Ending Poverty, One Family at a Time.”)

It’s really easy to get involved. Some loans start at $25, so a small donation like this can virtually create a job for someone. Check out Enterprise Development’s “gift catalog” to find ways that you can contribute.

The more I look into it, the more faith-based organizations I discover who are doing this kind of work. Five Talents International (http://www.fivetalents.org) especially inspired me, and I featured them in another article titled “FUTURE HEADLINE: Microfinance Programs Bring End to Global Poverty”.

I believed then, and still believe now, that Five Talents has a model that really sets them apart. Not only did they provide loan support to people living in poverty, but they also provided education. In fact, business people from wealthier nations were getting involved in very practical ways.

I never could have imagined what was about to happen next.

The communications person from the main office of Five Talents in Washington, D.C., reached out to me and shared her excitement that I was telling people about who they are and what they’re doing. I couldn’t believe how one little blogger like me could encourage an organization like them the way I did. She told me about how people would gather around her computer to read the post I wrote. I imagined the accountant standing there with chest puffed out, basking in the fact that her work was making a difference. All I did was write a few paragraphs of encouragement.

That communications person started including me in her press release distribution, so I was able to stay closely connected to their work and the stories that they wanted to share.

I remember when they approached me with some story ideas about the children impacted by the microfinance work they do. The idea was to focus less on the individuals who receive microloans and more on the people around them who are directly impacted. And who is more impacted than the children of those getting the loans?

I forget if they asked, or if I offered, but we quickly agreed that my blog would be a great tool for helping to get those stories out there. I don’t know who was more excited... the Five Talents crew for finding another voice to evangelize their work or the writer who found an issue to rally around.

Then the first of the story arrived in my inbox.

children of microfinance: esther in indonesia

Five-year-old Esther is thankful for milk. Since her mother, Phiong, joined GERHATI in Jakarta, Indonesia, and expanded her cake business, her family of six can now afford to buy nutritious food and pay for Esther’s school fees. She’s in kindergarten this year!

Photo 1: Phiong's Shop (Indonesia)

Phiong owed a loan shark $820. Without the means to pay it back, she became desperate and contemplated committing suicide.

That’s when members of the Anggrek Ciracas loan group stepped in to help. They encouraged her and prayed for her, asking God to strengthen her and to help her overcome her family’s problems and improve their finances. Phiong received a $43 loan to purchase the supplies she needed to continue operating her small business — selling traditional cakes at a school in East Jakarta.

Five Talents partner GERHATI, a microenterprise development program based in Jakarta, also helped by securing weekly cake orders for her business. Phiong has gradually been able to pay off her debt and has now started attending services at Ciracas Church.

Photo 2: Esther in Indonesia

Her daughter Esther looks forward to every visit from the GERHATI project officer. She calls him Uncle Yuven.

“I’m always excited when Uncle Yuven comes to our house because he is nice, and he loves me and my mom just like the Lord Jesus does. One day Uncle came, and I shouted, ‘Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Lord Jesus is coming, Mommy!’”

With the support of GERHATI, Phiong no longer has debt and can pay for her children’s education.

“Now, I can drink milk and pay my school tuition fees,” Esther said. “Mom said she will start selling noodles so that my brother, Yohanes, and I can continue to go to school. I pray that the Lord Jesus continues to help us.”

Did she just say, “Now I can drink milk”? Yep. Sure did. I don’t know about you, but these stories break my heart. They also give me hope that the $43 in my pocket will be enough to drastically change someone’s life.

I could hardly believe that I was now connected close enough with people like Esther that I could share an actual quote from the other side of the world. As a writer looking for purpose, I had just found my divine appointment.

There were other stories, too. More than I could tell. Atupenda in Tanzania can finish her education because her mother is now generating enough income to pay for her daughter’s tuition and school uniforms. Atupenda has always dreamed of becoming a teacher someday, and now she will.

Akot in Sudan thinks that he looks like one of the smartest kids in his class at school because he now has a school uniform and books. He says that most kids in his school don’t have these things. Really?

Six-year old Rosita from Peru talks about how happy she is that her family doesn’t have to beg for food anymore. She has battled malnutrition and sickness since the age of two. When I first learned Rosita’s story, she dreamed of becoming an accountant so that she can help her family’s business grow even more. Rosita was six.

Irene in Kenya enjoys studying the environment, and dreams of being a professor. In school she is particularly excited to learn about some of the crops that her family is growing and the animals they are raising on their own farm. It never ceases to amaze me how eager these children are to learn... and teach.

And one of my personal favorites is the story of Fernando.

children of microfinance: fernando in bolivia

Fernando is proud to walk to school in his brand new shirt and shoes. “My teacher said that I look really handsome—I love her a lot!”

Photo 3: Fernando in Bolivia

María, Fernando’s mom, started a knitting business in Tarija, Bolivia, with the help of a Five Talents’ partner, Semillas de Bendición (Seeds of Blessing), in order to provide her four children with nutritious food and clothing. The first loan she received was for $14.

“She had great talent in knitting, but her self-esteem was very low, so we encouraged her to start a business,” said Sara and Eva Mamani, Semillas de Bendición program managers. “She was quite fearful, but she decided to take a risk because the poverty in her family was very great. Now, she sells beautiful wool ponchos, and her husband is pleased because their sons are the ones who benefit the most.”

Before starting her business, María consistently reminded her sons that she couldn’t afford to buy them clothes, school supplies and sometimes even food. Fernando was wearing shoes and a shirt he had outgrown. “My feet were hurting a lot because my shoes were very old, and my shirt for school was very small—it looked like my younger brother’s shirt,” he said.

Now, María is using her business profits to better provide for her children—one son at a time.

“My mom told me that next time she’s not going to buy anything for me since it will be my younger brothers’ turn,” Fernando said. “She will keep working, and she will buy other things for my brothers with what she earns, and they will be happy.”

Through her savings group, María has also learned about health and nutrition. “Our mom surprises us with all the yummy things that she cooks; my favorite food is a vegetable cake that she makes,” Fernando said.

Now, when 9-year-old Fernando grows up, he wants to be a teacher and a church pastor so that he can help people too.

It never ceases to amaze me how those who benefit the most from the help like this want to turn around and help others around them. Few things have inspired me as much as the stories of these children. They may never know the impact they’ve had on my life.

Then I got the phone call.

Encouraged by my desire to share these (and other) stories, the folks at Five Talents asked me if I’d be interested in traveling with them on their next Business as Mission trip... to Kenya and Uganda.

Wait... what? Did I hear that right?

After all, I was just some punk blogger who was excited to have access to some really cool stories that would help inspire others to make a bigger difference in the world around them. I believed that the church should be more involved with this kind of stuff, but never imagined that it would take me on a mission trip to Africa. It would be my first mission trip ever.

Here we go, God. I’m in for the ride and trusting you to be with me, even at my bake sale after church on Sunday!

PRAXIS

1.    Spend a little time at sites like change.org, rejectapathy.com, and activistfaith.org. What issues on these sites resonate with you? Don’t feel like you have to pick one cause right away, but rather read about several issues. How are these issues related? What do they have in common?

2.    Make a commitment to share a link to an article from one of these sites three times every week (three different links, not the same one) on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or whatever your preferred social network is. After doing this for several weeks, what trends are you noticing in the links you’re sharing? What has the response been like from friends (or other followers)?

3.    Consider writing a blog post or longer Facebook note about what you are learning. If you’re not blogging (yet), write some thoughts in a personal journal and talk to some friends about what you’re learning in your small group get-togethers.

chapter three: i’m on my way...

Passport? Check.

Immunizations? Check.

Fundraising? Check. (And I still don’t know how I got this whole trip paid for. A trip to Africa for two and a half weeks ain’t cheap, but God provided.)

Training? Check. I even made a special trip to the Five Talents main office in Washington, D.C., to meet the rest of our team and learn the system. Oh, and I was given the job of being the team’s chaplain.

But most importantly, I had to take care of my family that had been so incredibly supportive in blessing me, standing by me, and sending me off on this trip. After it was all said and done, this trip was almost easier on my family than work trips lasting only a few days (it’s that ‘God provides’ thing again). But this trip was going to have me away from home for nearly two and a half weeks.

I made sure that friends and extended family checked in regularly to make sure that my wife, Krista, had everything that she needed, and could easily get support if any surprises came up.

And then there was six-year old Samuel. That was going to be a tough one. He struggles sometimes when I’m gone for two days inside the country and he can literally call me any time he wants to. Helping him feel connected with me would be a difficult task.

In addition to making sure that they could see the Twitter updates that I planned on sending back, I had to do something special for Samuel. I had to make sure that he could see me beyond the 140-character text updates. So I recorded a series of bedtime story videos. Together, we picked the stories he wanted to hear from a favorite Bible bedtime stories book. Then I recorded videos of me reading those stories to him and praying a special prayer for him for each night. I even reached my hand out to the camera and asked him to touch my hand on the computer screen so that we’d have something like a touch point.

I was happy to hear while I was gone that he not only enjoyed watching the videos, but he liked playing them back again once they finished. Preparing for my family in this way helped them see that the mission was not more important than they were. They needed from me more than the people in Africa, and I did not forget them.

Once everything was in place, it was time to hit the road. In the car ride to the airport, I had no idea what to expect. I played back the stories of those children of microfinance in my head over and over. I was about to actually meet children with similar stories.

More than anything else, I was still in shock that an ordinary dude like myself was about to get on an airplane (or series of airplanes) headed for Nairobi.

[trip journal] day one: arriving in nairobi

I was barely at the airport before this trip started to impact me. I sat there waiting to board my first flight, and I couldn’t help but wonder what this mission trip going to do to me. Would I come home a different person? How would my heart and my mind be affected? The only thing that I could manage to do was to study my notes for the lessons that I was going to be teaching once I arrived in Kenya.

Photo 4: Arriving for my flight out (Tampa, FL)

I started thinking about the people that I would eventually meet there… What would they look like? How would they act around me? How would my presence touch their lives?

And as I looked around at the people there in the airport I couldn’t help but to think about how rich we are. I hadn’t even experienced how poor the people in Kenya and Uganda were yet, but I was already feeling like we Americans had quite a bit of excess. There were lots of very well-dressed people walking around carrying their fancy bags, and judging by the waistlines it was obvious that the large majority of people here had ‘enough’.

Then a dude who works the desk at one of the gates walks by me carrying his half-empty Starbucks Iced Vanilla Latte (just a guess). He carried his cup like it was a badge of honor, or some sort of clothing accessory… almost like Flavor Flav wearing that big clock necklace back in the 1980s. I like Starbucks as much as the next guy, but I started to notice everyone carrying their Starbucks cups with a strange consumer pride, almost as if to say, “Yeah, I’m in the club too.”

