Kenya Journal February 7 2023

WATER TO THE DESERT
Gotta carry some water to the desert. Gotta’ ll up the dry and barren places. It’s the sick who need the doctor, gotta’ stop this hauling water to the sea.-Cynthia Clawson, 1980’s worship.

I have shared the lyrics above with you before. As a young youth pastor, Christian singer, Cynthia Clawson helped me with worship in an event. She sang a song from her recent worship album. The lyrics were burned into my heart. Little did I know, they would still burn over 40 years later.

I dare not come to this desert region of Kenya without bringing food and water. It’s not because I’m
a Southern gentleman, nor because if I didn’t my dear departed momma would rise up from her grave and “snatch me bald-headed!” It’s just the right thing to do. The only thing to do. We (you and I and the Mississippi mission team) gave away a lot of food and water today in the desert. By the time my plane lands in Kitale, Kenya on Thursday, the grain and beans will have been eaten. The 10,000 liter water tank will be less than 1/2 full.

So what was the point? To be Jesus with skin on to these drought dried desert dwellers for one day.
Of course, the Gospel was preached. Boldy, clearly, and effectively. Pastor Trevor (MS) handled a difficult situation with grace and ease as he offered the Bread and Water of life to these starving, thirsty friends. Many responded. But, I am not naive. They were here today for the food and water. That
would have been my motivation too, if I lived in this village. There was nothing miraculous about the sacks of grain and the tanker truck filled with driving water.

At least not to me! The village residents and their chief? They had a slightly di erent take on the day’s events.

Though a translator, an old friend (my age) asked, “Mike, what are the odds? That you and I would be leaning against this shade tree in the desert watching God feed His people through and old white-haired Mzungu (white man)? I answered my friend Bilba, “by man’s standard the odds are astronomical. But for a God whose eye roams the earthing looking for someone to show Himself strong to…those odds are 100%.”

God doesn’t do accidental or coincidence. God knows. God sees. And, God cares!

I did not pour one pail of beans in to a village dwellers sack today. I did not ll one water jug. God did that. And he used the Mississippi mission team’s “skin” to do the work. You see, God is in the desert. But, He doesn’t have skin on anymore. …Or does He? The desert will disappear behind our plane tomorrow as we make our way back to Nairobi and then upcountry for the next chapter of this God-adventure in Kitale. The team is having some trouble “shifting gears.” I get it. When you touch death in a living human being, it changes everything. A multi-dimensional God does ministry in every direction, simultaneously. Today, the ministry was to those receiving, those giving, and those who have given to put us on the ground at this very moment in time.

I can’t fathom eternity. Shoot!…I can’t even process this day.
your prayers = our fuel.
God is great!
By, grace, your brother,
Mike Curry
Eph. 6:19-20