I wondered whether we’ve become a society that needs to be connected by our branded ‘badges of honor’. Is this what we do in order to help us feel like a community? This question really started to bug me. Why can’t we connect and grow in community without the need to identify with each other using these badges? Community and connection should be much more organic than this, shouldn’t it?

I’ll still drink my Starbucks, and I recognize that they buy an awful lot of fair trade coffee beans. The experience is just really making me think about the definition of authentic community and how we relate to one another.

Photo 5: My son's 'puppy pic' at London Heathrow airport

Eventually, I boarded my plane and began the 17-hour (only counting flying time) journey from Tampa to New York to London to Nairobi. Even while on the planes, the whole trip still seemed surreal somehow. I couldn’t believe that I was actually about to be in AFRICA! And then I was meeting the rest of the team in London. And then we landed in Nairobi safely. I finally had a mission.

As I got my passport stamped and walked down to baggage claim, I knew my life was never going to be the same. It was dark outside already since we landed late in the evening, so I could only see what was lit up by streetlights. Already, it was different than what I was used to. The open-air baggage claim area was hot and smelled like sweaty people. But that was okay with me because it meant that nobody could smell me either.

The ride over to the guest house where we stayed our first night was dark, so I couldn’t feel what Africa was really like. I knew it was just outside our car windows—Africa!—but it could be the Lion King or Roots out there in the dark for all I could tell. I would have to try to save my first impressions until morning. For now it was simply time to get to bed, but how could I curb my excitement for the whole night? I felt like a 5-year-old kid trying to go to sleep on Christmas Eve anticipating what the morning would bring…   in Africa!

As excited as I was to be in Africa, I also felt an overwhelming sense of humility that God would use me like this. I truly believed that He had brought me to this place. Why? I still don’t know.

Maybe it was a little like Isaiah. Who doesn’t want to think of himself as a prophet, right? Maybe I simply stood up and said, “Here I am Lord, use me.” And He started putting opportunities in front of me, even little tiny ones like copying-and pasting stories into blog posts alongside my ramblings about what Christians are supposed to be doing.

Maybe He wanted to prove a point that we can all have a wider impact than we ever imagine. Here I was half way around the world. This was adventure. This was mission. And it is available to anyone who decides that they want to be used by Him in this way.

Each step of the journey, I had come further and further away from what I know, and I was just starting to realize how sheltered I had become. Landing in New York and spending some time in JFK Airport, I realized how much of a melting pot that place is. But then I landed in London Heathrow, and that place made New York look like a cup of chicken noodle soup. Another step further away from my ‘normal.’

Now in Nairobi, I felt completely disconnected from everything that I knew. Like Moses (another prophet!), I was a stranger in a strange land. Each step further away I wondered, “Why me, Lord?”

Despite the personal delusions of being like Isaiah and Moses, I knew I wasn’t anything special. I’m still not. But I had let my heart break for the things that break God’s heart, and He took advantage of that, flying me all the way to this place in Africa to work a little bit of change in the world. I never expected so many of the changes to happen inside of me.

PRAXIS

1.    Talk to your family, friends, or coworkers about some of the stuff that you think is important to be doing as human beings and as Christians. Even if you are very active in your church, consider how active you are in the community. Are there ways you can serve your community right now? Think about organizations like Habitat for Humanity, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Salvation Army, etc. Give one of these organizations a call and ask them about volunteer opportunities for individuals, families, or church groups.

2.    After volunteering with some community organization, consider writing a blog post, Facebook note, or journal about how it helped you see a different side of the community where you live. What cultural differences stand out to you? What did you learn about the need for people to serve in that capacity? If it’s important to you, then how can you get other people to serve with you next time?

3.    Ask your family and friends about what God is doing in them through these experiences. Talk about how you think you’ll continue or change course to focus on something else. Consider building a family mission statement or a personal mission statement that can guide your decisions about time and resources.

chapter four: culture shock

Have you ever woken up in a strange place, and forgotten for a moment where you are? It feels like you’re still in a dream state, wondering if what you’re seeing is real.

Because everything was so dark outside when we landed the night before, waking up in the morning would be my first chance to really see Africa despite the fact that I’ve already been there for several hours.

I was exhausted from the long flights. Two-days without the ability to lay completely horizontal and get some quality sleep meant that it didn’t take long to crash once I got to my room. I stretched out as much as a six-foot one-inch tall dude can do on a twin bed that reminded me of the spare bed in my Grandma’s basement. I was a long way from the California King that my wife and I share, but it didn’t matter. It was soft and flat, and I slept hard that night.

I almost ignored my alarm clock when it went off.

Forgetting where I was I looked around for a moment, bleary eyed, not recognizing the room. Confused, I tried to brush off the fog of deep sleep. Then I remembered.

Africa!

My heart was pounding, and I popped straight up and reached for my glasses. Next stop, the window across the room.

There are few times in my life that my circumstance made me want to dance. My wedding day. The birth of each of my children. The first time I had a perfectly cooked steak. And I’m ready to dance again, ready to skip and dip and jump and jig through every moment that I experience this day!

[trip journal] day two: the road to thika

That first night we had stayed in a beautiful guest house run by the local Anglican Church. Out my window that morning, I saw plush, green grass and amazing yellow and purple flowers everywhere. The atmosphere was different than what I was used to. The air felt different. The angle of the sun was different. The shadows were different. But in the heart of Nairobi we were in a secluded sanctuary, and I could tell there was much to see and explore outside the walls of our little church guest house.

Photo 6: View from my room at the Anglican Guest House, Nairobi

We also awoke to some terrible news. Jean Ann, one of our team members, had just learned that her sister was terminally ill, and she had to turn around and travel home to be with her and the family. Our hearts broke for Jean Ann, but our biggest priority at that moment was getting her off quickly and safely.

After breakfast we all went out to a local market to give Jean Ann a small taste of Africa before she left. Part of the market was like a regular American mall, except without air conditioning. This place was cooled by any breeze that might be blowing through the common areas of the building. A bunch of craft vendors had set up tables outside the main entrance. Some of the crafts were unique, but many were selling common ‘crafts’ that I would learn can be found all over Africa. Most striking of all, the armed security guards carried some serious rifles. These were not the mall cops that I was used to back home!

After lunch, our remaining team members and I headed to our new home for the week. I will never forget that drive. Since it was my first-time in Africa, the team let me sit in the front seat of our van. I had my camera ready and took dozens and dozens of pictures along the road from Nairobi to Thika. What can I say? I was a little excited!

Photo 7: Streets of Nairobi, Kenya

Traveling through Nairobi was interesting, but ultimately it was much like driving through any major city. I was looking for something surprising and foreign to symbolize the difference between this culture and my own. Also, I wanted to feel the difference. I guess part of me had expected to slam up against the horrors of African poverty as soon as I stepped off the plane. I was the great missionary benefactor, right? But I didn’t see or feel anything earth-shattering…yet.

Just outside of downtown Nairobi, we quickly started to see why we had come. Large masses of people gathered on the sides of the road, either waiting for transportation or just walking around. More people were walking up and down a major highway than there were driving in cars!

They couldn’t afford private transportation. To have a car meant that you were counted amongst the wealthiest people in Kenya. For most people, basic travel took a level of effort that we can’t imagine in the United States. I had just traveled across the world at hundreds of miles per hour. These people were limited to something like four or five miles per hour. Even if they could walk on water, it would take them 180 days of constant walking to get to Florida. And I had complained about my difficult 17 hours.

Then we saw the naked people, adults and children bathing and swimming in a stream along the side of the road completely nude. Other people were drawing water from the stream. I’m not prude, you understand. I expected to see cultural differences like this, but not on the side of the road just outside the capital city!  By the end of the day, the drive from Nairobi to Thika opened my eyes. This trip was real, and this place was real. Which meant the stories of the children were real too.

I was not in Sarasota, Florida, anymore.

That little shopping trip and drive out to Thika stirred something deep inside me that day. I didn’t know yet what had been sleeping inside of me, but it was waking up. When we stepped out of our van, a young man hurried to greet me and sell me something.

“Will you come look at my crafts? I have beautiful art for you to see,” he said.

Apparently in Kenya, all foreigners have money, and I was obviously a foreigner.  In fact, I probably had more money in my pocket than most of the merchants earned in an entire month. And that was just my ‘fun money’.

“Sorry, I have something else that I need to do first,” I responded thinking about trying to find mobile service that would keep me connected on the trip. “But I promise that I’ll come look after I finish what I need to do inside.”

I go inside the shops in the main mall area first to purchase my mobile phone set up. For the next few days, my communication with the rest of the world would be limited to 140 characters at a time... text messages to Twitter.

Photo 8: One of my first tweets from Kenya

After getting connected, I returned to the craft market outside. I wanted to browse, but the young man in the Pittsburgh Steelers t-shirt was waiting for me.

“Sir, you return! Come see my crafts!” he said.

I groaned inwardly. I had told him that I would look at his crafts on my way back out, and apparently keeping that promise was pretty important to him.

I’m still amazed at the effort he put into making some kind of deal with me. And the guilt I felt for wanting to look around. There was a hunger in his eyes that I don’t think I’ve ever seen before. It shook that thing inside me, the thing that was waking up. I had to buy something from him, so I spent a few dollars on a black and white cloth print of the Maasai people of Kenya, praying that my purchase means something. Maybe the money will help him feed his family.

Honestly, I know nothing of his situation in life, but I can’t deny the desperation and hunger in his eyes. As we continued on our journey, I started to see that same look of hunger in others.

I’m embarrassed to say this, but you need to know. Part of me was excited to see people bathing and doing laundry in the streams and rivers along the side of the road. It was fascinating to see them getting what they need in life without a Walmart or Home Depot, even without basic plumbing. But another part of me was waking up to the real poverty in the world, and this part of me was angry... that I never did anything sooner.

The poorest homeless people in my hometown would never strip off their clothes to bathe in the bay where everyone could see. It was more than just a cultural difference that prevented Americans from being open about nudity. It was a matter of pride. Then it started sinking in.

These people had nowhere else to wash themselves and their clothes. I had seen their rustic block wall and corrugated steel roof shacks on the other side of the river with no running water or electricity. How could these people hope for a better life? How could they hope for a job that paid decent money? I imagined a man from one of the shacks who has heard about an opportunity to earn a few shillings. But he smells bad. So he goes out to the only place around with ‘running’ water, living water. It doesn’t matter how many other people are around. It only matters that you don’t stink.

This is the world that I was about to encounter.

[trip journal] day three: visiting the clients

This was the big day I had been waiting for!

Finally, we would meet the people at the offices of Thika Community Development Trust (TCDT), the Five Talents partner that runs the local microfinance program. Then, they would take us out to meet some of the existing program clients—people who are currently benefiting from microloans to help their businesses.

Photo 9: Peterson from the Thika Community Development Trust office (Kenya)

While the TCDT offices were small, and (by Western standards) inadequate, their people and programs were amazing! It’s set up as a ‘savings and credit’ program, and it works like this. Groups of at least 25 people get together, and each person commits to saving a few dollars per month. As the group’s balance grows, members then loan their own money to each other. Each group elects officials, and meets regularly after church services to do transactions.

But the real secret to this program’s success are the people from the TCDT office who run it. People like Peterson, Mary, Thomas, and Lillian meet with these groups on a regular basis to help keep them on track and accountable. Incredibly, the groups in this program boast an impressive 99% on-time payment rate with virtually no defaults on the loans!

After our trip to the office to meet the staff and learn about the programs, we set out to meet some of the loan clients in their workplaces. I was not prepared for what I was about to experience.

Photo 10: Stephen's shop in Thika, Kenya

We met guys like Stephen. With his microloan, he set up a small shop (comparable to a 7-11 or other convenience store here in the U.S) in a great location right next to a factory. And he tells us that running this shop means his family can have a better life. It’s important to him that his kids get a decent education. Unfortunately, his shop is a 6′x6′ metal box under the full glare of the hot African sun. But he is grateful for the opportunity to work there all day.

We also met women like Irene, who runs a small second-hand clothing shop. Often when Westerners donate their old clothing to charity, it ends up overseas in shops like hers. I asked her what the microloan has meant to her. Irene said the opportunity to run her shop is providing extra money to buy things for her children.

As a father I could totally identify with that. I love to buy things for my son! Looking for points of connection I asked her what kinds of things she buys.

Irene said, “Meat. And bread.”

Wow.

In a place of extreme poverty, it is easy to focus on all of the things that people don’t have. They don’t have many basic necessities of life. But they do have a strong sense of community.

For example, consider the typical African kitchen. While it doesn’t feature the latest appliances or fancy granite countertops, it is a traditional hearth. Family and friends gather to talk and laugh with each other while their meal is cooking.

Photo 11: Typical kitchen in Kenya

In a kitchen like this, no one watches TV while they eat.

Many African pastors are actively involved in economic development and job creation in their communities. This is something that we don’t see very much in the United States. Most pastors in the United States these days focus primarily as spiritual leaders, organizing worship services, Bible classes, and small groups for their church members. For better or worse, they spend most of their time in church buildings. In Africa, pastors are actively involved in every aspect of life as they are actively involved in job creation, education, and medical programs, in addition to the usual spiritual development activities.

Visiting the clients was a day of revelation for me. I was overwhelmed by the widespread poverty. I was amazed by how little people had. And I was moved by the Spirit within the people who understand what it means to live in community with each other.

Specifically, they challenged me to serve in ways that are not typical for Christians in the United States. It’s great to feed the homeless, but what would it be like if more of us helped them get jobs in addition to simply feeding them? I’m sure there are programs out there, and I was discovering a new resolve to learn more about what I could do not only abroad, but also at home.

What in the world could I offer these people who I traveled so far to see? Tomorrow we start our teaching.

As I return to my room after dinner with the team, my head is spinning with so many thoughts from the day. I can’t help but to think about all of the excuses people throw out there for not wanting to help ‘poor people’.

“You’re enabling them.”

“Why don’t they get a job?”

“They’re just lazy.”

I can’t imagine asking those questions anymore after the day I just had. I had met some of the hardest working people I’ve ever known. Unfortunately, they live in a place with very little infrastructure. Private transportation is rare, and public transportation is inconsistent and unreliable. Basic utilities like running water and electricity only reached 20% of homes in the areas that we visited.

Quality public education is a rarity, forcing most into a cycle of despair.

The people we met that day, people like Stephen and Irene, have become experts at just surviving, because they spend most of their time simply finding a way to live until tomorrow.

Like any of us, they hope to improve their position in life. They are people with bigger dreams than how the next meal is going to appear on their table. They want quality education for their kids so the next generation won’t have to struggle like they did.

They were people just like me, except that I was fortunate enough to be born in a different place.

So I had come to tell them how they could make their dreams happen. I don’t know how prepared I was to answer those questions. I knew what worked in my world, but I wasn’t exactly sure how that translated into their world.

Having gained much more clarity about their day-to-day lives, I suddenly felt much further from the reality of their world.

PRAXIS

1.    Study the word “injustice.” What does it mean to you? Write a blog post (or journal) about the meaning of that term, and how you think it’s used in society today. Link to your article on your social networks, or talk to someone about the blog post you just wrote. What are their reactions? What insights do they have that continues to shape your understanding of the word?

2.    Make a list of excuses that prevent you from helping certain people. Then search the Bible. Is there anyone that we shouldn’t help? Is there a limit on the how much of God’s grace we extend to others?

3.    Make an effort to get to know someone who you normally wouldn’t be friends with. Show as much interest in them as God does. What are their hopes and dreams? What do they want to accomplish in life? Don’t feel like you need to be their savior, just get to know them. Write a blog post, Facebook note, or journal honoring the person.

chapter five: investing my talents

I came to invest in people’s lives.

The last few days have already given me an opportunity to do some serious observation and reflection. However, I didn’t come to observe but to serve. I didn’t travel half way around the world to reflect, but to make a tangible investment.

Meeting the clients gave me a good opportunity to get to know my audience on a personal level. It helped me figure out who they are, what’s important to them, and how they learn. As a corporate training manager, I understand the importance of connecting with my audience.

But even as we moved into our first teaching phase for this trip, I continued to gain some powerful insight into the depth of the poverty and how extremely different our cultural experiences were.

[trip journal] day four: first day of teaching

Photo 12: St. Luke's Church, Makongeni, Kenya

Here we go. This is what we came for!

Our first day of teaching has arrived! The first thing I learned was that schedules and time in Africa are different concepts than they are back in the States. Our start time was supposed to be 9:00 AM, but it wasn’t until about 10:00 or 10:30 that a decent crowd rolled in!

Photo 13: Small group break-outs (Makongeni, Kenya)

I try not to take it personally or look down on them. Whatever the reason for their lateness, our first sessions were underway! Day one of the training covers two main topics. The first topic is on Christian Entrepreneurship. In this section of the training we discussed three basic ideas:

1.    How to identify a need in your community,

2.    How to recognize skills that you have that can meet those needs, and

3.    How to choose a business.

At the end of each session, the participants divided into groups to decide on a business idea that they’d use as they worked through the rest of the lessons.

The second session of the day covered marketing. We talked about things like good customer service and several other factors that help you when marketing your business. At the end of this lesson, the small groups developed basic marketing plans for their business ideas. It was amazing to see what the people were coming up with. I was incredibly impressed with their ingenuity and resourcefulness!

This was not my day to teach, but I couldn’t help but to jump right in and do whatever needed to be done. I worked the flip charts, handed participants their booklets as they came in, and sharpened pencils. As a corporate training guy, I could recognize a tough training situation. Part of me was glad that I didn’t have to teach that first day!

Photo 14: Me working the flipcharts during a lesson (Makongeni, Kenya)

Not teaching meant that I had the opportunity (1) to simply be a servant, and (2) to focus on who these people (our students) were and understand their needs better.

It was important for me just to serve. In fact, this was exactly why I came all the way to Africa. I didn’t have some great knowledge that would magically make their lives better. I came to serve them and share some business advice and show them the love of Jesus. That is what would make their lives better.

Not teaching allowed me to focus on the people, rather than being distracted by what I was supposed to say next. I saw a group of people who had the same dreams that I did. They hoped for a better life, particularly for their children. These people weren’t that different than me after all. They were working to improve their lives, and this training was a tool that would help them do so.

On day four, I glimpsed what this training could do for these people. It would open their eyes and uncap their potential, and it was exciting to be a part of a turning point in their lives! Now, all I had to do was calm my nerves before the lesson that I had to teach them tomorrow.

“I’m not qualified for this.”

That was the prevailing thought running through my mind as I settled into my room for the night. I couldn’t be more excited to teach the next day, but somehow I couldn’t shake the feeling of being unworthy of teaching these beautiful people anything.

I saw the way they looked at me. Like I was something special. Maybe I was. I have knowledge that they don’t have. I have enough money not to worry about my next meal. Heck, I had enough money to fly half way around the world to be in a class with them.

But our presence gave them hope.

You could see it in the way they looked at us. They believed in us. They believed in me—that I had something to give them that would change their lives.

And having someone believe in you like that has the power to change your life.

This was most apparent to me in the eyes of Bishop Renison Mbogo of Embu, Kenya. Renison was subscribed to the email feed on my blog when I announced that I’d be coming to Thika. He sent me an email telling me how excited he was that I’d be coming to Kenya, and that he desired to meet me there. He was replying to a message that I shared regarding Micah 6:6-8 and our call to fight poverty when he wrote this e-mail.

Hey Dan,

Greetings. This is a good message from the book of Micah 6;6 to 8.Thank you for your concern on helping people fight poverty. We are thinking on the same lines. My prayer is that you will get time to talk to our many poor pastors when you come to Thika Kenya.

Remember to give me the dates of your visit. I pray for you brother Dan.

Bishop Mbogo

EMBU.....Kenya

Apparently I had a lot to learn about the cultural differences between our two worlds. It seems that me saying, “I would love to meet you in person, please come to our classes that we’ll be teaching,” meant that I was now financially responsible for him during his visit.

One morning at breakfast time, he and his associate had a humble breakfast of toast and tea at the table next to our team. When everyone got up to get ready to go, I asked him if he was okay (financially) to cover the cost of his breakfast. Looking me dead in the eye he said to me, “No, I am not okay.” So I bought his breakfast, and made sure that they had enough to eat before we left for our classes.

Embu, where he lived, is approximately an hour and a half drive under normal American travel circumstances. But for a poor preacher in Kenya it’s about a six to eight hour trek, hitching rides where you can.

Part of me, that is a BIG part of me, was quite impressed that someone would go through such trouble to come hear me teach.

It was only about $20-30 or so out of my pocket, and I was happy to help cover some of his cost for lodging and meals while he was in town.

I could tell that Renison was hungry. He wanted desperately to pull himself and his congregation out of the poverty that weighed heavily on them every day of their lives. And I felt responsible to help him in any way that I could. But I felt limited in what I could do.

That’s a feeling I wrestled with throughout the trip.

I wanted to fix everyone’s problems, but these problems are so big. One man on one trip couldn’t possibly make that much of an impact. I tried to remember that this trip was about planting seeds and preparing the soil, not fixing everything. If the people were going to break the cycle, then they’d have to do it themselves. I could only help make sure that they had the best start possible.

I still think of Renison often. I can still see the look in his eyes. I can still hear him saying, “No, I am not okay” like he just said it to me.

It weighed heavily on me as I taught my sessions. This wasn’t one of those trips that would make me feel good about myself. There are real people out there who are “not okay,” and they are looking to the rest of us to give them a hand.

They’re not interested in handouts. You don’t hitch hike for seven hours because a man you’ve never met might buy you a meal. No. Renison was hungry for something much deeper.

No pressure, Dan.

[trip journal] day five: finishing with our first group

Finally! Today is my day to teach! Well, at least for half of it…

Day two of our lesson plan covered two important subjects. First up was the financial session. In this session we covered basic, yet critically important topics like keeping your business and personal money separate, and how to create a budget. This is the session that I got to teach!

We wrapped up the training on the second half of the day with a session on business planning. Here we talked about things like putting God first, and using all of the information that we covered previously to create a business plan.

Photo 15: Me teaching my lesson (Makongeni, Kenya)

Because I’m a teacher by nature (a corporate trainer by profession and a small group and ministry teacher at church), I was super geeked about getting to teach my lesson that day! And as I got started, I had the opportunity to share my personal testimony with the students. What I shared went something like this…

Hi! My name is Dan King.

I’ve tried to be successful in business for a long time. But I’ve always failed at whatever I tried to do. I was not good at business. I was not good at relationships. The only thing that I was good at was failing. After a while I started to realize that I must be missing something, but I couldn’t figure out exactly what it was.

Then I met a friend who had what I was looking for. It was the one thing that would make my life make sense. This person eventually led me to Christ as my Lord and Savior. I was so thankful for what she did, that I married her! And we’ve been married for 10 years now.

One of the things that was so special about her is that she believed in me when no one else did. And the more that I grew in my relationship with Jesus, the more I started to realize that he had believed in me all along, and Jesus believes in you too!

I believe in you, and I know that the rest of our team believes in you! Now I am discovering that I can be successful in many things. I am earning success at work, in ministry, and with my family. And today I hope to share with you how you can be successful as well!

After that introduction, I was ready to teach! I was ready to pour my heart into these people’s lives, and I had a blast working with them. My session had some cool activities in it that allowed me to get interactive with the people, and I could see that my points were sinking in with them. That felt very rewarding.

My session finished around lunch time, and we finished the lessons in the afternoon as planned. As we closed our first two-day class, it was time to have our graduation ceremony. And this ceremony was one of the bigger moments of impact that I had on this trip.

Most of the participants in our two-day training session had never been part of a graduation of any kind before. The ‘diploma’ that we gave them that day represented one of the biggest academic accomplishments of their lives. This was a powerful experience for me because I realized how much we take our right to an education for granted in the United States.

Photo 16: Graduation ceremony (Makongeni, Kenya)

Sure, our system isn’t perfect, but most of us at least have the opportunity to get a decent education. I thought back to my high school graduation. At the time, I was happiest about the fact that I didn’t have to get up and go to school the next morning. I, like many others in America, really didn’t care much about the diploma I had just earned.

The participants of our meager two-day training session may have just earned a piece of paper, but to many of them it was one of the greatest accomplishments of their lives. I’ll never forget the pride that these people had as they walked up to the front to shake the hand of our team leader and accept their certificate.

After our graduation ceremony, we went out in front of the church for a group photo. This was an event that was important to capture! It represents a moment in time where the future was never brighter for these people. There was hope like no other time in their lives. Many were about to walk away now with tools that could enable them to provide their children with the education that they never had. It was the beginning of a future that was now full of possibilities.

Photo 17: Makongeni class group photo

Lord, thank You for allowing me to be a part of something so special in so many people’s lives!

Bittersweet. That’s how I feel at this moment. The next two days we’d be repeating the same training class with a different group out in a more rural area. While I was sad to leave behind my new friends from the first class, I was excited to get out to the next one and meet a whole new group of people.

I anticipated the differences well before we arrived for the first sessions with our rural churches. We had visited clients from both areas during our visits on that first day in Thika. The people from the first group where much more urban. Many ran small shops with food, clothing, or other items. This next group would be much more focused on farming produce and livestock.

I was worried. How would this difference between the urban and rural groups play out?

I felt like the first two days of teaching were quite successful. Would these next two feel the same?

[trip journal] day six: starting with the next group

I was finally an accomplished missionary! Well, at least in my mind I was. After all, I had finished my first full sessions with one of the churches in Kenya, and now I was off to another. I knew that this next group would be different, but I didn’t know how.

For our next two-day session on basic Christian business skills, we had to drive about an hour outside of town into a much more rural community called Kairi. Most of the drive was down poorly paved roads and dirt roads making the commute a bit of a bumpy one.

The land was beautiful! But along the way, I regularly saw people living in conditions that I never imagined. The truth of the situation became apparent to me as we drove by. This is how most people in Kenya live.

Photo 18: Typical living conditions on the road to Kairi, Kenya

While relaxing in my room in the evenings, I tried to take in some of the local culture by checking out what they had on TV. That alone was quite an experience. It’s been a long time since I had to adjust the rabbit ears on a TV set with a 13” screen.

One evening as I watched the local news out of Nairobi, I saw a scroll come across the bottom of the screen. “Kenya Power is proud to report that now 18% of homes in Kenya have access to electricity!” This was definitely something to be proud of because it represented a huge increase in access to power in homes over recent years.

But I also realized that the majority of these fortunate homes were clustered in the larger towns and cities. The area we were serving next was likely well below the curve on that statistic.

The people were amazing though! As we taught our lessons at Kairi, I couldn’t help but think about the conditions that these people lived in, but they still had hope. They still came and we were planting the same seeds here as we had planted in Thika. Both communities had good soil.

Photo 19: Small group break-outs at St. Peter's Church (Kairi, Kenya)

At times, Kairi’s lack of quality education smacked me in the face. Many would just stare at the workbooks that we gave them in a way that was apparent that they didn’t know how to read the words on the page. But it was easy to see their hunger for knowledge.  Our team had so much to offer. We have been blessed with so much knowledge to share, and communities like Kairi are full of uncapped potential. Most of these people knew nothing but small scale farming. I saw their eyes light up as they started thinking about working together to accomplish much bigger dreams than what they previously thought possible. Part of me was simply excited to see their excitement. That was really cool!

However, excitement wasn’t going to be enough for Kairi. Another need was presenting itself. We had two days to teach them the most basic business skills—planning, marketing, and finance—as we did with the previous class. But they had bigger dreams. They wanted what we had, and no two day program with a graduation ceremony could take the place of the American educational system and university system. It was obvious. These people needed much more in-depth training and mentoring than what we had to offer at that time.

Photo 20: Small group report-outs (Kairi, Kenya)

Don’t get me wrong. The two days that we gave them were successful beyond what I ever imagined! But it wasn’t enough. Kairi needed more than big dreams. Kairi deserved more. It broke my heart to think that many of them may end up frustrated because they don’t know what to do next.

But these people are more resilient than anyone I had met back home in the United States. Somehow, they found ways to survive. They make things work. And that is my prayer for the people of Kairi. Until they can get even more education, Lord please help them to make good use of the tools in front of them. Lord, help them to be successful and multiply. May the seeds that we planted, be fruitful. Very fruitful.

Kairi made me a bit sad for another reason, too. As we wrapped up our time there, it also meant that we would be leaving Kenya soon. There was only one more day of instruction left. Back at our lodging place in Thika, I packed my bags to leave.

I was encouraged on this trip when I realized that pumping money into a poverty situation isn’t really the solution. Even without money, people could barter goods and services enough to get what they needed to survive. Money is just a manifestation of our work effort, a tool to make it easier to transact the fruit of our labor.

But two things continued to emerge as the best solutions for changing the lives of those who live in poverty.

First, people in poverty need hope. Telling these people that we believed in them, that we believed that they could do it, seemed to go farther than I’d ever believed possible. I had never experienced anything like it before.

Second, people in poverty need education. This was the tough one. We offered a two-day introduction to running a business, but they needed so much more. More basic education. More continuing education. What would it be like if we flooded third-world nations with teachers instead of plain-old financial support? Again, I knew that there had to be more people doing this kind of thing, but who? And why aren’t we talking more about it in church circles?

The people were resourceful enough to leverage what little they had, but they could do so much more. If someone helped them uncap the bottle, they would burst out with their potential.

[trip journal] day seven: wrapping up business in kenya

She walked up to me as I was setting up for my morning session, shook my hand, and simply stated, “I am Alice.” We laughed about that for a moment because yesterday I had used a fictional person named Alice as an illustration. But I could not have anticipated what happened next. This was about to be one of the most powerful moments of this trip for me.

Photo 21: Me teaching my lesson with my translator Mary (Kairi, Kenya)

I’m getting ahead of myself. You need to understand more about the lesson that I was responsible for. I had taught the last lesson of the day in yesterday’s session, and was preparing that morning to pick up where I left off. I was responsible for teaching the section on finances in which I emphasized the importance of separating personal and business money. So I told a story about a woman named Alice.

Alice has a small shop located in front of her house. She sells groceries, such as eggs, sugar, flour, and soap. If she needs any sugar or other groceries, she takes them from the store. Sometimes Alice loses customers because she runs out of items. She does not have enough money to buy more items until she sells something. She often does not have enough money to buy food for her family. She wonders why her business is not making money. She must ask her husband for more money to put into the business.

After this story we would discussed the fictional situation of “Alice.” Not separating personal and business money was affecting her ability to be successful in her business. When this woman came to me as I prepared for my morning lesson and introduced herself as Alice, I thought she was referring to the Alice from this illustration!

Photo 22: The 'real' Alice (Kairi, Kenya)

As we laughed, she continued, “My real name is Alice. But today I am a new Alice!” In a sort of ironic twist, she actually meant that she was both (1) really named Alice, and (2) metaphorically the Alice from yesterday’s lesson. She proudly told me, “No more will I be the old Alice who is not wise with her money!”

The real Alice was incredibly grateful for what we were doing for her, and it was awesome to see the impact that we were having!  I felt like we were an important part of Alice’s life, and I remembered something a friend told me before I had come to Africa. She pulled me aside at church and said, “God will knit your heart with theirs.”

She was right.

By the end of this day we had completed another great session with some amazing people. They were so grateful for what we had done that they even sang to us.

Photo 23: Video of the class singing their gratitude (Kairi, Kenya)

http://vimeo.com/7462277

After finishing our work in Kenya, we had a couple of days over the weekend before we would need to be in Uganda to do it all over again. So we headed out for a little retreat! We had a couple of days off in the schedule, and you don’t come that far without stopping to check out as much of the environment as possible.

To say that I experienced culture shock coming to a place like Kenya is an understatement. But to say that I found a way to use my talents is also an understatement.

Our worlds couldn’t be more different, but I started to see that I had more to offer the world than I thought. At the end of the first leg of our journey, I felt a great sense of accomplishment. We had made a difference in people’s lives by teaching them some important life and business skills, and helping them believe in themselves.

I’m starting to see how mission trips can become addicting, and why some easily accept the call. This is not some kind of superficial self-imposed martyrdom where the rich Americans pretend to suffer in another country less fortunate than ours. No! We are always a part of God’s plan to redeem His people in every sense of the word. It was that much more wonderful to participate in God’s redemption for the people of Kenya like Stephen and Irene and Alice.

They deserved our best work, our hardest work. And we were tired. We needed a little bit of down time to catch up on sleep, to reflect on God’s awesomeness, and to ponder what He was doing inside of me on this trip.

PRAXIS

1.    Write out your testimony. If you’re not sure where to start, think about what transformation in your own life might encourage other people. Then ask your pastor if you can share your testimony with your church, in small groups, Bible classes, or (hold your breath) in front of the entire church. If not, simply prepare your testimony and look for opportunities to share it with others.

2.    How are you serving in the Kingdom of God? Think about your specific skills and talents. If you are connected with a nonprofit organization, ask them how you might be able to serve using your special skills.

3.    Take time to reflect on how you’ve served others in big ways or small. Write about what you think God feels regarding your efforts. If possible, share your writing on a public blog or Facebook post. This can be a little tricky. Try not to sound arrogant or impressed with yourself. Simply tell your story. If you feel like God is proud of your efforts, then share what that means to you.

chapter six: experiencing God’s creation, unfiltered

Have you ever hiked into the Grand Canyon? Have you ever been scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef? Or stood on top of Mount Everest?

These are some of the world’s greatest natural wonders. Most of us will never experience these masterpieces of God’s creation, but they make us marvel at His creativity.

Paul tells us in his letter to the Romans (v. 1:20),

For ever since the creation of the world His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity, have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made (His handiworks). So [men] are without excuse [altogether without any defense or justification]…

For me, the African safari is one of those great natural wonders of God’s creation. It leaves you simply awestruck.

Some critics might argue that going ‘on safari’ while on a mission trip isn’t very spiritual. Or maybe they’d point out that we’re there to work, not for a pleasure cruise. But I can honestly say that this was one of the experiences on this trip when I felt closest to God.

In the purest natural setting, I felt small and vulnerable. It reminded me that someone much greater than myself or anyone has molded and crafted every detail of the world with His bare hands—including the details of the African wild. Never have “His eternal power and divinity” been so “intelligible and clearly discernible.”

We had found a GREAT deal at a tented camp called Sweetwater in the area of Mount Kenya. I was incredibly excited about this much needed safari retreat!

As we arrived and checked in, we immediately selected the safari drives from a list of several options. One safari was a night drive, but if we chose the night drive, we had to do it that night.

After dinner we loaded up in the safari van with its special open roof and headed out to see some of the nighttime activity of the animals.

Photo 24: Giraffe on a night drive around the Sweetwater Tented Camp near Mount Kenya

We saw some cool giraffes, elephants, and many other cool animals. But the highlight of the night was watching a lioness stalking a pack gazelles! It was amazing to see the big cat crouch down into an attack position and attempt to pounce her some dinner. After several attempts, this lioness never did get her prey, but watching her was an experience I’ll never forget.

After a busy week we needed some sleep, but we couldn’t resist going out into the wild of God’s amazing creation. It’s funny. Being under the African sky, watching those animals, I understood.  Creation made more sense than it ever had before. To step away from man-made creation and witness both the beauty and complexity of the natural world made random chance seem much less probable.

After an amazing night drive, it was time to go get some sleep. We were getting up early the next day for more safaris and more of God’s beautiful creation.

[trip journal] day eight: a retreat to remember

Photo 25: Mount Kenya at dawn

Good morning, Mount Kenya!

I woke up in the morning and snapped this picture looking out the front of my tent. In the pre-dawn, the sun had not risen enough to creep over the top of Africa’s second highest peak.

We woke early so that we could go on another safari. This would be our first daytime drive. I didn’t think I’d see anything that could top our experience last night, but I knew it would be good to finally see everything in the light. Besides, I was ready to enjoy our day off. No work. No travel. Only rest and enjoying God’s creation.

Our morning safari drive was fantastic!

I couldn’t believe how many animals we encountered as we drove through the plains. We saw zebras, giraffes, gazelles, warthogs, and yes, we even came across some more lions!

These big cats are simply magnificent when roaming their natural habitat. All of nature seemed to respect the lions.

We first came to a mud pit where a giraffe and some warthogs were getting some much needed refreshment. Suddenly, all of these animals came to attention. Something must be going on, but we had no idea what. Then a beautiful lioness emerged from the bush.

Photo 26: Giraffe and warthogs at mud pit (near Mount Kenya)

Each one of us were in awe over this creature as we crossed paths. Then, a male lion came into view walking the same path as the female.

Photo 27: The lion (near Mount Kenya)

When I looked at these magnificent lions, I couldn’t help but to think of the Biblical references to the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Jesus is referred to as a Lion because of His majesty and His power and might. But I realized a few other things about Christ as we sat in the presence of these lions.

●      His presence demands attention. Even before he actually arrives, others in the area notice that He’s coming.

●      His presence impacts the environment. Even the atmosphere seems to change when He’s around. There’s an electricity in the air.

●      Finally, it’s clear that He’s the leader, and everyone else either leaves or follows.

This is a revelation that I’ll never forget, and I never cease to be amazed at how much we can learn about God through His creation like this.

We saw many other animals that day, and every moment of this retreat was simply breathtaking. I needed this rest, but I had not realized how much I also needed to recharge my faith.

Photo 28: Sunset over the African plains (near Mount Kenya)

Two important truths struck me on that retreat:

Life is a delicate balance. God accounted for the needs of every living thing, large and small. Everything has its place and purpose.

God’s creation is incredibly beautiful. Everything from the sunrise over Mount Kenya to the sunset over the African plain sang the praises of our Creator! I understand now why Jesus said, “Even the rocks will cry out!”

They do. God certainly revealed Himself to us on this trip, particularly on this incredible weekend retreat. He is amazing, and I am now even more amazed with His creation! Amen.

Months later, back in the United States, I’m staring through the window of a favorite Starbucks, admiring the landscaping around the plaza. I again marvel at the beauty of God’s creation. But here, I also notice how people have worked hard to tame these plants into a garden. Almost as if we are trying to create our own beauty.

Don’t get me wrong, it is still beautiful.

But part of me longs for the unfiltered, wild beauty of God’s creation that I saw in Africa.

We work so hard to create our manicured Disney landscapes, as if we are putting ourselves in God’s place, trying to control our environment. If we are not careful, we will forget the natural beauty of God’s creation running wild.

It’s good that people are creative. God is creative, and we’re created in His image. It is good that people work in God’s creation. Adam and Eve were stewards of the garden in the beginning, partners in God’s work.

But we should never think too much of our own creative efforts. Our part is to simply highlight the creativity of the Master Creator.

PRAXIS

1.    Grab your camera and take photos of God’s creation. There is beauty in your front yard tree, but try to capture something wilder, where things grow completely natural.

2.    If you blog, share the picture, and write a blog post about your photo. Tell us what God’s unfiltered creation has taught you about His character and nature. If you don’t blog, then write about it in a personal journal and share your thoughts with a friend.

3.    Create a photo album on Facebook or Flickr with your photos, and share them with friends. Encourage conversation around the photos by asking people what they think.

chapter seven: culture shock, part deux

After Kenya, I thought I had become quite the professional world traveler. Uganda was the next stop, and I was ready. I didn’t expect much to be different; certainly I never expected to be shocked.

But I guess I was pretty naïve. I could have just as easily assumed that there’s little difference between the states of Florida and Georgia. Silly me.

I felt like I was a pancake being cooked by God. He said, “Okay that side looks done, but now I have to flip you and get the rest of it cooked too.” Because, you know, even God doesn’t cook a pancake just on one side, or it will burn while the other side never quite gets cooked enough.

In Uganda, we would extend our understanding of this fight against poverty—across cultures. If we came home after Kenya, then we might think all of Africa was like Kenya. We would be like the foreign visitors who see Florida and Disney World and think all of the United States is full of people dressed up like mice and princesses. Fighting poverty in Uganda, too, would help us see the bigger picture.

[trip journal] day nine: headed to kampala

Photo 29: Sunrise over Kampala, Uganda

Leaving Kenya and flying to Uganda was the biggest thing on our agenda for this day. I have to admit that it was tough leaving my new friends in Kenya. Because of the great distance, I knew it wasn’t likely that I’d see any of them again soon, if ever. Yet the impact of my short time with them will be etched on my heart forever.

But we were on a mission, and our next objective was the work in Uganda.

The others on our team were talking about how different Uganda was going to be. In particular, the Ugandan people were supposed to be much friendlier, but I had a hard time grasping what they meant by that. I mean, how different could they be?

Then we met Reverend Jonathan and our driver Chintu (pronounced kin-too) at the Kampala Airport. Chintu was not only our driver but also the owner of the transport company that he represented. He had benefited from the same microfinance work that we were there to support!

Photo 30: Chintu, our driver (Uganda)

At first they both seemed friendly enough, but I still didn’t see the big difference. That is, until we made our way into downtown Kampala.

In Kenya, we had seen poverty, but the poverty in Kampala was simply massive. The people had nothing. The streets were filled with trash. The kids had no shoes. As we drove deeper into the heart of the city, we saw the faces of extreme poverty.

Then suddenly we heard a rattling noise under the van, which quickly turned into metal dragging on asphalt. I was a little nervous about breaking down here, but Chintu pulled into an alley to inspect the vehicle. As soon as he stopped, at least five men surrounded the van. My heart raced, until they got on their knees and started looking underneath the van with Chintu. They wanted to help.

It wasn’t a big problem. A bracket holding the spare tire had broken underneath the van, causing the tire to drag on the ground. These men in the street helped Chintu remove the hanging spare. Then out of concern for our time, Chintu left the spare tire with the men on the street so that he could get us to our lodging destination quickly.

He explained, “The men there will hold my tire for me until I return later to get it back. Then I will have time to fix it. But I want to get you to the guest house first.”

I had never seen anything like this in the United States. Typically when someone breaks down on the side of the road, most people simply drive by without helping. I do this too. In Uganda, our van was practically mobbed by people offering to help.

This is what my teammates meant when they told me that the Ugandan people were some of the most friendly that they’ve ever encountered. These people had nothing, but they gave what they could to people who needed help—they offered their time, they showed concern, they could be trusted to take good care of Chintu’s tire until he returned. I was going to like Uganda.

How many times had I driven by someone broken down on the side of the road when I had the time and ability to pull over and help out? What did the people of Uganda have that I didn’t have? Two things came to mind:

1.    They were selfless. This doesn’t mean that they neglected their own needs, but they thought of others before they thought of themselves.

2.    They honored others. Even more, than thinking of others first, they sought to honor others above themselves, a subtle but important difference.

Like many Americans, I get so wrapped up in my own world that I can’t see outside myself and my own needs. Rather than work for the honor of others, I’m usually a hyper competitive guy. Whatever we are doing, whatever game we are playing, whatever project we are finishing, I’m in to win. As a Christian, I can easily forget about the simple opportunities to be an ambassador for Christ, like stopping to help someone broken down on the road of life or letting others win sometimes.

[trip journal] day ten: the road to kasese

It was a beautiful morning waking up in Kampala. The day was fresh, and we were anticipating some cool experiences on the road to Kasese after a morning meeting.

By the end of the day, though, this beautiful morning would be a distant, strange memory. We started the day with a meeting at the Five Talents Uganda national office. The program here was set up a little different than the program in Kenya. In Uganda the Five Talents organization functions even more like a lending organization providing funds for microloans.

The office was different than what I expected for a financial institution, but my Western mind was still adjusting to the way of life (and work) in Africa. We were told that they worked very hard to set up a special conference room for us to meet in. When we arrived, I was surprised to see that this special arrangement was a couple of desks and chairs squeezed into a garage. Like many other things in Africa, though, it worked. We had a place to meet. We had space to work. And I tried to set aside my corporate America expectations.

Photo 31: Five Talents Uganda national office meeting room (Kampala)

The meeting went well, and we learned the details about the microfinance program there in Uganda. But more than the details of the program, this part of the trip was just another smack on the side of the head showing me how different life (and work) is here as compared to the United States.

After the meeting, we hit the road for the long drive out to Kasese. The trip would give us a lot of time to read and nap. We thought. I was definitely tired, but it was hard for me to sleep because of the extremely bumpy roads. Instead, I soaked in the amazing countryside and reflected on where I was, what I was doing, and how this was changing me.

Photo 32: Ugandan countryside on ride from Kampala to Kasese on A109

This land was no stranger to turmoil. Daily life here was far from the simple comforts I’d come to expect in the United States. Let’s be honest, reader, your life is comfortable too. Regardless of your political affiliation, we’ve been fortunate to have peaceful transfer of power from one president to the next in the United States (and most other Western countries) for many generations.

Uganda, on the other hand, was the home of horrible dictators like Idi Amin and guerrilla fighters like Joseph Kony, one of the World’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives for his use of child soldiers.

On the ride to Kasese, I gave up. I simply couldn’t imagine what it is like for the people in this land. I was never going to understand what their lives must be like.

Photo 33: Ugandan kids during ride from Kampala to Kasese on A109

Sure, I knew about their pain and turmoil and politics, but was that enough? What could I offer these people who have experienced so many generations of horror?

Our team leader, Jim, sensed my struggle. He told me again, “It’s easy to get overwhelmed with the needs, Dan. In places like this we have to be content with doing our small part.”

I would never be content with small.

As we approached our final destination of Kasese, I wanted to immerse myself in the local culture as much as I could. I could never walk a mile in the shoes of these people. (My feet were too big.) But I could learn as much as possible about how they lived there in Uganda.

I was determined to step up my commitment over the upcoming days.

Someday, you may want to experience daily life in Uganda yourself, immersed in their foreign culture, trying to understand their ways. When that day comes, I suggest you pass on the smoked fish for lunch.

During this time, Chintu and I talked about his life in Uganda. Aside from his business of driving shuttle vans like ours, he’s very active in his church. He and his youth group are working to help the unwanted children who are the offspring of child soldiers and the evil men who force them to fight.

These children reluctantly come out of hiding in the bush every once in a while only to be rejected by other ‘normal’ members of society.

They cannot read or write.

They have zero social skills.

They barely know how to survive.

This is not The Jungle Book. There’s nothing pretty or cute about what’s been happening in Central Africa. Some children are being forced to fight senseless territorial wars, and others, the children of the children, are being treated as less than human by society for no fault of their own.

Even good things like the church are being used as vehicles for terror, control, and profit.

According to Chintu, some people in small, poor churches are using the “prosperity Gospel” to lure young people into the promise of a better life, only to sell them into sex slavery. These sex traffickers pamper poor and sometimes starving pastors, in order to earn good will. When the truth comes out, they tell the pastors to say nothing or they will lose the funding that allows them to feed their families.

They attract people with the promise that God wants them to be rich, and unsuspecting youth simply disappear.

Even in the midst of all of this ugliness, there are some shining gems scattered around. Testimonies to God’s mercy, grace, and goodness.

[trip journal] day eleven: a walk in the clouds

Her story rocked me, and still hits me hard today. But more than her story, her attitude and resilience stood out most.

Getting out to meet the clients is exciting because we get to meet them where they work. This part of the trip in Kenya was pretty eye opening for me, so I was excited to visit more small businesses in Uganda.

One of the first clients that we met was Monica. She worked as a nurse, but she used microloans to help her start and run a small poultry farm. She made enough money as a nurse to support her family, but she needed more.

Photo 34: Monica's egg shop in her living room (Kasese, Uganda)

Monica’s poultry farm was quite impressive. She was one of a few people we met who manages the complete process from hatching her own chicks to harvesting (and selling) the eggs to selling the poultry after their egg-bearing time is over. She sells some eggs in the grocery store, but also sells them out of her living room to the neighbors.

As we sat with her—Monica insisted on having us stay for tea—she showed us pictures of her family. Her husband had passed away several years ago, so she was left to raise the kids alone.

Photo 35: Monica sharing photos of the family (Kasese, Uganda)

Before he died, her husband had worked with a local Habitat for Humanity project, building houses for area families. Monica had also lost many of her own brothers and sisters to diseases like AIDS. I think that everyone on our team was shocked by how ‘normal’ death is to the people in Uganda.

With so many family members dying, Monica took on the responsibility of raising not only her children (five, if I recall correctly), but also raising many of her nieces and nephews who would have been orphans without Auntie Monica’s help.

Microfinance helped her to make some additional income with her small poultry farm so that she could raise these kids. She made money to feed them, and to send most of them to school. Sending them to school was important to her because she knew the impact that a good education would have in helping these kids succeed.

Her example of selflessness moved me deeply. Everything in her life had to do with losing the people that were closest to her or providing for the children impacted by those losses.

I don’t know if she realizes it or not, but she taught me a lot about hope that day.

But this day wasn’t just about Monica. We visited several other microloan clients and learned about many of their businesses.

We met a tailor and a carpenter who not only made things in their respective trades, but also used funding from microloans to turn their businesses into schools to help train other people in some much needed job skills.

We also went out to a remote spot in the Rwenzori Mountains on the Uganda/Congo border to visit one of the churches where our teams would be teaching. These mountains touched the clouds, but even there we met people in the most extreme poverty that I could imagine.

Photo 36: Me walking with some children in the Rwenzori Mountains

Death seemed to be around every corner.

Hunger was a normal way of life.

There was little to no protection from the elements.

Most of the people had no shoes on their feet.

We saw a crowd gather around a young man who seemed to be passed out on the side of the street. That image still haunts me, because we were so far from medical facilities. So there was little anyone could do to help him.

Here’s the crazy thing about this trip. Wherever we went, we saw people who should be hopeless. But even in this darkness, shining lights like Monica give people hope.

Monica showed me that when even you have nothing in your hand, you can still pour out with your heart.

Monica and others like her make a difference in people’s lives there in Uganda. And she made a difference in at least one life over here in the United States.

Thank you, Monica.

In the darkest places, there is always room for hope. Visiting Uganda changed my life. I can’t say this enough. However I say this, it sounds like a cliché. Uganda rocked me to the core of my being. Uganda shook me up completely. Uganda turned my world upside-down. But Uganda also showed me how brightly one human life can shine.

It doesn’t matter how bad our circumstances get.

There.

Is.

Always.

Hope.

And hope is never a cliché.

PRAXIS

1.    Watch for opportunities this week to “pull over” and help others in need. We should never be too busy to help another human being with a need—whether helping the person broken down on the side of the road or offering a word of encouragement to a coworker who’s having a rough day. We should not be so wrapped up in ourselves that we miss opportunities to minister to others.

2.    What are the biggest injustices in the world today that just tick you off? Child soldiers? Human sex trafficking? Pick a cause; find out who’s doing good work in those areas, then take action. With organizations like Invisible Children, you can host a party to show their DVD about the work they do to protect (and prevent) child soldiers. Other groups like Love146 and International Justice Mission are doing amazing work in fighting human trafficking. Do something today to share the story of the work they’re doing.

3.    Find someone who is living a selfless life around you. If you blog, write a post about what they do to lift up others around them. If you don’t blog, write a personal journal about the person and tell someone else about what you admire about that person. If possible, talk to them directly, tell them what you admire about them, and thank them for their example.

chapter eight: paradigm shift

It’s go time again.

The trainer/teacher in me was getting excited. One of the guys on our teaching team left to do some other work while in Uganda, which meant that I had the privilege of teaching his Day One lesson on marketing in addition to my usual Day Two lesson on Finances.

My head and heart were still spinning from what God was doing inside me throughout this trip, and it was increasingly apparent in the devotions that I lead each morning as the team’s chaplain. In order to fulfill these responsibilities, I prayed and studied the Word regularly, asking God what we should discuss each morning.

My devotions were pretty generic at the beginning of the trip, but as I saw more and more suffering in Africa, the Word of God came to life around me and inside me.

I was living out my faith in a way that I never had before and experiencing the Bible like I never had before. The world seemed to have changed around me, but really I had changed. Something had exploded inside me. God was stirring in my spirit and altering my vision of the world.

For the next few days, I started seeing the world through that new, incredible lens.

[trip journal] day twelve: teaching in uganda

You’ve probably never heard of Rwesande.

In fact, in 2011 you still can’t find it on a Google Map. It’s in the area of Kasese up in the Rwenzori Mountains. Based on the roads that we took to get out there, I’m not surprised that I can’t find this place on a Google Map.

After a very bumpy and sometimes scary drive for what seemed like hours up into the mountains, we discovered this amazing community of people. From a distance, I’d never believed that there would be much life running around out there, but as we got closer to our destination the people seemed to be everywhere.

I had heard that some people had walked several miles to come see us. No cars. No bicycles. Nothing but their feet. I can’t imagine that it was an easy walk either.

Jim and I were the only ones from our team at this site, and I was looking forward to teaching half of the material. With a little rain in the forecast, we were both happy to see that the church building we were in was fairly sound.

Photo 37: Anglican Church of Rwesande (Uganda)

We arrived a little later than expected and were surprised to find that none of our participants had arrived yet either. We asked, “Where is everyone?” We had seen people. We knew they were coming.

We didn’t know about the market. Someone told us this was the one day that week that the market was open. If the people wanted to buy food for the week, they would have to go that morning.

Whoa.

This was yet another event that made me realize how different our lives are. I can go to the grocery store any time. Then I remembered our purpose. We were here to help people with their small businesses. Today was the only day the market would be open this week. If people were selling goods to others, this was one of few money making opportunities they would have for the week.

Oh snap.

We were there to teach business skills, so we couldn’t argue with their choice. Instead, we waited patiently for everyone to arrive from the market before we started. The late start would certainly impact our timing and schedule, but it just seemed better to respect their way of life and business.

Once everyone arrived, they wanted to start with a little singing. I’ve never seen anything like it. The building where we met was not acoustically engineered for sound. It was just mud walls with a tin roof on top, but they sang and filled the place! I didn’t understand a single word, but there was no question that we were worshipping.

My video doesn’t do the experience justice:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yThoyMOUU4c

These people had a strong sense of community. Forget all of the fancy bells and whistles. They could come together and sing beautiful music to the Lord, and they didn’t even need an overhead projector to show everyone the words.

Photo 38: Small group break-out session (Rwesande, Uganda)

As we taught throughout the day, they broke off into small groups for various projects. I was impressed by how well the people worked together through these projects. They were innovative and creative and collaborative.

Their sense of unity was special. No one said, “I’m going to take this idea myself and go get rich!” Each person in the group had a part in the overall plan. They knew the person sitting next to them needed the opportunity just as much as they did, and it would be unthinkable to leave them out of this chance to achieve a better life.

We sometimes lack a strong sense of community in the United States. We’ve isolated ourselves from each other and from the rest of the world around us.

Seriously, think about this for a minute. When was the last time that you looked at the person next to you and thought, “Man, he is struggling just as much as I am. How can we work together to improve both of our lives?”

That kind of community is a powerful and beautiful thing.

The cultural differences were striking. One of the things that I found most interesting about experiencing these differences was how it helps me understand the Bible.

In my Bible Interpretation classes, I’ve learned about some big cultural difference between our Western American culture and the Hebrew culture during the time of Jesus. They were more agricultural, while we are more industrial and technological. But the Hebrew people relate with one another differently too. Our modern Western culture emphasizes individualism. When our actions result in glory or shame, we have to take credit or blame. What we do reflects back on the self. In contrast the first century Hebrew culture was much more community minded. Glory or shame reflected back on the whole group.

So many pastors in Uganda do much more than offer spiritual leadership. They run schools, manage health clinics, and do anything else that the community may need. They seem to understand parts of Jesus’ teaching better than I do. We should care for our brothers and sisters in every way that we can.

This is the kind of community that I was witnessing in Uganda, true, selfless community.

[trip journal] day thirteen: our last classes

Our last day of teaching was the hardest day for me on this trip for several reasons. Our time was nearly ending. This incredible journey was nearly over. While I was anxious to get home to my family, part of me didn’t want to leave.

But I also saw some truly horrible things.

Of course, there was this amazing beauty everywhere I looked. The land was beautiful, and so were the people. At times it’s easy to overlook the tragic lives that the people here are forced to live.

Photo 39: A mother and her children during a break from classes (Rwesande, Uganda)

On our second day at this location, I talked with Rev. Joseph Bwambale. He was the pastor of our host church and my translator that morning as I taught.

I knew that I liked the guy. When I would say three words, his translation sounded like five sentences followed by a great deal of laughter from our audience. I wasn’t telling jokes, at least not any funny ones. Reverend Joseph’s style connected with the people, and he translated my basic message into something that his people really wanted to hear.

He knew his people well, and I liked that about him.

After I finished teaching I had the opportunity to talk more with him about the roles that he filled. I couldn’t believe what he told me. Then he showed me.

First of all, Reverend Joseph didn’t have any fancy tools. His office was simple and lacked the amenities of even the most meager workplaces here in the States. No computer. No desk phone. Only a small wooden desk with a few papers stacked on it.

Photo 40: Reverend Joseph in his office (Rwesande, Uganda)

He also showed me his study where most of the texts were well worn and several years old. But there I found the resources for the things he was truly passionate about—theology and medical care. I imagine that every book he owned was somewhat difficult to come by. I didn’t see many Barnes and Nobles stores around, even in the more rural areas. Reverend Joseph treasured his books in a way that few people do back home.

But this was relatively normal. I had seen this before. However, I had not yet seen firsthand what people like him really do for their communities. Not only did he run the church, but he also was responsible for a school and a medical center.

The school was something along the lines of what I expected to see there.

I could not believe what I saw at the medical center.

Reverend Joseph showed me around and explained that they did not have electricity in the buildings. In fact, they had received a grant from the government to build a new medical theater, but it was useless to them because they had neither electricity to power it or doctors to staff it.

The reception area of the main building was dark, and obviously worn down. No one would come here to get better from an illness.

Photo 41: Medical clinic reception area (Rwesande, Uganda)

I saw an injection room where the conditions not only seemed under-equipped, but also unsanitary.  Re-using needles wouldn’t be considered a reckless act here. It would be a necessity. The only question was how many times needles must be used there before they became medical waste.

The conditions simply were not acceptable. I could see that it broke Reverend Joseph’s heart to know that he wasn’t able to adequately meet the medical needs of the people. The nearest hospital was over an hour drive away across unpaved mountain roads.

He told me that if a woman was having a baby at his clinic and there were complications, they would have to transport her to the hospital in the back of a pick-up truck. Such a journey often made bad situation worse.

Being the father of a child with Type 1 Diabetes, I wondered if my son could survive in a place like this. How many people die because clinics like these cannot correctly diagnose or properly treat those types of conditions?

I keep thinking about the boxes of syringes that I have back home. Someone here could use them. I could have easily packed a couple of boxes in my suitcase to leave behind with Reverend Joseph. But even that would be a temporary solution. It wouldn’t take long before they’d end up having to reuse those too.

I can’t believe how blessed I am to have been born in the United States.

Do you know much about Juvenile (Type 1) Diabetes?

It’s not caused by poor diet. It’s the autoimmune disease. For whatever reason, the body’s immune system mistakes the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin as a threat, and then attacks and kills them off. As a result, someone with Type 1 Diabetes cannot deal with glucose, which is what most food becomes during digestion.

The early symptoms are extreme thirst, frequent urination, and loss of appetite. My son had all of this when he was 17-months old. Thankfully, my wife grew up very close to a Diabetic cousin, and she recognized the signs early. Most would only recognize this as a kid being somewhat cranky and irritable.

After these early signs, the victim then progresses into flu-like symptoms. Doctors say that most still don’t recognize the problem at that point, because we think flu-like symptoms indicate the flu. When the flu doesn’t get better after a normal amount of time, people finally start to wonder. At that point, a child with undiagnosed Diabetes is literally days or even hours away from dying.

In remote and poor areas of Uganda, like Rwesande, many kids get sick and never recover. I wonder how many of those kids have undiagnosed Diabetes.

Sadly, a diagnosis doesn’t necessarily mean treatment will be available. The large majority of people in Uganda don’t have access to the health care required for long-term maintenance of chronic diseases.

I will hug my son long and hard when I return home.  Every time I look at pictures from this trip, I will try to remember how fortunate I am that he was born in the United States. And I will continue to pray that he lives a life worthy of the gift of life that he’s been given.

I can’t help but to feel a responsibility to live a life worthy as well.

[trip journal] day fourteen: back to kampala

Mission accomplished.

Our work is done, and we would now begin the journey home. First, the long six-hour drive across Uganda from Kasese to Kampala. Then, after one more night in Africa, our team flies together from Kampala to Nairobi to London where we part ways and I board my flight from London to Miami then on to Tampa.

The drive to Kampala was our last opportunity to really soak in the experience.

Part of me can’t shake the idea of getting back to the comforts of home, which makes me think again about the differences in our lives. People here cart huge jugs of water around because they don’t have plumbing and public water systems. As soon as I get home, I’m going to take a shower and use the equivalent of two or three of those jugs of water.

I wonder how often I would bathe if I had to cart my own water a couple of miles from the river to my home.

I think about the homes that we drive by and how they’re made. In Kampala I see new construction projects, but even these larger scale construction projects lack the building quality that make these places safe to live and work.

Photo 42: New construction in Kampala, Uganda

My Florida home was built to withstand a category 4 or 5 hurricane. I live in a virtual fortress.

We’ve all watched the news and seen the effects natural disasters can have on poorly constructed buildings. The earthquake in Haiti resulted in such widespread damage because the building standards weren’t high enough. The construction that I’ve seen during my visit to Africa is of similar standards. I cringe at the thought of a similar disaster happening in a place like Kampala.

Our worlds are very different.

But this isn’t a night to be sad. It’s a night to celebrate! We’ve just finished an important work, and it’s something that we should be proud of!

Certainly we didn’t fix the world’s problems in a two week trip. But we did plant a few seeds. Seeds that we pray will bear great fruit in the months and years to come. They are seeds of hope that can only come through love and nurturing. We stood beside the people, poured out our minds and hearts for them, and let them know how much we believe in them.

We worked with hundreds of people, and for some of them life will never be the same because of the vision they caught. Our work helped them catch a vision for their own work! And that, my friend, was cause to celebrate!

I thank God every day that he calls us to work in the world alongside him. His work in us changes other people’s lives in a positive way, and I pray that I continue to have opportunities to deliver God’s hope to many others.

Remember Jeremiah? When the Israelites were in captivity in Babylon, he told them the Lord had plans to prosper them, to give them a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). Jeremiah was speaking to a generation that would never actually see their release from captivity. It would be seventy years before they saw the full fruit of that promise. Then they would prosper. They would return with hope to their Holy City, and they would rebuild their Temple for future generations.

I need to keep this perspective as I leave Africa. We planted the seeds of hope and a future, and those seeds would grow in time.

It’s another tough shift in thinking for a Westerner like me.

PRAXIS

1.    Do you meet with a small group from your church? If not, then consider starting one. You might study the Bible together, read a book or watch a DVD study together, or maybe even just share a meal together. Once you have a small group, talk about how you can each serve one another in a deeper way. Ask your small group to help you shift from me-centered Christianity to focusing on the needs of the community first and foremost.

2.    Journal or blog about some of the privileges that we often take for granted in our culture. Pray about those things, and thank God for the many blessings that you have. Talk with others about what God is teaching you through your blessings. What can you do for others who don’t have the same blessings that you have?

3.    Plant some seeds in your yard or in a portable garden box, and watch them grow. How much nurture and time does take for them to flower and/or bear fruit? Consider what needs to be done to nurture the spiritual seeds that God is planting in others through you. What kind of care do they need in order to bear fruit? Share your thoughts in your journal, blog, or Facebook notes.

chapter nine: there’s no going back to ‘normal’

I’ve heard about the reverse culture shock that sometimes accompanies trips like this. You get home, and everything seems different. You’d think it would be easy to get back to normal, but some experiences make it tough to look at ‘normal’ the same way anymore.

For a long time, walking into a grocery store made me feel a deep guilt about having so many convenient options instantly available to me whenever I wanted. I even had a cool little plastic debit card that has enough money on it to buy much more than I would ever need.

A trip like this messes with your brain.

I remember walking and talking with Ann shortly after she returned from a similarly mind-blowing trip to Guatemala. In tears, she had asked me how I dealt with the abundance that surrounded us at that moment. I honestly didn’t have an answer.

But now I understood.

I’m not sure if God put a calling on my life through this experience, or if the experience lifted the veil from something that He has put inside of every person. After all, we are created in His image, so maybe we do have a piece of that compassionate heart that defines His character.

Funny word, “compassion.”

It literally means “to suffer with.” It’s a word that implies selflessness. It’s a word that should define the Christian church... not just in world missions, but in every action of every Christian who is seeking to serve God and love others.

[trip journal] day fifteen: headed home

Waking up on the last morning, I couldn’t wait to get home! I tried to enjoy my last few hours with the team, but my mind and heart were already gone.

At breakfast we all talked about how wonderful this experience had been.  As the team chaplain, I challenged them to not let it end here. What would we do when we got home to continue making a difference for the people and the mission that we had accepted?

For me, I try to meet that challenge by continuing to share the images and stories of what God has done through this trip. Others on the team have shared their experiences with churches back home. We all felt responsible for telling the story.

I knew that my life would never be the same. I also knew that it would be different returning home to the abundance to which I’ve become accustomed. Even the ordinary task of walking into a grocery store would never be the same.

But I also knew that I needed to get back to my most important ministry of all: loving my wife and my son.

Photo 43: 'Welcome home' from my wonderful wife and son (Tampa, FL)

What if my greatest impact on a trip like this went beyond the work that I did while I was there? What if I could continue to have an even greater impact in the life of my son by showing him that I’m serious about making the world a better place, and that he can help? What if this whole thing sets off a chain reaction (even if it is just in my family) to make a difference not only half-way around the world, but even in our own backyard?

This is one of the reasons that I couldn’t wait to get home.

I missed my family.

This experienced forced me to think much more beyond myself than I ever have before. Participating in missions and serving the cause of those in need has become a central theme in our house.

We’ve become a bit counter-cultural, actually. My son knows that we’re different than many of the other families of the kids at school. But he’s learning at an early age how important it is to be different than the rest of the world. Already, God is developing in my son a heart for the poor and the orphaned.

Normal?

No way.

Will I ever get back to Africa? I don’t know. As I write this, I’m planning a second trip back to Haiti since the earthquake. This time I’ll be visiting a special group of orphans. My son decided that he wanted to raise money to build a playground for them, and so far he’s raised over $1,300!

Will we always be involved with overseas missions like this? I don’t know. I do know that God is at work in our own local community just as much as He is in these places overseas, and we want to be a part of God’s work no matter where it is. Whatever happens, there’s one thing that I do know...

As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15)

PRAXIS

1.    Make a habit of having dinner together as a family on a regular basis, and talk about family projects that could make a positive impact on the world for the sake of Jesus Christ. Maybe your family will sponsor a child overseas. Maybe your family will volunteer with a local organization (and it doesn’t have to just be a Christian organization). Let your family conversation help you decide where to serve.

2.    Purposefully drive through parts of your community that you usually don’t drive through so that you can see where some of the needs might be in your community. Is there anyone there already working to meet those needs? How can you join them?

3.    Today, take time to pray and read the Bible with your family. And find ways to live it.

credits (the people who helped make this happen)

My beautiful wife Krista, and amazing kids Samuel and Chloe. Without their love and support, none of this would be possible.

Five Talents International www.fivetalents.org (especially Kelli Ross for her amazing stories of the children of microfinance)

Marcus Goodyear (Editor) www.goodwordediting.com

Jeremiah Langner (Book Cover Design) www.jeremiahlangner.com

Corrie and the crew at University Parkway Starbucks (home of #writenight).

The BibleDude.net community… for continuing to read my ramblings, and coming back anyways.

TheHighCalling.org editorial team and community… for helping me reach my potential as a writer and storyteller.

The friends and family (too many to list here) who helped support this mission trip financially, without which I never would have been able to go.

My church family at Fellowship of Believers… for the support and prayers.

about the author

My name is Dan King.

I’m a dedicated follower of Christ, a loving husband (to my beautiful wife Krista), and a proud father (to my son Samuel and daughter Chloe). I'm a corporate training manager for one of the country’s largest telecommunications companies, and a very active member of my church. I’ve spent several years leading a great 20-somethings ministry, and training people for local ministry and global missions.

In addition to running BibleDude.net, I work as the Social Media Editor over at TheHighCalling.org, and have recently been working on a new social media strategy with a great organization called H.E.L.P..

My Personal Testimony

I grew up knowing about God, but was never really close to Him. It always seemed that for us, church was something that you did when things weren't going well. I never really knew much about growing in a relationship with a loving, personal God.

So as I grew older, I lived a very self-centered life. Everything that I did, and most of my interactions with other people were about satisfying some need that I had. I never truly recognized that others may have needs, and if I did then I really didn’t care so much.

I never considered myself a bad person. I honestly thought that I had a good heart, but as relationships started to crumble, I then realized that the problem wasn’t so much with other people as it was with me.

I knew that I was missing something, but still wasn’t sure what exactly it was.

At one point in my late 20′s, I met some people that started to show me what a real Christian life looked like. I started to see something in them that I didn’t have in myself. It was a greater purpose. It was a joy that I wasn't familiar with. It was “life” itself. All I knew at that point was that I needed to check this thing out a little further.

I started to attend church regularly with a friend (who later became my wife). It took me a while to get into it and understand what it was that I was seeing. Soon some friends of Krista’s started to reject her because she was hanging out with a “heathen” like me. It bothered me that so many people were so unaccepting of who I was.

Regardless, I looked past the people, and into the message that I started to hear about this awesome, loving God who transforms people’s lives. Then after about seven months of attending church services regularly, I responded to a simple (and routine) altar call to give my heart and my life to Jesus.

Since that time, I can honestly tell you that life has not been perfect. Life still happens, and even Christians have to deal with difficult things.

The difference was now that my life had meaning and purpose.

Right away I felt the call to do something with my newly found faith. I started working with the church’s youth group. Over time, I had explored many different areas of ministry including children’s ministry, small groups, young adults, and homeless ministries. I have also worked closely with our church’s Vacation Bible School program and helped by leading the teaching site for over 400 kids!

But what makes me happiest is studying the Bible. I'm currently working on completing my degree in Church Ministries (and then eventually Religious Education) through Global University. I've found that the more that I learn about my God, the more I fall in love with Him!

Stuff I've Written

For BibleDude.net

For ActivistFaith.org

For TheHighCalling.org

For ChurchM.ag

Social Networking Profiles

Facebook: Dan King

Twitter: @bibledude

YouTube: bibledudedotnet

Vimeo: bibledude

Flickr: bibledude

LinkedIn: Dan King

index of images

Note: The complete flickr photostream can be found at…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35919843@N07/sets/72157620542465798/

Photo 1: Phiong's Shop (Indonesia)

Photo 2: Esther in Indonesia

Photo 3: Fernando in Bolivia

Photo 4: Arriving for my flight out (Tampa, FL)

Photo 5: My son's 'puppy pic' at London Heathrow airport

Photo 6: View from my room at the Anglican Guest House, Nairobi

Photo 7: Streets of Nairobi, Kenya

Photo 8: One of my first tweets from Kenya

Photo 9: Peterson from the Thika Community Development Trust office (Kenya)

Photo 10: Stephen's shop in Thika, Kenya

Photo 11: Typical kitchen in Kenya

Photo 12: St. Luke's Church, Makongeni, Kenya

Photo 13: Small group break-outs (Makongeni, Kenya)

Photo 14: Me working the flipcharts during a lesson (Makongeni, Kenya)

Photo 15: Me teaching my lesson (Makongeni, Kenya)

Photo 16: Graduation ceremony (Makongeni, Kenya)

Photo 17: Makongeni class group photo

Photo 18: Typical living conditions on the road to Kairi, Kenya

Photo 19: Small group break-outs at St. Peter's Church (Kairi, Kenya)

Photo 20: Small group report-outs (Kairi, Kenya)

Photo 21: Me teaching my lesson with my translator Mary (Kairi, Kenya)

Photo 22: The 'real' Alice (Kairi, Kenya)

Photo 23: Video of the class singing their gratitude (Kairi, Kenya)

Photo 24: Giraffe on a night drive around the Sweetwater Tented Camp near Mount Kenya

Photo 25: Mount Kenya at dawn

Photo 26: Giraffe and warthogs at mud pit (near Mount Kenya)

Photo 27: The lion (near Mount Kenya)

Photo 28: Sunset over the African plains (near Mount Kenya)

Photo 29: Sunrise over Kampala, Uganda

Photo 30: Chintu, our driver (Uganda)

Photo 31: Five Talents Uganda national office meeting room (Kampala)

Photo 32: Ugandan countryside on ride from Kampala to Kasese on A109

Photo 33: Ugandan kids during ride from Kampala to Kasese on A109

Photo 34: Monica's egg shop in her living room (Kasese, Uganda)

Photo 35: Monica sharing photos of the family (Kasese, Uganda)

Photo 36: Me walking with some children in the Rwenzori Mountains

Photo 37: Anglican Church of Rwesande (Uganda)

Photo 38: Small group break-out session (Rwesande, Uganda)

Photo 39: A mother and her children during a break from classes (Rwesande, Uganda)

Photo 40: Reverend Joseph in his office (Rwesande, Uganda)

Photo 41: Medical clinic reception area (Rwesande, Uganda)

Photo 42: New construction in Kampala, Uganda

Photo 43: 'Welcome home' from my wonderful wife and son (Tampa, FL)

Table of Contents

Copyright

foreword

introduction

chapter one: beginnings [an ordinary Christian trying not to be lukewarm]

chapter two: finding a compass

chapter three: i’m on my way...

chapter four: culture shock

chapter five: investing my talents

chapter six: experiencing God’s creation, unfiltered

chapter seven: culture shock, part deux

chapter eight: paradigm shift

chapter nine: there’s no going back to ‘normal’

Acknowledgement

about the author

index of images